African air cargo demand reached record levels in 2025, according to aviation data presented at the Board of Airline Representatives of South Africa (Barsa) Aviation Summit held in KwaZulu-Natal last week.
Dan Taylor, head of consulting at aviation intelligence and advisory firm IBA, said cargo demand in Africa had increased by about 6% year on year in 2025 and was about 28% higher than in 2019.
Despite the growth, Africa still accounts for only 2% of global air cargo traffic, compared with significantly larger shares in Asia-Pacific, North America and Europe.
“Africa is a small global proportion but it’s growing very fast,” Taylor said, adding that the region had significant potential to expand airfreight linked to perishable goods exports.
Aviation plays an important role in enabling trade and economic activity.
In mature aviation markets such as Europe and North America, the sector typically contributes between 3% and 5% of GDP, compared with about 2% in South Africa.
IBA forecasts that the contribution of aviation to national economies could double over the medium to long term as connectivity improves across Africa.
Fuel costs remain a risk for airlines.
Taylor said refinery closures globally were reducing aviation fuel production, widening the gap between jet fuel prices and crude oil. Fuel infrastructure and supply constraints are also becoming a concern.
“The production of aviation fuel is reducing, and the crack spread is widening as refineries close,” he said.
Taylor also pointed to geopolitical tensions as another risk for aviation markets, noting that conflict and political divisions continued to affect global trade and air transport.
