Emmerson Njanjamangezi, Group Features Editor 
SOFT drinks manufacturer Varun Beverages Zimbabwe (Varun) says its US$20 million investment in the production of consumables has significantly reduced its import bill.
The franchise bottler of PepsiCo in the country commissioned polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles and aluminium cans production lines in 2019.
Varun’s vice president, Fungai Murahwa, told The Financial Gazette this week that the reduced foreign currency import bill has led to a drop in products pricing, which has in turn driven up volumes.
“We are not importing pre-form so the value table of import has come down with this backward integration.
“The cost of importing resin, which is used to produce pre-forms is much less than the cost of importing pre-forms. The difference between the two is the net saving on foreign currency requirements.”
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