Ronak Gopaldas, Director of Signal Risk, gives his views on which countries are viable contenders to be the “gateway” to Africa.
South Africa, the continent’s largest economy by GDP, is currently in pole position by virtue of the size, sophistication and connectivity of its economy to the rest of Africa and the globe. But in the past decade, a series of policy missteps, periodic bouts of xenophobia, a clumsy foreign policy as well as a marked deterioration in its business environment has seen the country lose significant ground to other nations. By contrast, Mauritius, Morocco, Kenya and even Dubai have intensified their efforts to be the preferred launchpads for businesses with a pan-African focus.
As the race now hots up, who will emerge as the favourite for this prestigious title?
Read more to examine the strengths and weaknesses of each contender.
