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

Delta Corporation Limited undertakes Executive restructuring following CEO scheduled retirement

Mar 29, 2021Mar 29, 2021 Editor

ZIMBABWE – Zimbabwe Stock Exchange-listed beverages producer, Delta Corporation has announced the retirement of its CEO Mr Pearson Gowero with effect 30 June 2021, after eight years at the helm. Drawing to a close a distinguished career with the Group spanning nearly 25 years, Mr Gowero will be succeeded by Mr Matlhogonolo Valela, the Group Finance Director who will takes over the reins from July 1. Pearson was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer in June 2012, having joined the Group in March 1997. He started at Chibuku Breweries in…

Sierra Leon fruit beverage maker Capitol Foods receives US$1m backing for expansion

Mar 27, 2021Mar 27, 2021 Editor

SIERRA LEON – Leading beverage manufacturer in Sierra Leon, Capitol Foods Ltd has received US$1 million debt financing from two Dutch impact investors, Cordaid Investment Management and Triodos-Hivos Fund. The funding according to Triodos Investment is aimed to finance Capitol’s expansion of fruit processing capacity to meet the growing demand, by facilitating the purchase and installation of 3-tonnes-per-hour fruit processing plant. The debt facility will also enable the company to provide greater market access for thousands of fruit farmers in Sierra Leone. “This loan created an immediate relief to both…

East Africa Bottling Company, Ambo Water get favourable verdict over disputed merger allegations

Mar 25, 2021Mar 25, 2021 Editor

ETHIOPIA – The Federal Supreme Court of Ethiopia has finally given the verdict on the case by the Trade Competition & Consumer Protection Authority (TCCPA) against East Africa Bottling Company, bottlers of Coca-Cola and Ambo Mineral Water over an alleged illegal merger. The case, dating 16 June 2017 implicated that the two companies, Ambo Mineral Water and East African Bottling Company had engaged in an illegal merger without proper notification to the authority. According to reports by Addis Fortune, Justices at the Supreme Court`s Cassation Bench ruled that there is…

South Africa’s In2food launches wide range of fermented tea drinks

Mar 24, 2021Mar 24, 2021 Editor

SOUTH AFRICA – In2food, a premium prepared food and beverage business in South Africa has launched Kombucha batch brew tea, naturally fermented with Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast (SCOBY). According to the company, its production process creates a light fizz and a tangy taste with gut friendly probiotics. Adding excitement to the new offering, In2Food has launched the drink in different flavours i.e., Ceylon tea kombucha with raspberry, Rooibos tea kombucha, Rooibos kombucha with beetroot and Green tea kombucha with apple, ginger and lemon. It is now available in…

Fast growing Nigerian beverage maker Rite Foods drags NBC to court over alleged trademark infringement

Mar 24, 2021Mar 24, 2021 Editor

NIGERIA – Rite Foods, a fast-rising indigenous food and beverage company in Nigeria has taken to court giant beverage maker Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC), over allegedly infringing on its trademark. According to the maker of the famous Bigi brand, NBC’s Predator Energy drink logo and brand share a resemblance with its own Fearless drink, which had existed for three years before NBC began to produce Predator, reports Guardian Nigeria. The plaintiff, Rite Foods Limited, has filed for an interim injunction against the defendant, NBC, restraining it from further promoting or…

Pepsi Bottling Ventures acquires Pepsi-Cola Roxboro as Frucor makes progress against sustainability commitments

Mar 23, 2021Mar 23, 2021 Editor

US – Pepsi Bottling Ventures (PBV), America’s privately-held manufacturer, seller, and distributor of Pepsi-Cola beverages, has completed its acquisition of Pepsi-Cola Roxboro, a franchise bottler based in North Carolina, US. The acquisition of the Roxboro bottler expands Pepsi Bottling Ventures’ distribution and sales territory to the North Carolina counties of Caswell, Person, Granville and Orange. Headquartered in North Carolina, PBV also has distribution locations in South Carolina, Maryland and Delaware. “We are very excited to be a part of the historic Roxboro community,” said Pepsi Bottling Ventures president and CEO,…

Zimbabwe’s leading beverage manufacturer Delta Corporation expands soft drink distribution network

Mar 19, 2021Mar 19, 2021 Editor

ZIMBABWE – Delta Corporation Limited, leading manufacturer and marketer of beverages in Zimbabwe has received the approval of the Competition and Tariff Commission (CTC) to expand its soft drink footprint and distribution network in Manicaland province. The beverage maker is involved, through its principal subsidiary Delta Beverages, in the brewing of lager and traditional beer and the bottling of soft drinks under licence from the Coca Cola Company. Following the approval, The Coca-Cola Company has extended its sparkling beverages franchise arrangements to cover the Eastern part of Zimbabwe. This cements…

Coca-Cola System Brazil to produce alcoholic beverages in new partnership with Heineken

Feb 28, 2021Feb 28, 2021 Editor

BRAZIL – The Coca-Cola system in Brazil will produce and distribute alcoholic beverages beers in HEINEKEN’s portfolio as from Mid-2021. This is part of a recent redesign of a longstanding distribution partnership between Heineken, The Coca-Cola Company, and the Coca-Cola system in Brazil. Heineken in a statement said that the Agreement marks a new milestone in the relationship among the companies. The agreement, according to the brewing major, allows the parties to better serve consumers and customers in the Brazilian market with a solid portfolio, building on the positive momentum…

Sustainability and Health Concerns Drive Innovations in Fruit Juice Processing

Feb 23, 2021Mar 25, 2021 Editor

By Paul Ongeto Fruit juice is as bad as soda’. ‘Cutting a glass of juice a day sharply reduces diabetes risk’. ‘Fruit juices linked to cancer’. These and other negative headlines have hit fruit juice producers almost weekly over the past decade – and consumers have noticed. The fruit juice industry today is grappling with reduced consumer demand in key markets as more and more people replace the drink with other alternatives perceived as superior in nutrition and functionality. According to data from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the…

Coca-Cola taps former Safaricom executive to be Vice President of East and Central Africa franchise

Feb 22, 2021Feb 22, 2021 Editor

KENYA – Coca-Cola Africa has appointed Debra Mallowah as the new Vice President for the East and Central Africa franchise effective February 15, 2021. Debra takes the helm of the company from Phillipine Mtikikiti who has also been appointed in a similar position at the South African franchise, based in Johannesburg. In her new role which will be based in Nairobi, Kenya, Debra will oversee the development and implementation of business strategies across the beverage making company. She is a highly accomplished leader with a wealth of experience gained within…