Varun to make Zim production hub
VARUN Beverages Zimbabwe, the holder of the PepsiCo franchise, intends to make Zimbabwe the production hub for markets in the southern African region.
The non-alcoholic beverages manufacturer said one of its immediate deliverables was to start supplying regional export markets, particularly Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) from Zimbabwe .
Varun currently has seven production lines that are producing a total of 58 million bottles and cans in a month and has also been exporting to Zambia.
In October last year, the company invested US$12 million in the construction of a new production line which will see it growing its output to 76 million bottles and cans per month.
Varun Beverages Zimbabwe chief executive officer Vijay Bahl indicated during a recent tour of the plant that the Zimbabwean market remained the company’s strategically important, but the group was looking to export into other regional markets using Harare as the manufacturing hub.
He noted that Varun decided to make Zimbabwe its production hub after considering the impressive response by the local market since the launch of its first products locally.
“We have plans to make Zimbabwe a production hub and we are trying to see if we can service Malawi and the DRC from here, we have seen that there are opportunities of producing here and shipping to these two countries, so we are still working with my team to explore these market opportunities.
“I am very positive and we are making progress, when we have our new production line ready we will be able to supply them, however, my first priority is the people of Zimbabwe who have shown us so much love and affection,” said Mr Bahl.
Varun beverages growth in the past four years had been phenomenal due to the overwhelming response from the Zimbabwean market and support by the local authorities.
He also acknowledged the availability of a skilled workforce in the country, stressing Zimbabwe had an abundance of skills and talent required to run the business.
Varun commissioned a US$12 million packaged drinking water line in October last year with a production capacity of 15 million bottles per month.-The Herald
