DR Congo: Heineken reports disruption amid DR Congo conflict

Heineken sites in DR Congo have been hit by the recent conflict in the east of the country.

The brewing giant said facilities in two cities have been affected.

Last month, the so-called M23 rebels took over territory that included the cities of Bukavu and Goma.

Heineken said its local subsidiary Bralima had suspended its operations before the fighting reached the cities.

In Bukavu, Bralima’s depots and brewery in Bukavu had subsequently been “extensively looted”.

Stock, raw materials and equipment was stolen and there was “significant damage” to the brewery control room, Heineken said in a statement. “Assessing the full extent of the damage will take time,” it said.

A dept 120km further south in Uvira has also been looted by “military and militia groups”, Heineken added. “We are greatly relieved that no Bralima colleagues or their families were harmed,” the Amstel brewer added.

Heineken, which has four breweries in DR Congo, said Bralima “will continue to operate as normal in the remainder of DRC while taking all precautions necessary to protect our colleagues” in the country.

Dolf van den Brink, Heineken’s chair and CEO, worked as a commercial director at Bralima from 2005 to 2009.

The Dutch beer behemoth does not disclose its sales in DR Congo.

In 2024, the company generated revenue of €4.13bn ($4.3bn) across Africa and the Middle East, one of its four geographic reporting segments. The result was down 2.3% on a year earlier.

Heineken sold 29.5 million hectolitres of beer across the region last year, compared to 34.8m hl in 2023.

In the group’s annual report, it stated: “We remain committed to our long-term vision for AME [Africa and the Middle East]. However, we faced significant headwinds in 2024 including major currency devaluations in Nigeria, Ethiopia and Egypt, and widespread inflation that pressurised consumer purchasing power. Social unrest further complicated operations in countries like Ethiopia, the DRC, Kenya and Mozambique.”

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