The Dairy sector in East Africa is one of the fastest growing in Africa. None of the dairies in the region reflects this fact more than Sameer Agriculture & Livestock Ltd (SALL), Kenya. In a period of a few years since they acquired a small outfit, Adarsh Developers, their DAIMA brand has grown to be one of the leading brands in Kenya. But there is more to DAIMA than milk . . . .
For over six years Sameer Agriculture & Livestock Limited has been spearheading a quiet revolution that is spreading smiles and realizing the dream of building a stronger Africa.
In 2006, SALL entered into an agreement with the Government of Uganda and embarked on a mission to boost the dairy sector. The objective was to build a prosperous industry in which farmers are assured of better returns for their hard work and investments.
In the last few years since its conception SALL has also expanded operation to Kenya, revamping the brand Daima and making it one of the faster growing brands in the milk and beverage market.
SALL aspires for Daima to become the market leader which celebrates the spirit of Kenya and Africa.
History
Daima was acquired in March 2009 from Adarsh Developers. As part of its growth, Sameer Agriculture and Livestock Ltd has built its success by investing almost half a billion Kenya shillings on innovations, research and development, marketing, plant and machinery and talent.
The company once only supplied yoghurt and fresh milk. In order to provide the market with products that meet changing consumer preferences, tastes, needs and that reflect Africa’s changing trends, now they produce Long life milk, have a fully automated fruit yoghurt plant, juice plant, portion packs -TFA 200ml and purified drinking water plant.
The success has been due to large investments in new packaging designs and new repositioning of the brand, as well as a different market approach in selling, advertising and public relations, merchandising strategy and market research.
Daima invests a considerable amount every year on brand development.
They support more than 40,000 farmers in Kenya through their various initiatives such as workshops, mass meetings and personal contact, particularly in the areas of entrepreneurship development, productivity management and animal health management.
The key issues that the brand faced at the time of acquisition were:
- Wrong perception of the brand- since the brand was unknown there was little stock up by retailers.
- A disconnect with our target group – youth.
- Poor distribution and zero advertising.
All the above issues were addressed and corrected making Daima the real success that it is today.
Products
The Daima range of natural, wholesome and healthy products is loaded with highly nutritious content, backed by processes and technology that seal the nutrition and freshness in.
The brand connects with its users emotionally keeping him/her in tune with his/her spirit, gifting them with youth, confidence and positivity.
Daima’s wide variety of products includes:
Liquid Milk
Wholesome, filled with natural goodness, Daima milk comes in a variety of attractive packaging like fresh pasteurized in poly pouch, extended shelf life, bottled milk and long life milk(UHT), low fat milk, fortified milk and flavored milk.
Flavoured milk is available in coffee kick, strawberry ripple, vanilla bliss, chocolate chuckle.
Fermented Milk & Yoghurt
This comprises of thick cup yoghurt, fruit yoghurt, drinking yoghurt and Daima Lala.
Healthy and filling. Daima is the most preferred yoghurt brand in Kenya – thick and creamy and comes in various exciting flavours. Available in cups, bottles and Tetra Rex. We have also recently launched a 5kg yoghurt pack for bulk buyers.
Butter
Tasty and nutritious, this comes in salted and unsalted variants consumed with bread and snacks and used as a source of fat in many household.
Ghee
Daima ghee is rich in milk fat. Source of fat in other food preparations.
Cream
Keeping up with the values of health and freshness, Daima cream comes in two different variants – single and double cream preferred for coffee making, baking, frying and softening food.
Water
This is the closest substitute of pure natural drinking water available in a range of volumes.
Juice
Made from fresh fruits, Daima juices are available in four different categories 100% juice, nectars, fruit drinks and blitzer’s. Refreshing and energizing, these juices are full of flavor and promise wellness in every sip.
Recent Developments
The brand recently launched its fruit yoghurt, TFA 200ml, fruit juices, blitzer’s, whole milk with extended shelf life and has become part of the school milk program.
The new ESL pouch comes with a shelf life of 30 days and keeps freshness intact without refrigeration, making it convenient to store, with no need for additional investment for chillers or coolers. This is an answer to quality issues and spoilage and it’s highly affordable.
Low fat milk, fortified milk and pro biotic yoghurt were launched targeting health conscious consumers.
TFA 200ml portion pack was also launched as a bottom of pyramid initiative, for customers seeking an affordable and convenient product.
In the recent months new facilities and collection of milk plants were acquired in Aberdares, Eldoret and Isiolo respectively.
Daima are constantly involved in developing the economies of Kenya – supporting agro-development and this is a unique example of “corporate co-operative partnership”
Further, Daima was the platinum sponsor for the eighth East African dairy conference and exhibition. The brand is the official water supplier for the National football team – Harambee Stars.
In its campaign, the brand uses the Tag line “Ring of Energy” which is a source of energy that can be consumed anytime and helps people lead a healthy active lifestyle.
The brand ensures the consistency of its product and maintains a quality management system that conforms to the requirements of Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS). They aim to achieve the highest standards of performance through supply of quality products.
Brand Values
Daima is a fast, young dynamic brand that seeks to fuel the energetic urban African lifestyle. It caters to a cross section of consumers and holds a special appeal for younger audiences. The brand is dedicated to providing satisfactory services/activities in terms of prompt delivery, quality, pocket-friendly and affordable products.
Being cognizant that their business is dependent on the willingness of customers to purchase their products, it is of paramount importance that any customer purchasing their products is satisfied by their services/activities in terms of prompt delivery, quality and price.
Things you didn’t know about Daima
- Daima Whole milk ESL was the first fresh milk brand to be launched with a 30 day shelf life.
- Daima is among the top three milk processors in Kenya.
- Daima is part of the Sameer Group of companies.
- Daima produces superior milk sourced from over 50,000 farmers across Kenya.
By Selina Wangusi – This article appeared in the May 2013 issue of Food Business Africa magazine
