Around 50% of the cotton bales produced in the world are sold based on the analysis of their technological characteristics using a standardized instrument for testing cotton (SITC). In the United States of America, periodical studies of variability of the results allow the results to be accompanied by commercial tolerances to limit the frequency of claims. However, to our knowledge, no such study has been conducted in Africa. For this reason, we studied within-bale variability of fiber micronaire, length, uniformity, strength, reflectance and yellowness as measured by the SITC.We took eight samples per bale from 215 cotton bales produced by 27 ginning mills in eight Sub-Saharan countries in Africa in two cropping seasons. Our representative sample was composed of 1720 fiber samples that were analyzed in controlled conditions using the SITC in a laboratory in which international recommendations are fully respected.We measured within-bale variability and suggest a sampling method and procedure to perform technological and instrumental tests in West and Central Africa.