Madagascar: Inside the Business of Gony Bags, Madagascar's Ubiquitous Plastic Sacks

What the report says

A Radio France Internationale report, distributed by AllAfrica, looks at Enduma, a family-run manufacturer of gony sacks on the outskirts of Antananarivo, Madagascar. The woven polypropylene bags are widely used across the country to move and store goods such as vanilla, rice, cement and other agricultural or industrial products.

According to the report, the company has been operating for about 50 years and remains fully family-owned. Its production runs on circular weaving machines that turn plastic pellets into bags, while the business follows Madagascar’s harvest cycles, with demand rising during rice and other crop seasons. Enduma’s leader, Hassanein Hiridjee, said the company also serves industrial customers year-round in sectors including agri-food, mining, flour, lime, cement and salt.

The article says Enduma is facing several pressures, including recurring power cuts and lower-cost imported woven bags from China and India. The company argues that imported products are often of lower quality and may not meet food-contact certification standards. In response, Enduma is expanding into recycling and processing waste plastic into granules for products such as basins and buckets.

The report says Enduma plans to celebrate its 50th anniversary at the end of the year and is looking to grow further, including possible exports to other African markets and across the Indian Ocean.