Multiprint’s US$5.1M investment cuts Cameroon’s packaging import reliance

CAMEROON – Multiprint Labels & Packaging has invested CFA 3 billion (US$5.1 million) in a new German Heidelberg Speedmaster press and Italian SACMI crown cap line at its Douala facility, targeting two import-substitution packaging markets valued at over CFA 47 billion (US$83 million) while boosting annual label production from 3 billion to more than 14 billion units.

The expansion includes a CFA 2 billion (US$3.4 million) Heidelberg Speedmaster CX 104 offset press operating at 15,000 sheets per hour, a CFA 600 million (US$1.0 million) SACMI PMC300C crown cap line producing 3,000 caps per minute from December 2026, and a CFA 400 million (US$680,000) solar photovoltaic plant to secure operations and avoid an estimated 365 tonnes of carbon emissions annually. 

The company, which supplies Nestlé, Castel, Cadyst Groupe and Source du Pays, recorded a 15 percent revenue increase in Q1 2026 and cumulative growth exceeding 400 percent since 2019. 

How Heidelberg Press and SACMI Line Drive Import Substitution

The new press will elevate annual label production capacity from 3 billion to over 14 billion units, covering 150 percent of domestic Cameroonian demand and nearly 90 percent of CEMAC regional requirements. 

The crown cap line targets a market historically dependent on imports, valued at CFA 23.7 billion (US$40.3 million), while the premium packaging segment is estimated at CFA 24 billion (US$40.8 million). 

The German press enables Multiprint to achieve international quality standards for its clients including Castel, Guinness, Nestlé, UCB and Chococam. Stéphane Descazeaud, Director General of SABC, confirmed his teams have been instructed to redirect a portion of foreign orders to Multiprint, reducing import reliance.

Solar Plant and 10 Billion CFA Long-Term Vision

The 400 million CFA (US$680,000) solar photovoltaic plant, financed through a partnership with Societe Generale Cameroon, will guard against national power grid instability while avoiding 365 tonnes of carbon emissions annually. 

CEO Ibrahima Ousmanou, Chairman of the Industry Commission of GECAM, stated that each crown cap manufactured locally directly reduces foreign currency outflows, generates tax revenue, and creates skilled domestic jobs. 

The investment marks the first phase of a broader CFA 10 billion (US$17 million) three-year industrial programme, itself part of a CFA 25 billion long-term plan targeting CFA 70 billion in revenue by 2030. 

Multiprint’s revenue grew from CFA 5 billion to CFA 17 billion between 2019 and 2024, with over 300 employees at its Bonabéri site.

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