Heineken has followed last year’s divestment of a brewery in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo with an agreement to sell its unit in the country outright.
Brasseries, Limonaderies et Malteries (Bralima), which oversees three production facilities in the north, south and west of the country, will transition to new owner ELNA Holdings. The Mauritius-based company will “assume full responsibility for Bralima’s operations, including production, distribution, employees and engagement with local stakeholders”, with Heineken retaining ownership of its global and local brands.
The transaction’s financial details were not disclosed.
“This transaction is in line with Heineken’s ‘EverGreen 2030’ strategy, including active portfolio management and ongoing optimisation of its operating footprint across global markets, as well as its continued progression towards a more asset-light operating model in selected markets,” the group said today.
Africa & Middle East region president Guillaume Duverdier added: “This step allows the business to continue under a locally anchored model, while ensuring that our brands remain available to consumers across the country.”
In November, Heineken, whose namesake beer is joined by the Primus, Turbo King, Legend and Mützig brands in DRC, sold its brewery in Bukavu, in the east of the country, for a nominal sum to Synergy Ventures Holdings, which is also based in Mauritius. The facility had been heavily impacted by deteriorating security conditions in the region earlier in the year, resulting in Heineken losing operational control five months earlier.
Elsewhere in Africa, Diageo has been active in moving its beer presence to an asset-light footing over the last four years. The sale of Meta Abo Brewery in Ethiopia to Castel in 2022 has since been followed by similar agreements in Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon. Most recently, the Guinness brand owner agreed in December to sell Diageo Kenya – and with it, the group’s 65% stake in East African Breweries – to Asahi.
