ETHIOPIA – United Beverages, a newly formed joint venture between local family-owned Kangaroo Industrial Group and United Africa Beverages Company, has launched the ‘Anbessa Beer’ in the country’s beverage market.

The beverage manufacturer said the new product will be available in the local market as it has commenced distribution of the beverage throughout Addis Ababa and neighboring regions, through its wide network of local suppliers and distributors.

Misikir Mulugeta, marketing director at United Beverages, noted that the Anbessa brand seeks to promote resilience among its consumers through the tagline “crafted with courage”.

United Beverages’ beer manufacturing plant, which began production at the beginning of May, has a brewing capacity of 1.6 million hectolitres and a packaging capacity of 800,000 hectolitres, reports Business Ethiopia.

The beer manufacturing plant, which is located in Modjo, currently employs over 240 people.

“We have also allocated enough budgets to undertake corporate social responsibility activities benefiting the societies and the environment around the brewer.

“Modjo is a very strategic location for us to easily access Addis Ababa market as well as the central part and south eastern markets of the country,” highlights Ephrem Yirga, Board Chairman of United Brewery and Kangaroo Plast.

United Beverages was founded in 2016 and as a subsidiary of United Africa Beverages, headquartered in Mauritius. The company recently opened the latest beer manufacturing plant in Modjo, Ethiopia, with an investment of US$88 million.

According to Ephrem, the new plant features modern technology whose whole production system is fully integrated with SAP technology featuring modern waste management and treatment plant that seeks to enhance highly efficient operation in the plant.

“United Beverages currently uses 50% locally sourced raw and packed materials in its manufacturing plant and plans to use 100% local sourcing in the near future.

“We are dedicated to producing the highest quality beer using the latest state-of-the-art technology in beer manufacturing to meet the growing demands for beer and related beverages in the country,” the company said in a statement.

Kangaroo Plast has a greater focus on investments in the beverage and manufacturing sector in the country running several companies.