Brewing giant SABMiller is to build a $34-million brewery in Namibia as it looks to increase its presence in the country by locally producing its popular Castle and Castle Lite brands.
SABMiller said on Friday construction of the brewery — which is expected to have a capacity of 220 000 hectolitres and will be built in Okahandja, 70km north of Namibia’s capital, Windhoek — will start in the second half of the year.
SABMiller will hold a 60% stake in the brewery through SABMiller Namibia, while the remaining 40% will go to local Namibian partners in a black economic empowerment (BEE) scheme.
The BEE partners include Onyewu Investments, which will hold 20%, and three charitable trusts.
SABMiller has been importing beer into Namibia for more than 20 years and holds 22% of the local market share. It provides brands like Castle Lager, Carling Black Label, Peroni Nastro Azzurro and Castle Lite.
The new brewery will also include a returnable bottle packaging line and warehousing facilities. — Reuters