Ambo Mineral Water

History

Ambo Mineral Water has been bottled since 1930. The last emperor of Ethiopia used to travel here to drink the water, which has been described as "holy water" by local residents per its prized status for having alleged restorative properties. Local residents have stated that the water can improve digestion, be used as to ease rheumatism and can cure ailments of the stomach. Generations ago, local farmers noticed lost cattle drinking the water.

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Ambo Mineral Water has been in business since 1930 and is sourced from a thermal mineral spring that has significant amounts of "natural calcium, magnesium, potassium, bicarbonates and carbon dioxide". The water is naturally carbonated by the carbon dioxide at the source. The water is derived from a volcanic fissure, from which it runs down a stream in a montane environment, and is collected in Ambo Senkele, Ethiopia. Ambo Senkele is approximately 130 kilometers from Addis Ababa.

Today

The company was purchased by SABMiller in 2009. In 2011, SABMiller invested around US$20 million modernizing the bottling plant and operations. After these improvements, the plant produced 40,000 glass bottles hourly. Previous output was approximately 12,000 bottles per hour. In November 2014, Ambo Mineral Water was jointly purchased by SABMiller PLC and SouthWest Development, with plans to join Coca-Cola as SABMiller. During this time, it was announced that Coca-Cola Company and Coca-Cola Sabco were going to form a new company named Coca-Cola Beverages Africa. According to Ambo's web site, it was purchased by CCBA in 2017. In a 2020 interview, the CEO of East African Bottling Share Company (EABSC) said that Ambo Mineral Water and EASBC were "sister companies" under CCBA. When we formed Coca Cola Beverages Africa, three companies came together. The first one was the Coca Cola Company, which has big interest. The second is South African Beverages (SAB), which engages in non-alcoholic beverages. The third is Gutsche’s Family investment (GFI). SAB owned ambo mineral water. So when the parents merged, the companies became members of Coca Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA), the current company. So, Ambo Mineral Water is a sister company of EABSC. We are working on designing a way to synchronize the sister factories and organizations of EABSC and Ambo Mineral Water in the future. CCBA owns and operates EABSC and Ambo Mineral Water in Ethiopia.}}

Tours of the bottling factory are offered to the public.

Ambo is exported to Kenya, South Africa, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, England, Sweden, the United States and Toronto, Canada. It is bottled in 330 ML, 500 ML, 750 ML 1000 ML and 2000 ML bottles. The bottling plant operates 24 hours a day. It is sold in Ethiopian shops for around US$0.30 per bottle, and is typically priced higher in Ethiopian restaurants and hotels. At restaurants in New York City, it is sold for around US$6 per bottle.

Products

Ambo Mineral Water began to be packed in plastic bottles relatively recently, and prior to this was packed exclusively in glass bottles. New products introduced circa November 2014 were Ambo flavored water, which was formulated in several flavors, and Ambo Lite, a product with a lower mineral and carbonation content.

References

References

1. "About Ambo Mineral Water:"An Ethiopian Icon"". Ambo Mineral Water.
2. (5 January 2018). "About Us".
3. Abiye, Yonas. (November 29, 2014). "Coca Cola, Ambo Water to be under one umbrella".
4. Javins, Marie. [http://www.gonomad.com/features/0211/ethiopiafood.html "Eating and Drinking in Ethiopia."] {{webarchive. link. (January 31, 2013 [http://www.gonomad.com Gonomad.com]. Accessed Jan 2013.)
5. Wonacott, Peter. (January 13, 2011). "SABMiller Taps Ethiopia's 'Holy Water'".
6. "Export". Ambo Mineral Water.
7. (August 26, 2007). "East Africa Bottling Eyes Joint Venture With Ambo".
8. Kloman, H.. (2010). "Mesob Across America: Ethiopian Food in the U.s.a.". iUniverse.
9. Gordon, F.L.. (2000). "Ethiopia, Eritrea & Djibouti". Lonely Planet.