South Africa leads as Africa’s digitally delivered services exports hit $41.3 billion in 2024, less than 1 percent of the world total

  • Africa exported $41.3 billion in digital services in 2024, less than 1 percent of the world total.
  • South Africa was the continent’s top exporter with $7.05 billion.
  • Morocco ($6.74 billion) and Ghana ($5.18 billion) followed closely.
  • Egypt ($4.03 billion) and Mauritius ($3.53 billion) also ranked among the top five.
  • The top five countries together made up about two-thirds of Africa’s exports.

In 2024, Africa exported an estimated $41.27 billion in digitally delivered services compared to a global total of $4.78 trillion, leaving the continent with only 0.9 percent of the market.

South Africa and Morocco led the region, each above $6 billion, followed closely by Ghana at $5.2 billion. Egypt and Mauritius also featured strongly. Together, these five countries made up nearly two-thirds of Africa’s exports.

By contrast, Africa’s fourth largest economy, Nigeria, contributed just $1.55 billion, highlighting the uneven distribution of digital trade capacity across the continent.

Source:

World Trade Organization (WTO)

Period:

2023
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For every $1 Nigeria earned from exporting digital services between 2005 and 2024, it spent almost $10 on imports
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