West African cocoa sectors undergo digital and financial reforms

In West Africa, significant developments are underway to reform and digitize the cocoa and coffee sectors in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana.

In Côte d’Ivoire, the fintech company PUSH has signed partnership agreements with Ecobank, Versus Bank, the National Investment Bank (BNI), and Orange Money. These partnerships aim to digitize payments and ensure the traceability of financial flows within the coffee and cocoa value chains. By securing credit disbursements and verifying that funds reach producers, the initiative seeks to improve transparency and governance. PUSH currently manages over 20 million transactions totaling 600 billion FCFA, supporting more than one million agricultural actors.

In Ghana, the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) is implementing reforms to revitalize the sector and improve farmer livelihoods. As part of this effort, its subsidiary, Cocoa Capital PLC, has launched a bond and note programme on the Ghana Stock Exchange. The programme aims to raise GH¢16.30 billion—consisting of GH¢14 billion in commercial paper and GH¢2.30 billion in bonds—to finance cocoa purchases for the 2026/27 season. This move is designed to mobilize domestic capital and reduce the industry's reliance on external borrowing.