Ghanaian brewer Kasapreko enters Kenya’s alcohol market

Competition in Kenya’s alcohol industry is set to get stiffer following the entry of Ghanaian-owned company, Kasapreko company, which has operations across six African countries.

The company enters the East African market with its two flagship gin and whiskey brands, Alomo Bitters and Alomo Gold, and with a strategy to partner with established local alcohol distributors to penetrate the market. 

East Africa has become the first major expansion of the brewer outside the West and South African markets, where it has been in Ghana (the home country), Nigeria, Togo, Ivory Coast, South Africa and Burkina Faso. 

The company launched East Africa operations on Thursday through Canary International Trading Company Limited, a subsidiary of Canary Group of Companies – a food and beverage products distributor with a presence across West Africa, East Africa and the United Arab Emirates.

Moves to grow sales

The founder of the Canary Group of Companies, Patrick Masope Crabbe, said they would pursue a B2B model of business to the East African market to ensure that Kasapreko products spread into the market rapidly to reach consumers.

“I am calling all Kenyans and the East Africa community at large to explore our rich Ghanaian heritage through our diverse range of beverages such as Alomo Bitters and Alomo Gold. Kasapreko has continuously made use of research and development as well as the latest technology with local and traditional recipes in the production process,” said Francis Holly Adzah, International Business Development Director at Kasapreko Company Limited.

The entry of the Ghanaian-based brewer, which has been in operation since 1989, is strategic with Christmas festivities drawing closer and also just when players in Kenya’s alcohol industry have also been making strategic moves to grow sales.

New premium brands

Kenyan-owned, Keroche Breweries has been hiring distributors across different counties and running activation campaigns to re-capture a market it had lost due to frequent closures, while the East African Breweries Limited (EABL) has also been making heavy investments, mainly in the beer segment, while introducing new premium brands for other alcohol products.

Kenya’s alcohol industry is largely controlled by the EABL with Keroche taking a small share. Kasapreko comes in with confidence that Kenyans will buy into its Alomo brands, which are quite popular across West Africa.

“Kasapreko adopted a niche in producing herbal-based alcoholic produce sourced locally. The unique selling proposition of producing herbal-based products is derived from a rich Ghanaian heritage, differentiating Kasapreko from others,” the company said.