Southern Africa will experience the lowest economic growth among the continent's regions between 2024 and 2025, according to the latest projections from the African Development Bank (AfDB).

The data MZNews had access to, indicate that Southern Africa's economic advance will settle at 2.2 and 2.6% in 2024 and 2025, respectively. This reflects the continuing economic weakness in South Africa, the region's largest economy.

On the continent, the Eastern region will continue to lead the growth dynamic, with growth expected to increase to 5.1% in 2024 and 5.7% in 2025, supported by strong strategic investments to improve internal connectivity and deepen intra-regional trade.

Next is West Africa, where growth is expected to reach 4% and 4.4% in 2024 and 2025, respectively. Strong growth in most countries in the region is expected to offset slowdowns in Nigeria and Ghana. The announced withdrawal of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) casts a shadow over the sustainability of gains in a context of growing uncertainty, says the AfDB.

Successive adverse weather conditions and macroeconomic challenges will keep North Africa's growth stable at 3.9% in 2024, with a slight improvement to 4.1% in 2025.

Finally, growth in Central Africa is expected to moderate to 3.5% in 2024, but the expected recovery in private consumption and increases in investment in the mining sector and exports could help boost growth to 4.1% in 2025.

The data can be found in the recent report on the continent's Macroeconomic Performance and Outlook (MEO), released last week by the AfDB.

The document recommends that countries invest more in human capital and pursue a strategy of industrialization and diversification based on natural resources, which will allow the continent to exploit its comparative advantages and strengthen its resilience to shocks.