Africa Confirms Progress in Innovation
According to the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2025, published on September 16 by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in collaboration with Cornell University and INSEAD, 12 African countries have improved their position compared to the previous year. This global ranking, which evaluates 139 countries, is based on 80 indicators grouped into seven pillars: institutions, human capital and research, infrastructure, market sophistication, business sophistication, knowledge and technology outputs, and creative outputs.
These indicators measure various aspects, including:
- Research and development expenditures
- Venture capital financing
- High-knowledge-intensive employment share
- Number of patents filed
- Value of technology product exports
Top African Countries in Innovation
At the top of the continent, Mauritius maintains its status as the most innovative economy in Africa and advances to 53rd place globally (up from 55th in 2024). This performance is largely due to its remarkable results in venture capital and institutional efficiency.
Morocco rises to the second African position and 57th globally, gaining nine places compared to last year. The country stands out for its efforts in education (16th globally for expenditures), labor productivity (24th), and intangible innovation, particularly trademark filing (26th).
South Africa, third on the continent (61st globally), progresses eight places thanks to a notable improvement in business sophistication and a thriving technology sector.
Seychelles (75th) and Tunisia (76th) complete the African Top 5. Tunisia, in particular, gains five ranks this year, driven by an increasingly favorable environment for entrepreneurship and a surge in technological startups.
Other Notable African Countries
Behind these five countries are:
- Egypt (86th)
- Botswana (87th)
- Senegal (89th)
- Namibia (91st)
- Cape Verde (95th)
Namibia, in fact, records one of the continent's strongest progressions with an 11-place jump.
Global Rankings
On a global scale, Switzerland remains the most innovative country, followed by Sweden, the United States, South Korea, and Singapore. China enters the Top 10 for the first time.
However, WIPO warns of a global slowdown in innovation investments: worldwide R&D expenditure growth fell to 2.9% in 2024, down from 4.4% a year earlier, due to high inflation and an uncertain economic climate.
