Africa facing the challenges of 2025 : economic resilience, Artificial intelligence, and digital sovereignty
The African economy is undergoing a profound transformation, marked by persistent challenges but also growing opportunities. The 2025 edition of L’Economie africaine, published by the French Development Agency (AFD), provides an overview of current trends, growth prospects, and the dynamics shaping the continent.

The 2025 edition of L’Economie africaine, published by the French Development Agency (AFD) and academic specialists, analyzes the continent’s economic trends amid climate, geopolitical, and technological upheavals. While African growth is expected to reach 4% in 2025, growth per capita remains low, at just 2%. « Africa’s share in the global economy is increasing, which itself is growing by 2%, » emphasizes Rémy Rioux, Director General of AFD.
Africa’s share in the global economy is increasing
The book highlights the resilience of African economies despite successive shocks. However, it stresses the persistent vulnerabilities: limited budgetary margins and dependence on the international financial system. Some countries are making headway, such as Senegal with gas exploitation, or the DRC and Zambia thanks to copper.
AI: A lever for development and sovereignty
Artificial intelligence emerges as a major theme of this edition. Professor Paulin Melatagia Yonta emphasizes that AI is already a strategic tool for Africa: « Predicting epidemics, automating medical imaging diagnostics, or detecting agricultural diseases illustrate AI’s potential. » This technology helps to address the shortage of human resources in key sectors like health, agriculture, and education.
However, the book underscores a crucial issue: digital sovereignty. « Who controls the data controls the future, » warns Professor Yonta. The dominance of large international tech companies over African data could exacerbate the continent’s dependency. Local initiatives are emerging, such as Senegal’s national AI program, to counter this trend.
A quest for structural transformation in Africa
The book also examines the renaissance of African research, which has long been marginalized. Although research is underfunded and dependent on international partnerships, it is becoming a key lever for innovation and development.
Politically, L’Economie africaine 2025 highlights contrasting democratic trajectories. While democratic backsliding is not inevitable, tensions persist. Citizen practices and local initiatives play an essential role in consolidating governance.
The investment needs remain considerable, and Africa’s future rests on coalitions of actors determined to build sustainable development
Finally, the book explores the evolving role of Africa on the global stage. While China’s influence and other emerging players are growing, economic and security crises are slowing this dynamic. « This edition aims to offer a breakdown of the continent’s major challenges, moving away from preconceived ideas, » reminds Rémy Rioux.
With 5 billion euros in investments committed in 2024, the AFD highlights the importance of financing tailored to the continent’s needs. However, the planned budget cuts for 2025 could hinder these ambitions. « The investment needs remain considerable, and Africa’s future rests on coalitions of actors determined to build sustainable development, » concludes Sandra Kassab, recently appointed head of the AFD’s Africa department.
