Serengeti Breweries Limited (SBL) has reiterated its commitment to continue supporting various development endeavours that will ultimately bolster the Tanzanian economy. According to the SBL Corporate relations Director, John Wanyancha said SBL managed to support the country’s economy through various investment programmes in the year 2021.
“Last year, the beer maker stood at the gates to support the country’s economic development in the name of its society 2030 action plan, entitled spirit of progress that foresees a sustainable development in the community,” he said. He said since the year 2021 started, SBL has invested billions of shillings into the economy and created employment for hundreds of people across its value chain.
This investment has been in capital and operational expenditure, including payments into the treasury as taxes.
SBL played a vital role in ensuring its business environment and supply chain in alcoholic beverages continue to thrive to sustain its contribution to the economy as a loyal tax-payer.
Therefore, SBL invested in improving sanitation and cleanliness in the retail outlets in a programme entitled, ‘raise the bar programme’, where a total of 2.3bn/- was injected. The programme provides several selected retail outlets and bars with hygiene equipment and training on preventing communicable diseases – Covid 19 included.
In September last year, the brewer also enlarged its production capacity by investing in brand new alcoholic spirits locally produced in Moshi. The facility is worth 5 million pounds (gBP), equivalent to 16bn/-was commissioned by Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa. The new facility produces a wide range of spirits, even those imported by SBL. One of its first locally made spirit brands is called Bongo Don – a truly Tanzanian product with world-class quality.
In replenishing and conservation of water, SBL invested over 200m/-in building a borehole in Machochwe village, Serengeti district, in June. The borehole feeds over 12,000 people in the village. The water support initiative is termed ‘Water of Life’ (WOL). Since 2010, the programme has implemented 21 water projects in various parts of the country, sustainably providing clean and safe water to over two million people.
Another audacious investment by SBL has been made in agriculture by providing technical education to college students in their programme dubbed the Kilimo-Viwanda Scholarship Programme established in 2019, the programme has sponsored more than 70 students since its establishment, and in 2021 SBL has increased the number to 100.
Kilimo Viwanda targets students from underprivileged families to pursue diploma level courses in agricultural fields. SBL has partnered with four local colleges, Kilacha in Moshi, igabiro in iringa, Kaole in Bag- amoyo and St Maria goretti in iringa.
Another aspect of investment in agriculture by SBL has been enhancing its commitment to support farmers through contract farming through its agribusiness initiative that incorporated over 400 local farmers spread in eight regions across the country.
Some of the regions that benefitted in this area are Kilimanjaro, Arusha, Manyara, Singida, Dodoma, Shinyanga, Mwanza, and Mara. He also said, ‘SBL provides agricultural inputs such as free quality seeds, fertilizer, technical advice, and other farm implements to farmers through the programme.
SBL also links them to financial institutions to access credit facilities- and in return, it purchases cereals such as maize, sorghum and barley-which it uses for beer production.’ Moreover, SBL has targeted to bring its investment to 200bn/- until 2022 following an increase in investment by 12bn/-in Moshi this year and another investment in Moshi by 15.7bn/-.