Bollore gets 5.7 bln euro offer for its African assets

The logo of Bollore Logistics, an international transport & logistics company, is pictured on the company’s building in Colomiers near Toulouse, France, March 20, 2019. REUTERS/Regis Duvignau

PARIS, Dec 20 (Reuters) – French conglomerate Bollore (BOLL.PA), owned by billionaire Vincent Bollore’s family, said on Monday it had received a 5.7 billion-euro ($6.44 billion) offer from shipping company MSC for its African logistics assets.

Bollore said the proposal for Bollore Africa Logistics included debt and was net of minority interests.

Exclusive negotiations will run until the end of March, it added.

The sale of Bollore’s African assets would deprive the listed family-owned group, valued at 12.9 billion euros on the market, of a large chunk of its historical activities and would make its holdings in media group Vivendi (VIV.PA) the centre of gravity of the company.

Bollore Africa Logistic employs about 20,800 people and has 16 container terminal concessions. It also operates three rail concessions.

Privately-owned MSC was founded 1970 and is headquartered in Geneva. The company has a fleet of 560 ships and over 100,000 employees.

($1 = 0.8854 euros)

Reporting by Gdansk newsroom, Mathieu Rosemain and Gwenaelle Barzic in Paris
Editing by Tassilo Hummel and Mark Potter

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