Heineken sells Bralima and exits the DR Congo

The Netherlands | Heineken has sold its stake in Bralima, its brewing subsidiary in the Democratic Republic of Congo, ending decades of direct ownership in a market where armed conflicts have severely disrupted its business. Bralima was acquired by Mauritius-based ELNA Holdings, which will take over operations, including production, distribution and employees, the Dutch brewer reported on 10 April. Financial details were not disclosed.

Nothing is known about ELNA but insiders suspect this could be a Mauritian Special Purpose Vehicle, set up to cloak ownership. Given the deeply fractured DR Congo, only Congolese, or people who have Congolese who front for them, can do business there.

Bralima was founded in 1923 by Belgian investors and has been majority-owned by Heineken since 1986. It was here that current CEO Dolf van den Brink and his predecessor, Jean-Francois van Boxmeer, had to prove their mettle before they became eligible for Heineken’s C-suite.

Heineken will retain ownership of its brands and earn revenue through long-term trademark licensing agreements, covering Heineken, Primus, Turbo King, Legend and Mutzig.

Regional escalation of conflict

The sale follows a turbulent period for Heineken in DR Congo. In February 2025, Bralima's brewery and depots in the eastern city of Bukavu were extensively looted after Congolese security forces withdrew amid an advance by AFC/M23 rebels. In June, Heineken said armed personnel had seized its facilities in Bukavu and Goma and it had lost operational control. The loss of these two sites forced Heineken to book an impairment charge of EUR 113 million (USD 133 million) in July 2025.

In November, Heineken transferred its Bukavu brewery to a separate Mauritius-based buyer for EUR 1, retaining a three-year buyback option should conditions stabilise.

The present deal covers the remaining operations - three breweries in Kinshasa, Kisangani and Lubumbashi employing approximately 730 people - in areas not directly affected by the eastern conflict. Whether there is a buy-back option this time too, media were not told.