Thaanyane
Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) has commenced operations in Malawi following the completion of the transaction with Castel to acquire SOBO, Castel’s soft drinks business, through CCBA’s local subsidiary Coca-Cola Beverages Limited (CCBL).
The company which is the largest Coca-Cola bottler in Africa started its operations in Malawi on August 29, this year.
Managing Director of CCBA in Malawi, Seutloadi Thaanyane said on Monday that no job has been lost as a result of the acquisition.
“We have employed a total of 354 people including the additional people that were not originally from SOBO,” he said.
In a statement on Monday, Jacques Vermeulen, CCBA CEO, said: “We see a compelling long-term growth opportunity in Malawi that will benefit our business as well as consumers in this market. Furthermore, it will allow us to share best practices and achieve enhanced efficiencies which, in turn, will mean an improved and more seamless service for customers.”
CCBA is the 8th largest Coca-Cola bottling partner in the world by revenue, and the largest on the continent.
It accounts for over 40% of all Coca-Cola products sold in Africa by volume. With over 17,000 employees in Africa, CCBA services 600 000 customers with a host of international and local brands.
The group was formed in July 2016 after the successful combination of the southern and east Africa bottling operations of the non-alcoholic ready-to-drink beverages businesses of The Coca-Cola Company, SABMiller plc and Gutsche Family Investments. CCBA shareholders are currently: The Coca-Cola Company 66.5% and Gutsche Family Investments 33.5%.
CCBA operates in 14 countries, including its six key markets of South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Mozambique and Namibia, as well as Tanzania, Botswana, Ghana, Zambia, the islands of Comoros and Mayotte, Eswatini and Lesotho.
