(Business in Cameroon) - Cameroonian arm of Suisse food giant Nestle officially invested XAF25.8 billion in the country since 2010, official sources revealed. Funds mainly went to the acquisition of new production lines and the extension of the Bonaberi plant, in Douala’s suburb.

The latest significant investment (XAF2.7 billion) is the Nido Forti Choco new production line (a product made of powdered milk, cocoa and sugar) which was inaugurated April 12, 2018. Since January 29, 2015, Nestle Cameroon started marketing a Nescafé drink produced with Cameroonian coffee; a move that had required the acquisition of new equipment.

Between 2006 and 2018, the company’s production capacity went up by 49%. Monies injected diversified production at the Douala unit where 90% of output was Maggi cube, a cooking seasoning widely used across the country, compared with 9% for Nido milk and 1% for Nescafé.

Let’s however note that these investments by Nestle Cameroon sometimes benefited from government incentives. The company aims for new opportunities within the Cemac region. Back in 2014, it was one of the 19 Cameroonian companies to be granted preferential treatment that allowed customs duty-free exports to the six Cemac countries.

Nestlé Cameroon is one of the Group's largest subsidiaries in the Central and West Africa region. Cameroon is “one of Nestlé's 20 key markets worldwide,” according to official data.

Brice R. Mbodiam