Plastics and packaging lines in Africa, scenario by scenario: injection, bags, pipe, recycling, paper and the tier that fits each market
TL;DR: Plastics is Nigeria's largest production-line enquiry and a growing one in Ghana, Kenya and Rwanda, and in most of the seven scenarios the mould, the die or the material supply costs as much as the machine. A first injection shop is a 150–300 tonne machine at US$30–75k plus moulds that can equal it; crates and pallets move you to 400–500 tonnes from US$100k. A bag-making shop starts at US$8k and reaches US$40k with servo control; a pipe line runs from US$20k for single-screw to US$200k and above for multi-layer. A PET recycling wash line is US$120–350k and lives or dies on bale supply. Toilet paper converting starts at US$10k and egg-tray forming at US$8k. The conditions are the same everywhere: kilowatts and cooling for the machine, mould and die supply, resin priced in dollars, and packaging rules that are tightening across the continent.
The conditions that apply in every market
| Condition | What it means for a plastics or paper line | What to have in hand |
|---|---|---|
| Power and cooling | Injection, blow moulding and extrusion are kilowatt-heavy; servo drives cut consumption, and every machine needs chilled water sized to the cycle. In markets with scheduled interruptions the generator is part of the shop | Installed load per machine, chiller sizing, backup sized with the power guide |
| Moulds and dies | The mould is the product; it often costs as much as the machine and decides cycle time and quality | Mould or die quotes alongside the machine quote; a mould maintenance plan |
| Material supply | Virgin resin is imported and priced in dollars; recycled flake and bale supply is local and variable; both decide the margin more than the machine does | Resin or bale supply agreements and a working-capital line for stock |
| Packaging rules | Several markets restrict thin bags or require producer registration for packaging; the rule decides which bag machine and which film to buy | The current rule on the country page before the machine is specified |
| 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 injection moulding shop
A 150–300 tonne machine at US$30–75k, servo control adding 10–15%, with auxiliaries, a chiller and the first moulds on top. Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya ask this most, and the mould budget is the line most often missing. Injection moulding machine prices in Africa matches parts to tonnage and prices the auxiliaries.
Scenario 2: crates, pallets and large parts
Crates, pallets and large housings need 400–500 tonne machines from US$100k and above, larger moulds and heavier cooling; the tonnage guide sets out the step and what changes in the shop when the machine gets heavier.
Scenario 3: PET preforms and bottles for a water plant
A preform operation is an injection machine at US$30–75k plus a preform mould set that is often the same size of investment, and a blow moulder to turn preforms into bottles; we do not publish a stand-alone preform band because the mould decides the number. It pairs with the bottling scenario on the food and beverage map.
Scenario 4: a bag-making shop
Basic bag-making machines start at US$8k and reach US$40k and above with full servo control; film supply, printing and the bag rule in force in the market decide the business. Plastic recycling and bag machine prices gives the tiers.
Scenario 5: pipe and profile extrusion
A single-screw pipe line starts at US$20k; multi-layer co-extrusion runs to US$200k and above, and the die set and the downstream haul-off and cutter decide the output as much as the extruder. Pipe carries a product standard the buyer will test against, and the line must be specified to make it.
Scenario 6: PET and film recycling
A PET recycling wash line is US$120–350k across the 300–1,000 kg per hour range, and the plant is a bale-supply business first: without collection contracts the line starves. Nigeria, Ghana and Rwanda carry this row; wash water and effluent need a permitted route. The recycling and bag guide covers the wash line, pelletising and film options.
Scenario 7: toilet paper converting and egg trays
A converting line, buying jumbo rolls and producing finished rolls, starts at US$10k and reaches the industrial class fully automatic; egg-tray forming machines from US$8k in the 1,000–3,000 pieces per hour class. Making the paper itself is a mill investment and the guide draws that boundary. Toilet paper and egg tray machine prices covers both.
The map on one table
| Scenario | Realistic tier | 2026 band (USD) | Fits best in | Prices it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First injection shop | 150–300 t machine | 30–75k; servo +10–15%; moulds extra | Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania | Injection machine prices |
| Crates and pallets | 400–500 t machine | From 100k | Nigeria, Kenya, larger urban markets | Injection machine prices |
| PET preforms and bottles | Injection machine + preform mould + blow moulder | 30–75k machine; mould often equal | Every market with a water plant | Food and beverage map |
| Bag-making shop | Basic to servo bag machine | 8k to 40k+ | Markets where the bag rule allows the product | Recycling and bag prices |
| Pipe and profile extrusion | Single-screw to multi-layer | 20k to 200k+ | Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania | Recycling and bag prices |
| PET and film recycling | Wash line 300–1,000 kg/h | 120–350k | Nigeria, Ghana, Rwanda | Recycling and bag prices |
| Toilet paper converting and egg trays | Converting line; forming machine | From 10k; egg tray from 8k | Every market with jumbo-roll or waste-paper supply | Paper machine prices |
Bands are indicative equipment capex in USD, 2026, ex-China; 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 part or the pack, a written USD budget for the whole project including moulds, cooling and material stock, a line commissioned to an agreed output on your material and moulds, operators trained during run-up, and documentation handed over.
Common questions
How much does an injection moulding business cost to start in Africa?
A 150–300 tonne machine is US$30–75k with servo control adding 10–15%; add a chiller, a dryer and the first moulds, which can equal the machine, and a first shop lands at roughly double the machine price before the building.
Is plastic recycling a good business in Africa?
The PET wash line is affordable at US$120–350k for 300–1,000 kg/h; the business is bale supply. Recyclers who succeed in Nigeria, Ghana and Rwanda have collection contracts before they order the line and a buyer for flake or pellet.
Why is there no price for a preform machine?
A preform operation is an injection machine plus a preform mould set, and the mould decides the number: a high-cavity preform mould is often as expensive as the machine. We price the pair for your bottle.
Can I make toilet paper from scratch on a small budget?
No. The affordable business is converting jumbo rolls into finished rolls on a line from US$10k; making the paper is a mill investment. Egg-tray forming from US$8k is the other small paper business that works.
Which row are you?
Bring the part or the pack, the market and the volume to a free feasibility call. We will confirm the machine class and price the whole project in USD, moulds included.