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.
Uganda: Kerry Group Opens Manufacturing Facility
Kerry Group, one of the world's leading providers of taste and nutrition solutions, has officially opened a new manufacturing facility in Uganda. The new unit is located on a 1,000 square metre site in Kampala.
This manufacturing facility is expected to expand Kerry’s capacity in East Africa as the company seeks to support local food and beverage manufacturers in one of the regions with the most promising food industry prospects and economic hubs in Africa. The inauguration of the Ugandan facility closely follows Kerry’s establishment of a manufacturing plant in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in late 2023.
Nigeria: Dangote Sugar Refinery Posts Net Loss
Nigeria’s Dangote Sugar Refinery (DSR) recorded a net loss of ₦73.7 billion ($48.7 million) in its 2023 financial year, compared with a net profit of ₦54.7 billion ($36.1 million) the previous year.
The company stated that the devaluation of the naira affected its performance by pushing up administrative and financing costs, as well as expenses. This is despite a 9.4% increase in sales, to ₦441 billion ($291.5 million). The company mainly sells refined sugar, packaged in 50 kg bags.
Guinea: Diaouné Agro-Industrie To Set Up Cashew Nut Processing Plant
Guinea-based cashew nut processor Diaouné Agro-Industrie is planning to build a new plant in the northern town of Boké. At a total cost of $11 million, this new project will be co-financed in equal parts by the US Agency for International Development Finance (DFC) and the company itself.
The plant will be equipped to process 10,000 tonnes of cashew nuts per year and is expected to employ 512 people once in operation. This new investment should enable Diaouné Agro-industrie to increase its cashew nut processing capacity in Guinea. Since 2019, the company has already been operating a processing plant of the same capacity on a site based in the town of Kankan.
Egypt: Tomato Processing Plant To Be Launched
In Egypt, Saudi-based Karry Foods Industries has invested $35 million in a plant dedicated mainly to the manufacture of tomato puree in Sadat City. The plant should enter its production phase by next May with the first phase of the project already finalised.
The plant has a production line equipped to process 600 tonnes/day of tomatoes. It will rely on tomato farms that it has acquired in the towns of Al-Minya and Esna, El-Hamam, as well as Sadat City.
Kenya/Tanzania: Pamoja Receives $8.5m For Macadamia Operations in East Africa
Switzerland's Pamoja Group has received $8.5 million from the French asset management company Mirova. According to local media reports, this financial support should enable the Swiss company to accelerate the expansion of its activities in macadamia nut production in Kenya and Tanzania.
The group intends to manage a total of 6,200 hectares according to sustainability standards and support more than 13,000 small-scale farmers by 2031.
Nigeria: Tomato Processing Plant Commissioned In Kebbi State
In Nigeria, a tomato processing unit has been launched in Kebbi State. Built by the Spanish agri-food company Gallina Blanca (GB) Foods, the new unit follows a total investment of $52 million. It has a processing capacity of 620 tonnes of tomatoes per day. For its supply of raw materials, the Spanish group operates a 1,500-hectare estate, and also relies on a network of 5,000 small local farmers.
This new investment should enable GB Foods to increase its tomato processing capacity in the country, as it already operates a 30-tonne-per-day tomato processing unit based in Kaduna State.
