Africa Riot Control Equipment Market - Growth, Trends, Covid-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

Africa Riot Control Equipment Market - Growth, Trends, Covid-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

The African riot control equipment market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 5% during the forecast period.

The COVID-19 pandemic has moderately affected the African riot control equipment market. Due to the global lockdown, manufacturers in various countries were forced to either shut down their businesses or reduce the number of staff, which led to a decline in the production of riot control equipment. This led to huge losses for various companies engaged in manufacturing in the riot control equipment market. The decline in the COVID-19 pandemic led to the gradual opening of employment opportunities which helped manufacturers increase their employee numbers to increase the production of riot control equipment and meet the growing demand of various countries in the African region for the procurement of riot control equipment. Thus, this will lead to steady market growth in the years to come.

The increasing violent protest and riots in countries like Nigeria, South Africa, and Sudan are generating demand for new riot control equipment. The development of advanced less-lethal weapons like dropping low-velocity ammunition, pepper sprays, and other less-lethal weapons will witness significant growth during the forecast period.

By end user, the law enforcement segment is expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period. The growing uncertainties in various African regions owing to the high living costs, growing violence against women, and rising fuel and food prices, among others, are the main reasons for the increasing number of riot control equipment in Africa.

In August 2022, Sierra Leone, a country in Western Africa, witnessed increased clashes between protesters and security forces over rising fuel and food prices. This led to a growth in fatalities, which led to the government imposing a nationwide curfew.

In addition, countries such as Ghana and Ecuador have also been witnessing an increase in the number of clashes between protestors and law enforcement agencies over increasing inflation rates. Moreover, rising economic hardships in various countries in Africa, such as Sierra Leone, Ghana, and Uganda, among others, have led to an increase in the number of violent clashes, and this will lead to a rise in the demand for riot control equipment for law enforcement agencies in various African nations and propel the growth in the market during the forecast period.

South Africa is expected to witness growth in the riot control equipment market during the forecast period. South Africa has been named the protest capital of the world, with the country witnessing some of the highest rates of public protests globally. The growing number of unrests in South Africa, coupled with the growth in the number of clashes among the public and law enforcement agencies, will be the main reason for the increase in the demand for riot control equipment in the coming years.

The 2021 South African unrest, named the Zuma Unrest, was the wave of unrest in Gauteng province in South Africa owing to the imprisonment of former President Jacob Zuma. The resulting protests triggered wider riots in the region. They were supported mainly by people who did not favor the governmental policies of job layoffs and worsening economic inequality due to COVID-19 policies. Moreover, since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a growth in the number of riots in the South African region. In addition, the pandemic also exposed socioeconomic weaknesses in the region, which resulted from poor policy implementation and a fundamental failure of political leadership.

Thus, in the current scenario, South Africa has increased its spending on development and procurement of advanced riot control equipment for law enforcement to tackle the ever-increasing number of protests which have plagued the country, and this will lead to the growth of riot control equipment market in South Africa during the forecast period.

Some of the most prominent players in the African riot control equipment market are Africor, Sad Sacks, International Armored Group, SSG Holdings, and Desert Wolf. Various companies are now focused on growth strategies, including developing and launching new riot control products, product approvals, and patents. Moreover, an expanded product portfolio of advanced riot control solutions and increased investments in R&D and strategic acquisitions will be the key factors that will lead players to dominate the market during the forecast period.

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