Yaounde: Boissons du Cameroun inaugurates 21 billion FCFA-worth factory extension.

The Minister of Trade, Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, cut the ribbon to officially open the facility on behalf of the Prime Minister, Head of Government, Chief Dr Joseph Dion Ngute, Thursday March 21.

Minister Mbarga Atangana was accompanied by other ministers including; Prof Fru Calistus Gentry of Mines, Industry and Technological Development, Issa Tchiroma Bakary of Employment and Vocation Training and Gregoire Owona of Labour and Social Security.

The minister used the event to remind all and sundry that President Paul Biya had made Cameroon an investment friendly nation. He saluted Boissons du Cameroun for seizing the opportunity and contributing to the development of the country.

Speaking earlier during the inauguration ceremony, the Director General of Boissons du Cameroun, Stephane Descazeaud, said the infrastructure constructed on a surface area of 2,800m2, was realised in eight months (May to December 2023). 

Descazeaud detailed that a 44-man team from Boisson du Cameroun and 48 service providers made the project a reality.

He said the extension of the Yaounde factory aims to increase the manufacturing of drinks by 18% and their packaging by 31%, with a production rate of 35,000 bottles per hour. 

“This major project has already created 74 jobs, including 51 permanent positions, and 53 positions are still to be filled in the coming months for a total of 127 jobs,” the DG of Boissons du Cameroun said. 

The move, he added, is intended to meet a dual objective of “responding to the growing demand from the beverage market in general, and on the other hand to respond to the request of government to produce and distribute GUINNESS beer in other regions and not only in the Littoral Region”.

He said these commitments were made a year ago during the acquisition of Guinness Cameroun S.A. by CASTEL Group.

“…we are proud to announce that at the end of the year, the Yaounde factory will produce Guinness beer, for the greater good of consumers who, as you well know, are constantly faced with ruptures, phenomenon of smuggling, counterfeiting and illicit trade,” Descazeaud said.

Huge investments

The DG of Boissons du Cameroun mentioned that the construction of the extension of the Yaounde factory is the materialisation of an investment plan of 200 billion FCFA in a period of over five years, which was announced 16 months ago by CASTEL Group.

“We intend to increase in production capacities in the four regions where we are present, whether in brewing, fermentation, syrup making or packaging of bottles, investments in logistics resources, storage warehouses and distribution vehicles, investments in packaging, quality, and of course, the safety of all our employees,” he informed.

He said in the last 10 years, their investments have amounted to 313 billion FCFA, with 53 billion FCFA in 2023 alone. On the performance of company in 2023, he said they produced and sold more than 1,100,000,000 liters.

“A turnover including tax of 729 billion FCFA (VAT, excise duties, customs duties, IS,) of more than 367 billion FCFA, or 50.3% of our total business,” he said. 

Contributor to Cameroon’s development

Describing Boissons du Cameroun as a major player in the development of Cameroon, either in terms of providing employment or contributing to the economic growth of the country, the company’s Director General said they also need the support of government.

“The brewing sector is a source of development and major revenue for the State, and it must be supported so that it continues to grow in a win-win spirit,” he said, adding that: “Boissons du Cameroun is one of the first private partner of the State, yes our entire strategy aims to develop ourselves and to contribute to the development of Cameroon,” Boissons du Cameroun DG said. 

He said they believe in Cameroon and its potential, which is why they launched the most ambitious investment plan ever in such a short time. 

“Boissons Cameroon, like other Cameroonian companies, needs a stable business environment, marked by development taxation and not confiscatory. We aim to export made in Cameroon and we need to be supported in this conquering approach and optimistic,” Descazeaud pointed out.

He went further to add that: “You can count on us to continue to provide our contribution to the development of the country, but in return, we also have need to count on your government to support our societal project…”

Committed to fighting plastic pollution 

According to the Director General of Boisson du Cameroun, the company in a bid to contribute to fighting plastic pollution is working to reduce the number of drinks produced in plastics and is looking to invest more in recyclable glass bottle packaging.

He said 7.5 billion FCFA has already been committed to improve the production tool and align it with the standards of the CASTEL Group.

In this light, Descazeaud revealed that construction work has also already started in Bafoussam, where a new packaging line will be installed before the end of the year. 

He said this will be followed by Garoua and Ndokoti, whose new channels will be put into service on the horizon 2025.

“In total, there are 2.5 M HL of recyclable glass bottle packaging which will be added in the next 12 months, representing an increase of more 30% compared to the current situation,” he said, adding the company believes in recyclable packaging. 

“Our ambition is nothing less than reducing plastic packaging, a real scourge in Cameroon and replace with glass, particularly in places of on-site consumption,” Boissons du Cameroun DG said. 

He went on to add that: “At the time the world is crumbling under plastic waste and where the so-called rich countries opt for “0” plastic policies, Boissons du Cameroun has chosen to anticipate and launch in the promotion of glass in order to make our country more ecological, more beautiful, more green”. 

To the Boissons du Cameroun Director General, each employee of the structure is proud to participate in the creation of a more ecologically and socially responsible Cameroon, this is our vision:

Challenges 

The Boisson du Cameroun DG said despite the fact that they are undisputed leaders in the market, they are faced with a number of challenges.

He said despite the ever-increasing cost of raw materials, consumables, fuel, gas, electricity, salaries in the last three years and taxes, including new increase in excise duties decided in the 2024 Finance Law, the prices of drinks have not increased.

“Like all other industrialists, we are suffering from too many power cuts which have literally reduced our production capacities, specifically since last December and damaged many of our equipment for which we do not always have the spare parts available, the same goes for our local suppliers…,” he said. 

To this, the Boissons du Cameroun DG, said are catastrophic consequences on the market; ranging from recurrent shortage of stock, entire sectors threatened and sale prices no longer respected. 

He also decried the fact that “drinks produced in Nigeria cost less expensive than those produced locally and moreover flood our markets, to the detriment of the Cameroonian sector which pays all its taxes”.

Security of workers

According to the Boisson du Cameroon boss, their greatest wealth is their employees, adding that their success and performance will only come from the good health, competence and expertise of the employees.

“We launched a major security plan in 2022 aimed at improving working conditions and reduce dangerous situations and we were able to reduce work-related accidents by 55% in 2023,” Descazeaud said. 

He also mentioned the soon-to-be inaugurated professional training center at the country’s Bassa site in Douala, “with the ambitious objective to train our technicians, our brewers, our salespeople, our financiers, IT specialists…”.

The company, he equally said, launched the CASTEL CARE program in 2023, which involves improving access to care allowing employees and their families receive treatment in good conditions, with quality equipment, caring staff and competent doctors.

Corporate Social Responsibility

Revealing that for the fifth consecutive time, Boissons du Cameroun was acclaimed first corporate citizen structure in Cameroon, its Director General said they have continuously taken initiatives in favour of some local communities in the country.

He said their citizen engagement which is deployed on six axes: sports, art and culture, environment, education, health, youth entrepreneurship and patronage through the Pierre Castel Endowment Fund.

“As for local communities, a vast program of construction of boreholes is underway throughout the territory with the commitment to build this year 20 boreholes in addition to the 18 already handed over to date,” he disclosed. 

The objective is to facilitate access to drinking water for populations of several localities in the 10 Regions of Cameroon. 

The Boissons du Cameroun boss also stated: “Our commitment to well-being of communities is also illustrated by the promotion of health through the upcoming project called “Health Caravan”.

He said through this operation, they deploy a mobile hospital nationwide in order to organise awareness campaigns, consultation and provision of appropriate care to populations, particularly to the most disadvantaged.

About the brewery company

Boissons du Cameroun has been refreshing Cameroonians for the past 76 years, with drinks ranging from beers, mixed alcohols, soft drinks, waters and recently wines and spirits.

The brewery company is said to have nine industrial sites in the Littoral, Center, West and North regions, with 35 storage centers spread throughout the country. 

It carries a vision of integrated agro-industry, with 3,165 permanent employees, 1,173 service providers, 781 direct subcontractor employees, 2,300 farms and cooperatives which supplies them with corn and sugar supplied by SOSUCAM.

Boisson du Cameroun has 1,616 local suppliers and 159 distributors who ensure daily distribution in their respective geographic areas, with more than 40,000 bars and points of sale across the country.