Africa: Global attractiveness of talent, the African continent moves up in the IMD rankings
Botswana stands out as the top-performing African country in terms of talent development and attractiveness, according to the IMD World Talent Ranking 2025, published on September 9 by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Lausanne. Classified by the World Bank as an upper-middle-income country, this Southern African nation ranks 48th out of 69 economies assessed worldwide.
The index, based on 31 criteria grouped into three pillars, evaluates how countries develop, attract, and retain talent to support their businesses. The three dimensions examined are: investment in and development of local talent (public spending on education, quality of healthcare infrastructure, continuous training, student-teacher ratio, etc.), attractiveness for foreign talent (living conditions, salaries, taxation, worker motivation, judicial independence, etc.), and the availability of skills (qualified executives, language proficiency, graduates in science and technology, presence of foreign students, etc.).
For 2025, Botswana performed particularly well in the pillar of international attractiveness, thanks to its relatively low cost of living and a judiciary considered fairly independent. However, it dropped 26 places compared to 2024, reflecting intensifying global competition.
Following Botswana, Namibia ranks 52nd worldwide and second in Africa, followed by Kenya (55th), Nigeria (56th), Ghana (61st), and South Africa (62nd). Notably, Kenya makes its debut in the ranking, whereas only a few years ago, South Africa was the sole African representative.
Globally, Switzerland retained its top spot for the fifth consecutive year, ahead of Luxembourg and Iceland. Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Sweden, Singapore, Denmark, the United Arab Emirates, and Austria complete the Top 10. The United States sits at 22nd place, while major Asian economies such as China (38th) and Japan (40th) remain further behind.
This ranking underscores the growing importance of education policies, governance, and international openness in strengthening the competitiveness of African countries in the global talent market.
