Unlike other continents such as Europe, America or Asia, the aerospace industry in Africa is practically non-existent, as most African countries depend on foreign industry to meet their demands. For example, many African airlines such as Air Peace Limited or Ethiopian Airlines depend on Airbus SAS, Boeing and Embraer to purchase aircraft, as at the time of writing this article there is no country on the continent that manufactures airliners. Another example could be space launches, as there are currently no rocket launch facilities, which forces African companies and African governments to use foreign facilities, as is the case of Gaindesat-1A, a nanosatellite developed by Senegalese engineers that was launched from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in the USA. Even with this bleak scenario, the aerospace industry in Africa has been booming in recent years and we are likely to see significant changes in the coming years.
The Nigerian Aerospace Industry
Although there have been rumors that companies like Magnus Aircraft or Diamond Aircraft would set up factories to assemble aircraft, as of this writing, no aircraft are yet being produced in Nigeria. However, there has been some progress in the production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
TerraHaptix
A clear example is TerraHaptix, an Abuja-based robotics company that is primarily engaged in the design and production of fully autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), and surveillance towers.
Moreover, one of its most notable achievements was when the drone manufacturer secured a $500,000 contract to supply 70 Archer VTOL drones to a Ghanaian company.
Proforce Air Systems Limited
Another key company in UAV production in Nigeria is Proforce Air Systems Limited, a subsidiary of Proforce Limited which is primarily engaged in the production of military UAVs, although it also produces UAVs for civilian purposes.
Baba Sky Technologies Limited
Continuing with the list, another company that is dedicated to the production of UAVs in Nigeria is Baba Sky Technologies Limited, a Nigerian subsidiary of Uniccon Group of Companies Limited. This company is dedicated to the production of unmanned aerial vehicles for mainly civilian purposes such as light cargo transport or use in precision agriculture. It should be noted that the company also manufactures UAVs for military purposes, an example of which is the D01-BSCHUKS 2023, an electrically powered military drone designed for surveillance, rescue and public safety applications.
Baba Sky’s parent company, Uniccon Group, has a collaborative relationship with Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON), an example of which is the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the Uniccon Group and DICON.
Caverton Offshore Support Group Plc.
Caverton Helicopters Limited, a subsidiary of Caverton Offshore Support Group Plc., has signed an MoU with NASENI for the establishment of a drone assembly plant.
The Tanzanian Aerospace Industry
On the other hand, with the presentation of the Skyleader 600 produced by Airplanes Africa Limited, Tanzania inaugurates its aerospace industry. Airplanes Africa Limited is a Tanzanian subsidiary of Skyleader a.s. that assembles light aircraft.
The South African Aerospace Industry
South Africa is undoubtedly the African nation with the most robust aerospace industry on the continent. South Africa is the only African country to have managed to produce a supersonic aircraft, reflecting the maturity of its industry.
Its aerospace industry ranges from the design, manufacture and marketing of light aircraft, paramotors, gliders, helicopters, fighter aircraft, UAVs, air-to-air missiles, anti-armor missiles, air defense missiles, airships, etc.
Cloudline
Cloudline is a South African company dedicated to the production of autonomous airships. The helium-filled airships use batteries and solar panels to power their engines, have a range of up to 400 km, an endurance of up to 12 hours and a payload of up to 100 kg.
Cloudline has had a great impact on international entities and media such as CNN, UNICEF and Techpoint Africa. This is mainly due to the climate emergency and the innovation of the project.
Denel SOC Limited
Denec SOC Limited is a South African state-owned company engaged in the design and production of anti-tank guided missiles, air-to-air missiles, attack helicopters, utility helicopters, fighter aircraft, small arms, self-propelled howitzers, etc.
