Development in Africa has become a first-rate strategic focus for Moroccan companies, according to the 4th International Development Barometer (IDB) conducted in 2020 by the consulting firm BearingPoint.

Almost all Moroccan business professionals who took part in the survey consider that development on the continent is one of the top 5 strategic priorities, compared to 78% in 2015. "Development in Africa is now one of the top 3 strategic priorities for more than 80% of the laying eggs. For more than a third of companies, it is even the main priority, i.e. a tripling of this response in 5 years", also highlights this 4th barometer. Once perceived as an axis of development in the medium term, this development is now seen as a real growth driver and the way to test new models (for 1/4 of respondents), says the same source. Africa is the 1st beneficiary of Moroccan direct investments, capturing more than 60% of these investments in 2017. In addition, the survey reveals that Morocco is now among the top African investors in the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) and the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC). This strengthened presence on the African continent is supported by a national strategy for the promotion of South-South cooperation, the study said. Although primarily targeting West Africa, the presence of Moroccan companies on the continent seems to have diversified more in recent years. They also explore East, Central and Southern Africa. A strengthened presence thanks to the Kingdom's reintegration into the pan-African organization in 2017 and the commitment of His Majesty King Mohammed VI to make Africa a national priority.

The destination of Moroccan investments in Africa confirms this gradual expansion on the rest of the African continent. These flows are mainly addressed to West African countries (with an average share of 55%), followed by North Africa (25%), Central Africa (15%) and Southern Africa (5%).

Conducted by the consulting firm BearingPoint, in partnership with the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM), the 4th International Development Barometer (BDI) of Morocco aims to analyze the development strategies of Moroccan companies.