The company was formed through a combination of the African non-alcoholic readyto-drink bottling interests of SABMiller plc, The Coca- Cola Company, and Gutsche Family Investments on 2 July 2016.
It is the 10th-largest Coca- Cola bottler worldwide, initially serving 11 high-growth countries, which will increase to a total of 14 countries.
According to a statement issued by Enid Johr, CCBA Namibia”;s country manager of public affairs, communication and sustainability, CCBA”;s production capacity has increased to approximately 122 lines, capable of turning out 1,5 billion unit cases a year.
These production volumes reach more than 600 000 outlets through an extensive distribution network, including over 1 000 third-party strategic distributors and 1 800 branded trucks, the statement says.
“As part of the Coca-Cola system, CCBA is best known for global brands, but we are a firmly local business, embedded in the communities in which we operate,” says CCBA chief executive officer Jacques Vermeulen.
“We are locally staffed, locally led, and we produce locally, meaning the economic benefits of CCBA”;s operations produce strong multiplier effects for local economies, creating employment and opportunity across the value chain.
“We have 72% local management in markets outside South Africa, where our headquarters are located, and 83% of our inputs are locally sourced, creating room for suppliers to integrate into our value chain,” he says.
According to Johr, CCBA continues to invest in capacity and skills, empowering small businesses and helping farmers with consistent offtake agreements.
As a business, CCBA has always recognised that governments need revenue to fund public services for their citizens.
As an investor – in jobs, capital structure and local businesses within its supply chains – the company has been a significant tax contributor to all societies where it operates, Johr says in the statement.
“We strive to grow our business so that local suppliers benefit, jobs are created in the community, governments receive taxes, and shareholders receive a return on their investment,” Vermeulen says.
“Because women and youth are integral to our continent”;s shared success, we seek to empower them by enabling their economic inclusion throughout our markets on the continent. CCBA”;s contribution to The Coca-Cola Company”;s 10-year global women-empowerment initiative, the “;5by20″; programme, was significant,” he says.
CCBA has adopted the three pillars of education, employability and entrepreneurship as a framework for its economic inclusion strategy.
The company defines economic inclusion as the opening of gainful economic opportunities by providing access to markets and other economic activities leveraging the business and the entire industry.
“Our aim is to boost income, provide decent earning potential and improve skills and business knowledge for women, resulting in them accessing other opportunities,”
Vermeulen says.
CCBA has a particular focus on current or potential entrepreneurs with the possibility to link them to the Coca-Cola value chain.
“Opportunity is more than just money, it”;s about a better future for people and their communities everywhere on the African continent,” Vermeulen says.
“Ultimately, through our vision and our growth plans, we will achieve a higher purpose – making CCBA the window through which the world can experience Africa.
“It is our responsibility to demonstrate the immense potential, the unique opportunities, and the vast abundance of the African continent.
“This is an ambition worth pursuing for all of us who value our continent and have an unwavering belief in the future of Africa,” Vermeulen says.
Email: matthew@namibian.com.na
