Research, intelligence, stories, and convenings for the people building, funding, and shaping Africa's next economic chapter.
LEAF reports examine debt, markets, investment, value chains, and the structural questions shaping the continent's future.
The U.S.-Iran peace framework matters for Africa not because it resolves the continent’s structural vulnerabilities, but because it temporarily repric…
Africa’s public debt expanded from $510 billion in 2008 to $1.83 trillion in 2024 , a 253% increase in 16 years.
Global public debt reached a record $102 trillion in 2024 , equal to 93% of global GDP . Africa accounts for only about 1.9% of that debt, yet many Af…
Every day, millions of Lagos residents and business owners make a quiet, expensive calculation: “how much fuel will the generator need today?” It is a…
Africa’s financial markets are entering a defining phase. Large corporations are no longer just seeking capital; they are testing where African corpor…
South Africa's 50 Billion Rand AI Economy: Bypassing Physical Constraints for Digital Growth
The market no longer believes in a ceasefire headline on its own. Africa is no longer dealing only with the first-round panic from the US-Iran war. It…
Africa’s economy is often discussed as a single story. The story in 2026 tells a very different narrative.
How African economies grow, industrialise, and shift toward higher productivity and globally competitive industries.
How Africans gain access to jobs, entrepreneurship, skills, and pathways to upward economic mobility.
How leadership, governance, and institutional capacity shape economic progress and development outcomes.
How technology, demographic shifts, and new ideas are redefining Africa's economic and social trajectory.
How Africa engages with global trade, capital flows, geopolitics, and international partnerships.
Intra-African trade is projected at $209.3 billion in 2026, showing stronger regional demand and a more important role for continental markets.
Africa's share of global merchandise exports is forecast at just 2.5% in 2026, showing how limited the continent's global trade weight still is.
Kenya is forecast to grow by 4.9% in 2026, making it the strongest and steadiest performer among the report's focus economies.
Bringing you curated African insight, research, media, and analysis on the forces shaping the continent's future.
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An assessment of Africa's property markets: the housing deficit, commercial and industrial demand, capital structures, and where the returns are concentrating.
Download the four 2026 outlook reports in one bundle: Sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa.
A forward-looking analysis of growth recovery, inflation pressure, fiscal adjustment, capital flows, and the structural forces shaping Sub-Saharan Africa's next economic chapter.
A data-driven analysis of Africa's debt landscape, sovereign borrowing, fiscal sustainability, and what smarter debt strategies mean for investors and policymakers.
A practical guide to African capital markets, stock exchanges, sector performance, portfolio positioning, and long-term equity-market opportunity.
A closer look at the patterns, sectors, and structural dynamics shaping investment across Africa, from capital flows to investor appetite.
An examination of production, value capture, processing gaps, and strategic opportunities across Africa's cocoa ecosystem.
The future of Africa will be shaped by those who understand it deeply. LEAF brings together research, insight, and storytelling to examine the economic systems, opportunities, and decisions that will define the continent's next chapter.
