For the first time, the Kingdom of Morocco will rise to become the most industrialized economy on the African continent by 2025. This is according to a report by the African Development Bank (AfDB). While Morocco is certainly benefiting from South Africa’s decline, this is also the result of a pro-industry policy strategy launched twenty years ago.
In its report, the BAD highlights the successes of the Moroccan model: rising public and foreign investment, booming industrial zones, and increasingly connected infrastructure, particularly with the port of Tangier Med, now Africa’s leading port.
As a result, the kingdom’s industry no longer relies solely on phosphates or the automotive sector, but also on other promising sectors such as aerospace. “Every aircraft in the sky today, manufactured after 2005, has at least one essential component produced in Morocco. It was one of King Mohammed VI’s strategic bets to focus on aerospace just as much as on the automotive industry,” explains Abdelmalek Alaoui, president of the Moroccan Institute for Strategic Intelligence and author of the book Morocco: The Challenge of Power.
Disparities that remain significant
“When a country decides to invest heavily in public infrastructure to achieve high-quality infrastructure—whether in connectivity, ports, or telecommunications—
“In this case, there are increasingly significant international investors, but they are also joined by domestic investors. And that’s where we move into a different category,” explains Abdelmalek Alaoui.
A challenge remains for Morocco: ensuring that the entire country benefits from this industrial success. “There is a Morocco that is winning, a Morocco near the ports, a Morocco of globalization. And there is still a Morocco of the fringes, of the territories. And the fact that we’ve had this forced industrialization has widened the gaps between those who are very rich and those who are much lower on the social ladder. ”
For behind the industrial performance, disparities remain stark. In another report last month, the AfDB noted that while Morocco certainly has many businesses, it struggles to create enough jobs for its population.
According to Rfi, the report also emphasis that Intra-African trade accounts for only 14.4% of total trade, reflecting weak regional production linkages and fragmented industrial ecosystems.
The Africa Industrialization Index (AII) 2025, which assesses the industrial development of 54 African countries between 2010 and 2024, finds that 41 countries have improved their industrialization scores, representing a 6% increase across the continent. The most significant gains were recorded among the lowest-performing economies, a sign of convergence. However, significant gaps persist: Africa accounts for less than 2% of global manufacturing output and only 1.4% of manufacturing exports; and per capita manufacturing value added has fallen below its pre-2014 level.
The report analyzes African industrialization through three indices: industrial diversification, attractiveness, and productive anchoring, which measures the depth of local integration of investments.
If you missed it: Morocco emerges as Africa’s strategic powerhouse, Stimson report says
North Africa leads in all three indicators, accounting for 56% of cumulative continental investments between 2020 and 2025, with Morocco and Egypt being the top-performing countries.
East Africa ranks second on the continent in terms of productive anchoring, thanks to strong regional integration and comprehensive agricultural value chains. Conversely, Southern Africa attracts the largest share of high-value-added investments but exhibits weak vertical integration. For example, the region’s automobile factories primarily assemble imported kits rather than sourcing from local supplier networks.
West and Central Africa remain stuck at the first stage of processing: Ivorian cocoa is exported as powder rather than finished chocolate, Guinean bauxite is shipped in its raw state, and Sahelian gold and uranium are exported without any downstream industry.
Source : African Development Bank and rfi.fr
