Drug trafficking / Drug demand and use in Africa

Mitigating the production, transportation and consumption of illicit substances remains a high priority for policymakers globally, although the manifestation of the problem varies considerably across countries. These disparate concerns are united by the element of transnational organised crime, which is central to the global drug market. This report explores a forecast of drug demand in sub-Saharan Africa from 2018 to 2050 and highlights two significant regions – East Africa, which is expected to experience the sharpest increase in the proportion of its population using illicit drugs, and West Africa, which is set to remain the continent’s largest regional drug market.

About the authors

Zachary Donnenfeld joined the ISS in 2015 as a researcher with the African Futures and Innovation team in Pretoria. Zach has published work on development trends at the country, regional and continental level and also worked extensively on the ability of Africa to meet various Sustainable Development Goals.

Julia Bello-Schünemann is a senior research consultant. Between 2013 and 2018 she worked for the African Futures and Innovation programme at the ISS. Before that she provided policy advice on peace and security issues to the European Union and the United Nations Development Programme among others.

Lily Welborn is a researcher at African Futures and Innovation programme at the Institute for Security Studies, Pretoria. Previously, she was a research consultant at the Frederick S. Pardee Center for International Futures at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver.

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