Varun plans to rollout 1000 pushcarts
CLOUDINE MATOLA
Varun Beverages plans to roll out 1,000 pushcarts in Zimbabwe next year, opening new business opportunities for informal traders, particularly women, as the government tightens its crackdown on street vending.
The beverage manufacturer is engaging the Government and local authorities to ensure the initiative complies with regulations governing informal trading, chief executive Vijay Kumar Bahl told the Women, Trade and Leadership Summit 2026, hosted by The Vase.
“We are planning to put 1,000 pushcarts in 2027. I am in discussions with local government. We will figure out the rules and policies, ensure compliance and introduce 1,000 more pushcarts,” Bahl said.
The initiative forms part of the company’s broader strategy to expand its distribution network while creating opportunities for women to enter retail, wholesale and other segments of the value chain.
Varun is also preparing to manufacture Oreo biscuits locally and has begun distributing Cadbury chocolates, owned by Mondelez International, creating potential openings for local wholesalers, retailers and small businesses.
“This month we began distribution of Mondelez brands, including Cadbury chocolate. Very soon, we will be making Oreo biscuits in Zimbabwe, so there is an opportunity for women to become our distributors and wholesalers,” Bahl said.
He said opportunities would extend to tuck shops, convenience stores and pushcart operators, widening participation in the company’s growing distribution ecosystem.
Varun is also exploring a partnership with Geo Pomona Waste Management to establish a plastic bottle recycling initiative that would allow vendors to earn additional income by collecting used bottles for reprocessing.
Under the proposed arrangement, pushcart operators would sell carbonated drinks, bottled water and energy drinks while collecting discarded plastic bottles for recycling, supporting both livelihoods and environmental sustainability.
“These vendors will not only sell carbonated drinks, bottled water or energy drinks. They will also collect those bottles so that we can reprocess them and convert them into products again,” Bahl said.
The expansion plans come as Varun scales up its investment commitments in Zimbabwe. Bahl said the company had pledged at least US$650 million over the next four to five years, with a further US$75 million to US$100 million earmarked for dairy-related activities and support initiatives.
The company is also seeking to address financing constraints facing informal traders, many of whom struggle to secure credit from traditional lenders.
Bahl said Varun had begun extending credit to vendors based on their trading history, performance and established relationships with the company.
“We have started giving them credit based on their working relationship with us, their past history and track record. We are going to support women on the street with financial assistance as we grow,” he said.
The financing initiative could help small-scale traders expand their businesses, improve stock availability and take advantage of the opportunities emerging from Varun’s expanding product portfolio.
Bahl also encouraged women-led enterprises to collaborate, meet quality standards and pursue larger contracts across regional markets.
Varun operates in Zimbabwe, Mozambique and five other African countries, creating potential opportunities for Zimbabwean suppliers to expand beyond the domestic market.
“A supplier who meets our standards in Harare can meet them across the region. Women can join hands with other women-led businesses, innovate and bid for bigger contracts together,” he said.
The company is open to supporting Zimbabwean women seeking to enter markets in the other countries where it operates, as part of its broader ambition to expand across the continent.
“Our dream is to be in all 54 countries of Africa. We will make sure that Zimbabwean women who want to go beyond the country’s borders are helped to engage with our companies in other African markets,” Bahl said.
