With a GDP per capita of $21,290 in 2024, the Seychelles is Africa's most prosperous nation, based on this indicator. Highly dependent on tourism, the archipelago's economy remains highly vulnerable to global disruptions affecting the sector, as was the case during the 2008-2009 recession and the Covid pandemic (when GDP fell by almost 8 percent in 2009 and 2020).
Data from the IMF shows that in second and third place are Mauritius and Gabon, with a GDP per capita of between $9,000 and $12,600 last year. South Africa ranks seventh, with a GDP per capita of $6,377, behind Gabon ($9,257), Equatorial Guinea ($8,102), Botswana ($7,341) and Libya ($6,482). In half of these countries (Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Libya), the economy remains highly dependent on oil revenues.
Although economists use GDP per capita to compare the level of prosperity of populations worldwide, it does not take into account the income inequalities that can exist within a country. Based on the Gini index, for example, some African countries are among the most unequal on the planet in terms of wealth redistribution.
