The Sunday News
Rutendo Nyeve, Business Reporter
Ingwebu Breweries has re-introduced the Shake it product after it went for eight years off the shelf due to foreign currency challenges.
The re-introduction of the product is evidence of increased local production of goods and services on account of easier access to forex through the auction system and reduced imports due to the global lockdowns.
‘Shake shake’ as the product is affectionately known has been one of most favoured traditional beer in and around Bulawayo and was common in beer gardens around the city.
Ingwebu Breweries Managing Director, Mr Dumisani Mhlanga confirmed the recent development to Sunday News on the sidelines of a tour by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce at their plant this Wednesday.
“I have been with this organisation for three years and when I joined then, we had not been producing the Shake it for five years. The reason being that, the packaging is imported from Zambia as we do not produce it locally. So, at some point the company did not have the forex to bring that product from outside. So, we recently re-introduced it back on the market, it’s been two weeks now,” said Mr Mhlanga.
Meanwhile Industry and Commerce Deputy Minister Mr Raj Modi commended Bulawayo companies for their commitment towards expansion and capacity utilisation increment.
“So far what we have realised is that every company we visited is on an expansion drive, everyone wants to increase capacity. This is good as they are showing confidence on the government. You will note that Bulawayo was an industrial hub and we seem to be going on the right direction of recovering,” said Deputy Minister Modi.
The development comes at a time the nation has witnessed increased manufacturing capacity utilization to 61 percent estimated in 2021.
