Coca-Cola Beverages Africa kicks off ‘Year of the Customer,’ honouring teams driving market excellence

Johannesburg – Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) has declared 2026 its ‘Year of the Customer,’ a strategic focus brought to life this week as the company honoured its top-performing teams and countries at its annual awards ceremony.

The awards ceremony concluded a dynamic two-day Leadership Conference, where over 100 of the company’s top leaders gathered to align on strategic priorities. The sessions were filled with robust dialogue and collaboration, all aimed at sharpening the company’s execution and ability to win in every market by placing the customer at the centre of all operations.

A central theme of the conference was the company’s commitment to a customer-centric growth strategy. This belief is put into action by empowering every employee, whether in a customer-facing role or a support function, to take ownership of the customer experience. This unified, customer-first approach is the key to delivering superior value across the continent.

Addressing the leadership team, Sunil Gupta, CEO of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa, delivered a powerful and direct message about the company’s path forward. “Our success is a direct reflection of how well we serve our customers. They are the heart of our business,” Gupta stated. “In our ‘Year of the Customer,’ we are sharpening our focus on execution, innovation, and partnership to ensure a CCBA product is always within reach and consistently delivered with excellence. The teams we celebrate this week are the champions of this mission.”

The evening’s top honours, recognizing execution and impact in the market, went to:

  • CEO Award: The highest recognition for the top-performing team demonstrating all-around excellence was awarded to Malawi. This team excelled across financial performance, customer execution, operational delivery, and people leadership.
  • Top Line Acceleration Award: Recognising outstanding revenue growth and increased consumption, this award went to Malawi for its exceptional commercial execution in the market.
  • Customer Obsession Award: Celebrating the team that consistently delivered a superior customer experience through product availability and execution excellence, this award was won by South Africa.
  • Corporate Reputation Award: Acknowledging an unwavering commitment to the highest standards in safety, quality, and sustainability, this award was presented to Kenya.
  • Building enduring economic value: Honouring strong financial outcomes delivered through disciplined execution and margin improvement, this award was given to Malawi.
  • Employer of Choice Award: Celebrating the market that has built an exceptional, high-performance culture and an engaging workplace, this award was earned by Uganda.

CCBA’s Leadership Conference reinforced the organisation’s commitment to making customer-centricity the primary driver of its growth. The event concluded by emphasising that this unwavering focus on the customer is central to its ambition to be the most admired company in Africa.

  • Business

Related Media Releases

Coca-Cola Beverages Uganda and KiBO Foundation empower over 1,600 women entrepreneurs

More than 1,600 women entrepreneurs have been equipped with skills to strengthen income stability, business growth and community resilience through training provided by Coca-Cola Beverages Uganda (CCBU), in partnership with the KiBO Foundation.
  • Business, Sustainability
Read More

Coca-Cola Beverages Uganda partners with Joe Walker Foundation to advance road safety efforts

Coca‑Cola Beverages Uganda (CCBU) has partnered with the Joe Walker Foundation in support of the 2026 Joe Walker Road Safety Campaign, a collaborative effort aimed at raising awareness and encouraging safer road use across communities in Uganda.
  • Business
Read More

Coca-Cola Beverages Africa in Mozambique recognised as Elite Employer for fifth consecutive year

Coca‑Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) in Mozambique has been named among the Top 10 employers for the third consecutive year in the Elite Employer 2026 programme, while also achieving its fifth consecutive Elite Employer certification -underscoring its sustained commitment to building a high-performing, people-centred organisation.
  • Business
Read More
© Copyright CCBA 2026 | All Rights Reserved
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.

CCBA Zambia Hero

Zambia

  • Brands: 09
  • Employees: 325
  • Plants: 01
Coca-Cola Beverages Zambia (CCBZ) became a subsidiary of CCBA in 2018.
Explore Country
CCBA Uganda Hero

Uganda

  • Brands: 12
  • Employees: 894
  • Plants: 03
CCBA’s Ugandan subsidiary, Coca-Cola Beverages Uganda Limited (CCBU), has a 24-year track record in Uganda.
Explore Country
CCBA Tanzania Hero

Tanzania

  • Brands: 09
  • Employees: 569
  • Plants: 02
Coca-Cola Kwanza is a subsidiary of CCBA covering 54% of Tanzania’s geography and employing over 500 people.
Explore Country
CCBA Namibia Hero

Namibia

  • Brands: 15
  • Employees: 559
  • Plants: 02
The Coca-Cola system in Namibia, has a 70-year track record providing Coca-Cola brands tailored for consumer preferences.
Explore Country
CCBA Mozambique Hero

Mozambique

  • Brands: 11
  • Employees: 818
  • Plants: 03
With more than 30 years serving the country, Coca-Cola Sabco Mozambique (CCSM) is a subsidiary of CCBA.
Explore Country
CCBA Comoros Mayotte Hero

Mayotte

  • Brands: 13
  • Employees: 108
  • Plants: 01
The islands represent CCBA’s presence in Comoros and Mayotte.
Explore Country

Malawi

  • Brands: 09
  • Employees: 249
  • Plants: 01
In 2022, CCBA acquired the soft drinks division of the Castel (Southern Bottlers Limited) in Malawi through a new entity called Coca-Cola Beverages Limited (CCBL).
Explore Country
CCBA Where We Operate Hero

Kenya

  • Brands: 13
  • Employees: 1,800
  • Plants: 05
In one of East Africa’s largest-ever private equity investments, CCBA acquired 100% shareholding in Nairobi Bottlers Limited (NBL) in October 2019.
Explore Country
CCBA Ethiopia Employee

Ethiopia

  • Brands: 06
  • Employees: 2,388
  • Plants: 05
East Africa Bottling Share Company (EABSC), a subsidiary of CCBA, is the largest bottler of Coca-Cola products in Ethiopia, having served the country for more than 60 years.
Explore Country
CCBA Eswatini Hero

Eswatini

  • Brands: 16
  • Employees: 43
In August 2019, CCBA subsidiary, Eswatini Coca-Cola Beverages, commenced operations with a refreshed marketing and sales plan, based on Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa’s success.
Explore Country
CCBA Comoros Mayotte Hero

Comoros

  • Brands: 04
  • Employees: 47
The islands represent CCBA’s presence in Comoros and Mayotte.
Explore Country
CCBA South Africa Where We Operate

South Africa

  • Brands: 20
  • Employees: 5,558
  • Plants: 11
CCBA’s proudly South African subsidiary, Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA), has 11 manufacturing plants across 6 provinces.
Explore Country
CCBA Botswana Hero

Botswana

  • Brands: 13
  • Employees: 297
  • Plants: 01
Based in the capital, Gaborone, CCBA’s Botswana subsidiary, which trades as Coca-Cola Beverages Botswana (CCBB), offers improved service and accelerated innovation for both the formal and informal markets.
Explore Country