- Nine African countries made the top 100 in the global investment risk index in 2026, up from three a year earlier.
- Mauritius remained Africa's highest ranked economy, ahead of Tanzania and Botswana.
- The ranking highlights investors' growing focus on economic resilience and governance.
Africa increased its presence in the Global Investment Risk Index in 2026, with nine countries now ranked among the world's top 100 economies for investor resilience and stability, up from just three a year ago.
update rankingReleased in May by Henley & Partners, it measures how economies perform across a number of indicators important to international investors, including macroeconomic stability, governance, financial strength, climate resilience and crisis adaptability.
The 2026 edition reflects the impact of recent global shocks, including slowing economic growth, geopolitical tensions, inflation pressures, financial market instability and climate-related risks.
Mauritius remains Africa's top performer
Mauritius remained Africa's highest-ranked economy, rising from 83rd globally in the 2025 edition to 61st in the new edition. Tanzania is ranked 62nd globally, followed by Botswana at 63rd.
These three countries were the only African economies in the global top 100 in the previous ranking published in October 2025. Now they are joined by Seychelles at 79th, Cape Verde at 88th, Namibia at 90th, South Africa at 95th and Morocco at 98th.
The report linked Morocco's improvement partly to industrial diversification and infrastructure investment. Outside the top 100, Côte d'Ivoire is ranked 108th globally with a score of 52.82 points, ahead of Senegal at 128th and Ghana at 140th.
Nigeria is ranked 147th due to inflation, foreign exchange market pressures and ongoing security challenges.
Stability and diversification matter more
According to the report, the top-ranked African economies share several characteristics in common, including relative political stability, greater economic openness, more diverse revenue sources and less dependence on raw materials.
In contrast, many large African economies are facing pressure from infrastructure shortages, rising debt, political instability and external shocks.
The ranking comes as governments across the continent are competing more aggressively for foreign direct investment to support industrialization, infrastructure development and energy transition projects.
Investors and rating agencies have focused on how countries manage economic and institutional resilience in periods of recurring global crises.
Despite Africa's still limited representation in global rankings, the report said many countries are continuing to make gradual progress through economic reforms, governance reforms and diversification efforts.
Karel Youran (trainee)