That dollar amount reflects a 26.7% increase compared to $474.3 billion five years earlier in 2019.
Year over year, the total value of products exported from Africa declined by -11.3% compared to $677.5 billion for 2022.
Shifting our focus to global benchmarks, worldwide exports from all countries equaled $23.267 trillion in 2023. Africa’s exports represent an estimated 2.6% share of total world exports in 2023 down from 2.7% one year earlier.
Worldwide exports from all countries increased at a slower pace (24%) than Africa over the 5-year period starting in 2019. Year over year, global exports fell -5.9% which was outpaced by the 11.3% decline in African exports.
In 2023, the 5 biggest African exporting nations are South Africa, Nigeria, Algeria, Morocco and Egypt. Collectively, that powerful cohort of African shippers generated over half (52%) of the continent’s overall exports by value. That percentage reflects an dilution in concentration compared to the 53.4% portion one year earlier in 2023.
Given Africa’s growing population of about 1.46 billion people in 2023, the continent’s total $600.7 billion worth exported goods translates to roughly $411 per African resident. That dollar metric exceeds the average $365 per capita one year earlier during 2022.
Top African Export Countries
Below are the top African export countries that achieved the highest dollar value in global shipments during 2023. Also shown is the percentage change in value from 2022 to 2023.
| Rank | Exporter | Exports | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | South Africa | 110,662,795,000 | -10.5% |
| 2. | Nigeria | 60,650,575,000 | -4.2% |
| 3. | Algeria | 56,818,269,000 | -14.2% |
| 4. | Morocco | 42,477,876,000 | +0.3% |
| 5. | Egypt | 42,051,584,000 | -19.3% |
| 6. | Angola | 37,461,252,000 | -26.9% |
| 7. | Libya | 33,692,510,000 | -16.3% |
| 8. | Democratic Republic Congo | 28,517,775,000 | -2.9% |
| 9. | Tunisia | 20,039,656,000 | +8.1% |
| 10. | Ivory Coast | 18,356,186,000 | +12% |
| 11. | Ghana | 16,874,662,000 | -2.9% |
| 12. | Zambia | 10,431,184,000 | -10.8% |
| 13. | Guinea | 8,950,308,000 | -21.7% |
| 14. | Mozambique | 8,275,973,000 | +0.9% |
| 15. | Congo | 8,258,403,000 | -7.4% |
| 16. | Gabon | 7,305,290,000 | -19.7% |
| 17. | Tanzania | 7,274,329,000 | +6.6% |
| 18. | Zimbabwe | 7,225,586,000 | +9.7% |
| 19. | Kenya | 7,216,731,000 | -2.4% |
| 20. | Cameroon | 5,820,985,000 | -25.8% |
| 21. | Botswana | 5,502,717,000 | -33.8% |
| 22. | Namibia | 5,488,030,000 | -8.6% |
| 23. | Equatorial Guinea | 5,351,134,000 | -46.7% |
| 24. | Burkina Faso | 4,469,258,000 | -1.7% |
| 25. | Mauritania | 4,160,622,000 | +10.1% |
| 26. | Senegal | 3,322,808,000 | -42% |
| 27. | Chad | 3,315,531,000 | -30.1% |
| 28. | Madagascar | 3,227,416,000 | -8% |
| 29. | Uganda | 3,227,139,000 | -9.8% |
| 30. | Sudan | 3,142,190,000 | -48.1% |
| 31. | Ethiopia | 2,857,941,000 | -7.3% |
| 32. | Eswatini | 2,459,669,000 | -0.8% |
| 33. | Liberia | 2,125,388,000 | +947.6% |
| 34. | Mauritius | 1,854,239,000 | +34.4% |
| 35. | Mali | 1,654,421,000 | -57.6% |
| 36. | Togo | 1,455,558,000 | +7.7% |
| 37. | Sierra Leone | 1,448,159,000 | +5.3% |
| 38. | Benin | 1,052,211,000 | +26.3% |
| 39. | Niger | 983,241,000 | +120.4% |
| 40. | Malawi | 965,509,000 | +2.6% |
| 41. | Lesotho | 964,394,000 | +5.1% |
| 42. | South Sudan | 591,906,000 | +15.8% |
| 43. | Djibouti | 560,266,000 | -11.1% |
| 44. | Seychelles | 547,770,000 | -4.8% |
| 45. | Rwanda | 471,090,000 | -67.2% |
| 46. | Eritrea | 433,239,000 | -48.3% |
| 47. | Somalia | 112,659,000 | -84.5% |
| 48. | Guinea-Bissau | 100,150,000 | -55.6% |
| 49. | Comoros | 88,790,000 | +28.6% |
| 50. | Central African Republic | 83,423,000 | -29.2% |
| 51. | Gambia | 83,330,000 | +53.8% |
| 52. | Burundi | 77,399,000 | -59% |
| 53. | Cabo Verde | 43,885,000 | +4.1% |
| 54. | Saint Helena | 36,321,000 | -13.3% |
| 55. | Br. Indian Ocean Territory | 35,396,000 | +475.5% |
| 56. | Fr. Southern/Antarctic Terr | 23,127,000 | -5.1% |
| 57. | Sao Tome and Principe | 16,555,000 | -26.7% |
| 58. | Western Sahara | 6,966,000 | +1200% |
The top 10 African exporters equaled three-quarters (75%) of all international sales for goods shipped from Africa during 2023.
From 2022 to 2023, 21 out of 58 export countries or territories in Africa enjoyed increasing revenues from their exports.
The fastest-gaining African exporters were Western Sahara (up 1,200% from 2022), Liberia (up 947.6%), British Indian Ocean Territory (up 475.5%), Niger (up 120.4%) then Gambia (up 53.8%).
Leading the year-over-year decliners were exporters in Somalia (down -84.5% from 2022), Rwanda (down -67.2%), Burundi (down -59%), Mali (down -57.6%) then Guinea-Bissau (down -55.6%).
See also South Africa’s Top 10 Exports, Nigeria’s Top 10 Exports, Egypt’s Top 10 Exports, Algeria’s Top 10 Exports and Morocco’s Top 10 Exports
Research Sources:
International Monetary Fund, Gross Domestic Product on a Purchasing Power Parity basis. Accessed on July 24, 2024
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on July 24, 2024
Wikipedia, List of African countries by population. Accessed on July 24, 2024