SOUTH AFRICA – South Africans have expressed their disappointment following Nestlé South Africa’s decision to discontinue marketing its flavoured milk drink Nesquik chocolate and strawberry (250g and 500g) in the country.
According to the food and beverage manufacturer, the flavoured milk drink will no longer be available in South Africa due to lower demand for the product and a drop in sales.
“Nesquik will no longer be produced in South Africa and thus discontinued. Nestlé understands that this may disappoint some consumers,” the company said.
However, Nestle said that it would continue to produce its Milo, Hot Chocolate and Cocoa drinks.
“These brands have shown remarkable performance and consumer loyalty, making them the focus of Nestlé’s efforts to build a healthier and sustainable business for the future,” it said.
Takudzwa Mupfurutsa, business executive officer of dairy, Nestlé East and Southern Africa, noted that Nestle’s mission is always delighting consumers and that is an excitement to announce their strategic decision to focus on the key brands.
“We remain committed to bringing innovation to the Cocoa Malt Beverages category, and we are eager to improve and introduce new products that will be hitting the shelves soon,” he added.
“We would like to express our deepest gratitude to our consumers for their unwavering support throughout the years.”
In 2020, Chocolate Log, another South African favourite also logged off from the South African market.
At the time, Nestlé said the discontinuation of the brand which was loved for over 50 years, was to pave the way for innovation.
“As Nestlé, our purpose is to delight our consumers through tastier and healthier products,” the company said.
“We know that one of the main drivers of the chocolate category is innovation and that consumers love new products. Taking this into consideration, we do discontinue certain products and introduce new ones to the market.”
Chocolate Log was a marshmallow-filled, creamy, chocolate fusion with a crisp of milk-covered chocolate bar.
Earlier this year, Nestle announced that it would be locally sourcing over 40% of raw materials for a new processing plant in South Africa to offset supply chain challenges and cut costs.
Nestle opened a processing unit for its coffee brand Nescafe on Tuesday at its factory in Hammanskraal near the capital Pretoria as it moves to tap into an increasing demand for coffee consumption in South Africa.
The localisation efforts will help to reduce the environmental impact caused by imports, create employment and cut down on time to reach consumers, according to the company.
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