UCB Eyes West African Growth With New Canned Beverage Line

Shoppers in some of Douala’s major supermarkets have recently started seeing a new version of Kadji Beer on store shelves. The flagship drink of Union Camerounaise de Brasseries (UCB) is now available in cans.

According to sources within the company, UCB has also introduced canned versions of its Special Pamplemousse soft drink and its KiQ energy drink. The launch follows the start of operations at UCB’s new production facility built on the former Kadji Sports Academy site outside Douala. Known as the Moungo plant, the facility required an investment of about CFA100 billion and has an annual production capacity of 2 million hectoliters, matching the output of the company’s original brewery in Douala-Bassa.

A Fast-Growing Market Segment

With canned beverages, UCB is entering a market segment that has gained popularity in Cameroon over the past decade, particularly at weddings, parties, and large public events. For years, limited local production helped create space for imported canned drinks, including products that entered the country illegally from neighboring markets such as Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea. Local brewers have repeatedly complained about the impact of those imports.

In 2016, market leader SABC estimated fraudulent imports of canned beer at around 300,000 hectoliters, worth nearly CFA12 billion. To respond, the Castel-owned company invested CFA3 billion in a canning line at its Ndokoti plant in Douala in 2017, allowing it to package several of its leading beer and soft-drink brands in cans. UCB’s entry into the segment reflects an effort to capture part of an already established market while limiting the room available for imported products.

But the company’s ambitions go beyond Cameroon. According to sources close to the Joseph Kadji Defosso-founded group, UCB also sees canned products as a practical tool for expanding exports. Unlike glass bottles, cans travel more easily over long distances and reduce the risk of breakage during transport.

Looking Beyond Cameroon

As part of that strategy, UCB plans to open a distribution center in Côte d’Ivoire, which is expected to serve as the company’s West African hub. The facility would receive products from both Douala and Aba, Nigeria, where Kadji Group inaugurated a new production plant worth about CFA20 billion in March 2026.

The regional push comes as competition in Cameroon’s brewing industry grows more intense. The acquisition of Guinness Cameroon by Castel, announced in 2022 and approved in 2023 despite objections from UCB, further strengthened SABC’s dominant position in the local market.

Against that backdrop, the launch of canned products represents more than a packaging change.

It is part of a broader strategy to protect market share at home, reduce the impact of illegal imports, and build a stronger presence in West Africa, where canned beverages offer clear logistical advantages for cross-border distribution.

Brice R. Mbodiam