Here’s the latest in ESM’s regular series, Notes From Africa, which brings you the latest retail, consumer goods, and food-and-beverage stories from across the African continent. Past editions can be found here.
Morocco: LabelVie to Invest Over $700m in Expansion by 2028
LabelVie, the leader in the multi-format retail sector in Morocco, plans to inject 7 billion dirhams ($703.6 million) into developing its activities over the next five years. According to the company's management, most of this investment will be used to finance the opening of 774 new stores between 2024 and 2028, bringing the total number of its outlets to 953.
With this expansion strategy, LabelVie aims to increase its sales by 77% to 28 billion dirhams ($2.8 billion) by 2028. The group operates hypermarkets and supermarkets under banners such as Carrefour, Carrefour Market, Carrefour Express, Atacadao, and Supeco.
Algeria: Souakri Group Invests $750m in Market Gardening Project
In Algeria, the Souakri Group has initiated the experimental phase of a market-gardening project on a 1,000-hectare site in the wilaya of Adrar, located in the southwest. The project involves a total investment of $750 million. According to local media, it includes the development of a 500-hectare farm primarily dedicated to the cultivation of industrial tomatoes in greenhouses.
The company aims to produce 6,000 tonnes of industrial tomatoes annually for export. This is the largest market garden project in Africa and one of the largest in the world. The project is expected to further boost Algerian industrial tomato production, which currently stands at around 2.3 million tonnes per year.
Tanzania: Sunflower Oil Factory to Be Completed by December
In Tanzania, construction of a new sunflower oil mill plant is expected to be finalised by December in Dodoma. Developed by the Chinese agrifoods group Mainland, the factory will require a total investment of $28 million. It should be able to process between 30,000 and 35,000 tonnes of sunflower seeds per year, depending on the availability of raw material supply in the local market.
The project also includes the installation of four silos with a combined storage capacity of 30,000 tonnes of oilseeds. The plant will also house a line for manufacturing animal feed from sunflower meal. It is expected to boost the local edible oil industry over time, creating 500 permanent jobs.
Madagascar: New Cocoa Processing Plant Launched
In Madagascar, a new cocoa processing unit has been launched in the Ambanja district. The unit has an hourly processing capacity of 1 tonne for the production of cocoa powder. For its supply of raw materials, the company will rely on local producers, as the district accounts for around 90% of Madagascar's cocoa production.
More broadly, this investment comes at a time when the processing of cocoa beans is still in its early stages. Currently, Madagascar exports around 98% of its cocoa production in raw form.
Côte d'Ivoire: Cashew Nut Processing Unit Unveiled in Odiénné
In Côte d'Ivoire, a new cashew nut processing unit based in Odiénné has been inaugurated by the agrifood company Ecocajou. Costing a total of 10 billion FCFA ($16.3 million), the unit has a processing capacity of 15,000 tonnes of cashew nuts per year.
The plant has already created 840 jobs and is expected to contribute to the creation of almost 7,000 additional direct and indirect jobs in the long term. Côte d'Ivoire is the world's third-largest cashew nut processor, behind Vietnam and India.
Algeria: Bonifiche Ferraresi to Invest $455m in Cereal Production
Italian food company Bonifiche Ferraresi has signed an agreement with the Algerian government to invest €420 million ($455 million) in an agricultural project. The project will cover an area of 36,000 hectares in the wilaya of Timimoun, in the middle of the Sahara.
This area will be dedicated to the production of wheat, lentils, dried beans, and chickpeas, as well as the construction of pasta processing units and storage silos. The project, which will generate 6,700 jobs, is expected to help boost cereal and pulse production in Algeria.
