Egypt: The local subsidiary of the American food group Mars, which specialises in confectionery, plans to invest $250 million to increase the processing capacity of its unit based in the city of 6 October

The confectionery market is one of the main segments of the global food industry. In Egypt, the favourable outlook for the sector at local level provides a favourable environment for private investment.

In Egypt, the local subsidiary of the American food group Mars, which specialises in confectionery, plans to invest $250 million over the next 18 months to increase the processing capacity of its unit based in the city of 6 October. This was revealed by Osama Hellal, plant manager, on 23 May.

According to the manager, this sum will be used to finance the installation of 2 new production lines to increase annual production capacity to 40,000 tonnes over time, compared with the current level of 25,000 tonnes.

“We currently have 6 production lines and manufacture around 150 different product ranges. The planned expansion will enable us to bring 15 new types of product to the local market by early 2025,” adds Mr Hellal. The company’s move comes at a time when the confectionery market is set for continued growth over the next few years.

According to data compiled by the Statista platform, confectionery sales are expected to generate nearly $3 billion in the Land of the Pharaohs in 2024, with average growth forecast at 5.56% per year until 2028. From Egypt, the local Mars subsidiary also exports its products to more than 40 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Europe.