Africa > East Africa > South Sudan > South Sudan chaos hinders Uganda Breweries supplies

South Sudan: South Sudan chaos hinders Uganda Breweries supplies

2016/07/25

Uganda Breweries Ltd says that the chaos in South Sudan has hampered their distribution chain in the country slowing down their business.

According to Mark Ociiti Ongom, the In-Coming Uganda Breweries Ltd Managing Director the highly consumed beer of Bell is not smoothly moving around the problematic country due to the chaos.

“The violence in South Sudan has somehow made us to reduce on our supplies of our brands particularly Bell throughout country. Bell lager is highly consumed in South Sudan. Deeper areas into South Sudan market are challenging,” said Ociiti.

He said as Uganda Breweries marks 70 years of business in Uganda, it is the pioneer brewery in the country and was named the 4th taxpayer in Uganda in 2016 paying over UGX. 110 Billion in taxes annually.

“We were named 2nd best Employer of the Year by Federation of Ugandan Employers (“FUE”), we employ over 22,000 people due and not instantly and have injected over 20 billion shillings annually into farming communities, working with over 17,000 farmers,” said Ociiti.

He said their production capacity grew from 650k Hectoliters in the early 90s to over 1.2mln hectoliters to date and has given access to clean and safe water to over 2 Million Ugandans and restored 1900 hectares of forest cover to the Navugulu Forest Reserve.

Uganda Breweries Limited, one of the oldest Companies in Uganda, and the 18th company to be registered in Uganda, will be celebrating 70 years of existence on 27th July, 2016.

Registered next the World War II in 1946, the company has become one of the greatest truly Ugandan iconic brands dedicated to celebrating and transforming lives in Uganda, East Africa and internationally.

The out-going UBL Managing Director Nyimpini Mabunda said their Brand had lived through the Ugandan troubled completed and like a lot of Ugandans, had come out stronger and full of life – ever additional resilient to celebrate life, each day, everywhere!

Over the 70 years, UGANDA BREWERIES has invested significantly in growing its capacity so that additional Ugandans can enjoy the diverse offering of high quality alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

“In the early 90s our capacity was at 650k hectolitres and by 2001 we were at 750k hectolitres. In 2010 we invested UGX. 44 Billion in a new national-of-the art bottling line, which doubled the brewery’s capacity and improved bottling versatility. In 2012, we invested a further GBP £ 1.4 Million in installing a mash filter to support the use of local raw material sourced from within the country thus significantly improving our brewing capacity to over 1.2 Million hectoliters a year. In 2015, we completed work on the refurbishment of our Effluent Treatment plant, a project that cost GBP £ 4.8 Million and significantly increased our capacity to treat our industry waste even if our capacity were to grow by thousands of hectoliters,” he said.

To ensure sustainability of its business and keep its consumers satisfied, the company has actively innovated around its processes and its products.

It recently stopped adding sugar to all the beers produced at the brewery in port bell and for over 5 years has used locally sourced materials like barley, sorghum, cornstarch and cassava in its production.

“We recently innovated our heritage brands; we put Bell and UG in new stunning packs and introduced two new flavors (Coconut & Coffee) to the Uganda Waragi family. We have introduced the Ugandan consumer to new brands like Tusker Lite, Singleton; and new to world brands like Ngule. We as well pride ourselves on shaping consumer experiences with whisky tasting dinners, cocktails and best serves, which have allowed our consumers learn new ways to share and enjoy their favorite brands with great satisfaction,” said Mabunda.

Related Articles
  • U.S. warns South Sudan: Continued chaos is not acceptable, aid may be pulled

    2017/09/03 The top U.S. official for humanitarian aid has delivered a stern warning to South Sudan’s president that the Trump administration is reexamining its policy toward one of the world's poorest and most dangerous countries as the African nation slides into lawlessness. Mark Green, the administrator for the United States Agency for International Development, met Friday with President Salva Kiir Mayardit. Green said he raised U.S. concerns over the dangers humanitarian aid workers face in delivering food and medicine in the country as well as a pervasive climate of criminal activity by government forces, criminal gangs and opposition forces. Since civil war erupted almost four years ago, a third of South Sudan’s population has become internally displaced or fled the country in Africa’s worst refugee crisis since the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
  • Africa: USA-Africa - No Policy? Bad Policy? or Both?

    2017/08/30 "Africa is terra incognita for the Trump Government: a continent it cares little - and understands even less - about. With no dyed-in-the-wool Trumpian Africa hands available, the government appears ready to cede Africa policy making to career civil servants and a few mainstream Republican appointees." - Matthew T. Page The headline to Page's article in Quartz Africa states that "Donald Trump could be getting his US-Africa policy right by simply not having one." His view is actually additional nuanced, in judging that no policy would likely be only "less bad" than explicitly "bad policy" that may result from better White Home interest in Africa.
  • Veteran Diplomat Named 'Acting' State Department Africa Chief

    2017/08/30 Donald Yamamoto, who has extensive diplomatic experience in Africa inclunding two tours as a U.S. ambassador, will take office as Acting Assistant Secretary of National for Africa on 5 September. He is the second career official tapped for a senior policy position on Africa in the Trump government.Donald Yamamoto, who has extensive diplomatic experience in Africa including two tours as a U.S. ambassador, will take office as Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Africa on 5 September. He is the second career official tapped for a senior policy position on Africa in the Trump administration. Senior CIA analyst Cyril Sartor was hired as senior director for Africa at the National Security Council earier this month Key Africa jobs at the Defense Department (DOD) and the U.S. Agency for International Development remain vacant. "Having someone with Don Yamamoto's experience in that post is very significant," Mel Foote, Constituency for Africa president, told AllAfrica. "As Africa confronts a lot of challenges, we want to see responsible U.S. engagement in partnership with African governments and civil society organizations."
  • Africa’s economic growth in 2016 was driven by East Africa

    2017/08/20 While the continent’s major economies were hit by the fall in commodity prices in 2016, Africa retained its position as the second-fastest growing continent globally recording an average of 2.2% GDP increase, behind only South Asia, according to the African Development Bank Group (AfDB). Much of Africa’s increase in 2016, AfDB says, was driven by East Africa where several nations recorded “strong performances.” In general, of the continent’s sub-regions, East Africa posted the highest increase rate with 5.3%, led by Ethiopia.
  • Africa property offers rich pickings for the brave

    2017/08/20 Some property pundits believe there are major opportunities for investors or companies on the continent. While most pundits will acknowledge that the saying “Africa is not for sissies” rings authentic at the same time as it comes to property investment , some commentators believe that there are major opportunities for investors on the continent.