Women's Economic Participation in Africa Declines, Report Says

A report by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) indicates that women's economic participation in Africa has fallen by 0.6 percentage points below 2022 levels, extending the timeline to achieve economic parity to approximately 170 years. The report, which draws from BCG's Africa Women’s Voices Survey 2025 involving around 3,000 participants across six major African economies—South Africa, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, and Egypt—alongside data from the WEF Global Gender Gap Report 2025, highlights a slow and uneven post-COVID economic recovery in Africa.

The GDP per capita grew by just 1.2% annually from 2021 to 2024, less than half the global average of 2.5%. The survey reveals that 66% of women across these countries aspire to run their own businesses, with figures exceeding 80% in Nigeria and Kenya.

However, two-thirds of women consider starting online businesses, indicating a significant gap in digital entrepreneurship ambitions compared to men. Zineb Sqalli, Managing Director and Partner at BCG, expressed concern over the regression in attitudes toward gender equality.