Food giant Nestlé shuts DRC plant

Swiss food giant Nestlé has announced it will shut its plant in the Democratic Republic of Congo by end of January 2018.

A statement released on Sunday said “about 120 people will be affected by this decision”, but we will “continue to develop our business model for third-party distribution”.

The company set up in 2009, amid escalating poverty and political instability with a factory manufacturing poultry cubes, Maggi.

It had invested 15 million dollars in the business but the record losses incurred have forced Nestlé to abandon a potential market of 80 million people.

Its departure is seen as a huge blow to the economy, that was already unstable.

A presidential election that could settle the crisis is scheduled for December 2018, when the country will vote to replace president Joseph Kabila.