KENYA – Kenya Breweries Ltd (KBL), a subsidiary of East African Breweries Ltd (EABL), has introduced its Manyatta Pineapple & Mint cider in a 330ml aluminum can, marking an expansion of its cider lineup.
The launch took place during Ngemi Homecoming 3.0, a cultural festival celebrating music, fashion, and food.
Veronica Waweru, Brand Manager – Manyatta, highlighted the event’s significance, stating that the Manyatta Village setup at the festival provided an immersive cultural experience aligned with the brand’s ethos of embracing African heritage.
The new canned variant aims to offer consumers a convenient and refreshing alternative to traditional alcoholic beverages.
Cider market growth
The Kenyan cider market has been evolving, driven by changing consumer preferences.
Millennials and Gen Z consumers are showing a growing preference for fruitier, lower-alcohol beverages.
Industry analysts anticipate that the reduction in excise duty on cider, announced in December 2024, will further stimulate innovation and growth in the sector.
KBL’s Manyatta brand was first introduced in December 2023 in glass bottles and comes in multiple flavors, including classic cider, pineapple and mint, lemon and ginger, and mango and ginger.
The brand is produced at the company’s KES 1.2 billion (US$7.85M) microbrewery in Ruaraka, Nairobi. If the newly launched can format proves successful, KBL plans to roll out the remaining three Manyatta cider flavors in cans.
Beyond Manyatta, KBL has also expanded its cider range with Snapp Dry Cider, which was introduced in February 2025.
Marketed towards modern consumers, particularly women, Snapp Dry Cider offers a semi-dry profile with a balance of fruitiness and complexity.
Competition in the cider market
Kenya Breweries is positioning Manyatta as a competitor to African Originals, a local craft cider brand that has been a pioneer in the market since 2018.
African Originals, which produces the Kenyan Originals cider brand, has secured US$10 million in financing since its inception, including a US$2 million investment in September 2024.
The brand offers various flavors, including pineapple and mint, lime and ginger, honey and lemon, mango and chili, and passion fruit and lime.
In early 2024, African Originals accused EABL of copying its products and using incentives to encourage supermarkets to limit or remove Kenyan Originals products from shelves.
The competition in the cider market is expected to intensify as KBL expands its offerings and African Originals continues to strengthen its market presence.
Heineken’s presence and the alcohol-free trend
Heineken, through its ownership of the Savanna and Hunter’s cider brands, is also a key player in the market.
While Savanna Classic and its lemon-flavored variant are available in major Kenyan retailers, they are currently only sold in glass bottles.
In response to the growing demand for low or no-alcohol options, Heineken’s Kenya Wine Agencies Limited (KWAL) launched Savanna Cider 0.0, an alcohol-free cider, in March 2025.
