DSM opens East Africa branch in Kenya

DSM Nutritional Products said it has established a branch office in Kenya to support the marketing and promotion of its business in Human Nutrition & Health in East Africa. The move is in response to a growing need for support from both NGO’s and food companies in the development of fortification solutions that will strongly improve the nutritional status of the population, the company said.

The office will be a branch office of DSM Nutritional Products South Africa (Pty) Ltd, and will be led by Peter Wathigo. A Kenyan national, Mr Wathigo brings with him extensive knowledge of micronutrient fortification in the context of African needs and diets.

Ronnie Pankhurst, managing director of DSM Nutritional Products South Africa said DSM is committed to supporting the implementation of fortification programmes on the ground with its local presence and the company’s micronutrient premixes: “Governments, NGO’s as well as private enterprise in East Africa are undertaking several groundbreaking fortification initiatives that will be implemented in the near future,” said Mr Pankhurst.

“Our longstanding presence on the African continent provides us with a great platform to meet the needs of the East African population,” he added.

At the same time, DSM Nutritional Products said it is optimistic about the business potential in Africa, and in East Africa in particular. “Better nutrition and economic development form a virtuous circle: no single measure is more cost effective in alleviating poverty and stimulating economic development than improving nutrition and fighting micronutrient deficiencies. The initiatives of the Kenyan and Ugandan governments with support of NGO’s are a crucial starting point that will in time stimulate fortification and healthy product offerings in the private sector,” said Bas van Buijtenen, vice-president Europe, Middle East and Africa for Human Nutrition & Health at DSM Nutritional Products.

Peter Wathigo, business development manager East Africa, added, “I see it as a great step that DSM, the global leader in the field of micronutrients, establishes its presence in Kenya. Through the DSM network, I will be able to bring the best the world has to offer in science on fortification, in quality of ingredients and in customized premixes to this region.”

The presence of DSM Nutritional Products in Africa includes sales offices in Cairo (Egypt) and Johannesburg (South Africa), and a dense network of agency and distribution partnerships. It further comprises a Human Nutrition premix plant and an Animal Nutrition premix plant in South Africa and a satellite food premix plant in Nigeria operated under license by DSM partner Biochemical Derivatives (BDL) Ltd.  The Animal Nutrition business is represented in East and West Africa through various distributors.