Русский
Trade between Russia and the African continent increased to a record of US$24.5 billion, marking a new peak in economic relations between the two regions, as Russia has been making increasing inroads into Africa and European powers slowly withdraw.
Despite economic obstacles and western sanctions, Russia and Africa are finding new ways to support their growing trade. This includes developing efficient logistics channels and adopting alternative financial systems that are now purpose designed to minimize the impact of external interference.
Of the US$24.5 billion, according to Russia’s Federal Customs Service, Russian exports to Africa totalled US$21.2 billion, an increase of 43% in value over 2023 data. Data from the Russian Export Centre (REC) shows that key exports included machinery, grain, and hydrocarbon fuels, essential resources for many African economies. Russia’s main trading partners in Africa include Egypt, Algeria, Senegal, and Morocco, with Egypt alone accounting for 28% of Russia’s total exports to the continent.
Key to this has been the Russia-Africa Summit, the second of which was held last year and at which President Vladimir Putin emphasized Moscow’s desire to build stronger political and business connections with African countries.
These figures compare with Russia’s exports for example to Germany, which reached US$7.67 billion in 2024. Simply put, Russia’s trade with Africa is nearly 3.5 times more valuable than it is with Berlin.
Of the main African countries shown, Russia’s Pivot to Asia has carried very recent trade and investment updates on the top 12 developing relations with Russia as follows:
Egypt, Algeria, Senegal, Morocco, Nigeria, Uganda, South Africa, Tunisia, Libya, Cameroon, Sudan, and Togo.
In addition to this, our 2025 series of Regional Trade Guides includes 2025 Guides to North Africa and East Africa.
Our forthcoming 2025 Africa Guides include Southern Africa (next week) and West Africa (mid-March). These are available to our subscribers on a complimentary basis. To obtain a free subscription to Russia’s Pivot to Asia, please click here.
Further Reading
Russia To Open Seven New Embassies In Africa By 2026: Details & Analysis
