The SOMDIAA Group : - a major economic actor of food industry in Africa - a long term presence in a continent full of potential. The SOMDIAA Group finds its roots in the Industrial Group founded and run by the VILGRAIN family.

An extensive presence

From 1947 on until today, with 1970 marking the inception of the SOMDIAA Group, the Group led by the VILGRAIN family has never stopped expanding, starting in Congo and setting up a new presence in numerous countries such as Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Ivory Coast

From Grands Moulins de Paris to SOMDIAA

1947 : Jean VILGRAIN, a pioneer in food-processing development in Africa.

The Vilgrain family, which runs the Grands Moulins de Paris, a European wheat business leader, acquired a 29,600-acre property in the NIARI Valley, Congo in association with the French sugar beet growers de WULF family. Thus began the African adventure with the creation of the first cane sugar production plant (SIAN), a flour-milling plant and a peanut oil processing plant.
During that time, several flour-milling and sugar production plants were set up, including in Cameroon, Gabon and Burkina Faso.

1970 : Creation of SOMDIAA

SOMDIAA's first calling was to export the Group's expertise in the areas of agriculture and food-processing techniques by setting up, under partnership with the Governments and private investors, several industrial projects including flour-milling, cane sugar production, cattle feed, industrial bakery, farming, and dairy products.

From the privatization era until today

Under Jean-Louis VILGRAIN's chairmanship, the SOMDIAA Group evolved according to a new economic setting and to the privatization process. SOMDIAA stopped acting solely as a service provider to be an investor again. In 1991, SOMDIAA realized its first privatization process in Congo by acquiring the old SIAN sugar plant, which later became SARIS CONGO.

1995: Alexandre VILGRAIN took over from his father as the head of the African Group.

Today, the Group concentrates on market sourcing in Cameroon, Chad, Gabon and Congo . With several affiliates established thanks to special relationships with multiproduct wholesalers, who represent key middlemen needed to reach quasi-wholesale and retail markets across the territory, the SOMDIAA Group enjoys a strong presence in all of their market segments, and manages a reasoned supply policy based on seasonal variations in demand.

The SOMDIAA Group has created the first sugar brand made in Africa : "Princesse Tatie". 

2011 : Partenariat with CASTEL Group
Three new sugar plants are integrated to SOMDIAA Group

January 3rd, 2011, the SOMDIAA Group has enlarged its presence in Africa thanks to the integration of SUCAF Centrafrique, SUCAF Côte d'Ivoire et SUCAF Gabon (see firms charts) to the favour of a partnership between CASTEL et VILGRAIN.

The SOMDIAA Grous concentrates its activities for supply of the CEMAC markets. Each year, around 20,000 people works for the different activities of the Group on the African continent and Indian Ocean.

Satisfying the food needs of all Central African populations is at the heart of the SOMDIAA Group policy.