The future of production in Africa

This Policy Note provides insights from the private sector on the opportunities generated by regional integration in Africa. Regional co-operation holds the potential to be a game-changer for firms, allowing them to rethink their strategies and better serve a growing African market. The analysis builds on discussions which took place at the meeting “The future of production in Africa: The case for regional integration”, organised by the OECD Development Centre’s Emerging Markets Network (EMnet) at the OECD on 20 January 2020, desk research and bilateral conversations with multinationals operating in Africa. Africa’s GDP was expected to grow by 3.6% in 2019 and 3.8% in 2020, but with COVID-19, recent forecasts show that recessions are a likely scenario: GDP growth could drop to -1.12% for 2020.