Understanding the African Middle Class: Facts and Figures

Having a good appraisal of the African middle class is relevant to international companies planning to expand their business in the continent. However, two questions remain undecided. Firstly, who can be categorized as middle class in Africa? Secondly, what is the weight of the middle class in the Africa’s economy? The definition of the term "middle class" is a matter of debate. A comprehensive and universally accepted definition of middle class is difficult to frame. In terms of numbers, the February 2018 IPSOS VIEWS estimates that there are over 100 million middle class people in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding South Africa). They represent a total spending power of more than 400 million US dollars per day. This is not the case of the 2012 Ifri survey and the 2011 AfDB report both estimating the number of middle class in Africa between 300 and 500 million people. To sum up, the African population is no longer made up of a small wealthy minority and a large majority living under the poverty line.