The first chocolate bars produced at Cameroon’s Chocolat Rouge factory in Obala are expected to reach consumers within three weeks, marking a major step in the country’s efforts to process more of its cocoa locally and move up the global value chain.
The milestone was confirmed on June 19 during a meeting between Trade Minister Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana and French investor Olivier Bordais, president of SAS MANTA and promoter of the CFA40 billion ($65 million) project.
Bordais, accompanied by Aristide Tchemtchoua, president of the Cacao-Scoops.ca producers’ cooperative in Nkoaekogo, updated the minister on the factory’s progress as it prepares to begin commercial production.
Located in the Lékié Division of Cameroon’s Centre Region, the facility was inaugurated in June 2024 with the aim of transforming locally produced cocoa beans into premium chocolate products for domestic and international markets.
The project forms part of Cameroon’s strategy to reduce reliance on raw cocoa exports and increase the share of processed products in its export portfolio.
More Read
Discussions between the company and authorities also focused on export opportunities, particularly following China’s decision to provide zero-tariff access for Cameroonian products from May 1, 2026.
Bordais said the Chinese market represented a significant opportunity for premium chocolate products, as demand trends in the country increasingly align with higher-end confectionery offerings.
The opening of the Chinese market comes as exporters face stricter regulatory and certification requirements in Europe, encouraging producers to explore alternative destinations.
More Read
For Chocolat Rouge, expanding into Asia could help diversify markets while increasing demand for value-added cocoa products.
The factory is expected to source cocoa from farmers in the Lékié area, creating stronger links between local producers and industrial processing.
Bordais praised the skills of the Cameroonian workforce involved in setting up and testing the facility, saying employees had demonstrated strong technical capacity during the installation phase.
However, the investor highlighted electricity supply disruptions as a major challenge. Frequent power interruptions, he said, affect production schedules, equipment reliability and operating costs.
Beyond international exports, the factory is also expected to benefit from opportunities created by the gradual implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area, which seeks to improve trade in processed goods across Africa.
Cameroon is one of the world’s leading cocoa producers but has historically exported much of its crop in raw form, limiting the economic benefits generated from processing.
More Read
The launch of Chocolat Rouge’s commercial production is therefore seen by authorities as a move toward greater industrialization, job creation and increased earnings from cocoa.
With the first chocolate bars expected on shelves before the end of the month, the Obala factory is entering a new phase as Cameroon seeks to strengthen its position in the global chocolate value chain.
