Coca-Cola Beverages Uganda’s new mid-sized pack targets the sweet spot between convenience and value, and it signals something bigger about how Africa hydrates.
Coca-Cola Beverages Uganda (CCBU) has added a 10-litre pack to its Rwenzori Pure Natural Mineral Water portfolio, unveiled on March 4, 2026, at the company’s Namanve production facility. Retailing at a recommended price of UGX 8,000, the move is more than a packaging tweak, it is a direct read of where the East African hydration market is heading.
The new 10L pack provides a convenient middle ground between smaller take-home packs and the larger 20-litre bottles, offering consumers better value per litre. Designed for households, shared residences and workplaces, it fills a format gap that has long existed between single-serve retail bottles and the bulky dispenser jugs typically used in offices.
“We are seeing a clear shift towards bulk purchasing as consumers look for value, convenience and fewer store visits. The new Rwenzori 10L directly responds to these insights.” , Emmy Hashakimana, Managing Director, Coca-Cola Beverages Uganda
The timing is sharp. The Middle East and Africa bottled water market was valued at USD 15.44 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 32.71 billion by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 8.70%. Within that expansion, packaged drinking water has become the fastest-selling beverage in Africa, surpassing soft drinks, beer, tea and coffee, driven by urbanisation, population growth and persistent deficiencies in public water infrastructure across the continent.
Rwenzori is central to that story in Uganda. The Rwenzori Bottling Company began operations in 1993, at a time when bottled water was still a relatively new and unfamiliar product for many Ugandans. The brand changed hands over the years, sold to SABMiller via Nile Breweries in 2010, before landing under Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) when the CCBA group was formed through a landmark merger between SABMiller, The Coca-Cola Company and Gutsche Family Investments in 2016. CCBA later consolidated its two Ugandan bottling subsidiaries, Rwenzori Bottling Company and Century Bottling Company, into the single entity known today as Coca-Cola Beverages Uganda.
Since then, investment has flowed steadily. CCBA commissioned a US$10 million Rwenzori Pure Natural Mineral Water manufacturing line in 2019 at its Namanve site, and also invested US$27 million in a new PET production line at Namanve, which began operating in 2023. Industry data from around that period placed Rwenzori’s market share at approximately 65% of the Ugandan bottled water market, a dominant position the new format is squarely designed to defend and grow.
What makes this launch particularly notable is how it was conceived. CCBU’s Commercial Excellence Director Mary Nassali credited the company’s annual Marketing Activation Recruitment Week, where employees from across departments go directly into the market to engage customers, as the intelligence behind the product.
“The 10L pack is a direct outcome of these conversations, a product designed around the practical hydration needs of everyday consumers.” , Mary Nassali, Commercial Excellence Director, CCBU
That consumer-first methodology reflects a broader trend reshaping African beverage strategy. Mid-size bulk formats are carving out a distinct commercial tier, more practical than the single-serve bottle, less unwieldy than the traditional office dispenser. For brands operating across Uganda’s mix of formal supermarkets and informal retail, it is a format that can do real volume work in both channels simultaneously.
CCBU’s role in Uganda extends well beyond water. The company employs more than 1,000 permanent and fixed-term staff and works with over 400 contractors across its production plants. CCBU has been recognised as a Top Employer in Uganda for both 2025 and 2026 by the Top Employers Institute, and last year received the Bronze Employer of the Year Award from the Federation of Uganda Employers for its contribution to job creation and entrepreneurship.
The 10-litre Rwenzori pack is now available at major retail outlets and distribution points nationwide.
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