Here's the latest in ESM's regular series, Notes From Africa, which brings you the latest retail, consumer goods and food and beverage stories from across the African continent. Past editions can be found here.
Kenya: Carrefour Opens 16th Store
Carrefour has opened a new outlet in Nairobi, its 12th in the city and 16th in Kenya overall. The outlet features a broad grocery range and fresh food assortment, including butchery, bakery and fruits and vegetables. According to local media reports, the new store occupies a total space of 3,000 square metres. The local Carrefour franchise in Kenya is held by Dubai-based conglomerate Majid Al Futtaim.
Zambia: Buya Bamba Commissions Frozen Potato Production Unit
Zambian agri-food company Buya Banda is to commission a new frozen potato processing factory. The $7 million unit will be the first of its kind in the country and will be based in Lusaka. It aims to reduce the import bill of the commodity from South Africa, as well as meet growing demand for potatoes in recent years spurred by the growth of fast food chains. Zambia consumes around 120,000 metric tonnes of potatoes annually.
Egypt: Krispy Kreme Launches Its First Store
Krispy Kreme Doughnuts has launched its first Egyptian store, in Cairo. Located in the Arabella Plaza shopping centre, the shop is capable of producing around 1,000 units of doughnuts per hour. This establishment is part of Krispy Kreme's strategy to accelerate its expansion on the African continent. It plans to open 10 new locations over the next 12 months, across the country.
Uganda: Amfri Farms Receives Financial Support
Uganda's Amfri Farms has received a $1.5 million investment from Pearl Capital Partners and FCA Investments (FCAI). The support should enable the company to expand its organic fruit, vegetable, herbs and spices production, processing and export operations, particularly to the European market and the Middle East. Amfri Farms products include mangoes, avocado, chilies, frozen mango pulp, dried pineapples, pumpkin and red beetroot.
Nigeria: Guinness Nigeria Swings Back To Profit In 2021
Guinness Nigeria, the subsidiary of the British group Diageo, has returned to profit in its 2021 financial year. In a statement, the company reported an after-tax profit of ₦1.2 billion ($2.9 million) compared to losses of ₦12.5 billion in the same period a year earlier. The result was driven by a strong 54% increase in sales to ₦160 billion ($389 million), which allowed the company to better manage the slightly higher tax burden of ₦4.5 billion. Guinness Nigeria’s portfolio includes brands such as Guinness Foreign Extra Stout, Malta Guinness and Satzenbrau Pilsner.
Ghana: Government Launches New Rice Processing Plant
The Ghanaian government has commissioned a rice processing plant in Sefwi-Akontombra District, located in the Western North Region. At a total cost of GH¢6.7 million ($1.1 million), the plant has a production capacity of between 1.5 and 2.8 tonnes of processed rice per hour. The factory will directly employ about 118 people, including management, professionals and factory floor workers. The unit will be supplied with raw materials from a supply network of over 500 rice producers in the region.
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine. Article by Espoir Olodo. For more A-Brands news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
