Cameroon is set to add a new player to its growing cocoa-processing industry next month as French chocolatier Olivier Bordais prepares to launch the first products from his Chocolat Rouge factory near the capital, Yaoundé.
During a meeting with Trade Minister Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana on June 19, Bordais said the company’s first chocolate bars produced in Cameroon would reach the market within three weeks, ahead of a full commercial launch scheduled for July 2026.
The announcement marks a key milestone for the project, which had initially been expected to begin operations in 2025 before production was rescheduled for no later than the second quarter of 2026.
Built near Obala, the Chocolat Rouge facility represents an investment of around 1.5 million euros ($1.7 million), equivalent to nearly one billion CFA francs. Construction began on May 31, 2024.
The 3,000-square-metre factory will manufacture premium chocolate bars made entirely in Cameroon and aimed at international markets, reflecting the country’s efforts to increase domestic processing of cocoa and reduce reliance on exports of raw beans.
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The launch also comes as Cameroon seeks to capitalize on new trade opportunities with China. Since May 1, 2026, eligible African products have benefited from duty-free access to the Chinese market under a new scheme introduced by Beijing to encourage imports from the continent. Bordais has indicated that Chocolat Rouge intends to target the Chinese market as part of its export strategy.
Cameroon, one of Africa’s leading cocoa producers, has made significant strides in local value addition in recent years. According to the Competitiveness Committee, a think tank linked to the Ministry of Economy, the country has ranked among the world’s top 10 exporters of cocoa paste and cocoa butter since 2024.
The government has identified cocoa processing as a strategic sector for industrialization, job creation and export diversification, with authorities encouraging greater transformation of agricultural commodities before export.
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The arrival of Chocolat Rouge is expected to strengthen those ambitions by expanding Cameroon’s presence in higher-value segments of the global chocolate industry.
