Eastern looks to build Malawi plant within 18 months

A project under which Egypt’s Eastern Tobacco Company is partnering with Malawi’s Auction Holdings Limited (AHL) to set up in Malawi a $20 million cigarette manufacturing plant is due to be completed within 18 months, according to a StarAfrica story.

Late last month it was announced that the Malawi government and Eastern had signed a memorandum of understanding in respect of the cigarette manufacturing plant, which is to be located in Lilongwe.

Eastern’s chairperson, Nabil Abdelaziz, was quoted as saying that his company was impressed with Malawi’s Burley tobacco, which was mostly of good quality for making cigarettes.

He said that Egypt would provide a ready market for cigarettes from the new factory.

Meanwhile, AHL’s CEO, Evans Matabwa, said the development was an important milestone for both the local and global tobacco industries.

“The cigarette manufacturing plant will provide significant gains to Malawian farmers and the economy,” he said.