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Innscor  launches  brewery to produce Nyathi  beer 

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 BY TONDERAI MARUKE

After spending US$70 million on new investments last year, Innscor is spending a further US$56 million for the coming year on new projects.

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One of these projects may make Delta Corporation sit up.

It is already the country’s largest and most successful food producer, with profitable interests from poultry to maize meal and beverages.

Now Innscor is looking to add another unit – beer. Company executives told an analysts’ briefing recently that Innscor expects to launch a brewery, Buffalo Brewing Company, early in 2023. It will launch a beer brand, called Nyathi.

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The first bottles of Nyathi beer have already rolled off the new line at ProBottlers in Harare. The Buffalo brewery will be in Stapleford, near Harare, where the company has repurposed a factory shell.

Can Innscor take on Delta, which has the Zimbabwe beer market in a chokehold? Delta controls 86% of the traditional beer market and 95% of lager sales.

In the year to March 2022, Delta sold 372 million litres of traditional beer, the highest amount in five years. So strong is the demand that Delta is investing in extra capacity.

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“Chibuku Super is constrained by the limited production capacity. A new Chibuku Super plant is being installed at Harare brewery for commissioning in early 2023,” according to Delta.

Delta has also introduced a new Chibuku variant, Chibuku Scud Plus, which has a longer shelf-life, and jazzed things up with a banana-flavoured Chibuku Super.

In terms of lagers, in 2021, Delta sold 190 million litres, the most since 2019. It has launched new beer brands, such as Sable, and loyalty to its brands remains strong.

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A new competitor in the clear beer business would have to work overtime to break this stranglehold.

Rumours of a potential future partnership with Heineken abound, which would be a twist given that Heineken recently bought Distell, which owns Afdis, a Delta associate.

Delta has already shown how aggressive it can be in fending off competition. It has fought off competition in the fizzy drinks market from Varun, which makes Pepsi, and Innscor itself, which produces the Fizzi brands.

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Key for Innscor is the strategy that has made it a success for years; using its value chains and expansive distribution networks. Pricing and product quality will also be essential for market penetration.

To take on Delta in the traditional brew business, Innscor may have to step up its investments in cropping to increase sorghum supplies, possibly through its farming unit PHI Commodities, which has three farms and is expanding.

Delta gets its supplies of barley and sorghum by contracting thousands of local farmers. In 2021, it bought 40,000 tonnes of barley from 47 contracted farmers.

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Delta also took in 13,500 tonnes of sorghum, grown by 10,000 communal farmers and 50 commercial farmers.

Innscor’s entry into the beer market will interest investors as it will diversify its products even further, according to stockbrokers IH Securities.

“US$56mn in additional investment into capacity has been planned for FY23 with the announced launch of the Sorghum beer line from Buffalo Brewing company going into deepening product offering,” IH says.

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Analyst Yona Banda adds that Innscor’s entry into the brewery business will bring some competition into the market.

He says: “The Buffalo Brewing Company stands out as an interesting proposition, given the absence of competition in the local commercial beer market”. – newZwire

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National

“We are losing ground”: Counsellors’ demotivation threatens Zimbabwe’s HIV gains

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

The men and women who have been at the heart of Zimbabwe’s fight against HIV — the primary health counsellors — say their morale has hit rock bottom as they continue to work without job security, inconsistent pay, and uncertain futures.

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These counsellors, stationed across hospitals and clinics countrywide, form the backbone of the country’s HIV prevention and treatment programme. They handle testing, counselling, and patient follow-ups — ensuring those on antiretroviral therapy stay in care and that new infections are detected early.

But as Hwange West legislator Vusumuzi Moyo warned in Parliament, the system supporting these essential workers is “crumbling quietly.”

“Their salaries have been very erratic, sometimes going for months without pay,” Moyo told VicFallsLive after his parliamentary question to the Minister of Health and Child Care. “These people are the heartbeat of HIV management. They’re paid from the Global Fund, but payments have not been consistent, and the government has taken too long to incorporate them into the civil service.”

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Currently, the counsellors are funded under the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) — a donor mechanism that has kept thousands of Zimbabwean health posts afloat for years.

However, global aid shifts, including the ripple effects of the U.S. administration’s restrictions on foreign aid, have made their positions increasingly vulnerable.

Health Minister Dr. Douglas Mombeshora confirmed during a recent parliamentary session that staff bids had been submitted to Treasury for approval to absorb counsellors into the government payroll.

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He said that while donor funding has decreased, both the U.S. Government and Global Fund have continued to prioritise support for human resources at primary healthcare level.

Still, for many of the counsellors — and for communities relying on them — the wait has been too long.

Moyo painted a grim picture of what’s happening in hospitals.

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“If you go to referral hospitals like Forrester, you’ll find that about 90% of male ward patients are people who have defaulted on treatment,” he said. “It’s because counsellors are no longer motivated. They used to follow up with patients, call them if they missed visits, and make sure they stayed in care. But now, with no pay or recognition, there’s no incentive to keep doing that work.”

He warned that the country’s AIDS-related deaths are rising again, undoing the progress Zimbabwe had made in reducing HIV prevalence.

“Our statistics had been improving — even other countries were benchmarking our model. But now, it’s as if we’re back to the old days. You see people sick again, wards filling up, and that speaks to a system that’s failing quietly,” Moyo added.

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Zimbabwe has long been recognised as one of Africa’s HIV success stories, cutting its national prevalence from over 26% in the early 2000s to around 11% today, according to research studies. Much of that progress was driven by a strong network of community-based counsellors who ensured people were tested, treated, and supported.

 

 

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National

Bulawayo mourns Nkulumane MP and poet Desire “Moyoxide” Moyo

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BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI 

The City of Bulawayo has expressed deep sorrow following the death of Nkulumane MP and acclaimed poet Desire “Moyoxide” Moyo, who died in a car accident early Friday morning near Shangani.

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In a condolence message issued by Town Clerk Christopher Dube on behalf of the Mayor, Senator David Coltart, councillors, and residents, the city described Moyo as “an iconic leader, poet par excellence, and creative who strove to champion the arts in Bulawayo and beyond.”

Moyo, who was affectionately known as Moyoxide, was praised for his commitment to the city’s artistic and civic development. The statement highlighted his impact through his multiple roles — as a Member of Parliament for Ngulumane, a community leader, and a poet who spoke out against injustices while advocating for progress.

“He positively impacted the city through his roles as a leader and poet who challenged all for the development of Bulawayo and the country,” read part of the statement.

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The City of Bulawayo also extended its condolences to the Moyo family, the Bulawayo community, and the nation at large.

“May his soul rest in eternal peace,” the statement added.

The city further wished a speedy recovery to other CCC legislators who were injured in the same accident — Honourables Madalaboy Ndebele, Senator Rittah Ndlovu, Sethulo Ndebele, and Libion Sibanda.

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National

CCC legislators in road accident, Nkulumane MP dies

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BY STAFF REPORTER

One Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) legislator has died while four others were seriously injured in a road accident that occurred early Friday morning near Shangani along Bulawayo-Harare highway.

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CCC spokesperson Promise Mkhwananzi confirmed the accident, saying it happened between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. when the vehicle carrying the members collided with an elephant.

“The vehicle hit an elephant along the Shangani area, and unfortunately Honourable Desire Moyo, the Member of Parliament for Ngulumane, died on the scene,” Nkwananzi said.

He added that the other occupants — Honourable Madalaboy Ndebele, Senator Rittah Ndlovu, Honourable Sethulo Ndebele, and Libion Sibanda — sustained serious injuries and were rushed to a hospital in Bulawayo.

Nkwananzi said he was deeply shocked by Moyo’s death, as he had met him just yesterday in Harare.

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“I had seen Moyo yesterday and we spent about an hour chatting outside Jamieson Hotel about the party and our future plans for national development,” he said. “I’m gutted by his passing. It’s a huge loss for the party.”

He conveyed his condolences to the Moyo family and wished a speedy recovery and strength to the families of the other CCC members who remain in critical condition.

He said further details, including the name of the hospital where the injured are receiving treatment, would be released once confirmed.

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