Cameroon has put the proposed sale of a controlling stake in Société Sucrière du Cameroun (Sosucam) under closer government scrutiny, highlighting the economic and food-security importance of the country’s largest integrated sugar producer.
French group Somdia, part of Castel, agreed in August to sell its 82% stake in Sosucam to a consortium of Cameroonian investors. The proposed buyers include business and financial figures such as Henriette Noutchougouin of NJS and banker William Nkontchou. The transaction remains subject to conditions, including government approval.
The proposed takeover also comes with a substantial investment commitment. The consortium has pledged €210 million, equivalent to about CFAF 137.7 billion, for a multi-year program focused on modernizing Sosucam’s production facilities and expanding irrigation across its agricultural estate. The plan is also intended to improve operational performance, preserve employment and increase domestic sugar production.
Yaoundé has nevertheless slowed the process. In August, Prime Minister Joseph Dion Ngute instructed Somdia to suspend steps related to the disposal while the government examines the transaction. A strategic steering committee was subsequently deployed to Sosucam’s sites in Mbandjock and Nkoteng, bringing together officials from finance, industry, agriculture, trade, land affairs and labor, as well as representatives of state investment and social-security institutions.
The government’s involvement reflects the scale of Sosucam’s economic footprint. The company operates around 27,600 hectares of sugarcane plantations and employs thousands of people directly and indirectly. Cameroon’s trade minister described the sugar market as particularly sensitive and protected, while the government has stressed the need for a carefully managed transition.
Sosucam’s importance is also linked to Cameroon’s persistent sugar supply gap. The company has a stated production capacity of about 130,000 tonnes a year, although actual output was around 85,000 tonnes in 2024. Cameroon continues to rely on imports to supplement domestic supply, making the condition of the country’s main sugar producer relevant to both industrial policy and food security.
The proposed change in ownership therefore comes at a sensitive point for the company. Sosucam invested CFAF 2.5 billion(roughly $4.38 million) in 2026 in a new sugar-cube production unit at Nkoteng, while the prospective buyers have committed much larger sums to broader modernization and irrigation.
For Cameroon, the issue is no longer simply whether Somdia will exit Sosucam. The government is seeking to ensure that a change in ownership does not disrupt sugar production, employment or agricultural activity, while also securing the investment needed to modernize an industry that remains important to the country’s domestic supply.
