Heineken finalizes its African restructuring

More operational efficiency

At the end of July, Heineken informed it would increase its stake in several African joint ventures, for which it paid British liquor group Diageo 138 million euro. In return, it will gain additional commercial control over its most important brands.

The group revealed yesterday that that restructuring program had been finalized. Heineken now owns 75 % of DHN and Sedibeng. The remaining quarter still belongs to its partner, Namibia Breweries Limited (NBL) and indirectly, Heineken now has a 29.9 % stake in NBL.

Now that it has finished its restructuring operation for its South African and Namibian joint ventures, Heineken has improved its operational efficiency in the region, according to KBC Securities’ Wim Hoste. The analysts expects Heineken to take full advantage of a structural growth potential, particularly in emerging markets, thanks to additional efficiency improvements. He also expects the company to further improve its profit margins.