Zambian Breweries Plc, a subsidiary of SABMiller, has announced plans to commence production at its new $90 million Ndola brewery with an annual production capacity of 100 million litres (267 million bottles a year) by mid-November.

According to a Reuters report, the new brewery is sited in Ndola, more than 200 km north of Lusaka. The total financing cost of $70 million for its construction was raised at a rights issue in December.

Beer consumption in Zambia was 15 percent in 2010 but in 2011, it rose to 31 percent, thus necessitating the need for Zambian Breweries which brews about 90 percent of beer output in the southern African country to increase production.

Across Africa, brewing companies ramp up beer production and meet growing demand by building new facilities.

In addition to the new brewery, SABMiller will expend $500 million annually for the next 3 to 5 years on building and upgrading its breweries across Africa.