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Food giant Nestlé shuts DRC plant

Democratic Republic Of Congo

Swiss food giant Nestlé has announced it will shut its plant in the Democratic Republic of Congo by end of January 2018.

A statement released on Sunday said “about 120 people will be affected by this decision”, but we will “continue to develop our business model for third-party distribution”.

The company set up in 2009, amid escalating poverty and political instability with a factory manufacturing poultry cubes, Maggi.

It had invested 15 million dollars in the business but the record losses incurred have forced Nestlé to abandon a potential market of 80 million people.

Its departure is seen as a huge blow to the economy, that was already unstable.

A presidential election that could settle the crisis is scheduled for December 2018, when the country will vote to replace president Joseph Kabila.

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