MOZAMBIQUE – Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev), the world’s largest beer producer through its Mozambican subsidiary Cervejas de Mocambique (CDM), has officially inaugurated its new US$180 million brewery.
The new processing facility was opened by the President of the Republic, Filipe Nyusi who graced the occasion.
According to reports by Reuters, the new site has a production capacity of 2.4 million hectolitres per year, with potential to expand that to 6.7 million hl. It has a filling line with the capacity to produce 80,000 bottles per hour.
CDM claims that the brewery uses modern technologies of production, packaging and filling, designed to guarantee excellence in the quality of the beers, while at the same time maintaining sustainability of the environment.
Located in Marracuene, 30 km north of the capital Maputo, it represents the biggest investment in the sector in Mozambique.
Tomaz Salomao, President of CDM called it, “The biggest and most modern factory in the country and in Africa,” adding that it aims to supply markets throughout the region.
Addressing the commissioning ceremony, President Nyusi said the new plant is an unequivocal signal of the prospects that the market for beer in Mozambique offers in the medium and long term.
He also highlighted that the brewery sets strong ties with the agriculture sector, since it will purchase some of its raw material (maize, cassava and sugar) from Mozambican farmers.
“The increase in the demand for raw material will boost production in the rural areas, where value chains will be established, thus adding value to agricultural products and consequently generating income for smallholders,” he said.
The brewery is AB InBev’s fourth factory in Mozambique with the others are located in Maputo, Beira and Nampula.
“The biggest and most modern factory in the country and in Africa.”
Tomaz Salomao – President of CDM
Its construction began in December 2018, employing more than two thousand Mozambicans during the construction phase, and currently employs over 200 people on a permanent basis.
In support of the country’s COVID-19 inoculation drive, CDM has announced a US$1 million grant for the acquisition of the vaccines.
In addition to Mozambican beers such as 2M, Laurentina, Manica, Dourada and Impala, CDM also sells such global brands as Corona, Stella Artois and Budweiser.
According to Global Data figures of 2017, AB InBev controlled 99% of the Mozambique beer market through the CDM unit inherited from SABMiller in 2016 for around US$100 billion.
But the opening of a US$100m brewery in Maputo in March 2019 by Dutch brewer Heineken triggered a beer war.
Located in the district of Maputo, the new brewery has a production capacity of 800, 000 hectolitres (80 million litres) per year.
Further to that, Heineken inaugurated a new production line worth US$20 million at its plant in September last year, to produce Heineken beer in the country for the first time.
The new production line having a production capacity of 350,000 hectolitres per year (35 million litres) can fill 16,000 bottles in an hour.
Liked this article? Subscribe to Food Business Africa News, our regular email newsletters with the latest news insights from Africa and the World’s food and agro industry. SUBSCRIBE HERE