Lilongwe, Malawi – Women and youth food vendors at the in Lilongwe’s Area 18 township have received outlet upgrades and entrepreneurial skills training to help grow their businesses, thanks to support from Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) in Malawi.
The upgrades aim to boost foot traffic at the popular eatery, especially during early morning and evening peak periods.
More than 50 women and youth took part in training on business management and customer service to help them attract more customers and improve their sales.
“We used to cook under makeshift shelters. Now we have proper kiosks, more customers, and Coca-Cola products on display. It’s a real business now,” said Madalitso Machinya, one of the project beneficiaries.
Neil French, General Manager of CCBA in Malawi, added, “The Pa Nkhumba eatery is a model of how infrastructure and inclusion can drive shared value. It’s a win for the vendors, the community, and CCBA’s commercial footprint in Malawi.”
“CCBA is a customer-focused, digitally enabled, growth-driven business. We strive for excellence across our value chain and partner with our customers for growth.”
“For CCBA, partnering with customers for growth means deeply understanding and prioritising the needs of retailers and consumers by delivering value beyond just selling beverages. This aligns with our goal of becoming the most consumer-centric and customer-driven authorised Coca-Cola bottler in Africa.”
“Customer-centricity for CCBA means understanding the unique needs of different customers and ensuring product availability at the right time, place, and price. We achieve this by leveraging data and analytics to anticipate consumer demand and preferences.”
“It’s also about delivering value beyond the product by providing best-in-class service to retail partners and helping customers to grow their businesses through insights, promotions, and tailored support,” French concluded.
The training was delivered on behalf of CCBA in Malawi by STEM Consult Malawi, a social enterprise focused on reducing economic inequality and environmental degradation. Through its business development services, STEM Consult Malawi provided training, mentorship, and capacity building to all participants.
