Pyramids, diamond mines and safaris through the Serengeti, just a few things that come to mind when we think of Africa. And somewhere, near the bottom of a very long list, we might encounter bamboo. But Africa, a continent shrouded in mystery, is actually home to a surprising abundance of the miracle grass, bamboo.

​

After Asia and South America, Africa is the third richest continent in terms of bamboo species. Bamboo is common in most of sub-Saharan Africa, from Ethiopia all the way down to South Africa and Madagascar. The continent is home to at least four genera of native, tropical, clumping bamboo, including Cathariostachys, Cephalostachyum, Oxytenanthera and Schizostachyum; and a handful of temperate bamboos, belonging to Bergbambos, Oldeania, Thamnocalamus and Yushania. Other varieties of bamboo are also cultivated commercially in Africa. It’s a resilient crop, as well as a sustainable and affordable alternative for building materials in developing countries.

​

In the following article — first published in December 2020 and most recently updated in January 2025 — we’ll take a closer look at which bamboo varieties grow in which parts of Africa. We’ll also talk about some of the ways in which Africans are cultivating bamboo as a cash crop, a carbon sink, and a renewable building material. The tropic and subtropic regions of the continent are ideal for growing bamboo, and in these less industrial parts of the world, it provides an economical and ecological means of subsistence.

​

Bamboo native to Africa

Despite whatever preconceptions you might have about where in the world bamboo grows, there’s actually an enormous diversity of species within this subfamily of grasses. You can find bamboo growing in tropical jungles of the Amazon, the cool slopes of the Himalayas, and the wetlands of America’s Deep South. Of course, it also flourishes throughout China and Japan.

​

No surprise then that the vast and verdant continent of Africa would be home to a plethora of bamboo varieties. The tropical rainforests and subtropical savannas actually offer an ideal setting for these vigorous grasses. And Ethiopia is home to the lion’s share, about two-thirds of the continent’s indigenous bamboo.

​

Classification of clumping bamboo

As a general rule, most of the tropical and subtropical bamboo species tend to have a clumping growth habit. These are in the Bambuseae tribe. Running bamboos spread more vigorously and are typically native to more temperate climates, like central China and Japan. They belong to the Arundinarieae tribe. But there are a number of exceptions in central Asia, especially around the Himalayas. And Africa also has its share of anomalies, classified as Arundinarieae but with compact, clumping rhizomes.

​

Most of the native bamboo on the continent are tropical clumpers, belonging to one of three genera. But a few other genera, with less speciation, include an assortment of temperate clumping bamboo varieties, widespread in the highlands of East Africa and South Africa.

​

Common Bamboo

Bambusa vulgaris, or common bamboo, is particularly widespread in sub-Saharan Africa, but it’s hard to say if it’s truly native to the continent. Many believe that it originated in southern China and spread across the globe with the help of sailors, botanists and explorers. In any case, it is a prolific species and a useful one. It is frequently propagated and cultivated for its usefulness as a construction material.

​

This species has a variety of cultivars, including some bright, golden ornamental species with remarkable striping. The African varieties, however, tend to be dark green in appearance. They can grow to about 50 feet tall and 3 to 4 inches in diameter.

​

New varieties of African temperate bamboo

The classification of bamboo can be a challenging undertaking. There are currently between 90 and 120 genera, and anywhere from 1,200 to 2,000 species and cultivars. But recent discoveries in Africa point to two new genera of bamboo.

​

Bergbambos and Oldeania are closely related to, but apparently distinct from Borinda, Fargesia, Thamnocalamus, and Yushania. Like those other genera, they have short, pachymorph (clumping) rhizomes and smooth, thornless culms and branches. But they exhibit subtle differences in their flowers and sheath formations. As for now, the two genera are monotypic, meaning they each only have one species.

​

Bergbambos tessellata, like Thamnocalamus tessellatus, grows exclusively in the mountains of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Oldeania alpina can be found throughout tropical Africa, from Cameroon in the west to Ethiopia and Tanzania in the east. Like bamboo in montane China, which feeds the giant panda, this species provides essential sustenance for Africa’s endangered mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei).

​

Cultivating bamboo in Africa

With the growing popularity of bamboo and the increasing pressure of climate change, Africa has recently looked to this miracle grass as a crop that can reduce poverty and live up to the highest standards of sustainability. Throughout sub-Saharan Africa, from Ghana to Ethiopia to South Africa to Cameroon, bamboo farming is catching on. International organizations are working with African farmers and entrepreneurs to improve local incomes and global outcomes.

​

Below are a few of the more noteworthy bamboo projects and activities currently underway on the green continent.

​

Bamboo in Ethiopia

Believe it or not, Ethiopia — a country more commonly associated with drought and famine — actually has the most bamboo of any African country, covering about one million hectares. Yushania alpina and Oxytenanthera abyssinica both thrive here, in the mountains and lowlands respectively, as they do in most of sub-Saharan Africa.

​

The Inter-Africa Livelihood Development Program, managed by INBAR (The International Bamboo and Rattan Organization), has promoted bamboo farming and industry in the region, with impressive results. The program has partnered locals from Africa with bamboo experts from China, employing over 1,000 Ethiopians in the bamboo industry. Ethiopians now use bamboo for all manner of crafts and construction, from housing to parasols.

​

In addition to creating economic opportunities for great numbers of small-scale farmers, bamboo cultivation is also countering deforestation, controlling erosion, providing shade, and protecting watersheds. In this way, bamboo is very effective in reducing the risk of further droughts in the country.

​

Bamboo in Ghana

The small West African country of Ghana offers excellent habitat for bamboo cultivation, and locals have recently begun to take advantage of that. Alongside indigenous species like Oxytenanthera abyssinica, they have also been cultivating a variety of commercial species, including Dendrocalmus asper and Bambusa balcooa, also called ‘Beema’, a robust tropical bamboo native to India.

​

The Inter-Africa Livelihood Development Program — active in Ethiopia, Cameroon and Madagascar — has also been instrumental in advancing bamboo cultivation and commerce in Ghana.

​

Bamboo in Kenya

Neighboring Ethiopia, Kenya has embarked on some of the most ambitious bamboo cultivation in all of Africa. Government ministries and NGOs are working in cooperation to create a bamboo industry that can be competitive in the global marketplace. With this goal in mind, they are cultivating species like Moso (China’s most economically important bamboo species for lumber and textiles), Bambusa long-internode, Asper, and Dendrocalamus membranaceus (a bushy variety from Southeast Asia).

​

Bamboo is an excellent and faster-growing substitute for wood, which locals commonly burn for fuel and energy. Kenyans are also using bamboo groves to protect waterways and restore habitats, especially along the Mara and Njoro Rivers.

​

In September 2020, the government reclassified bamboo from a grass to a crop. This will open the way for even more research and investment in Kenya’s burgeoning bamboo industry.

​

Bamboo in Malawi

Landlocked between Zambia and Mozambique along the southwest corner of the Great Rift Valley, Malawi has very little native bamboo. But that hasn’t stopped Jan Oprins and Grant Blumrick from launching Afribam, one of southern Africa’s largest bamboo plantations. Specializing in Dendrocalamus asper, a Southeast Asian species of giant bamboo, Afribam sees bamboo as a crucial tool for addressing many of Malawi’s social and environmental challenges.

​

Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, with 90% of the population living on less than $2 a day. It’s also a hot spot for Malaria and expects to see this health problem worsening as climate change brings higher temperatures. And like other tropical regions, the country has seen its own share of deforestation, losing 10% of its forests since 2001.

​

Bamboo can play a key role in restoring forests and at the same time provide economic opportunity for subsistence farmers. And in the battle against Malaria, Malawians are recognizing the capacity for bamboo groves to soak up the stagnant water that serves as a breeding ground for the disease-carrying mosquitos.

​

Bamboo in Uganda

The tropical highlands of Uganda offer another choice habitat for native and cultivated bamboo in Africa. And for the last several years, the local government and the Uganda Bamboo Association have been urging Ugandans to cultivate more bamboo, citing its ecological benefits and its potential for elevating rural economies.

​

Locally, bamboo is perfect for building and construction material, as well as animal feed. Other practical commodities include bamboo crafts and kitchen wares. With a little more ingenuity, they are also producing bamboo vinegar, which in turn can be made into soaps and cosmetic products. And the bi-products of this vinegar production could be made into biofuel, once the infrastructure for that process is established here.

​

Moreover, the Bamboo Village is attracting more outside investment by inviting businesses and individuals to purchase plots of bamboo on the plantation as a way of earning carbon credits and offsetting their own greenhouse emissions. As a result, the Ugandans are able to expand their cultivation, employ more people, and build more housing. At the same time, bamboo is controlling erosion and improving the ecosystem.