INA–Follow up
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has placed Morocco at the top of its 2025 African industrial rankings, surpassing South Africa, after the country successfully strengthened its position as an industrial and logistical hub connecting Africa to European and global markets.
The Africa Sustainability Matters platform, citing the AfDB, reported that Morocco made significant progress in the manufacturing index thanks to the continued expansion of its automotive, aerospace, and phosphate-processing sectors, along with the adoption of a long-term, government-supported industrial policy.
The report explained that the ranking assessed the industrial performance of 54 African countries between 2010 and 2024, with Morocco’s rise resulting from the modernization of its industrial sector, the diversification of its exports, and the strengthening of export-oriented industries.
It noted that Morocco has successfully consolidated its position as an industrial and logistical hub linking Europe, Africa, and the Middle East by developing integrated production chains, thereby enhancing its integration into global trade and manufacturing networks.
The report indicated that the automotive sector represents a prime example of industrial transformation in Morocco, as the country has become the largest car producer in Africa, bolstered by major investments from the Renault and Stellantis groups, as well as growing exports of industrial components to European markets.
It added that the Kingdom has continued to develop its aerospace industry and attract global companies, alongside strengthening the role of the phosphate sector as one of the most important strategic sectors linked to global food security and agricultural supply chains.
The report emphasized that massive investments in infrastructure, particularly in ports, roads, railways, and industrial zones, have contributed to supporting Morocco’s industrial transformation, with the Tangier Med port being one of the most prominent logistics projects enhancing the connection of Moroccan industries to global markets.
Conversely, the report pointed out that South Africa’s decline in the industrial rankings is due to structural challenges, most notably electricity crises, logistical bottlenecks, and a slowdown in industrial expansion, despite maintaining advanced industrial capabilities within the continent.
The report concluded that the Moroccan experience has become a prominent industrial model in Africa from which other countries on the continent can benefit in developing industrialization strategies and economic transformation.
