Kbl breathes oxygen to Covid-19 fight
Kgalagadi Breweries Limited (KBL) Managing Director, Carlos Bennit said they will continue to look for partnerships and opportunities for investment in the communities they operate in as this would help drive business growth in line with InBev global strategy. Handing over oxygen concentrators to the Ministry of Health last week, Bennit highlighted that they believe that the business thrives when communities thrive. “KBL is always looking for opportunities to invest in the communities it serves, a mission that was hampered by the pandemic, but one which we are determined to drive forward.” He said the company also believes in collaboration and recognises the importance of fostering and maintaining a relationship with government.
“While this may be my first meeting with the Ministry of Health, on behalf of KBL, I can assure you we will continuosly seek opportunities for further engagement and build into a future with more cheers.” KBL has donated the second consignment of 50 10-L oxygen concentrators and 600 pulse oximeters. “We hope this equipment goes a long way in helping our front liners to provide quality critical care services to the more severe cases in the fight against Covid-19.”
However, last year KBL was severely impacted by government’s bans on the sale of alcohol. The company was unable to trade for a total of 126 days of the year, as compared to 96 days in 2020. KBL performance improved in 2021 compared to the previous year, as total volumes grew 4.7 percent.
During 2021, KBL partnered with the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) Botswana, to sponsor 15 former beneficiaries to participate in the UNDP’s multidimensional entrepreneurship and capacity development programme, Youth Connekt; from December 2021 until June 2022, the select alumni from various business sectors, including agriculture, health and manufacturing, will, among other things, undergo a 5-month-long mentorship with recognized business leaders; receive training in various capacity building training; and receive competitive lending rates through partner banks, such as Stanbic, ABSA, FNB, Standard Chartered Bank, and CEDA.