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.
South Africa: Tiger Brands Launch Peanut Butter Production Plant
South Africa's biggest food producer, Tiger Brands, has just launched a peanut butter manufacturing plant in Krugersdorp. The unit cost 300 million rand ($16 million) and will be capable of producing an average of one million bottles of peanut butter per month.
The owner of popular food brands Jungle Oats and Tastic rice is aiming to tap into the South African peanut butter market, which accounts for 50%, or 1.7 billion rand of the country's total spreads market, excluding margarine. It is also expected to see savings in utility costs and offer low-price products in order to increase its market share.
Nigeria: OmniRetail Receives Support For Expansion Bid
Nigeria-based OmniRetail has secured an equity investment of an undisclosed amount from Goodwell Investments. The funds will help the company fuel its expansion plans in West Africa.
It aims to extend its platform that digitises the supply chain from distributor to retailers by the end of 2024 in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire. The company, which launched its flagship product OmniBiz in 2020, works with more than 140,000 small retailers and merchants, enabling retailers to place orders directly from manufacturers.
Côte d'Ivoire: Shea Butter Production Unit To Be Launched
In Côte d'Ivoire, a shea butter manufacturing unit will be commissioned by June on an 8-hectare site in the Korhogo department by agro-industrial company Sokarci-SA. The unit will have an initial processing capacity of 50 tonnes of shea nuts per day, expected to be extended to 200 tonnes in the long term.
The plant will provide employment opportunities for women's cooperatives involved in shea gathering in the North as well as for wholesalers from neighbouring countries such as Burkina Faso and Mali. Côte d’Ivoire produces around 30,000 and 40,000 tonnes of shea nuts.
Ghana: Kuapa Kokoo Secures $2.4 Million Loan
Ghanaian agricultural cooperative Kuapa Kokoo Limited has received a $2.4 million loan from Sahel Capital. These funds will be used to increase working capital for business growth. The cooperative aims to increase the acquisition of cocoa beans from its supplier network of over 100,000 farmers.
The Fairtrade-certified organisation was established in 1993 in Kumasi, at the centre of the cocoa-growing region in the West of Ghana.
Morocco: Slaughterhouse Commissioned In Rabat-Salé-Kénitra
In Morocco, a slaughterhouse has been launched at Sidi Bouknadel in the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region. Set on a four-hectare site, this new facility has mobilised a total investment of 265 million dirhams ($26.3 million). The slaughterhouse includes cold rooms, a stable, slaughter facilities, as well as a wastewater treatment plant.
The processing unit is equipped to slaughter over 1,000 sheep and 500 cattle a day, with a production capacity of 30,000 tonnes of meat a year. Overall, this new investment should boost annual red meat production in the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region, which currently stands at around 60,000 tonnes a year, according to official figures.
Ghana: Nikgroup Farm To Establish Horticultural Farm
Ghanaian agrifood company Nikgroup Farm has announced plans to develop a horticultural farm spanning over 200 hectares in Akuse in the Eastern region of Ghana. The project is expected to boost Ghana's capability to satisfy its tomato and pepper demands domestically, utilising modern farming techniques.
Ghana is currently not sufficient in the tomato sector, with production not having reached its potential in terms of attaining yields comparable to other countries.
