Where Is Coffee Grown in Africa? Coffee Producing Countries Explained

Coffee in Africa is a continent-wide story, not a single-country one. The International Coffee Organization puts the number of African coffee-producing countries at 25 — more than any other coffee-growing region on earth — and production stretches from the highlands of Ethiopia down through Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania to the forest zones of Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon. For anyone buying African beans at a U.S. roaster, that spread matters: the same continent delivers bright, fruity arabica and heavy, low-acid robusta, often within a few hundred miles of each other.

How Many Countries Grow Coffee in Africa?

Africa has 25 coffee-producing countries, according to the ICO, spanning sub-Saharan Africa with heavy concentrations in East Africa, West Africa, and parts of Central and Southern Africa. That count makes the continent the largest coffee-producing region by number of origin countries, even though it trails South America in total volume.

The named producers in current ICO and FAO lists include Ethiopia, Uganda, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, Guinea, Togo, Ghana, and Zambia. Production is not limited to those best-known exporters, either. Burundi, Congo DR, Gabon, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Malawi, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe all appear in ICO and FAO materials as coffee-growing countries. Some are tiny in volume and matter mostly in specialty markets; others are large, consistent exporters.

Which African Countries Produce the Most Coffee?

Ethiopia is the largest African coffee producer, followed by Uganda, according to a 2024 country production ranking. The ICO’s Africa sector overview notes that Ethiopia and Uganda have historically accounted for a large share of regional output, and that pattern holds today.

Behind those two, the ranking gets crowded: the Central African Republic, Guinea, Tanzania, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, Kenya, and Cameroon round out the top ten in that dataset. The mix is worth understanding, because volume leaders and reputation leaders are not always the same countries. Kenya, for example, ranks ninth in volume but carries outsized weight in the specialty market for its washed arabica.

Here’s how coffee type breaks down across the major origins, based on FAO’s country profiles and the ICO’s sector documents:

Is All African Coffee Arabica?

No — African coffee is a mix of arabica and robusta, and several major origins lean heavily robusta. West Africa in particular is a robusta stronghold, led by Côte d’Ivoire, while East Africa is better known for washed arabica with the floral, citrus, and berry notes U.S. specialty roasters prize.

The FAO profiles lay out exactly how mixed the continent is. Côte d’Ivoire is identified as robusta. Cameroon grows both robusta and arabica. Ethiopia and Kenya are arabica countries.

That mix explains the flavors on the shelf. A bag labeled Ethiopian or Kenyan will usually taste bright and complex; a Ugandan or Ivorian bean often lands heavier and lower in acidity, which is why robusta from these origins ends up in espresso blends and instant coffee. If you want to compare what’s actually worth buying from these countries, our roundup of the best African coffee beans to try breaks down the standout origins and roasts.

One clarification worth keeping straight: production volume and export reputation aren’t the same measure. The Central African Republic and Guinea rank high on volume lists yet barely register with U.S. specialty buyers, while Kenya and Rwanda punch far above their tonnage in the premium market. The ICO’s regional framing — 25 producing countries spread across the tropical coffee belt — is the accurate picture. The ICO’s Africa coffee sector overview documents that continental spread and the dominance of Ethiopia and Uganda within it.