Morocco leads Africa in digital trade surpluses, with $26 billion 20-year cumulative gain

  • Morocco achieved the highest cumulative surplus in Africa’s digital trade at $26.4 billion between 2005 and 2024.
  • Mauritius and Tunisia followed distantly with surpluses of $8.7 billion and $4.4 billion, respectively.
  • Nigeria and Angola recorded the deepest deficits, each exceeding $90 billion cumulatively.
  • Africa’s overall digital trade balance remained negative, averaging a -$618 million deficit in 2024.
  • Smaller economies like Kenya and Togo managed modest but consistent surpluses over the years.

Morocco has built a commanding lead in Africa’s digital services trade, recording a cumulative surplus of $26.4 billion between 2005 and 2024. This places it far ahead of Mauritius ($8.7 billion) and Tunisia ($4.4 billion), cementing its role as the continent’s most competitive digital exporter.

In 2024 alone, Morocco posted a surplus of $3.56 billion, the highest in Africa, ahead of Mauritius ($2.65 billion) and Tunisia ($621 million). Other countries like Kenya ($1.9 billion) and Togo ($1.1 billion) also managed to sustain long-term surpluses, but at much smaller scales.

On the flip side, Africa’s largest economies carry the deepest deficits. Nigeria (-$94.5 billion), Angola (-$97.8 billion), and Egypt (-$55.9 billion) have seen decades of heavy outflows on digital services, while South Africa (-$37.2 billion) and Algeria (-$28.4 billion) also rank among the biggest laggards.

Morocco’s cumulative strength shows that consistent investment in digital exports—particularly IT-enabled services and outsourcing—can turn the tide, even in a region where the overall trend remains negative.

Source:

World Trade Organization (WTO)

Period:

2005-2024
HTML code to embed chart
Want a bespoke report?
Reach out
Click to copy HTML embed code
Tags
Related Insights
After three years of decline, China-Nigeria export trade hit a new peak of $24.9bn in 2025
  • Export value more than doubled from $9.72 billion in 2016 to $24.91 billion in 2025.
  • Trade rose steadily between 2016 and 2019, then surged sharply in 2021.
  • Exports declined for three consecutive years (2022–2024) after the 2021 peak.
  • 2025 marks the highest export value in the ten-year period.
China's top 10 African export destinations take about 66% of its exports to the continent in 2025
  • Nigeria leads by a clear margin, receiving the highest export value at $24.91bn.
  • Large, diversified economies dominate the top tier, with South Africa and Egypt ranking among the biggest destinations.
  • Resource-linked trade remains significant, with countries like Liberia and Algeria absorbing substantial export value.
  • Trade reach is geographically diverse, spanning West, East, and North Africa, including Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya, Morocco, and Guinea.
Post-pandemic trade reset lifts China–Africa exports to a record $225bn in 2025
  • Exports more than doubled in a decade, with trade rising from $92.27 billion in 2016 to $225 billion in 2025, a 144% increase.
  • The largest single jump occurred between 2020 and 2021, when exports surged by more than $34 billion.
  • From 2021 to 2024, exports climbed every year, reaching $178.91 billion before the latest surge.
  • The increase from $178.91 billion in 2024 to $225 billion in 2025 signals a new growth surge after several years of gradual increases.
Agricultural products led Kenya’s 2024 export economy, with coffee, tea, and spices generating $1.7 bn
  • Agriculture dominated Kenya’s exports, with coffee, tea, and spices alone contributing $1.7 billion, the largest single export category.
  • Mineral fuels were a surprisingly strong second, delivering $1.1 billion, and showing Kenya’s growing role in regional fuel distribution.
  • Horticultural exports (flowers, live plants, and trees) contributed $790 million, reinforcing Kenya’s global strength in floriculture.
  • All other export categories fall below $300 million individually, reflecting a long list of small but diverse export segments such as textiles, vegetables, and pharmaceuticals.
Mining led South Africa’s 2024 exports with 18.7%, as gems and precious metals generated over $20 bn
  • Gems and precious metals were the largest single export category, contributing $20.6 billion.
  • Ores and industrial minerals followed closely with $17.2 billion, showing the country’s reliance on mining.
  • Vehicles and machinery were significant non-mineral exports, with a combined $18.3 billion.
  • Agricultural and light industry products like fruits, nuts, and beverages contributed modestly, strengthening mining and manufacturing’s position as the core export drivers.
Cocoa accounted for 4.6% of Nigeria’s 2024 exports, making it the country’s second-largest export after oil
  • Mineral fuels (including crude oil) accounted for $49.3 billion, or 86.8% of total exports in 2024.
  • Non-oil exports remained marginal, with the second-largest item, cocoa, contributing only 4.6%.
  • Fertilisers, ores, slag, ash, and oilseeds collectively made up less than 5%, indicating limited diversification.
  • All other export categories each contributed 1% or less, underscoring Nigeria’s narrow export base.
POPULAR TOPICS
SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
Get periodic updates about the African startup space, access to our reports, among others.
Subscribe Here
Subscription Form
A product of Techpoint Africa. All rights reserved