Bamboo for green development?: the opportunities and challenges of commercialising bamboo in South Africa

Abstract

The report presented a global overview of bamboo resources and trade, which showed the dominant role of Asian countries, particularly China. The global bamboo markets are currently estimated to be USD 3.6 billion. While world trade of bamboo and rattan did not grow between 2007 and 2013, the value of the global bamboo market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 10.6% between 2017 and 2027. China as the marked leader alone accounted for 65% of all exports with an estimated value of USD 1.2 billion in 2013. Unlike China and other Asian countries, South Africa does not have large bamboo resources or a long history with its cultivation.