News on Chips and Snacks from Africa

The Government of Rwanda is in the process of privatising the Nyabihu District-based potato processing plant amid tight market and low production capacity, according to the The New Times.

BlackPace Africa Group has bought Ndiyo Business Group, a major producer of salted potato chips in Rwanda.

Hanawa Super Foods has contracted over 1 000 farmers to grow potatoes as it moves to cut imports, a company official said.

The government of Rwanda has signed a multimillion dollar deal with a Nigerian investor, the Blackpace Africa Group, to revamp and develop Rwanda’s potato industry and help make the country a key producer and exporter of potato products.

BlackPace Africa, an Africa-focused investment management and advisory firm, and the Plateau State government have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) towards a joint development arrangement to upscale potato production in the state and set up a potato processing facility in Jos, the state capital.

Zimbabwe has run out of potatoes for making potato chips, prompting potato chips manufacturer Hanawa Super Foods to request an import permit to buy potatoes from South Africa from the Industry and Commerce ministry.

South African snacks manufacturer Nibbly Bits has reduced product giveaway by as much as 35% following the installation of an Ishida multihead weigher.

In a sign of a maturing market, two potato processing companies in Kenya - Tropical Heat - a snack manufacturer - and Sereni Fries said they will sign contracts with growers to supply 600 tonnes of potatoes every month in order to assure their supply of potatoes suitable for processing.

Potato farmers in Nyabihu district in Rwanda are at crossroads after a factory recently built in their region has failed to buy all their potatoes.

Pascal Murasira, co-founder and managing partner of Rwanda-based Hollanda FairFoods, tells about the opportunities and challenges for his company that manufactures potato chips under the brand name Winnaz.

Algerian snack manufacturer Maravilla increased production capacity by 25 per cent by installing high performance customised solutions from tna

In Rwanda a new potato processing plant was opened, with the capacity to produce four potato products; chips, french fries, whole peeled potato, and whole cleaned potatoes for sale to super markets and schools.

The Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa (ASA) partially upheld Simba’s complaint against Krunch potato chips

PepsiCo , Inc., affirmed its commitment to Egypt announcing plans for the company and its partners to invest U.S. $500 million in the country at the Egypt Economic Development Conference (EEDC) in Sharm El-Sheikh.

Plans are underway to construct an Irish potato processing plant in Musanze District to cut down post-harvest losses, Tony Nsanganira, the State Minister for Agriculture, has said.

Michael Aguzie, CEO of Nigerian chips and snack food company Harbin’s Food, is looking to penetrate the flavoured potato chip market in Nigeria, which mostly consists of imports.

Potatoes South Africa reported that the potato industry in South Africa had lost at least 60.000 tons of potatoes this year, largely due to flooding and frost. As a result of a history of poor harvests, chip maker Simba (Pepsico/Frito-Lay) has adopted...

The Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (Kari) is testing new potato varieties ahead of a planned release next April for mid- and high-altitude regions.