Dolidol’s Acquisition of Mouka and Quest to Capture Africa’s Mattress Market

Dolidol is set to emerge as Africa’s giant mattress manufacturer with its acquisition of Mouka and manufacturing operations in five countries that are spread across East, West and North Africa, writes Dike Onwuamaeze

The Dolidol Group, a Morocco based foam mattress giant, is poised to make the most of the opportunities that would be offered by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement.  In this regard, the group is establishing a remarkable presence in the African foam market with manufacturing plants in West, East and North Africa.

One of its major expansion strategies across the continent is acquisition of existing firms. It initiated a strategic move in Nigeria in 2021 when it acquired Mouka, one of the market leaders in Nigerian mattresses, pillows, and beddings sector. It believed that a foothold in Africa’s largest economy and most populous country with more than 200 million people, Nigeria would offer the group a huge size for market growth. 

This was highlighted by a partner at Development Partners International (DPI), Mrs. Sofiane Lahmar, who commented recently on Mouka’s membership of the Dolidol Group.

Lahmar said: “As the most populous country in Africa, Nigeria shares many of the same trends as the rest of the continent, including positive demographics, a fast-growing middle class, and rising consumer-spend. We remain confident in the future of the business and look forward to working with both management teams to execute the company’s ambitious strategy and vision.”

Speaking in the same vein, the Managing Director of Mouka Limited, Mr. Femi Fapohunda, affirmed that as a member of the Dolidol Group, with state-of-the-art infrastructure and technological innovation, Mouka would continually evolve the culture of innovating and renovating its products portfolio to adequately cater to the needs of various demographics segments it is serving.

Mouka is one of the most admired mattress, pillows, and bedding company in Nigeria and it was not surprising that it went into bed with Dolidol, an aggressive foam mattress giant that is based in Morocco.

Dolidol’s stake in Mouka no doubt is a significant boost to the realisation of its expansion bid and quest to capture the African foam mattress industry, sustain its market leadership position and also diversify into other operations within the sector’s value chain.

Stakeholders in the industry believed that Mouka would retain, if not surpass its performance in the foam and mattress industry, given its pragmatic marketing approach that gave it an unassailable competitive edge above their closest industry rival, an effort that has grown the Mouka brand and earned it a leadership status in the bedding and mattress industry in Nigeria.

Having been involved in propagating healthy sleep among Nigerians with products of ergonomic and global standards for over six decades, Mouka’s sleep solutions have been certified by health experts in the Nigeria Society of Physiotherapy (NSP) and the National Association of Orthopaedic Manual Therapists (NAOMT).

They stated that “the production protocols and finished products of Mouka has met international standard in line with best practices. The durability, quality, and ergonomic compliance are satisfactory and we are confident they are perfect for good sleep which improves perfect well-being and healthy future because of the reliable quality the company has exhibited since its inception.”

On the company’s stable are brands such as the Well-being Topper and Well-being Hybrid mattresses, Well-being orthopaedic mattress, Royal luxury pillow top mattress, Mondeo plus Spring mattress, Eco-Comfy Fibre mattress, and the Dreamtime Baby mattress.

Its unrivalled quality pillow brands are the Crown Anti-Allergy Pillow, the Bio Pillow, made with groundbreaking biocrystal technology and the Royal Memory Foam Pillow for consumers’ well-being.

Prior to its acquisition of Mouka, the Dolidol Group has made significant inroads in its bid to capture the African foam mattress industry, sustain its market leadership position, and diversify into other operations.

Speaking recently about this in a recent report that was monitored on Cable News Network [CNN], the Managing Director of Dolidol Group, Mr. Jaafar Harti, affirmed that the trailblasing company is poised to provide unique brands as a pacesetter in mattress manufacturing sector for consumers’ satisfaction.

Harti said: “We are firm believers in Africa’s ability and the capacity to grow at a very large pace than the continent was doing over the last years. The best is about to come and happen as we are leaders in all the businesses we operate.”  

He pointed out that Dolidol is presently operating three different complementary activities, the first is the foam mattress business; the second is its carpentry operations in Morocco, which provides doors and kitchen closets to customers. This is coupled with its large infrastructure projects for educational institutions, and clinics, among others, that are also exported to Sub-Sahara African countries. The third activity, he stated, is the recycling business which Dolidol entered into in 2022.

According to the CNN report, the Morocco market was serving the mattress giant well with a sound ambition of spreading across the African continent, an operation Harti explained was  around $250 million and $300 million, but not necessarily large enough, hence its expansion drive to grow as a Pan-African brand.

The Dolidol boss said that the inclination to deepen the group’s presence across the continent was what paved the way for the establishment of the first plant outside Morocco, in Abidjan, Cote D’ Ivoire, in 2016, and the Mouka acquisition in May 2021, which has given access to the largest African market where it has continued to thrive.

According to him, though there are challenges in the foam mattress industry, he is very confident that there are opportunities for the company, as it is well positioned in the manufacturing of high-quality products in the African continent and to maintain its leading market share.

Dolidol’s expansion is also extending into East Africa, with a majority stake in a major operator in Ethiopia, the continent’s second most populous market. Dolidol also has projects underway in Uganda, which would enable it to supply neighbouring countries such as Sudan, Somalia, Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania. As part of its institutionalisation project, Groupe Dolidol opened up its capital to the DPI investment fund in October 2018, enabling it to pursue its development ambitions in line with its African strategic vision.

The Dolidol Group’s inroad into the African market is marked with its supply of quality and innovative brands that have dictated the pace in the industry where it has a huge market share.

Harti affirmed that the trailblasing company is poised in providing unique brands as a pacesetter in its sector for consumers’ satisfaction.    

The crave for market dominance and improved brand visibility would demand global presence, which has necessitated the expansion bid by organisations, whether in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), telecom, healthcare, technology, and in the foam mattress sector, among others, through affiliation, partnership, subsidiaries, and other viable strategies for maximum benefits.

Besides, there are other factor propelling the Dolidol Group’s determined spreading of its brands across the length and breadth of Africa. One of them is that the global mattress market is valued at $32.83 billion in 2022, and is expected to grow between 2023 and 2028 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.0 per cent, thereby reaching a projected market value of $48.81 billion by 2028.

Another factor is the increase in the demand for high-quality mattress and pillow products mattresses in view of the remarkable growth in the hospitality industry that is propelled by the rapid expansion of Five-star and Seven-star hotels.  

Also, the rising disposable incomes and the increasing demand in home ownership are predicted to boost the mattress market. 

Furthermore, the rising disposable incomes are predicted to boost the mattress market demand over the forecast period, along with an increase in homeownership. The increasing demand from the real estate industry to serve the housing requirements has resulted in a rise in the sale of home furniture such as mattresses, pillowcases, and bed linen, thus, aiding in the market growth.

Moreover, the mattress market share is witnessing expansion in developed nations, driven by robust marketing strategies like discounts, offers, and sales, which are expected to bring further stability to the market. The availability of different mattress sizes and types, to suit the demands of the consumers is also driving the market growth further, a situation that is also evident in emerging market economies.

Consequently, there has been tremendous development in the mattress industry in the African continent, with Dolidol Group, the foam mattress giant, making remarkable progress as the leading manufacturer. 

Founded in 1972 by the Berrada family in Morocco, Dolidol Group has become the leader in the mattress market in Morocco, with well-known brands. It is a benchmark brand with a strong reputation for high-quality products and excellent customer service.