The Ivory Coast/Côte d’Ivoire is an African success story. Two decades ago, it faced civil war but emerged stronger than ever after one of the United Nations‘s only successful peacekeeping missions. Between 2021 and 2024, its economy’s growth met or surpassed 6%, far above the global average. As regional countries’ leaders fell to coups, religious strife, Russian influence, or, in Liberia’s case, corruption, the country stood strong.

The capital Abidjan reflects the Ivory Coast’s success. It is safe, its infrastructure is advanced, and its skyline is growing. Tour F, Abidjan’s newest skyscraper set to open next year, will, at 1,381 feet, become Africa’s tallest. Nor is this development merely a case, like Azerbaijan or Iraqi Kurdistan, where a few regime-affiliated families become fabulously wealthy while the rest of society sinks into poverty. The Ivory Coast aims to become an upper-middle-income country by 2030, on par with Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and South Africa.