In 2002, Egypt and South Africa were Africa's two largest manufacturing economies, at $34.4 billion and $34.6 billion, respectively, while Nigeria trailed at $25.3 billion.
By 2025, Egypt had pulled well clear at $64.4 billion, while Nigeria had closed most of its early gap to South Africa, with the two now separated by just $3.1 billion, at $43.6 billion and $40.5 billion.
The paths to those figures were very different. Egypt's manufacturing value added nearly doubled over the period, rising 87% to a new peak in 2025. Nigeria grew rapidly through 2014, when it peaked at $47.2 billion, but has not regained that level. South Africa peaked at $44.2 billion in 2018 and has since fallen further behind.
The figures are in constant 2015 US dollars, so the changes reflect movements in the real value generated by manufacturing.
