As the world shifts into a multipolar era, marked by economic warfare (Varène, 2020) and now further intensified by the return of Donald Trump to the White House, Africa finds itself at a critical crossroads. The upcoming book The Emergencies of African Competitive Intelligence, set for release in September 2025, offers a frank diagnosis and proposes bold, disruptive solutions to confront this reality through an asymmetric strategy — one that equips the weak to challenge the strong.

Africa, often praised for its human potential and abundant natural resources, has long remained vulnerable to external dynamics. According to the African Centre for Competitive Intelligence (ACCI), the continent can no longer afford to play the role of bystander or battleground for global rivalries. The pursuit of sovereignty, autonomy, protection of vital interests, sound governance, sustainable development, and enhanced competitiveness demands a profound paradigm shift: the rise and consolidation of a distinctly African approach to competitive intelligence — developed by Africans, for the benefit of a confident and competitive Africa.

The ACCI defines competitive intelligence as “a mindset, a structure, and a coordinated process of questioning, collecting, processing, analysing and legally disseminating economic intelligence that is useful for decision-making in competitive, uncertain or hostile environments” (Gweth, 2015). For Africa, this approach is crucial — not merely as a response to threats, but as a means of building a forward-looking capacity to anticipate global trends, identify opportunities, and shape its own strategic environment.

Since its founding in 2015, the ACCI has continuously emphasised that Africa’s approach to competitive intelligence cannot be a copy of Western or Asian models. It must be built on the continent’s specific realities: its complex history, unique development challenges, cultural richness, ambitions for stronger regional integration, and its vision for a more balanced multilateralism, as articulated in the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

There are many pressing priorities. Africa must secure its supply chains against global shocks, as highlighted by the WTO’s 2023 World Trade Report. It must stem the tide of illicit financial flows that undermine its economies, a challenge identified in the UN Economic Commission for Africa’s 2020 report. Managing the transfer of technology while fostering homegrown innovation is essential, as the African Development Bank pointed out in 2024. The continent must also protect its highly sought-after natural resources, a concern underscored by the UN Environment Programme in 2022. At the same time, it must build a reputation on the global stage that reflects its true potential, as recent studies by Brand Africa suggest.

The prospect of building a strong African competitive intelligence framework relies on several key dimensions. First is the development of home-grown human and institutional capacity, through the training of experts who embrace their African identity, and the establishment of specialised structures. Ndongo Samba Sylla (2014) has notably called for Africa to develop its own expertise in response to economic dependency.

Next comes the need to build Pan-African cooperation networks and secure information-sharing platforms — a strategic objective that aligns with the Peace and Security Council of the African Union. Equally important is the integration of augmented competitive intelligence into decision-making processes at all levels of governance. The OECD has stressed the importance of embedding security considerations into economic policy since 2018. Finally, Africa must mobilise its private sector and civil society to collectively take ownership of economic security, a perspective long championed by the ACCI through its call for a holistic, inclusive approach.

Rich in documentation, case studies and practical insights, the forthcoming publication The Emergencies of African Competitive Intelligence (September 2025) sets out to demonstrate that by rising to meet these challenges, Africa can transcend its current position and emerge as a vital, influential player in the global competitive and strategic intelligence landscape.

This is not only a strategic imperative — it is a pressing necessity, if the continent is to secure its sovereignty, development, and long-term prosperity in an age increasingly shaped by economic conflict.

Guy Gweth