Champion Breweries Completes Acquisition of Bullet Brand Portfolio, Expands into African Markets

Oriarehu Bonny

Champion Breweries Plc, yesterday announced the successful completion of its acquisition of the Bullet brand portfolio from Sun Mark, marking a transformative milestone in the Company’s strategic expansion into a diversified, pan-African beverage platform.

The acquisition, previously announced on 20 August 2025, gives Champion ownership of the Bullet brand assets, trademarks, formulations, and commercial rights globally through an asset carve-out structure. The assets are held in a newly incorporated entity in the Netherlands, in which Champion Breweries holds a majority interest, while Vinar N.V., the majority shareholder of Sun Mark, retains a minority stake.

Bullet products are currently distributed in 14 African markets, positioning Champion to scale beyond Nigeria in the high-growth ready-to-drink (RTD) alcoholic and energy drink segments. This expansion significantly broadens Champion’s addressable market and strengthens its revenue base with an established, profitable portfolio that already enjoys strong brand recognition and consumer loyalty across multiple markets.

The acquisition, company said in a statement, accelerates its transition from a regional brewing business to a multi-category consumer platform with continental reach. Bullet Black is Nigeria’s leading ready-to-drink alcoholic beverage, while Bullet Blue has built a strong presence in the energy drink category across several African markets.

The structure, it said, enables rapid integration without significant upfront manufacturing capital expenditure, while creating a pathway to future Nigerian production capacity that could position the country as a regional export hub.

Commenting on the completion, Chairman of Champion Breweries Plc, Mr. Imo-Abasi Jacob said: “The successful completion of our public equity raises, together with the formal close of the Bullet acquisition, marks a defining moment for Champion Breweries. The support we received from both existing shareholders and new investors reflects strong confidence in our long-term strategy to build a diversified, high-growth beverage platform with pan-African scale. Our focus now is on disciplined execution, integration, and delivering sustained value across markets.

“Champion Breweries extends its sincere appreciation to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Nigerian Exchange Group, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), the Akwa-Ibom State Government for their guidance throughout the process.”