Flexible packaging growing fast in the continent

Natpak manufactures products for the flexible packaging sector, mostly food packaging. Founded in September 1981, the company expanded into Harare in 1994 and has grown from being a woven polypropylene manufacturer to encompass other packaging materials such as LDPE. Natpak acquired a Comexi FW flexographic press in 2014.

Miquel Gironès, Comexi’s area manager for Africa, said: ‘We have been strengthening our potential in the African market since 2015. The African continent is one of the fastest-growing markets for flexible packaging industry and demand is increasing continuously. We are achieving great results with sales in countries such as Zimbabwe, Ivory Coast, Algeria, Morocco, South Africa, Ghana and Mauritius.’

Since its foundation in 1954, Comexi has had a large presence in northern Africa, claiming 90 percent market share in the flexo sector in countries such as Algeria. In recent years, the group has registered ‘positive results’ with sales of flexo presses such as Comexi F2 MB and Comexi F2 MC, gravure presses, laminators such as Comexi SL2, and S2 DS and S2 DT slitters. ‘Now we are in a clear phase of expansion and we will continue to grow. We have many projects on the table,’ said Gironès.

Comexi’s CEO Jeroen van der Meer commented: ‘We have achieved significant growth over the last three years, mainly due to the success of flexo, gravure and offset printing technologies and the market growth in North America, Middle East, Africa and Asia.’