Nile Breweries Limited was established in 1951 by a group of businessmen, associated with the Construction of Owen Falls Dam. A leading Asian-Ugandan entrepreneur Muljibhai Madhvani and Company bought and managed it from 1957 till 1972, when Idi Amin expelled Asians from Uganda. It remained a state enterprise until 1992 when the Uganda government divested itself under a wide-ranging privatization programme. Nile Breweries was returned to the Madhvani Group.

In 1997, the Madhvani Group went into partnership with South Africa Breweries Ltd (SAB), with the latter acquiring a 40% stake. It was a happy marriage, quickly leading to SAB Ltd fully acquiring NBL in July 2001. In May 2002, SAB acquired Miller Brewing Company in the USA, thus forming SABMiller plc. SABMiller plc is the world’s 2nd largest brewer with interests in over 75 countries. 

With the commissioning of the Mbarara plant, the capacity of Nile Breweries Limited now stands at 2.4 million hectoliters, making NBL the No 1 provider of locally produced beer in Uganda.

Brands
Nile Breweries Limited is the producer of Nile Special, Club Pilsener, Eagle Lager, Eagle Extra, Eagle Dark, Nile Gold, Castle Milk Stout, Redd’s, Redd’s Vodka Lemon, Castle Lite, Chairman’s ESB, Chibuku and the new brand Hero. NBL imports and distributes Castle Lager and Grolsch in Uganda. 

The company’s rich portfolio of brands is complemented by Rwenzori Mineral Water, following the integration of Rwenzori Bottling Company, the SABMiller water subsidiary in Uganda, into Nile Breweries.