🌍 IMF projects 4.5% growth for Sub-Saharan Africa in 2026 and 2027 amid rising risks

IMF Africa Department director Zeine Zeidane said on 15 October that Sub-Saharan Africa is projected to grow by 4.5% in both 2026 and 2027, up 0.2 percentage points from the fund’s April forecast, while warning that the region remains exposed to major headwinds. Presenting the IMF’s October regional economic outlook, Zeidane said reforms including subsidy and exchange rate changes in Ethiopia and Nigeria and structural reforms in South Africa had strengthened macroeconomic stability across the region’s 45 member states.

The IMF said median inflation is expected to rise from 3.4% in 2025 to 4.3% in 2026 and 5% in 2027, while interest payments absorb around 13% of government revenue in a typical country and bilateral aid to the region is projected to fall by 12% this year. Zeidane said policymakers should protect vulnerable households, preserve stability and continue reforms.

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