Varun Beverages, part of India’s food and drink conglomerate RJ Corp, is investing $50m in a new Pepsi cola production facility in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in Africa.
The sum will go towards construction of the manufacturing plant and is expected to create “thousands of jobs”, an official statement said.
It will be situated in Kiswishi, a private special economic zone near the city of Lubumbashi in the southwestern part of the country.
The facility will be built on 15 hectares of land that has access to a main highway leading to other populous areas, including Lubumbashi and the Haut-Katanga province.
Locating the plant in Kiswishi means the site is “strategically positioned to enhance logistical efficiencies and economic development across the region”.
“Varun’s expansion will meet the rising demand for Pepsi beverages in DRC and support our long-term growth trajectory in Africa,” Varun Beverages chairperson Ravi Kant Jaipuria added.
“Our investment in Kiswishi city special economic zone exemplifies our confidence in Congolese consumers and commitment to sustainable manufacturing.”
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 drinks brands such as Mountain Dew, Miranda and 7-Up since the 1990s.
The Indian bottler has operated in Africa since 2007. Its presence in the continent includes facilities in Morocco, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
In December, Varun Beverages entered South Africa via the acquisition of fellow PepsiCo bottler The Beverage Company (Bevco).
Bevco is a South African manufacturer and distributor that holds franchise rights for PepsiCo in South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini. It also has additional distribution rights for Namibia and Botswana.
Bevco operates five manufacturing sites in South Africa: two in Johannesburg and one each in Durban, East London and Cape Town. It had the licence to produce PepsiCo brands including Pepsi, 7Up Free, Mirinda and Mountain Dew.
“Varun Beverages to invest in Democratic Republic of Congo Pepsi plant” was originally created and published by Just Drinks, a GlobalData owned brand.
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