The African continent is home to significant cotton production, with countries such as Benin, Burkina Faso, and Mali shipping raw fibre to spinning mills in Bangladesh, garment factories in Asia, and European and North American fashion houses. However, Africa remains a minor player in the global textile and apparel industry, with most of its cotton being exported as raw fibre rather than being processed domestically. This imbalance has attracted attention, with efforts underway to expand cotton production and develop a larger textile and apparel industry.
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) provides a framework for a single continental market of 1.4 billion people, and global fashion companies are increasingly looking to diversify their sourcing beyond established Asian manufacturing centres. The International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) forecasts global cotton production of around 26 million tonnes of lint in the 2025-26 season, with Africa's collective output being much smaller. However, Africa's role in global trade is significant, with many of its major cotton-producing countries exporting most of the lint they produce rather than processing it domestically.
The continent's leading producers are in West and Central Africa, with Mali and Benin neck-and-neck as Africa's leading cotton producers, each with expected output of around 261,000 tonnes of lint in 2025-26. Cameroon, Burkina Faso, and Côte d'Ivoire are also significant producers, with Tanzania, Nigeria, Egypt, and Zimbabwe producing considerably less. Egypt occupies a particularly important position due to the excellent international reputation of its long-staple cotton, while Ethiopia has ambitions to expand both cotton production and textile manufacturing.
Rather than treating Africa as a single cotton market, it is more useful to see it as a collection of regional production systems. Cotton is not only important for generating foreign exchange export revenues but also provides rural employment and government revenue, supporting a supply chain encompassing seed and fertiliser producers, logistics companies, ginners, traders, and financial institutions. In 2003, Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, and Mali formed the Cotton-4 coalition to campaign for a fairer global trading environment and oppose subsidies given to cotton farmers in wealthy nations.
Africa's position remains weak due to its reliance on exporting raw cotton, with much of it leaving the continent before passing through the most valuable stages of the supply chain. The greatest concentration of textile and garment manufacturing activities remains in Asia, where manufacturers benefit from established industrial clusters, reliable infrastructure, and economies of scale. African producers are largely restricted to the early stages of the supply chain, capturing relatively little of the value created in the latter stages.
Benin provides a clear case study of both the opportunities and challenges on offer. The country exported $500.9 million of uncombed cotton in 2024, with $480.4 million going to Bangladesh. To reduce dependence on raw cotton exports, the government of Benin is promoting the creation of a domestic 'farm-to-fashion' value chain, including at the Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone (GDIZ). The big test will be whether such facilities can attract international buyers and remain competitive against established Asian manufacturing centres.
The continent therefore needs reliable power supplies, as well as efforts to increase yields, improve seed quality, and strengthen support for farmers. Building supply chains and promoting domestic textile and garment manufacturing will be crucial to Africa's success in the global cotton-based market. With the right strategies and investments, African countries can turn cotton fibre into fashion and capture a larger share of the billion-dollar industry.
Key points
- Africa's cotton production has significant potential for growth and development.
- The continent needs to build supply chains and promote domestic textile and garment manufacturing.
- Reliable power supplies are crucial for Africa's success in the global cotton-based market.
