At present, raw materials for plastic packaging in Kenya are almost entirely dependent on imports. This is due to the post-harvest losses caused by insufficient packaging and backward processing technology in East African countries are as high as 30%, and up to 70% of fruits and vegetables have to be wasted.
The increase in per capita income in Kenya has led to an increase in packaged foods and fast-moving consumer goods. Especially the plastic packaging and food packaging market. East Africa’s packaging industry will grow substantially in the next few years and global packaging equipment suppliers have set their sights on Africa.
According to reports, one-third of the 1.2 billion people in Africa are middle-class consumers. Africa also has the youngest population group on all continents. In the next few years, the market level in the region is expected to increase fourfold.
Kenya’s leading East African market is one of the leading regional packaging markets. Ishida Europe, the world’s leading food weighing and packaging machinery and equipment supplier, signed a cooperation agreement with Allwin Packaging International, Kenya’s top packaging machinery supplier, to announce its entry into the East African food market.
They designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of machines and provides integrated, complete packaging lines for fresh food and fast food applications. The company recently launched a new line of multi-head weighing and checkweighers and is seeking distribution in the East African market.
Allwin Packaging International will act as an agent for Ishida Europe in the region and work with Ishida Europe to help and support the growth of East African food manufacturers by leveraging automation in markets such as snacks, nuts, grains, beans and sugar.
Companies in the plastics sector in Kenya have good technology in injection molding, blow molding, injection stretch blow molding (ISBM) and blown film extrusion, but Kenya’s raw materials in the plastics sector still rely on imports. Due to economic growth, Kenya’s demand for plastic packaging source materials has been increasing and the industry is also the most competitive.
It is reported that a total of 173 industries belong to the sub-industry of plastics and rubber. There are 134 companies in the plastics industry alone. Presently, Kenya’s major plastic packaging manufacturers include Blowplast Limited, Thermoppack Limited, General Plastics Limited, Printpack Kenya Limited and Elgon Kenya Limited.
