Diageo, one of the world's leading beverage alcohol companies, has appointed John Musunga as its new Managing Director for Africa, effective July 1, 2026. The executive will relocate from London to Nairobi, Kenya, to oversee operations across a continent that the company has prioritized as a key growth region. He transitions into this role after most recently serving as the Managing Director for the company's South, West, and Central Africa business, where he managed operations in over 30 markets.
The leadership change comes at a time when the British beverage group is fundamentally restructuring its African business model. Over the past few years, the company has increasingly moved away from direct ownership of brewing facilities, favoring an asset-light approach centered on licensing and partnerships with established local operators. This strategy allows the company to focus more heavily on brand building and its premium spirits portfolio, which includes international brands like Johnnie Walker. This continent-wide transformation began with the disposal of its Ethiopian subsidiary, Meta Abo Brewery, to the Castel Group (inside.beer, 2022-01-25), followed shortly by the sale of Guinness Cameroon to the same French conglomerate (inside.beer, 2022-07-14). Two years later, Diageo divested its majority stake in the Nigerian unit to Tolaram (inside.beer, 2024-06-12), while retaining ownership of the Guinness brand under a long-term license. This divesting trend continued across West Africa when Diageo transferred its majority stake in Guinness Ghana Breweries to the Castel Group (inside.beer, 2025-01-29) and sold the group's majority stake in Seychelles Breweries to the Mauritius-based IBL Group (inside.beer, 2025-04-02). The asset-light strategy reached a massive milestone with the deal to exit the regional beer market completely via the sale of its stake in East African Breweries to Japan's Asahi (inside.beer, 2025-12-18).
Musunga is expected to drive this transition forward, leveraging his experience in managing complex operational shifts within the region. Before entering the beverage sector, Musunga accumulated over two decades of leadership experience at the global pharmaceutical company GSK, managing commercial operations and public health partnerships across Africa, Europe, and Asia. He joined the brewing industry in 2021 as Managing Director of Kenya Breweries, where he steered the subsidiary through its post-pandemic recovery. Following this, he served as the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Guinness Nigeria, guiding the business through significant strategic reforms.
According to industry reports from Citizen Digital and the African Marketing Confederation, the appointment reinforces Nairobi's status as a central hub for multinational corporations managing Pan-African operations. In his new capacity, Musunga will focus on accelerating innovation, strengthening distribution networks, and deepening consumer engagement for the group's diverse beverage portfolio.
