Varun Beverages, part of Indian food and beverage conglomerate RJ Corp, is investing $50 million in a new Pepsi Cola production facility in Africa’s Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The amount will go towards the construction of the factory and is expected to create “thousands of jobs,” an official statement said.
It will be located in Kiswishi, a private special economic zone near the city of Lubumbashi in the southwest of the country.
The facility will be built on 15 hectares of land that has access to a main road leading to other densely populated areas including Lubumbashi and Haut-Katanga province.
The plant’s location in Kiswishi means it is “strategically positioned to improve logistics efficiency and economic development across the region”.
“Varun’s expansion will meet the rising demand for Pepsi beverages in the DRC and support our long-term growth trajectory in Africa,” added Ravi Kant Jaipuria, Chairman of Varun Beverages.
“Our investment in the special economic zone of the city of Kiswishi is an example of our trust in Congolese consumers and our commitment to sustainable production.”
Just drinks has asked PepsiCo and Varun Beverages to confirm when the plant is expected to be operational.
Varun Beverages has been a franchisee for PepsiCo’s soft drink brands such as Mountain Dew, Miranda and 7-Up since the 1990s.
The Indian bottler has been active in Africa since 2007. Its presence on the continent includes facilities in Morocco, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Varun drinks in December entered South Africa through the acquisition of fellow PepsiCo bottler The Beverage Company (Bevco).
Bevco is a South African manufacturer and distributor that owns franchise rights for PepsiCo in South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini. It also has additional distribution rights for Namibia and Botswana.
Bevco operates five production sites in South Africa: two in Johannesburg and one each in Durban, East London and Cape Town. It had the license to produce PepsiCo brands including Pepsi, 7Up Free, Mirinda and Mountain Dew.
“Varun Beverages to Invest in Pepsi Plant in Democratic Republic of Congo” was originally created and published by Just drinksa brand owned by GlobalData.
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