Top 10 Richest Countries in Africa
Hello people, what comes to your mind when you think about Africa?
You picture desert safaris, culture and curvy women with “big” men!
The last part is the most promoted one, thanks to the booming adult sites in America!
Anyway, let’s talk about the real Africa- the one that you haven’t heard about.
You may see Africa as a continent that houses some of the poorest countries in the world
but what you don’t know is that there are some wealthy countries also flourishing in
the African continent!
Resources like diamonds, gold, silver, uranium and oil have made some countries reach the
top of GDP charts.
Wanna know more about them?
Number 1.
Nigeria The “Giant of Africa” is the most populated
country in Africa with a population of 196 million people.
While you may think that there are so many mouths to fill, you forgot that there are
double the number of hands working!
Nigeria has the third-largest youth population in the world, after India and China, with
more than 90 million of its population under age 18!
This surely worked in the country’s favor, how else did their GDP reach a whopping $376
billion?
Okay we do have to credit the vast reserves of cocoa, rubber and crude oil.
Oh and how can we forget about agriculture that’s responsible for 18% of the country’s
GDP and almost a third of employment?
Number 2.
South Africa Diversity is the word that best describes
South Africa!
Whether it is their multiethnic society or the languages spoken there, South Africa celebrates
diversity.
Want more proof of their acceptance of different communities?
South Africa is often referred to as the "rainbow nation" to describe the country's multicultural
diversity!
A forward thinking is crucial for the development of a country and its economy.
And the southernmost country on the mainland of the Old World does not disappoint with
its GDP rocketing to $349 billion!
Number 3.
Egypt Ah, Egypt is on this list and we are so happy!
No, not because we are biased towards the pyramids but because it has one of the longest
histories of any country, tracing its heritage back to the 6th–4th millennia BCE!
Anyway, this Islamic country has over 97 million inhabitants who strive hard to take their
country ahead in the race of GDP.
Seems like they have succeeded to a great extent, $235 billion GDP is by no means modest!
There is no denying the fact that petroleum, insulated wire, video displays, and gold exports
have helped a great deal to achieve this rank!
Number 4.
Algeria The largest country in Africa is also one
of the richest, sounds cool!
But where is the money coming from?
Petroleum and natural gases are the country’s most important mineral resources, with the
biggest exports being either mined or manufactured, while agriculture plays a comparatively minor
role.
Algeria has the 16th largest oil reserves in the world and the second largest in Africa,
while it has the 9th largest reserves of natural gas.
This explains the $170 billion GDP of the country!
Another interesting thing about Algeria’s money is that it spends a good amount of it
on defense, come on, the largest defense budget on the continent!
Number 5.
Angola You are wondering what Angola is doing on
this list, the picture that has been portrayed of the country is of poverty, right?
Well, you aren’t wrong!
Even though Angola has reached $124 billion in GDP, it still is fighting with the horrors
of poverty.
The vast reserves of minerals and petroleum may have taken Angola’s economy among the
fastest-growing in the world but the standard of living is low and so is the life expectancy.
If there is anything high, that is infant mortality!
Not so rosy after all!
The problem lies in the disproportionate distribution of wealth and corruption!
Number 6.
Sudan If you’ve ever been to Sudan you would know
that the country is amid an array of problems ranging from poor infrastructure to political
conflicts.
When so much is going wrong, how can there be wealth in the country?
Well, even though Sudan’s GDP is $117 billion, a lot of Sudanese people stay at or fall below
the poverty line.
You guessed it right, resources are not distributed equally!
But tourism is going good because Sudan has a rich history and is dotted with ancient
pyramids that do their job of attracting Westerners!
Number 7.
Morocco You think of all the amazing mountains, mosques
and markets when the word Morocco is mentioned.
But do you ever see this country as a leader in the matters of GDP?
Probably not!
But we are here to change that because with a GDP of $109 billion, Morocco is among the
richest African nations!
Now you’d probably wonder where this money is coming from because hello, Morocco is not
an oil producing country!
Well, the game changer is phosphorous for which the country is the third largest producer
in the world!
We could give some credit to the textile industry in addition to tourism, of course!
Number 8.
Ethiopia Ethiopia has one of the fastest-growing economies
in the world and has the second largest population in Africa with about 102 million inhabitants!
Wait, there’s more- Ethiopia is the most populous landlocked country in the world.
That sounds interesting!
So all the population has done something good for the country and that is raising its GDP
to almost $81 billion!
Agriculture contributes to almost half of Ethiopia’s GDP and offers about 85% of all
employment.
Back in 2012 the figures were raised to an impressive $103 billion which dropped down
to $51 billion but things seem to be getting better!
Number 9.
Kenya Kenya is the world's 48th largest country
by total area but is the 27th most populous country.
You know what we are hinting at, right?
Kenya is densely populated which as you know can go either of the two ways- positive or
negative!
Going by the GDP which is about $75 billion, Kenya isn’t doing too bad in the money matters.
With a rich agricultural sector, Kenya produces tea, coffee, sisal, pyrethrum, corn, and wheat
which fetches a major chunk of the money.
Tourism also plays a big role in Kenya’s service industry despite taking a downturn
due to security issues and negative publicity.
Yes, crime is a big problem in the African country so maybe think twice before you go
holidaying there!
Number 10.
Tanzania Where do we start this from?
Okay, so this East African country is known for its vast wilderness areas and of course
the very famous, Mount Kilimanjaro!
So obviously tourism plays a major role in the economy of the country that has pulled
up to about $52 billion on the GDP chart.
But before you pack your bags and jet off to this wonderland, remember that you may
have difficulties with language.
Swahili is the language majorly used.
English is reserved for foreign trade and medium of English which might soon be dropped!
Another issue is that since the economy is highly dependent on agriculture, Tanzania
is highly vulnerable to environmental shocks!
Which of these African countries are you planning to visit?
Tell us in the comment section below.
Subscribe to our channel if you liked this video.
And while you're here, check out our other videos and tell us what you think of them.
You can also find us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Thanks for watching!