Burkina Faso: Burkina Faso state brewery resumes operations after 17 years of inactivity

The Société nouvelle Brasserie du Faso, a state-owned brewery outside Ouagadougou, has resumed operations after 17 years of inactivity, Ecofin Agency reported on November 27.

The plant, located in the commune of Komsilga, was inaugurated on November 25 by President Ibrahim Traoré, alongside several members of the government and local officials. The relaunch required 17.9 billion CFA francs, or about $31.7 million, to modernize the facility. With an installed capacity of 600,000 hectolitres, the brewery will produce two brands, Braf’or and Brafaso.

The reopening marks a new chapter for a company that struggled for nearly two decades. Founded in 2004, SN Brafaso shut down four years later. The state acquired the plant in 2012 for 40 billion CFA francs, but rehabilitation work only began in earnest in March 2024, according to a government statement.

The brewery returns to a market that looks very different from the one it left. Brakina, the longtime leader and a subsidiary of the Castel Group, has strengthened its grip. Another competitor has emerged as well: Libs Brasserie Sarl, owned by Indian businessman Vaswani Lakhi. The company set up a 3.9-hectare facility in Gampéla in early 2019 with a capacity of 430,000 hectoliters and now sells two brands, Marina and Libs. It has made clear its ambition to challenge established players and tap into the country’s growing beer consumption. According to BarthHass, Burkina Faso was the second-largest beer producer in WAEMU in 2024, with 3.1 million hectoliters, behind Côte d’Ivoire’s 4.8 million.

Observers say the revived state brewery will need to compete not only on price but also on nationwide distribution if it hopes to regain customers. Brakina, for instance, relies on the Sodibo distribution company to ensure its products are available across the country.