Côte d’Ivoire, Africa’s largest rubber producer, is witnessing rapid industrial growth as Chinese investment boosts local processing capacity, employment, and export value.
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At dawn in Grand-Bereby, a town in Côte d’Ivoire’s southwestern San Pedro Province, three-wheeled vehicles loaded with milky-white latex weave through lush rubber plantations toward a newly built factory financed by a Chinese company.
Inside the facility, Ivorian workers skillfully move along production lines as freshly tapped rubber undergoes multiple processes to be transformed into high-quality standard rubber blocks. In a nearby laboratory, technicians monitor elasticity and durability data to ensure every batch meets strict international standards.
Officially inaugurated in October 2024, the factory boasts an annual capacity of 100,000 tons. It is the company’s third major investment in Côte d’Ivoire: the first plant began operations in Dabou Province in 2020, followed by a 200,000-ton facility in Duekoue Province in 2022.
With two additional plants scheduled to come online by the end of 2025, the company’s total processing capacity in Côte d’Ivoire will rise to around 480,000 tons per year.
A Rapidly Rising Rubber Powerhouse
As Africa’s largest rubber producer, Côte d’Ivoire has seen its output surge from 815,000 tons in 2019 to 1.55 million tons in 2023, securing its position as the world’s third-largest rubber producer.
Behind this remarkable growth lies a story of industrial transformation—one in which Chinese technology and investment are reshaping the country’s rubber value chain, from raw latex to value-added exports, opening new paths to prosperity for thousands of farmers and factory workers.
“I can now deliver latex to the factory within half an hour of tapping!” said Ariol Toh, a rubber farmer since the 1990s.
“Before, we had to travel long distances to find buyers—often through middlemen who offered unfair prices. Now, the Chinese factory is right here, with transparent pricing. My three children no longer have to worry about school fees.”
Empowering Rural Communities
In the noisy production hall, Kouassi Yannick Irite, a young local team leader, conducts routine inspections.
“In the past, young people had to leave their hometowns to find work. Now, we can process rubber right here,” he said. “The factory has taught us how to operate advanced machinery and take on leadership roles. It makes us proud.”
According to Zhang Liang, Deputy General Manager of the company, shortly after the group’s second factory began operations, the Ivorian government introduced restrictions on raw rubber exports.
“That decision was partly driven by the increased domestic processing capacity created by our facilities. Farmers no longer have to sell raw latex at low prices,” Zhang noted.
A New Chapter for African Industry
As night falls, the sound of ship horns echoes across San Pedro Port, where container vessels carrying standard rubber blocks depart for international markets.
Each shipment tells not only a story of trade but also one of China–Côte d’Ivoire partnership—a collaboration transforming rural livelihoods and redefining Africa’s role in the global rubber supply chain.