Low yields
African yields remain below 1.5 tonnes per hectare. Water stress, poorly adapted varieties and farming practices are the main causes.
Soy
Soy is gaining ground in Africa, driven by animal feed and crushing, yet yields remain low. Sankora helps buyers, plants and cooperatives build production that is more productive, better financed and compliant from the start.
Soy
An emerging crop with strong potential
Soy provides protein for food and feed, as well as oil and meal. It also fixes nitrogen in the soil, making it a good rotation crop.
Africa remains a small producer on a global scale: less than 1% of world volume over 2015 to 2017. South Africa and Nigeria dominate production on the continent.
In Côte d'Ivoire, the sector is taking shape. A new soybean crushing plant opened near Bouaké in October 2026, with an announced capacity of 70,000 tonnes a year.
< 1%of world production comes from AfricaSource: Engineering, soybean industry development in Africa (2025)
< 1.5 t/haaverage African yield in 2022/23, versus 3.3 t/ha in the United StatesSource: Engineering, soybean industry development in Africa (2025)
Where it is grown in Africa
Soy-producing countries in Africa
African production is concentrated in a few countries in Southern and West Africa. Rankings vary between sources and years.
South AfricaAfrica's largest producer, mechanised farming.
NigeriaAfrica's second producer, mostly smallholders.
ZambiaAfrica's third producer, growing output.
BeninWest African producer with fast-rising output.
GhanaProduction mainly in the north of the country.
UgandaSignificant East African producer.
MalawiSmallholder crop, rotated with maize.
The value chain's challenges
What is holding back soy in Africa
Seeds and inoculants
Many African soils lack the bacteria soy needs to fix nitrogen. Access to adapted varieties and properly stored inoculants is still limited.
Finance
Agricultural credit is hard for smallholders to obtain. Without a reliable track record, banks and microfinance institutions hesitate to lend.
Uncertain markets
Farmers hesitate to sow soy without a guaranteed buyer, and plants lack volume. The link between the two remains fragile.
Traceability from the start
Soy is covered by the EUDR. A sector being built today has every reason to geolocate its plots from the very first season.
What markets require
Steady volumes and quality suited to crushing and animal feed (moisture, impurities, protein), quality seed and, for export to Europe, EUDR compliance. Local plants above all want reliable supply.
How Sankora helps you
How Sankora can help improve the soy value chain
Technology does not solve everything. Here is what Sankora can practically put in place in this value chain, with simple, reliable tools, to know the field better, track actions and prove results.
Register farmers and fields before sowing
Each field is registered and checked at enrolment: the soy delivered to the plant is EUDR-compliant from the very first season.
Track seeds and inputs handed out
Seeds, inoculant and fertiliser given to each farmer are recorded. At harvest, they are matched with deliveries to see what worked.
Traced purchases and payments
Each delivery is weighed, linked to the farmer and paid in cash or by mobile money. Buyers know their volumes per area and farmers keep a record of their sales.