E-Malt.com News article: Africa: Castel Group axes family member from directorships

Romy Castel, who has been calling for the resignation of Castel Group’s CEO for more than a year, has been removed from all her directorships within Castel Afrique and Castel Vins, The Drinks Business (db) reported on November 4, with the firm calling it a “necessary” step.

In December 2025, media reported an internal feud within the Castel Group, which sells beer to more than 20 African countries, as well as operating a significant wine business through the ownership of numerous estates in Bordeaux and the Languedoc.

On one side of the dispute is Romy Castel and Romain Castel, daughter and nephew of the company’s founder, Pierre Castel. On the other side is Castel Group CEO Gregory Clerc, who the pair have accused of attempting to wrest control of the company away from the family.

Romy and Romain have said they are in “deep disagreement” with the way Clerc has been running the business since his appointment in 2023, and last year Romy Castel called for Clerc’s resignation, leading several unsuccessful board meetings to try to oust him.

While Clerc has publicly acknowledged a “troubled” undercurrent at the company, he insists he has the board’s “full support”.

This week (3 November 2026), the Castel Group announced it had removed Romy Castel “from all her directorships within the companies heading the Castel Afrique division.”

The move came as a result of three Castel Group companies holding their General Meetings, at which it was decided that Romy had to go.

“Every director must perform their duties in the interest of the company they serve and in keeping with the duty of loyalty they owe to the board of which they are a member,” Castel Group said in an official statement.

“After a thorough review of the situation, the Board of Directors of DF Holding considers that Ms Romy Castel’s conduct is no longer aligned with the interests of the above-mentioned companies. This decision is necessary in the corporate interest of the entities concerned and of all their stakeholders.”

As such, Romy Castel has been removed from her directorships within: BIH (Brasseries Internationales Holding Ltd.); BIH Angola (Brasseries Internationales Holding (Angola) Ltd.); and BGI (Brasseries et Glacières Internationales).

Board members further revealed that Romy Castel had already been severed from her directorships at Castel Vins on 26 June 2026 and at Somdia (a major African agro-industrial group that has recently expanded into making spirits from sugarcane) on 30 June 2026.

“The trust and cooperation needed for her to serve as a director no longer exist. This makes such action necessary,” the company said.

The board of directors of DF Holding reaffirmed its full commitment to the development of BIH, BIH Angola and BGI and stressed its determination “to give these companies stable and effective governance that reflects the values of the Castel Group.”

This governance, it added, “serves the employees of the Castel Afrique division, their partners and the countries in which these companies operate.”

Castel Group is one of Africa’s biggest beverage producers, alongside AB InBev and Heineken.


06 November, 2026