Namibia Breweries seals joint venture with Diageo, Heineken

CAPE TOWN, – Heineken, Diageo and Namibia Breweries (NBL) have announced that the shareholder agreements for their new joint venture company in South Africa have been finalised and were duly signed last Wednesday.

Unconditional approval for the joint venture was granted by the South African Competition Commission authority on March 2, the three drinks companies said. The trading name of the joint venture company is yet to be announced.This follows the acquisition by Diageo and Heineken of an effective 28,9 per cent stake in Namibia Breweries Limited, which was announced to shareholders in April 2003 and completed in July 2003.The joint venture combines the sales, marketing and distribution businesses in South Africa of the three shareholders.Simon Litherland has been appointed managing director of the new joint venture company.Litherland, who will be based in Cape Town, is at present MD of GuinnessUDV South Africa.Litherland anticipates that the shareholders and former businesses will be fully integrated by mid-year.He said, “We have enormous confidence in the success of this joint venture, which will bring together some of the most able people in the industry and a portfolio of leading premium brands across the spirits and beer categories.Once the businesses are transferred we will concentrate on completing our business model, transferring our staff and ensuring that the alignment of the diverse cultures of all three partners is a strengthening and positive process.”Diageo is one of the leading brewers in Africa and one of the world’s leading premium drinks businesses with an outstanding collection of alcohol brands across the beer and spirits categories, such as; Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Baileys, Tanqueray, Smirnoff, J&B, Captain Morgan, Gilbeys and Bells.The main beer brands of Namibia Breweries are Windhoek Lager, Windhoek Light and Tafel Lager.Other beer brands include Windhoek Special Lager, Windhoek Export, Das Pilsener and Urbock.Becks and Guinness are brewed under licence and marketed through Namibia Breweries and Heineken has been marketed and distributed by NBL in South Africa since May 2003.Heineken has the widest global presence of all the international brewers, operating in 170 countries.The group’s principal international brands are Heineken and Amstel.Heineken is the leading brand and Amstel the second largest brand in Europe.Managing director for Africa, Heineken, Thom de Man, said, ” I am convinced that the Heineken brand will benefit tremendously from the distribution platform and the sales expertise the joint venture provides.”Namibia Breweries Chairman, Sven Thieme said: “The new joint venture offers vast opportunities to accelerate growth over the medium term.We are confident that the collective human capital united in the joint venture will enhance the existing relationships with our customers.In addition, the joint venture will offer a much wider choice of premium products to consumers.The growth brought about by collaborative partnerships of this nature will optimise the utilisation of NBL’s assets, thereby increasing shareholder value and creating wealth for all.”The directors’ appointments to the board of the new company, effective from April 2004, are David Hampshire as chairman; Sven Thieme, Thomas de Man, Simon Litherland, Chris Caldwell, and Tshidi Seane as Company Secretary.The trading name of the joint venture company is yet to be announced.This follows the acquisition by Diageo and Heineken of an effective 28,9 per cent stake in Namibia Breweries Limited, which was announced to shareholders in April 2003 and completed in July 2003.The joint venture combines the sales, marketing and distribution businesses in South Africa of the three shareholders.Simon Litherland has been appointed managing director of the new joint venture company.Litherland, who will be based in Cape Town, is at present MD of GuinnessUDV South Africa.Litherland anticipates that the shareholders and former businesses will be fully integrated by mid-year.He said, “We have enormous confidence in the success of this joint venture, which will bring together some of the most able people in the industry and a portfolio of leading premium brands across the spirits and beer categories.Once the businesses are transferred we will concentrate on completing our business model, transferring our staff and ensuring that the alignment of the diverse cultures of all three partners is a strengthening and positive process.”Diageo is one of the leading brewers in Africa and one of the world’s leading premium drinks businesses with an outstanding collection of alcohol brands across the beer and spirits categories, such as; Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Baileys, Tanqueray, Smirnoff, J&B, Captain Morgan, Gilbeys and Bells.The main beer brands of Namibia Breweries are Windhoek Lager, Windhoek Light and Tafel Lager.Other beer brands include Windhoek Special Lager, Windhoek Export, Das Pilsener and Urbock.Becks and Guinness are brewed under licence and marketed through Namibia Breweries and Heineken has been marketed and distributed by NBL in South Africa since May 2003.Heineken has the widest global presence of all the international brewers, operating in 170 countries.The group’s principal international brands are Heineken and Amstel.Heineken is the leading brand and Amstel the second largest brand in Europe.Managing director for Africa, Heineken, Thom de Man, said, ” I am convinced that the Heineken brand will benefit tremendously from the distribution platform and the sales expertise the joint venture provides.”Namibia Breweries Chairman, Sven Thieme said: “The new joint venture offers vast opportunities to accelerate growth over the medium term.We are confident that the collective human capital united in the joint venture will enhance the existing relationships with our customers.In addition, the joint venture will offer a much wider choice of premium products to consumers.The growth brought about by collaborative partnerships of this nature will optimise the utilisation of NBL’s assets, thereby increasing shareholder value and creating wealth for all.”The directors’ appointments to the board of the new company, effective from April 2004, are David Hampshire as chairman; Sven Thieme, Thomas de Man, Simon Litherland, Chris Caldwell, and Tshidi Seane as Company Secretary.

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