Economic Development

Beyond Commodities: Gulf investors and the new Africa

November 28, 2015

Africa, Middle East

November 28, 2015

Africa, Middle East
Adam Green

Senior editor, EMEA

Adam is a senior editor for The Economist Intelligence Unit's thought leadership division in EMEA, focusing primarily on the Middle East and Africa. In this role, he has worked on in-depth research studies, surveys, multimedia documentaries and infographics on topics ranging from healthcare to personal finance. Previously, Adam was Deputy Editor of This is Africa, a bimonthly magazine published by the Financial Times. He also worked as Communications Officer for the International Growth Centre, a research institute based at the London School of Economics and funded by the UK Department for International Development. Adam holds a Masters in Development Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies, with a grade of distinction, and an undergraduate degree in Philosophy and History and Philosophy of Science from the University of Leeds. His independent research and journalism has been published by the Middle East Institute.

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"Beyond commodities: Gulf investors and the new Africa" is a report by The Economist Intelligence Unit examining Sub-Saharan Africa’s growth trends outside of the natural resource and commodities sectors, and maps the existing and potential role of Gulf-based investors. The findings are based on desk research and interviews with experts, conducted by The Economist Intelligence Unit. This research was commissioned by Dubai Chamber

Key findings include:

  • Africa is resilient, able to withstand the global recession and the current commodity price slump. The continent’s solid growth rates provide further evidence of economic dynamism outside the traditional mainstays of natural resources
  • East Africa is the most appealing region for non-commodity investment from the Gulf. South Africa notwithstanding, the East Africa region is proving the main draw for Gulf investors, with manufacturing in Ethiopia, leisure, retail and tourism in Mozambique and Kenya
  • Gulf investors have multiple potential modes of FDI entry: co-investment with private equity funds, purchase of private equity businesses, and direct buyouts or minority share acquisition
  • Shopping centres and hypermarkets are emerging in a handful of countries. Gulf firms are well-positioned to play a part, but progress is slow. While consumer spending is increasing, large-scale retail centres are lagging, partly because of the difficulties of developing commercial real estate in crowded capital cities
  • Travel and tourism have enjoyed high growth and Gulf brands are among the frontrunners in newer markets like Mozambique

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