Africa Plant Protein Ingredients - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts (2025 - 2030)

The F&B industry dominates, with strong demand for plant proteins from the meat alternative segment

• The F&B industry drives the African plant protein market. It accounted for the largest share in 2023, witnessing a growth of 6.27% by value from 2021 to 2023. The applications of plant proteins in meat alternatives are one of the primary F&B sub-segments, projected to register a CAGR of 4.23% between 2024 and 2029. Applications of plant protein ingredients are growing due to their immense functionalities, especially in the meat and meat alternatives segment. Product manufacturers are also expanding their regional offerings due to the changing consumer perceptions. For instance, the plant-based meat alternative brand Future Farm was launched in South Africa in 2021.
• The personal care and cosmetics segment is also projected to register a high CAGR of 4.35%, owing to expansive marketing campaigns and increasing distribution channels, especially in e-commerce for personal care products. Major international players in the beauty and cosmetics industry are maximizing the boom anticipated for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is viewed as the industry's "next frontier."Because of their capacity to bind water with the horny layer of skin and its annexes, plant proteins are considered beneficial components for fostering an environment favorable for healthy skin and hair.
• The animal feed segment grew by 4.79% in value terms from 2021 to 2023. Protein applications in the animal feed segment are driven by plant proteins, mainly soy and wheat proteins, due to their low cost-in-use, excellent digestibility, and neutral flavor profile. Plant proteins are also considered high in dietary fiber, which acts as a good source of diet for animals.

Rising demand for plant-based products and notable surge in the adoption of plant protein ingredients in Rest of Africa

• The African plant protein market is led by Nigeria, which is also projected to record the fastest CAGR of 5.97% by value during the forecast period. Despite the country's small vegetarian population, the industry is projected to expand due to the growing acceptance of veganism or vegetarianism. Four out of five Gen Z and millennials in Nigeria are highly likely to try plant-based proteins. Africa has historically been susceptible to food security disruptions and malnutrition, with plant-based protein solutions a potential source of increased food security.
• South Africa is another leading market, largely led by soy protein applications in animal feed. The comparatively bigger animal feed segment of the country, accounting for a 33.04% share of the overall African animal feed industry, has further catered to the growth of the South African market. Soy protein is commonly used in the animal feed segment due to its low cost and high protein content. The use of soy protein isolates in combination with high-quality carbohydrate feed such as whey powder to feed early-weaned piglets of different ages has achieved similar growth performance to skimmed milk powder.
• There is widespread consumer acceptability and significant demand for plant-based meat throughout Africa, especially in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa. About 1.82 million, 17 million, and 1.5 million people in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa suffer from severe malnutrition, respectively. Due to the significant prevalence of malnutrition, the plant-based protein market is likely to grow across the region in the future. Thus, the African market for plant proteins is anticipated to register a CAGR of 4.58% by value between 2024 and 2029.

Africa Plant Protein Ingredients Market Trends

Plant protein consumption to grow steadily, with countries like Kenya and Nigeria seeing more inclination toward plant-based food

• The graph depicts the per capita consumption of plant protein for the whole of Africa. Manufacturers in the region constantly embrace open innovation to gain cost leadership and fixed suppliers in the early development stage. Plant ingredients in sports nutrition products constitute the major share of the market by application, followed by animal feed. Changing consumer lifestyles and rising healthcare costs are playing a vital role in the growth of the plant protein market. Health expenditure in Sub-Saharan Africa rose by 29.98% in 2019. The market is expanding at an accelerated rate due to the retail industry's thriving growth. Increased consumer demand for clear labeling drives the need for plant proteins, which also offer ease of digestion, no allergens, and sustainability.
• The rising demand for plant-based proteins in the country has urged key market players to provide ingredients to cater to the rising demand. In countries like Kenya, nearly 80% of millennial consumers are likely to try a plant-based protein. In Nigeria, 76% of consumers lean toward plant-based food. The high level of acceptance of plant-based products provides an opportunity to minimize dependence on traditional meat, enhancing outcomes for public health, the environment, and animal welfare.
• To combat preventable conditions such as obesity, health awareness among consumers is becoming more widespread, and people are increasingly turning to plants. The region's demand for vegan and vegetarian food has increased due to consumers' growing awareness about the health benefits of consuming plant-based foods, leading to the establishment of food service outlets featuring vegan options. In 2020, South Africa saw a 71% spike in vegan takeaway orders, making it the continent's top seller.

Soy, wheat, and pea production contributes majorly as raw material for plant protein ingredients manufacturers

• The graph depicts the production of dry peas, rice, soybeans, and wheat for the whole of Africa. African producers supply less than 1% of the world's soybeans. South Africa, Nigeria, and Zambia are the top three soybean producers in Africa. Soybean production in South Africa increased from 742,000 tons in 2016 to 1,245,500 tons in 2020. Commercial soybean production on large farms takes place in Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. However, it is mostly cultivated by small-scale farmers in other parts of Africa, where it is planted as a minor food crop among sorghum, maize, or cassava.
• Nigeria's six-year production (2016-2021) of soybean average was 454,600 tons, which was 25% of the continent's production. Zambia's three-year average was 10.4 million bushels, which was around 10% of the continent's production. The other 21 countries, where data are available, produced 25% of Africa's total soybean production. The average national production was 4,026,969 bushels, and the smallest producer was Madagascar, whose three-year production average was 1,470 bushels.
• Traditionally, wheat was not the leading staple crop in Africa. It is becoming an important food crop because of rapid population growth associated with changes in food preference for easy and fast food, such as bread. Africa produced around 30.4 million metric tons of wheat in the trading year 2021, compared to 26.6 million metric tons in 2017. In 2013, total wheat consumption in Sub-Saharan Africa reached 25 million tons, with imports amounting to 17.5 million tons at USD 6 billion. During the same period, the region produced only 7.3 million tons on a total area of 2.9 million ha. The region's low productivity (2t/ha) is principally because of abiotic and biotic stresses.

Africa Plant Protein Ingredients Industry Overview

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