Colombia’s industrial exports are reaching Africa

September 6, 2023

Africa is a significant market for Colombian industrial exports. Here are the 7 African countries that bought the most Colombian manufactured goods.

Colombia does not only sell coffee and flowers abroad. The country also has a wide range of industrial exports, which it sends to multiple destinations. African countries are among them.

In the last 10 years, from 2013 to 2022, industrial exports going to Africa have been worth USD $132 million a year on average, according to DANE figures.

On the occasion of the Africa Climate Summit taking place in Nairobi (Kenya), in which the Colombian Vice President, Francia Márquez, took part, we tell you which are the countries of that continent to which Colombian industrial exports reach the most.

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South Africa: main African destination for Colombian industrial exports

This African country leads the list. Between 2013 and 2022, it received 21% of all sales to that continent of manufactured products, as can be calculated from DANE figures.

The product that South Africa buys most from us is ferronickel. That item accounted for 42% of total industrial exports to this country between 2013 and 2022, according to DANE.

It is followed in importance by cokes and semi-cokes of hard coal, which have represented 22% in the same period. Prepared chocolate products are in third place, with a 7.4% share.

Gabon

The second country in Africa to which Colombian industrial exports go most is Gabon, a Central African country with a population of 2.5 million inhabitants. 10% of the manufacturing products that have gone to that continent between 2013 and 2022 have been destined for Gabon, according to DANE data.

Almost everything exported to that country (90%), in industrial matters, is coke and semi-coke of coal. It is followed by chocolates, candies and confectionery, which participated with 3.6% between 2013 and 2022, according to DANE, and then sweet cookies, with 3.5% of industrial exports to Gabon.

Ivory Coast

Ivory Coast is a West African country to which also went 10% of industrial exports between 2013 and 2022, according to DANE. But, unlike Gabon, 41% of the manufacturing production that came to Ivory Coast during those years was sugar.

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Machetes accounted for 16% of industrial exports to Côte d’Ivoire. In third place, and with a share of 13.8%, are chocolates, candies and confectionery. In fourth place are lifting appliances, including elevators, escalators and cable cars, which weighed in at 7.5%.

Egypt

To Egypt went 7.2% of total industrial exports to Africa between 2013 and 2022, according to DANE data. Most of those exports were boneless and frozen beef, including hindquarter cuts, forequarters and other cuts, which accounted for 57% of the total.

The second most important manufacturing product sold to Egypt between 2013 and 2022 was coffee derivatives, which accounted for 20% of total exports to Egypt. In third place, but far behind, are gelatins and their derivatives, with 3%. Chocolates, candies and confectionery accounted for 1.7% and none of the other products weighed in at 1%.

Nigeria

To this country 7% of all industrial products sold to Africa between 2013 and 2022 were shipped. The product that Nigeria buys most from us in this sector are chocolates, candies and confectionery, which accumulated 40% of what was exported to that country, according to DANE.

Drilling and boring machines accounted for 12% of industrial exports to Nigeria, sweet cookies contributed 8.3% and mechanical grinders 8%.

Morocco

Morocco accounted for 6% of industrial exports to Africa between 2013 and 2022. The most exported product was polyvinyl chloride, a plastic derivative with a lot of versatility, which weighed in at 29% of the manufactures shipped to this country.

Meanwhile, coffee products accounted for 21%, palm oil weighed 20%, pigments and chromium-based preparations 5.7% and chewing gum and chewing gum 5.2%, according to DANE.

Ghana

Ghana closes the top 7 of African countries to which Colombia sends industrial exports.

Diesel fuel accounts for 66% of the value sent between 2013 and 2022 to this country. It is followed in importance by machetes of base metals, with a weight of 18.8%; lifting machines, with 4.5%, and sweet cookies with 3.5%, according to DANE.