Aquaculture
Working at both firm and national level to catalyse the take-off of the industry in East Africa and ensuring the industry develops in a way that is both inclusive and environmentally responsible
Aquaculture is different from our other sectors: it is presently a nascent sector operating at a relatively small scale with vast potential for growth.
East Africa presently imports frozen fish from China
Most of East Africa’s population has a protein-deficient diet
Aquaculture has potential to create several hundred thousand jobs
The Opportunity
East Africa is the home of tilapia and the region has an abundance of high-quality water bodies, well suited to productive aquaculture.
Within the region, consumers are also keen to consume more fish, and many prefer local fish to imported fish. The potential market is significant and growing.
Increasingly, it’s possible to competitively farm fish as many of the sector’s constraints are in the process of being eased.
The quality and price of fish-feed is improving and the pioneer firms with effective data-led management are profitable. There is considerable scope to raise productivity levels even higher.
East African governments are also starting to recognise the sector’s potential. This will be critical for ensuring the right bio-safety is put in place to ensure future growth is sustainable.
Our present areas of work
Helping to demonstrate the viability of business models and pioneer firms
Supporting advances in feed and genetics given these are key competitive drivers for the sector
Ensuring effective bio-security measures are in place to enable the sector to scale up responsibly
Securing strong buy-in and alignment from governments and associations and working with banks and investors to attract finance for growth
“Several dynamic businesses have recently invested in the opportunity and are starting to demonstrate the strong commercial potential of aquaculture in East Africa.”
Insights from our Work
