MOZAMBIQUE – Heineken, leading beer maker has inaugurated a new production line worth US$20 million at its Mozambique plant 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, corresponding to 666 crates, each holding 24 bottles, reports AIM.

Speaking at the launch ceremony, Minister of Industry and Commerce Carlos Mesquita noted local production of the Heineken beer would save the country about US$50 million a year of beer imports mostly from Namibia

The investment is an addition to the US$100 million Heineken injected in developing the new modern plant in the country.

“This project is a clear demonstration of the Heineken group’s commitment to Mozambique.”

Nuno Simes – Managing Director of Heineken-Mozambique

Having a production capacity of 800, 000 hectolitres (80 million litres) per year the factory was only producing Mozambican local beer, dubbed Txila.

Txila is brewed using 4,000 tonnes of locally sourced maize a year, but for the Heineken beer it will be produced using imported raw materials as the company aims to produce the beer tasting exactly the same as Heineken brewed in Holland.

The Managing Director of Heineken-Mozambique, Nuno Simes, said the brewery is using state-of-the-art technology, and that the bottles sold on the Mozambican market will be returnable.

“This project is a clear demonstration of the Heineken group’s commitment to Mozambique,” Simes said.

Heineken company started its activities in Mozambique late 2016 through a sales and marketing office, importing international brands including Heineken, Amstel, Sagres and Strongbow to offer more choice to Mozambican consumers.

The company is entering a price sensitive market currently dominated by the CDM brands such as “2M”, “Impala” and “Laurentina”. The beer consumption in Mozambique is currently at 10.5 litre per capita.

In the beverage industry of Mozambique there are profiles of 15 companies including the major player Cervejas de Moambique, PepsiCo bottling franchisee Varun Beverages, Mopani Internacional, which manufactures the popular brand Fizz, Yaafico Industrial which produces the carbonated soft drink Frozy and gin and whiskey producer Diageo Moambique.

South African companies Shoprite, Woolworths and Massmart, which sell beverages in the country, are also profiled.

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