The index measures business confidence in the manufacturing and non-manufacturing private sector throughout Africa. Results are published on a monthly basis.

The July ABCI results indicate confidence and growth with an index of 51.7 and 56.0 for the manufacturing and non-manufacturing sectors respectively. A level of 50 and above indicates expansion. Business professionals from 30 countries in Africa participated in the survey making the results a reliable gauge and early indicator of the underlying economic activity on the African continent.

The ABCI follows a similar methodology and logic as the PMI indices which set the global standard. Members of the Africa Business Panel are business professionals and entrepreneurs working in Africa’s private sector. On a monthly basis they are invited to report change from the previous month on the following indicators: new orders, production, employment, supplier deliveries, inventories, costumer inventories, prices paid, backlog of orders, new export orders and imports for the manufacturing sector, and similar indicators for the non-manufacturing sector.