Bayer East Africa has successfully revamped its Pharmaceuticals and Consumer Health business models in the region.
Under the new model, Bayer is outsourcing transportation, local warehousing, distribution, and customer support to Imperial Distributors. Imperial will manage the distribution part of the value chain, while Bayer’s entities in Kenya will continue to oversee corporate matters, including medical affairs, media relations, and stakeholder management, which encompasses government and partner relations.
This transformation, known as ‘Smart Serve,’ began on May 1, 2024, and utilizes the expertise and networks of Imperial Distributors to ensure the consistent availability and accessibility of Bayer products and solutions throughout Kenya and East Africa. Jorge Levinson, Bayer’s Cluster Lead for the Pharmaceuticals Division in Sub-Saharan Africa, emphasized the significance of this partnership and reaffirmed Bayer’s dedication to serving Kenya and other markets.
The transformation of our business model to partner with experts in pursuit of our mission has been a source of satisfaction for us. A crucial aspect of this change involves streamlining our value chain and minimizing the time between production and distribution, allowing us to reach more patients and customers. We are pleased that this model has made our products widely accessible throughout Kenya.
Additionally, this approach has resulted in hiring more professionals than we had directly employed before,” stated Jorge. “Our dedication to operating in Kenya and other markets is unwavering, and this transformation supports our mission of Health for All, Hunger for None,” he continued. Bayer manufactures its pharmaceutical prescription products, primarily focused on women’s healthcare, anti-infectives, and cardiology drugs, mainly at its facility in South Africa.
The company also markets and sells over-the-counter medications, nutritional supplements, dermatological products, and other self-care items. This transformation has not impacted Bayer’s crop science division, which constitutes approximately 92 percent of the workforce. The crop science division focuses on seeds and crop protection products, including fungicides, insecticides, and herbicides.
In 2023, Britain’s GSK also ceased its commercial operations in Kenya, opting for a third-party distribution model for its medicines and vaccines. However, this decision did not affect its consumer healthcare business, Haleon, which produces brands such as Panadol and Sensodyne in Nairobi.
