In Uganda, the non-alcoholic beverage industry relies heavily on soft drinks as its primary source of income. As the local market’s demand continues to grow, key players in this sector are making significant investments to boost their production.
Crown Beverages, the authorized bottler of PepsiCo’s soft drinks in the United States, recently opened a new facility in Kakungulu, located in the central Wakiso district. This state-of-the-art plant, which came into operation on April 19th, was constructed at a cost of 284 billion Ugandan shillings (equivalent to $70 million). It boasts a production capacity of 116,000 bottles per hour, enabling it to manufacture 80,000 bottles of carbonated beverages and 36,000 bottles of carbonated water.
Eugene Willemsen, the Managing Director responsible for PepsiCo’s operations in Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia, has disclosed that this plant’s launch marks the initial phase of a comprehensive program valued at over $90 million, aimed at expanding Crown Beverages’ production capabilities within Uganda.
“With this plant, we hope to further expand our portfolio and we have started to do so with the addition of the new sparkling water brand [Aquafina],” explains the manager.
It’s worth highlighting that the program’s second phase is currently in progress and is slated for completion within the current year, with a budget of $24 million.
Amos Nzeyi, the Chairman of the Board at Crown Beverages, elaborated on this phase, stating, “We are in the process of finalizing a new facility in Kakungulu. The construction of the structures is set to conclude within three months, and the installation of two additional production lines is scheduled to commence in September this year, with full operation expected to kick off on November 1.”
Crown Beverages has been actively operating in Uganda since 1950 and has established a network of over 100 distribution outlets across the country for its product distribution.