Price increase for Brarudi products : ABUCO calls on the government

SOS Médias Burundi

Bujumbura, August 16, 2025 – The Burundi Brewery Company (Brarudi) announced, in a press release published on August 12, a significant price increase for its products, effective Wednesday, August 13. This decision is already provoking strong reactions from the population, despite having been expecting it for several weeks.

According to the company, this price revision had become inevitable due to a general increase in production costs, linked in particular to the increase in the price of raw materials, spare parts, and other essential inputs. “This is a necessary economic adjustment to ensure the continuity of our operations,” the press release states.

Increases sometimes exceeding 40%

The new price scales mainly concern beers produced by Brarudi, some of which have seen drastic increases. For example :

The Primus 72 cl beer has gone from 2,500 BIF to 3,300 BIF.

The Amstel Bock 33 cl has jumped from 2,800 BIF to 5,000 BIF.

The big Amstel 65 cl and Amstel Royale have gone from 3,500 BIF and 3,300 BIF to 6,000 BIF, respectively.

Soft drinks have gone from 1,600 BIF to 2,000 BIF.

Newly launched products, such as Amstel Bright, have not yet undergone any price changes.

An increase already felt on the ground

For many consumers, this official announcement only confirms a situation they were already experiencing. In several neighborhoods of the commercial capital, prices had been raised well before Brarudi’s announcement. In bistros, price regulation seemed difficult, with each bar setting its own prices without fear of sanctions, despite recent threats from the authorities. “We were already buying a Primus at triple the official price, sometimes without question,” confided a resident of southern Bujumbura.

The Burundian Consumers’ Association (ABUCO) denounced the prices as “excessive” and unaffordable for the majority of citizens. “This increase comes in an already difficult economic context. Consumers are unable to keep up,” declared a representative. ABUCO is calling on the government to suspend the measure and open a dialogue with the stakeholders concerned to reassess the situation.