• Horn of Africa Bottling and Manufacturing Limited Managing Director Negusse Ogbe explains the operations of the water bottling company to President Edgar Lungu in Solwezi on Monday.
Picture by MEMORY CHIPILI/SUMA SYSTEMS.
By MTHONISWA BANDA –
A US$2.2 million bottling plant in Solwezi is operating at half capacity due to lack of demand for bottled water, Horn of Africa Bottling and Manufacturing Limited managing director Negusse Ogbe has said.
Mr Ogbe said the company was finding it hard to have its product accepted by the existing chain stores in Solwezi despite their product being of higher quality and cheaper than most brands.
He was speaking when President Edgar Lungu visited the plant in Solwezi on Monday ahead of the official opening of the Expo North-Western, Zambia 2019.
“The bottling company is operating at half-shift and shuts down at night. We have capacity for bottling 10,000 bottles an hour and at full production we are able to supply the entire Solwezi town with bottled water,” he told the president.
Mr Ogle said despite his company bottling more water than existing companies and selling them cheaper, their bottled water had not found space in many local chain shops like Shoprite, Pick N Pay and Choppies.
