The French engineering group Egis has announced the sale of six of its African subsidiaries — in Cameroon, Madagascar (Inframad), Senegal, Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire and Rwanda — to their local management teams through a management buyout structured around a holding company based in Casablanca.
In a statement reviewed by Investir au Cameroun, Egis described the transaction as a strategic reorganization of its activities on the continent. “This marks a new phase for Egis in Africa. By refining our focus on large-scale projects, we are positioning the company for targeted and strong growth. Africa remains central to Egis’ global vision,” said Charlie Hodgson, Egis director for Africa and Europe.
The new entity, named Infras, stems from an internal buyout led by Arnaud de Rugy, former chief executive of Egis in Africa, alongside Francis Ramiaramanana and the country directors concerned. Based in Casablanca, the group reports more than 500 employees across six countries. According to the information released, the transaction concerns only shareholding: staff levels are maintained and local teams will continue delivering projects under the Infras brand.
Although presented as a transition “without disruption,” the move reshapes Egis’ footprint on a continent where the group says it has operated for more than 75 years. After the transfer, Egis states that it remains active in 25 African countries, mainly in engineering, project management and consulting. The group also retains long-term concessions: road concessions in Congo, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, as well as airport concessions and operations in Côte d’Ivoire, Congo-Brazzaville and Zanzibar.
Egis’ new Africa director, Laure Russier, is tasked with implementing this roadmap. The group plans to concentrate on major rail, port, energy and urban engineering projects, while strengthening its hubs in Morocco — home to its African headquarters — and South Africa.
A Sensitive Context in Cameroon
In Cameroon, the divestment comes amid a dispute linked to the automation of 14 toll gates. Egis was involved alongside the Fayat group within Tollcam Partenariat, the joint venture responsible for implementing the project under a public-private partnership signed in 2019.
On February 2, 2024, the State of Cameroon unilaterally suspended the contract. According to the State’s 2024 audit report published by the Audit Bench of the Supreme Court, Tollcam has referred the case to the International Court of Arbitration in Paris and is seeking CFA30 billion from the Cameroonian government.
The creation of Infras therefore marks a new phase for infrastructure engineering activities previously carried out by Egis in Cameroon. It remains to be seen whether this reorganization will ensure project continuity and preserve investment momentum in a sector facing significant financing needs.
Amina Malloum
