Africa’s Largest Economies in 2026: South Africa Leads, Kenya Rises, Tanzania Falls

Based on the IMF’s 2026 figures, South Africa remains Africa’s largest economy, with nominal GDP estimated at $489.08 billion, ahead of Egypt at $442.89 billion and Nigeria at $386.67 billion. Kenya consolidates its position as East Africa’s largest economy at $151.15 billion, while Côte d’Ivoire moves ahead of Tanzania and Ghana rises to eighth place. Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo each exceed $120 billion, and Uganda approaches the $75 billion mark. Despite leading the ranking, South Africa is expected to grow by only about 1% in 2026, held back in part by infrastructure, electricity supply and logistics challenges.