IFC has announced a partnership with Sunda Group to help the company ramp up the production of home care and personal care products in five African countries, helping expand Africa’s manufacturing sector and creating thousands of direct and indirect jobs.
Under the partnership, IFC will provide a US$107million loan to enable Sunda Group – a Chinese-held, Africa-based manufacturing company – to expand its production facilities in Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya and Nigeria
In Ghana, IFC’s support includes US$48million to help Sunda Group establish a washing-powder production factory in Accra and expand its production of diapers and other personal care products in the country. Sunda Group also plans to nearly double its distribution centres around Ghana for easier access to basic home care products for more households.
In Guinea, Kenya and Nigeria, a combined US$35million from IFC will support the expansion of Sunda’s production of personal care products. In Côte d’Ivoire, US$24million will help Sunda Group build a factory to produce construction material – including sheet-metal and reinforcement bar products, among other materials.
“We at Sunda are delighted for this partnership with IFC, which will enable us to increase production across five key African markets. Our expansion in Ghana, for instance, will give Ghanaians access to quality, essential consumer products manufactured right here in Ghana as we deepen private sector linkages between China and Africa as enablers of employment and economic growth,” said Michael Ye, Managing Director for Sunda Ghana.
“IFC is committed to strengthening manufacturing in Africa because it builds skills, creates jobs and helps ensure that essential products are more readily available – and affordable – on the continent. The pan-African nature of IFC’s partnership with Sunda Group will enhance cross-border and economic diversification across the continent,” said Dahlia Khalifa, IFC’s Regional Director for Anglophone West Africa and Central Africa.
IFC’s investment in Sunda Group will also support resource-efficient and climate-smart practices. For example, the company’s factories in Ghana, Guinea, Kenya and Nigeria will use recycled non-woven fabric as input material to produce up to 70 percent of its hygienic products.
