Africa West Industries was born from the initiative of seasoned West African partners, driven by decades of experience in the oilseeds sector. Its founder, Angora Tano, former manager of subsidiaries of the SIFCA group (Ivorian agro-industry giant), was able to capitalize on his expertise to build an ambitious and resolutely local industrial company. Incorporated with an initial capital of one billion two hundred million CFA francs, AWI officially started its commercial activities in October 2011. The company quickly structured itself by deploying several modern production units across the south of Côte d'Ivoire. Thus, factories are established in Bonoua, Aboisso and Grand Lahou, locations strategically chosen for their proximity to oil palm production areas. This geographical positioning allows AWI to directly source agricultural raw materials, thus reducing production costs and strengthening its links with local farming communities.

The Kdo range: everyday products for everyone

The heart of AWI's offering is based on the brand Kdo umbrella, available in a varied range of soaps and edible vegetable oils. Among the flagship products are Kdo Original, a classic and affordable household soap, and Vera Kdo, enriched with aloe vera for gentler properties on the skin. The range is also enriched with Kira Citron, with a fresh and invigorating scent, Koli Kdo, designed for everyday household uses, and Kdo Crystal, a refined vegetable oil launched in small formats to suit the budgets of the most modest households. This diversification of the product portfolio demonstrates a marketing strategy clearly oriented towards proximity to the consumer. AWI relies on extensive distribution covering both traditional circuits (markets, neighborhood shops) and modern distribution channels such as supermarkets, ensuring a presence throughout the Ivorian territory and in several countries in the West African sub-region. 0, 0);">Beyond industrial performance, AWI displays an identity as a corporate citizen, integrating a sustainable development policy into its production process. The company has invested more than 25 billion CFA francs in its industrial infrastructure, contributing significantly to the local economy and the creation of formal jobs. Its model has also been praised by the authorities and the private sector. Indeed, AWI won the Prize of Excellence for the best industrial company in Côte d'Ivoire, as well as the Prize for Best Entrepreneur of the Year awarded by the Confédération Générale des Entreprises de Côte d'Ivoire (CGECI) in 2018. These distinctions mark an exemplary trajectory in a highly competitive sector, marked by the pressure of imported products and the problem of unfair competition that Ivorian industrialists regularly denounce. AWI continues to stay the course, relying on its multidisciplinary teams trained in agro-industry, marketing and finance.

In 15 years of existence, Africa West Industries has demonstrated that an African company can, with rigor and vision, transform local resources into competitive products on a regional scale. The success of the Kdo brand is today much more than a commercial success, it is the symbol of Ivorian industrialization which is being built from within.