The story
During the colonial era, traditional alcoholic drinks were the only beverages consumed in the Belgian Congo. Later on, Belgian colonists, seeking to stimulate economic development and investment, decided to set up a local brewing industry. With financial backing from the Société Congolaise de Banque, investors founded a brewery on 23 October 1923, in Léopoldville (present-day Kinshasa) under the name Brasserie de Léopoldville, with an initial capital of 4,000,000 Congolese francs. Shortly thereafter, the company was renamed Brasserie, Limonaderie et Malterie (abbreviated as Bralima). As noted by Congolese writer Pascal Ndegeyi Murhula, Bralima's establishment was intended to counteract the popularity of indigenous alcoholic beverages, which were distilled and fermented "under questionable hygienic conditions".
Three years later, on 26 December 1926, the brewery introduced its first beer, Primus. At the time, it was not pasteurized and production was still small, with around 5,000 bottles made each month. However, between 1926 and 1933, Bralima faced financial hardship due to the Great Depression of 1929, which led to a decline in the international value of its products. During this time, Primus faced competition from imported beers, and many locals found it too expensive. Government rules limited beer sales, and distribution was mostly restricted to urban areas.
By 1934, production had doubled to 10,000 bottles per month, salaries had increased, and a pasteurizer was installed to extend the shelf life. By 1936, output had climbed to 35,000 bottles per month. Following the Second World War, under "Mr. Viser" leadership, the brewery expanded during an economic boom in the DRC. Stakeholders were more likely to invest, and Bralima decided to implement a decentralized structure. Between 1950 and 1992, the company established several branches: Bukavu (1950), Brazzaville (1952), Kisangani (1957), Kigali (1957), Boma (1958), Mbandaka (1972), Gisenyi (1972), and Lubumbashi (1992). In 1973, Bralima launched a modernization drive that included constructing a Steinecker stainless-steel brewhouse as part of a long-term development program. The 1986 expansion of this facility added twelve fermentation tanks, each with a 250,000-liter capacity, along with a modern filtration system, a sterile water treatment plant, and labeling equipment capable of handling 24,000 bottles per hour.
Since 1986, the company has been majority-owned by Heineken N.V., which has allowed Bralima to maintain its position as a dominant player in the national brewing sector. Heineken N.V. also owns the Kinshasa Bottling Company (Bouteillerie de Kinshasa; BOUKIN), whose plant began operations in 1948 and produced its first bottle on 31 January 1950. The company became part of Heineken N.V.'s portfolio in 1987. In 1992, Heineken N.V. further expanded its presence through the acquisition and merger of the Industrial Soft Drinks Company (Compagnie Industrielle des Boissons; CIB) with Bralima. It also acquired the shares of CIB–Coca-Cola (Compagnie Industrielle des Boissons–Coca-Cola), which produced Coca-Cola beverages under license from the Coca-Cola Company and received financial backing from SODELEAU Bruxelles. This acquisition was officially ratified by Ordinance-Law No. 78/471, dated 26 December of the same year, under which President Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire consolidated several Congolese beverage producers into a single corporation. The merged entities included the Compagnie Katangaise des Boissons (Katanga Beverage Company) based in Lubumbashi, Boisson de Matadi (Matadi Beverages) in Matadi, Compagnie Industrielle des Boissons (Industrial Beverage Company) in Boma, Compagnie Africaine des Boissons Gazeuses (African Soft Drink Company) in Kisangani, and Compagnie Congolaise des Boissons (Congolese Beverage Company) in Kinshasa.
Heineken N.V. acquired the Unibra plant in Kisangani, which was officially integrated into Bralima-Kisangani on 21 June 1996. Bralima has attracted scrutiny for alleged links with corrupt political figures and rebel leaders involved in the country's prolonged conflict. Due to instability across several regions, Bralima employs Top SIG, a private security firm affiliated with Saracen International, to protect its operations. During the M23 campaign in early 2025, "armed personnel" seized its sites in Bukavu and Goma. Before the conflict reached Goma and Bukavu, the company halted its operations and provided resources to enable employees to remain safely at home, with routine check-ins. On 15 February, after the withdrawal of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) and the Congolese National Police, widespread looting erupted in Bukavu, which affected multiple organizations, including Bralima, whose depots and brewery suffered extensive damage and theft of stock, materials, and equipment. On 20 February, the Uvira depot was also plundered by military and militia groups, but no employees or their families were harmed, though operations remained suspended in Goma, Bukavu, and the surrounding areas.
On 19 November 2025, Heineken N.V. transferred its Bukavu brewery for €1 to a Mauritian-based firm Synergy Ventures Holdings Ltd, owned by regional entrepreneurs. The transfer followed the loss of operational control in June 2025 and was guided by humanitarian objectives, including safeguarding jobs, maintaining community services, and preventing misuse of the facility. The Bukavu site employed approximately 1,000 people directly and indirectly, and Synergy Ventures took full responsibility for operations, employee welfare, and tax compliance. Heineken N.V. retains a three-year option to repurchase the brewery if conditions improve.
On 10 April 2026, Heineken N.V. sold its stake to Mauritius-based ELNA Holdings Ltd, which took over Bralima's operations, including production, distribution, and employees.
From Wikipedia’s article on Bralima, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4