Invictus Investment Company Plc, a leading agro-food enterprise in the Middle East and Africa, has acquired Merec Industries, Mozambique’s largest flour milling company.
The deal was made through the purchase of Merec Industries’ holding entity, Stratton Africa Holdings Limited, Mauritius, from current shareholders Amethis Fund II and Merec Financial.
Merec Industries is a market leader with strategically located mills, production facilities and silos, along with a strong portfolio of leading food brands. The company operates state-of-the-art milling facilities with a total production capacity of more than 800,000 MT of wheat and corn flour per annum.
It also has processing facilities for over 180,000 MT of pasta, biscuits and animal feed per annum, as well as grain silos with a total storage capacity of more than 145,000 MT. The company’s assets are strategically located in Beira, Maputo and Nacala to comprehensively cover demand in Mozambique and neighboring countries. It also owns a grain terminal at the port of Maputo.
Amir Daoud Abdellatif CEO – Invictus Investment
“The acquisition is expected to add significant scale and synergies between the two companies, increasing our consolidated revenues by over AED 1 billion ($272 million) per annum. It will also accelerate other investments and the expansion of our trading activities, fuelling substantial EBITDA growth, which is projected to more than double in 2025.”
“This move contributes to our long-term strategy to expand our agro-food business in high-potential African markets, develop new strategic partnerships and build on our operational capabilities in the midstream and downstream segments. It also brings us a step closer to our goal of becoming a fully integrated agro-food enterprise in the Middle East and Africa and achieving AED 25 billion ($6.8 billion) in revenue by 2028. With a focus on key staples in the agricultural sector and food industry, the transaction is expected to positively impact food security and economic growth in Mozambique by supporting job creation and driving export growth,” Amir added.
With a population of over 34 million, growing at nearly 3 percent annually[1], Mozambique is an attractive growth market for wheat-based products, where Invictus Investment expects a projected CAGR of 6 percent in demand from 2022 to 2027, driven by population growth, urbanization and rising incomes. The pasta market is also expected to offer additional avenues for business growth, with a forecasted CAGR of 9.5 percent, driven by evolving dietary preferences over time.
Jean Sébastien, Senior Partner at Amethis Fund II, said that, “We are pleased to announce the sale of our Merec shareholding to Invictus Investment. Our partnership with Merec has seen it establish a strong market position and brand portfolio by consistently delivering high-quality products. We are confident that Invictus Investment will further enhance Merec’s growth by improving efficiency, product quality and seizing new opportunities. With Merec’s local expertise and Invictus Investment’s global capabilities, we are certain that the business will reach new heights.”
The acquisition of Merec Industries is Invictus Investment’s second major transaction in Africa, following the purchase of a 60 percent stake in Graderco, Morocco’s leading grains trading company, and its subsidiaries from Zalar Holding.
