In an increasingly complex and interconnected world, risk landscapes are no longer the product of singular factors acting in isolation, but rather are a function of economic, environmental, and societal factors intersecting and influencing one another.
At a time when political and socioeconomic forces are affecting sub-Saharan Africa, and the effects of climate change are becoming dangerously pronounced, understanding how these factors come together in the region is a prerequisite for stakeholders on the continent who are looking to shape the region’s future.
The Sub-Saharan Africa Risks Landscape, developed by the World Economic Forum in partnership with Marsh & McLennan, uses data from The Global Risks Report 2019 and the Regional Risks for Doing Business 2018 report to offer an overview of the risk environment in sub-Saharan Africa.
This white paper examines the key macroeconomic- and governance-related risks for the region, identified using the Executive Opinion Survey and the Global Risks Perception Survey. It also explores environmental and public health risks to sub-Saharan Africa – noting that business leaders on the continent did not rate these as key risks despite increasing urgency around both issues – and concludes with country-level data on risks to the region.
