Coca-Cola intends to grow its investment in Kenya by up to USD 175 million within the ongoing five years period between 2024 and 2029.
That is in case the company manages to achieve its anticipated growth targets in the East African country, reveals a statement from Keli Fernie, the Head of Reputation and Communication at Coca-Cola Beverages Africa.
“These investments are a demonstration of our progress and continued belief in the future of Africa,” said Sunil Gupta, Chief Executive Officer of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA).
Coca-Cola Beverages Africa is on the other hand, marking nine years since the transformative merger.
It was the merger which established the outfit as the continent’s largest Coca-Cola bottling partner.
This milestone is grounded in a proud legacy that began 85 years ago, when the first Coca-Cola was bottled in Gqeberha, South Africa in 1940 by the SA Bottling Company (Pty) Ltd.
That same year, Philipp Rowland Gutsche joined the company, beginning a family legacy that would shape the business for generations.
From those early beginnings, Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) has evolved into a key player in Africa’s beverage industry, with a deep commitment to local communities and long-term development.
Today, CCBA continues to invest in new production capacity, reinforcing its belief in Africa’s potential and its commitment to creating shared opportunities across the value chain.
In the past year alone, CCBA has launched new state-of-the-art bottling lines in South Africa, Namibia and Malawi, increasing total production capacity by over 108,000 bottles per hour, and equipped with advanced technology, including artificial intelligence.
CCBA has also opened a new polyethylene terephthalate (PET) flaking plant in Namibia which doubled the capacity of the only mechanical recycler of plastic in the country through a partnership with Plastic Packaging.
The completion of this cutting-edge recycling facility has enabled Namibia Polymer Recyclers (NPR), a subsidiary of Plastic Packaging, to recycle up to 500 tons of terephthalate (PET) per month.
The developments reaffirm the Coca-Cola system’s local approach – we produce locally, distribute locally and, where possible, source locally. Our value chain includes a significant number of businesses, many of them small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
“These investments go beyond numbers, it’s about creating shared opportunities across the value chain,” Gupta said. “Our vision is to refresh Africa and create shared value and aim to inspire excellence and set the standard as Africa’s leading and most admired company, fostering growth, innovation and impact across the continent,” Gupta said.
Coca-Cola Beverage Africa is the eighth largest Coca-Cola bottling partner in the world by revenue, and the largest on the continent.
It accounts for over 40 percent of all Coca-Cola products sold in Africa by volume.
With over 17,000 employees in Africa, CCBA services more than 800,000 customers with a host of international and local brands. CCBA operates in 14 countries, South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Botswana, Zambia, the islands of Comoros and Mayotte, Eswatini, Lesotho, and Malawi.