Kenyan craft beverage maker African Originals has received an additional $1 million (Ksh130 million) in funding from Phoenix Beverages Ltd (PBL), the Mauritian drinks company that invested into the business two years ago.
The fresh capital will help African Originals strengthen its line of ciders, spirits, and ready-to-drink cocktails, making them more widely available across mainstream retail outlets. The company will channel the funding into upgrading production facilities, expanding distribution networks, and speeding up product innovation.
“This additional funding from PBL is a strong vote of confidence in what we’re building: A portfolio of authentic, African-made beverages. It gives us the resources to expand into the next phase: scaling from Kenya’s leading craft beverage company into East Africa’s first multi‑category Beverage Platform,” Alexandra Chappatte, CEO and founder of African Originals, says.
“We’re showing that with patient capital, a focus on local ingredients, and uncompromising quality, homegrown brands can compete with global players.”
The new injection strengthens a partnership that began in 2023, when PBL acquired a minority stake in the company. While PBL’s shareholding remains unchanged, the latest funding deepens its operational support at a time when demand for locally made premium beverages is rising and competition in Kenya’s drinks market is intensifying.
African Originals, reporting over 50% year-on-year revenue growth, has grown by tapping into a shift among younger consumers who are opting for locally-made drinks that sit between low-cost local brands and pricier imports. Its Kenyan Originals range has steadily carved out a niche sourcing local ingredients including fruits and botanicals and employing a more modern brand positioning.
For PBL, which is part of the wider IBL Group, the move offers exposure to East Africa’s fast-growing consumer goods market, where well-executed local brands are increasingly competing head-on with global players.
African Originals continues to source most of its ingredients from Kenyan farmers, working with fruit growers, small processors and rural supply networks — a model the company says it intends to maintain as it scales.
The fresh capital comes at a time when investors are paying closer attention to physical consumer products, a sector that has been overshadowed by Kenya’s tech-driven narrative. African Originals — a female-founded and female-led manufacturer — has become one of the more visible examples of how small craft producers can break into the mainstream with the right mix of brand, supply chain discipline and patient capital.
With the PBL funding now secured, African Originals is preparing for a broader rollout of its African Originals beverages across Kenya over the next year, eyeing both modern retail and on-trade channels.
Read: African Originals Launches Mainstream Dry Cider in Kenya
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