Beer · RTD · Soft drinks · Non-alcoholic
Beverage Sector Growth Consulting for East Africa & the Indian Ocean
A dedicated practice for brewers, bottlers and beverage groups looking to enter, scale or restructure across one of the world's fastest-growing beverage regions.
East Africa and the Indian Ocean are not a single market — they are a constellation of very different beverage opportunities. Kenya and Ethiopia are scale plays in beer and soft drinks, with rapidly modernising retail and a young, brand-curious consumer base. Madagascar and Mozambique reward operators who can build distribution where roads, cold chain and currency volatility are all variables. Mauritius, La Réunion, Mayotte, the Seychelles and the Comoros are premium island markets, heavily on-trade, tourism-led, with sophisticated wine, beer and RTD demand. Treating them as one region is the fastest way to leave money on the table.
Žito Consulting's beverage practice is led jointly with Beer & Bev Partner, the consultancy founded by Eric Locarni, a 30-year veteran of brewing and beverages with deep operational track records in East Africa, the Indian Ocean and the wider African continent. From Saint-Denis (La Réunion, France & EU) and Prague, we offer international beverage groups a senior, bilingual, on-the-ground partner to diagnose the regional opportunity, design the route-to-market, recruit and steer local partners, and execute trade marketing where it matters: at point of sale.
We work with breweries, bottlers, distributors and independent beverage brands at every stage of regional development — from first market entry (mapping importers, negotiating exclusivity, listing in modern trade) to turnaround mandates (restructuring a distributor portfolio, repricing SKUs, rebuilding the on-trade programme) and interim regional leadership when a senior beverage manager needs to be on the ground in weeks, not months.
How we help beverage groups grow in the region
Four operational pillars, calibrated for the realities of East African and Indian Ocean trade.
Brand & portfolio strategy for the region
Beer, RTD, soft drinks and non-alcoholic categories behave differently in Nairobi, Addis Ababa, Saint-Denis or Antananarivo. We tailor the portfolio, pack architecture and price points to each market — premium, mainstream and economy — so your brand wins where it can win, not where it cannot.
Route-to-market & distributor architecture
From breweries and bottlers to wholesalers, on-trade operators and modern retail. We design the regional distribution map, vet and recruit local partners, negotiate the commercial terms and build the trade-investment framework that protects your margin.
Trade marketing & on-trade activation
Hotels, restaurants, beach clubs, supermarkets, kiosks and dukas. We build the activation calendar, BTL toolkit and KPI dashboards your local sales force needs to execute — and we ride along on the truck to make sure it actually lands at point of sale.
Local presence in the Indian Ocean
Through our partner Beer & Bev Partner (Eric Locarni), we operate directly from Saint-Denis, La Réunion — a French and EU territory inside the Indian Ocean. That means EU-grade governance, local time zones and physical proximity to Madagascar, Mauritius, the Comoros, Seychelles and the East African coast.
Why a regional beverage consultant — and why now
The East Africa & Indian Ocean beverage market is consolidating fast. International groups like Heineken, AB InBev, Diageo, Castel and Coca-Cola are actively reshaping their footprint, while local champions and independent brewers are pushing into premium and craft segments. For a brand entering the region today — or restructuring a tired distributor relationship — the cost of getting the commercial model wrong is enormous: missed listings, frozen working capital, brand damage in a category where local credibility takes years to rebuild.
Working with a senior beverage consultant on an interim or project basis lets you move now, with the right level of seniority, without committing to a permanent regional hire before the model is proven. If the mission does not fit, the cooperation ends by the week with no severance exposure. If it works, you have a tested operating plan, a vetted distributor map, and the time you need to recruit the right permanent country or regional leader.
- 30+ years of brewing & beverage operational experience
- Physical hub in Saint-Denis, La Réunion (France · EU)
- Distributor & on-trade relationships across the region
- Bilingual French / English delivery
- Project, interim or hybrid engagement models
- EU-grade governance, contracts and reporting
Markets we operate in
Active engagements and partner network across East Africa and the Indian Ocean basin.
Ready to grow your beverage brand in East Africa or the Indian Ocean?
Tell us about your category, the markets you are targeting and the timing. We will reply within two working days with a senior, written assessment.