Africa’s Top Cucumber and Gherkin Producers: A Country-by-Country Breakdown (2022)
Cucumbers and gherkins may not dominate headlines the way cocoa or coffee do, but across Africa they represent a quietly significant slice of the agricultural economy. From the irrigated fields of the Nile Delta to the humid lowlands of Cameroon, these crops feed millions, generate rural income, and increasingly supply export markets. Based on the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) figures for 2022, here is a detailed look at which African nations lead production — and why.
Egypt, Cameroon, and Sudan: The Continental Powerhouses
Egypt sits firmly at the top of Africa’s cucumber and gherkin production table, harvesting an impressive 484,424.68 tonnes in 2022. That figure is not accidental. Egypt’s Nile Delta and Nile Valley provide some of the continent’s most reliably fertile agricultural land, supported by centuries-old irrigation infrastructure now modernized with drip and sprinkler systems. The country’s warm, dry climate — particularly in the Delta governorates of Beheira, Dakahlia, and Sharqia — creates near-ideal conditions for cucurbit cultivation year-round. Egypt also benefits from proximity to European and Gulf markets, giving commercial growers a strong export incentive alongside robust domestic demand.
Cameroon ranks second with 262,120.65 tonnes produced in 2022, a figure that reflects the country’s remarkable ecological diversity. Spanning five distinct agro-ecological zones — from the semi-arid north to the equatorial south — Cameroon can sustain cucumber cultivation across different seasons and regions simultaneously. The western highlands around Bafoussam and the humid forest zones near Yaoundé are particularly productive. Sudan follows closely in third place with 227,042.93 tonnes. Despite ongoing political and economic challenges, Sudan’s vast arable land — estimated at over 84 million hectares, much of it along the Blue and White Nile corridors — and its expanding irrigation schemes continue to support substantial horticultural output.
North Africa’s Agricultural Cluster: Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco
Three North African nations cluster together in the mid-tier of production, each leveraging a Mediterranean climate that is naturally suited to cucumber and gherkin cultivation. Algeria produced 190,924.98 tonnes in 2022, making it the fourth-largest producer on the continent. The fertile Tell Atlas region in the north — particularly around Annaba, Skikda, and the Mitidja Plain near Algiers — accounts for the bulk of this output. Algeria has invested heavily in greenhouse infrastructure in recent years, extending growing seasons and boosting yields per hectare.
Tunisia, with 70,111.03 tonnes in 2022, punches above its weight given its relatively small land area. The country’s Cap Bon peninsula, long regarded as Tunisia’s vegetable garden, is the heartland of cucumber production. Well-developed cold chain logistics and cooperative farming structures help Tunisian growers maintain quality from field to market. Morocco produced 63,155 tonnes in the same year. The Souss-Massa region near Agadir — already Africa’s premier tomato export hub — also supports significant cucumber cultivation, with much of the output destined for European supermarkets under strict phytosanitary standards.
Mali and Côte d’Ivoire: West Africa’s Contribution
Mali’s presence at fifth place on the continental ranking — with 105,876 tonnes in 2022 — is one of the more striking data points in the FAO figures. For a landlocked Sahelian country more commonly associated with millet and sorghum, this level of cucumber and gherkin production reflects the importance of irrigated perimeters along the Niger River. The Office du Niger irrigation scheme, originally developed during the colonial era and significantly expanded since independence, enables year-round vegetable cultivation in an otherwise harsh climate. Cucumbers grown here primarily serve domestic urban markets in Bamako and secondary towns.
Côte d’Ivoire rounds out the West African representation with 20,740.48 tonnes in 2022, ranking ninth overall on the continent. Production is concentrated in peri-urban zones around Abidjan and in the country’s more temperate western highlands. As urbanization accelerates and middle-class demand for fresh vegetables grows, Ivorian cucumber cultivation has expanded steadily over the past decade, supported by informal market networks and small-scale commercial farming.
Southern Africa: South Africa and Malawi
South Africa produced 29,651 tonnes of cucumbers and gherkins in 2022, a figure that reflects both the country’s sophisticated commercial farming sector and the relatively high cost of production. The Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces, along with the Western Cape’s Hex River Valley, are the primary growing regions. South Africa’s well-developed retail infrastructure — dominated by major chains like Pick n Pay, Woolworths Food, and Checkers — creates consistent demand for standardized, high-quality cucumbers, pushing growers toward controlled-environment agriculture and hydroponic systems.
Malawi, the smallest producer in this top ten with 17,636.19 tonnes in 2022, demonstrates that even resource-constrained economies can sustain meaningful horticultural sectors. Smallholder farmers in the Shire Highlands and along the shores of Lake Malawi grow cucumbers primarily for local consumption, with government and NGO-backed programs working to improve seed access, irrigation, and market linkages. Malawi’s inclusion in the continental top ten underscores how broadly cucumber cultivation has taken root across sub-Saharan Africa.
What These Numbers Tell Us About African Agriculture
Taken together, Africa’s top ten cucumber and gherkin producers generated well over 1.5 million tonnes in 2022 — a collective output that speaks to the crop’s adaptability across radically different climates, farming systems, and economic contexts. The concentration of production in North Africa reflects established irrigation infrastructure and export orientation, while the presence of sub-Saharan nations like Mali, Cameroon, and Malawi points to the crop’s growing role in food security and smallholder livelihoods. As African populations urbanize and dietary habits diversify, demand for fresh vegetables will only intensify — and cucumber production figures are likely to climb accordingly in the years ahead.
