(Business in Cameroon) - On July 1, 2022, Stéphane Descazeaud assumed the role of CEO at Société Anonyme des Boissons du Cameroun (SABC), succeeding Emmanuel de Tailly, who had held the position since December 2016. Under Descazeaud's stewardship, the company, a frontrunner in Cameroon's brewing market, further solidified its standing in 2022. This was made possible through Castel Group's acquisition of the assets of Guinness Cameroon, a local subsidiary of Diageo. Castel Group, which owns SABC, complemented this acquisition with a five-year investment program amounting to XAF200 billion, enabling the company to command approximately 80% of the market share in Cameroon's brewing industry. With a workforce comprising 3,165 permanent employees, 1,173 contractors, and 781 direct subcontractors, along with partnerships with 2,300 farms and cooperatives through Compagnie fermière camerounaise (CFC), SABC boasts over 100,000 indirect jobs and reported a turnover of XAF729 billion in 2023.

The agro-industrial unit under Descazeaud's leadership forms the backbone of a value chain that extends into various sectors, including transportation, catering, and retail. Each year, 6,000 local farmers supply this agribusiness group with 30,000 tons of sugar and 10,000 tons of maize. The group also produces mineral water and packaging through the Société des Eaux Minérales du Cameroun (Semc) and the Société Camerounaise de Verrerie (Socaver), respectively. Its latest subsidiary, Compagnie fermière camerounaise (CFC), which produces maize grits, has facilitated a reduction in Cameroon's maize imports by over 64% as early as 2022.