Malawi: Groupe Castel invests $22 million in former Carlsberg plants

After Carlsberg sold its sole brewery, distillery and soft drink business in Africa in August 2016, (inside.beer, 16.8.2016) the new owner Groupe Castel invested $22 million into the business. ”We have increased our product stock keeping units from 32 to 62. We hope that this level of investment sends a message to Malawi, at large, of our intention to stay the biggest beverage producer in the country,” said Olivier Renson, Managing Director of Castel Malawi.

The company introduced new products on the market such as a sparkling drink called World Cola, XXL energy drink, and Compal juice. A ladies’ malt drink will also be launched soon. “We have also expanded into another new category with the launch of Castel wine in mid – 2017 and we also expect to launch two new beers in the next four months,” Renson said.

Officially opened on 14th December 1968, Carlsberg Malawi Brewery Limited (CMBL) was the first Carlsberg brewery outside Denmark. As part of Carlsberg’s seven-year strategy called SAIL’22 the group streamlined its business and sold the group’s only brewery in Africa in August 2016 to French Groupe Castel, which is one of the dominant players in the beer industry on the African continent. The brewery is located in the heavy industrial area of Makata in Blantyre and is the only state-of-the-art brewing and beer packaging facility in Malawi with a production capacity of 380,000 hl of beer per year.

Earlier this month it became known that the company had changed its name from Carlsberg Malawi to Castel Malawi. (inside.beer, 4.12.2017)

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