Building Africa’s Next Industrial Frontier: The Role of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (By Henok Teferra Shawl)
By Henok Teferra Shawl, Boeing managing director for Africa (www.Boeing.com).
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) presents a strategic opportunity not only to reduce lifecycle emissions but to retain value in African economies and create skilled jobs.
Today, Africa imports most of its jet fuel, sending billions of dollars off the continent each year and leaving airlines and governments vulnerable to volatility of oil prices and currency shocks. At the same time, Africa’s diverse agricultural and renewable resources provide a strategic advantage for SAF production. Domestic SAF production could help address structural cost disadvantages facing African airlines — higher jet fuel prices, weak supplier competition, low procurement volumes, and higher taxes.
The World Bank (https://apo-opa.co/4pfameJ) projects Sub‑Saharan Africa will see a major working‑age population expansion by 2050 and capturing this demographic dividend depends on creating skilled jobs at scale. SAF value chains – from feedstock cultivation to refining and logistics – can drive employment and economic growth. Turning this potential into production requires coordinated action across three mutually reinforcing areas: feedstock, policy and finance.
Today, SAF carries a price premium due to limited production. Africa’s abundant renewable energy resources and diverse feedstocks could make the continent a key contributor to bringing costs down – an industrial opportunity not to be missed.
From years of research in Africa and globally, including a 2019 study (https://apo-opa.co/4iCdXAY) with WWF South Africa and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, and a 2023 study (https://apo-opa.co/4atc87s) in Ethiopia and South Africa with the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB), Boeing has found that data‑driven local feedstock assessments are the essential first step.
Building on this experience, Boeing and RSB are engaging other African countries to assess sustainable feedstock potential and SAF production capacity to support creation of a regional SAF ecosystem and inform national policies. Convening governments, research bodies and airlines will help produce credible baselines for such work.
SAF can cut carbon emissions by up to 80% over the fuel’s lifecycle compared to conventional jet fuel. However, in order to achieve the aviation industry’s decarbonization goal, SAF production worldwide must grow from anticipated 2 million tons in 2025 (https://apo-opa.co/49XflfA) to roughly 500 million tons within 25 years (https://apo-opa.co/3Kf8X8Z), according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
SAF will not scale overnight, hence maximizing the impact of every liter of SAF must be paired with reducing fuel demand. Modern airplanes like the Boeing 737 MAX and 787 Dreamliner help airlines cut fuel burn and lower operating costs. In Africa, where about 70% of future deliveries are narrowbody airplanes and intraregional connectivity is a priority, efficient airplanes can expand routes and support trade and tourism while the industry is working to scale SAF supply.
Working together we can turn Africa’s potential into local industries, jobs, connectivity and shared prosperity. Building sovereign SAF markets while accelerating fleet modernization and operational efficiency can power that transformation and unlock lasting economic benefits across the continent.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Boeing.
