For the first time since the index was created, Morocco has dethroned South Africa at the top of the African industrialisation ranking. Published by the African Development Bank (AfDB) on the occasion of its Annual Meetings held in Brazzaville from May 25 to 29, 2026, the African Industrialization Index (AII) 2025 — which covers the period 2010-2024 — marks a profound reshaping of the continent’s industrial landscape, with a strong presence of North African countries in the leading pack.
Morocco obtains a score of 0.8415, narrowly ahead of South Africa (0.8396), which had occupied the first position uninterrupted since 2010.
The AfDB explains this shift by ongoing industrial upgrading, diversification of exports and effective implementation of strategic industrial policies. The numbers bear this ascent out: between 2021 and 2024, Morocco’s industrial turnover was multiplied by 2.2, value added by 1.5, and exports by 3.
The automotive industry, now the kingdom’s leading export sector, reported nearly 196 billion dirhams in turnover and more than 250,000 direct jobs. The aerospace sector also confirms its rise, with a 14.9% growth in exports in 2024. South Africa, by contrast, records a structural decline: its score was 0.8819 in 2010 and fell to 0.8396 in 2024.
Tunisia in the leading circle of African industry
Tunisia ranks fourth in Africa with a score of 0.7760, behind Egypt (third, 0.7827). AfDB identifies a “leading quartet” made up of Morocco, South Africa, Egypt and Tunisia — economies that surpass the rest of the continent by a substantial margin.
Tunisia is therefore not isolated: it belongs to the first circle of African industry. But it must defend its place against Mauritius (fifth, 0.6731), Algeria (sixth, 0.6661) and other rising economies.
This ranking rests on a solid productive fabric. Manufacturing industries account for 20% of national employment, about 720,000 jobs, making the sector the country’s top employer.
The mechanical and electrical industries, Tunisia’s engine
The locomotive of this ranking is called Mechanical and Electrical Industries (MEI). The sector comprises 914 companies with more than 10 employees, generating nearly 158,000 jobs, and represents 51% of the total export volume of Tunisian manufacturing industries. Its exports reached 28.7 billion dinars in 2024.
The momentum accelerates in 2025: sector exports rose by 6.4% in the first nine months of the year, driven notably by a 10.4% rise in electrical exports.
In terms of investment, declared industrial projects exceeded 2.48 billion dinars in 2025, with MEI and agro-food industries concentrating more than half of the commitments.
The government has also launched an industrial and innovation strategy with a 2035 horizon, aiming to create 840,000 additional jobs and to raise export value to 36 billion dinars.
Four Arab countries in the top 6
The collective performance of North African countries is one of the report’s major lessons: Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria occupy four of the six top spots in the continental ranking.
The region remains the most industrially advanced on the continent, with an average score of 0.6891 points in 2024, ahead of Southern Africa (0.5850). The report notes, however, that Libya and Mauritania are exceptions, ranking respectively in the “middle” and “lower-middle” bands of the ranking.
Here is the top 10 :
| Rank | Country |
|---|---|
| 1 | Morocco |
| 2 | South Africa |
| 3 | Egypt |
| 4 | Tunisia |
| 5 | Mauritius |
| 6 | Algeria |
| 7 | Eswatini |
| 8 | Senegal |
| 9 | Namibia |
| 10 | Ivory Coast |
A continent that progresses, but too slowly
Beyond individual performances, the report offers a nuanced assessment. Of the 54 countries covered, 41 improved their score between 2010 and 2024, but only 24 advanced in the ranking.
Africa’s manufacturing value added rose from $285 billion in 2020 to $351 billion in 2025, but the continent still accounts for less than 2% of global manufacturing output and only 1.4% of global manufacturing exports. Industrial value added per capita remains at $226.7 in 2025, below the 2014 peak of $254.9.
The AfCFTA potential
The AfDB points to a major structural constraint: intra-African trade accounts for only 14.4% of the continent’s total trade, versus 60% in Asia and 57% in Europe.
Effective implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) could generate up to $450 billion in value added by 2035 and increase intra-African trade by 60% in agri-food products, 48% in manufacturing, and 34% in services by 2045 — provided we shift from a model of integration for trade to a model of integration for production.
For Tunisia, which already channels 76% of its mechanical and electrical exports to the European Union, diversification toward African markets remains a largely open field.
