Africa’s Food Market Between Imports and Industrial Growth - The African Economy Review 2025#51

Описание: Africa’s food economy is undergoing one of the most significant transformations in its modern history. By 2030, the continent’s agriculture and food market could reach a value of one trillion US dollars. But this growth is not simply the result of population increase. It reflects deeper structural changes driven by urbanisation, income growth, and shifting consumer behaviour across Africa’s cities.

Reporting from Nairobi, this podcast episode examines how urban households are redefining food demand. City consumers spend more on food, demand greater variety, and increasingly prioritise convenience, safety, and branding. Diets are shifting away from basic staples toward protein, fresh produce, and processed foods, turning Africa’s food market into a consumer-driven economy rather than a subsistence system.

Yet this demand collides with a persistent structural challenge. Africa remains heavily dependent on food imports, particularly cereals such as wheat, maize, and rice. This reliance exposes African economies to global price volatility, exchange rate pressures, and geopolitical disruptions. Food security, in this context, becomes a macroeconomic issue rather than a purely agricultural one.

The episode also uncovers a less visible reality. Intra-regional food trade, especially in West Africa, is far larger than official data suggests. Informal trade networks move billions of dollars’ worth of food each year, revealing a regional market that exists beyond formal systems. Nigeria plays a central role in these flows, acting as a gravitational centre for regional food demand.

Beyond farming and trade, the analysis explores foodservice, beverages, packaging, and consumer goods. From cloud kitchens and delivery platforms to premium snacks and packaging industries, value creation increasingly happens downstream, closer to the urban consumer.

This is not a story of scarcity. It is a story of strategic choice. Can Africa scale local value chains fast enough to meet its own demand, or will it remain a consumption market for global suppliers?

Listen to the full episode for an on-the-ground, data-driven perspective from Africa.

The African Economy Review brings you clear and data-driven insights into how Africa’s economies are transforming — from Nairobi to Lagos, Cairo to Cape Town.
Hosted by Gabriel Wekesa, this series explores the indicators, trends, and decisions shaping business and policy across the continent.

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Gabriel’s calm, fact-based storytelling helps audiences see the real meaning behind the data: the opportunities, challenges, and resilience driving Africa’s next chapter.

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📍Produced in Nairobi | Published by infobrokerworld.com

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