Cameroon Bottled Water Producer SEMC, subsidiary of Boissons du Cameroun, improved profitability in 2025 after recovering from weaker results the previous year.
According to draft resolutions prepared for the company’s shareholder meeting scheduled for June 5 in Douala, SEMC reported net profit of CFA899.5 million under IFRS accounting standards, up from CFA772.2 million in 2024.
The company increased net earnings by about CFA127.3 million after a decline recorded the previous year.
In 2024, profitability had been pressured by rising operating costs, including higher transportation expenses, outside services and raw material costs.
Documents prepared for the shareholder meeting also show net profit of CFA840.6 million under Syscohada accounting standards.
The difference between the IFRS and Syscohada results reflects different accounting treatment for provisions, depreciation and certain financial adjustments.
Board Proposes CFA800 Dividend
Following the improvement in earnings, SEMC’s board of directors is proposing a gross dividend of CFA800 per share for the 2025 financial year.
Based on the company’s 192,473 outstanding shares, the total planned distribution would amount to about CFA154 million.
After taxes, the net dividend would stand at CFA720 per share for shareholders residing in Cameroon, CFA680 for shareholders based in France and CFA696 for other foreign investors.
The company said dividend payments would begin on the day of the shareholder meeting.
Company Keeps Most Earnings in Reserve
Despite the planned dividend payout, SEMC intends to retain most of its profits.
According to the proposed earnings allocation, nearly CFA1.8 billion would remain in retained earnings out of a total distributable profit exceeding CFA2 billion.
The decision reflects a cautious financial strategy as competition intensifies in Cameroon’s bottled water market.
SEMC, long driven by its flagship Tangui brand, now faces growing competition from Source du Pays, which has steadily emerged as one of the market’s leading challengers.
Listed on the Central African regional stock exchange, Bvmac, SEMC shares are currently trading around CFA49,000.
Amina Malloum
