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Unilever Exits Zimbabwe After 80 Years, Shifts To Local Distributors

7 months agoWed, 28 Aug 2024 06:43:19 GMT
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Unilever Exits Zimbabwe After 80 Years, Shifts To Local Distributors

After 80 years in Zimbabwe, British multinational company, Unilever, is exiting the country and will use local distributors instead.

The move continues Unilever’s broader strategy to scale back operations in some African markets.

According to newZWire, Unilever’s exit casts new light on the decline of formal retail in Zimbabwe, and the pressures that investors face trying to navigate the country’s perennial currency changes. Unilever said in an internal memo:

Unilever will move to a new model that serves Zimbabwean consumers through a network of Zimbabwean distribution firms rather than through Unilever-owned operations by the end of the year.

This new and more efficient business model will stimulate the growth of the business, better serve Zimbabwean consumers with the brands they love, and create jobs in sales, logistics and merchandising firms locally.

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The new strategic direction regrettably involves the close of Unilever Zimbabwe’s current operations.

Unilever’s exit from Zimbabwe has looked inevitable for years. It has significantly scaled back local production since the 2000s.

Unilever already relies on Distributed Group Africa (DGA), a unit of listed Axia, to distribute products made elsewhere.

Some of Unilever’s products under its US$12.5 billion beauty and wellbeing division include hair and skincare brands such as Dove, Sunsilk, and Vaseline.

Several prominent companies, both local and multinational, have closed or exited Zimbabwe over the years. These include well-known names such as Anglo American Plc, Lonmin Plc, HJ Heinz, BP, Shell, Harven Manufacturing, and Rio Tinto.

Airlines like British Airways, Lufthansa, and Qantas, as well as banks such as Barclays and Standard Chartered, have also withdrawn from the market.

These companies left or closed due to a challenging operating environment marked by policy contradictions and inconsistencies, including issues related to land reform and indigenisation, as well as mismanagement and corruption.

More: Pindula News

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88 Comments

Anonymous · 7 months ago
They simply left because of zanupf and Emerson
Mkanya · 7 months ago
ma workers don't worry let's form our Zimlever
Anonymous · 7 months ago
Long then it used to be called Lever Brothers. Now when others who very experienced in that market are packing their bags, who will gather courage to come?
Anonymous · 7 months ago
This is very painful…because patori nevarasikirwa nemabasa apa
george · 7 months ago
we have been in the wilderness for the past 40+ yrs.when will change come,who will lead zimbos into the promised land?chamisa akaramwira mbudzi(zimbos) kumakava (zanu pf) cry my beloved country 😭
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Anonymous · 7 months ago
WHo promised you anything. This is an opportunity for smaller enterpises making soap etc, to scale up and capture the vacant market.
Anonymous · 7 months ago
If a company that mass produces hygiene products, all over the world, is going to be done cheaper by someone who makes a few bars. I know you are looking for a silver lining, but a turd is still a turd. Unilever produces in many different countries. Begs the question as to why they feel the need to leave. Maybe China will come to Zimbabwe's aid and make all our soap.
Anonymous · 7 months ago
lol hahahahahahahaha ‘smaller enterprises making soap etc’ the same soap that is low quality, doesn’t last, barely affording packaging and that is your comparison to UNILEVER 😂
Anonymous · 7 months ago
We are in the promised land. It is only that the people are worshipping the golden cockerel, so we are left in the wilderness because of it.
🏃 Chi baby Che Zanu 🌊 · 7 months ago
zimbabwe should be declared a failed state nothing is working proven failures that's is oder of the day
unru!ÿ · 7 months ago
anonymous wachipisa erudite ndazvida zvank kanozvifila kamface ako basa kusaenda kubasa swerera dictionary 🤣
MUKANYAPAZVESE · 7 months ago
Lever brothers!
Elprof · 7 months ago
I see no reason for which people should regret the exit of a British Company whose owners expatriate all profits to their home country. There is no solution in regretting and blame game. Accept the outcome, find alternatives and move forward.
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Anonymous · 7 months ago
True
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Anonymous · 7 months ago
You are right. There is no solution from government to stop businesses closing and moving their employment and production to other countries. Who needs to employ locals? Their next solution will be to raise taxes to fill the gap left by Unilever, because everyone knows Zanu PF companies don't pay taxes.
q · 7 months ago
ukuda profit here or as customer you need a good quality service
Antman · 7 months ago
Profits are their's to manage be it reinvest them or spending them as they want, our expectation is good service and quality products.
Anonymous · 7 months ago
Do you actually think before you comment?
Anonymous · 7 months ago
What profit? They are leaving because the business climate is not good.
Anonymous · 7 months ago
Unilever yateera ana Stanchart,Barclays waona kuti ZiG haasi chinhu kkk with high volatility u can plan with a currency with a QR code this is sad
African Observer · 7 months ago
Unilever closing so do we have local companies producing the same products which were in unilever's portfolio?????
Anonymous · 7 months ago
They are called runners.
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Erudite · 7 months ago
Nothing to see here but a beacon of white supremcy being forced out of the land of black excellence...It is so sad how disingenuous their statement sound , the honest to God truth is that their business model was heavily reliant on cheap labour supplied by the black population... After the emancipation of the population they could no longer continue paying peanuts and thus had to drastically scale down operations till eventually moving out...Good riddance to this cancerous large cooperation which has caused untold decimation of the environment , brutal animal testing and unsafe labour practice among other unspeakable acts...The vacuum this cooperation has left shall be filled by a far much better one which adheres to modern standards and most importantly spearheaded by black excellence... Erudite out
Anonymous · 7 months ago
Lmao, uyahlanya wena, you are dillusional. Your thought process is like that of an infant, I shouldn't be surprised really, you are the type of person who goes around reading a dictionary and then regurgitates big words to try and sound intelligent. I knew a fellow like you in high school. The fact of the matter is that Unilever pulling out is an omen of bad tidings for the economy and future. You talk about filling the vacuum, with what, and by whom? Tenderprenuers? Lol. Zims' manufacturing capability is in free fall, our currency is a joke, backed by gold that can not be verified and been artificially kept alive in an incubator almost suffering a still birth at conception. Our courts and police are corrupt and captured. Our best exports are our educated people, the very people we need to build the country. Tenders are handed out by cronies to cronies and the well connected. Our black president and politcal elite are pillaging our natural resources overtly and at an unprecedented scale far more detrimental than a tax paying employment creating CORPORATION. The white man was not perfect but at least he tried to do things nicely. Lol it will take a long time for this and other vacuums to be filled and even if so the costs will be great and actually increase therefore having the total opposite effect of what you are claiming. Lets call a spade a spade and not try to deflect from the real issues with your **** propaganda. You should endeavor to change your moniker because you are coming up short in the knowledgeable department.
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erudite got data again · 7 months ago
Hooray! its month end and you got your $5 data again from your handlers, you ŽÄÑÙ ÉÐÎÓ╬ puppet.... now be a good boy and dont waste all your data this weekend or you will have to wait 4 weeks for more data from your masters, you little ediotite you !!!
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Erudite · 7 months ago
It seems I struck a raw nerve, I do not have time to read what some neocolonialist thinks about me...The fact of the matter is your big non taxpaying cooperation has been chased out of the land of black excellence and is never coming...As for your assumptions about me I could not give a flying fück..You seem to have been a guy who peaked in high school hence why it is the only point you referenced...Why would anyone read the dictionary in a bid to become intelligent🤔...Are you sure you not a mongoloid or on the wrong side of the autism spectrum??..It is a crying shame that we still have individuals like you in 2024 who still believe in the white savior narrative....There are plenty BLACK owned cooperation that won't be as dodgy as this Unilever entity...Your assumptions about cronyism are unfounded and are clearly fuelled by your own inequities...You are the kind of guy who has a huge entitlement complex who thinks they are being held back by an invisible elite ....Anyway I do not have time for anglophobic cretins like you...Go start up a WhatsApp group or something... Erudite out
Anonymous · 7 months ago
Nobody cares what you say.
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Anonymous · 7 months ago
You have just proven my point. As far as peaking in high school, some of us are not high school or college dropouts. Our qualifications speak for themselves, We talk about real issues not about ourselves. Seems to me you didn't read the dictionary well enough, anglophobic means a hatred of English sentiment and here you are trying to use it to defend your stance and have failed dismally. You know big words but not how to use them correctly lol eish ndoda you are making yourself out to be the fool we all know you are.
Erudite · 7 months ago
Imagine being a dyslexic mongoloid desperately trying to level up to the Erudite...You speak of $5 as if it is the pinnacle of human existence...Is that how much they pay you at opposition inc 🤔...I cannot waste my valuable time and effort trying to tear you down because you are a nobody...I would have to give you a presence and I am just not in the mood to be giving mongs the time of day.... Erudite out
Yu Steenky Pu · 7 months ago
I thinky you stinky you little ediodite-erudite child, go and wash yourself properly with chinese and russian soap chop chop you smelly little erudite dimwit pile of cow poop
aha ok · 7 months ago
also do not waste your valuable $5 monthly data allowance that is the pinnacle of your existence... ok!! you still have 4 weeks to go until next month end data allowance from your masters
Anonymous · 7 months ago
Tsk tsk tsk, au contre comrade from where I'm standing and I'm sure others would agree, it seems that it is I who has struck the nerve. Lol . You claim not to want to waste your time and yet here you are. You are a living contradiction, when confronted by actual intellects you lash out like a petulant child. Typical zanoid behavior, dyslexia is not a condition to be joked about and it is shameful of you to bring them into this matter in a last ditch effort to save face. There is no need to level up to you my man, I'm the final boss.
unknown · 7 months ago
Zim is a sinkhole. Nothing else. By 2030 things will be worse not better.
Scud · 7 months ago
Next CCC(original) is going to pull out of the toxic Zimbabwe political environment, and relocate to other democratic environments.
Anonymous · 7 months ago
· 7 months ago
The Praise and Worship ZANU Peanut gallery is nauseating. On inland you are busy shouting "Zimbabwe is open for business" and yet your policies are driving sitting investors away. At the same time you celebrate when long-standing companies close or relocate to those countries with better policies and investment conducive environment. What is it that ZANU really wants?
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Peace and Tolerance · 7 months ago
They are crazy my guy, they don't know how to think for themselves, they only know how to praise their corrupt masters
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Chibaba · 7 months ago
Ngaapinde zvake mukomana
Anonymous · 7 months ago
Tikwanire pese pane Zanu aripo mukomana
🤪 · 7 months ago
Tine Vana vakawandisa vakaita Chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, so if these vakasangana, ka Lever brothers kano buda futi, Zimbabwe has infrastructure and starting up a Unilever business is highly feasible mukazvipira chete, Varipo Ana Wallace laboratory now a force to reckon, Gone are the days murungu 1 ova ndiye ndiye pa vanhu thaza, ma Zimba ivaiwo practical
Peace and Tolerance · 7 months ago
MaGraduates enyu ayo they are useless, Zim Universities have been churning out these graduates for a long time yet they have done nothing for the industrialization of the country. I don't blame them either as it is not their fault, as they are only taught theory with no real world application, we don't even make our own cars and import a lot of things too
Gangarahwe · 7 months ago
I like and support your progressive thinking. What we now need is venture capitalism and start up development. Imagine the main ingredient for soaps , margarine and stockefeed concentrate is found in Sanyati , Gokwe , Muzarabani etc, if start ups are developed in those areas, it will create employment, and other opportunities
Joza · 7 months ago
Zimbabwe is not a viable business environment. Only looters and their kith and kin prosper.
Peace and Tolerance · 7 months ago
That's why SA will never fight with Zanu, it's actually beneficial if companies leave Zim, it will mean more exports for them and less jobs as well as foreign currency for us yet you find some fools celebrating this. The entire retail sector is going to collapse one day mark my words. OK, Pick N Pay are suffering because of the forced rate of the ZiG so they will have to price their products at higher US rates to comply with the foolish forced rate while benefiting Nigerians, Pakistanis as well as the Chinese operating those non tax paying tuckshops in Downton and they also leave with the US too
🤪 · 7 months ago
The investment policy sees a period beyond ZiG influence, that is you look into proceeds after 3 to 5 years any investment, so for survival do your math
Anonymous · 7 months ago
Peace and Tolerance · 7 months ago
What are you saying, what period, even after 20 yrs nothing will change all that Vision 2030 sh!t is just hogwash
kreamhub · 7 months ago
Its called black empowerment!. We need to produce our own products and sustain our economy, iam actually happy
🤪 · 7 months ago
When varungu came they had nothing kusina kana a building havasirivo vakavaka tisu mabhoy kwakango kusina any income generating project but it was a budget for a specified period of time, beyond construction, beyond profiteering, it was an establishment, and there were wars along the way but survived 80 plus years in Zimbabwe, 🤔Chikonzero chimwe chete, Zimbabweans are highly educated and innovative, they take jobs their homes instead other than depending on pay days, so exploitation nemurungu came to an end as mabhoy could have larger customer base and we negotiate pachedu so this is so disturbing to transnationals
Peace and Tolerance · 7 months ago
Stop lying, whites were very instrumental in developing this country, why didn't you do it before they came if you knew what you were doing. Ever since independence nothing tangible has been built by Zanu, public transport is chaotic, useless currency, high unemployment, too many imports, debts overhangs, dilapidated Infrastructure among other things wrong in this country yet before 1980 we had a strong currency good infrastructure and the public transport system was effecient it operated on time not by taking off only when full. So stop spreading propaganda and lying to Born frees about you building this country without British help
sydney gata - zetdc · 7 months ago
ah guys, pliz put solar eish
Black-Scorpion · 7 months ago
nothing works in Zimbabwe, even ukazama kuitaa your own business hakuna kwaunosvika unotovhara chete mostly if you're not associated with looters.. Zimbabwe is Hell
squirell · 7 months ago
ngatibvisei ma blinkers akativhara maziso tione kwatiri kuenda
crow · 7 months ago
kana takaita sezvikwekwe (ticks) conoramba chakarumwa kunyange
Egypt Dzinemunenzva. · 7 months ago
takugadzira nyika munodzoka musatya 2028 zvopera zvese izvii
Team · 7 months ago
thus says alot in expectancy of many coming through one by one they are going,this is due to over taxation of compaines and unstable local currency stability. Some policies implemented over the years are chasing out investors. Give something that will satisfy investors and it will be the scramble for business ventures in the country. Respectively speaking we far from getting there, we need to boost the economy that will attract more investment. We cant be celebrateing a small percentage of employment while we have high percentage of unemployment.
ZANU PF HARDLINER GUARDIAN OF THE FAITH · 7 months ago
we shall remain faithful to Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwean dream and we will never ditch ZANU PF because it was created to rule in perpetuity zvamuchose
🏃‍♀️ Chi baby Che Zanu 🌊 · 7 months ago
They no longer enjoy the monopoly 0f the 70s-80s.Good bye
Anonymous · 7 months ago
Becuase of the look East policy. That wasn't there in the 70 and 80s. There are more jobs in sales and distribution than manufacturing? It takes many to make one product but it takes only one to sell it. The sales jobs were already there. So you have lost production and gained no new sales jobs. Typical anti business approach from Zanoids. You nutjobs need to wake up.
Bambo · 7 months ago
w/o Ramaphosa angati Zimbabwe igadziriswe pakadai isu tichipa vana vake mabasa zvakezvichitoita kana ndiwe.
ZANU PF HARDLINER GUARDIAN OF THE FAITH · 7 months ago
they are fakidhiapu monopolists and neo colonialists
Anonymous · 7 months ago
You obviously don't know what those words mean. It is about viability not nationality. Now you are complaining that "neo colonialists" are leaving? What next? You are going to blame sanctions as the reason they are leaving? How low does your brain go?
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🧐 🤔 · 7 months ago
Ma companies aiwandisa anoita maproducts se enyu so competition is now stiffer, there are even custom made for supermarkets the trend you failed capitalise on sinc2000eo
Anonymous · 7 months ago
So your solution is to send production to other countries because they produce cheaper products at the cost of local jobs? Let's create jobs in other countries to bring in product for people who don't work and have income to buy those products? Wow. You must be advising Mthuli.
cde che guveira · 7 months ago
during its heydays unliver used to employ thousands of people
ZANU PF HARDLINER GUARDIAN OF THE FAITH · 7 months ago
and our indigenous runners made it a fakidhiapu enterprise rest in turmoil mabhuri****ti
Anonymous · 7 months ago
Prime example of Zanu PF hardliners. Happy to close local businesses to promote outside companies. Backwards ever, forwards never.
LOOTMORE · 7 months ago
dai Mwari akazotipinzawo denga tese maZimba gehena here redu tasangana naro pano pasi...💥💥💥
Margarine soap · 7 months ago
South Africa can fully supply let's close all little manufacturers we have and try russia ku kwidzira trousers has logistics to bring more money zig in the region. You can export more hyena to get electricity and construction of new roads 2080 uripo🐓🐓🐓
ciroc 🍸 · 7 months ago
chaorq chinhu ichi
Zim is open for business · 7 months ago
Investment is a free trade that promotes development status of citizens and welfare of community. Agricultural products support the investor with raw materials to procure profit and stability of economy. Good bye Lever brothers (Unilever East) see you when Zimbabwe restores Zimbabwe years to come. You have been punished more than enough, at Lever Corner Harare industrial site.
Anonymous · 7 months ago
Zimbabwe is open for business by telling business to leave? Is that in the manifesto? Standard practice for you Zanoids. Lever Brothers has invested in Zimbabwe for 80 years. The next company will look at Zimbabwe and only see it as a short term investment as there is no long term value. Come in, rape it and leave. Common practice for the Zimbabwean "elite".
Bambo · 7 months ago
ma1 vanhu kutorasika kwemabasa ka uku
😭 · 7 months ago
taura zvako wangu, this company produces genuine products
WiFi · 7 months ago
So Zimbabwe yangova mine and tuckshop chete
WiFi · 7 months ago
Why? Zimbabwe is open for business
Anonymous · 7 months ago
Since when? It is only open if you give a politician a piece. If you don't, your money that you invest will be spent by others under the guise of being for the "good of the people". And you will be given an IOU which will never be fulfilled. The world is waking up to Zimbabwe and seeing it as a bad investment. Those that invest, will have no interest in the long term. That is why mining will be the preferred investment choice. Come in and take it out. Limited local interaction.
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