Bralirwa, the Rwandan subsidiary of Heineken NV has announced it will start making the Heineken brand locally from next month in a bid to cut down on import and distribution costs.

Heineken will be brewed at Bralirwa’s Gisenyi factory in Northern Rwanda, very close to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

“We believe that this innovation will create additional business opportunities for Bralirwa and for our business partners in Rwanda as well as through export to neighbouring countries,” said Mr Sander Bokelman, Bralirwa’s Supply Chain Director, in a statement on Monday.