Halal product market and consumers set to grow in West Africa
Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire (PANA) - While the African halal market is estimated at over $150 billion. In the Coastal West Africa Region, Côte d'Ivoire's halal food and agricultural products market is similarly growing.
It shows promise thanks to the increasing number of halal product consumers in the country and in the region, according to an overview report on livestock and products by the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the US Department of Agriculture.
“Even though halal certification is not currently required by the national government and its regulatory agencies, Ivorian Muslim organisations and third-country certifiers are actively strengthening capabilities and promoting certification,” the report said.
With a large, growing Muslim community already present, the Ivorian halal marketplace is set to further expand over the next couple of years.
This offers U.S. exporters of halal certified food and agricultural products willing to service this market good potential, as well as serves as the commercial and trade gateway to francophone West Africa which is largely Muslim.
In disclaimer, the report said the information was derived from multiple governmental and non-governmental sources and elaborated that the USDA and/or the U.S. government make no claim of accuracy or authenticity.
“Neither the Government of Côte d’Ivoire, nor that of Ghana and or any of those of the states mentioned herein, are officially endorsing this report. Import approval for any product is subject to local rules and regulations as interpreted by government officials at the time of product entry,” the report pointed out.
Under Islamic law, halal (an Arabic word that translates to permissible” in English) is a term that designates an object the use of which is permitted or an action that is sanctioned. In the Koran, the word halal is contrasted with the word haram (meaning “forbidden” or proscribed by Islamic law). Certain products must be certified by an approved authority to be considered halal, based upon the content and/or process-based requirements.
Côte d’Ivoire’s total population is estimated at 29.9 million, growing at roughly 2.13 percent per annum. According to the Ivorian national census of 2021, the country’s population already exceeds 29.4 million, of which 42.5 percent are Muslims, followed by 39.8 percent which are Christians of various denominations.
FAS Abidjan finds that Côte d’Ivoire offers potential opportunities for U.S.-origin halal food manufacturers and exporters of halal-certified food and agricultural products. While the concept of halal is often associated with food products, it is also applicable to all kinds of consumer goods and services.
Africa’s halal market is large, estimated at over $150 billion. In the Coastal West Africa region, Côte d’Ivoire’s halal food and agricultural products market coming in at $214.5 million shows promise, thanks to the growing number of halal consumers in the country and in the surrounding region.
Côte d’Ivoire witnessed gross domestic product (GDP) growth in 2024 of approximately 7 percent. Its GDP growth is foreseen to remain strong, averaging 6.9 percent a year in 2025-29. The local cuisine is characterised by the combination of fresh ingredients, along with bold spices and variety of meats and vegetable combinations.
Ivorian consumers are free to select their product choices according to their specific tastes, beliefs, and life-style principles and preferences. However, while availability of halal foods is limited, they do exist in the marketplace; and the number of these halal-labelled foods is growing.
Food products in Côte d’Ivoire may not necessarily be labelled halal, since these may at times contain non-halal ingredients such as pork or alcohol or suspect ingredients.
Halal certification is organised and managed by various Ivorian Muslim associations, organisations, and communities. These often share linkages to other Islamic entities and bodies overseas, as well as third country certifiers. Côte d’Ivoire’s halal at first blush appears limited in scope, but it is nonetheless slowly expanding thanks to the efforts of local Muslim businessmen and the activities of Islamic organisations.
Besides the presence of Ivorian Muslims, the Lebanese diaspora resident in Côte d’Ivoire is one of the largest, and oldest, on the African continent; reportedly numbering between 80,000 to
100,000 (upper estimate 300,000), of which a large proportion is primarily Muslim-Shia and concentrated in Abidjan (over 75 percent), Bouaké, Yamoussoukro, and San Pédro.
Retail outlets do not normally have specialized halal departments or dedicated space. Ivorian Muslims tend oftentimes to be more price sensitive than necessarily strictly observant when it comes to their product buying/ consumption choices.
Finding halal labelled food in Côte d’Ivoire can have its challenges, especially outside of the major cities and towns. However, restaurants and markets in Abidjan and in the other major urban areas do offer
halal options. It is easy enough to inquire from the locals about halal stores and restaurants or even engage in internet-based searches.
Côte d’Ivoire’s organised halal food market is relatively of recent origin, but growing due to increased consumer-awareness, the presence of Muslim organizations; and consumers perceiving deriving health benefits from the consumption of halal meat and meat products over non-halal meat.
The halal market is set to grow as there is a trend among even some non-Muslims becoming halal product consumers. Halal certification is available for a wide range of products in Côte d’Ivoire, including food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.
In November 2024, Côte d’Ivoire held its first halal-themed trade show, the Halal Expo West Africa. The trade show dealt with halal certification issues in West Africa, including training sessions for students to encourage them to pursue halal entrepreneurship.
Pricing for locally halal certified products do not factor in halal certification costs. Fresh beef halal certified, or not, sells at the same price, there is no pricing distinction being made between the two.
However, imported halal certified beef and beef products do factor in the cost of certification into product pricing.
-0- PANA AR/MA 5March2025
