Editing Africa (section)

===Industry===

The extractive industries (minerals and oil) give rise to processing industries, such as refineries and smelters, located in almost all countries rich in minerals and with adequate energy resources. South Africa is the most industrialized of the African countries, although most of them now have more or less developed industrial infrastructures; Zimbabwe, Nigeria, and the North African countries have significant industrial districts.

Heavy industry (metallurgical, mechanical, and transport equipment) is concentrated in Southern Africa and Nigeria. Significant industrial centers have also developed in Kenya, Egypt, Morocco, and Algeria. The mining industries have experienced significant growth in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia; Kenya and Côte d'Ivoire have primarily promoted the textile, light manufacturing, and construction materials industries.

In other countries, industrial activity is limited to the production or assembly of consumer goods such as shoes, bicycles, textiles, food products, and beverages. Such industries often operate at a reduced capacity due to relatively modest market demand. Attempts by African countries to further develop the industrial sector, especially in the processing of agricultural export products to increase their added value, have been considerably hampered by the protectionism of industrialized countries, which impose heavy tariffs on these goods. Another obstacle to trade is the limited development of communication routes between the countries of the continent, which, built during the colonial era, are structured to serve the interests of individual states.