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21 Top African Economies: Who Will Bypass South Africa Next?

21 Top African Economies: Who Will Bypass South Africa Next?

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South Africa lost its spot as No. 1 economy in Africa to Nigeria in 2014, and its No. 2 spot to Egypt in 2016. So who has best shot next at bypassing the South African economy? And how soon will it happen? These are 21 of the World Economic Forum’s top performing economies in Africa based on gross domestic product. You’ll be surprised who’s absent from this list: Rwanda. We’ve shown the IMF’s projected GDP data between 2015 and 2012 at current rates in billions of US dollars. Countries are ranked from smallest economies to largest.

Sources: InternationalMonetaryFund, BusinessDayLive

Photo: smallfarmersjournal.com
Photo: smallfarmersjournal.com

Congo

2015: $8.9 billion

2016: $8.4 billion

2021: $11.3 billion

Darfuri women in Chad. Photo: Kirsten Johnson/PHR/darfurvisible.org
Darfuri women in Chad. Photo: Kirsten Johnson/PHR/darfurvisible.org

Chad

2015: $10.9 billion

2016: $10.1 billion

2021: $15.2 billion

Gabon's national football team fans Photo: Issouf Sanogo/AFP
Gabon’s national football team fans
Photo: Issouf Sanogo/AFP

Gabon

2015: $14.4 billion

2016: $14.2 billion

2021: $21.4 billion

Senegalese fishermen. Photo: Randy Olson/National Geographic/Getty
Senegalese fishermen. Photo: Randy Olson/National Geographic/Getty

Senegal

2015: $13.7 billion

2016: $14.6 billion

2021: $22.6 billion

Solwezi, one of the fastest-growing towns in Zambia. Photo: solwezi-municipal-council-zambia
Solwezi, one of the fastest-growing towns in Zambia.
Photo: solwezi-municipal-council-zambia

Zambia

2015: $21.9 billion

2016: $19.1 billion

2021: $26.7 billion

Owino market, Kampala, Uganda. Photo: fortuneofafrica.com
Owino market, Kampala, Uganda. Photo: fortuneofafrica.com

Uganda

2015: $24.7 billion

2016: $25 billion

2021: $37.2 billion

Douala Harbor, Cameroon. Thinkstock
Douala Harbor, Cameroon. Thinkstock

Cameroon

2015: $28.5 billion

2016: $30.3 billion

2021: $43.2 billion

A Tunisian fishmongers at the central market in Tunis. Photo: Fethi Belaid/Getty
Tunisian fishmonger at the central market in Tunis. Photo: Fethi Belaid/Getty

Tunisia

2015: $43.6 billion

2016: $44 billion

2021: $51.9 billion

Elections in Côte d’Ivoire, 2015. Photo: Hannah Smidt/blogs.lse.ac.uk
Elections in Côte d’Ivoire, 2015. Photo: Hannah Smidt/blogs.lse.ac.uk

Côte d’Ivoire

2015: $31.2 billion

2016: $34.7 billion

2021: $55.7 billion

Prof. Nii Narku Quaynor, chairman Ghana Dot Com Photo: ghana.com
Prof. Nii Narku Quaynor, chairman Ghana Dot Com Photo: ghana.com

Ghana

2015: $36 billion

2016: $38.2 billion

2021: $56.5 billion

Mining for gold in DRC. Photo: mg.co.za
Mining for gold in DRC. Photo: mg.co.za

Democratic Republic of Congo

2015 GDP: $38.9 billion

2016: $41.2 billion

2021: $57.3 billion

A Tunisian fishmongers at the central market in Tunis. Photo: Fethi Belaid/Getty
Tunisian fishmonger at the central market in Tunis. Photo: Fethi Belaid/Getty

Tunisia

2015: $43.6 billion

2016: $44 billion

2021: $51.9 billion

Grocery store in Tanzania. Photo: tanzania.um.dk
Grocery store in Tanzania. Photo: tanzania.um.dk

Tanzania

2015: $44.9 billion

2016: $45.9 billion

2021: $68.9 billion

Norfund
Kenyan wind farm. Photo: cleantechnica.com

Kenya

2015: 61.405 billion

2016: 64.688 billion

2021: 81.277 billion

Bamboo charcoal production in Ethiopia. Photo: bioenergy.inbar.int
Bamboo charcoal production in Ethiopia. Photo: bioenergy.inbar.int

Ethiopia

2015: $61.6 billion

2016: $67.4 billion

2021: $105.1 billion

Offshore oil platform, Angola. Thinkstock
Offshore oil platform, Angola. Thinkstock

Angola

2015: $103 billion

2016: $81.5 billion

2021: $109.8 billion

Noor I Concentrated Solar Power plant, Morocco. Photo: Fadel Senna/AFP/wfdd.org
Noor I Concentrated Solar Power plant, Morocco. Photo: Fadel Senna/AFP/wfdd.org

Morocco

2015: $103.1 billion

2016: $108.1 billion

2021: $146.6 billion

Houari Boumediène International Airport, Algeria. Photo: echoroukonline.com
Houari Boumediène International Airport, Algeria. Photo: echoroukonline.com

Algeria

2015: $172.3 billion

2016: $166 billion

2021: $197.7 billion

First Marriott Hotels planned
Protea Hotel Kruger Gate, South Africa. Photo: Marriott.com

South Africa

2015: $313 billion

2016: $266.2 billion

2021: $323.3 billion

Photo: Andrej Ciesielski/au.news.yahoo.com
Photo: Andrej Ciesielski/au.news.yahoo.com

Egypt

2015: $330.8 billion

2016: $341.7 billion

2021: $433.2 billion

nigeria mobile
Nigeria mobile phone vendor. Photo: ibtimes

Nigeria

2015: $490.2 billion

2016: $538 billion

2021: $759.4 billion