Africa’s Dairy industry at a turning point: Innovation, integration, and food security into the future

KENYA – Africa’s dairy industry sits at a critical turning point, with rising demand for milk and dairy products driven by population growth and urbanization, but persistent structural challenges holding back supply.

At the CEOs Roundtable during the Africa Dairy Innovations Summit, Denis Chitowe of Mzuzu Dairy in Malawi, Kenneth Gitonga of Meru Central Dairy Cooperative in Kenya, Mercy Ndoro of Dairibord Holdings in Zimbabwe, Micheline of La Fromagerie in Rwanda, and Hassan Sheikh of Bakhresa Food Products in Tanzania, focused on how Africa can boost milk production, strengthen food security, modernize processing and packaging, and expand trade into 2030 and beyond.

Denis Chitowe emphasized the critical issue of cold chain management in Malawi, where rural farmers without access to electricity lose much of their milk to spoilage.

He explained that before processors entered the market, up to 70% of milk in regions was wasted.

His company is piloting solar-powered portable cooler boxes to preserve milk at the farm level, alongside innovations such as fortified yogurt made with orange-fleshed sweet potato flour to combat malnutrition and reduce production costs.

He stressed that tackling feed quality and farmer knowledge gaps is just as important as solving cold chain inefficiencies.

Kenneth Gitonga offered Kenya’s perspective, noting that despite having strong breeds like Holsteins and Ayrshires, average milk yields remain low due to poor feeding practices and lack of preservation.

He argued that climate change should not be used as an excuse, pointing to countries like Israel that thrive in arid conditions.

His cooperative has grown production from 10,000 liters per day to nearly 700,000 liters, showing what is possible when the dairy value chain is treated as a business.

He also highlighted Kenya’s unique consumption habits, where most milk is used for tea rather than cheese or direct drinking, and explained how innovations in packaging and efficiency helped Meru Cooperative achieve ISO 22,000 certification, positioning them for exports.

From Zimbabwe, Mercy Ndoro described the country’s dramatic decline in milk production from 256 million liters at its peak to just 37 million liters in 2009, before recovering to 121 million liters in 2025.

Yet demand remains at 190 million liters, leaving a significant gap filled by imports from Europe, New Zealand, and increasingly Uganda.

She stressed the need to raise productivity per cow, reduce high production costs, and modernize production systems to remain competitive under the African Continental Free Trade Area.

Her company has innovated with milk-based beverages blended with local fruits, such as baobab, which won international recognition for addressing consumer demand for wellness and affordability.

Micheline of La Fromagerie in Rwanda explained her company’s strategy of producing premium cheeses for high-end markets, targeting hotels, restaurants, and middle- to high-income consumers.

While the costs of producing quality cheese remain high due to imported ferments and packaging, she emphasized that their positioning below imported products but above mainstream varieties allows them to carve out a niche.

La Fromagerie has already expanded exports to nearby markets like the DRC and Uganda, with ambitions to enter Kenya.

Hassan Sheikh of Bakhresa Food Products in Tanzania shared how his company reduced costs by sourcing packaging materials and spoons locally instead of importing, saving millions annually.

He also highlighted the benefits of sourcing milk powders from Kenya, Rwanda, and Egypt rather than Europe, thanks to regional trade frameworks that lower costs and shorten lead times.

His company now exports ice cream to nine African countries, though he noted that cold chain infrastructure remains the biggest barrier to expansion.

Across the panel, there was consensus that Africa’s dairy industry has immense untapped potential.

The demand is clear. The CEOs agreed that innovation—whether in fortified products, eco-friendly packaging, or localised supply chains—will be key to building resilience and competitiveness.

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