Located in the province of Maputo, between the Marracuene and Manhiça districts, the brewery represents a $100m investment.
With a production capacity of 0.8m hectolitres, the brewery is starting production with Txilar, a new launch made specifically for the Mozambican market. Txilar uses local maize grown in the Catandica district, in the central province of Manica.
Heineken will continue to offer international brands such as Heineken, Amstel, Sagres and Strongbow alongside the new brew.
‘The economic perspectives are encouraging’
Heineken started its activities in Mozambique at the end of 2016, with a sales and marketing office importing its international brands. The Dutch brewer says its first brewery is a milestone for its growth plans in the country.
With GDP growth of 3.5% in 2018, Heineken says Mozambique's socio-economic fundamentals are ‘encouraging’. Beer consumption is currently at 10.5 litres per capita.
Jean-François van Boxmeer, chairman of the Executive Board and CEO, Heineken, said: "The population is young and vibrant, the middle-class is growing and living increasingly in cities, the economic perspectives are encouraging and the beer market has a great potential to grow.
"The construction of Heineken's first brewery is a major step for the company's presence in the country."
Heineken employs 200 people in the country, 96% of which are Mozambican, as well as supporting indirect jobs through the value chain.
A number of employees at the new brewery have benefited from trips to Heineken’s operations in Portugal, South Africa, Nigeria and Ethiopia to exchange experiences and knowledge. In addition, staff have benefited from 23,000 hours of training in partnership with the Mozambican Minister of Labour.
