Cameroon is further expanding its industrial capacity in cocoa processing with the construction of a new factory in Baré Bakem. On February 27, 2026, the Ministers of Trade, Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, and Agriculture, Gabriel Mbairobe, laid the foundation stone for the Samen Industry S.A. factory.
Located in the Moungo department, Littoral region, the factory will span three hectares and include a production unit, storage areas, parking lots, and green spaces. The factory's processing capacity is estimated at over 32,000 tonnes of cocoa beans per year. Samen Industry will become the sixth active cocoa grinder in Cameroon. The total investment for this project has not been disclosed.
Samen Industry will join companies such as Sic Cacaos, a subsidiary of the Swiss group Barry Callebaut, Chococam, controlled by South African Tiger Brands, Atlantic Cocoa, from the Ivorian group Kone Dossongui, as well as Cameroonian companies Neo Industry and Africa Processing. The increase in the number of grinding facilities has allowed Cameroon to exceed the threshold of 100,000 tonnes of locally processed beans during the 2024-2025 season. This dynamic has intensified competition for the purchase of beans, leading to higher prices paid to producers and a strengthened Cameroonian presence in international markets for semi-processed products.
In 2024, Yaoundé appeared for the first time in the world's top 10 exporters of cocoa derivatives. The entry into service of Samen Industry could increase competitive pressure on the domestic bean market, in a context where the authorities aim to increase the added value captured locally by the sector. Cameroon aims to locally process more than 80% of its cocoa production.
