Distell, the South African wine and spirits company, has bought 26% of Best Global Brands, the market leader in the Angolan spirits market.

Distell has purchased a 26% stake in Best Global Brands (BGB). BGB is the market leader in the Angolan spirits market and a brand leader in cream spirits in Nigeria. Distell is the owner of brands including Amarula Cream, Savanna Dry Cider, Klipdrift brandy and J.C. le Roux sparkling wine.

The acquisition is part of a two part, phased deal that should see the company acquire the remaining 74% stake from the Furlong and Octane Trusts, but not before the end of 2019. The progression of the deal is dependent on Distell and BGB overcoming any operational and integration hurdles and receiving regulatory approval.

The acquisition gives Distell access to ‘Best’ brand, which is a market leader in Angola and a category leader in Nigeria. The brand also has a solid and growing presence in Kenya and Zambia. BGB has production facilities in both Angola and Nigeria. The Best brand accounts for volume sales of 30m litres annually.

Distell aims to integrate its Nigeria operations and its Kenya export business with those of BGB in the next six months. In both cases, the deal is dependent on approval from each country’s regulators. Distell has long sought to really penetrate the Angolan market: back in 2011, the company admitted that it had made “a couple of expensive mistakes” in the country.

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