News
We track thousands of news sources to identify trends across African markets. Our expert team provides detailed analysis to breaking events
Shoprite joins Tesco, Ahold Delhaize, Woolworths (Aus/NZ) and Empire to form retail venture capital firm
Shoprite has co-launched a $125m venture capital fund with Tesco, Ahold Delaize, Woolworths Group and Empire Company/Sobeys. The fund will have a focus on sustainability in retail. The fund is called W23 Global and will be run out of Sydney by Ingrid Maes, who is...
Nigerian supermarket chain Justrite trials mobile self-checkout
Retail startup Jump n Pass has partnered with Nigerian chain Justrite to activate its mobile self-checkout at Justrite supermarkets in Nigeria. The system is currently operating at its Bariga, Lagos outlet. The plan is to roll out the mobile self-checkout to all 26...
Alshaya Group opens the first Chipotle Mexican Grill fast food outlet in the Middle East
Fast food chain Chipotle Mexican Grill has opened its first outlet in the Middle East. The American QSR franchise has partnered with Alshaya Group, the major Middle Eastern QSR and retail operator that also operates franchises of Starbucks, Shake Shack, The...
Abidjan bans street vendors from major roads and intersections
Abidjan bans beggars, street sellers and go-slow vendors who operate along the city's major roads. At the beginning of March the governor of Abidjan, Ibrahim Cissé Bacongo, declared that he disliked itinerant traders and beggars and wanted to find an alternative to...
Arçelik acquires Whirlpool’s Middle East and North Africa (MENA) operations
Arçelik, Beko’s parent company, has acquired Whirlpool’s Middle East and North Africa (MENA) operations. Arçelik now owns Whirlpool’s UAE and Morocco businesses and manages Whirlpool's major domestic appliance (MDA) business in the MENA region. In January...
Heineken opens a new production line at its Braliwa brewery in Rwanda
Heineken subsidiary Braliwa has opened a new production line at its Gisenyi brewery in Rubavu district, from where it has brewed since 1957. The move is part of a €30m ($32m) expansion project designed to allow the company to scale more sustainably and achieve net...
Algerian dairy company Giplait opens six new outlets in Oran
The Giplait dairy company has opened up six new dairy outlets in the Algerian city of Oran. The initiative is designed to improve the penetration of its products in one of its key growth markets. Giplait produces fresh milk, skimmed milk, butter, cream, yoghurt and...
Kenyan clean cookstove manufacturer BURN raises $12m to expand in new markets
BURN Manufacturing (BURN), a Kenyan manufacturer and distributor of clean cooking stoves, has raised over $12m to expand across Africa. The investment has been led by Key Carbon and Cartesian. The company has raised $30.5m to date but plans to raise up to $120m....
Libya implements a temporary 27% fee on foreign currency
Libya’s Central Bank has instructed commercial banks to temporarily impose a 27% fee on foreign currency exchange rates. If successful, the move will dramatically push up the cost of legally imported goods in Libya. The instruction to banks from Hamza Ashour...
Zimbabwe’s supermarkets have now effectively dollarised
Zimbabwean supermarkets have now effectively dollarised, buying and selling in US dollars. From last week, major chains OK Zimbabwe, TM (Pick n Pay) and Spar have adopted exclusive US dollar pricing in stores. The continued loss in value of the Zimbabwean dollar,...
The Egyptian goverment is applying pressure to traders and manufacturers to reduce food prices
The Egyptian government is applying pressure to traders and manufacturers to reduce food prices. It is seeking significant price reductions of 15%-20% before the end of March 2024 and reductions of 30% by the end of Eid Al-Fitr. The government has completed customs...
Maziwa, owner of Uganda’s Lato milk brand, set to acquire Kenyan dairy Highland Creamers
Maziwa, the Mauritian holding company that owns the Ugandan milk processor Pearl Dairy Farms has been given permission by the Comesa Competition Commission to acquire a 100% stake in Kenyan dairy company Highland Creamers & Food. Pearl Dairy Farms was founded...
New tomato processing factories open in Nigeria and Madagascar
New tomato factories have opened in Nigeria and Madagascar. The Nigerian factory is owned and operated by GB Foods, has cost N20bn ($14.2m) and is the second largest tomato processing factory in Nigeria. GB Foods first announced its new tomato processing factory in...
Mutandis opens its new 40,000sqm detergents, personal care and soft drinks factory
Moroccan FMCG manufacturer Mutandis has opened a new factory at its site in Berrechid, 40km from Casablanca. The new factory complex costs MAD285m ($28.3m) and covers 40,000sqm. The factory will manufacture three types of products: body washes, liquid detergents...
Nigeria lifts fx restrictions on imported dairy products
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has lifted restrictions on the importation of milk and dairy products. The restriction has been in place to February 2020, when the CBN announced that milk importation would be limited to six companies: Nestlé, FrieslandCampina,...
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