From Solar Energy to CSR: Alpesh Patel on Silafrica’s Journey to Sustainable Packaging Excellence in Africa

In this continuation of the interview, Alpesh Patel, Country CEO of Silafrica Tanzania, discusses the company’s deep commitment to sustainability, ethical business practices, and innovation in packaging across East Africa. One of the most notable initiatives is the one-megawatt solar energy project in Tanzania, an investment of more than $500,000 that covers six acres of rooftops and contributes around 10% of Silafrica’s energy needs. This solar energy packaging industry project reduces electricity costs while cutting environmental impact, reinforcing Silafrica’s alignment with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation circular economy partnership and its pledge to create 100% recyclable packaging within a circular value chain.

Silafrica’s leadership in corporate social responsibility in the packaging industry is evident through strict adherence to anti-bribery policies, HIV workplace policies, and global best practices. The company has received multiple accolades, including more than 15 President’s Manufacturer of the Year Awards (PMAYA) in Tanzania, recognition at the East Africa Brand Awards where SimTank was awarded Best Brand in the Region, and titles such as Silafrica Best CSR of the Year and Alpesh Patel Best CEO of the Year award. These awards highlight its ethical branding in East Africa and its role as one of the highest taxpayers in Tanzania.

On the technology front, Silafrica has invested heavily in energy-efficient injection molding machines that cut energy use from 1.5 kWh per kilo to 0.4 kWh per kilo. The company operates with Husky injection molding systems from Canada (valued at $2–2.5 million each) and compression molding machines from Italy, ensuring FSSC-compliant food safety packaging in Tanzania. Its hygienic packaging production facilities eliminate human touch, guaranteeing high-performance packaging machinery and safe preforms for plastic bottles and closures manufacturing in East Africa.

Looking ahead, Silafrica has mapped out a long-term strategy through 2030, focusing on financial and operational plans that sustain its position as a market leader in packaging and water storage solutions in East Africa. While exploring expansion to West Africa, including Nigeria, Silafrica chose integrity over growth when partnerships did not align with its values. Instead, it successfully launched a Greenfield packaging project in Mozambique, supported by multinational clients.

Patel emphasizes that Silafrica Tanzania is committed to building sustainable partnerships in packaging across Africa, driven by transparency, governance, and accountability. By combining solar energy projects, circular economy packaging solutions, ethical branding, and state-of-the-art technology, Silafrica continues to strengthen its reputation as the lion of East Africa’s packaging industry.

Let’s talk about the one-megawatt green power project. What’s going to be the impact and the benefits? Tell us about it?

Absolutely. We are associated with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, and this partnership is centered around ending plastic waste. But it goes beyond just plastic, we’re also focused on other areas of sustainability, including solar energy, electricity, utility efficiency, and water waste management.

We report on what activities we’re doing to support these goals, especially under the circular economy umbrella. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is at the forefront of circular economy initiatives, and we’ve learned a great deal from them. Inspired by that, we’ve been making investments and driving innovations in circular economy products.

One of our key commitments is that everything we produce must be 100% recyclable. This is a major step forward, and we’ve had strong support from global agencies to make it happen. Many of our recent product launches reflect this direction.

At Silafrica, along with our packaging customers and the technology partners we rely on, we’re working together to bring in machines, molds, and recycling equipment that can manage waste efficiently. Our suppliers are also engaged in this mission, as strategic partners forming a complete circular value chain. That’s why we became a part of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation community.

Now, as part of this commitment, we’ve invested in a one-megawatt solar energy project in Tanzania. We utilized the rooftops across our facilities covering nearly six acres and made sure the structures could bear the weight of the solar panels, which are each around 28–30 kilograms.

After completing all the structural work, we installed inverters that are now directly connected to the grid line. This solar project represents an investment of more than $500,000, and it shows our deep commitment not just short-term thinking, but long-term sustainability.

This solar energy installation will contribute about 10% of our total electricity needs in Silafrica Tanzania. Our current requirement is about 2.5 megawatts, and the solar contribution will help reduce not only our electricity bills but also our environmental impact. It’s a win-win: cost savings and a cleaner planet.

Let’s talk about missions and CSR. I know Silafrica does a lot in this area. Are you going to highlight a few for us, at least to give us some insight?

Yes, absolutely. As I mentioned earlier, we’re fully aligned with the values that multinational companies (MNCs) look for in partners particularly when it comes to ethical business practices. We’ve signed all the key policies and agreements, such as anti-bribery, HIV workplace policies, and other codes of conduct. We’re not here for short-term wins. Silafrica is committed to long-term impact, and to deliver on that, we consistently raise our standards.

There’s often a perception challenge. When representatives from global companies like AB InBev, Diageo, Coca-Cola (from Atlanta), CCBA from South Africa, and PepsiCo International come to visit, there may be certain assumptions about business environments in Tanzania. But once they visit our facilities, they’re often surprised by our level of investment in technology, our dedication to circular economy initiatives, and our adoption of best practices.

For instance, traditionally we used injection molding machines that consumed 1.5 kWh per kilo. We’ve since upgraded to machines that only consume 0.4 kWh per kilo. This significantly reduces our energy usage and environmental impact while also making us more cost-efficient in the long run. Yes, the upfront investment is high, but it drastically lowers our ongoing operational and conversion costs giving us a competitive edge. That’s a value we’re able to pass along to our major multinational customers.

As a result of these investments, we’ve consistently received strong green ratings and third-party recognitions. One such example is the President’s Manufacturer of the Year Award (PMAYA) organized by CTI in Tanzania. These awards involve rigorous third-party audits that assess a company’s environmental responsibility, financial strength, operational performance, and employee treatment.

We’re proud to say we’ve won more than 15 PMAYA awards over the years, including the most recent one for 2024. This speaks volumes about our leadership in CSR and policy implementation.


In addition to PMAYA, we’ve received several other accolades:

East Africa Brand Awards: where our SimTank brand was awarded Best Brand in the Region.
• Silafrica’s Best CSR of the Year.
• Personally, I was honored with the Best CEO of the Year award.

These awards are more than just trophies they foster awareness around marketing excellence, inspire industry peers, and emphasize the importance of ethical branding in East Africa. Each award is merit-based, and we’re proud to be recognised among the best.
Moreover, we are among the highest taxpayers in our category, and that’s something we take seriously. We believe in contributing to the development of our country without resorting to shortcuts or unethical practices. Our success is deeply tied to our values and that’s how we plan to continue.

What will Silafrica like to achieve in the next three to five years?

As I mentioned earlier, we are here for the long term.
That mindset means we have to look ahead and prepare strategically. At Silafrica, we conduct robust budget planning exercises, taking into account the market conditions we operate in. We’ve already mapped out our financial and operational plans through to 2030.

As the market landscape evolves and new competitors enter Tanzania, Silafrica remains confident in its resilience, flexibility, and unwavering pursuit of excellence.

We’re committed to continuous investment in innovation and quality. Our aim is to deliver high-performing products that improve our customers’ output and efficiency. This commitment is backed by our strong foundation, our clear long-term vision, and a passionate, skilled team.

Silafrica is strategically positioned to continue leading in the packaging and water storage sectors not only in Tanzania but across East Africa. What makes us stand out is our ongoing work around the circular economy our alignment with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, and the internal systems and best practices we’ve institutionalized.

These are not just checkboxes for us; they are part of our DNA. Not many companies in our space have this level of structure and sustainability vision, and that gives Silafrica a distinct competitive edge.

We’re also grateful for the continued loyalty and support of our multinational clients. Despite increasing competition in the region, we trust that our shared values and long-standing relationships will ensure mutual success moving forward.

We believe in building partnerships that are not only productive but also sustainable and future-ready where everyone benefits.

Are there any plans of expansion, maybe to west Africa, or any other plans?

We also explored opportunities in West Africa, including Nigeria. However, in that case, we were pursuing it with a local partner, and unfortunately, the alignment in values and vision wasn’t there. For us, if there’s no alignment especially around integrity and business ethics we choose to step back. And that’s exactly what we did.

At Silafrica, we do not engage in unethical practices, regardless of the potential market opportunity. In every region we operate, we maintain clean operations, strong governance, and transparent systems. That’s why, in Mozambique, we decided to go in independently with a Greenfield project completely owned and managed by us.

We were fortunate to receive support from a reputable multinational client, who welcomed our entry and placed orders from the start. That encouragement affirmed we were moving in the right direction.

Ultimately, our vision is clear: to reach and serve customers across the African continent.
But it must be done the right way with integrity, accountability, and a long-term mindset.

Is there any other thing you will like to talk about?

We supply several products to MNCs for example, preforms, which are used to make plastic bottles. But we don’t just stop at supplying the product. We go beyond that. We ensure that our preforms run efficiently on their lines, and we work closely with them to monitor the yield and performance they’re getting from our products. That’s something we’re genuinely proud of.

We have invested in line-specific Husky systems these are top-tier injection molding machines made in Canada, each costing between $2 million and $2.5 million. These machines operate in a fully FSSC-compliant environment, meaning our facilities meet the highest global standards for food safety and hygiene.

We’ve also expanded our operations with more production lines, including some of the world’s best compression molding machines from Italy, specifically for closures. Again, multiple lines have been installed, all under stringent hygienic controls.

In fact, the entire production area is so strictly controlled that even I can’t just walk in casually. You have to be fully covered protective clothing, sanitized gear everything. That’s how seriously we take hygiene and quality control.

And here’s why: these are products people drink from directly mouth to bottle. It’s our moral responsibility to ensure that nothing compromises their safety. That’s why we’ve put in place systems that eliminate human touch from production to delivery.