NAMIBIA – Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) has invested US$50 million in a new bottling line in Namibia, which will produce 27 000 bottles an hour, boosting production capacity by 30%.
The investment, which also includes the installation of a water treatment plant with state-of-the-art water recovery technology, designed to reduce water consumption, stimulates growth throughout the company’s value chain.
Additionally, CCBA Namibia GM Pottie de Bruyn said the integration of advanced technology, including artificial intelligence, will require skills training for employees, contributing to the development of a future-ready workforce for both the business and the country.
“We’ve ensured that this production line goes beyond output numbers. It’s about creating shared opportunities across the value chain. The increased production also provides a boost to local businesses that supply us with raw materials and services,” he noted.
Meanwhile, The Coca-Cola Company in Africa and its bottling partners Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA), Equatorial Coca-Cola Bottling Company (ECCBC) and Coca-Cola HBC announced a nearly USD 25 million investment to help address critical water-related challenges in local communities in 20 African countries, starting this year through 2030.
The work will be led by Global Water Challenge (GWC) and implemented by a consortium of partners, including The Nature Conservancy (TNC), The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
The project called ‘The Coca-Cola System’s Africa Water Stewardship Initiative’, was introduced in Cape Town, South Africa, in presence of executives from the Coca-Cola system in Africa and NGO partners.
‘The Coca-Cola System’s Africa Water Stewardship Initiative’ aims to help protect and enhance the health of important watersheds and to help improve access to water and sanitation services in local communities.
Coca-Cola will have projects in Algeria, Botswana, Cabo Verde, Comoros, Egypt, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mayotte, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Recognizing that partnerships are critical to support this work, the company and its bottlers are collaborating with governments, businesses, and civil society organizations to design and implement strategic interventions.
In addition to supporting the company’s water strategy, this effort also aims to contribute to advancing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 6, which focuses on ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation.
This water initiative will build upon The Coca-Cola Foundation (TCCF)’s Replenish Africa Initiative (RAIN), a groundbreaking collaboration with key partners and co-founders.
Through 120 projects, the initiative positively impacted homes, schools and healthcare clinics in more than 4,000 communities.
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