Indicators
Every indicator, with its context
103 measures in 11 themes. Each card shows how SADC is spread on that measure, one dot per country with the median dashed; hover for why it matters, select for the full page.
Gross domestic productThe simplest measure of market size. It sets the ceiling for revenue in consumer, B2B and public-sector markets and shapes how much capital a country can absorb.Median in SADC: $17.7bn across 16 countries.
PopulationThe size of the potential customer base and labour pool. Combined with growth and urbanisation it signals where demand will come from over the life of an investment.Median in SADC: 19.4m across 16 countries.
GDP per personA rough guide to average purchasing power, useful for pricing and for judging whether a market can support premium products.Median in SADC: $2,539 across 16 countries.
GDP per person, adjusted for pricesA fairer comparison of living standards than market exchange rates, especially where currencies are weak or controlled.Median in SADC: $5,471 across 16 countries.
Urban populationCities concentrate spending power, formal jobs and infrastructure. Retail, logistics, real estate and digital businesses usually start here.Median in SADC: 42.6% across 16 countries.
Urban population growthFast urban growth drives demand for housing, power, water, transport and consumer goods, and signals where infrastructure is falling behind.Median in SADC: 3.4% across 16 countries.
Household spendingThe size of the consumer market that retailers, banks and property developers sell into.Median in SADC: $12.4bn across 16 countries.
Growth in household spendingWhether shoppers are buying more in real terms, the clearest demand signal for retail.Median in SADC: 2.9% across 15 countries.
Urban populationMost consumer, retail, mobility and digital businesses start in cities, where customers are dense and cheaper to reach. This is the first-wave addressable market.Median in SADC: 5.4m across 16 countries.
Real GDP growthGrowth expands the market an investment sells into and eases debt burdens. Sustained growth above population growth means rising incomes.Median in SADC: 3.1% across 16 countries.
IMF growth forecastThe most widely used forward-looking benchmark. Investment committees compare their own assumptions against it.Median in SADC: 3.3% across 16 countries.
Gross capital formationShows how much the economy is building for the future. Fast-growing emerging markets usually invest 25% of GDP or more.Median in SADC: 19.3% across 16 countries.
Foreign direct investment, net inflowsShows whether other foreign investors are committing capital, which is both a signal of confidence and a measure of competition for deals.Median in SADC: 2.0% across 16 countries.
Foreign direct investment, net inflows (US$)The scale of foreign capital already flowing in, useful for sizing the deal market.Median in SADC: $846.7m across 16 countries.
Consumer price inflationHigh inflation erodes returns in local currency, raises borrowing costs and usually comes with currency weakness. Stable single-digit inflation makes pricing and planning possible.Median in SADC: 3.6% across 16 countries.
General government gross debtHigh public debt raises the risk of tax rises, spending cuts, arrears to suppliers and, in the worst case, default and capital controls.Median in SADC: 50.5% across 16 countries.
External debtForeign debt must be repaid in hard currency, so high levels put pressure on the exchange rate and on access to dollars for repatriating profits.Median in SADC: 42.2% across 14 countries.
Current account balancePersistent large deficits must be financed by capital inflows. When those dry up, currencies fall and dollar shortages follow.Median in SADC: -3.7% across 16 countries.
Foreign reservesThe buffer against currency crises. Below three months, investors should expect delays in getting dollars out and possible controls.Median in SADC: 4.3 months across 16 countries.
Lending interest rateThe cost of local debt financing and a guide to the hurdle rate local projects must clear.Median in SADC: 11.1% across 16 countries.
Official exchange rateCurrency moves translate directly into dollar returns. The trend matters more than the level.Median in SADC: 36.30 across 16 countries.
Employment in agricultureShows how far the economy has moved from farming and the size of the market for agri-finance, crop insurance, inputs and processing.Median in SADC: 51.9% across 15 countries.
Agriculture, forestry and fishing, value addedShows how much of the economy still rests on the land, and so the size of the market for inputs, irrigation, storage, processing and agri-finance.Median in SADC: 8.0% across 16 countries.
Industry (including construction), value addedThe industrial base. Where mining, energy and building dominate, demand for equipment, logistics and power follows.Median in SADC: 26.1% across 16 countries.
Manufacturing, value addedManufacturing creates formal jobs and export diversification. A rising share is one of the clearest signs of structural transformation.Median in SADC: 9.4% across 16 countries.
Services, value addedThe biggest part of most economies here, and where consumer, financial and digital businesses sit.Median in SADC: 50.6% across 16 countries.
Agriculture, forestry and fishing, value added (US$)The size of the farm economy in money terms, for sizing agribusiness, input and agri-finance markets.Median in SADC: $2.7bn across 16 countries.
Industry (including construction), value added (US$)The size of the industrial economy in money terms.Median in SADC: $4.8bn across 16 countries.
Manufacturing, value added (US$)The size of the manufacturing base, for supply-chain and industrial investment decisions.Median in SADC: $1.7bn across 16 countries.
Services, value added (US$)The size of the services economy in money terms.Median in SADC: $10.0bn across 16 countries.
Agriculture, real growthFarm output swings with rainfall and drives food prices, rural incomes and often the whole economy in drought years.Median in SADC: 2.9% across 16 countries.
Industry, real growthTracks the mining, energy and construction cycle, which drives demand for equipment, power and logistics.Median in SADC: 2.1% across 16 countries.
Manufacturing, real growthSustained manufacturing growth signals improving competitiveness, power supply and market access.Median in SADC: 3.2% across 16 countries.
Services, real growthReflects consumer demand, finance, telecoms and tourism, the sectors most consumer investors target.Median in SADC: 3.8% across 16 countries.
Total natural resource rentsMeasures how dependent the economy and the state budget are on extraction, and so how exposed they are to commodity prices.Median in SADC: 4.9% across 16 countries.
Oil rentsShows oil dependence, above all in Angola, which drives the currency, the budget and import demand.Median in SADC: 0.0% across 16 countries.
Natural gas rentsFlags the gas economies, where LNG and gas-to-power projects are reshaping investment.Median in SADC: 0.0% across 16 countries.
Coal rentsCoal dependence matters for power costs, transition risk and export earnings.Median in SADC: 0.0% across 16 countries.
Mineral rentsThe single best measure of how much a country lives off mining, central to Zambia, the DRC, Botswana and South Africa.Median in SADC: 0.1% across 16 countries.
Forest rentsHigh forest rents point to timber and charcoal dependence, and to deforestation and ESG risk.Median in SADC: 2.1% across 16 countries.
Employment in industryCompared with industry's share of output, it shows how productive industrial jobs are and how much room there is to add jobs.Median in SADC: 11.5% across 15 countries.
Employment in servicesShows where the workforce is moving as economies urbanise, and the size of the service-sector labour pool.Median in SADC: 36.1% across 15 countries.
International tourism receiptsTourism is a leading earner of foreign currency in Mauritius, Seychelles, Tanzania and Namibia, and a market for hotels, aviation and services.Median in SADC: $395.0m across 15 countries.
International tourist arrivalsThe volume behind tourism earnings, for sizing hotel, aviation and leisure investments.Median in SADC: 1m across 16 countries.
Mining and utilities, share of the economyThe extractive and utility core of the economy. A large share means exposure to commodity prices and big demand for power, equipment and logistics.Median in SADC: 11.9% across 16 countries.
Construction, share of the economyTracks the building and infrastructure cycle, and the market for cement, steel, equipment and contractors.Median in SADC: 3.8% across 16 countries.
Trade, restaurants and hotels, share of the economyThe consumer economy: retail, distribution, hospitality and tourism.Median in SADC: 15.6% across 16 countries.
Transport, storage and communication, share of the economyLogistics and telecoms are the connective tissue of the economy, and among the fastest-growing investment areas.Median in SADC: 8.2% across 16 countries.
Finance, real estate, public and other services, share of the economyThe largest block in most economies here, combining the financial sector with the public sector.Median in SADC: 31.8% across 16 countries.
Exports of goods and servicesExport earnings supply the hard currency that lets investors repatriate profits and service dollar debt.Median in SADC: 33.5% across 16 countries.
Trade opennessMore open economies tend to have deeper supply chains and fewer barriers for foreign firms.Median in SADC: 66.0% across 16 countries.
Ores and metals exportsShows dependence on mining. High shares mean the economy, currency and tax take move with copper, cobalt, platinum and other prices.Median in SADC: 12.2% across 16 countries.
Fuel exportsShows exposure to energy prices, which drive government revenue and foreign currency supply in oil and gas producers.Median in SADC: 1.6% across 16 countries.
External balance on goods and servicesPersistent deficits have to be financed and can weigh on the currency; surpluses often reflect commodity exports.Median in SADC: -7.7% across 16 countries.
Access to electricityPower is a precondition for manufacturing, cold chains and digital services. Low access is also the biggest off-grid solar and mini-grid opportunity in the world.Median in SADC: 60.0% across 16 countries.
People without electricityThe size of the unserved market for off-grid solar, mini-grids and grid extension, and a direct measure of development impact.Median in SADC: 6.3m across 16 countries.
Electricity generation per personA better guide to how much power an economy actually has than the access rate. Industrial economies generate thousands of kWh per person.Median in SADC: 516 across 16 countries.
Electricity generationThe size of the power system and the market for generation, transmission and energy services.Median in SADC: 3.4 TWh across 16 countries.
Renewables share of electricityMatters for exporters facing carbon border taxes, for firms with net-zero targets and for green finance eligibility.Median in SADC: 65.4% across 16 countries.
Hydro share of electricityA concentration risk. Heavy reliance on one river system exposes supply to drought.Median in SADC: 56.5% across 16 countries.
Net electricity importsShows reliance on neighbours through the Southern African Power Pool. High importers are exposed to supply cuts elsewhere.Median in SADC: 0.0% across 16 countries.
Logistics Performance IndexLogistics costs decide whether manufacturing and agribusiness can compete. Landlocked SADC states depend on corridors through their neighbours.Median in SADC: 2.55 across 14 countries.
Container port trafficA direct read on trade volumes and port capacity for importers and exporters.Median in SADC: 334k across 10 countries.
Air passengers carriedA proxy for business connectivity and tourism capacity.Median in SADC: 275k across 16 countries.
Basic drinking waterShows the gap in basic services and the opportunity in water utilities, treatment and distribution.Median in SADC: 75.7% across 16 countries.
Access to basic sanitationMeasures the gap in water and sanitation infrastructure, a large public and blended-finance investment area with direct health returns.Median in SADC: 48.6% across 16 countries.
Internet usersThe addressable market for e-commerce, digital payments, online services and digital advertising.Median in SADC: 41.2% across 16 countries.
Mobile subscriptionsMobile is the main channel for payments, banking and services across the region.Median in SADC: 101 across 16 countries.
Account ownershipMeasures the reach of formal finance. Low ownership means a large unbanked market for fintech and mobile money.Median in SADC: 59.8% across 15 countries.
Adults without an accountThe size of the unserved market for fintech, savings, credit and insurance products.Median in SADC: 5.0m across 15 countries.
Remittances receivedA large, steady source of household income and foreign currency, and a market for payments and money transfer businesses.Median in SADC: 1.4% across 16 countries.
People using the internetThe reachable audience for e-commerce, digital finance, streaming and online services, in people rather than percentages.Median in SADC: 3.9m across 16 countries.
Mobile money accountIn much of the region mobile money, not banks, is how people pay, save and receive money. High use means rails already exist for fintech, pay-as-you-go solar and insurance to build on.Median in SADC: 46.6% across 14 countries.
Fixed broadband subscriptionsA proxy for the business-grade connectivity that data centres, cloud services, offices and enterprise software depend on.Median in SADC: 0.6 across 16 countries.
Domestic credit to private sectorShows how deep the local financial system is and how easily businesses can borrow locally.Median in SADC: 18.8% across 16 countries.
ATMs per 100,000 adultsA measure of the physical cash and card network, which matters for retail, payments and bank distribution.Median in SADC: 10.7 across 16 countries.
Commercial bank branches per 100,000 adultsShows how far banks reach beyond the main cities, and so how much of the market is left to agent networks and digital channels.Median in SADC: 5.3 across 16 countries.
Stock market capitalisationIndicates how deep local equity markets are, which matters for exits, listings and raising local-currency capital.Median in SADC: 27.1% across 9 countries.
Listed domestic companiesA simple gauge of how many investable listed firms exist and how realistic a local listing is as an exit route.Median in SADC: 22 across 9 countries.
Stock market turnover ratioLiquidity: how easily a position can be bought or sold without moving the price.Median in SADC: 1.5% across 9 countries.
Portfolio equity, net inflowsShows whether foreign money is moving into or out of listed markets, a quick read on sentiment.Median in SADC: $337k across 15 countries.
Working-age populationA rising working-age share can lift growth and savings if jobs keep pace. It also indicates the labour pool available to employers.Median in SADC: 58.1% across 16 countries.
Population growthSets the pace at which demand for food, housing, schooling, power and jobs rises. Economic growth below this rate means falling income per person.Median in SADC: 2.0% across 16 countries.
UnemploymentHigh unemployment means available labour but also weak demand and social pressure.Median in SADC: 6.6% across 15 countries.
Labour force participationIndicates how much of the population is economically active.Median in SADC: 62.6% across 15 countries.
Life expectancy at birthA broad measure of health and living standards, and of the healthcare market.Median in SADC: 66.4 across 16 countries.
Doctors per 1,000 peopleThe scarcest input in healthcare. Low numbers mean long queues, private-practice demand and room for telemedicine.Median in SADC: 0.28 across 16 countries.
Nurses and midwives per 1,000 peopleNurses run most primary care in the region, so their number sets how far clinics can reach.Median in SADC: 2.40 across 16 countries.
Hospital beds per 1,000 peopleA first measure of hospital capacity against population, and of the gap private groups fill.Median in SADC: 2.0 across 16 countries.
Health spending per personThe size of the health market per head, public and private together.Median in SADC: $91 across 16 countries.
Health spending paid out of pocketHigh shares mean thin insurance cover, cash-paying patients and room for medical schemes and pharmacies.Median in SADC: 12.6% across 16 countries.
Fertility rateDrives future population, consumer demand and the size of the workforce. Falling fertility with a large working-age group is the demographic dividend.Median in SADC: 3.6 across 16 countries.
Age dependency ratioA lower ratio means more earners per dependant, which lifts savings, spending power and tax revenue.Median in SADC: 72.0% across 16 countries.
Population densityDensity sets the cost of reaching customers: grids, networks, logistics and retail all pay back faster where people are close together.Median in SADC: 53.9 across 16 countries.
Government effectivenessWeak delivery shows up as slow permits, unreliable utilities and policy reversals that delay projects.Median in SADC: 40 across 16 countries.
Regulatory qualityThe closest single measure of how friendly the rules are to private investment.Median in SADC: 46 across 16 countries.
Rule of lawDetermines whether contracts and titles will hold up, and how risky disputes are.Median in SADC: 50 across 16 countries.
Control of corruptionCorruption raises costs, creates compliance risk under anti-bribery laws and skews competition.Median in SADC: 37 across 16 countries.
Political stabilityInstability can disrupt operations, supply chains and staff safety, and raises insurance costs.Median in SADC: 60 across 16 countries.
Voice and accountabilityTends to predict how peacefully power changes hands and how predictable policy is after elections.Median in SADC: 49 across 16 countries.
Electoral democracy indexSignals how contestable power is, and so how likely a change of government, and of policy, is through the ballot box.Median in SADC: 43 across 16 countries.
Clean elections indexContested or flawed elections raise the risk of unrest, legal challenges and sanctions around polling periods.Median in SADC: 42 across 16 countries.
Women in the lower house of parliamentRepresentation shapes policy priorities, and several SADC countries have legal targets or quotas to meet.Median in SADC: 23.3 across 16 countries.