Kenya in the Spotlight
Kenya, it is safe to say, is not renowned for being a prolific wine-producing country.
Producing the tiniest of fractions of African wine, it is dwarfed by the likes of South Africa when it comes to volumes made and exported around the world.
However, the industry is a rapidly growing one. According to figures from industry event Wine East Africa covering 2014-2017, the industry is growing more than 20 times faster than the global average, a trend driven by a growing middle-class population, increased product offerings and improved consumer awareness.
Kenya Wine Agencies Limited is playing an influential role in the latter two of these factors.
The focus of our cover feature this issue, the company has been steadily producing and distributing a growing range of quality wines along with other alcoholic and soft beverages. Lina Githuka, Managing Director, fills us in on the latest developments.
What Kenya is more documented for at the moment is an active construction sector compared to some continental counterparts.
Bamburi Cement, part of the global heavyweight LafargeHolcim, is supplying many landmark projects with its industry-leading products and services, Managing Director Seddiq Hassani explaining to us how four critical pillars are helping it to maintain a leading market position.
“Our emphasis on quality has seen the market associate us with the best products, and that trust is why we are positioned as Kenya’s foremost manufacturer of cement and concrete,” he reveals in an exclusive interview.
Bamburi is one of several construction-focussed articles in this month’s edition of Africa Outlook, with many of our other featured companies also contributing to projects in Kenya, including Gapp Architects & Urban Planners, Pharos Architects, Tilisi Developments and AMA-Kenya.
Beyond the building sphere, we delve into the world of pet retail through an interview with South Africa’s Absolute Pets, while Founder and MD of Nigerian retail conglomerate Simba Group Vinay Grover talks to us about his company’s remarkable rise.
Before this you will find a Q&A with Marta Krupinska, Head of Google for Startups UK, who explains how the global tech giant is investing in the brightest African entrepreneurs, and an interview with Kweku Bedu-Addo, CEO of Standard Chartered Southern Africa, on the fight against the illegal wildlife trade.