Our subsidiaries
Our subsidiaries are major agro-industrial players in each of the countries in which they operate. They are involved in the production and marketing of essential products such as sugar, wheat flour, maize flour, maize grits, animal feed and day-old chicks.
They operate in West Africa (Ivory Coast and Togo) and Central Africa (Cameroon, Congo, Gabon and Chad).
Our subsidiaries
Our subsidiaries are major agro-industrial players in each of the countries in which they operate. They are involved in the production and marketing of essential products such as sugar, wheat flour, maize flour, maize grits, animal feed and day-old chicks.
They operate in West Africa (Ivory Coast and Togo) and Central Africa (Cameroon, Congo, Gabon and Chad).
Somdia Group owns 5 sugar mills, 4 wheat flour mills, 2 maize mills, 3 animal feed units, 3 hatcheries and 2 farms.
These entities are spread across 6 countries in West and Central Africa. In order to strengthen its presence on the continent, Somdia is positioning itself in new markets, notably by setting up its first alcohol distillery in the Congo.
Our subsidiaries
Sucrerie Africaine
Ivory Coast
(SUCAF-CI)
Managing Director:
Anthony Ahiaba
Created in 1997 following the restructuring and privatisation of the Ivorian sugar sector, SUCAF Côte d’Ivoire has been part of the Somdia Group since 2010.
Its sugar cane comes from both its irrigated areas – 14,600 hectares, spread over the two sites – and from the surrounding village crops. The two sugar factories are located in Ferkessédougou in northern Ivory Coast, close to the borders with Burkina Faso and Mali.
Activities
In addition to growing sugar cane, SUCAF Côte d'Ivoire produces and markets sugar (blond and refined) in various forms (lumps, sachets, doypacks, logs), notably under the “Princesse Tatie” brand.
SUCAF Côte d’Ivoire also contributes to the development of local infrastructure (roads, irrigation, medical centre, school, etc.). A 4-hectare solar field is also planned to secure the
energy supply for the factory and the irrigation system.
Thanks to their modern equipment, the two sites operated by SUCAF Côte d’Ivoire are capable of harvesting more than 1,350,000 tons of cane to produce more than 135,000 tons of sugar a year.
Société Sucrière du Cameroun (SOSUCAM)
Chief Executive Officer:
Jean-Pierre Champeaux
Since 1965, Société Sucrière du Cameroun (SOSUCAM) has been the sugar market leader in Cameroon and Central Africa. Located in Upper Sanaga, the company is building up its
expertise in the planting, harvesting, production, packaging and marketing of high-quality sugar using innovative, environmentally-friendly processes.
With a strong focus on its customers and a keen eye on their changing needs, SOSUCAM supplies its local market with ISO 22000-certified quality sugar in the form of granules, lumps, logs and doypacks (flexible packaging with a spout) under its prestige brand “Princesse Tatie.”
With 25,000 hectares of plantations covering the districts of Mbandjock, Nkoteng and Lembe-Yezoum, SOSUCAM is committed to local community development through its sustainable development policy. It is implementing projects to improve living conditions for local people, education, vocational training and the protection of biodiversity.
“In 2023, our company, recognised as an agro-industrial leader and creator of value in Cameroon, launched its comprehensive restructuring plan to be able to produce 130,000 tons of sugar in 2027. The plan is called OSER, which stands for Orientation, Strategy, State of Mind, Reconstruction – a real ambition!”
– Jean-Pierre Champeaux
Société Agricole de Raffinage Industriel
du Sucre du Congo
(SARIS Congo)
Managing Director: Vincent Bouckaert
The company was founded in 1956 under the name Société Industrielle et Agricole du Niari (SIAN), in the town of Nkayi, and at the time consisted of three entities: the sugar factory for sugar production, the oil factory for groundnut oil refining and the Louamba farm for cattle rearing.
As the fruit of a long history and a series of successive developments, Société Agricole et de Raffinage Industriel de Sucre (SARIS Congo) was created in 1991 following a partnership between the Somdia group and the Republic of Congo.
It is located in the Bouenza department, in the Niari valley, halfway between Pointe-Noire and Brazzaville. SARIS Congo owns a concession of almost 20,000 hectares, on which 12,000 hectares of sugar cane are planted.
SARIS Congo produces around 70,000 tons of sugar every year in compliance with food safety standards, and sells its sugar exclusively on the African markets of the Central African
Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) under the “Princesse Tatie” brand.
Activities
SARIS Congo’s main activity is growing sugar cane and producing blond, refined and lump sugar. The molasses resulting from this processing is destined for the Congo distillery.
It also has a limestone crushing plant at Madingou, which produces limestone powder for improving sugar cane fields, and gravel for civil engineering works.
At the same time, SARIS Congo is growing maize and soya to support cereal crops near its sugar cane plantations and explore their agricultural potential.
It is also involved in reforestation projects, GPS guidance for farm machinery and the selection of new varieties of sugar cane.
“SARIS Congo is proud to contribute to the local development of the town of Nkayi, so much so that many people refer to it as the ‘sugar town’. It’s an adventure of remarkable longevity that has an impact on the whole region and helps to create a pool of direct and indirect employment.”
– Vincent Bouckaert
Compagnie Sucrière
du Tchad (CST)
Managing Director: Philippe Hoogstoel
Founded in 1977, Société Nationale du Tchad (SONASUT) was privatised on 11 April 2000 under the name Compagnie Sucrière du Tchad (CST). Its site is located in south-eastern Chad, in the canton of Banda, 25km from Sarh (Moyen-Chari region). The factory and plantations border the River Chari, the region’s main source of irrigation.
Activities
42 years of expertise have enabled CST to develop unique know-how in Chad in the irrigation and exploitation of sugar cane, as well as in the production of white granulated
sugar, distributed under the “Princesse Tatie” brand.
CST is committed to using modern, environmentally-friendly farming techniques (100% irrigated cultivation, electrification of pumping stations, selection and development of new varieties of sugar cane).
The Banda sugar factory can crush 2.400 tons of cane a day over a 180-day campaign , giving it a production capacity of almost 35.000 tons of sugar a year.
Compagnie Fermière Camerounaise (CFC)
Managing Director: Sofien Khalid
Inaugurated in 2021, Compagnie Fermière Camerounaise (CFC) is specialized in processing maize, animal feed production and rearing of day-old chicks.
It operates from two sites, in Mbankomo and Mbandjock, in central Cameroon.
Activities
CFC’s maize mill produces grits – maize meal – for the country’s breweries, maize flour for families and milling companies, and maize bran (sprouts and husks), a raw material used in livestock feed.
CFC also has a hatchery dedicated to revitalising the Cameroonian poultry industry by marketing a complementary range of day-old chicks, concentrates and/or complete feeds.
The maize mill has a processing capacity of 100 tons a day , meaning that more than 30,000 tons of maize are processed every year. Around 30 tons of animal feed are produced every day, while the 6 incubators and 3 hatcheries give birth to 90,000 day-old chicks every week.
To secure its supplies of local maize, the CFC provides 2,300 producers and around 80 cooperatives with technical advice and input advances, as well as support for structuring
and strengthening farmers’ cooperatives.
– Sofien Khalid
Societe des Grands Moulins du Phare (SGMP)
Managing Director: Jean-Luc Maret
Major player in the agri-food industry in Africa, Somdia has been present in the Congo Republic for over 60 years through its subsidiary, SARIS Congo.
In February 2020, the Group invested in a new industrial unit with the inauguration of Société des Grands Moulins du Phare (SGMP), whose four activities are spread over two sites: the mill, the maize mill and the animal feed unit in the Autonomous Port of Pointe-Noire, and the hatchery in Nkayi, in the Bouenza department.
Activities
SGMP has four business units spread over two sites. The main site, located in the Port Autonome de Pointe-Noire (in the far south of Congo), comprises an agro-industrial complex consisting of a flour mill, a maize mill and an animal feed production unit.
The secondary site, in Nkayi (in the centre south of the country), houses a hatchery, geographically isolated to meet biosafety standards. This hatchery produces day-old chicks for farmers. Nkayi is also the base for our Upstream Agriculture department, which aims to support the development of maize growing.
Flour mill: 300 tons of wheat/day, i.e. 90,000 tons of wheat/year
Maize mill: 100 tons of maize/day, i.e. 30,000 tons of cereals/year
Feed mill: 30 tons of feed/day
The Nkayi hatchery has two incubators and a hatchery that can produce 20,000 day-old chicks per week.
“Growing together: nurturing the future, cultivating the future. At SGMP, our commitment goes beyond our commercial mission. It’s a commitment to the community, to sustainable development and to the very fabric of life in the Congo. Our ambition to feed the future is rooted in the fertile soil of the Congo, a promise to produce quality food. By focusing on local agriculture and livestock development, we are investing in practices that guarantee robust food security for all. Growing together also means cultivating the future. We aim to be a catalyst for progress, investing in sustainable technologies, promoting environmentally-friendly farming and breeding practices and constantly evolving to meet the changing needs of our society. Feeding the future is also a commitment to local communities. We are determined to assume our social responsibility by supporting training, promoting fair working conditions and contributing to the well-being of the communities in which we operate. Our commitment to the environment is demonstrated through sustainable practices that preserve the earth for future generations.”
– Jean-Luc Maret
Société Grand Moulin du Cameroun (SGMC)
Managing Director: Cyrille Piantoni
Société le Grand Moulin du Cameroun (SGMC), founded in 1991, benefits from a strategic location that enables it to efficiently transfer different types of wheat into its silos without interrupting the unloading process.
Activities
SGMC, better known in Cameroon under the name of “Grand Moulin,” helps to supply households, bakery-pastry professionals, industrialists and doughnut makers in the districts with top-quality flours designed for their various needs.
This milling expertise, constantly improved over more than 30 years, enables “Grand Moulin” to produce and market more than 20 flour references adapted to the needs of
Cameroonian users under the best-known brands such as :
- ASSO for doughnut makers,
- Duo, Tigre, La Boulangère for professional bakers,
- Ma Copine and YANA for households.
Milling by-products (bran and remoulds) are produced for the animal feed market.
To keep pace with market growth, anticipate future developments and maintain its leadership, the mill’s crushing capacity has also been revised over time to reach 750 tons of wheat per day, with a grain silo storage capacity of 25,000 tons. With the guarantee of perfect traceability control, production is fully automated, from wheat reception to flour delivery.
With the aim of consolidating its leadership with the highest level of confidence, SGMC has put in place a global approach focused on satisfying the requirements of its stakeholders in terms of quality, health and safety. To achieve this, an Integrated Management System that complies with the requirements of international “Quality Management” and “Food Safety” standards has been put in place. SGMC has been ISO 9001:2015 certified since 19 April 2021.
Finally, as manager of the Douala Grain Terminal, SGMC has been declared compliant under the provisions of Part B of the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code).
“SGMC is a benchmark in Cameroon for both the quality of its products and the rigour of its industrial process and safety standards. With 230 direct jobs and more than 10,000 indirect jobs, SGMC has constantly evolved to meet the needs of its customers in terms of quality, innovation and range expansion.
Since 2012, SGMC has been implementing a Sustainable Development Policy focused on compliance with regulations, the quality of its social dialogue, training, the environment and social commitment, in particular through the local development actions of its Foundation.”
– Cyrille Piantoni
Société Meunière et Avicole du Gabon (SMAG)
Directeur général : Bruno Lardit
La Société Meunière et Avicole du Gabon (SMAG) is Gabon’s leading producer of wheat flour, livestock feed, eggs and day-old chicks.
Starting out as a flour mill in 1969, over the years the company has developed a truly integrated business, from processing cereals to manufacturing animal feed and producing eggs for consumption.
Processing capacity of 340 tons of wheat per day , i.e. up to 120,000 tons of crushed wheat per year.
Annual production of 75,000 tons of flour
Annual production of 32,000 tons of animal feed
Annual production of 40 million eggs
Annual production of 450,000 day-old chicks
Activities
SMAG is a major player in the national agri-food sector. Thanks to its expertise and its wide range of wheat flours, it is the leading partner of artisan bakers in Gabon. It also supports them by training them in the best possible use of its products.
In the livestock sector, the company also provides national breeders with poultry expertise from its Nkoltang operation (Gabon’s leading egg production site), giving them access to day-old chicks and quality feed, which are essential for the smooth running of their farms. As well as constantly striving to meet the needs of its customers, SMAG’s objective is to support the structuring and professionalisation of an efficient, sustainable livestock sector.
SMAG markets several brands:
- 1er PRIX flour (entry-level flour)
- Gato (special flour for doughnuts)
- Boulangère (bread flour)
- COCO N’TO (eggs)
- Énergie plus (animal feed)
“When we talk about SMAG, we are talking about a pillar in the history of the food industry in Gabon. For more than half a century, the company has been developing its know-how and high-performance industrial facilities. It has always been able to meet its customers’ expectations for the supply of wheat flour and livestock products.
With 98% of its teams made up of national employees, SMAG is committed to delivering the highest quality products and services to artisan bakers, livestock farmers and households, and its business has continued to grow over the years.
In Gabon, nine out of ten bread baguettes are produced using SMAG wheat flour, and our brands remain a safe bet for consumers.
In the poultry farming sector, SMAG, by combining the supply of animal feed and day-old chicks, has enabled the emergence of an entire national consumer egg production sector, contributing to local food security and securing jobs in semi-rural areas.
Our aim is to extend the range of support we provide for the development of our business sectors by offering our customers ever more innovative solutions to help them professionalise and modernise their operations.
Today, our commitment is also being extended with the strengthening of our CSR and Sustainable Development Policy through the introduction of a new environmental management plan for our livestock farm and our Soduco industrial site.
Finally, in 2023, the SMAG Foundation joined Somdia Group’s network of foundations, setting up its own office and moving into its new premises in Bikelé. It is now ready to support people in their development projects, in the service of local communities”.
– Bruno Lardit
Société Générale des Moulins du Togo (SGMT)
Managing Director: Kpatolo Zié Coulibaly
La Société Générale des Moulins du Togo (SGMT)is specialized in the processing of wheat into flour and the production of milling co-products such as semolina, cubed bran and fine bran. It is the leading company on the flour market in Togo, with a portfolio of five products (L’Anglaise, la Beignet, la Française, Africa Tennis and la Togolaise). SGMT is based at the port of Lomé, the capital of Togo.
Activities
Production and marketing of flours for bakery and pastry professionals and households, as well as a special doughnut range (Farine Beignets, Africa Tennis, Togolaise).
Production and marketing of co-products from the mill, in particular bran semolina for livestock farmers.
Turnover of 36 billion FCFA.On-site workforce: 156 employees. Total crushing capacity of 516 tons of wheat per day.
“In order to further satisfy its customers and meet market needs, SGMT has been investing in modernizing its production facilities since 2022. We are constantly adapting to listen to our customers, to guarantee a quality product that meets international standards and to improve the efficiency of our working methods.
Firmly committed to meeting these challenges, SGMT makes it a point of honour to guarantee the quality of its products and services through a customer-focused corporate
culture.”
– Kpatolo Zié Coulibaly