For decades, West Africa has been at the heart of the global cocoa industry, producing a significant share of the world’s cocoa beans.
Yet, despite being the source of one of the world’s most valuable food products, much of the economic value has historically been captured elsewhere after raw cocoa leaves the continent for processing, refining and chocolate manufacturing.
Zaina Gohou, founder of Ghanaian chocolate company Zacao, believes Africa can rewrite that story by moving beyond exporting raw materials and building a premium chocolate industry at the source.
“If champagne is made in France, why would chocolate not be made in Ghana?” Gohou argues, highlighting the opportunity for African producers to own more of the value chain in a global chocolate market estimated at about $130 billion.
Zacao’s model is built around a “tree-to-bar” approach, where the company produces its chocolate entirely in Ghana, from sourcing cocoa beans from local farms to manufacturing finished chocolate bars.
“Most of the world’s cocoa is grown in West Africa. Yet the beans leave the continent raw, to be roasted, refined, and turned into chocolate somewhere else. That is where the value is captured,” Gohou said.
She argues that keeping production close to cocoa-growing communities creates opportunities for local jobs, skills development and higher incomes for farmers.
Zacao currently works with more than 250 family-run farms and pays farmers above standard market rates, with payments made directly to producers.
“Making the finished bar locally is what keeps the skills, the jobs, and the value where the cocoa actually grows,” she said.
The company’s strategy comes as consumer demand for premium and ethically sourced chocolate continues to grow globally. Market trends show increasing interest in products with clear supply chains, sustainability credentials and origin stories, factors that are reshaping the premium chocolate segment.
Premium chocolate consumption in the United States is growing faster than the broader chocolate category, with growth driven by consumers seeking transparency, quality and responsible sourcing.
Single-origin chocolate, which emphasises where cocoa is grown and how it is produced, has emerged as one of the fastest-growing segments.
Gohou believes this shift creates a strategic opportunity for African chocolate makers to compete globally, not only as suppliers of cocoa beans but as creators of finished products.
“Who better to make extraordinary chocolate than the people who have cultivated these beans for generations?” she asked.
For Zacao, farmer welfare and commercial success are not competing objectives but interconnected parts of a sustainable business model.
“Doing right by farmers and building a strong business are not in tension. They are the same decision,” Gohou said.
As African economies seek to industrialise and capture more value from natural resources, companies like Zacao represent a broader push toward local processing, value addition and export of finished products rather than commodities.
The future of chocolate, Gohou believes, should not only include African cocoa but it should increasingly be made in Africa.