MeTL Group, Tanzania’s largest private employer and a leading conglomerate in East Africa, led by billionaire Mohammed Dewji, is expanding its beverage ambitions with a $50 million soda manufacturing plant in Kenya.

The Mombasa-based facility will scale production of its “Mo Cola” brand and intensify competition with global beverage giants such as The Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo across East Africa’s fast-growing soft drinks market.

Expanding regional beverage ambitions

The planned investment marks MeTL’s first major industrial entry into Kenya’s fast-moving consumer goods sector and signals a deeper challenge to dominant players, including The Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo. MeTL’s beverage strategy has evolved over the past decade from a domestic product line into a full-scale regional FMCG operation.

Through its subsidiary A-One Products and Bottlers, the group has steadily increased production of soft drinks, juices, and bottled water while building logistics systems that support mass-market distribution across East Africa. The upcoming Kenya plant will further scale production of MeTL’s “Mo Cola” brand, positioning it as a lower-cost alternative to multinational soft drink offerings.

Competing on price and distribution

MeTL’s strategy relies heavily on affordability and distribution strength rather than global branding.

The company targets informal retail networks across Kenya and neighboring countries, where price sensitivity is highest, and consumption volumes are strong, with MeTL’s logistics advantage allowing it to reach kiosks, wholesalers, and small retailers faster than many multinational competitors.

Coca-Cola maintains market dominance

Despite rising competition, Coca-Cola continues to dominate East Africa’s beverage market through decades of investment in bottling partnerships, advertising, and retail penetration.

Its strength lies in brand loyalty, extensive distribution systems, and strong presence across both urban and rural markets. However, shifting consumer behavior driven by inflation and urbanization is opening space for regional competitors.

Why the investment matters

Founded in the 1970s by Gulamabbas Dewji, MeTL began as a small trading enterprise built on a vision of delivering affordable, quality goods to the market. Under the leadership of his son, Mohammed Dewji, Africa’s youngest billionaire and Tanzania’s richest individual, the group has expanded into a diversified conglomerate with annual revenues exceeding $2 billion, solidifying its position as a regional economic powerhouse.

Since taking over as CEO and President in 2005, Dewji has driven MeTL’s transformation through strategic focus on product development, market expansion, and operational efficiency supported by technology-driven innovation. The planned expansion into Kenya underscores MeTL’s growing ambition to compete directly with multinational manufacturers and consumer goods leaders across Africa.

For Kenya, the Mombasa facility is expected to boost industrial capacity, create employment opportunities, and intensify competition in the soft drinks sector, strengthening the country’s broader manufacturing ecosystem.