Africa’s largest Coca-Cola bottler, Coca-Cola Beverages Africa Proprietary Limited (CCBA), announced that it has received the requisite regulatory approval to acquire the Coca-Cola soft drinks business of Zambian Breweries Plc (Zambrew) and will commence its first day of operations effective, 17 December 2018.
With this acquisition, the non-alcoholic ready-to-drink business of Zambrew has been transferred to Kalundu Beverages Limited, trading as Coca-Cola Beverages Zambia (CCBZ). CCBZ is a fully owned subsidiary of CCBA via Coca-Cola Sabco East Africa Limited (CCSEA).
This acquisition by CCBA adds two more plants to its footprint on the continent – one in Ndola and one in the capital, Lusaka. CCBA bottles and distributes beverages whose trademarks are owned by The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC) or TCCC’s affiliated entities and is the world’s 8th largest Coca-Cola bottler by revenue. Including the Zambian acquisition, CCBA now has over 16 000 employees across its operations in Africa with more than 30 bottling plants in 12 countries.
Commenting on the transaction, CCBA CEO, Jacques Vermeulen said, “The acquisition makes perfect sense both for us and for consumers in Zambia. We see a compelling long-term growth opportunity for non-alcoholic ready-to-drink beverages in Zambia.”
“This acquisition of Zambrew’s soft drinks operation will allow us to share best practices and improve our service for both the formal and informal markets and at the same time, accelerate innovation. It will also allow us to achieve enhanced efficiencies which, in turn, will mean an improved and more seamless service for customers,” said Vermeulen.
The creation of CCBA in 2016 was designed to advance a consolidated, more successful Coca-Cola system on the continent, and now also in Zambia. CCBA aims to create more shared opportunities for the business, the local economy and communities served across the value-chain, including local suppliers and retailers
Said Norton Kingwill, the managing director for CCBA’s Southern Africa region which includes Namibia, Botswana and now Zambia: “CCBA’s aim remains to drive long-term sustainable growth, leverage our scale and build capabilities to accelerate sustainable growth. We believe this acquisition aligns very well with that ambition.”
ENDS
Coca-Cola Beverages Zambia
Herbert Nuwamanya
Commercial Director
Email: hnuwamanya@ccbagroup.com
Tel: +26 (0)96 392 6130
Coca-Cola Beverages Africa
Andrew Musingo
Public Affairs and Communications Director
CCBA International Division
Email: amusingo@ccbagroup.com
Tel: +254 (0)79 711 8610
Wendy Thole-Muir
Group Head: Corporate Reputation and Communication
Email: wthole-muir@ccbagroup.com
Tel: +27 (0)83 795 8524
About CCBA
Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) is the 8th largest Coca-Cola bottling partner worldwide by revenue and the biggest on the African continent, accounting for about 40% of all Coca-Cola volumes sold in Africa.
CCBA began its operations as a legal entity from July 2016 having been created as a direct result of a merger between non-alcoholic ready to drink bottling operations of The Coca-Cola Company, SABMiller and the Gutsche Family Investments.
CCBA shareholders now are: The Coca-Cola Company 65.5% and Gutsche Family Investments 34.5%.
CCBA boasts a diverse pan-African footprint with more than 32 bottling plants servicing over 650 000 outlets that serve a combined population of over 249 million people across the continent.
Our more than 16 000 employees serve 12 countries in sub-Saharan Africa: South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, Namibia, Ghana, Mayotte, the Comoros, Botswana and most recently, Zambia.
CCBA is a world-class, customer-orientated, socially and environmentally conscious fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) company. Sales and distribution excellence are our core strengths.
Aligned with The Coca-Cola Company’s 2020 Vision, CCBA is pursuing an ambitious growth strategy that will be supported through investment in manufacturing, sales, distribution and marketing.
CCBA aspires to be the best Coca-Cola bottler in the world and Africa’s most valuable independent food and beverage company.
