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Indicators · Industries and economic structure

Trade, restaurants and hotels, share of the economy

Value added by wholesale and retail trade, restaurants and hotels, as a share of total value added.

Why it matters

The consumer economy: retail, distribution, hospitality and tourism.

Read with care

Informal trading is estimated and can be large.

Source

UN Statistics Division

% of value added. 54 African countries, 1990 to 2024.

Trade and hotels: highest in Comoros, lowest in Lesotho

Trade, restaurants and hotels, share of the economy, % of value added. Latest year available, 2024. 16 of 16 countries have data.

10%
13%
15%
18%
No data
Loading map…
Source: UN Statistics Division· Get the data (Professional)·dotzedw Insights Centre

Ranked: trade and hotelsiWhy it mattersThe consumer economy: retail, distribution, hospitality and tourism.

Click a country to highlight it.

0%5%10%15%20%Comoros21.0%Angola20.5%Zambia20.4%Seychelles18.7%Mauritius18.5%Eswatini17.2%DRC16.3%Botswana15.9%Zimbabwe15.2%Namibia14.3%South Africa13.8%Malawi12.6%Madagascar11.7%Tanzania10.9%Mozambique10.0%Lesotho9.6%median 15.6%
dotzedw Insights Centre
How spread out SADC is
Median 15.6%Lowest: Lesotho 9.6%Highest: Comoros 21.0%

Over time

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Trade, restaurants and hotels, share of the economy against income per person

Each bubble is a SADC country, sized by population. Dashed lines mark the SADC medians. Countries far from the pattern are worth a closer look.

0.0%5.0%10.0%15.0%20.0%$1,000$3,000$10kGDP per person, US$ (log scale)Trade and hotelsDRCTanzaniaSouth AfricaAngolaMozambiqueMadagascarZambiaZimbabwe
Source: UN Statistics Division, World Bank·dotzedw Insights Centre

Table

The same figures as the map, for screen readers and copying.
RankCountryValueYearFive-year changeGradeDetails
1Comoros21.0%2024up 0.3 points since 2019C
2Angola20.5%2024up 2.7 points since 2019C
3Zambia20.4%2024down 2.7 points since 2019C
4Seychelles18.7%2024down 2.1 points since 2019C
5Mauritius18.5%2024down 0.9 points since 2019C
6Eswatini17.2%2024up 0.8 points since 2019C
7DRC16.3%2024down 0.9 points since 2019C
8Botswana15.9%2024up 1.2 point since 2019C
9Zimbabwe15.2%2024up 2.8 points since 2019C
10Namibia14.3%2024up 1.3 point since 2019C
11South Africa13.8%2024little changed since 2019C
12Malawi12.6%2024down 2.3 points since 2019C
13Madagascar11.7%2024down 2.5 points since 2019C
14Tanzania10.9%2024down 0.8 points since 2019C
15Mozambique10.0%2024down 3.2 points since 2019C
16Lesotho9.6%2024down 0.9 points since 2019C