Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Tunisia increased by 21% in 2024 compared to the previous year, reaching $936 million, according to the latest *World Investment Report published Thursday by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
In addition to Egypt, Tunisia contributed “significantly” to the rise in the value of new projects in North Africa, where investments grew by 12%, reaching $76 billion, accounting for two-thirds of the continent’s total investment spending.
Tunisia played a major role in this trend, with investment announcements totaling $13 billion, in addition to a substantial increase in the number of new projects.
According to UNCTAD, North Africa was the only region on the continent to record an increase in the value of new projects.
It also attracted the most FDI in Africa, with $51 billion in 2024, compared to $13 billion in 2023.
Furthermore, the report highlighted a significant recovery in FDI flows to Africa, which jumped 75% to reach $97 billion, representing 6% of global FDI, compared to 4% the previous year.
This increase was largely due to an international financing agreement for urban development projects in Egypt, the report noted.
Even without that deal, FDI in Africa still rose by 12%, reaching approximately $62 billion, or 4% of global flows.
Efforts to facilitate investment continued to play a major role in Africa, accounting for 36% of investment-friendly policy measures.
A Strong Focus on Liberalization
Liberalization remained a key aspect of investment policymaking in both Africa and Asia, accounting for one-fifth of the measures adopted in 2024.
In 2024, the continent attracted an increasing share of global megaprojects, including seven projects valued at over $4 billion.
Among the biggest announcements was a $6 billion megaproject in the renewable energy sector in Tunisia.
At the sectoral level, construction and metal products saw the strongest growth in greenfield investments, while electricity and gas supply projects declined by $51 billion.
According to the report, European investors hold the largest stock of FDI in Africa, followed by the United States and China.
Chinese investments, valued at $42 billion, are becoming more diversified, now targeting sectors like pharmaceuticals and agri-food.
As for French investments, Congo remains the main recipient in the CEMAC region (Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa), capturing around 44% of the total with €2.4 billion in 2023, reflecting the importance of Congo’s extractive industries for foreign capital. However, this French FDI stock fell by 30% year-on-year.
Cameroon follows with €1.8 billion, representing 34% of the total French FDI stock in the region, with a significant 84% increase compared to the previous year.
Gabon also showed growth in French FDI stock, rising 20% to €981 million, or nearly 18% of the regional total.
The Central African Republic, Chad, and Equatorial Guinea accounted for a small share of French FDI in CEMAC, representing 3%, 1%, and 1% of the regional total, respectively.
