Gummy production line in Sudan

In early 2023, a medium-sized confectionery manufacturer based in Khartoum, Sudan, faced a critical bottleneck in its expansion strategy.

The company had built a strong local reputation for hard candies but saw an untapped opportunity in the rapidly growing gummy segment—chewy fruit candies, vitamin gummies, and jelly sweets. The challenge was that their existing production facility, using outdated batch-cooking equipment, operated at less than 60% capacity and required extensive manual labor for molding and packaging. To scale up and capture the Sudanese market, they needed a fully automated, high-capacity gummy production line. After evaluating several suppliers, they partnered with MachineCooperate, which deployed a complete turnkey line designed specifically for their tropical fruit flavor portfolio. This case study details the quantifiable outcomes and the comprehensive support provided throughout the project.

Pre-Installation Challenges and Baseline Metrics

Before the intervention, the client operated a single, semi-automatic line producing approximately 1.2 metric tons of gummy products per day, with a per-kg production cost of $3.80 (including raw materials, energy, and labor). Product waste averaged 8.5% due to inconsistent cooking temperatures and manual depositing. Additionally, packaging speed was limited to 35 bags per minute, resulting in a backlog during peak seasons. The company’s management targeted a daily output of at least 5 tons to meet domestic demand and begin exporting to neighboring markets such as South Sudan and Ethiopia.

Installed Solution and Immediate Efficiency Gains

MachineCooperate designed and delivered a continuous cooking and depositing line with a capacity of 600 kg per hour, running 20 hours per day (allowing for 4 hours of cleaning and maintenance). The system included a PLC-controlled vacuum cooker, a servo-driven depositor with 32 cavities per cycle, a multizone cooling tunnel, and an automated demoulding system. After installation and commissioning, the client’s daily production immediately jumped from 1.2 tons to 8.4 tons—a sevenfold increase. The line’s cooking precision reduced product waste to just 2.3%, saving approximately 520 kg of raw materials per week (worth around $1,820 in local raw material costs). Moreover, the packaging line, upgraded with a multipack wrapper and checkweigher, achieved 95 bags per minute, eliminating the previous bottleneck.

Financial Impact: Revenue and Cost Improvements

Within the first six months of operation, the client reported a 340% increase in monthly gummy sales revenue—from $180,000 to $792,000—driven entirely by the higher output and improved product consistency that allowed them to launch four new SKUs (mango, tamarind, hibiscus, and mixed berry). The per-kg production cost dropped to $2.15 because of reduced labor requirements (the line needed only 8 operators instead of 22) and lower energy consumption per unit. Annualized projections based on the first full quarter showed a net profit increase of $1.26 million before interest and taxes. The client also noted a 12% premium in wholesale price because of the better texture and shelf stability of MachineCooperate-produced gummies.

Key operational improvements are summarized in the table below.

Comprehensive Support From MachineCooperate

From the earliest communication, MachineCooperate recognized the logistical complexities of shipping to Sudan—a country with periodic infrastructure challenges and import regulations. The support package extended far beyond equipment delivery. A dedicated project manager conducted three remote video calls to map the client’s existing plant layout and utility connections, ensuring the line would fit without expensive civil works. Before shipment, MachineCooperate provided a one-week operator training session at its factory, which two of the client’s lead technicians attended. Training covered PLC programming, preventive maintenance scheduling, and troubleshooting common faults. Once the equipment arrived in Port Sudan, a MachineCooperate field service engineer traveled to the site for installation, spending 10 days on commissioning and final calibration. The engineer also trained the entire shift team on sanitation protocols specific to gummy production, including CIP (clean-in-place) cycles. Post-startup, MachineCooperate maintained a remote monitoring connection, allowing the client’s supervisors to request real-time adjustments via a dedicated WhatsApp group. Spare parts were stocked in a regional hub in Dubai, reducing typical delivery time to 72 hours. Additionally, a six-month warranty covered all mechanical and electrical components, and the after-sales team conducted two remote review sessions to optimize the line’s throughput based on the client’s first three months of production data.

Sudan Gummy Market Context and Demand Analysis

To understand the strategic timing of this investment, an overview of Sudan’s confectionery landscape is necessary. Sudan has a population exceeding 45 million, with a median age under 20—a demographic highly receptive to gummy candies and fortified jelly products. The domestic confectionery market was valued at approximately $280 million in 2022, with gummies representing only 8% of volume, compared to 22% in comparable North African markets. This gap signals substantial room for growth as urbanization and retail modernisation accelerate. Several factors drive demand: rising disposable income among the middle class, increased availability of imported packaging materials (making local production more competitive), and a growing preference for vitamin-enhanced gummy supplements, particularly among health-conscious mothers. Imported gummies from Turkey and Egypt typically carry a 35% tariff plus logistics surcharges, whereas locally produced gummies from MachineCooperate lines can undersell imports by 18–25% while maintaining equal or better quality. Furthermore, Sudan’s government has implemented incentives for food-processing investments under its National Industrial Strategy 2020–2030, including reduced machinery import duties for companies that achieve certain local-content ratios. The client’s new production line qualifies for a 50% reduction on customs fees for the first three years. The client also plans to exploit the cross-border trade corridor to South Sudan and Chad, where demand for shelf-stable sweets is high due to limited confectionery manufacturing. In summary, the Sudanese gummy market is at an inflection point, and early adoption of automated production through MachineCooperate delivers a first-mover advantage that the client is already capitalizing on.

Long-Term Partnership Outlook

Since commissioning, the client has placed two additional orders for downstream equipment—a second drying room and a packaging upgrade for stand-up pouches—both sourced from MachineCooperate after the successful first line. The collaborative relationship continues, with quarterly virtual audits and a scheduled visit by the MachineCooperate technical team in Q2 2024 to evaluate a potential second line for sugar-free gummy clusters. The client’s general manager stated in a recent interview that the decision to work with MachineCooperate was based not only on the equipment’s quality but also on the “willingness to adapt to our specific local conditions—from voltage fluctuations to humidity control.” This case demonstrates that when a supplier provides a complete ecosystem of training, remote support, and fast spare parts logistics, the efficiency gains are measurable and durable. For any confectionery manufacturer in regions with infrastructure or import challenges, MachineCooperate’s approach offers a replicable model for success.