For the 17th edition of Doing Business published this Thursday, October 24, the World Bank highlights the reforms undertaken by 190 economies around the world to improve their business climate.

If Mauritius stands out particularly for its qualitative leap to 13th in the world, 20 other economies of the Continent are following in Rwanda's footsteps in the race for business performance in Africa in 2020. Overview.

Impossible to browse the Doing Business 2020 without noticing the qualitative leap of Mauritius. The East African archipelago is now the 13th most business-friendly economy in the world, far ahead of France, Germany, Canada, Japan and China.

This is a first for an African country in seventeen editions of this World Bank report published this Thursday, October 24 and which focuses on the reforms undertaken by the States and their impact on the business climate in 190 economies across the planet.

This jump of 7 places compared to 2019, Mauritius owes it to the reforms undertaken "methodically", specify the researchers of the World Bank, to improve its commercial environment during this last decade. Over the period, explains the same source, the archipelago "reformed more than once in almost all the areas assessed by Doing Business", which drastically reduced the time to create a business or the time needed to registering a property.

Togo "inspired by Rwanda" and jumped 40 places

Beside, twenty other economies of the Continent were among the pupils in progress. The most spectacular progress is that of Togo, which went from 137th to 97th in the space of a year, or 40 places to gain. The shortlist of the twenty most reforming economies in the world published in September already announced the colors. Togo was in pole position. According to the report, Togo was encouraged by the Rwandan boom:

“The progress made by Rwanda over the past 10 years has inspired the Togolese authorities, several Togolese delegations visiting Kigali to learn about the success of the reforms”.

Recalling the objective of President Faure Gnassingbé to establish his country at the forefront of Doing Business 2020 in West Africa, the report underlines that the five reforms that have made the strength of this maritime and agricultural country have been carried out in favor of setting up a business, registering real estate and obtaining credit.

Senegal, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Côte d'Ivoire, Uganda and Niger also stand out for their progression in this year's ranking for having gained more than 10 places for some or 15 and more for others. What these economies have in common: the reforms undertaken to facilitate access to credit and improve their coverage rate, the digitization of tax payment systems which has made it possible to reduce costs for companies and often reduce payment times. export and import, the jurisdictional facilities adopted to simplify the execution of contracts or the measures taken to facilitate the resolution of cases of insolvency.

Rwanda remains an example in the Top 40

In the North of the Continent, Morocco is getting closer and closer to the Top 50. Now 53rd, the Cherifian kingdom has gained 7 places and ranks as the 3rd most business-friendly economy in Africa, far behind Rwanda.

Emblematic economy of the Continent for having brilliantly rebuilt itself over the past twenty years, Rwanda, which dazzled last year for its qualitative leap, joining the Top 30 of the ranking comes out of it this year. 38th for 2020, the "African Switzerland" is not a bad student. Far from there. It forms with Mauritius the duo of African countries present in the Top 40. It therefore validly represents, in this selection by La Tribune Afrique, one of the 22 economies that enhance business on the Continent.

Indeed, Rwanda seems to have been slightly overtaken by the large-scale efforts carried out around the world for performance in Doing Business. But the report notes that the country of Paul Kagame has continued to improve its business climate, in particular by exempting newly created SMEs from tax for two years, improving the quality control of buildings, the management of building permits, the reliability of electricity supply and the rights of employees.

Ghana misses its target

Ghana, which has been active since the end of 2018 to join the 100, has fallen slightly away from it in 118th place. Ethiopia, Madagascar, Sierra Leone and even Congo Brazzaville, which have nevertheless been talked about a lot on the economic level since last year - between oil discoveries and economic dynamism - are stagnating towards the bottom of the table.

Overall, therefore, the business climate in full boiling in Africa. In addition to the best in the world class, the fairly well regional and the passable, there are some who are called upon, perhaps like Togo, to draw inspiration from the successes of their neighbors in order, in turn, to perform. Never mind, in Africa things are moving!