Africa-Press – Lesotho. COCA-COLA Beverages Africa (CCBA) has acquired Maluti Mountain Breweries’ interests in the soft drinks business. The announcement was made on Monday. The newly formed entity is called Coca-Cola Beverages Lesotho.
The other key shareholders in this venture are the Lesotho National Development Corporation (LNDC) and the Ministry of Finance. The deal was signed on October 6 last year and all the necessary regulatory approvals have now been obtained.
“The non-alcoholic, ready to drink business in Lesotho will be referred to as Coca-Cola Beverages Lesotho (CCBL) and will operate as a subsidiary of CCBA, with management control,” the company’s statement read.
The entity commenced distributing Coca-Cola products from Monday and details will be communicated to all customers. Tšepo Maketela, Country Manager of CCBL, says that every effort will be made to minimise any disruptions to customers.
“We are committed to growing the soft drinks industry and the business in Lesotho and will endeavour to launch new products into the Lesotho market to meet consumer needs,” Maketela said.
“We are also excited to partner with the LNDC,” he said.
“Lesotho customers will benefit from being part of a consolidated, successful Coca-Cola system that spans 13 other markets on the continent, creating new opportunities for everyone across the value chain.
He said “access to shared best practices will enhance efficiencies and a better distribution capability will provide pervasive availability of cold beverages to end-customers”.
“We will also be able to respond to consumer demand more quickly.
” CCBA is the eighth largest Coca-Cola bottling partner in the world by revenue, and the largest on the continent. It accounts for 40 percent of all Coca-Cola products sold in Africa by volume.
CCBA’s African footprint encompasses South Africa, Ghana, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia, Mozambique, Comoros, Mayotte, Zambia, Botswana, Eswatini and now Lesotho.
The group employs more than 16 000 people directly, almost half of them in South Africa. “Expanding our African footprint brings huge benefits to local consumers and businesses,” Maketela said.
“By leveraging scale, we can do more for our customers and drive our sustainability goals. The creation of CCBL is another milestone in that strategy,” he said.
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