Varun Beverages expands snacks, beverage portfolio

Varun Beverages Ltd , one of PepsiCo’s largest and globally award-winning franchise bottlers and the second-largest bottler worldwide outside the United States, has announced a major expansion of its food and beverage portfolio in Zimbabwe. The expansion strengthens the company’s presence in the FMCG sector through the launch of internationally recognised snack brands alongside its established beverage operations. As part of this growth initiative, Varun Beverages has commissioned a new snacks manufacturing facility in Zimbabwe and has commenced production of soft extruded snack products under PepsiCo’s globally renowned Cheetos brand.

The foundation stone for the snacks plant was laid by President Mnangagwa in December 2024 and is now ready for inauguration at the end of the month of February or March 2026. The new launch includes Cheetos puffs and ring-shaped snacks, complementing VBL’s existing snack portfolio of Lay’s, Doritos, and SIMBA. The rollout will introduce five new flavours across multiple pack sizes and formats, resulting in approximately 20 new SKUs designed to deliver greater variety and affordability to consumers.

Company leadership stated that the broader snacks portfolio is expected to expand the overall market and encourage further industry participation alongside rising consumer demand. The strategy focuses on increasing product choice while maintaining accessible price points. Varun Beverages established its beverage manufacturing operations in Zimbabwe in 2018 and has since contributed significantly to sector development across sparkling beverages, packaged drinking water, and energy drinks.