Promoting Made-in-Cameroon, import substitution: PROMETAL GROUPE revolutionalising gas cylinder production.

Through it, the PROMETAL GROUPE has emerged as a top confidence builder in the Made-in-Cameroon brand and promotion of import substitution.

TotalEnergies sustains interest 

Officials of TotalEnergies Marketing and Services recently visited PROMETAL GROUPE subsidiary, PROGAZ, specialized in the production of the cooking gas cylinders in Douala. 

At the end of the visit, the TotalEnergies team saluted the professionalism, innovativeness and capacity of the PROMETAL GROUPE through PROGAZ to address gaps in the gas cylinder production chain.

Jean Phillippe Torres, Director BU MS Africa also Senior Vice President Africa headed the delegation. 

The visiting delegation was taken through the PROGAZ facility to see the not just the modern investments but expertise of the GROUPE in locally producing cooking gas cylinders that match standards.

The visit followed another similar exercise to PROMETAL GROUPE’s PROGAZ by the Director General, DG, of TotalEnergies Cameroun, Lassina Toure, in May this year.

The Torres-led team was shown every process involved in the cooking gas cylinder manufacturing process and given detailed explanations. 

The visiting team praised the work of the PROMETAL GROUPE through PROGAZ to uphold standards and meet the need for gas cylinders not only in Cameroon but within CEMAC.

In statement on its Facebook page, the PROMETAL GROUPE stated that, the team from TotalEnergies was able to see for itself, “the rigour and mastery of our manufacturing processes”.

The Company also noted that the visit was a strong “signal of TotalEnergies’ renewed confidence, confirming its commitment to produce locally by PROGAZ, the domestic gas cylinders of its brand”.

According to the PROMETAL GROUPE, the recent visit was within the brackets of a bigger vision of the Groupe to develop and diversity its areas of collaboration.

Reducing trade deficit, Promoting Mad-In-Cameroon…

On the spinoffs of the extensive investments of the PROMETAL GROUPE on the economy, the Company rated its thriving relationship with TotalEnergies as steadied within its interest to power growth on multiple fronts.

The PROMETAL GROUPE cited the PROGAZ undertaking in locally producing cooking gas cylinders as being in the interest of putting the Made-in-Cameroon brand in the spotlight. 

In terms of specifics, the PROMETAL GROUPE said its undertakings locally help to curb the cost of production and reduce balance of payment deficit as cylinders were previously mostly imported.

Before PROMETAL GROUPE’s multibillion investments in the PROGAZ project, Cameroon and other CEMAC member states were losing billions of FCFA annually. 

This was through the importation of cooking gas cylinders manufactured out of the country. PROGAZ manufactures gas cylinders of volume 12.5KG and 6KG.

PROGAZ helping Cameroon save over FCFA 8B annually 

Before the PROMETAL GROUPE launched PROGAZ, Cameroon was said to be importing between 450,000 and 500,000 gas cylinders annually. The situation was said to be costing the country at least eight billion FCFA.

PROGAZ was first put in place to address the 400,000 domestic needs. It was expanded to 600,000 and later a capacity of 900,000 gas cylinders with sub regional markets in view.

Since November 2025, PROGAZ has been the main provider of gas cylinders to TotalEnergies Cameroun for its network of 188 stations nationwide.

PROGAZ headlining FCFA 12B PROMETAL 5 investment 

To note that, PROGAZ which has continued to attract interest from across the board is part of PROMETAL 5 which is a 12 billion FCFA.

PROMETAL 5 comprised PROGAZ which manufactures domestic gas cylinders; PROFAB- a factory for the manufacture of prefabricated metal products and construction of commercial and industrial buildings, airport hangars among others. The third aspect of PROMETAL 5 is TROPIC for the production of domestic agricultural tools.

PROMETAL GROUPE strides 15 years on

The gains of PROMETAL and its top position in the industrial transformation influence in Cameroon and the broader CEMAC is a journey of 15 years plus.

Through its several multibillion investments in place progressively since 2010, the PROMETAL GROUPE has revolutonalised local productions. 

These  have been through its subsidiaries viz; PROMETAL which  deals in steel products;  Novia Industries in the agri-food sector;  Monet Sarl in real estate and  ORCA in the furniture sector through a chain of furniture and luxury stores.

15 years on, the PROMETAL GROUPE led by its President and Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Hayssam El Jammal, is into production of varied products including building materials, agricultural tools, consumables among others that could a few years ago be gotten through imports.

PROMETAL GROUPE’s ground covered in powering the Made-In-Cameroon brand particularly and meeting the needs of other CEMAC countries remains unrivalled. The spinoffs of its diversified investments remain largely huge and visible. 

The PROMETAL GROUPE is into the production of good quality construction materials such as iron rods, cooking gas cylinders, condensed milk, and soap, wheelbarrows, and other items that are addressing the needs of millions and employing thousands directly and indirectly.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3905 of Thursday September 10, 2026