Following a shift in alcohol consumption preference by Kenyans in 2018, characterised by a liking for cider, Kenya Wine Agencies Limited (KWAL) has launched a new production line for the local manufacture of ciders in the company premises on Enterprise road. The launch of the cider production line comes at a time when KWAL is celebrating 50 years in the alcohol manufacturing business.
Present during the launch was KWAL’s recently appointed Managing Director Ms Lina Githuka, Chris Lombard a member of the company’s Board, as well as the Cider project lead, Mr Robert Bajner.
“As we celebrate 50 years of being in business, our focus is on business expansion as well as growth in market share across all the products in our portfolio. The cider production line will initially focus on Hunters Gold which is currently Africa’s largest-selling cider. This project has been in the making for the past one and a half years and we do anticipate that it will be a game changer for KWAL in the market,” said Lina Githuka, KWAL Managing Director.
KWAL marked the first production of Hunters Gold at its production facility one and a half years ago. The local production of the Hunters Gold Cider aligns with KWAL’s strategic goal on increasing their local production offering and capacity while at the same time redefining the market to remain relevant to the increasing consumer demands and trends.
According to statistics and estimates from the company, Kenyans consumed an estimated 9 million litres of ciders in 2018 causing an 8.5% and 8.1% decline in the beers and mixed drinks segment respectively.
“Our focus is to occupy at least 50% of the cider and mixed drinks segment by the end of the year. We plan to do this by taking advantage of our wide distributor network as well as the use of 3rd party listing agencies to supplement the sales team,” Lina Githuka further noted.
