News & Media

African exports surged in April 2021, compared to the same period in 2020, by a mind-boggling 101%. Africa’s import trade, considered more “informal” than the internationally-oriented exports sector, fared even more remarkably. Indeed, Africa's recovery from the pandemic measured by African airlines’ inbound air cargo volumes has been the most momentous in the world with a dramatic 24.6% increase compared to 2019 (or double the export rebound performance).

Why has Africa's trade proven so much more resilient than many thought? And why is it surprising that the supposedly less organised and more informal component has proven even more robust?