KENYA – Nampak, a South African packaging firm, is looking to expand its Kenyan operations and has begun exploring the possibility of setting up a new plant.
The listed firm, which makes glass bottles in South Africa, said it sees an opportunity in Kenya for putting up a glass furnace, but declined to provide further information.
“At the moment we are unable to give more details,” Nampak group investor relations manager Zanele Salman told the Business Daily.
Nampak recently consolidated its local packaging business after it bought out Unga Group’s shareholding in Bullpak, a jointly-owned subsidiary, for Sh338 million.
Bullpak is a Thika-based manufacturer of paper packets and was majority-owned by Unga Group with a 51 per cent stake while Nampak held the remaining 49 per cent.
Nampak 2014 annual report confirms why it bought out Unga Group in September last year.
“In order to gain outright control over the operations of Bullpak Ltd (Bullpak), formerly jointly controlled, the group acquired with effect from 1 September 2014 the remaining 51 per cent interest in this business from Unga Ltd for an amount of South African rand 42 million paid in cash.”
Nampak Kenya, the second subsidiary, manufactures cans for Del Monte, Nestle and Coca-Cola and has been operating since 1947.
January 25, 2015; http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/SA-bottle-firm-mulls-setting-up-Kenya-factory/-/539552/2601890/-/dhdclcz/-/index.html
