AFRICA'S NO.1 FOOD, BEVERAGE & MILLING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE

NBL treats Namibians abroad with iconic Windhoek Lager, commemorating 31st independence of diplomatic missions

Apr 7, 2021Apr 7, 2021 Editor

NAMIBIA – Namibia’s leading beer maker Namibia Breweries Limited (NBL) has donated 340 cases of Windhoek Lager, valued at close to N$ 100 000 (US$6,800) to the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation (MIRCO), in celebration of the 31st independence of Namibian diplomatic missions abroad, officially commemorated on 21 March 2021. According to the subsidiary of the Ohlthaver & List (O&L Group), the Windhoek Lager consignment will be dispatched to the diplomatic missions of Namibia across the globe. The brewer has chosen to use its iconic premium lager to be…

COVID-19 pandemic takes big bite on Namibia Breweries earnings reporting 18% decline in half-year revenue

Mar 16, 2021Mar 16, 2021 Editor

NAMIBIA – Namibia Breweries Limited’s (NBL), subsidiary of the Ohlthaver & List (O&L) Group has reported a 18% decline in half year revenue for the period ended December 2020, settling at N$1.3 billion (US$87.3m). The leading brewer attributes the decline to COVID- 19 related restrictions as well as alcohol bans in South Africa (SA), which adversely impacted the trading environment. According to the company its overall volumes went down by 23.1% despite Namibian beer volumes increasing by 1.5% on the back of strong consumer support and loyalty, with specifically Windhoek…

Iconic Namibian artisanal bakery Hansa Bakery shuts down

Mar 5, 2021Mar 6, 2021 Editor

NAMIBIA – Hansa Bakery, one of Namibia’s oldest baking firms is closing the curtains to its over 40-year-old business, due to loss of business and pilling cost of operations. Signifying the end of an era, Hansa Bakery together with its Przybylski bakery and confectionery unit will finally close their doors on April 30th. This according to a report by Allgemeine Zeitung, was triggered by the company’s long struggle with cost of operations i.e., raw material prices, energy and production costs which have exploded in recent years. Also there has been…

Namibia’s beer production surge to 146,300 L in December from 8,600 L in April after COVID-19 disruptions ease

Feb 25, 2021Feb 28, 2021 Editor

NAMIBIA – After months of COVID-19 disruptions in the alcohol industry in Namibia, beer production shot up in the month of December 2020 to reach 146.3 hectolitres (hl) (146,300 L) from 8.6 hl (8,600 L) in April, according to the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) as indicated in its recent Beverage Sectoral report. According to the report, the country’s two leading alcohol beverage companies Namibia Breweries and ABInBev Namibia, produced the lowest brewing figures in the last six years for the months of April and May. In April 2020, the two…

Prolonged drought in Namibia shrinks export market for beef products

Feb 16, 2021Feb 16, 2021 Editor

NAMIBIA – Namibia’s beef export drastically declined from 26.6 million kilograms of 2019 to 8.4 million kilograms in 2020, attributed to the fact that livestock producers are rebuilding herds following the prolonged drought season. Data from the Meat Board of Namibia, has indicated that the country marketed 219 525 fewer cattle than in 2019 leading to the decline in number of cattle slaughtered which was 51 992 compared to 129 735 cattle in 2019. European countries, including Norway and the United Kingdom, took up a combined 3.3 million kilograms compared…

Namibia suspends live poultry imports from 10 European countries due to outbreak of Avian as the country become free of PPR

Jan 16, 2021Jan 17, 2021 Editor

NAMIBIA – The government of Namibia through the veterinary department of the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry have instituted suspension of live poultry imports from 10 European countries following the outbreak of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). The suspension of the import and in-transit movement of live poultry and birds affects imports from the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, Ukraine, Belgium, Poland, Sweden and France, reports The Namibian. Chief veterinary officer Dr Albertina Shilongo said in a statement that since the incubation period of the disease…

Shoprite taken to court by aggrieved workers in Namibia as it inches closer to its official exit from Kenya

Jan 12, 2021Jan 12, 2021 Editor

NAMIBIA – Workers of giant retailer Shoprite in Namibia are hopeful things will turn in their favour after the High Court ordered the retailer to stop hiring seasonal workers to perform the duties of aggrieved employees currently on a nationwide strike. The company recruited 390 new employees to replace the workers who have been striking since 27 December last year due to low wages and unfair working conditions, reports The Namibian. To this end the Namibian Food and Allied Workers Union (Nafau) took the retailer to court stating that it…

Hake fishery in Namibia attains globally recognised sustainable fishing standard

Nov 20, 2020Nov 20, 2020 Editor

NAMIBIA – Namibia has received the first Marine Stewardship Council certification for its hake trawl and longline fishery, becoming the second country in Africa to meet the globally recognised standard for fishing. The certification is undertaken by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), an international non-profit organisation which sets science-based standard for sustainable fishing and seafood traceability. The council works with fisheries around the world to combat overfishing, supporting those that are small scale or in the Global South with tools and expertise as they work towards certification to the MSC…

NBL reports double digit decline in overall volume sales triggered by alcohol sale ban

Nov 18, 2020Nov 18, 2020 Editor

NAMIBIA – Namibia Breweries Limited, a leading beverage manufacturing company in Namibia has reported a 14.6% decline in full year revenue for the period ended 30 June 2020 to N$2.6 billion (US$174.6m) from previous year’s N$3 billion (US$201.47m). According to the company, the drop is attributed to several months of lockdowns and alcohol prohibition in both its main markets i.e. Namibia and South Africa which registered a decline in volume sales. NBL’s overall volumes declined by 16.6% with the manufacturer of alcoholic, non-alcoholic and soft beverages, noting that Pre-COVID its…

Private equity firm EOS Capital to inject US$60 million in Namibian seaweed farming enterprise

Oct 30, 2020Oct 30, 2020 Editor

NAMIBIA – EOS Capital, a Namibian private equity fund manager has partnered with Climate Fund Managers (CFM) to invest US$ 60 million (N$990 million) in Kelp Blue, a sustainable oceanic aquaculture enterprise focused on addressing the challenges of climate change and restoring the health of marine ecosystems through commercially viable solutions. The planned investment will be contributed by EOS Capital through its Namibia Infrastructure Development and Investment Fund (NIDIF). While, CFM will also chip in via its second financing facility, Climate Investor Two. Spread for a period of five-years, the…