Africa supplies ~70% of the world's cocoa and a third of its specialty coffee. This guide covers the trade map: top supplier countries, quality grades, AfCFTA duty preference, typical lead times, and how to verify suppliers before paying.
Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana account for ~60% of global cocoa, followed by Cameroon, Nigeria, Togo. Premium fine-flavor cocoa: Madagascar, São Tomé, DRC.
Ethiopia (origin of arabica), Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania for arabica. Robusta: Uganda, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon. Specialty grade increasingly from Burundi, Rwanda.
Grade 1 cocoa: <3% defects, fermented 6+ days. Specialty coffee: SCA score 80+. Common certs: Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, organic, UTZ.
Cocoa MOQ: 1-25 MT bags. Lead time origin-port: 14-28 days. Coffee MOQ: 60kg-300kg green; lead time 21-35 days door-to-door for sea freight.
Yes — intra-African processed cocoa (powder, butter) qualifies for AfCFTA preferential rates when rules of origin are met.