Morocco has overtaken South Africa as Africa’s leading industrial economy for the first time in 15 years, driven by aggressive state-backed industrial policies, rising manufacturing exports, large-scale infrastructure investments, and stronger economic diversification.
According to the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) 2025 Africa Industrialisation Index (AII), Morocco emerged as the continent’s top-ranked industrial economy in 2024, edging past South Africa, whose industrial competitiveness has steadily weakened over the past decade.
The AfDB report, which assesses industrial performance using 19 indicators ranging from manufacturing capacity and export diversification to governance and labour conditions, said Morocco’s rise reflects “sustained industrial upgrading, export diversification, and effective implementation of strategic industrial policies.”
“Morocco surpasses South Africa to emerge as the highest-ranked industrial economy in Africa over the coverage period,” the report added.
Morocco’s industrial transformation
