Nile Breweries’ next 75 years depend on more than beer

What the report says

Nile Breweries Limited is using its 75th anniversary to spotlight the business and policy issues it says will shape its next stage of growth in Uganda. In coverage published by The Independent Uganda, the brewer said its priorities include expanding local sourcing, improving water efficiency, and addressing tax policy and illicit alcohol in the formal drinks market.

According to the article, company executives shared details during a journalists’ tour of the Jinja plant on Oct. 13. Nile Breweries said it sources more than 98% of its raw materials locally and works with about 25,000 Ugandan farmers, purchasing inputs such as barley, sorghum, cassava and maize. The company also said it spends more than Shs156 billion a year on local procurement and has two breweries in Jinja and Mbarara with a combined annual capacity of about three million hectolitres.

Managing Director Nkanyiso Mncwabe said the brewer’s role goes beyond making beer, pointing to its links with farmers, staff, distributors and communities. The article also said the company has paid more than Shs450 billion in annual taxes since 2024, and that cumulative contributions from 2010 to 2025 exceeded Shs5 trillion, based on company data.

The report said Nile Breweries is engaging Parliament, the Uganda Revenue Authority and the finance ministry on tax arrangements, while also working on productivity, better agricultural practices and environmental initiatives. It said water-use efficiency has improved by more than 20% since 2017, and that the company is supporting efforts to restore River Rwizi. The article frames these issues as central to the future competitiveness of Uganda’s brewing sector.