Coke bottler commences operations in Malawi

Blantyre, Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA), the largest Coca-Cola bottler in Africa, commenced operations in Malawi on 29 August 2022. This follows the closing of the transaction with Castel (Southern Bottlers Limited, or SOBO) to acquire Castel’s soft drinks business through CCBA’s local subsidiary Coca-Cola Beverages Limited (CCBL).    

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.”

The creation of CCBA in 2016 was designed to advance a consolidated, more successful Coca-Cola system in Africa and create more shared opportunities for the business and communities across the value-chain, including local suppliers and retailers. 

Said Norton Kingwill, CCBA’s CFO: “CCBA’s aim is to leverage our scale and build capabilities that accelerate sustainable growth. We believe this acquisition aligns very well with that ambition.”

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Matthew Welz

General Counsel and Company Secretary, CCBA

Matthew joined us from the Clicks Group, a JSE Top-40 company, where he has been the Head of Legal and Company Secretary since 2016. In this role Matthew successfully navigated a highly regulated environment, including overseeing compliance with company laws and the JSE Listings Requirements. As company secretary, he managed governance at Board level as well as being the Chairman’s chief of staff. Prior to this, Matthew was a Legal Manager with Anglo American, a major multinational diversified mining group, which includes three companies listed on the JSE, with extensive operations across Southern Africa.

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