Made in Africa: Green industry, bold reforms, and a sovereign future

Zawya

26-05-2025

A new wave of industrial ambition is sweeping across Africa - and Addis Ababa stands at its forefront. In just two weeks, the Ethiopian capital hosted four high-impact events that underscored the continent's accelerating shift toward economic self-determination and green industrial renewal: the 'Ethiopia Tamirt' Expo, the Invest in Ethiopia 2025 High-Level Business Forum, the 6th Comesa Federation of Women in Business Trade Fair, and the Ethiopian Technology Expo 2025 (Etex 2025).
The Ethiopia Tamirt Expo (5-9 May) highlighted the surge of locally made products with the 'Made in Ethiopia' brand. It attracted over 120,000 visitors and fostered business among 288 industries.
Throughout the event, approximately four billion birr went into trades. A week later, the Invest in Ethiopia 2025 Forum (May 12–13) opened the country to global investors who ploughed a remarkable $1.6 billion into the economy.
Simultaneously, the Comesa Federation of Women in Business Trade Fair (May 5–9) celebrated women entrepreneurs and their importance to regional integration and sustainable development at the same time as the African Continental Free Trade Area. I was honoured to participate as a panelist in the event titled 'Shaping an inclusive future: the impact of youth entrepreneurs in green and circular economies through sustainable investment.'
Co-organised by the Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute (EAII) and the Information Network Security Administration (Insa), it drew over 10,000 attendees and affirmed Ethiopia's digital commitment under Digital Ethiopia 2025 and Agenda 2063.
Collectively, these events signal more than a packed calendar - they reflect a continent in motion, embracing a new sovereignty rooted in production, innovation, and integration.
From hydrogen-powered iron in Namibia to EV battery corridors in the DRC and Zambia, and from Ethiopia's tech and manufacturing showcases to AfCFTA-aligned trade forums, energy and industry are becoming tools of self-determination.
This African contemporary style of sovereignty is not about isolation, but about building resilient, self-sustaining economies - able to produce, power, and prosper on African terms in a fast-changing world.
North Africa: Battery powerhouse in the makingMorocco offers a striking example of this trend. In June 2024, the country inked a deal with China's Gotion High-Tech to build Africa's first electric vehicle (EV) battery gigafactory, a project valued at $1.3 billion.
Slated to begin production by 2026, the Kenitra-based plant will initially produce 20 GWh of lithium batteries, with cathodes and anodes made on-site, and could later expand fivefold.
Morocco's automotive exports reached $14 billion in 2023 alone, a 27 percent increase over the previous year. Plants from Stellantis and Renault already assemble 700,000 vehicles annually in Morocco. With its proximity to Europe and favourable trade agreements, Morocco is emerging as a competitive EV manufacturing hub.
Southern Africa: Green hydrogen and battery metalsNamibia is pushing the frontier of industrial innovation. In April 2025, it became the first in Southern Africa to produce green hydrogen and zero-emission iron at the HyIron Oshivela plant—a German-Namibian venture powered by a 12 MW solar electrolyser for direct reduced iron (DRI) production.
At full scale, the facility will generate 1 million tonnes of green iron annually, cut 1.8 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions, and create 900 permanent jobs.
Building on this, Namibia plans a $10 billion green hydrogen megaproject in the Tsau ǁKhaeb desert, expected to produce 300,000 tonnes of hydrogen per year - positioning the country as a clean energy exporter and advancing energy sovereignty.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia - holders of 70 percent of global EV battery minerals - are collaborating on a transboundary Battery and EV Special Economic Zone. Instead of exporting raw ores, the initiative will produce battery precursors and full units on African soil.
This strategic shift is transforming Africa from a raw material supplier into a green manufacturing force - driven by cross-border solidarity and value addition.
East Africa: Reforms for self-relianceEast Africa is quickly asserting itself in the continent's industrial transformation. In Kenya, over 9,000 electric vehicles were on the road by mid-2025 - double the 2023 figure - driven by tax incentives, green license plates, and a national e-mobility policy.
The Invest in Ethiopia 2025 forum brought in more than $1.6 billion in investments aimed at solar, mining and manufacturing industries.
A major change is underway in these essential sectors as they move from being entirely state-controlled to foster greater collaboration with private businesses. Centered around industrial parks, digital systems and a young labour force, Ethiopia is encouraging growth in agriculture, textiles and technology - putting industrial development in its hands. These are not abstract policies; every new factory in Dire Dawa or Bishoftu translates into jobs, skills, and economic resilience.
The continental giant at a crossroadsSouth Africa, the continent's most industrialised economy, remains central to Africa's economic trajectory. In 2023, it reached a milestone with record auto exports - 390,000 vehicles worth $14.3 billion.
Yet structural challenges persist, especially in the energy sector, where recurrent power outages continue to erode industrial competitiveness and investor confidence.
To restore energy sovereignty, the government is unbundling Eskom and opening power generation and transmission to private and municipal actors.
Paired with growing renewable investments and regulatory reforms, these steps mark a shift toward a more decentralised, resilient energy system.
By reclaiming control over its energy future, South Africa is not just addressing supply instability - it is laying the groundwork for industrial renewal, low-carbon competitiveness, and leadership in Africa's energy transition under AfCFTA.
A continent asserting its economic independenceOne truth emerges across Morocco, Namibia, Zambia, Ethiopia, and South Africa: Africa is not just catching up - it is catching on.
AfCFTA's emergence gives these national efforts a continental scale. A battery built in Morocco, powered by Namibian hydrogen and Congolese cobalt, and could soon drive an electric bus assembled in Ethiopia, crossing African borders with zero tariffs.
Challenges remain—financing, governance, and negotiation leverage. But the trend is clear: sovereignty is no longer abstract; it is green, regional, and made in Africa.
The writer is an environmentalist and policy expert who currently serves as Special Adviser to the Secretary-General for Environmental Policy and Climate Action at the Organisation of Southern Cooperation. He previously served as Ethiopia's State Minister of Education and as Director General of the Environmental Protection Authority.
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