Military Africa recently posted the "Africa Drone Procurement Report 2026." The dataset comprises 234 procurement records across 34 African nations from at least 21 supplier countries spanning 1980 to 2026. During this period, it identified 1,959 drone units obtained by African countries. From 2020 to 2026, African countries procured 1,054 drone units or 53 percent of the total since 1980.
China was the leading supplier at 587 drones or just under 30 percent of the total procured in Africa. Its Wing Loong armed drones and Rainbow CH series drones went primarily to Egypt (126 units), Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army (80), Nigeria (72), Ethiopia (57), and Algeria (49). Chinese drones appeared extensively in active combat zones (Libya, Ethiopia, and Sudan). They are particularly favored for their low cost, availability, and lack of human rights conditionality.
The next most important suppliers after China are Israel (325 drones), Türkiye (291), US (247), and locally manufactured (216). Iran and Russia supply drones to active conflict-zone actors through more opaque channels. Israeli drones have gone primarily to Morocco, with smaller numbers to Ethiopia, Uganda, Zambia, and Libya's Government of National Unity.
