Africa’s poultry sector is shifting from import dependence to coordinated, policy-driven domestic production, with countries aligning finance, skills and regional partnerships to scale output.
Gabon is moving fast to ban chicken imports by 2027, turning to Senegal, Africa’s long-standing poultry success story, for guidance. According to sector analysts, what is emerging is not isolated reform but a continent-wide recalibration of poultry as a strategic industry tied to food security, jobs, and industrial growth.
“The poultry industry is becoming central to how African countries think about food security and economic resilience,” according to Daniel Njiwa, director of inclusive markets, trade, and finance at Agra, pointing to the growing alignment between production and market systems.
Gabon, the latest case, is seeking to replace frozen imports with locally produced chicken and retain value within the economy, a shift that reflects a broader continental repositioning of poultry value chains.
Gabon imports about 85 000 tonnes of chicken annually while producing just over 4 000 tonnes locally, according to trade and industry data. To close this gap, the government has launched a $12-million credit fund for agriculture and poultry projects through the Bank for Commerce and Entrepreneurship.
Momentum is further building through major industrial partnerships. In October 2025, Gabon signed an $83-million agreement with Algeria’s Groupe Graine International to develop seven breeding farms, a hatchery, and an industrial slaughterhouse expected to produce over 72 000 tonnes of chicken annually by 2027. Earlier in the month, a partnership with Turkish firm Hakan Kiran was finalised to establish a new broiler facility and modern feed mill.
Senegal provides the model behind this transition. After banning poultry imports in 2005, the country tripled domestic production over 15 years,
building capacity across hatcheries, feed systems, and disease control.
Broiler chick production rose by 40.47% between 2015 and 2019 to reach 51.4 million units, while laying hen numbers increased by 13.48% to 3.4 million birds, according to the Agricultural and Rural Foresight Initiative.
Feed production linked to the poultry sector also expanded, rising by 17.62% over the same period to 328 000 tonnes. Over the longer term, Senegal’s chicken meat output grew from 29 042 tonnes in 2005 to 159 502 tonnes in 2024.
Across Africa, governments are treating poultry as a strategic sector in the continent’s quest for food security. South Africa and Egypt operate industrial-scale, highly efficient sectors that provide benchmarks.
Wandile Sihlobo, chief economist of the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa, said, “The poultry industry has been a central focus of South
Africa’s trade discussions for over a decade.
“The debate has primarily centred on balancing imports and policy space to cushion the domestic industry in its efforts to expand.”
According to the 2025 BFAP competitiveness benchmark report, South Africa now ranks second worldwide in poultry competitiveness, surpassing the US and trailing only Brazil.
Feed conversion efficiency has improved by 14.1% over the past decade, with South African producers achieving the shortest production cycle of 31.5 days and higher carcass weights. These gains have helped offset rising feed costs, energy challenges, and disease outbreaks.
Izaak Breitenbach, CEO of the South African Poultry Association, notes, “Despite numerous challenges, our industry has demonstrated remarkable resilience and innovation.”
Despite this, imports remain significant, projected at 270 000 tonnes in 2026, highlighting the gap between demand and domestic supply. – Bird Story Agency
