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South Africa runs Africa’s longest rail network at 20,986km, while Nigeria trails 9th with 3,798km
  • South Africa leads the continent with a vast 20,986km rail network, nearly triple the size of Sudan’s, the second-largest.
  • Nigeria’s rail infrastructure measures 3,798km, ranking it behind Kenya (3,819km) and DR Congo (4,007km).
  • North African countries like Egypt and Algeria maintain significant rail mileage, exceeding 4,000km each.
  • Southern Africa dominates the top five, with Mozambique and Zimbabwe also featuring prominently.

Algeria, Nigeria, Egypt and Libya accounted for 78% of Africa’s 144 active oil rigs in 2024
  • Algeria leads Africa with 41 active oil rigs, making up nearly 29% of the continent's total count.
  • Nigeria follows with 31 rigs, confirming its strong position in West Africa’s upstream oil activity.
  • Egypt ranks third with 23 rigs, while Libya maintains 18 rigs despite its fluctuating political climate.
  • The top seven countries host 122 of Africa’s 144 rigs, showing drilling operations are concentrated in just a handful of nations.

The United States, Canada, and Iran account for over 50% of the world’s 1,802 active oil rigs in 2024, with Nigeria ranking 15th globally with 31 rigs
  • The United States remains the undisputed leader with 589 active rigs, accounting for nearly a third of all rigs worldwide in 2024.
  • Canada (162 rigs) and Iran (117 rigs) follow as the second and third highest contributors to global drilling activity.
  • Middle Eastern producers dominate the top 10, with Kuwait (80), UAE (73), Saudi Arabia (70), Iraq (62), and Oman (50) collectively operating 335 rigs.
  • Nigeria ranks 15th globally with 31 active rigs, making it one of only two African nations in the global top 20.
  • The top 10 countries account for over 75% of the world’s active rigs, reflecting the continued concentration of drilling infrastructure in a handful of key oil-producing regions.

Egypt rebounded from a $480 million FDI loss in 2011 to $46.6 billion in 2024, an over 9,000% surge, marking its highest inflow in 30+ years
  • Egypt attracted $46.6B in FDI in 2024, the highest in 35 years and nearly quadruple 2023’s $9.8B inflow.
  • Average FDI between 1990–2023 was just $4.9B, meaning 2024’s figure is over 9× the long-term average.
  • Prior to 2024, FDI peaked at $11.6B in 2007, with only three other years, 2008, 2022, and 2023 crossing the $9B mark.
  • In 2011, Egypt recorded –$0.48B in FDI, meaning more foreign investment left the country than came in, largely due to the Arab Spring unrest.
  • The 2005–2010 period was previously Egypt’s strongest run, averaging over $8B annually before political instability triggered sharp declines.

Libya tops list as African fuel prices remain below $1 in the top 9 African nations
  • Libya maintains its position as the cheapest fuel market in Africa with just $0.028 per litre.
  • Nine out of ten countries have fuel prices under $1 per litre, signalling widespread affordability across much of the continent.
  • Nigeria, despite partial subsidy reforms, still ranks among the cheapest with fuel priced at $0.586 per litre.
  • DR Congo is the only country in the top 10 where fuel costs exceed $1 per litre, standing at $1.039.
  • Ethiopia and Liberia are the only non-oil-producing countries among Africa’s top 10 cheapest fuel markets.

Morocco leads Africa in FIFA rankings at 12th position globally with 1694.24 points. Nigeria trails at 43rd position
  • Morocco leads Africa in FIFA rankings with 1694.24 points, placing 12th globally, signalling its sustained excellence on the international stage.
  • Senegal (1630.32 pts) and Egypt (1518.79 pts) are the next top African teams, ranked 19th and 32nd globally, respectively.
  • The point gap between top teams is significant: Morocco leads Nigeria (1481.35 pts) by over 210 points, reflecting performance consistency.
  • Five of Africa’s top 10 teams are from North Africa, showcasing the region’s dominance in tactical strength and international success.

By 2054, India is projected to remain the world’s most populous country, growing by 17.1% from 2024 to reach 1.69 billion people
Key Takeaways:
  • India is projected to remain the world’s most populous country in 2054, reaching 1.69 billion, an increase of 246 million from 2024.
  • China’s population is expected to decline to 1.22 billion by 2054, marking a 14.1% decrease.
  • Nigeria is projected to rise to 5th place globally, with a population of 374 million, a 62% increase from 2024.
  • The United States remains the only high-income country in the top five, with a projected population of 384 million.
  • Pakistan is expected to climb from 5th to 3rd place, adding 138 million people by 2054.
  • Three African countries (Nigeria, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo) are expected to rank among the top 10 most populous nations.
  • Russia is projected to see a population decline of 6.9%.

By 2100, seven African nations are expected to rank among the world’s 15 most populous countries, with Nigeria’s population projected to more than double
Key Takeaways:
  • India is projected to remain the world’s most populous country in 2100, with 1.5 billion people, a 4.5% increase from 2024.
  • China’s population is expected to fall sharply by 55.1% to 638.7 million, less than half of its 2024 population.
  • Pakistan's population is expected to nearly double by 2100.
  • Nigeria is projected to become the world’s fourth most populous country by 2100, with a population of more than 470 million.
  • Seven of the 15 most populous countries in 2100 are expected to be in Africa.
  • The United States is projected to rank sixth globally by 2100 from its current third position, despite a 22.2% expected population increase from 2024.
  • Together, the top 15 countries are expected to account for 57.9% of the global population by 2100.
  • The total world population is projected to reach 10.19 billion by the end of the century.

Nigeria holds the third highest interest rate in Africa at 27.5%, as Zimbabwe leads with 35%
  • Zimbabwe has the highest benchmark interest rate in Africa at 35%, exceeding Ghana, the second highest, by 7% points.
  • Nigeria holds the third highest interest rate on the continent at 27.5%, just 0.5% points behind Ghana, signalling aggressive policy intervention.
  • Zimbabwe, Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi, and Egypt have interest rates above 25%, showing a regional pattern of tight monetary conditions.
  • There is a significant drop of over 5% points between Sierra Leone at 24.75% and Angola at 19.5%, marking a clear shift to lower-rate economies below the top tier.

South Africa's wine production peaked at 1.15 million tonnes in 2014, while being Africa’s major wine producer for 48 years
Key Takeaways:
  • South Africa has been the leading wine producer in Africa from 1975 to 2022.
  • Algeria was the top producer from 1961 to 1974 but saw a significant decline in output in later years.
  • South Africa, Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia have been the dominant wine-producing countries in Africa between 1961 and 2022.
  • On average, eight African countries have engaged in wine production annually during this period.
  • Sub-Saharan nations such as Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, and Tanzania have contributed small but steady wine to Africa’s production in recent decades.
  • Egypt has consistently ranked among Africa’s top wine producers, with its highest production recorded in 2008.

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