Global growth estimates leave no room for doubts: 2020 will record a historic recession. Africa will not be spared: with the first year of negative growth in a quarter of a century, the continent's economic shrinkage will also be the most severe since the 1970s. Progress made over the past two decades will be eroded. However, despite the fragility of poorly diversified and industrialized economies, the overall economic contraction in Africa is set to remain more limited when compared to other world regions. Why? How does the economic impact of the crisis vary from one African region to the next? How heavily will Africa’s populations be affected?