Africa’s pig industry: past and present status

Ayobami Olasupo
31-Mar-2025 (ago 3 days)

Historical background of pig introduction in Africa

The history of pig production in Africa is a tale that spans millennia, deeply intertwined with the continent’s cultural, economic, and agricultural evolution. Domestic pigs are not native to the African continent and were introduced into the continent through conscious and unconscious means.

The introduction of pigs in Africa captures five main historical occurrences and events:

Present status of Africa’s pig industry

1. Current statistics of pig production in Africa

Pig population in Africa

The total population of pigs in Africa is approximately 4.6% of total world population and in the table below we can see an account of the current distribution between countries with 1 million to 10 million pigs (FAOSTAT 2023)

Country Estimated pig population (million heads)
Nigeria 9.51
Malawi 8.07
Angola 3.55
Uganda 2.63
Mozambique 2.32
Cameroon 2.18
Burkina Faso 1.78
Madagascar 1.75
South Africa 1.32
Zambia 1.16
Central African Republic 1.07
DR Congo 1.01

Number of pigs in Africa, 2022

Pigmeat production in Africa

The pigmeat production record of Africa when compared to the pig population reflects the impacts of production systems in diverse regions.

Pigmeat production in Africa: Leading countries in pork production (FAOSTAT 2023)

Countries Estimated pigmeat production (tons)
Nigeria 363,123
South Africa 351,560
Malawi 344,550
Burkina Faso 224,127
Angola 169,196
Mozambique 136,637
Uganda 128,310
Cameroon 48,560
Tanzania 44,420
Ghana 28,820
DR Congo 27,416
Madagascar 26,500
Zambia 24,249
Kenya 20,460
Senegal 19,798
Central African Republic 19,471
Togo 17,154

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The emergence of South Africa as the second highest pork producer in Africa (despite the low population of pigs in the region) is because of the high level of intensive pig production system and the use of quality genetics in the region.

Pig population chart showing growth trend in Nigeria, Malawi, and South Africa from 1961 to 2022. Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2023)

Pigmeat chart showing growth trend in Nigeria, Malawi, and South Africa from 1961 to 2022

2. Swine production systems in Africa

The current systems of swine production in the continent of Africa can be classified into the following:

3. Challenges of Africa’s pig industry

The pig industry in Africa holds great potential as a key driver for food security, income generation, and rural development. However, it faces several challenges that hinder its growth and sustainability. These challenges include:

The pig industry in Africa holds substantial prospects and potential for growth and development. By addressing existing challenges and leveraging opportunities in domestic and export markets, technological advancements, investment, sustainable practices, and supportive policies, the industry can achieve significant improvements in productivity, profitability, and sustainability.

With over 1.4 billion people and projected growth to nearly 2.5 billion by 2050, the demand for animal protein, including pork is steadily rising in Africa. All these improvements will provide great opportunities for the swine industry in Africa.