Africa is vast, with 54 sovereign nations, all with different needs, expectations, and regulations, but even with the continent’s expansive geography, a region once associated with easy market access is now considered competitive for synthetic crop protection products.
Yann Miege, Head of Business Operations, MENA, WECA, and East Africa, for Bancella, a distribution and marketing company that services Africa and the Middle East, says, “When companies come to do business in the region, they are usually not expecting to find it so competitive. In the last 10 years, the market has increased. It’s really growing.”
Where the region does offer room for new products is the biologicals sector. As a main exporter to the European Union notorious for consumers’ demand for lower maximum residue levels, African growers are looking for biological solutions, especially in West Africa, which is a key trading partner to the European Union, with €68 billion in trade between the two regions in 2025, as reported by the European Commission at policy.trade.ec.europa.eu. The Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, and Ghana export more than 60% of the EU’s imports of cocoa and cocoa products.
In an interview with Philip Viljoen, Product Manager for Bancella, he had a few tips for doing business in Africa for biological companies bringing new products to the region.
Finding Your Partners
“If you do not have any experience in dealing with African markets and you want to enter it, then 98% of the time, if you go in alone and try to find the right person, you will end up finding the wrong person,” says Viljoen.
He advises two options. First, you can go to tradeshows, conduct online research, and then meet in person with people that have potential for partnerships. Option two would be to partner with an experienced distribution company to help your company make connections with reputable partners.
Reputation
“People’s reputation precedes them,” says Viljoen. “When spending time in the various countries, you’ll learn about who to watch out for.”
Viljoen says some initial questions to ask a potential partner are:
- Where do they come from? What did they previously do? Do they have a social media presence?
- How long have they been in the business? What companies’ products do they distribute? Then verify it.
- Are they members of CropLife?
Ask about their knowledge on the local market and where a product would fit as well as logistics. “In Africa, transport is not as predictable,” says Viljoen. “Border crossings can take days to weeks, instead of hours. The roads are not good. People will always take chances, and one must be aware of it.”
Other areas include making sure your potential partner has an understanding for what prices the markets can pay and how the farmers’ paying cycle works and their budgets per crop.
Intel about biologicals markets and diversifying portfolios is essential for companies wanting to stay current.
And, speaking of a great way for your company to get market intel on biological markets around the world, the AgriBusiness Global Trade Summit™, held in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., will be on 5-6 August 2026. I’ll be there this year and hope to meet you in person.
Until then, I hope you continue to pursue those new markets!
