eBusiness Weekly
Business Writer
Beverages producer, Schweppes Zimbabwe has begun exports of Mazoe Orange Crush to Zambia to boost foreign currency earnings at a time the country is facing shortage of hard currency, managing director Charles Msipa said yesterday.
Mazoe Orange Crush is a product of The Coca-Cola Company, which is produced under franchise by Schweppes Zimbabwe and is one of the company’s premium brands. Zambia however has its own Mazoe Orange Crush, which is no different to the local one except on packaging.
“We started early March and we are confident it will be one of our key markets,” said Msipa. “We are trying to push exports as we also want to generate foreign currency,” he added.
Msipa said by mid-year, the company would be looking at pushing “significant volumes” of the product into Zambia. Schweppes is already exporting to Namibia and Botswana and has also set sights on the South African and Mozambican markets.
“Our next target is South Africa and Mozambique and we are already working on it.”
The prevailing foreign currency shortage in the country has seen some companies failing to import raw materials with some having payment backlog running into millions of dollars.
While the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has secured $1,1 billion facilities from the African Export Import Bank since 2016 to boost exports and support international payments, the country is still battling chronic foreign currency shortages.
Schweppes is a manufacturer and distributor of non-carbonated, still beverages, under licence from The Coca-Cola Company. The product portfolio currently includes cordials, fruit juices, bottled water and flavoured drinks. Schweppes products are marketed under well renowned brand names; Mazoe, Minute Maid and Schweppes Water.
The beverages company currently has six operational sites in Harare, Bulawayo, Chinhoyi, Kwekwe, Mutare and Masvingo.
The operations in Kwekwe, Chinhoyi, Masvingo and Mutare are depots that provide warehouse and distribution services. Manufacturing is undertaken only at two branches, Harare and Bulawayo.
The branches have warehousing and distribution facilities from which they also supply other depots across the country.
