AFRICA – The outbreak of the Corona Virus has led to unprecedented and multi-layered effects in the alcohol beverage industry as the pandemic brought about changes in social norms and macroeconomic fundamentals.
In bid to instil the physical distancing practice to curb the spread of the virus, most countries ordered the closure of bars, clubs, restaurants, entertainment arenas and social events, the main market outlet for alcoholic beverages.
Despite the shrinking in market share, some manufacturers and distributors are making a bold step of introducing new offerings to their consumers.
According to a report by The Star, distributer of wines and spirits, Galina Kenya, has introduced Ramborn Cider produced by Luxemburg-based Ramborn Company, to meet demand of quality brands from sophisticated Kenyan consumers.
This comes at a time when the firm seeks to tap into the bourgeoning market for premium ciders.
“Kenya’s cider market is growing in popularity driven by consumers who increasingly prefer high-quality brands. Ramborn is a perfect match for this promising and niche market,” said Galina Kenya CEO, Judy Ngene.
The wines and spirits distributor also added that the firm has been appointed as the exclusive importer and distributer of Ramborn Cider.
Galina Kenya already has partnerships with Kenyan local retailers, Naivas and Chandarana Supermarkets to sell brands at their liquor stores.
Ngene also added that the newly introduced cider is available at the Galina Kenya outlets with plans to increase availability through other retailers and online suppliers.
The Ramborn Company has a variety of ciders consisting of an original medium dry cider which contains 5.8 per cent of alcohol by volume (ABV), a cascade hopped cider at 7.4 per cent ABV and finally a farmhouse dry cider at 6.5 per cent ABV.
In Tanzania, Serengeti Breweries, a subsidiary of East African Breweries Ltd (EABL), has launched a new beer pack for its Pilsner lager brand in a bid to penetrate wider market, targeting consumers in the Lake zone regions in Tanzania.
SBL said the new beer pack is intended to give consumers and the market more and best choices at reasonable price.
Wine lovers of Malawi have also been given a special treat with Malawian company, Vintage Wines unveiling five brands of wine i.e. Syrah, Romeo Dry Red, Romeo Sweet Red, Malbee and Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot, on the local market.
Vintage Wines managing director Raj Munnangi said the coming in the five varieties of the wine on the market open the doors for the company’s initiative of bringing in wines from all over the world, reports Nyasa Times.
“We are currently corroborating with a winery in Argentina, Mendoza region were these five brands originate. We are planning to bring into the country wines from Spain in the next stage. All what we want is to give Malawians a variety of wines to choose from,” said Munnangi.
He said the initiative came into being after observing that the most of the country’s liquor stores stock South African wines, denying Malawians a chance to choose wines based on their budget.
“The culture of drinking wine in Malawi is growing despite the fact that a lot of them drink beer and spirits. We noticing this growth and we want these people to have a wide range of best wine from all over the world,” he said.
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