Industry sector

Africa today has many assets for a successful manufacturing transformation. It has a priori close access to raw materials, especially minerals, but also to agricultural, forestry and fish products. Its workforce constitutes one of the most dynamic labor pools in the world. The development of an urban middle class creates a new domestic market. Yet Africa's manufacturing sector remains small compared to that of other developing regions. It represents around five hundred billion dollars in added value, or barely more than 10% of overall African GDP (ADB, OECD, UNDP, 2018). On average, the industry generates just seven hundred dollars in GDP per capita, less than a third of the figure for South America (2,500) and barely a fifth of that of East Asia ( 3,400).