Bolloré Africa Logistics

What Bolloré Africa Logistics does

Bolloré Africa Logistics was the African port operations and logistics arm of French conglomerate Bolloré Group, with a physical footprint spanning 42 ports and 16 container terminal concessions across the continent. The business originated from the 1991 merger of Delmas-Vieljeux with SCAC forming SDV (SCAC-Delmas Vieljeux), was expanded materially via the 1999 acquisitions of African network AMI and British shipping line OTAL with its African land network, and operated end-to-end shipping, terminal handling, and inland logistics services for international shipping lines, freight forwarders, and African cargo owners. Revenue mechanics combined long-duration government-granted terminal concessions, transaction-based handling fees, and integrated logistics services across multi-port routes, with customer reach anchored by decade-plus concession contracts and dense inter-port connectivity.

In March 2022 the Bolloré Group signed a contract to sell Bolloré Africa Logistics to MSC Group, with the transaction completed in December 2022 after regulatory approvals. As a result, Bolloré Africa Logistics is no longer part of the Bolloré portfolio; the asset is now consolidated under MSC. The divestiture — alongside the 2024 sale of residual Bolloré Logistics to CMA CGM — completed the parent group's full exit from transport and logistics, leaving Bolloré SE focused on oil logistics (Bolloré Energy), communications equity stakes (UMG, Canal+, Havas, Louis Hachette Group, Vivendi), and industry (Blue Solutions, Bluebus, Bolloré Innovative Thin Films, IER/Automatic Systems/Bluesystems). Any forward-looking strategic trajectory for Bolloré Africa Logistics now sits with MSC rather than with the Bolloré Group.

Name

Bolloré Africa Logistics

Legal name

Bolloré SE

Website

https://bollore.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1822

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Bolloré Africa Logistics operated 42 ports and 16 container terminal concessions across Africa, providing shipping, terminal handling, and inland logistics services to international shipping lines and cargo owners as part of the Bolloré Group. The entity was divested to MSC Group in December 2022.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Cape Town

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Oil Logistics (Bolloré Energy): Oil logistics and petroleum product distribution in France, Switzerland and Germany. Includes storage, distribution of domestic fuel oil, diesel, non-road diesel, biofuels. Operates 64 service stations including 54 in Germany under Calpam brand.
2. Communication Holdings: Revenue through shareholdings in media and communication companies: Universal Music Group (18.4%), Canal+ (30.4%), Louis Hachette Group (30.4%), Havas (30.4%), Vivendi (29.3%). These are consolidated through Vivendi which manages a portfolio of listed and unlisted assets in content, media and entertainment industries.
3. Industry Division: Industry segment includes Films (polypropylene films for capacitors and packaging), Blue (LMP batteries, Bluebus electric buses), and Systems (IER, Automatic Systems, EASIER, Track & Trace, Indestat, Polyconseil, Bluesystems). Manufacturing and sale of industrial products and solutions.
4. Financial Portfolio: Shareholdings portfolio valued at €10.6 billion at end of 2025, including stakes in listed companies generating returns through dividends and capital appreciation.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Bolloré Africa Logistics provided integrated logistics services across the African continent, operating container terminals, port concessions, freight forwarding, and inland transport. The unit was present in 42 ports and held 16 container terminal concessions, serving shipping lines, cargo owners, and importers/exporters active on African trade lanes. It was sold to MSC in December 2022 as part of Bolloré Group's strategic refocusing.

Product overview

The Bolloré Group is a diversified French conglomerate operating across three main business segments: Oil Logistics (through Bolloré Energy), Communications (through equity stakes in major media companies), and Industry (through battery technology, electric buses, thin films, and smart city solutions). The group's product portfolio includes industrial units (Blue Solutions with solid-state LMP batteries, Bluebus electric buses, Bolloré Innovative Thin Films for packaging), smart city technology platforms (Bluesystems Smart City Platform, IER access control systems, Track & Trace solutions), and holds significant equity stakes in Universal Music Group (18.4%), Canal+ (30.4%), Havas (30.4%), Louis Hachette Group (30.4%), and Vivendi (29.3%). The group manages a portfolio of listed shareholdings worth €10.6 billion as of end 2025.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bolphane: Extended and innovative range of multi-purpose or functional packaging for industry and consumer goods markets
• Bolfresh
• Calpam
• Koolza 100
• Izipure
• Calorza
• LMP (Lithium Métal Polymère)
• Smart City Platform

Products and services

• Container Terminal Operations

Quantifiable outcome

• €2.9 billion revenue in 2025
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• CMA CGMmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 February 2024Bolloré Logistics was sold to CMA CGM in 2024. The transaction completed successfully after regulatory approvals, marking a major strategic shift for Bolloré's logistics operations.
• NestecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2023Partnership with Neste, the world leader in renewable fuel production, for distribution of HVO100 Neste MY Renewable Diesel in France starting 2024. This supports Bolloré Energy's transition to low-carbon fuels.
• MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 December 2022Bolloré Africa Logistics was sold to MSC in 2022. The transaction was completed after obtaining necessary regulatory approvals. This represented a major divestment of Bolloré's African logistics operations.
• Alibaba GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 July 2018Global partnership between Bolloré Group and Alibaba announced in July 2018 for mutual strategic cooperation.
• PininfarinacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 June 2017Joint venture for development and commercialization of Bluecar electric vehicles. Pininfarina provided vehicle design expertise while Bolloré provided LMP battery technology.
• PSA Peugeot CitroëncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2015Strategic partnership for development and commercialization of electric vehicles including E-Mehari model. Combined Bolloré's LMP battery technology with PSA's automotive manufacturing capabilities.
• RenaultcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 September 2013Partnership in electric vehicle development, leveraging Bolloré's battery technology for vehicle applications.
• GruauminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 February 2008Joint venture for development of Microbus electric vehicles as part of the Group's clean public transport solutions.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights1 record

Broad incumbents

• BYD: Chinese EV and battery manufacturer with broad product line including electric buses, passenger vehicles and energy storage. Larger incumbent competing with Bluebus in e-buses and with Blue Solutions' parent ecosystem at the broader battery level.
• Toray Industries: Japanese advanced materials conglomerate with a leading position in polypropylene and capacitor films. Comparable to Bolloré Innovative Thin Films in the capacitor and packaging film manufacturing category, though at significantly larger scale.
• TotalEnergies Marketing & Services: French-headquartered integrated energy major with a European retail and petroleum product distribution franchise. Comparable to Bolloré Energy as a broader oil logistics and fuel distribution incumbent across overlapping geographies.

Direct peers

• Yutong Bus: China-based global leader in electric and conventional buses, with large-scale international deployments. Direct peer to Bolloré's Bluebus in the electric public transit bus category.
• CMA CGM: French container transportation and logistics group that completed acquisition of Bolloré Logistics in February 2024. Operates similar container terminal and logistics assets and represents the direct continuation of the Group's legacy logistics business.
• QuantumScape: US-listed developer of solid-state lithium-metal batteries targeting automotive applications. Comparable to Blue Solutions as a direct solid-state battery peer; both pursue commercialization of solid electrolytes for EV cells.
• Assa Abloy: Swedish global leader in access control solutions, automatic doors and entrance automation operating in 70+ countries. Direct overlap with Bolloré's Automatic Systems and IER brands in security gates, barriers, and ticketing solutions.
• MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company: Marseille-based global container shipping and terminal operator that acquired Bolloré Africa Logistics in December 2022. Direct successor in African port operations and the most direct peer to the divested entity named on this record.
• Solid Power: US-listed solid-state battery developer with sulfide-based electrolyte technology and automotive OEM partnerships. Direct competitor to Blue Solutions' LMP technology in the industrializing solid-state battery segment.

Emerging players

• ProLogium Technology: Taiwanese solid-state battery pioneer scaling gigafactory capacity in Europe. Competing directly with Blue Solutions for solid-state battery market entry in EVs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bollore

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bolloré Africa Logistics