Africa ships out $2.4b worth of technology during 2011 – UNCTAD

A new UN report says Africa exported a value of $2.4 billion ICT goods during the year 2011.

This was down from the $2.77 billion value of the ICT goods shipped out of the continent in 2010, according to data released January 29, 2013 by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

In the terms of the global ICT market share, Africa dropped by a 0.1% for 2011 after recording a 0.2% share in 2010.

According to UNCTAD, Africa’s decline in ICT exports was both in “absolute and relative terms”.
Since 2000, Africa and Latin America have maintained relatively constant export shares, it says.

On the other hand, Africa imported a value of $19.9 billion of ICT goods in  2011, down from $22.3 billion recorded in 2010.

Africa’s global market share in terms of import was 1.2% and 1.0% in 2010 and 2011 respectively, according to the data.

Global exports of ICT goods however rose by 4% to $1.8 trillion in 2011 with growth driven by trade in developing Asia, where such exports reached a record $1.2 trillion for the year.

UNCTAD described ICT goods as products such as mobile phones, smartphones, laptops, tablets, integrated circuits and various other parts and components.

ICT goods, according to the UN trade agency, now account for 11% of total merchandise exports globally.

The top ten exporters of ICT goods made up as much as four fifths of total ICT trade, led by China, which had exports of $508 billion for the year, it added.

By Ekow Quandzie