MUTARE– Delta Beverages has expanded its business empire in Manicaland province following the acquisition of Mutare Bottling Company and ongoing construction works at a new plant in Rusape.
Delta Beverages’ agreement with Mutare Bottling Company was recently approved by the Zimbabwe Competition and Tariff Commission, as the beverage giant expands into soft drinks, boosting its distribution network to cover Manicaland.
There are also ongoing construction works at Delta’s Chibuku Super Plant in Rusape, where the giant firms secured a 10-hectare piece of land at the Tsanzaguru Industrial Park to set up its fifth opaque beer plant in the country.
Delta already operates similar plants in Chitungwiza, Kwekwe, Bulawayo and Masvingo, and its newest addition is expected to employ hundreds of workers and also benefit downstream industries.
Delta said in a statement Coca-Cola Company has extended its sparkling beverages franchise arrangements to cover Manicaland Province as it will operate assets of Mutare Bottling Company.
“This transaction provides an opportunity for the Group to provide its range of products across the entire Zimbabwean market.
“Our customers and consumers in Manicaland will have access to the wide range of The Coca-Cola Company’s brands and packs.
“This also allows the optimal utilization of the existing assets, including the Mutare bottling plant, and the distribution footprint. The transaction will not result in any job losses.
“The transaction has received the requisite regulatory approvals,” read part of the statement.
Delta Beverages secretary, Alex Makamure, said progress of construction works in Rusape which had been hampered by forex challenges and Covid-19 worldwide, has commenced with preliminary civil works.
“We are currently undertaking preliminary civil works at the new site at Tsanzaguru in Rusape. The Rusape Brewery project will commence in earnest when the foreign currency situation improves. We are focusing on clearing our legacy foreign currency obligations.
“There are also constraints arising from the Covid-19 pandemic disruptions,” he said.
Delta Corporation is involved, through its principal subsidiary Delta Beverages, in the brewing of lager and traditional beer and the bottling of soft drinks under licence from the Coca Cola Company.
Delata operates one of the largest distribution network of depots and delivery fleets in Zimbabwe.
The Company has a significant interest in Schweppes Zimbabwe which manufactures still and juice drinks under the Coca-Cola franchise, and it the country’s leading brewer with more than 15 beer brands and some 4,000+ employees across the country.
The group’s portfolio includes Castle, Carling Black Label, Chibuku, Chibuku Super, Castle Lite, Redd’s and Castle Milk Stout as well as leading local brands such as Golden Pilsner and Zambezi.
African Distillers, associate of Delta Beverages, is the leading producer of wines, spirits and ciders, a majority shareholder in Natbrew Plc, the LuSE listed traditional beer business in Zambia.
