The Kenya Wine Agencies Limited (KWAL) will ramp up its market portfolio after bagging a deal with a Namibian distillery for the distribution of Windhoek beer in Kenya.
- •KWAL is owned by South African firm – Distell Group – which owns about 55% of its stake, and is itself owned by Dutch brewer Heineken after a 2023 acquisition.
- •Heineken also owns the Windhoek beer brand through Heineken Beverages Holdings, a special purpose vehicle created after it acquired the brewer Namibia Breweries and Distell Group.
- •This is Windhoek Beer’s second stab at the Kenyan market; this time intending to leverage on KWAL’s distribution networks to compete against local and foreign beer brands from EABL, Keroche and other brewers.
“Windhoek beer is a perfect addition, reinforcing our leadership in the market and providing Kenyan consumers with even more high-quality choices,” KWAL Managing Director Lina Githuka said.
The Namibian beer brand entered the market in 2010 after partnering with EABL. It later terminated the deal in 2016 and appointed Kapari Ltd. to distribute its products in 2020.
“The beer market in Kenya is growing rapidly, driven by an increasing number of consumers who are willing to invest in high quality beverages,” Windhoek Beer’s Marketing Manager Tasneem Klazen said.
KWAL also distributes Drostdy-Hof, Cellar Cask, Hunter’s Choice, County, Kibao, Kingfisher, Savanna Cider, and Amarula.
Distell’s relationship with KWAL dates back to 1998 when KWAL started distributing a selection of Distell’s brands, including Viceroy, Amarula, Drostdy-Hof and Cellar Cask.