South Africa: Elections 2024 | ‘ANC & friends’ election scenario

This Research Briefing provides an overview of the most consequential elections being run in Africa this year: South Africa's general election, presidential and parliamentary elections in Mozambique, and presidential races in Senegal, Ghana, and Rwanda.

Africa's mineral riches are central to its history. However, the race to combat climate change has reignited interest in the continent given its vast deposits of critical minerals. Southern Africa, in particular, has received much attention with the development of several key transport corridors with the almost explicit purpose of scaling up the availability of these minerals on international markets. We set out to investigate the economic potential of the region in terms of its critical minerals while taking into consideration what the establishment of these corridors means for the regional economy.

Sub-Saharan cities will lead the way for GDP growth, but similarly strong demographic changes will limit gains in GDP per person, reaffirming the region’s position at the lower end of the development spectrum.