African Food and Art

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Ten biggest meat eating countries in Africa

Meat in Africa

Gabon, South Africa and Mauritius are the top meat eating countries in Africa.

Cattle market in Africa is major part of southern African economy

Ever thought about never eating meat again? Well in three African countries beef is an economic and culinary lifeline to millions.

Ten biggest meat eating countries in Africa

Explore and Understand Africa Through Her Food and Culture

African Beef Cattle


Gabon, South Africa and Mauritius are the top meat eating countries in Africa.
Grilling meats

African dynamic trio of beef producers are Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe. The United States is the largest producer of beef in the world while Vegetarian India is the largest exporter of buffalo meat in the world.

In Botswana, as a result of an outbreak of the foot and mouth disease, the exporting of beef by the beef powerhouse country has significantly reduced exports.

Zimbabwe’s lucrative beef export into the European Union has been struggling over the past few years. Farm invasions instituted by President Robert Mugabe’s government in 2000 destroyed the sector as it displaced many beef ranchers from their land.

Despite difficulties, Namibia has found a way to export its prime cattle. Under the new protocol signed with Namibia, the southern African country will be allowed to export to Hong Kong frozen deboned and bone-in meat, excluding head, feet, offal and viscera and other by-products.

African traditional dynamic trio of beef producers include Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe.
African beef cattle

Top 10 countries in Africa that eat the greatest amount of meat per person


1. Gabon - 146 pounds
2. South Africa - 129 pounds
3. Mauritius - 109 pounds
4. Cabo Verde (Cape Verde) - 101 pounds
5. Seychelles - 78 pounds
6. Libya – 74 pounds
7. Central African Republic (CAR) - 73 pounds
8. Morocco – 66 pounds
9. Mauritania – 65 pounds
10. Namibia – 62 pounds

Top 10 countries in Africa that eat the least amount of meat per person.


1. Burundi - 11 pounds
2. Rwanda - 14 pounds
3. Sierra Leone - 16 pounds
4. Eritrea - 17 pounds
5. Mozambique - 17.1 pounds
6. The Gambia - 17.8 pounds
7. Malawi - 18.3 pounds
8. Ethiopia - 18.7 pounds
9. Guinea - 18.9 pounds
10. Nigeria - 19.4 pounds

Did you know?
What is meat? To compare meat eating appetites in Africa, a single US resident consumes, on average, 265 pounds per year. Meat is animal flesh that is eaten as food such as chicken, beef, buffalo, lamb, sheep, pigs, goat, fish, reptiles, bushmeat and wild game. 

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