Cameroon’s Sosucam invests US$4.5M in new sugar unit as national deficit persists, exports surge
The Nkoteng unit replaces the older Mbandjock installation, which no longer meets current technical requirements.
CAMEROON – Société sucrière du Cameroun, a subsidiary of France’s Castel group, has invested 2.5 billion FCFA (approx. US$4.5 million) in a new sugar cube production unit at its Nkoteng site, financed entirely from its own funds.
The facility, with a capacity of 100 tonnes per day, has replaced the older Mbandjock installation and is now operational.
With annual production ranging from 120,000 to 160,000 tonnes, Sosucam covers less than half of the national demand, estimated at nearly 300,000 tonnes.
As a result, this imbalance regularly prompts authorities to authorize imports, creating opportunities for regional sugar suppliers and logistics providers.
Despite the domestic shortfall, Cameroon exported 8,047 tonnes of sugar in 2025, up from just 512 tonnes in 2024. Industry sources suggest these volumes may be re-exported to neighbouring countries, where prices are more profitable.
For instance, in 2022, Cameroon suspended sugar exports to the Central African Republic to limit outflows amid local supply tensions.
Further, Sosucam aims to improve product quality and modernize processes through this investment, with several operators expanding capacity in this deficit market.
On the other hand, Wega Food, based in Douala, plans to increase production to 700 tonnes per day through an extension nearing completion.
Additionally, global subsidies from major producers such as Brazil and India keep world prices artificially low, according to Sosucam, fueling importers’ calls for greater market opening. Therefore, the company advocates regulatory continuity to protect local production.
The Nkoteng unit replaces the older Mbandjock installation, which no longer meets current technical requirements.
The rise in exports raises questions about the nature of trade flows. It may reflect occasional arbitrage towards more profitable neighbouring markets rather than lasting international competitiveness. However, the hypothesis of re-exports has yet to be officially confirmed.
The investment fits within a broader reconfiguration of Cameroon’s sugar market, reflecting operators’ efforts to strengthen national supply.
Tensions in the domestic market remain high, with the imbalance regularly prompting authorities to authorize imports to secure supply.
The new facility is now operational, following a project launched more than two years ago. A senior executive at the Castel group subsidiary confirmed the news.
Ultimately, the unit should help the company strengthen its offering in the processed sugar segment. Internal sources say the company intends to consolidate its position in the national market amid shifting demand and rising competition.
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