Tanzania Breweries Ltd.
In the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro, the Tanzania Breweries plant in Moshi is humming with activity again. After lying dormant for 5 years, the site has reopened with a new ambition: to establish a fully local value chain from barley to beer. At the heart of the restart is Bühler’s RimoMalt solution – a modular, all-in-one malting plant that combines flexibility, efficiency, and sustainability.
Sarah Kernl, November 2025
In 2024, Tanzania Breweries brought its Moshi plant back to life. Since then, the company’s vision of creating a fully local value chain from barley to beer has come full circle: barley grown by Tanzanian farmers is cleaned using Bühler’s grain handling technology, malted on site, and delivered to nearby breweries. This revival not only strengthens the brewing economy but also creates jobs across the region, from field to factory. The result is beer that is truly Tanzanian – from raw material to final brew.
Restarting the Moshi plant demanded a system that could adapt to local harvest volumes. With malting capacities ranging from small to medium, RimoMalt’s flexible design adapts to the evolving needs of local breweries and distilleries. The solution integrates all three malting steps – steeping, germination, and kilning – into a standardized structure that reduces handling and ensures consistent quality. Its modular design meant Tanzania Breweries could restart production at a smaller capacity, perfectly matched to local barley availability, and later expand the system with additional units as supply grows.
Each of the three modules is optimized for efficiency. The steeping unit is insulated and enclosed, with integrated grain handling and easy access for operators. The heating and combined germination kiln unit are equipped with advanced systems to minimize energy consumption. All modules are designed for minimal water and energy usage, incorporating the latest malting technologies to reduce environmental impact.
“It is user-friendly for us in terms of operation. The system has been running smoothly, allowing us to consistently supply quality malt to different breweries across the country,” says Khasmath Mzee, Shift Supervisor at Tanzania Breweries. The compact RimoMalt system is designed for outdoor installation, eliminating the need for new buildings and significantly reducing investment costs. With short delivery times and Bühler’s guidance, the plant was up and running quickly. Bühler coordinated closely with local contractors, ensuring smooth installation and commissioning.
Tanzania Breweries Ltd. has been part of the country’s history since 1933, when it was founded as Tanganyika Breweries. Today, it is a proud member of the AB InBev Group, the largest brewer in the world, and operates breweries in Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mwanza, and Mbeya, a distillery in Dar es Salaam, a malting plant in Moshi, and eight grain storage facilities across the country.
Its principal activities are the production, distribution, and sale of malt beer, non-alcoholic beverages, and alcoholic fruit beverages in Tanzania, with products distributed nationwide and exported to neighboring countries. Tanzania Breweries also holds a controlling interest in Tanzania Distilleries Limited, a Dar es Salaam-based liquor company.
The reopening of the Moshi facility, known as the Kilimanjaro Malting Plant, marks Tanzania Breweries’ return to producing malt locally after years of suspension due to challenges in domestic barley supply and outdated plant technology. Reopened in 2024 after significant upgrades and investment, the site is positioned as a strategic hub for local malt production and agricultural development.
Moshi – whose name means “smoke” in Swahili, a reference to the mist and clouds rising from Kilimanjaro – is not only the gateway to Africa’s highest peak but also a hub for agriculture, with barley and coffee among its most important crops. Like the mist that shifts and transforms on the mountain slopes, the reopening of the brewery is reshaping opportunities across the value chain. Farmers growing barley, transporters moving grain, operators running the plant, and technicians maintaining the system all benefit from the resurgence of local malting.
Bühler delivered a complete end-to-end solution, covering grain intake and cleaning as well as the malting stages of steeping, germination, and kilning. Powered by Mercury MES (Manufacturing Execution System), the plant benefits from seamless automation and efficient execution. Mercury MES enables operators to monitor what is happening in any part of the plant. From raw material storage to the final malting stages, it brings all process steps together on one intuitive platform. This not only makes the system easy to operate, but also ensures efficiency, safety, and full traceability. Real-time data helps optimize production and provides transparency across quality and logistics. Local staff were trained quickly and manage production confidently, with Bühler’s remote support always available when needed.
Since commissioning, the RimoMalt system has delivered consistently high-quality batches of malt while optimizing both energy and water use. Its integrated safety features protect workers and safeguard the product. The proof is already visible: Malt has been successfully produced and sold to breweries across the country, building a resilient and sustainable supply chain.
The return of the Moshi plant is more than a technical achievement; it is a story of partnership. Tanzania Breweries and Bühler worked side by side to bring the plant back to life, laying the foundation for future growth and new investments in local brewing capabilities. “We look forward to partnering with Bühler on future projects because of the strong collaboration and teamwork we experienced during the execution of this one,” says Mashaka Fandey, Project Manager at Tanzania Breweries.
With RimoMalt at its core, Tanzania Breweries has the flexibility to grow as the local barley supply increases, ensuring that the nation’s brewing industry continues to thrive sustainably – and that every bottle of beer remains truly Tanzanian.
Who: Tanzania Breweries Limited (part of the AB InBev Group)
Where: Moshi, Tanzania
When: Founded in 1933.
What: Tanzania Breweries Limited produces, distributes, and sells malt beer, non-alcoholic beverages, and alcoholic fruit beverages.
Customers: The company distributes across Tanzania and exports to neighboring countries.
Bühler: Tanzania Breweries Limited uses end-to-end Bühler malting solutions including grain intake, cleaning, steeping, germination, and kilning, supported by the Mercury MES plant automation system.
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