Ivory Coast: Brewery business becomes competitive

Selling beer is now very competitive in Ivory Coast.

Since the arrival of Dutch group Heineken in April 2016, the monopoly enjoyed by Solibara owned by French Group Castel has pushed both companies to engage in a series of advertising campaigns.

The advertising campaigns in the form of posters is going on at a time when retailers in the beer business complain of a decline in profits.

“A crate of beer in Ivory Coast is now sold for 5000FCFA. How much will one gain after selling the crate. This is because today I sell Solibra products. When you say that beer is made in Ivory Coast then dealers in the product need to benefit from it. I gain about 1000 FCFA from a crate of beer. Who then pays all the other costs. I have just spoken the truth,” a dealer in beer products, Josue Gnahoua said.

Solibra holds two thirds of the market and achieved a turnover of 305 million euros in 2016. On the other side is its competitor Brassivoire, which has seized a third of the market in a year. Both companies now recognise that competition has become tougher in the beer industry.

“Our goal here at Brassivoire is to be helpful partners in the growth of Ivory Coast and all what we have been doing is directed towards this area,” Brassivoire communication officer, Bintou Appia said.

The deputy director of Solibra, Roger Adou said: “What we are saying as a historical actor is that we have a duty to ensure that this advertsing should be done in a responsible manner so that this should not have any negative consequences on the population” The brewery industry in Ivory Coast is booming as the West African country keeps witnessing an increase in its growth rate since 2012.