Kate Fotso, widely regarded as Cameroon's wealthiest woman, is set to invest $28.3 million — approximately 17 billion FCFA — in a new brewery facility in Souza, within the Littoral region. The project is poised to rank among the most significant private industrial investments in the country's recent history, signalling a deliberate strategic pivot by one of Central Africa's most prominent business figures.
From Cocoa to Craft: A Major Diversification Move
Fotso built her fortune and reputation as the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Telcar Cocoa, a company that has anchored Cameroon's cocoa export industry for more than two decades. At its peak, Telcar Cocoa controlled approximately 35 percent of Cameroon's total cocoa exports, making it the country's largest cocoa trading corporation. The firm supplied beans to major chocolate manufacturers across Europe, North America, and Asia, placing it at the centre of global cocoa supply chains. During the 2023-2024 cocoa campaign alone, Telcar reportedly handled over 100,000 tonnes of cocoa beans.
Telcar Cocoa's Declining Market Share
However, recent trade data point to a sharp deterioration in the company's performance. During the 2024-2025 season, Telcar's shipments fell to approximately 32,406 tonnes, reducing its market share to around 10.4 percent — a dramatic retreat from the 35 percent dominance it once commanded. The decline has cost Telcar its long-held status as Cameroon's top cocoa exporter, with competitors SIC Cacaos and Sbet now leading the field. Industry observers describe the shift as part of a broader reshuffle in Cameroon's cocoa trade landscape, driven by intensifying competition and evolving global market dynamics.
A Business Empire Expanding Beyond Agriculture
The planned brewery is not Fotso's only venture outside the cocoa sector. She is also the driving force behind Bridge Riviera Development and Hospitality Plc (BRDH), a company established in Douala with a defined duration of 99 years and a share capital of 100 million FCFA, reflecting long-term ambitions in real estate and hospitality. Together, these moves suggest that Fotso is actively repositioning her business portfolio to reduce dependence on agricultural commodities and tap into Cameroon's growing consumer market. The Souza brewery, once operational, would add a significant industrial dimension to an enterprise that has historically been defined by its role in the country's agricultural export economy.
