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.
Burkina Faso: Agroserv Industries Gets A Financial Boost
Agroserv Industries SA, a Burkinabe company specialising in corn processing, has been granted a $12.2 million package by four financial institutions. The funds will be used to build a second processing plant in Bobo-Dioulasso, with the aim of increasing the company's processing capacity to over 160 tonnes per day, up from its current level of around 50 tonnes.
The expansion will also allow the company to diversify into higher value-added products such as high-energy flour, pre-cooked cornmeal and soy protein. As a result of the expansion, the number of Agroserv Industries' producers is expected to double to 12,000 in the coming years.
South Africa: Pepsico Launches New Breakfast Cereal Production Line
PepsiCo has recently opened a new production line for breakfast cereal at its Atlantis plant in the Western Cape, South Africa. The new line, which cost R300 million ($17.4 million), will allow the company to increase the production of Weet-Bix, its flagship brand of whole wheat cereal that is already the best-selling brand in South Africa.
To ensure a steady supply of raw materials, PepsiCo has also allocated R60 million ($3.4 million) to upgrade and expand the processing capacity of its Malmesbury-based mill, which specifically supplies cleaned wheat for Weet-Bix production.
Egypt: Haj Arafa To Inject $4m In Date Processing Plant
Haj Arafa, an Egyptian agribusiness company, plans to construct a date processing unit in the Siwa oasis in 2023. The facility, with a cost of $4 million, will be developed in partnership with the largest date producers in the region. The plant will focus on exporting to the African and Asian markets. Egypt is the world's leading producer of dates, with an annual output of 1.7 million tonnes.
Tanzania: Government Commissions $10m Slaughterhouse
The government of Tanzania has established a slaughterhouse named 'Nguru Hills Ranch Ltd' in the Mvomero district in the north of the country. The facility, which required an investment of $10 million, will have the capacity to process 100 cattle and 1,000 goats per day.
The slaughterhouse will be supported by a 2,328 hectare grazing area, a parking area with capacity for 10,000 cattle and 15,000 goats, and water infrastructure with five wells. According to local media, the project has already generated 350 direct jobs and over 2,000 indirect jobs in the sector's value chain.
Nigeria: Abia State To Host $500m Agribusiness Park
The Abia State government in Nigeria has partnered with Power Construction Corporation (PowerChina) and Swiber Africa Limited to establish an agro-industrial park. The $500 million project, covering an 11,000 hectare site in Bende, is set to begin construction in January 2023.
The park will focus on key value chains, such as rice, cassava and cashew nuts, and is projected to create at least 20,000 direct jobs in the long term.
Guinea-Bissau: India's Beta Group To Invest $100m In Cashew Sector
Indian conglomerate Beta Group plans to invest $100 million in the cashew industry in Guinea-Bissau. The group will construct an industrial complex that will source cashews locally, and process the raw material on-site for major consumer markets such as the US and China.
The project aims to enhance the value-added of the sector and increase the country's revenue. Guinea-Bissau is among the largest cashew exporters in West Africa.
© 2023 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest A-brand news. Article by Espoir Olodo. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
