Varun Beverages Zimbabwe commissions US$20M Cheetos plant to boost industrial growth
The plant’s inauguration also includes an upcoming juice and dairy blending facility on the same complex, valued worth US$40 million.
ZIMBABWE – Varun Beverages Zimbabwe, the world’s second-largest PepsiCo franchisee outside the United States, has officially commissioned a new US$20 million Cheetos snacks manufacturing plant in Harare.
Officially inaugurated by President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, the state-of-the-art facility marks a monumental shift for the beverage giant as it diversifies into food production, transitions from product importing to domestic manufacturing, and boosts local industrial capacity.
In January, Varun Beverages Zimbabwe completed and launched a dedicated snacks production line to manufacture Cheetos locally, transitioning from imports to homegrown production.
The newly commissioned plant will produce the globally recognized Cheetos brand locally, utilizing homegrown inputs.
Previously, Varun Beverages distributed imported PepsiCo snacks such as Lay’s, Doritos, and Cheetos into the Zimbabwean market.
By localizing production, the company expects to significantly enhance backward integration with the country’s agricultural sector, expanding the demand for maize sourced directly from Zimbabwean farmers.
The new Cheetos facility introduces the brand in two pack sizes, five flavors, and two shapes, totaling 20 stock-keeping units, complementing imported brands like Lay’s, Doritos, and Simba.
This initiative closely aligns with the government’s National Industrial Development Policy, aiming for import substitution and retaining economic value within the nation.
Alongside the plant’s inauguration, President Mnangagwa also laid the foundation stone for an upcoming juice and dairy blending facility on the same complex. Together, these projects reflect a combined expansion phase worth US$40 million.
This milestone illustrates Varun’s explosive growth trajectory since entering the Zimbabwean market eight years ago with just a single beverage line churning out 10 million bottles monthly.
Today, the Harare industrial hub boasts six production lines with an operational capacity of nearly 120 million bottles per month, directly employing 2,000 people and supporting over 13,000 indirect livelihoods across logistics, retail, and farming.
During the ceremony, Varun Beverages Chairman Ravi Jaipuria expressed unwavering confidence in the country’s economic future, describing Zimbabwe as one of the most vital markets in the firm’s African expansion strategy.
To anchor this commitment, Jaipuria unveiled a massive US$650 million investment roadmap spanning the next five years.
This forward-looking plan includes a sustainable PET recycling facility, a Carlsberg commercial brewery scheduled for full operation by mid-2027, and a massive green energy project.
Originally slated for 500 megawatts of solar power capacity, Jaipuria noted that following government encouragement, the company is now exploring up to one gigawatt of renewable energy generation to boost regional energy security.
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