Every free zone in Africa, mapped, profiled, and rated.
The Africa Free Zones Atlas brings together laws, data, maps, and ratings for free zones across the continent.
The continent’s reference on free zones
Free zones, special economic zones, free ports, industrial parks, and financial centres across all 54 African countries: the laws that govern them, the results they deliver, and an independent rating of each one.
Use the atlas to explore zones by type and status, read a profile for every country, compare incentives, follow the trade corridors, and see how each zone scores against Africa’s and the world’s best.
How Africa’s zones rate
Number of zones by grade
Zones by rating
Each dot is a zone, coloured by grade; hover for details
Africa’s top-rated zones
Explore
Atlas
Interactive map of 174 zones with filters by type and status.
Ratings
Grades from AAA to C on eight pillars, with data confidence.
Indices
The Africa Free Zone Index, pillar indices, and the country index.
Benchmarks
How Africa’s leaders compare with the world’s best zones.
Countries
Laws, authorities, incentives, and results for all 54 countries.
Corridors
The trade corridors that connect zones to ports and markets.
Policy and law
AfCFTA rules for zone goods and the legal frameworks country by country.
Learn
How zones work, what makes them succeed, and a glossary.
Atlas
Every zone in the directory, with its type, status, and rating.
Free zones across Africa
Hover a dot for the zone’s profile; click to open it
Zones and trade corridors
Corridor lines with the zones along them
Zone ratings
Every named zone in Africa, rated on the same eight pillars.
Independent ratings from public information. Every zone is scored from 0 to 100 on eight weighted pillars and graded from AAA to C. Each rating carries a data-confidence level. Ratings reflect the public evidence available and are updated as new data are published. See the methodology.
AAA · 82+AA · 74+A · 66+BBB · 58+BB · 50+B · 42+CCC · 34+C · below 34
Grade distribution
174 rated zones
Data confidence
Share of ratings by confidence level
Top 25 zones: what drives the score
Weighted contribution of each pillar to the total score (0–100)
Results versus enabling environment
Scale and results (vertical) against the average of legal, incentive, and market scores (horizontal)
All ratings
Ratings over time: 2010, 2015, 2020, and 2026
Retrospective estimates. Scores for 2010, 2015, and 2020 apply today’s eight-pillar method to the best public data we could find for each year, for the 40 highest-rated operational zones. They are not ratings published at the time. Each carries a confidence level: High (two or more measured indicators), Medium (one), or Low (status and milestones only, with scale estimated between known points).
Africa Free Zones Index, leading zones
Average score of the tracked zones operating in each year
Confidence of the historical scores
Number of zones by confidence level
How the ranking moved
Rank among the 40 tracked zones, top 12 in 2026 (1 = best)
Score trend for any zone
Choose a zone to see its score and pillar profile in each year
All tracked zones
| Zone | Country | 2010 | 2015 | 2020 | 2026 | Score change since first score | Confidence 2010 / 15 / 20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tanger Med Port Complex | Morocco | 70.2 A | 74.0 AA | 77.1 AA | 79.7 AA | +9.5 | H / M / M |
| Tanger Med Zones (zones) | Morocco | 73.0 A | 77.1 AA | 72.7 A | 79.0 AA | +6.0 | H / H / M |
| Mauritius IFC (MIFC) | Mauritius | 76.8 AA | 77.1 AA | 78.0 AA | 78.8 AA | +2.0 | H / H / H |
| Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE) | Egypt | – | 57.0 BB | 74.2 AA | 76.9 AA | +19.9 | – / L / M |
| Casablanca Finance City (CFC) | Morocco | 57.1 BB | 67.6 A | 73.6 A | 74.3 AA | +17.2 | L / M / H |
| Mauritius Freeport (all zones) | Mauritius | 62.6 BBB | 65.8 BBB | 69.8 A | 73.7 A | +11.1 | L / L / L |
| Atlantic Free Zone Kenitra | Morocco | – | 61.4 BBB | 70.8 A | 71.4 A | +10.0 | – / L / M |
| SCZONE Ain Sokhna Integrated Zone | Egypt | – | 56.5 BB | 67.5 A | 71.4 A | +14.9 | – / L / L |
| Dube TradePort SEZ | South Africa | 50.5 BB | 62.9 BBB | 66.6 A | 69.5 A | +19.0 | L / H / M |
| Port of Lomé & Togo Free Zone | Togo | 53.0 BB | 61.2 BBB | 65.2 BBB | 68.2 A | +15.2 | L / M / M |
| Ghana free zones | Ghana | 65.8 BBB | 64.5 BBB | 67.9 A | 67.9 A | +2.1 | H / H / M |
| Kigali IFC (KIFC) | Rwanda | – | – | 63.3 BBB | 67.9 A | +4.6 | – / – / L |
| Dangote Industries Free Zone | Nigeria | – | 44.9 B | 49.1 B | 67.6 A | +22.7 | – / L / L |
| Kigali SEZ (KSEZ) | Rwanda | 49.1 B | 63.5 BBB | 65.4 BBB | 67.2 A | +18.1 | L / M / L |
| Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone (GDIZ) | Benin | – | – | 49.7 B | 66.6 A | +16.9 | – / – / L |
| Coega SEZ | South Africa | 55.6 BB | 66.8 A | 65.9 BBB | 66.4 A | +10.8 | L / H / L |
| Tatu City SEZ | Kenya | 48.0 B | 50.7 BB | 59.6 BBB | 66.3 A | +18.3 | L / L / M |
| Fnideq Activity Zone | Morocco | – | – | 60.9 BBB | 64.5 BBB | +3.6 | – / – / L |
| Kenya EPZs | Kenya | 61.8 BBB | 63.5 BBB | 64.6 BBB | 64.3 BBB | +2.5 | M / H / H |
| Madagascar Zones Franches | Madagascar | 56.4 BB | 59.0 BBB | 62.0 BBB | 63.6 BBB | +7.2 | H / L / L |
| Hawassa Industrial Park (SEZ) | Ethiopia | – | 45.1 B | 59.7 BBB | 63.1 BBB | +18.0 | – / L / H |
| Tanger Free Zone | Morocco | 60.6 BBB | 62.6 BBB | 62.6 BBB | 63.0 BBB | +2.4 | H / M / M |
| Tanger Automotive City | Morocco | 55.5 BB | 63.6 BBB | 62.6 BBB | 63.0 BBB | +7.5 | L / M / L |
| Renault Tanger Med Zone | Morocco | 57.9 BB | 63.3 BBB | 62.6 BBB | 63.0 BBB | +5.1 | L / M / L |
| East London IDZ (ELIDZ) | South Africa | 59.8 BBB | 59.4 BBB | 60.5 BBB | 62.9 BBB | +3.1 | M / H / H |
| Gabon SEZ (GSEZ) Nkok | Gabon | 45.9 B | 58.2 BBB | 62.2 BBB | 62.1 BBB | +16.2 | L / H / M |
| Chambishi MFEZ (ZCCZ) | Zambia | 44.8 B | 58.7 BBB | 50.3 BB | 62.1 BBB | +17.3 | L / H / M |
| Mauritius Freeport – Airport zone | Mauritius | 59.6 BBB | 61.1 BBB | 61.1 BBB | 61.5 BBB | +1.9 | L / L / L |
| Djibouti Free Zone | Djibouti | 51.5 BB | 58.1 BBB | 60.9 BBB | 61.3 BBB | +9.8 | M / M / L |
| Midparc Free Zone (Nouaceur) | Morocco | 53.9 BB | 61.4 BBB | 60.6 BBB | 61.0 BBB | +7.1 | L / L / L |
| Nairobi IFC (NIFC) | Kenya | – | 50.3 BB | 54.2 BB | 61.0 BBB | +10.7 | – / L / L |
| Bizerte Activity Park (PAEB) | Tunisia | 50.4 BB | 59.4 BBB | 60.2 BBB | 60.9 BBB | +10.5 | L / H / H |
| Plateforme Industrielle d'Adétikopé (PIA) | Togo | – | – | 47.6 B | 60.7 BBB | +13.1 | – / – / L |
| Lusaka South MFEZ | Zambia | 43.8 B | 52.7 BB | 60.1 BBB | 60.4 BBB | +16.6 | L / M / M |
| Kampala Industrial & Business Park (KIBP) Namanve | Uganda | 42.1 B | 43.9 B | 56.7 BB | 59.6 BBB | +17.5 | L / L / M |
| Zarzis Activity Park | Tunisia | 51.9 BB | 56.9 BB | 57.8 BB | 59.5 BBB | +7.6 | L / M / L |
| Lekki Free Trade Zone (LFTZ) | Nigeria | 45.3 B | 45.5 B | 58.3 BBB | 59.4 BBB | +14.1 | L / L / M |
| Tetouan Park | Morocco | – | 55.3 BB | 59.5 BBB | 59.0 BBB | +3.7 | – / L / L |
| Tetouan Shore | Morocco | – | 58.5 BBB | 58.5 BBB | 59.0 BBB | +0.5 | – / L / L |
| China-Egypt TEDA Suez zone | Egypt | 53.6 BB | 57.8 BB | 58.4 BBB | 58.8 BBB | +5.2 | L / M / H |
How the historical scores are built
- Scale and results uses jobs, firms, investment, exports, and container volumes reported for, or within two years of, each snapshot. Where a year has no data, scale is interpolated between known years, or estimated from today’s level, and marked Low confidence. Historical scale is not allowed to exceed today’s measured scale, which avoids counting platform-wide figures as zone figures.
- Connectivity, legal, incentive, and operator scores start from today’s and are reduced for each dated milestone that came later, such as a port or rail link opening, a new law or regulator, or a change of operator.
- Market access is reduced for years before trading under the African Continental Free Trade Area began in 2021. Sustainability is held at today’s level. Momentum reflects the change in scale since the previous snapshot.
- Zones not yet established in a year are not scored. Ranks are among the tracked zones scored in that year.
Financial centres: the Global Financial Centres Index
An external benchmark, published twice a year by Z/Yen since 2007. These are the publisher’s own rankings of African financial centres among all centres worldwide, shown with attribution; they are not our ratings.
African centres in the GFCI
Rank among all centres worldwide (1 = best); hover for ratings
| Centre | GFCI 8 (2010-09) | GFCI 13 (2013-03) | GFCI 15 (2014-03) | GFCI 18 (2015-09) | GFCI 23 (2018-03) | GFCI 25 (2019-03) | GFCI 28 (2020-09) | GFCI 30 (2021-09) | GFCI 33 (2023-03) | GFCI 36 (2024-09) | GFCI 38 (2025-09) | GFCI 40 (2026-09) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Town | – | – | – | – | – | 56 / 102 | 67 / 111 | 62 / 116 | 73 / 120 | 84 / 121 | 92 / 120 | 93 / 117 |
| Casablanca | – | – | 62 / 83 | 44 / 84 | 32 / 96 | 22 / 102 | 46 / 111 | 53 / 116 | 57 / 120 | 57 / 121 | 56 / 120 | 38 / 117 |
| Johannesburg | 54 / 75 | 62 / 79 | 50 / 83 | 33 / 84 | 52 / 96 | 48 / 102 | 90 / 111 | 64 / 116 | 69 / 120 | 75 / 121 | 94 / 120 | 95 / 117 |
| Kigali | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 94 / 116 | 98 / 120 | 67 / 121 | 65 / 120 | 80 / 117 |
| Lagos | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 102 / 116 | 109 / 120 | 100 / 121 | 119 / 120 | 113 / 117 |
| Mauritius | 61 / 75 | 70 / 79 | 63 / 83 | 64 / 84 | 56 / 96 | 54 / 102 | 63 / 111 | 73 / 116 | 81 / 120 | 60 / 121 | 52 / 120 | 55 / 117 |
| Nairobi | – | – | – | – | – | 97 / 102 | 96 / 111 | 98 / 116 | 103 / 120 | 102 / 121 | 105 / 120 | 105 / 117 |
Source: Z/Yen Group and Long Finance, Global Financial Centres Index reports; editions as listed. “–” means not ranked in that edition.
Indices
Composite measures of free zone performance across Africa.
The Africa Free Zone Index (AFZI) is the average rating score of all operational zones. Eight pillar indices show where the continent is strong and where it lags. The Free Zone Country Index combines the scores of each country’s three best zones (60%) with the strength of its national regime (40%).
Pillar indices
Average pillar score of operational zones (0–100)
Free Zone Country Index
Country index score; hover for details
Country ranking
Top 25 countries by Free Zone Country Index
Regional averages
Average rating score of operational zones by region
Country index: all 54 countries
Benchmarks
How Africa’s best zones compare with the world’s.
Ratings are anchored to the world frontier: the best results achieved by any zone. Global leaders are rated on the same eight pillars so that African zones can be compared directly.
Frontier values
| Indicator | Frontier (score of 100) | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jobs | 150,000 | Tanger Med zones (about 145,000) and the largest global zones |
| Firms | 10,000 | Jebel Ali (11,000+), DIFC (8,844 active companies) |
| Investment | US$30bn | Jebel Ali (US$30bn of FDI over 20 years) |
| Trade or output | US$190bn a year | Jebel Ali (US$190bn of trade in a year) |
| Port throughput | 15 million containers | Global transhipment hubs |
Scores are logarithmic: a zone with one tenth of the frontier scores well above one tenth of the points, which rewards real scale without letting a few giants dominate.
Africa’s leaders against global benchmarks
Rating score (0–100)
Global benchmark zones
Methodology
How the ratings and indices are built.
Eight pillars
| Pillar | Weight | What it measures | Main sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scale and results | 25% | Jobs, firms, investment, exports or output, and port throughput, each scored on a logarithmic scale against the world frontier | Zone authorities, operators, statistical offices |
| Connectivity | 15% | Integration with a deep-sea port, international airport, railway, or major corridor | Port and airport data; corridor programmes |
| Legal and regulatory quality | 15% | Modern zone law, stability of rules, courts and arbitration, one-stop-shop powers | Laws, regulations, and legal reviews |
| Incentive design | 10% | Competitiveness of incentives and readiness for the 15% global minimum tax | Tax codes and official incentive guides |
| Operator and governance | 10% | Developer or operator track record, transparency, and published results | Operator disclosures and annual reports |
| Market access | 10% | AfCFTA status, regional bloc, trade preferences, and size of the reachable market | AfCFTA Secretariat, regional bodies |
| Sustainability and inclusion | 10% | Clean power, environmental and labour standards, local linkages | Energy data, zone standards |
| Momentum and resilience | 5% | Recent growth, status, and dependence on a single market or preference | Latest results, news |
Grades
AAA · 82+AA · 74+A · 66+BBB · 58+BB · 50+B · 42+CCC · 34+C · below 34
How scores are calculated
Collect
Public data for each zone: laws, operator disclosures, official statistics, port and trade data, and reputable press.
Normalise
Quantitative indicators are scored from 0 to 100 on a logarithmic scale against the world frontier. Where a zone publishes no results, a status-based floor applies.
Assess
Qualitative pillars are scored from national legal, fiscal, and market assessments, adjusted for the zone’s connectivity, operator, and status.
Weight
Pillar scores are combined using fixed weights into a score from 0 to 100.
Grade
Scores are mapped to grades from AAA to C.
Assign confidence
High: at least two recent quantitative indicators. Medium: one. Low: none, so the rating relies on qualitative evidence.
Review
Ratings are reviewed when new data are published, and at least once a year.
Indices
| Index | Definition |
|---|---|
| Africa Free Zone Index (AFZI) | Average score of all operational rated zones |
| Pillar indices | Average pillar score of operational zones |
| Free Zone Country Index | 60% weighted average of the three best zone scores (50/30/20), adjusted for depth; 40% national regime score (legal, incentive, market, sustainability) |
| Regional averages | Average score of operational zones in each region |
Limitations
Ratings rely on public information, which varies in quality and timeliness. Some figures cover a whole national programme rather than a single site; these records are labelled. Ratings are opinions on relative performance, not investment advice or endorsements. Zone authorities and operators are welcome to submit published data for review.
Country profiles
Laws, authorities, zones, incentives, and results for every African country.
| Country | Region | Rating | Country index | Zones rated | Main law and authority |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morocco | North Africa | Strong | 77.2 | 14 | Law 19-94 (1995), zones renamed Industrial Acceleration Zones (2020); Casablanca Finance City law (2010) |
| Egypt | North Africa | Strong | 70.5 | 20 | Investment Law 72/2017 (GAFI public free zones); SCZONE Law 83/2002 |
| Tunisia | North Africa | Mixed | 57.6 | 2 | Economic activity parks law (1992); offshore exporter regime |
| Algeria | North Africa | Weak or nascent | 39.2 | 2 | Free zones law 22-15 (2022) |
| Libya | North Africa | Weak or nascent | 37.8 | 1 | Misrata Free Zone (2000); Zuwara–Ras Ajdir law (2010) |
| Mauritania | North Africa | Weak or nascent | 47.5 | 1 | Nouadhibou Free Zone law (2013); new law (July 2024) |
| Sudan | North Africa | Weak or nascent | 27.1 | 1 | State free zones company (1993) |
| Nigeria | West Africa | Mixed | 59.8 | 11 | NEPZA Act (1992); Oil and Gas Free Zones Act (1996); Nigeria Tax Act 2025 |
| Ghana | West Africa | Mixed | 57.8 | 3 | Free Zones Act 1995 (GFZA) |
| Togo | West Africa | Strong | 61.3 | 2 | Free zone law 2011-018; new investment and free zone agency (2026) |
| Benin | West Africa | Strong | 59.9 | 1 | SEZ law 2022-38 (in force 2023) |
| Senegal | West Africa | Weak or nascent | 55.3 | 4 | SEZ law 2017-06 (APIX) |
| Côte d’Ivoire | West Africa | Mixed | 54.3 | 4 | VITIB technology free zone law; SEZs promoted by CEPICI |
| Liberia | West Africa | Weak or nascent | 45.6 | 3 | SEZ Act 2017 (authority operating since 2024) |
| Cabo Verde | West Africa | Mixed | 51.2 | 2 | São Vicente maritime SEZ (2020); technology SEZ (2022) |
| Gambia | West Africa | Weak or nascent | 38.7 | 1 | SEZ law being drafted (World Bank support) |
| Guinea | West Africa | Weak or nascent | 17.0 | 0 | SEZ authority by decree (2018) |
| Sierra Leone | West Africa | Weak or nascent | 17.0 | 0 | SEZ policy; no enacted law found |
| Guinea-Bissau | West Africa | Weak or nascent | 15.0 | 0 | No dedicated law found |
| Mali | West Africa | Weak or nascent | 16.0 | 0 | Free-zone regime in investment code; cross-border Sikasso–Korhogo–Bobo SEZ dormant |
| Burkina Faso | West Africa | Weak or nascent | 16.0 | 0 | Investment Code 2018; no SEZ law found |
| Niger | West Africa | Weak or nascent | 16.0 | 0 | Feasibility study for a Niamey economic zone |
| Gabon | Central Africa | Strong | 56.3 | 1 | Privileged-regime economic zone framework (about 2011); developer ARISE |
| Cameroon | Central Africa | Mixed | 45.2 | 1 | Economic zones law 2013 |
| DR Congo | Central Africa | Weak or nascent | 43.0 | 6 | SEZ law 14/022 (2014); SEZ agency |
| Congo | Central Africa | Weak or nascent | 41.0 | 4 | SEZ law 2017; new law 2025 |
| Chad | Central Africa | Weak or nascent | 16.5 | 0 | SEZ ordinance 2022; agency ratified 2024 |
| Burundi | Central Africa | Weak or nascent | 18.0 | 0 | New zones law (February 2025) |
| Central African Rep. | Central Africa | None found | 12.5 | 0 | No law or zone found |
| Equatorial Guinea | Central Africa | None found | 14.0 | 0 | Historic plans only |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | Central Africa | None found | 16.0 | 0 | Free-zone law (1998); projects not realised |
| Mauritius | East Africa | Strong | 73.3 | 5 | Freeport (1992); Financial Services Act 2007 (FSC); EPZ since 1970 |
| Rwanda | East Africa | Strong | 65.8 | 3 | SEZ law 2011; Kigali IFC laws (2020–22) |
| Kenya | East Africa | Mixed | 66.1 | 10 | EPZ Act 1990; SEZ Act 2015 (amended 2024); Nairobi IFC Act 2017 |
| Tanzania | East Africa | Mixed | 57.1 | 9 | New SEZ Act 2025; investment and zones authority TISEZA (2025); Zanzibar zones under ZIPA |
| Ethiopia | East Africa | Mixed | 60.1 | 12 | SEZ Proclamation 1322/2024 (replaced 2015 parks law) |
| Djibouti | East Africa | Mixed | 57.1 | 3 | Free zone code (2004), Ports and Free Zones Authority |
| Somalia | East Africa | Mixed | 43.5 | 1 | Berbera Economic Zone (Somaliland, with DP World, 2023) |
| Madagascar | East Africa | Mixed | 53.6 | 1 | Free zones law 2007-037 (EDBM) |
| Seychelles | East Africa | Mixed | 51.1 | 1 | International Trade Zone Act 2022 (FSA) |
| Uganda | East Africa | Weak or nascent | 55.7 | 4 | Free Zones Act 2014 (Cap. 70), amended 2024 (UFZEPA); Investment Code Act 2019 (UIA parks) |
| Eritrea | East Africa | Weak or nascent | 13.0 | 0 | Free Zones Proclamation 2001 |
| South Sudan | East Africa | Weak or nascent | 14.0 | 0 | No zone law; Investment Promotion Act 2009 |
| Comoros | East Africa | None found | 14.5 | 0 | None found |
| South Africa | Southern Africa | Mixed | 66.0 | 12 | SEZ Act 2014 (dtic) |
| Zambia | Southern Africa | Mixed | 60.0 | 10 | Multi-facility economic zones (2006 law; 2022 Act) |
| Angola | Southern Africa | Mixed | 52.2 | 3 | Luanda-Bengo SEZ (2009); privatisation from 2019 |
| Mozambique | Southern Africa | Mixed | 53.2 | 4 | Industrial free zone and SEZ regulations (APIEX) |
| Zimbabwe | Southern Africa | Weak or nascent | 45.9 | 3 | SEZ provisions in the ZIDA Act |
| Botswana | Southern Africa | Weak or nascent | 48.2 | 5 | SEZ Act 2015 |
| Malawi | Southern Africa | Weak or nascent | 42.5 | 1 | SEZ Act 2023 (replaced EPZ Act 1995) |
| Namibia | Southern Africa | Weak or nascent | 45.9 | 2 | EPZ Act 1995 ended 31 December 2025; SEZ law pending |
| Eswatini | Southern Africa | Weak or nascent | 44.0 | 1 | SEZ Act 2018 |
| Lesotho | Southern Africa | Mixed | 20.5 | 0 | No SEZ Act; national development corporation estates |
Zones in this country
Coloured by rating
Rating by pillar
Pillar scores (0–100)
Zone directory
174 named zones: type, status, operator, sectors, results, and rating.
Insights
What the data say about Africa’s free zones.
Jobs in Africa’s leading zones
Direct, or direct and indirect as reported; latest year 2023–26
African financial centres
Global Financial Centres Index 40 rating (September 2026)
AfCFTA: from signature to use
Number of African countries (of 55), 2025–26
Length of full tax holidays
Years of full corporate tax exemption for zone enterprises (headline regimes)
Reported headline regimes; conditions apply. Djibouti’s 50-year exemption is shown capped for readability.
Country performance by region
Number of countries by free zone performance rating
Twelve lessons from Africa’s zones
Specialise
around real advantages: location, a resource, or a market.
Choose a professional operator
that brings tenants with it.
Put logistics first
port, rail, airport, and border efficiency.
Keep rules stable
frequent tax changes deter investment.
Empower one authority
to approve, not just to facilitate.
Diversify markets
avoid dependence on a single preference such as AGOA.
Link to local suppliers
or zones become enclaves.
Design for the 15% minimum tax
as Morocco and Nigeria are doing.
Publish results
and the cost of incentives.
Phase by demand
avoid empty greenfield sites.
Add value to resources
as Gabon did with timber.
Pair goods with services
as Mauritius did over decades.
Trade corridors
The routes that connect Africa’s zones to ports and markets.
Africa’s trade corridors and the zones along them
Hover a corridor or a zone for details
Northern Corridor
Mombasa–Nairobi–Kampala–Kigali–Bujumbura. Uganda’s Malaba–Kampala railway (€2.7bn) has export-credit, IsDB, and other financing lined up; Kenya’s Naivasha–Malaba link is short of funding.
Central Corridor
Dar es Salaam–Dodoma–Kigoma, with a railway link to Burundi financed by the AfDB and others. The Dar–Dodoma railway is operating.
Lobito Corridor
Angola–DRC–Zambia. US development finance of up to US$553m (2024); DBSA and DFC closed US$786m (August 2026); AfDB approved US$255m for a new Zambian link.
TAZARA
Dar es Salaam–Kapiri Mposhi. A Chinese contractor will invest US$1.4bn under a 30-year concession signed in September 2025.
LAPSSET
Lamu–South Sudan, with a branch to Ethiopia. Lamu’s first three berths are complete but underused while hinterland roads lag.
Djibouti–Addis Ababa
Electrified railway with free zones at both ends; the Dire Dawa Free Trade Zone operates on the route.
Berbera Corridor
Berbera port (500,000-container capacity) and economic zone on the route to Ethiopia.
Abidjan–Lagos Corridor
Coastal highway programme linking West Africa’s largest ports and cities, including Lomé and Lekki.
Maputo Development Corridor
Africa’s classic spatial development initiative (from 1996), linking Gauteng to Maputo port and the Beluluane park.
Nacala Corridor
Nacala port to Malawi and Zambia; the port concession returned to the state in 2019.
Beira Corridor
Beira to Zimbabwe and Zambia.
Suez Canal Economic Zone
Port Said to Sokhna along the canal: US$21.1bn invested in ten years.
Trans-Saharan Highway
Algiers–Lagos highway linking North and West Africa; Algeria is building border free zones on Sahel routes.
How zones turn transport corridors into value corridors
Nodes for processing
Zones at ports, junctions, and borders host the factories that add value to corridor cargo.
Seamless transit
Bonded transit, pre-clearance at the coast, and electronic tracking move goods from ship to zone without repeated checks.
Border twin zones
Paired zones on each side of a border, under agreed rules, turn borders from bottlenecks into markets.
Corridor finance
Long-term local-currency bonds and infrastructure funds finance zones, rail spurs, power, and housing.
Corridor governance
A corridor authority or compact coordinates investment, rules, and data across countries.
Policy and law
The rules that govern Africa’s zones, from national laws to the AfCFTA.
The AfCFTA and zone goods
In February 2023 the AfCFTA Council of Ministers adopted Ministerial Regulation 1/2023: goods made in special economic zones qualify for AfCFTA preferences if they meet the rules of origin. Zone enterprises must be registered, the Secretariat keeps a registry, and zone goods remain subject to trade remedies. The arrangement is to be reviewed after five years, around 2028. In September 2025 ministers agreed transitional rules of origin for textiles, clothing, and vehicles.
Regional frameworks
| Bloc | Framework | Note |
|---|---|---|
| EAC | Customs Management Act 2004 (Part XIV on EPZs and freeports), amended 2025 to cover special economic zones; EAC SEZ Policy 2023 | Sales from zones into the customs territory reported capped at 20% of output |
| ECOWAS and WAEMU | Common external tariff; national free zone laws | Benin, Togo, Senegal, and Côte d’Ivoire run national regimes |
| SACU and SADC | Common customs union (SACU); national SEZ laws | South Africa’s SEZ Act 2014; Namibia’s EPZ regime ended in 2025 |
| COMESA | Customs union framework | Overlapping membership with EAC and SADC |
| AfCFTA | Ministerial Regulation 1/2023 on SEZ goods | Review due around 2028 |
Trends in zone law
Consolidation
Tanzania (2025) and Ethiopia (2024) merged agencies and passed single SEZ laws.
Services and finance
New laws allow service and financial parks (Ethiopia 2024) and financial centres (Kigali, Nairobi, Casablanca).
The 15% minimum tax
Morocco moved to a permanent 20% after a 5-year holiday; Nigeria will tax domestic sales from 2028; Namibia ended its EPZ regime.
Developer-led models
Benin, Togo, Gabon, and Malawi partner with private developers under PPPs.
Laws and incentives by country
| Country | Main law and authority | Headline incentives |
|---|---|---|
| Morocco | Law 19-94 (1995), zones renamed Industrial Acceleration Zones (2020); Casablanca Finance City law (2010) | 0% tax for 5 years, then 20%; outside VAT and customs territory |
| Egypt | Investment Law 72/2017 (GAFI public free zones); SCZONE Law 83/2002 | Free zones: no tax, 1% fee on goods value; SCZONE: 22.5% with 50% deduction for 7 years |
| Tunisia | Economic activity parks law (1992); offshore exporter regime | Duty and tax exemptions; reduced rate for exporters |
| Algeria | Free zones law 22-15 (2022) | Customs and tax exemptions (details pending) |
| Libya | Misrata Free Zone (2000); Zuwara–Ras Ajdir law (2010) | Not found |
| Mauritania | Nouadhibou Free Zone law (2013); new law (July 2024) | Powers returned to tax and customs authorities |
| Sudan | State free zones company (1993) | Not found |
| Nigeria | NEPZA Act (1992); Oil and Gas Free Zones Act (1996); Nigeria Tax Act 2025 | Full exemptions; domestic sales capped at 25% and fully taxable from 2028 |
| Ghana | Free Zones Act 1995 (GFZA) | 10-year tax holiday, then 15% on exports; at least 70% exported |
| Togo | Free zone law 2011-018; new investment and free zone agency (2026) | 0% for 5 years, rising to 20% after year 20 |
| Benin | SEZ law 2022-38 (in force 2023) | 0% for 15 years, then 15%; 3% levy on domestic turnover |
| Senegal | SEZ law 2017-06 (APIX) | 15% tax plus VAT and duty exemptions (reported) |
| Côte d’Ivoire | VITIB technology free zone law; SEZs promoted by CEPICI | 0% for 5 years, then 1% |
| Liberia | SEZ Act 2017 (authority operating since 2024) | Not specified |
| Cabo Verde | São Vicente maritime SEZ (2020); technology SEZ (2022) | 2.5% tax in the technology zone |
| Gambia | SEZ law being drafted (World Bank support) | Not found |
| Guinea | SEZ authority by decree (2018) | Not found |
| Sierra Leone | SEZ policy; no enacted law found | — |
| Guinea-Bissau | No dedicated law found | — |
| Mali | Free-zone regime in investment code; cross-border Sikasso–Korhogo–Bobo SEZ dormant | — |
| Burkina Faso | Investment Code 2018; no SEZ law found | — |
| Niger | Feasibility study for a Niamey economic zone | — |
| Gabon | Privileged-regime economic zone framework (about 2011); developer ARISE | 0% corporate and property tax; duty and VAT exemptions |
| Cameroon | Economic zones law 2013 | Reported exemptions |
| DR Congo | SEZ law 14/022 (2014); SEZ agency | Customs and tax exemptions |
| Congo | SEZ law 2017; new law 2025 | Not found |
| Chad | SEZ ordinance 2022; agency ratified 2024 | 50% tax cut proposed |
| Burundi | New zones law (February 2025) | Not found |
| Central African Rep. | No law or zone found | — |
| Equatorial Guinea | Historic plans only | — |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | Free-zone law (1998); projects not realised | — |
| Mauritius | Freeport (1992); Financial Services Act 2007 (FSC); EPZ since 1970 | 3% effective tax; duty- and VAT-free imports |
| Rwanda | SEZ law 2011; Kigali IFC laws (2020–22) | Kigali IFC: about 3% tax, 0% withholding tax, subject to substance |
| Kenya | EPZ Act 1990; SEZ Act 2015 (amended 2024); Nairobi IFC Act 2017 | SEZ: 10% for 10 years, then 15% (reported); EPZ: 10-year holiday |
| Tanzania | New SEZ Act 2025; investment and zones authority TISEZA (2025); Zanzibar zones under ZIPA | 10-year exemption if at least 80% exported outside the EAC |
| Ethiopia | SEZ Proclamation 1322/2024 (replaced 2015 parks law) | Tax holidays and duty-free inputs; finance and service parks now allowed |
| Djibouti | Free zone code (2004), Ports and Free Zones Authority | 50-year exemption, but a 2022 levy of 1% of turnover |
| Somalia | Berbera Economic Zone (Somaliland, with DP World, 2023) | Not found |
| Madagascar | Free zones law 2007-037 (EDBM) | Reduced tax; duty- and VAT-free inputs |
| Seychelles | International Trade Zone Act 2022 (FSA) | Concessions under the Act |
| Uganda | Free Zones Act 2014 (Cap. 70), amended 2024 (UFZEPA); Investment Code Act 2019 (UIA parks) | 10-year exemptions in the Income Tax Act, with 70% local-sourcing and citizen-hiring conditions |
| Eritrea | Free Zones Proclamation 2001 | — |
| South Sudan | No zone law; Investment Promotion Act 2009 | — |
| Comoros | None found | — |
| South Africa | SEZ Act 2014 (dtic) | 15% tax for qualifying firms (27% standard); building allowance |
| Zambia | Multi-facility economic zones (2006 law; 2022 Act) | 0% for 5 years, then phased (reported) |
| Angola | Luanda-Bengo SEZ (2009); privatisation from 2019 | Zone-based reductions (2018 law) |
| Mozambique | Industrial free zone and SEZ regulations (APIEX) | Multi-year exemptions (reported) |
| Zimbabwe | SEZ provisions in the ZIDA Act | 0% for 5 years, then 15% |
| Botswana | SEZ Act 2015 | 5% for 10 years, then 10% (reported) |
| Malawi | SEZ Act 2023 (replaced EPZ Act 1995) | Exchange-control relief; zone sales treated as exports |
| Namibia | EPZ Act 1995 ended 31 December 2025; SEZ law pending | Replacement rules pending |
| Eswatini | SEZ Act 2018 | 0% for 20 years (reported) |
| Lesotho | No SEZ Act; national development corporation estates | 10% manufacturing tax |
Learn
How free zones work and the terms used to describe them.
Types of zones
Special economic zone
The umbrella term: an area with its own rules on customs, tax, land, or regulation.
Free trade zone
Goods can be stored and processed without duty until they enter the domestic market.
Export processing zone
Manufacturing mainly for export, with duty-free inputs.
Free port
A port and its hinterland outside the customs territory.
Industrial park
Serviced land and buildings for industry, with or without special customs rules.
Financial centre
A regime or district with its own financial regulation and, sometimes, its own courts.
Technology park
A zone for research, software, and innovation firms.
Agro-industrial zone
A zone for processing farm products close to where they are grown.
How a zone works
Declaration
Government declares the zone under a law and defines its boundaries.
Developer
A public or private developer builds infrastructure and buildings.
Licensing
Firms apply to operate and receive a licence with conditions.
Customs
Goods move in and out under customs supervision, with duty suspended.
Incentives
Tax and other incentives apply under the law, subject to conditions.
Reporting
The authority monitors compliance and publishes results.
Glossary
Sources and terms
Where the data come from, and how to use them.
This atlas aggregates public information from zone authorities, operators, governments, regional bodies, international organisations, and reputable press, compiled in October 2026. Figures are the latest reported and may be revised. Coordinates are approximate.
Ratings and indices are independent opinions based on public information and the published methodology. They are not investment advice, endorsements, or official statistics.
Main sources
- UNCTAD, Handbook on Special Economic Zones in Africa
- UNCTAD, World Investment Report 2019: Special Economic Zones
- Global Financial Centres Index 40
- tralac, AfCFTA developments
- Tanger Med 2025 results
- Kenya EPZ Authority, 2023 performance report
- Ethiopia SEZ Proclamation 1322/2024
- ARISE IIP, Gabon Special Economic Zone
- Mauritius Economic Development Board, Freeport
- US State Department, 2026 Investment Climate Statement: Uganda
Each zone profile links to its own source.
Terms of Service
The terms that apply when you use Africa Free Zones Atlas.
Effective date: 30 October 2026. Items in square brackets are to be completed by the operator before publication.
1. About these terms
These Terms of Service govern your use of the Africa Free Zones Atlas website (the “Website”), operated by [Operator legal name], [registered address] (“we”, “us”, or “our”). By using the Website you agree to these terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the Website.
2. What the Website is
The Website is an independent information resource on free zones, special economic zones, and financial centres across Africa. It aggregates information from public sources and presents maps, data, indices, and ratings produced by our own published methodology.
The Website is not affiliated with, and does not speak for, any government, zone authority, regulator, operator, or international organisation, unless we expressly say so.
3. No advice; no offer
Nothing on the Website is investment, legal, tax, accounting, or other professional advice, and nothing is an offer, solicitation, or recommendation to buy or sell any security, interest, or property, or to invest in any zone, country, or project.
You should make your own enquiries and take independent professional advice before making any decision. Always confirm laws, incentives, fees, and procedures with the relevant authority.
4. Ratings, indices, and estimates
Ratings, grades, indices, rankings, and benchmarks are opinions based on public information available at the time and on our published methodology. They are not facts, guarantees, credit ratings, or official statistics, and they are not issued by a registered credit rating agency.
Historical scores for earlier years are retrospective estimates: they apply today’s methodology to the best data we could find for those years. They are not ratings that were published at the time, and they carry a stated confidence level.
Third-party rankings, such as the Global Financial Centres Index, are reproduced with attribution and remain the work of their publishers.
Ratings may change without notice as new information becomes available. Zone operators and authorities may contact us to provide information or request a correction.
5. Accuracy
We compile the Website with care, but information may be incomplete, out of date, or contain errors. Figures are the latest we could find and may differ between sources. Map locations and boundaries are approximate and do not imply any view on the legal status of any territory.
The Website is provided “as is” and “as available”, without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including accuracy, completeness, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.
6. Intellectual property
The design, text, compilations, ratings, indices, charts, and methodology on the Website are our intellectual property or are used under licence. Third-party materials, data, and trademarks belong to their respective owners. Map data are from Natural Earth (public domain). Photographs are credited where shown.
You may view the Website and quote short extracts for non-commercial research, journalism, or internal business purposes, with a clear attribution to the Website and a link. You may not reproduce substantial parts of the Website, republish ratings or indices as your own, or use them in commercial products, without our written permission.
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You must not: use automated tools to scrape, harvest, or bulk-download content; attempt to gain unauthorised access to the Website or its infrastructure; interfere with its operation or security; use the Website for any unlawful purpose; or misrepresent our content or our relationship with you.
8. Links to other websites
The Website links to third-party websites and documents. We do not control and are not responsible for their content, availability, or practices. A link is not an endorsement.
9. Limitation of liability
To the fullest extent permitted by law, we are not liable for any loss or damage, whether direct, indirect, or consequential, arising from your use of, or reliance on, the Website or its content, including any loss of profit, opportunity, or data.
Nothing in these terms excludes liability that cannot lawfully be excluded.
10. Changes
We may update the Website and these terms at any time. The version in force is the one published on the Website, with its effective date. Continued use after a change means you accept the updated terms.
11. Governing law
These terms are governed by the laws of [jurisdiction], and the courts of [jurisdiction] have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute, without prejudice to any mandatory consumer protections that apply where you live.
12. Contact
Questions, corrections, and requests: [contact email].
Privacy Policy
What personal data we process, why, and your rights.
Effective date: 30 October 2026. Items in square brackets are to be completed by the operator before publication.
1. Who we are
[Operator legal name], [registered address], is responsible for the Africa Free Zones Atlas website (the “Website”) and for the personal data processed through it. Contact: [contact email].
2. Summary
The Website has no user accounts, no sign-up forms, no advertising, and no tracking or marketing cookies. We do not sell or share personal data for advertising. We process only the limited technical data needed to deliver and protect the Website.
3. What we process and why
Technical and security data. When you visit, our hosting and security provider, Cloudflare, processes your IP address, browser and device information, the pages requested, and the date and time, in order to deliver the Website, protect it against abuse and attacks, and keep it running. Our legal basis is our legitimate interest in operating a secure website.
Correspondence. If you email us, we process your name, email address, and message to reply and to keep a record of the correspondence. Our legal basis is our legitimate interest in responding, or steps you request before entering into an agreement.
Usage statistics. If we enable privacy-friendly, cookie-free analytics, it will count visits and pages in aggregate without identifying individual visitors. We will update this notice before enabling any analytics that use cookies.
4. Third-party services
Cloudflare hosts the Website and provides security services. Google Fonts supplies the typefaces; your browser requests them from Google, which receives your IP address. Links to other websites are governed by those websites’ own privacy policies.
5. Cookies and local storage
The Website does not set tracking or marketing cookies. Cloudflare may set strictly necessary security cookies to tell real visitors from automated traffic. Your browser may store the Website’s files in its cache to load pages faster.
6. International transfers
Our service providers may process data outside your country, including in the United States and the European Union. Where required, transfers are protected by appropriate safeguards, such as standard contractual clauses.
7. How long we keep data
Technical and security logs are kept by our providers for short periods, typically up to 30 days, unless needed to investigate abuse. Correspondence is kept for up to two years after our last contact, unless a longer period is required by law.
8. Your rights
Depending on where you live, including under Uganda’s Data Protection and Privacy Act 2019, the EU and UK GDPR, and similar laws, you may have the right to access, correct, delete, or restrict the processing of your personal data, to object to processing, and to complain to your data protection authority. To exercise these rights, contact [contact email]. We will respond within the time required by law.
9. Security
The Website is served over encrypted connections (HTTPS) and protected by our provider’s security services. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, but we take reasonable measures to protect data.
10. Children
The Website is intended for professional and adult audiences and is not directed at children.
11. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy. The version in force is the one published on the Website, with its effective date.