Based on a review of the more recent empirical literature, we try to identify the way Africa could better participate to the global bioeconomy. The study suggests that African countries will not benefit much from the new economic order based on biological resources as the required conditions to transform its biomass feedstock potential into real market and economic opportunities are not in place yet. Without an ambitious policy, a significant and urgent investment in R&D with a strong South-South and North-South partnerships, Africa will just stay a reserve for biomass feedstock while the world will sail towards a biobasedeconomy. As during the past decades, Africa is likely to continue to feed the world economy with the raw and low added-value material while relying expensively on exports to meet its own needs. However, African countries could revert the trends and lead the continent towards a better economic pathway.