Egyptian confectionery manufacturer MO Group enters South Africa - Trendtype Africa and Middle East
MO Group for Food Industries, an Egyptian confectionery and chocolate manufacturer, has entered South Africa as part of a multi-market strategy. Alongside South Africa, MO Group has identified Somalia, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and Madagascar as target markets. South Africa is not MO Group’s only new market in 2026. It has entered Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary […]
MO Group for Food Industries, an Egyptian confectionery and chocolate manufacturer, has entered South Africa as part of a multi-market strategy. Alongside South Africa, MO Group has identified Somalia, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and Madagascar as target markets. South Africa is not MO Group’s only new market in 2026. It has entered Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary in Europe; and Cuba and Haiti as its first Caribbean markets. It also expanded its presence in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. MO Group was founded in Egypt in 1994 as a distribution company for PepsiCo, Coca-Cola and Juhayna. It pivoted to confectionery manufacturing in 2007 when the current MO Group was formed. It operates three factories in the 10th of Ramadan City industrial zone outside Cairo, manufacturing over 500 SKUs across its brand portfolio. The company is a market leader in Egypt’s confectionery market and exports to more than 50 countries. MO Group’s main brands are Teeka (sugar confectionery and snacks aimed at children), Relevant (premium chocolate and confectionery), and Day Live (lollipops, biscuits and marshmallows for everyday snacking). It also sells under sub-brands including Big Baba, Bigg Buddy, Creamy, Lemo, Taxi and Tuka Pop. Its product categories include hard candies, soft candies, chocolates, chewing gum, biscuits and toys. The company also has private label manufacturing and custom product development for third-party brands. MO Group is investing $10m in new biscuit and chocolate production lines in December 2025 and has targeted doubling monthly capacity to 6,000 tonnes, half of which is allocated for export. It is targeting 50% domestic sales growth in 2026 compared to 2025. South Africa has the strongest logistics and cold chain infrastructure in Africa. It also has the most developed modern trade. Supermarket chains like Shoprite, Pick n Pay and SPAR all have store networks that extend beyond South Africa into Mozambique, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and other markets, making South Africa a key regional export and re-export hub. South Africa’s confectionery market is extremely price competitive and dominated by locally manufactured products in both chocolate and sugar confectionery, both from multinationals such as Mondelez and Nestlé, but also local manufacturers including Tiger Brands and Premier FMCG.