Côte d’Ivoire leads sub-Saharan Africa in wine imports
Côte d’Ivoire emerged as the largest importer of wine in sub-Saharan Africa in 2023, with imports valued at $64.1 million, surpassing South Africa ($54.3 million), Namibia ($40 million), and Kenya ($23.9 million).
The nation’s dependency on imported wines follows from limited local production due to its unsuitable climate for viticulture, a voluntary report by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) stated.
As a result, almost all wine consumed domestically is imported, including bulk shipments of lower-quality wines for local bottling.
Most Ivorian wine consumers are concentrated in the forested south, especially around coastal cities, where a thriving marketplace has supported consistent demand. However, in 2024, Côte d’Ivoire's wine imports dropped by 23%, with imports totalling $26.4 million by July.
Economic pressures, including global inflation, currency fluctuation, rising commodity and fuel prices, and lingering effects from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, have contributed to shrinking consumer budgets, reducing demand for imported wines.
The report further indicated that, across sub-Saharan Africa, only 17 countries, including Côte d’Ivoire, South Africa, and Kenya, report national customs data on wine imports. Together, these countries imported a combined $295.7 million in wine in 2023.
