HARARE – Danish beer giant Carlsberg is entering the Zimbabwean market through a partnership with Varun Beverages Zimbabwe, the local bottler of Pepsi products, in a move set to make the country a hub for regional beer exports.
Varun Beverages Zimbabwe, a subsidiary of India’s Varun Beverages Limited, has signed a landmark sales and distribution agreement with Carlsberg for the African market, with Zimbabwe leading the first phase of the rollout.
Varun Beverages Zimbabwe CEO Vijay Bahl said the deal marks the first step in a broader strategy that will see local beer production under the Carlsberg brand.
“Varun Beverages Ltd signed a sale and distribution agreement for beer with Carlsberg for Africa, including Zimbabwe as the first phase,” said Bahl. “In the second phase, manufacturing will be done in Zimbabwe with the successful launch of beer in the local market.”
The partnership will initially focus on importing and distributing Carlsberg beers before moving to local production, a shift expected to boost industrial capacity and create new jobs in the beverages sector.
The deal builds on Varun’s growing footprint in Zimbabwe, where it has invested heavily in beverage production since 2018.
The company completed a US$20 million expansion last year, adding new production lines for carbonated drinks and bottled water at its Harare plant.
In 2024, Varun signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency (ZIDA) to establish a snacks and juice manufacturing division. The company plans to begin local snacks production in January 2026 and juice production in June the same year.
“We will be elevating people from the existing talent as our first choice,” Bahl said.
Varun Beverages currently produces and distributes Pepsi, 7 Up, Mirinda, Mountain Dew, Tropicana juices, Gatorade, Sting energy drinks, Creambell milkshakes, Lipton iced tea, and Aquafina bottled water in Zimbabwe.
With beer, snacks, and juice manufacturing lines in the pipeline, Varun’s expansion marks a major step in Zimbabwe’s industrialisation and import substitution efforts.
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