Mauritius, Morocco, and South Africa lead Africa’s innovation race in 2025

Key Takeaways

  • Mauritius leads Africa with the highest GII score (32.5), ranking 53rd globally out of 139 countries.
  • North Africa dominates the top 5, with Morocco and Tunisia both strong performers.
  • Sub-Saharan Africa’s bright spots include South Africa, Seychelles, Botswana, and Senegal.
  • Nigeria is 105th globally (21.1), highlighting Africa’s uneven innovation capacity.

Mauritius tops Africa’s innovation landscape in 2025 with a Global Innovation Index (GII) score of 32.5, ranking 53rd out of 139 countries worldwide. Morocco (57th, 31.1) and South Africa (61st, 30.1) complete the continental top three, showing strong performance in science, technology, and knowledge creation. Seychelles and Tunisia follow closely, sustaining steady progress in innovation ecosystems.

At the other end, Nigeria ranks 105th globally with a score of 21.1, alongside Rwanda (104th, 21.1), signalling the need for stronger investments in research, digital infrastructure, and human capital. Côte d’Ivoire and Zambia (both below 20 points) reflect countries where innovation remains under pressure, with limited resources for scaling science, tech, and entrepreneurship.

Source:

World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

Period:

2025
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