Varun Beverages expands in Zimbabwe with snack and beer plants

VBL is locking down Zimbabwe with factories, snacks, and beer plans, betting hard on local farming and brand muscle.

Expansion push in Zimbabwe

• Varun Beverages Limited is a major PepsiCo bottler operating outside the United States.
• Zimbabwe operations span soft drinks, water, snacks, and beer.
• Footprint keeps widening through factory builds and partnerships.

Production milestones and launches

• President Emmerson Mnangagwa opened a drinks and water line in December 2024.
• A snack plant site was marked during the same ceremony.
• Bottled water and fizzy drinks entered the market in 2018.

Snacks shift to local manufacturing

• Imports previously supplied Lay’s, Doritos, and Simba.
• A finished line will roll out Cheetos locally.
• Twenty SKUs cover two sizes, five flavors, and two shapes.
• Portfolio expands across four PepsiCo snack brands.

Farming and economic effects

• Maize sourcing will lean on Zimbabwean growers.
• Demand for crops is expected to climb.
• Farmer partnerships are positioned as long-term.

Beer project with Carlsberg

• A brewery is under construction with Carlsberg.
• Trading sales are expected to start by April 2026.
• Local brewing aims for mid 2027.
• Barley and maize demand is projected to rise.