(Business in Cameroon) - In April 2020, brewing leader SABC recorded a 20% drop in performances, according to the company’s MD Emmanuel de Tailly.

In an interview with Business in Cameroon, the MD explained that this drop is due to the Covid-19. He also states his point of view about the initial measures issued by the Cameroonian government to revive economic activities.

On April 30, 2020, the government authorized pub houses to close by 6 PM (for almost 6 weeks, they were obliged to close before 6 PM).

According to the executive, the April 30 measures have had a beneficial impact on SABC’s business. From 20% in April 2020, the decline is expected to improve to 10% in May 2020.

“We are still in decline, like most of the main activities in this country, but at a level that allows us to limit our losses and maintain our factories and jobs, as well as the functioning of our ecosystem, which depends largely on us," explains Emmanuel de Tailly.

Asked if SABC has had an influence on the measures of April 30, Emmanuel de Tailly is adamant. "we are absolutely and definitively not behind the easing measures taken by the Prime Minister," he swears.

"The difficulty in these situations is to courageously, reasonably, balance the impacts of a health crisis and a possible economic and social crisis. This obliges us to be more responsible in the execution of these decisions marked by a real lucidity and real political courage," he adds.

SABC provides 6,500 direct jobs with its 9 plants, 42 distribution centres and 1,000 vehicles transporting 3 million bottles a day. It has a turnover of XAF650 billion and provides 100,000 indirect jobs.  

Local farmers (6,000) supply 30,000 tons of sugar and 10,000 tons of maize to the brewing group yearly. It also produces mineral water (through Société des eaux minérales du Cameroun-Semc)  and packaging (through Société camerounaise de verrerie-Socaver).

Brice R. Mbodiam