Between 2016 and 2020, Kenya's debt to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) declined steadily by 59%, from SDR 609.8 million to SDR 249.9 million.
This downward trend reversed dramatically after 2020, with public debt rising to SDR 3.02 billion by March 2025.
The most significant annual increase occurred between 2020 and 2021, when debt jumped by 178%.
The lowest recorded debt level during the study period was in 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when it fell to approximately SDR 250 million.
Kenya’s IMF debt grew more than elevenfold (1,109%) from its 2020 low to its 2025 peak.
Nigeria held the top spot in global cashew production from 2001 to 2010. This highlights a period of strong agricultural output, though the country has since been overtaken by India and Côte d'Ivoire. In recent years, Côte d'Ivoire has emerged as the world’s leading cashew producer, holding the top spot for three consecutive years as of 2022. This shift highlights the country's growing role in global cashew production. India and Mozambique once dominated global production, with India leading for 35 of the past 62 years.
Rwanda is performing relatively well in terms of governance and rule of law, leading sub-Saharan Africa for the third consecutive year with a score of 0.63 in the 2024 Rule of Law Index. Namibia (0.61) and Mauritius (0.60) closely follow, showcasing relatively stronger legal frameworks.
At the lower end, Nigeria, Congo, and Gabon score 0.40, highlighting persistent governance challenges.
Globally, Denmark tops the list of 142 countries, with a score of 0.90, while Venezuela ranks last at 0.26, emphasising the gap between SSA's highest performers and global leaders. This mix of progress and struggles illustrates the varied state of governance across the region.
In 2023, Morocco led Africa’s phone export market with $192.2 million, making up 0.07% of the global total, followed by South Africa at $85.9 million, with a global share of 0.03%.
Though Tunisia, Mauritius, and Kenya contributed smaller shares, Tunisia’s remarkable 5,456% growth stands out, positioning it for greater involvement in the global market.
However, Mauritius and Kenya faced declines of -38% and -52%.
With rising global cyber threats, Kenya, one of Africa's Tier 1 cybersecurity countries (ITU classification), has recorded 2.76 billion cyber threats in the first nine months of 2024.
After a dramatic spike in Q4 2023 (+943%), cyber threats have dropped by 49% in Q3 2024 but remained significantly higher than five quarters ago. Threats rose again in Q2 (+17%) and then dropped in Q3 (-42%).
This surge in attacks led to a recent major breach, where a government agency’s data was sold on the dark web, highlighting the urgent need for stronger security measures.
What actions can Kenya and other countries take to improve their cybersecurity?
Many African countries can't grow apples naturally due to unfavourable climate and the required chilling hours.
Despite this, Africa's share of global apple output has grown from 0.66% (1962) to nearly 4% in 2022, averaging 2.3% over 60+ years. South Africa has been the biggest contributor, but Egypt, Morocco, and Algeria also play key roles, with the top four countries making up 96% of Africa's total production in 2022.
Since 1961, South Africa has led Africa in apple production, consistently topping the charts.
Since the 2007/08 academic year, Nigeria has consistently held the top spot for the number of African international students in the US. Before this, Kenya and Egypt also led in certain periods.
This trend highlights the evolving landscape of African students pursuing education in the US over the decades.
