Helios Investment Partners (Helios), the leading Africa-focused private investment firm, has announced the acquisition of 100 per cent of Fertilisers and Inputs Holding BV (the Company), which holds Louis Dreyfus Company’s (LDC) Africa-based fertilisers and inputs operations.
Formerly part of SCPA Sivex International (SSI) and acquired by LDC in 2011, the company distributes fertilisers, crop protection products, seeds as well as industrial chemicals through a network spanning Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Mali and Senegal. Since its establishment in the region in 1947, the Company has been a leading distributor of crop inputs and industrial chemicals, leveraging its well-known brand, “La Cigogne” and generates about $300 million in sales annually.
Fertilisers and Inputs Holding BV contributes to Africa’s economic development by helping improve agricultural yields through enhanced access to crop inputs and by encouraging local manufacturing through the supply of chemical ingredients. This includes the water purification industry, which is vital for the continent. In addition, as part of its distribution activities, the Company educates and trains farmers and rural communities on agricultural best practices, facilitating the increase of farm productivity and rural incomes.
Alykhan Nathoo, Partner at Helios, commented: “We are excited to invest in a business that has considerable scale and a long history in its key markets. LDC has been successful at expanding its fertilisers and inputs distribution network in Africa, which stands to benefit from the growing size and sophistication of the continent’s agriculture and industry. We look forward to providing expansion capital and working with management and key stakeholders to accelerate the growth of the business.”
Souleymane Ba, another Partner at Helios, added: “This transaction is a perfect example of Helios’ strategy of investing in core sectors of the economy to build pan-African champions.
Agriculture, which employs nearly half of Africa’s labour force, is the most important contributor to Africa’s GDP; we are looking forward to using our experience in successfully growing other multi-country distribution platforms in this key sector, ultimately helping increase yields and incomes for African farmers.”