Nestlé has announced that it is investing over $2.5 million into a new cereals manufacturing line, as part of a plant expansion in Zimbabwe.
The move reaffirms Nestlé’s commitment to the future of Zimbabwe and takes it total investment in the country to over $40 million in the last ten years.
According to Nestlé, the line expansion will immediately result in over 30% incremental volume throughput, allowing the organisation to meet local demand and increase exports into the region.
The commissioning of the new manufacturing line coincides with the launch of two new products: Nestlé Cerevita Instant Sour Porridge and Nestlé Cremora with Milk, a coffee and tea enhancer.
With its new products, Nestlé seeks to fill the existing gap on traditional consumer taste preference of Zimbabweans. They also have over 80% local content which Nestlé says will enhance their affordability on the local market and competitiveness in export markets
“The milestones above are aligned to Nestlé Zimbabwe’s transformation plan which seeks to address accessible and affordable nutrition,” said Eunice Ganyawu-Magwali, the managing director for Nestlé Zimbabwe.
She added: “The transformation plan which was rolled out towards the end of 2019 is focused on futureproofing the business in Zimbabwe through import substitution, local value chain development, expanding manufacturing capacity, increasing capacity utilisation, innovation and renovation of our product portfolio focusing on use of local ingredients, digital transformation, empowering communities and leading the sustainability agenda.”
According to reports in Zimbabwe, Nestlé is also planning a longer-term investment in the country’s coffee industry following the success of its project with Nespresso and local coffee farmers.