In Africa, palm oil is one of the key agri-food products imported, along with sugar, milk, and wheat. While many African countries aim to boost local production, the demand for palm oil remains high, creating opportunities for suppliers like Indonesia. Over the past few years, cooperation between Indonesia and African nations in the oil palm sector has grown stronger. Recently, in Guinea, the government began discussions on October 3 with a delegation from the Indonesian conglomerate Bakrie, led by Indonesia's ambassador to Guinea. These talks explored possibilities for developing the oil palm industry in the country. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the proposed cooperation would involve an integrated approach, including the search for new oil palm varieties, the development and rehabilitation of plantations, support for local producers, skill transfer, industrial processing, and the use of by-products. The ministry noted that several stages of work have been identified and will need to lead to a formal partnership through the signing of a joint agreement. This effort in Guinea is part of a broader trend. In September 2026, Senegal announced a project to develop 60,000 hectares of oil palm plantations with Indonesian support. In Tanzania, authorities began a cooperation with the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (GAPKI) in 2025 to gain training and technical assistance in plantation development. In Nigeria, Africa's leading palm oil producer, a 2024 agreement with GAPKI includes the sharing of knowledge and technologies to improve productivity. Kenya also shows similar interest, having discussed large-scale cultivation of oil palm, sunflower, and soy with Indonesia in 2023. Indonesia's expertise in the oil palm industry is a major factor in these partnerships. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Indonesia is expected to produce around 46.7 million tons of palm oil during the 2025/2026 campaign, making it the world's leading producer. The country is also the top exporter of palm oil, shipping nearly 24 million tons between the 2022/2023 and 2025/2026 campaigns. This position is built on decades of industry development, covering areas such as plantation management, producer organization, and industrial processing. For African countries, these partnerships with Indonesian companies can help in areas like plant material, production techniques, training, and local processing. However, despite efforts to boost local production, many African nations still rely heavily on imports. According to data from the Trade Map platform, Guinea, Senegal, Nigeria, Tanzania, and Kenya imported nearly $1.9 billion in palm oil in 2025. This sustained demand highlights the continent's ongoing need for palm oil. Whether the new partnerships with Indonesia will lead to increased production and reduced dependence on imports remains to be seen. Indonesia's growing interest in Africa extends beyond the oil palm sector. On September 28, 2026, Jakarta launched the second edition of the South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) program, aimed at promoting trade and investment with African countries. Organized with support from the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the program brought together 14 officials from six African countries. It focused on promoting exports, facilitating trade, e-commerce, the internationalization of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and attracting investments. The Indonesian Ministry of Trade described this initiative as a way to strengthen commercial and investment partnerships with Africa and develop these relations into a more strategic and comprehensive cooperation. Although the SSTC program is not specifically focused on palm oil, the commodity is already a key area of interest for Indonesia in Africa. According to Trade Map data, Indonesia exported about $3.9 billion in palm oil to Africa in 2025, or 16% of its global palm oil sales. With Africa importing around $8.2 billion in palm oil that year, the market remains significant for Indonesia. As African consumption continues to grow, this presents a promising opportunity for Indonesian exporters.