Expansion into sub-Saharan Africa

Mr. Bricolage, a French DIY retail group, is going for expansion into sub-Saharan Africa. A first contract has been signed with a new franchise partner in Cameroon. A first store is to be opened in Douala, the biggest city in Cameroon, to start with. Outlets are also planned for some of the country’s other large cities. As suggested by Mr. Bricolage headquarters, this might well result in Cameroon functioning as a bridgehead for expansion into other francophone countries in Africa. The group’s new partner is Ketch, a specialist civil engineering company which also operates limestone quarries for the production of cement (five in Cameroon and one in the Central African Republic). Moreover, it is actively involved in the distribution of bituminous products, as well as in the property sector. The family-owned business is directed by Jean Ketcha and is rated as the biggest civil engineering company under local management.