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Varun Beverages to acquire 100% stake in South Africa–based Twizza Proprietary for ₹1,118.7 crore. The stock gained more than 2% on the back of the news.
VBL is one of the world’s largest PepsiCo bottlers, with a growing footprint across India, Africa and the Middle East. Twizza makes and sells its own branded non-alcoholic beverages, with strong local presence in South Africa.
What’s going on: Twizza sells its own branded soft drinks, not just bottled products for global partners. This gives Varun access to homegrown South African brands that already have local acceptance, reducing dependence on only multinational labels.
This acquisition will also help Varun expand beyond its core offerings and tailor products to local tastes and price points. VBL’s manufacturing and supply-chain strength will also get support.
With three backward-integrated plants, Varun gains in-house preforms and closures, improving cost control, margins, and speed to market.
Zoom out: like India, South Africa has a price-sensitive consumer base and strong demand for affordable, flavoured soft drinks. In several segments, local brands often outperform global players, driven by better alignment with regional tastes and pricing.
India’s soft drinks market is entering a steady growth phase, with industry estimates showing the market expanding from $20.7 billion in 2024 to around $32.1 billion by 2033, implying a 4.6% annual rate between 2025 and 2033.
