Several big names in the African entertainment and business industries converged at the launch of Aphro Beverages, a pan-African alcoholic drink that has been described by many as “unapologetically African”.
Nigerian internationally acclaimed musician, Peter Okoye – formerly of PSquare fame; and Ghanaian celebrities Juliet Ibrahim, Mawuli Gavor, AJ Sarpong and Hajia4real were all in attendance at the launch. Also attending the star-studded launch was multiple award-winning Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie.
The ceremony, which was unarguably a five-star lift-off for a five-star product, was held at the Kozo Restaurant on Saturday night.
The beverage offers a perfect glimpse into the future of African product innovation and positioning. It also comes with a uniquely smooth taste, superior branding and world-class packaging that puts it in the league of similar global premium brands.
The company is 100% self-funded by a group of friends made up of former Wall Street bankers, private equity professionals, multinational African business executives and one of the world’s biggest-selling Afrobeat artists, Peter Okoye.
Ghana has been selected as the production hub for Aphro Beverages, and the company will be a free-zones entity with the goal of exporting a majority of the product to the rest of Africa and the diaspora. The brand-owners have also hired a highly talented and versatile local team that has overseen the product development and R&D as well as its commercialisation.
Due to the reach and network of the founders, they have also assembled a world-class Advisory Board that includes former Executives from Coca Cola, Kasepreko and Diageo to oversee the operations.
Speaking on the future of Aphro, the CEO for the Aphro Ghana Business, Kojo Bucknor said: “Aphro is a brand we are very confident will be in existence for many decades to come. Its distinctive quality, in terms of taste and branding, is what truly separates us from the rest.”
He stated that Aphro has been “carefully produced, taking into consideration all the required health and safety measures, to make it the preferred alcoholic beverage in the African market. In Aphro, we have an African beverage that meets the needs of global consumers”. He assures consumers that that brand will be a pacesetter on the continent and beyond.
Co-Founder of Aphro Beverages, Peter Okoye, in a statement at the launch expressed his profound satisfaction in being a partner for an African brand that is set to rub shoulders with major international brands.
According to him, Aphro is a testament that “when Africans work together in unity, we can come out with brands that can compete favourably on the global stage”.
He therefore called for “all Africans to patronise Aphro. This provides a singular opportunity for Africans to support us – not just because it is our brand, but also because it is a premium high quality brand. This is our own African brand that is equally as good as the global brands we currently feature in our music videos and movies. Let us come together to promote a brand that is truly African”.
Aphro will retail at between US$25 to US$35 and is available at over 300 outlets in Ghana. Additionally, Aphro is fulfilling major orders from the US, London, Germany and Canada where African residents are driving demand. It will be available in major African stores early 2021. The group fulfilled orders for more than 3,000 bottles in its first weekend of post-launch sales.
