Jiragen sama sun karu a Afirka saboda, a kasashe da yawa, hanyoyin sadarwa na hanya da na dogo ba su da kyau saboda matsalolin kudi, ƙasa, da lokutan ruwan sama. Ben R. Guttery, marubucin Encyclopedia of African Airlines, ya ce "Ko da yake yawancin masu jigilar ba su taɓa zama babba bisa ka'idodin Turai ko Amurka ba, sun yi tasiri sosai ga tattalin arziki da mutane". Yawancin manyan kamfanonin jiragen sama na Afirka mallakar gwamnatocin ƙasa ne ko kuma gaba ɗaya. Wasu kamfanonin jiragen sama na Afirka sun kasance ko a baya suna da kamfanonin jiragen saman Turai a matsayin manyan masu hannun jari, kamar KLM wanda ke da kashi 7.8% a Kenya Airways da British Airways wanda a baya yana da kashi 18% a Comair.