HARARE – The recently announced strategic partnership between Carlsberg and Varun Beverages to enter the Zimbabwean beer market is raising concern among industry watchers, who warn that the alliance could pose a significant long-term threat to the country’s most iconic non-alcoholic brand, Mazoe Crush.

The partnership, unveiled last week, is expected to accelerate Carlsberg’s expansion into Southern Africa’s beverage sector. Analysts believe the collaboration could pave the way for the introduction of Robinsons, a powerful British fruit drink owned by Carlsberg Britvic, which may upend Zimbabwe’s non-alcoholic drinks landscape and potentially displace Mazoe Crush from its market stronghold.

Carlsberg, the Danish multinational brewery giant founded in 1847, is among the world’s largest beverage companies, with operations spanning over 150 markets. Its partnership with Varun Beverages — one of Africa’s fastest-growing bottling companies and the franchise bottler for PepsiCo — represents a strong commercial alignment capable of reshaping regional beverage dynamics.

Robinsons, a British heritage brand that has dominated the UK market for more than two centuries, is produced by Britvic Ltd, now a subsidiary of Carlsberg Britvic following Carlsberg’s £3.3 billion acquisition of Britvic in 2024. Industry observers say that Robinsons’ entry into the Zimbabwean or regional market, backed by Carlsberg’s global distribution power and Varun’s vast bottling infrastructure, could rapidly erode Mazoe’s market share and alter consumer tastes.

With its strong international brand equity, superior flavour formulations and extensive marketing resources, Robinsons could become a formidable competitor to Schweppes Zimbabwe’s Mazoe, which has long been the dominant fruit drink brand in the country.

Market analysts warn that Carlsberg Britvic may eventually establish its own production facility in Zimbabwe or neighbouring South Africa, allowing it to compete more aggressively in the region’s fast-moving consumer goods market.

Industry experts have urged Schweppes Zimbabwe to treat the emerging threat with urgency, noting that the Carlsberg–Varun alliance signals a credible and imminent challenge to Mazoe’s long-term sustainability and dominance in the local market.