Heineken, a global leading beer maker, has commissioned its first brewery in Mozambique after an investing to the tune of US$100 million in developing the new modern plant.
Located in the district of Maputo, the new brewery will have a production capacity of 800 000 million hectolitres.
The plant will produce four international brands – Heineken, Amstel, Sagres and Strongbow – as well as Txilar, new beer specially made by Mozambicans for Mozambican consumers using locally sourced raw materials.
Speaking during the inauguration ceremony, Jean-François van Boxmeer, chief executive officer at Heineken, highlighted that the investment will play a key role in contributing to and strengthening the country’s economy.
“We believe in Mozambique. The population is young and vibrant, the middle class is growing and living increasingly in cities, the economic perspectives are encouraging and the beer market has a great potential to grow.
The construction of Heineken’s first brewery is a major step for the company’s presence in the country,” van Boxmeer said.
HEINEKEN started its activities in Mozambique late 2016 through a sales and marketing office, importing international brands including Heineken, Amstel, Sagres and Strongbow to offer more choice to Mozambican consumers.
However, one year later, Boudewijn Haarsma, Heineken International managing director of East and West Africa, expressed the company’s interests in investing in brewery plant, whose establishment started in 2017.
“Investing in a new market like Mozambique supports Heineken’s ambition to expand its footprint and be the number one or a strong number two in all markets in which it operates.
With our extensive experience and existing business in Africa, we also aim to be a partner for growth today in Mozambique as we already are throughout the continent,” Haarsma said.
The investment will now enable Heineken leverage on the country’s beer market whose consumption is currently at 10.5 litres per capita.
Through this important investment, Heineken Mozambique already employs 200 people – 96% of which are Mozambican which contributed to “encouraging” the socio-economic situation in the country.
In its previous financial year, Heineken branded beer volume grew 7.7%, its strongest performance in more than a decade and boasts of ten markets now selling more than 1 million hectolitres of Heineken branded beer.
The event was attended by President of Mozambique Filipe Nyusi, the Minister of Trade and Industry, the Minister of Agriculture and the Dutch Ambassador, Mr. Roland Pirmez, President for Africa, Middle East and Eastern Europe region among others.
