In a surprising cross-industry move, Dubai-based Dutch entrepreneur Dr. Salomon Jacobus “Cobus” Van Rooijen has acquired an 84.84% controlling stake in Karachi-listed Zulfiqar Industries Limited (ZIL Ltd.), the 71-year-old Pakistani manufacturer of Capri beauty soap and other personal-care products. The transaction, disclosed in a Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) filing on 15 May 2025, reveals that Van Rooijen’s holding company, TWF Holding LLC-FZ, purchased 5.19 million shares at Rs297.50 each on 12 May, valuing the deal at Rs1.55 billion ($5.5 million).
Notably, the seller was another UAE-based entity, New Future Consumer International General Trading LLC (NFCI), also wholly owned by Van Rooijen, signaling an internal restructuring to consolidate control. The acquisition grants the 59-year-old beer industry veteran direct ownership of Pakistan’s oldest private soap maker and appoints him as ZIL’s board chairman.
Van Rooijen’s background is steeped in the global beverage sector, with leadership roles at Heineken Russia, SABMiller, and Amber Beverage Group Latvia, as well as turnarounds for breweries across Africa and Eastern Europe. His pivot to Pakistan’s fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) market—despite the country’s alcohol restrictions—highlights his strategic shift toward personal care brands. Through NFCI, his Dubai-based investment vehicle, he has been actively pursuing emerging-market consumer goods opportunities, with ZIL heritage Capri soap brand serving as a platform for premium category expansion.
The deal underscores foreign investor confidence in Pakistan’s consumer market, with Van Rooijen citing favorable demographics and growth potential. ZIL, founded in 1954, owns iconic brands like Capri, Opal, and HYPro soaps and remains one of the few local players competing with multinationals. The Dutch executive aims to inject operational efficiencies, technology, and new product lines while exploring export opportunities in Africa and CIS countries.
Alpha Beta Core, the financial advisor for the transaction, hailed the acquisition as a milestone for Pakistan’s FMCG sector. Despite economic challenges, ZIL reported a 68% revenue surge to Rs1.24 billion in March 2023, reflecting resilient demand. Van Rooijen’s unconventional transition from beer to beauty now positions him to reshape a legacy Pakistani brand for global markets.
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