Coca-Cola unveils new $130 million bottling plant in Mozambique. Coca-Cola Sabco last week announced the official opening of its world-class bottling facility in Matola Gare, near Maputo, Mozambique.
This opening is part of the company's ongoing investment in world-class manufacturing capabilities on the African continent. The plant, built over three years at a cost of $130 million, is the largest green-field facility in Coca-Cola Sabco’s history across its seven-country regional market in Africa. With fully computerised operations, including energy, waste water recycling and building management systems, the firm is targeting Silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) accreditation for these environmental stewardship initiatives.
The plant’s 300-ml glass bottling line – capable of bottling 48,000 bottles per hour – is the largest bottling line in Sabco’s regional footprint, that includes Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda. Ford Invests $170mn In SA, Creating 1200 New Jobs. South Africa’s seven biggest vehicle producers have invested at least 24 billion rand in their plants in the past five years, helping to boost domestic output by about 30 percent [Image: Ford] Ford Motor Co. will invest 2.5 billion rand ($170 million) in expanding its South African operations and creating about 1200 jobs in the country.
“Our customers love the capability and utility offered by the all-new Ford Everest,” said Jim Farley, Ford executive vice president and president of Europe, Middle East and Africa. “By producing the Everest in South Africa, we will be able to make it more readily available, and in a greater variety of models, for customers throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. “The R2.5-billion investment reaffirms the importance of these markets as part of our growth strategy across the Middle East and Africa,” Farley added. General Motors East Africa to double truck output on construction boom. A construction boom in Kenya has fuelled a rise in commercial truck sales for market leader General Motors, which is investing $7.9 million in 2016 to upgrade its assembly plant in Nairobi and more than double output, a senior executive said on Thursday.
GM East Africa Managing Director Rita Kavashe said 20,000 new vehicles were sold in Kenya last year, the highest on record, and 98 percent of those were trucks and buses. This reflected both the strong commercial sector as infrastructure projects take off, as well as the prevalence of second-hand passenger cars which dominate the clogged roads of the capital Nairobi. "Three years ago we were producing about 10 vehicles and following upgrades and improvements, creating efficiencies has moved our production to about 22 vehicles a day," she told Reuters in an interview. "We continue to improve our processes, so we should be able to comfortably get 25 vehicles a day by mid of next year.
" Boeing and Paramount join forces for multi-role aircraft. The US plane maker Boeing and the South African defence company Paramount said they would collaborate on light multi-role aircraft.
Boeing will provide advanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities and weapons systems for Paramount’s Mwari military aircraft, the companies said yesterday. “The multi-role aircraft will become a significant player in the global aerospace industry,” said Ivor Ichikowitz, the executive chairman of Paramount Group. “We believe in the commercial success of the aircraft and its impact on the future of the African aerospace industry by boosting advanced technologies, job creation and skills development.”
The Paramount Group, a privately owned defence and aerospace business, first flew the two-seater aircraft publicly last year. It was billed as Africa’s first military aircraft. Paramount also produces armoured fighting vehicles, such as the Marauder mine-protected personnel carrier, and supplies parts for the Mirage F1 fighters. General Motors to resume operations in Egypt. Coca-Cola to acquire Nigerian food and beverage company. The latest investment by Coca-Cola expands its presence in Nigeria's value-added dairy and beverage sector.
(Image source: DanielGo/Flickr) South Africa: Dunkin' Donuts, Baskin-Robbins Coming to SA. By Carin Smith Grand Parade Investments [JSE:GPL] announced on Monday that it has signed a master franchise agreement with Dunkin' Brands, the parent company of Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin-Robbins, to begin developing both brands in South Africa.
The agreement remains subject to GPI's receipt of approval from the Financial Surveillance Department of the South African Reserve Bank. Under the licence agreement, Grand Parade Investments (GPI) will develop over 250 Dunkin' Donuts restaurants and more than 70 Baskin-Robbins shops in South Africa. US firm plans N67.5bn assembly facility for Nigeria - New Telegraph Nigerian Newspaper. A United States company, General Electric, has earmarked N67.5 billion ($250 million) capital expenditure for its manufacturing and assembly facility in Calabar, the Cross Rivers State capital.
The company would make Nigeria a regional hub for manufacturing, service and innovation. Its investment is expected to create 300 new jobs and over 1,000 indirect jobs through over 50 new suppliers who will support its expanded operations. Also, GE plans to build a training facility at the manufacturing site to ensure on-going employee development. The company provides one-year to four-year training programme locally and internationally for repair engineers, welders, fabricators, machinists and special processing Already, United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Africa: Mexico to Export Nixtamalisation of Grains to Africa.
By Emilio Godoy Texcoco — Every day in the wee hours of the morning Verónica Reyes' extended family grinds corn to make the dough they use in the tacos they sell from their food truck in Mexico City.
Sons, daughters-in-law and nephews and nieces divide the work in the family business that makes and sells cecina (dried, salted meat) tacos, longaniza (a kind of Spanish sausage), quesadillas and tlacoyos (thick stuffed oval-shaped corn dough tortillas). "We cook the corn the night before and we grind it early in the morning, to serve people at 8:00 AM," said Reyes, who has made a living selling food for years. The family loads up the metal countertop, gas cylinders, tables, chairs, ingredients and over 60 kg of corn dough in their medium-sized truck before heading from their town of San Jerónimo Acazulco, some 46 km southwest of Mexico City, to whatever spot they have chosen that day to sell their wares.
When the taco truck packs up, it has sold just about all the food prepared that day. Elon Musk's Tesla Is Opening A South African Office In 2016. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors, April, 2015.
Photo: Ringo H.W. FrontPageAfrica - Coca-Cola Launches Over US$5M Bottling Plant in Liberia. McDonald’s in Nigeria: ‘It’s not about if, it’s about when’ A McDonald’s outlet in South Africa.
Fast-food giant McDonald’s has more than 36,000 outlets in over 100 countries worldwide. But in Africa, with 54 economies and a population of around one billion, McDonald’s has only expanded to four markets – South Africa, Egypt, Morocco and Mauritius. However, speaking at the Retail Congress Africa in Cape Town yesterday, McDonald’s South Africa CEO Greg Solomon said the fast-food retailer’s decision to expand to the next African market will be based purely on supply-chain factors. He noted there is an opportunity to deploy the existing supply chain in South Africa to access markets further north. “There are smaller markets that are easy to get as you take the supply chain further up. However, Solomon added it’s a matter of time before McDonald’s enters Nigeria, and the decision will be based on when the corporation has been able to establish the supporting supply chain infrastructure, such as adequate potato production.
Unilever opens its first ice-cream factory in Africa. MULTINATIONAL goods firm Unilever SA continues to benefit from the Department of Trade and Industry’s multibillion-rand tax allowance incentive scheme, as the company on Tuesday opened the doors of its first ice-cream factory on African soil. The company has pumped R600m into the venture, situated in Midrand’s Lords View Industrial Park — a sprawling, five-phase industrial and logistics park billed as one of the country’s most environmentally friendly developments. The first phase of the park has kicked into gear, with the four others pegged for development in line with demand and industry needs.
The latest addition brings to 40 the total number of ice-cream factories Unilever has, most of which are dotted across the globe. Since 2011, the department has incentivised Unilever projects to the tune of R1.9bn under the scheme, which favours both greenfield (new) and brownfield (upgrades or expansions) projects. Picture: THINKSTOCK. Kellogg's acquires Egyptian Mass Food Group for $50m. International food manufacturer Kellogg’s has acquired Mass Food Group, Egypt’s leading cereal company, in a deal worth approximately $50m, Kellogg’s announced on Monday. The $50m that Kellogg’s has agreed to pay will see the company “financing the transaction with international cash on hand”, a company statement read. This marks the second acquisition for Kellogg’s in Egypt this year, with the company having acquired, in January 2015, an 85.93% stake in Egypt’s main biscuits and cakes producer, Bisco Misr, equivalent to EGP 9.8m. Mass Food Group started operations as a family business in Egypt in 1996.
Amongst the brands introduced by the company are NutriFit cereal bars and Temmy’s cereals. The company exports to over 30 markets, including in Africa, Europe and East Asia. American Investors To Build Cancer Machine Factory In Abia – Gov. Ikpeazu - Naija247news. Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia said on Sunday that some American investors would soon visit the state to explore its investment opportunities. Speaking with newsmen at the Government House, Umuahia, on his return from the U.S., Ikpeazu said that during the trip, he held discussions on the possibility of establishing a cancer machine factory in the state.
He said that he also spoke with a team of health experts on how to upgrade the existing health facilities in the state to international standard. Ikpeazu said that investors from Philadelphia were also expected in Abia to start the greenhouse technology, the modern trend in agriculture. He explained further that he had commenced discussions for a partnership between the state and some U.S. He said that the state of Maryland would collaborate with Abia State University, Uturu, to assist the institution in the areas of equipment and facilities. Kellogg to invest $450 mln in Nigeria’s Multipro for African expansion - Naija247news.
Kellogg Co is setting up a joint venture with the African arm of Singapore’s Tolaram Group to bolster its breakfast and snack food offerings in West Africa. Kellogg will also pay $450 million for a 50 percent stake in Lagos, Nigeria-based Multipro, a food sales and distribution company owned by Tolaram, with an option to buy a stake in Tolaram’s African unit. Tolaram Africa Foods owns 49 percent of Dufil Prima Foods Plc, the maker of Indomie noodles, Minimie snacks, Power oil and Power pasta. News in the Humanosphere: Google makes play for African mobile market. Google’s low-cost smartphone initiative, Android One, expanded into six African countries. “This expansion into Africa is part of Google’s ongoing plan to revitalize Android One after the program’s shaky start. … So far, though, Android One has been underachieving, with the Google-approved handsets failing to make much of an impact in ultra-competitive markets like India. … But while the launch of Android One in six African countries certainly expands the program’s geographic horizons, the reliance on the same playbook (and only a single new handset) are not entirely promising.”
(The Verge U.S. proposes South Sudan ultimatum The United States proposed on Wednesday implementing a United Nations arms embargo on South Sudan and further targeted sanctions from Sept. 6 unless President Salva Kiir signs a peace deal to end the country’s 20-month conflict. According to a draft resolution circulated to the U.N. Walmart lines up for slice of Kenyan retail. GE starts manufacturing of subsea Well Heads in Nigeria. Ford to build Ranger pickup in Nigeria. To the chagrin of its many fans, you can't buy a Ford Ranger in the U.S., but now the midsize pickup is even going to be built in Africa. Ford announced Monday it will assemble the Ranger pickup in Nigeria starting in the fourth quarter of 2015 as part of its expansion in the Middle East and Africa where the small truck is popular.
The Ranger is built and sold around the world with the notable exception of North America. The Wrigley Company To Build $60 Million Plant In Kenya. U.S. Investors Flood Embassy With Enquiries On Nigeria’s Auto Industry – Official. Walmart is planning to open retail outlets in Nigeria. BRUSSELS—It is easy to get lost in European bureaucratese, with its byzantine designations and overlapping commissioners, vice presidents, and directorates-general. But when it comes to digital policy, the important thing to know is just this: Andrus Ansip is the most powerful person in Europe today. As the commissioner in charge of the “digital single market,” his job is, literally, “to make Europe a world leader in information and communication technology.” For many outside Europe, this aspiration to become a world leader, combined with ongoing regulatory actions against American tech companies, suggests an aggressive, protectionist Europe willing to engage in battle with US firms to favor its own.
In February, America’s president came out and said as much, telling Re/Code that “sometimes the European response here is more commercially driven than anything else.” Starbucks to Enter Sub-Saharan Africa With Taste Coffee Deal. Ashok Leyland wins $82 mn bus contract from Senegal. Hinduja Group’s flagship company Ashok Leyland on Tuesday said it has received orders worth $82 million (approx Rs 521 crore) from Senegal to supply 475 buses. The company in a statement said it has bagged orders worth $82 million from Senegal towards building their comprehensive and integrated transportation system. Dakar Dem Dikk, a public transport organisation under the aegis of the Ministry of Transport, Senegal, has commissioned a comprehensive logistics programme with Ashok Leyland that comprises supply of 475 buses, genuine spares, assistance in development of workshops, training and consultancy on fleet management and structuring of vehicle tracking and monitoring systems.
Ford expands operations in North Africa. Ford increases operations in North Africa. South Africa : Delaware univ helps revive South African cotton industry - Textile News South Africa. Kenya: Wrigley invests $ 63 million in a manufacturing plant of chewing gum. The US manufacturer of chewing gum Wrigley is building a plant worth $ 63 million in Kenya. Described by Martin Radvin, the president of the company, as an important step in the strategy of engagement in the multinational Africa, the infrastructure will be located at Mavoko County Machakos. It will come as a replacement for another plant which has been in operation since 1972. The plant to be built on a 20 hectare site, will start operations in the first quarter of 2017, According to kenya newspapers.
Burger King expands into Zambia. (Bloomberg) — Burger King Worldwide Inc. plans to enter new African countries before the end of the year as it follows Yum! Domino’s Pizza joins Kenya fast food market. US Automaker Ford Establishes African Headquarters in Casablanca Finance City. Autodesk Removes Barriers to Software Access for all schools in Africa. Mexico targets North Africa market. Carporter Expands its Online Car Buying Platform to Nigeria - Metro Watch. KFC To Meet 'Overwhelming' Demand In Zimbabwe With 25 New Outlets.
Coca-Cola Invests an Additional $5B in Africa. Ford Motor Bullish On Africa: Sees 40% Auto Sales Growth By 2020, Might Be Looking For New Factory Site On Continent. Leading Automotive Electrical Distribution Systems Supplier Opens 4th Plant in Morocco. US tycoon invests in assembly of Africa’s cheapest car in Thika. Garmin calls on business partners in West Africa. Domino’s Pizza coming to Southern Africa: What you need to know. US fast-food chain Subway opens second Nairobi outlet - Corporates. McDonald veut conquérir le continent africain. Domino’s Pizza aiming to be the big cheese in Nigeria. African students get Office360 for free. Africa Investor - Ai News. Ford mulls new strategy for African market. Canadians to develop Namanve Industrial Park. Africa Investor - Ai News. Cape Town Gets First SA Burger King Next Week. Wal-Mart Brand Favored in Massmart’s Africa Growth Drive.
General Motors Plans To Sell 2 Million Units In Africa By 2015. P&G to invest US$170 million in South Africa. Bombardier's investment in Morocco, springboard for North Africa. General Motors getting serious about the African market. Pizza Hut et Quick bientôt en Tunisie. Nation Online - Starbucks boosts Malawi coffee demand. Philips Africa increases presence in West Africa. Why General Motors consolidated its African divisions. Procter & Gamble CEO: Africa 'Next Frontier' for Business. Pepsi switches on Nairobi soft drinks production plant - Money Markets. Coca-Cola announces 140 mln USD investment in Mozambique. SABMiller: Halve the price of beer. 3M Extends its African Reach. Nigeria: U.S. Approves $250 Million Loan for Fertilizer Facility in Nigeria. US Hershey partners to build peanut butter factory in Ghana. Bimo sold to Kraft.
Battle of the brands about to begin in Africa. Bombardier buys land near Casablanca airport. New York listed cosmetics firm sets shop in Nairobi Coca-Cola Opens $15m Bottling Plant In Somaliland.