Production Practices and Economic Profitability of African Eggplant (Solanum aethiopicum and Solanum macrocarpon): Implications for Agricultural Sustainability in the Forest–Savanna Transition Zone of Côte d’Ivoire

African eggplant (Solanum aethiopicum and Solanum macrocarpon) is vital for food security in Côte d’Ivoire, yet its production practices remain poorly documented. This study characterised and compared African eggplant production systems in Côte d’Ivoire and their economic performance through a survey involving 272 producers in the forest–savanna transition zone. Multiple correspondence analysis followed by hierarchical clustering identified three practice types: intensive and chemical input-based (Type 1; 65.8% of producers), semi-intensive with organo-mineral fertilisation (Type 2; 24.3%), and extensive, chemical-input-free, and subsistence-oriented (Type 3; 9.9%). Type 2 achieved the highest yield (15 t/ha) and net margin (7540 USD/ha) with lower production costs than Type 1. Type 1 was intensive but not very profitable, probably because it used pesticides and fertilisers systematically rather than according to need. Type 3 had the lowest absolute margin but the highest profitability index (net margin/production cost = 4.88), relied on practices close to organic farming, and preserved the local variety. These results indicate that techno-economic performance depends more on input management than on producers’ structural endowments (land, labour, capital). The results support integrated soil fertility management, training in the rational use of inputs in intensive systems, and better valorisation of products from traditional extensive systems.