Packaging giant Nampak (Sandton / South Africa; www.nampak.co.za) is taking its business across Africa to new levels thanks to German technology. After recently announcing the opening of a new plastic closures facility in Lagos / Nigeria operated with technology from German plastic closures manufacturer Bericap (Budenheim; www.bericap.com) – see Plasteurope.com of 25.02.2014 – the South African company now said it installed a co-ex film extruder from Windmöller & Hölscher (W&H, Lengerich / Germany; www.wuh-lengerich.de) at its headquarters last year. The machine is claimed to be the first seven-layer co-extruder in sub-Saharan Africa and one of the most advanced of its kind on the continent.

The machine allows Nampak to produce flexible packaging particularly suited to the needs of the African market, including the manufacture of high-barrier films that prevent any ingress of moisture and oxygen, prolonging a product’s shelf life. This particular characteristic is especially important in African countries, where refrigeration is an issue and single-portion packs and refill pouches are much more attractive to the consumer.

Commenting on the investment, Nampak Flexible managing director Clinton Farndell said, “The investment by Nampak Flexible in new seven layer technology, opens up huge possibilities within the flexible packaging industry in South Africa and ensure opportunities for growth across Africa.”