Africa’s Largest Coca-Cola Bottler Begins Operations

Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) – the brand’s largest bottler on the continent – celebrated its first day of operations on July 4 at its headquarters in Johannesburg, South Africa, the soft drink company announced by press release.

40% of all Coca-Cola beverage volumes in Africa will be produced and distributed by the new company, making it the tenth largest Coca-Cola bottler globally. Formed through a combustion with SABMiller plc’s non-alcoholic read-to-drink bottling interests in Africa, the transaction was officially completed on July 2.

“The creation of CCBA will provide a stronger, more successful Coca-Cola system in Africa and create greater shared value for the business and the communities we serve across the value-chain, including local suppliers and retailers,” said Doug Jackson, chief executive officer of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa. “We will also seek to be a critical part of our customers’ growth strategies and invest substantially in our people and in their growth and development to build both capacity and capability.”

The Coca-Cola Company, SABMiller plc, and Gutsche Family Investments announced that they had completed an agreement to combine bottling operations for non-alcoholic, ready-to-drink beverages in southern and east Africa in November 2014.

CCBA will operate in 14 “high-growth” countires, the company said. The first phase of the merger will serve customers in South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Ghana, Mayotte, Comoros, and Nigeria. Within the coming year to 18 months, CCBA said it will expand operations to Botswana, Swaziland, and Zambia.