FOOD import in AFRICA

Africa's total food imports reached an estimated

$97 billion between 2021–2023, a figure projected to rise to $110 billion by 2025 by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank). Egypt is Africa's largest food importer, followed by Algeria, Morocco, and South Africa, importing products like cereals, oil seeds, sugar, and meat. Despite abundant natural resources, the continent faces growing dependency on imports, contributing to food insecurity and undermining domestic food production, which has grown at a slower rate than population. 

Key Figures and Trends

• Total Imports: An estimated $97 billion in 2021–2023, a nearly 19% increase from 2012–2014. 

• Projected Increase: Projections suggest this figure could reach $110 billion by 2025. 

• Major Importers: Egypt ($16.4 billion), Algeria ($9.98 billion), Morocco ($8.7 billion), and South Africa ($6 billion) are the leading food importers on the continent. 

  
  

Reasons for Dependency

• Underutilized Resources: Despite vast natural resources and fertile land, African nations have struggled to fully utilize them to meet domestic food needs.

• Slow Production Growth: Domestic food production has not kept pace with population growth, necessitating increased imports to meet consumption needs. 

• Food Insecurity: This dependency contributes to significant food insecurity and undernourishment across the continent. 

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Key Imported Products

• Cereals: A significant portion of the import bill consists of cereals. 

• Oilseeds, Sugar, and Meat: These are also major categories of food imports into Africa. 

• Dairy Products: Dairy is another important product in Africa's food import basket. 

  
  

Major Trade Partners

• For the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in 2022, key partners included the United Arab Emirates, Brazil, the United States, Saudi Arabia, and India.

• For Sub-Saharan Africa in 2022, primary import partners were South Africa, Brazil, India, France, and China.