Agro-processing lines in Africa, scenario by scenario: milling, oil, feed, cassava and the tier that fits each market
TL;DR: Agro-processing is the largest family of enquiries we receive from Africa, and the crop supply decides the tier before the machine does. A first maize mill is 30 tonnes a day at US$250–400k, sized on the meal you can sell per month; Zambia, Malawi, Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Mozambique ask this most. A 20 tonne-per-day sunflower line at US$150–400k is the Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe row. A one-tonne-a-day garri plant at US$17–30k FOB is the Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire entry; palm oil single machines from US$950 rise to 1–5 tonne-per-hour plants at US$100–390k in Nigeria and Ghana. Feed pellet lines at US$60–150k landed fit Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Malawi and Botswana. The conditions are the same everywhere: crop supply and the working capital in it, power for motor-heavy plant, fortification and food rules, and a by-product with a buyer.
The conditions that apply in every market
| Condition | What it means for an agro-processing line | What to have in hand |
|---|---|---|
| Crop supply and working capital | A mill, press or garri plant runs on the crop you can buy and store; the working capital in stock can rival the equipment and is the number first-time processors forget | Supply contracts or own-farm tonnage; storage for one to eight weeks by tier; a working-capital line |
| Fortification and food rules | Several markets require fortification of maize meal and wheat flour, and every food product is registered with the national standards or food authority | Fortificant dosing in the mill scope; the registration route on the country page |
| Power | Mills, presses and pellet presses are motor-heavy: a 30 t/day maize mill is roughly 80–140 kW installed; in markets with scheduled interruptions the generator is part of the line | OEM installed-load list; backup sized with the power guide |
| By-products and effluent | Bran, oilcake, pellet fines and cassava peel are products with buyers; refining and washing effluent need a permitted route | By-product off-take priced into the model; effluent route agreed locally |
| Landed factor | Equipment bands are the same everywhere; coastal markets land at 1.25–1.45 times equipment, landlocked ones at 1.45–1.60 | Port and route from the country-by-line map |
Scenario 1: a first maize mill
Thirty tonnes a day at US$250–400k in mill and packaging equipment, for up to about 700 tonnes of meal a month that you can actually sell. Oversizing is the most expensive mistake in this family and the reason a 60-tonne mill runs two days a week. Maize milling machine prices carries the three tiers; starting a mealie meal business in Zambia walks through the first mill in that market.
Scenario 2: a regional 60 tonne-per-day mill
Two to three shifts, a branded product, two to four weeks of grain buffer and a team of eight to fourteen, at US$700k–1.1M. Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda, Malawi and Kenya carry this row on their country pages; it is a different business, not a bigger mill.
Scenario 3: sunflower and seed oil pressing
A 20 tonne-per-day seed line at US$150–400k, 50 tonnes a day with refining at US$400–900k, 100 tonnes a day at US$700k–1.5M and above; the screw press under US$10k produces crude oil only and is a machine, not a line. Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Senegal and Ethiopia ask this most. Oil press machine prices sets out the tiers and the seed yield arithmetic.
Scenario 4: palm oil in West Africa
Single machines from US$950, one to five tonne-per-hour complete plants at US$100–390k by capacity and scope, and industrial mills at ten tonnes an hour from US$1.7M. Nigeria and Ghana are the markets, and the fruit-bunch supply radius decides the plant. Palm oil machine prices covers the tiers.
Scenario 5: cassava, garri and attiéké
A one tonne-per-day complete garri plant at US$17–30k FOB, mid-size commercial sets at US$15–50k, larger capacity at US$100–270k with about US$180k at the one tonne-per-hour class. Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire and Nigeria are the markets; root supply radius and drying energy decide the business. Garri processing machine prices and starting a cassava business in Ghana cover it.
Scenario 6: animal feed pellets
One to three tonnes an hour at US$60–150k landed and commissioned, three to ten tonnes an hour at US$250–900k, industrial plants from about US$1.5M. Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Malawi and Botswana carry the small line on their pages; formulation and raw-material supply decide whether it pays. Feed pellet machine prices gives the tiers.
Scenario 7: cold chain for a packhouse or processor
Chiller rooms at US$15–38k installed and blast freezers from US$60k, sized on throughput and dwell time, are what make a packhouse saleable to a retail or export buyer. Cold room prices covers the sizing and the power.
Scenario 8: recovering an idle mill or press
Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique have mills and presses standing idle; recovery at US$60–250k or a used-equipment solution at 40–60% of new is the first question before a new plant is priced. New, used or recover sets out the ladder.
The map on one table
| Scenario | Realistic tier | 2026 band (USD) | Fits best in | Prices it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First maize mill | 30 t/day mill + packaging | 250–400k | Zambia, Malawi, Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Kenya, Angola | Maize mill prices |
| Regional mill | 60 t/day, 2–3 shifts | 700k–1.1M | Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda, Malawi, Kenya | Maize mill prices |
| Seed oil pressing | 20 t/day seed | 150–400k; 50 t/day with refining 400–900k | Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Senegal, Ethiopia | Oil press prices |
| Palm oil | 1–5 t/h plant | 100–390k; single machines from 950; industrial from 1.7M | Nigeria, Ghana | Palm oil machine prices |
| Cassava, garri, attiéké | 1 t/day complete plant | 17–30k FOB; larger 100–270k | Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria | Garri machine prices |
| Feed pellets | 1–3 t/h | 60–150k landed; 3–10 t/h 250–900k | Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Malawi, Botswana | Feed pellet prices |
| Packhouse cold chain | Chiller room; blast freezer if frozen | 15–38k installed; blast from 60k | Kenya, Namibia, every exporter | Cold room prices |
| Recover an idle mill or press | Retrofit or used equipment first | 60–250k; used 40–60% of new | Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique | New, used or recover |
Bands are indicative USD, 2026, on the basis stated in each row; they are the same bands our price guides and country pages publish. Machinery is priced in US dollars and the local-currency cost moves with the exchange rate.
What a CISH project includes
The same scope in every market: a feasibility call that starts from the crop you can buy and the product you can sell, a written USD budget for the whole project including storage and power, a plant commissioned to an agreed output on your crop, operators trained during run-up, and documentation handed over.
Common questions
What size maize mill should a first-time miller buy in Africa?
The mill that matches the meal you can sell per month through channels you can name, which for most first-time millers is 30 t/day at US$250–400k in mill and packaging equipment. A 60-tonne mill bought for growth runs two days a week and carries fixed costs for years.
Is a cheap oil press a real business?
A screw press under US$10k produces crude oil only and suits own use or a very local market. A 20 t/day line at US$150–400k presses and filters at a scale that supports a brand; refining at 50 t/day and above is a further step.
What does a cassava or garri plant cost?
A one tonne-per-day complete garri plant is US$17–30k FOB; mid-size commercial sets US$15–50k; larger capacity US$100–270k, with about US$180k at the one tonne-per-hour class. Root supply radius and drying energy decide the business.
Why is the landed factor higher in Uganda than in Kenya?
Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Botswana are served through a neighbour's port, so the landed-and-installed factor is 1.45–1.60 times the equipment price against 1.25–1.45 in a coastal market like Kenya or Tanzania.
Which row are you?
Bring the crop, the market and the product you can sell to a free feasibility call. We will confirm the tier and price the whole project in USD.