African imports of Brazilian chicken surpass 1 million tonnes in 2025

AFRICA – African countries imported 1,163,000 tonnes of chicken meat from Brazil in 2025, according to the 2026 annual report from the Brazilian Animal Protein Association, marking a 20.3% increase from the previous year and the first time volumes have crossed the one million tonne level.

The continent accounted for about 15% of global chicken meat imports, ranking fourth worldwide behind Asia, Europe, and the Americas, with demand spread across key markets in West, North, and Southern Africa.

Brazil expanded its poultry reach to 45 African countries in 2025, up from 44 the year before, as new market access and stronger trade links supported higher shipment volumes across the region.

Import levels have climbed steadily over the past five years, rising from 662,323 tonnes in 2021 to 721,756 tonnes in 2022, 816,611 tonnes in 2023, and 965,699 tonnes in 2024, representing a cumulative increase of 75.67% and average annual growth of 15.11%.

South Africa remained the largest importer with 336,000 tonnes in 2025, followed by Angola at 106,346 tonnes, Ghana at 94,952 tonnes, Libya at 74,965 tonnes, and Guinea at 72,643 tonnes, which together accounted for about 60% of total African imports.

The ranking shifted compared with 2024, when Libya held a higher position, while Guinea entered the top five for the first time, replacing the Republic of Congo in the list of leading buyers.

Overall, Africa increased its share of Brazil’s poultry exports to 22.49% in 2025 from 18.78% in 2024, making it the third largest destination market after Asia and the Middle East and the fastest-growing region for Brazilian exporters.

The rising import volumes continue to reflect strong demand for affordable poultry meat across African markets, even as several governments push to expand local production and reduce reliance on external suppliers.

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