Pwani Oil in new move to double production for its detergent product line

Pwani Oil has invested in two new soap finishing lines at its Kikambala plant, Kilifi County. The soon to be launched lines will double the production of soap for the manufacturing giant as well as boost its capability to introduce new soap variants.

Soap finishing lines are a combination of equipment that convert soap pellets or noodles into formulated stamped soap bars. Soap finishing consists of several working stages including: pre-refining, cutting, stamping and packaging.

Rajul Malde, Commercial Director Pwani Oil said the project commenced a few months ago with the FMCG giant investing in state-of-the-art soap finishing lines that will manufacture a large variety of specialty soap grades.

“Without a doubt, the importance and demand for quality soap has grown significantly, and Pwani Oil wants to be in a position to fulfill this need to our customers. But importantly, the reason for investing in new soap finishing lines is not just for capacity optimization but to inject new levels of process excellence and quality into our soap manufacturing.” Said Malde

Soap and by extension toiletry, is by far one of the most used consumer commodities in Kenya and the whole of Africa. It is only second to cooking oil, salt and onion.

He added: “The new lines will enable us to grow our soaps and the personal care category as well as give our customers a wide variety of variats to choose from. This is part of our expansion and innovation strategy to offer products that meet customer aspirations across diverse consumer segments.”

This announcement comes barely two months after the launch of Sawa Coconut Milk soap, a new variant which has the properties to deeply cleanse the skin. It targets to offer families a wider range of affordable soaps to choose from. Sawa Coconut Milk Soap is available in 70g, 125g & 250g and retails at 15, 25 & 45 shillings respectively

Additionally, Pwani Oil Products also recently announced the acquisition of the Rainbow detergent soap brand from Match Masters Limited in a move that will see the Mombasa-based manufacturer grow its market share in the fast-growing personal care segment.

The acquisition will enable Pwani Oils to further diversify its consumer portfolio. Its personal care products include Diva and Sawa soap brands. In 2017, Pwani Oils launched White Wash a laundry bar soap that contains both washing powder and fabric softener.