At a Glance
- Adenia, Proparco sell OCS Group Morocco, Senegal operations to Retail Holding-Amethis consortium.
- OCS now employs 6,000+ staff, serving 300+ clients with ESG-certified services.
- Transaction supports African business growth, boosting local ownership and regional facility management scale.
Adenia Partners and Proparco have agreed to sell the Moroccan and Senegalese operations of OCS Group to a consortium led by Morocco’s Retail Holding, alongside pan-African investment firm Amethis, the companies said.
The transaction marks the exit of Adenia and Proparco from OCS after a four-year investment period and hands control of the business to a group with a majority Moroccan ownership base. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The deal marks Adenia’s latest portfolio move on the continent, coming shortly after the private equity firm acquired a majority stake in Egypt’s Parkville Pharmaceuticals, its first investment in the country.
OCS Group growth under Adenia and Proparco
Founded in 2009 as a catering company, Overseas Catering & Services (OCS) built its reputation in Morocco before expanding into facility management. It now operates catering brands Ansamble and Proxirest, while its facility management activities run under Artis Facilities in Morocco and Alizés in Senegal.
Since Adenia and Proparco invested in 2021, the company has doubled in size and reshaped its operations. That period included tighter governance, a refreshed leadership team led by Chief Executive Officer Nicolas Belleteste, and the acquisition of Artis in 2023, which broadened the group’s service offering.
The shareholders also backed workforce training, management systems and the adoption of environmental, social and governance standards, according to the companies.
Scale, jobs and clients
OCS now generates more than 1 billion Moroccan dirhams in annual revenue and employs over 6,000 people across the two countries. It serves more than 300 public and private clients, ranging from institutions to corporations.
During Adenia’s ownership, OCS added more than 500 net jobs and expanded employee training programs. The group also secured certifications related to quality, safety and ESG practices, helping to position it as a long-term services provider in its core markets.
Stéphane Bacquaert, managing partner at Adenia, said the investment reflected the firm’s focus on building businesses alongside regional partners.
“Working closely with management, we helped structure and refocus the group, allowing it to scale while staying anchored locally,” he said.
Belleteste thanked Adenia and Proparco for their backing, saying the deal “opens a new chapter” for the company and its employees as it partners with Retail Holding and Amethis.
Adenia, Proparco support African business growth
Retail Holding and Amethis said they plan to support OCS’s next stage by strengthening its position in Morocco and Senegal and drawing on commercial and operational links within their wider portfolios. The two firms have previously co-invested in several African businesses.
Riad Laissaoui, CEO of Retail Holding, said the acquisition fits its strategy of buying established companies in complementary sectors. Wilfried Poyet, a senior partner at Amethis, described OCS as a strong platform with room to deepen its presence in the region.
The transaction remains subject to customary regulatory approvals.
Adenia, founded in 2002, has raised about $1 billion across five funds and invests across Africa. Proparco is the private-sector arm of France’s Agence française de développement and has supported businesses in emerging markets for more than four decades.
