Made in Kenya: Unicharm Puts KSh 2B Into SOFY Joint Venture With Toyota Tsusho and CFAOMade in Kenya: Unicharm Puts KSh 2B Into SOFY Joint Venture With Toyota Tsusho and CFAO
Key Highlights
- Japanese consumer goods maker Unicharm is putting KSh 2B ($15.39M) into SOFY Unicharm East Africa, a joint venture with Toyota Tsusho and CFAO Kenya based in Kenya.
- The new company will handle product development, production, sales and marketing in Kenya, and will supply sanitary pads to neighbouring East African markets from its Kenyan base.
- No job numbers, production targets or partner stakes have been disclosed, so the size of the local manufacturing footprint is still unclear despite the headline investment.
Japan's Unicharm is investing KSh 2B ($15.39M) in a Kenyan joint venture with Toyota Tsusho and CFAO Kenya, turning its SOFY sanitary pad brand into a company that will develop, make and sell products from Kenya for the wider East African market.
The move matters because it places product development and production in Kenya rather than relying only on imports, at a time when Kenya's factory output is uneven and light consumer goods processing has been contracting.
The three partners launched SOFY Unicharm East Africa Limited at an event attended by Trade and Industry Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui.
What the venture will do
The new company will oversee product development, production, sales and marketing in Kenya, and use the country as a base to supply neighbouring East African markets.
SOFY entered Kenya in 2023 with its Deep Absorb pads. In January 2025 it launched SOFY Long Lasting, which is manufactured locally and positioned as a more affordable option. The company has also introduced single-pad sachets for consumers who cannot afford a full pack, and hopes to add baby care products such as diapers later.
Unicharm president and chief executive Takahisa Takahara said that by making SOFY part of the company name, the group was "declaring our strong commitment" to women in East Africa.
What has not been disclosed
The partners have not said how the KSh 2B will be split between them or what share each holds. No plant location, employment figures, production targets or export volumes have been announced.
Those details will decide how much of the investment becomes local jobs and supplier contracts rather than distribution and marketing spending.
Why the partners matter
Toyota Tsusho is the trading arm of Japan's Toyota group and owns CFAO, which runs a large distribution and retail network across Africa. The pairing gives Unicharm access to established routes into shops across the region, which is often the hardest part of building a consumer brand in East Africa.
For shoppers, the most immediate effect is on price and availability: locally made pads and single-unit sachets are aimed at lowering the cost of a basic product that many households struggle to afford each month.
In Summary
- Who is behind the joint venture?
- Unicharm Corporation, Toyota Tsusho Corporation and CFAO Kenya Limited, through SOFY Unicharm East Africa Limited.
- What is being invested?
- KSh 2B ($15.39M), according to the launch reported on 16 October 2026.
- Where will it operate?
- Kenya will be the base, supplying neighbouring East African markets.
- Why does it matter for consumers?
- The company sells sanitary pads, including single-pad sachets aimed at women who cannot afford full packs, and plans baby products such as diapers later.
- How many jobs will it create?
- No employment, production or export targets have been announced, and the partners' stakes were not disclosed.