French retailer Carrefour has completed its exit from Adialéa, its African joint venture with CFAO, after selling its remaining 5% stake in July 2025, according to Jeune Afrique. The move marks Carrefour’s full withdrawal from the partnership, which operates Carrefour-branded stores in Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire.
Carrefour originally held 45% of Adialéa when the venture was launched in 2013 to expand the brand across Africa but has since gradually reduced its shareholding. The Chief Executive of CFAO Consumer,Franck Rouquet confirmed that Adialéa is now fully owned by CFAO, which will continue running the network under the Carrefour brand license. Rouquet noted that CFAO’s strong financial base and operational capacity would allow it to continue investing and expanding the business independently. The sale follows Carrefour’s recent retreat from Senegal, signalling a broader shift away from some African markets.
Under CFAO’s full ownership, Adialéa is refocusing on smaller, more profitable formats such as Carrefour Market and Carrefour Express, rather than large hypermarkets that have struggled to compete with informal retailers and shifting consumer habits. Director of Sagaci Research,Julien Garcier said this approach reflects a more sustainable model for the region’s retail environment.
Adialéa continues to operate in Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon, though financial strains remain most visible in the latter. On June 23, 2025, its Cameroonian subsidiary undertook a US$8.2 million recapitalisation, briefly raising and then reducing share capital to absorb accumulated losses. A similar restructuring in 2022 cleared losses of about US$6.1 million, highlighting ongoing financial challenges.
While Carrefour exits Adialéa, it remains committed to its East African operations through a partnership with Majid Al Futtaim. The retailer recently opened its 30th Kenyan store at Waris Mall in Ruai, Nairobi, spanning 1,500 square metres and creating over 40 jobs. Majid Al Futtaim said the new outlet will serve the fast-growing eastern Nairobi region, where rising residential and infrastructure development is driving demand for modern retail. The store offers a wide range of groceries, household goodsand fresh produce, much of it sourced directly from Kenyan farmers and small suppliers, helping stabilise farmer incomes while ensuring consistent supply and quality.
Carrefour’s Kenyan network now includes 25 stores in Nairobi, four in Mombasa and one in Kisumu, since entering the market in 2016. Although the investment cost for the Ruai store has not been disclosed, industry analysts estimate that similar outlets typically require several million US dollars to establish.
