Ethiopia is growing market for Heineken

AS Ethiopia's economy grows (at about 9% per year) Heineken expects expansion in the local beer market. The number two player in the country, Heineken has turned to emerging markets in Africa for its brews as demand from Europe remains slow, and market opportunities in the United States are limited, according to a report in CNBC Africa.

Ethiopia's average annual beer consumption is 5 liters per capita—about half the average level for sub-Saharan Africa (excluding South Africa), indicating a valuable opportunity for expansion of the market.

According to the report, Heineken has bought several plants in Africa and built two, one in Nigeria in 2000 and another in South Africa in 2008. Its new plant in Ethiopia has a capacity of 1.5 million hectolitres. Located near the capital Addis Ababa it is the largest in the country.