Global new research from the Project Management Institute (PMI) has revealed that project complexity is emerging as a prominent threat to successful project delivery across Sub-Saharan Africa. This is as African region accelerates digital transformation, infrastructure development, energy expansion, and public-sector modernization.
According to the PMI’s latest Pulse of the Profession report, Driving Success in Complex Projects: From Navigating Tasks to Navigating Systems, the finding shows that projects are increasingly facing missed deadlines, decision bottlenecks, and pressure on teams as organisations race to deliver transformation amid rapid change.
The report, based on insights from project professionals and senior leaders across 35 countries, according to a statement, shows that 81% of project professionals globally believe projects have become more complex in recent years, with 37% describing the increase as significant. This increase in complexity is being driven by a combination of organisational, environmental, and human factors, including AI adoption, shifting stakeholder expectations, economic volatility, and increasingly interconnected systems.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, the research highlights a particularly strong pattern of delivery disruption. According to PMI’s regional findings, missed delivery deadlines (at 44%) stand significantly above the global average (35%), while delays in stakeholder decision-making (41% vs. 34% for global) are emerging as another major friction point for organisations across the region.
