Crown Beverages

What Crown Beverages does

Crown Beverages Limited is a 100% Ugandan-owned beverage manufacturer and the country's oldest operating drinks company, tracing its origins to 1950 as Lake Victoria Bottling Company. Since 1993 under private Ugandan ownership and from 2001 under the majority control of indigenous shareholders led by Dr. Amos Nzeyi, Chris Kayoboke, and Dr. Margaret Kigozi, the company has operated as the licensed PepsiCo franchise bottler for Uganda, producing and distributing the global beverage giant's portfolio under authority of Pepsi International Inc. Its products span carbonated soft drinks (Pepsi, Pepsi Max, Mountain Dew, Mirinda, Evervess, 7UP), energy drinks (Sting Energy in Red Rush and Gold Rush variants), and packaged drinking water (Aquafina and Nivana still, sparkling, and flavored lines), packaged in returnable glass bottles and PET formats ranging from 250ml to 2 litres, with jumbo 20-litre Nivana for institutional buyers.

The company operates two manufacturing facilities — the primary Nakawa Industrial Area plant in Kampala and a newer supplementary Kakungulu plant built to expand capacity — and routes output through a distribution network of 100+ depots covering all 135 districts of Uganda, reaching over 100,000 retail outlets from kiosks and duukas to supermarkets, restaurants, and bars. Its business model is straightforward unit-pricing wholesale: products are sold at fixed UGX price points (e.g., Pepsi at competitive mass-market pricing, Mountain Dew 330ml at UGX 10,000, Sting Energy at UGX 17,000) through depots and a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront called E-fridge. Revenue is generated entirely through physical product sales across carbonated soft drinks, energy, and water categories; pricing is uniform pay-as-you-go with no subscription or licensing model to end consumers.

Crown Beverages' commercial model relies on PepsiCo's global brand equity, a deeply embedded Ugandan distribution moat, and active brand-building through sponsorships (UFL university football, UCL viewing events), consumer promotions (Tema Enyonta, Under The Crown), and youth-led music and influencer campaigns (Mirinda Smiles). The company has been recognized as PepsiCo's Global Bottler of the Year (2019) and as a top Ugandan taxpayer by URA (FY 2017/18), and in October 2025 secured a Sh5.8 billion (~$1.6M) expansion credit facility from Stanbic Bank. Customer base is highly fragmented across 100,000+ outlets and end consumers, with no individually material customer concentration.

Name

Crown Beverages

Legal name

Crown Beverages Limited

Website

https://pepsi-cola.co.ug

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Crown Beverages Limited is Uganda's oldest beverages company and the licensed PepsiCo franchise bottler for Uganda, manufacturing and distributing carbonated soft drinks, energy drinks, and packaged water through 100+ depots and over 100,000 retail outlets across all 135 districts of Uganda.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Beverages

NAICS

Soft Drink Manufacturing (312111), Soft Drink and Ice Manufacturing (31211), Bottled Water Manufacturing (312112)

SIC

Bottled & Canned Soft Drinks & Carbonated Waters (2086), Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Non-Carbonated Soft Drinks (Juice Drinks, Lemonades, Fruit Drinks) (CRADAHAB)

Keywords

• Carbonated soft drinks
• Beverage bottling
• Packaged drinking water
• Energy drink production
• PepsiCo franchise bottler

Headquarters

HQ city

Kampala

HQ country

Uganda

HQ region

Africa

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Beverage Product Sales: Sale of carbonated soft drinks, energy drinks, and packaged drinking water through distribution network and e-commerce platform. Products include Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Mirinda, Evervess, Sting Energy, Aquafina, Nivana Water in various sizes and formats including returnable glass bottles and PET bottles.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Crown Beverages Limited manufactures, bottles, and distributes a portfolio of carbonated soft drinks, energy drinks, and packaged drinking water under PepsiCo franchise licensing in Uganda. Products include Pepsi, Pepsi Max, Mountain Dew, Mirinda, Evervess, 7UP, Sting Energy, Aquafina, and Nivana Water, packaged in returnable glass bottles and PET formats across sizes from 250ml to 2 litres. The company sells through a nationwide depot network of 100+ depots, retail outlets, and its own E-fridge online ordering platform.

Product overview

Crown Beverages Limited is Uganda's oldest beverages company and a 100% Ugandan-owned PepsiCo franchisee. The company produces and distributes a portfolio of carbonated soft drinks (Pepsi, Pepsi Max, Mountain Dew, Mirinda variants, Evervess, 7UP), energy drinks (Sting Energy), and packaged drinking water (Aquafina, Nivana). Products are available in returnable glass bottles and PET bottles across various sizes. The portfolio also includes a new Evervess Malt line launched in 2025, representing the company's expansion into malt-flavored beverages. The company operates an e-commerce platform called E-fridge for online ordering and maintains an extensive distribution network with depots across Uganda.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pepsi: The world's best tasting cola created in 1893 and brought to the Ugandan market in the 1990s. Available in various sizes including 2 litre, 300ml, 330ml, 500ml, Pepsi Max 330ml and 550ml.
• Mirinda
• Mountain Dew
• Evervess
• Sting Energy
• Aquafina
• Nivana
• 7up

Products and services

• Pepsi

Quantifiable outcome

• Won PepsiCo Global Bottler of the Year 2019, beating 200 companies worldwide
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 7UP (PepsiCo Brand)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 15 February 2024Launched 7UP brand in Uganda on 15th February 2024. 7UP is an iconic American brand of lemon-lime flavored non-caffeinated soft drink distributed internationally by PepsiCo. Available in 300ml and 500ml PET bottles at major supermarkets, local duukas, bars, and restaurants nationwide.
• ReclaimcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for PET waste collection and recycling across Uganda. Crown Beverages and Reclaim launched PET Waste Collection Centres including in Hoima and Oyam district. The initiative supports PepsiCo's #PepsiPositive sustainability agenda, promoting responsible plastic waste management while empowering local communities through inclusive recycling efforts. 8 PET Collection Hubs established as of May 2025.
• The Network Girl Tech InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to empower women and girls in Oyam district through PET Collection Hub. Works with women and girls especially widows, teenage mothers, school dropouts to earn income through plastic collection while creating cleaner communities. Initiative launched 8th PET Collection Hub in Oyam.
• Gayaza High SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental conservation partnership where Crown Beverages provided waste bins to foster proper plastic waste collection and disposal at the school. Symbolic handover conducted by Rogers Anguzu, Commercial Manager. Initiative aims to inspire school community and surrounding areas to engage in environmental conservation efforts.
• PepsiCocoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerPepsiCo franchisee bottling all products under authority of Pepsi International INC Purchase NY. Products include Pepsi, Pepsi Zero Sugar, Mountain Dew, Mirinda, Evervess, Sting Energy, Aquafina, and Nivana Water. Crown Beverages won PepsiCo Global Bottler of the Year Award 2019. PepsiCo provides global brand portfolio, marketing support, and quality standards.
• UFL Uganda (University Football League)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPepsiUFL sponsorship supporting university football in Uganda. Campaign includes #PepsiUFL #SeasonAwards with nominations for Best XI of the Season. Partnership with Varsity Sports Uganda for youth sports engagement.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SBC Kenya Limited: PepsiCo's franchise bottler in Kenya, jointly financed via the same October 2025 Stanbic Bank deal as Crown Beverages. Operates the same PepsiCo brand portfolio (Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Mirinda, 7UP, Sting, Aquafina, Evervess) in an adjacent East African market with a comparable depot-driven distribution model.
• Bottling Company of Ghana: PepsiCo's exclusive bottler in Ghana and one of West Africa's largest soft-drink producers. Closest direct functional analogue to Crown Beverages in terms of franchise model, product portfolio (PepsiCo CSDs, water, energy), and depot-led distribution to a single national market.
• Mega Maroc: PepsiCo's exclusive bottler in Morocco and one of Africa's largest independent Pepsi bottlers. Highly comparable franchise-only business model, similar reliance on a single multi-national brand principal, and a national depot/wholesale distribution architecture.
• BIG - Beverages International Group: Uganda's largest domestic beverage manufacturer and the principal in-country competitor to Crown Beverages. Produces and distributes competing soft drinks, juices, and water under own brands to the same retail outlets, kiosks, and supermarkets across Uganda.

Broad incumbents

• Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA): The largest Coca-Cola bottler in Africa and Crown's principal competitor on Ugandan retail shelves. Operates across multiple African countries with significantly greater scale, broader beverage portfolio, and stronger direct relationships with Coca-Cola Company — the structural counterweight to Crown's PepsiCo franchise.
• Pepsi Bottling Ventures: The largest privately-held Pepsi bottler in the United States. While operating in a vastly larger and more mature market, it shares Crown's core economics as a franchise-only bottler with multi-state depot distribution, illustrating both the scale ceiling and the operating benchmarks available to franchise PepsiCo bottlers.

Regional players

• Century Bottling Company: A PepsiCo franchise bottler operating in additional East African markets. Comparable franchise-only business model and portfolio mix, with a similar dual CSD + water + energy positioning; useful proxy for how a regional PepsiCo bottler competes against Coca-Cola system bottlers.
• Mukwano Group of Companies: One of Uganda's largest indigenous conglomerates, with a consumer-products portfolio that includes cooking oils, soaps, plastics, and beverages. Comparable Ugandan home-market distribution muscle and SME/retail reach, and competes for the same household wallet share, though not in the CSD category directly.
• East African Breweries Limited (EABL): Diageo's East African beverage platform and a dominant force in Uganda's alcohol and broader beverage retail trade. While in a different category (alcoholic beverages), it competes for the same cold-chain shelf space, on-trade outlet relationships, and consumer occasions that drive Crown's volume.

Others

• Reclaim Environmental: Uganda's leading PET recycling and waste-management operator and Crown Beverages' declared sustainability partner on the 8 PET Collection Hubs. Relevant not as a competitor but as a key ecosystem enabler for Crown's packaging circularity commitments and ESG positioning under PepsiCo's #PepsiPositive agenda.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PepsiUganda
• Facebookfacebook.com/CrownBeverages
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/crown-beverages-limited
• Instagraminstagram.com/p/DIOSoO2xgMi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Crown Beverages