There are many reasons why our work is focused on the African continent...
Our Story
Founded in 2012, Lydia-Claire Halliday Consultancy (LCH Consultancy & Associates) was established to counsel and represent international organisations operating in Africa. Over the years, we have become a trusted partner for public and private entities, as well as governments, supporting their development, stakeholder engagement, and strategic communications needs across diverse sectors.
Our success is driven by a dedicated team of professionals with expertise spanning energy, aviation, financial services, technology and telecommunications. Together, we provide tailored strategic advice and leverage our extensive networks of media, industry analysts, and investors to deliver impactful results for our clients.
With over two decades of experience, Founder and Executive Director Lydia-Claire Halliday has advised senior executives and boards of over forty global and national companies. Her ability to anticipate challenges and identify opportunities, combined with our team’s collaborative approach, ensures that clients are equipped to navigate complex environments, protect their reputation, and enhance their influence across Africa.
Why Africa?
Let’s start with the basics. Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most-populous continent, second only to Asia. At about 30.3 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area and accounts for one-fifth of its land. Paradoxically, the coastline of Africa (30,500 km) in length, is shorter than that of Europe, because there are few inlets and few large bays or gulfs.
Huge growth
potential
A lively mix
of industries
An increasing
global influence
The potential to
become a global
ESG trendsetter
New ways of doing
business powered
by innovative
tech and financial mechanisms
With a population of 1.4 billion people (and rising sharply), it is already home to 17% of the world's human population.
By 2050, the populations of over half of Africa’s 54 nations are projected to double, bringing the continent’s total population to nearly 2.5 billion—around 25% of the global total. With 40% of Africans currently under the age of 14 and a median age of just 19 (compared to 44 in Europe), this youthful demographic will be a key driver of future growth and change.
This population surge is accompanied by a rapid rate of urbanization unmatched by any other region. Within 30 years, Africa’s urban population is expected to triple to 1.34 billion, resulting in a rise in mega-cities and increased urban primacy. This trend places immense pressure on political, economic, and physical infrastructure, creating unique challenges for both hyper-dense urban areas and the less populated rural economies. Addressing these complexities will require comprehensive solutions to promote civil equality, financial inclusion, access to healthcare and education, climate resilience, and food and water security across all regions.
The African Union’s Agenda 2063 serves as a blueprint for the continent’s economic, social, political, scientific, and cultural development. Aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it provides a unified accountability framework to guide progress. With support from the African Development Bank, Agenda 2063 focuses on five strategic pillars:
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Power and Light for Africa
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Connect and Integrate Africa
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Feed Africa
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Industrialize Africa
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Improve the Quality of Life for Africans
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These initiatives aim to transform Africa’s future, creating a prosperous, integrated, and sustainable continent.
Africa’s Economic Outlook: Resilience Amid Global Challenges
Africa’s GDP growth has shown signs of resilience but faces ongoing challenges due to the lingering impacts of the pandemic, geopolitical tensions from the war in Ukraine, and the continued effects of climate change. According to the latest reports, Africa's average real GDP growth slowed to 2.6% in 2023 but is projected to rebound to 3.4% in 2024 and 3.8% in 2025. This recovery is primarily driven by increased private consumption and cooling inflation, yet remains fragile due to global uncertainties and internal vulnerabilities.
Rising food and energy prices are hitting the region’s most vulnerable populations, while public debt and inflation remain at elevated levels. More than half of African governments struggle with unsustainable debt burdens.
Nevertheless, despite these headwinds, Africa’s economic outlook remains more promising than that of many other regions. GDP growth in 2024 is expected to outpace the global average, with the top-performing African economies projected to grow at over 5.5%. In the medium term, the continent’s growth rate is forecast to reach 4.0% by 2025, reflecting continued resilience and strong fundamentals.
The continent’s growth will continue, driven by several key industries, not least agriculture which is experiencing a bounce from rising commodity prices. Meanwhile, other sectors are subject to major investment, interest and innovation, including banking, energy, mining, transport, telecoms and construction/infrastructure, the latter especially critical if the region is to accommodate its growing population and workforce.
Industrialisation, manufacturing and intra-trade are critical components in Africa’s economic transformation, job creation and achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Historically, Africa’s manufacturing has had the lowest share of GDP globally. However, the region is undergoing a rapid transformation, demonstrating a growth rate in manufacturing of 7.5% per annum since 2000.
There are multiple regional industrialisation strategies, including the East African Community (EAC), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and Southern African Development Community (SADC). Individual countries also have their own domestic policies to increase and diversify industry, powered by the emergence of the fourth industrial revolution or digitalisation.
The transformative African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement, implemented on the 1st January 2021, will contribute additional stability to growth in the region. It will be the largest free-trade zone in the world. The agreement is designed to accelerate intra-Africa trade and boost the region's trading position and ‘share of voice’ in the global market.
New technologies are transforming how businesses and societies operate. Advanced technologies like 3D printing and robotics will accelerate the region’s industrialisation. Mobile connectivity is essential for consumers to interact with the commercial world and access vital services, especially in rural areas where more than half of Africa’s people still reside. Businesses are already making moves in the realm of 5G, with the number of 5G subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa set to increase from 2.59 million in 2021 to almost 105 million by 2027.
Technologies such as this, in combination with new financial mechanisms, are opening up unique opportunities for investors and businesses to thrive in Africa and drive transformational socio-economic development.
And these investors are not just after Africa’s natural resources. Recently we have seen global investors come to Africa because of its people’s talents.
Indeed, the combination of a surplus of workers, technology, and improving regional stability and business conditions are key factors as to why Africa is becoming a bigger player in the global economy.
ESG is a major investment driver in Africa. It is no longer just “the right thing to do.” Understanding and implementing key environmental, social, and governance factors is now a business imperative that underpins long-term growth and resilience in the region.
Although Africa is the least emitter of harmful greenhouse gases, the continent bears a disproportionate burden of climate change impacts, losing between 5% and 15% of its GDP annually to climate-related disasters. Despite the urgency, the region remains vastly underfunded. Between 2016 and 2019, African countries received only $18.3 billion in climate finance. This has left a climate finance gap of up to $127.2 billion per year from 2020 to 2030. According to the latest estimates, Africa will need to mobilize $3 trillion by 2030 to address climate challenges and build resilience, yet public debt and economic constraints make traditional funding mechanisms unsustainable.
Addressing this shortfall will require innovative financing solutions, including stepped-up private sector investments and novel mechanisms like green bonds, climate insurance, and debt-for-climate swaps. With coordinated global efforts and a focus on leveraging Africa’s abundant renewable energy resources, there is an opportunity to transform the continent’s economies while promoting sustainable developmen
