Schweppes eyes Angola, DRC markets

Schweppes eyes Angola, DRC markets
Published: 27 June 2014
Bottled water and soft drinks manufacturer Schweppes Zimbabwe says its export business is now active and the company has lined up the Angolan and Democratic Republic of Congo as it spreads its wings into SADC.

Managing director Charles Msipa said the company had decided to focus on the regional markets due to the depressed demand on the local market.

"Because demand on the local market is subdued, we have since re-intensified our focus on exports into the region and we are having good export business in Zambia and Botswana.

"We are currently cultivating Angola and Democratic Republic of Congo to try and penetrate those two markets because we only started exporting in January this year," he said.

Msipa, who is also the president of the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI), was speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a breakfast meet hosted by the Africa Leadership and Management Academy (ALMA).

The expansion in the region should result in Schweppes adding to its bottom line, and in the long run will result in utilisation of excess production capacity, making it one of the most efficient manufacturers in the country.

Msipa said Schweppes had decided to stop exports at a time when the local market was vibrant, but that has since waned.

"We did not prioritise exporting at first because we were getting the US dollar from the local economy, and because the local market was very competitive markets in terms of what the customers were expecting on pricing," he said.

Although the local manufacturing sector's average capacity utilisation has declined to below 40 percent, according to CZI figures, the beverages sector has been faring significantly better
- BH24
Tags: Schweppes,

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