Guala Closures completes acquisition of Metal Crowns in East Africa
The acquisition expands Guala Closures’ manufacturing and distribution footprint across Kenya, Tanzania and Burundi, strengthening its presence in East Africa’s beverage packaging market.
KENYA – Italian closures manufacturer Guala Closures SpA has completed the acquisition of Metal Crowns companies in Kenya, Tanzania and Burundi for a combined Kes 10.6 billion (US$81.7M), expanding its presence in East Africa’s beverage packaging market.
According to Money Academy, the Kenyan business accounted for the largest share of the transaction at Kes 9.9 billion (US$76.3M).
Guala Closures is a global supplier of specialty closure solutions for the beverage industry and already operates in Kenya through Guala Closures East Africa Ltd, established in 2017. The group also has operations in South Africa and Nigeria.
Guala began full operations in Nairobi in 2018 after establishing a manufacturing plant serving the local spirits market with anti-counterfeiting closure solutions. The facility also supplies markets including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Madagascar and Zimbabwe.
Metal Crowns manufactures metal crowns in Kenya for domestic and export markets, with products sold across Burundi, Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Its plastic closures are distributed in the DRC, Kenya, Mauritius, Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia.
Guala’s disclosures from October, when it signed the sale agreement, showed that Metal Crowns generated combined revenue of about €32 million (Sh4.8 billion) in the 12 months to July 2025.
The company said the acquisition supports its strategy to strengthen its presence in fast-growing East African markets, citing favourable demographics and rising consumption.
“By combining our international expertise with Metal Crowns’ local strength, we aim to build a solid platform to drive sustainable growth and innovation across the region,” said Andrea Lodetti, Guala Closures’ CEO.
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