South Africa Tops Ranking of African Financial Markets

South Africa, Mauritius, and Namibia have been ranked as Africa’s most attractive financial markets in the 2026 Absa Africa Financial Markets Index. The index, released recently, evaluated 29 African countries using a set of indicators, including market depth, foreign exchange access, macroeconomic conditions, and legal standards. South Africa retained first place with 85 points out of 100, followed by Mauritius at 77 and Namibia at 71. Uganda, Kenya, Ghana, and Botswana also featured among the top seven. Nigeria, Tanzania, and Morocco complete the top 10. Overall, 21 of the 29 markets improved their scores from 2025, while five declined, and three remained unchanged. Cape Verde recorded the largest improvement, gaining seven points, followed by Ghana with six and DR Congo with five. The report attributes the broader progress to improving economic conditions, greater product diversification, stronger foreign exchange reserves, and increased transparency.