MOZAMBIQUE – Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (Mozambique) has invested US$14 million in a new polyethylene phthalate (PET) plastic bottle production line at its Nampula factory.
The new line will create employment opportunities and is expected to contribute to economic development in the region.
Before the new plant was built, the Northern region relied on products manufactured in the Central region, over 1 000km away.
CCBA’s Nampula plant now produces approximately 14,400 bottles of 200ml PET bottles per hour, cutting down on transport costs and CO2 emissions.
Duncan Wyness, managing director at CCBA Mozambique said, “We believe that with the installation of the new line there will be greater availability and diversity of products for our consumers.
“It will also eliminate the basic logistical problems of transporting products from other factories to the Nampula factory.
“Our investment reflects the vision of CCBA to refresh Africa every day and make it a better continent for all.”
According to Wyness, the new line will enable the company to cater to the preferences of its consumers for lighter plastic bottles which are easier to carry than glass.
“With the completion of the line expansion came the requirement to expand our offices by increasing the number of staff and warehouses to store our products,” added Wyness.
“Besides expanding the production and distribution chain in the company, this investment will also promote employment in the region, bringing gains not only for our organization but also for the country.”
Coca-Cola has been investing in Africa for 90 years, since 1928 and is proud to be present in every African country with over 70,000 employees across 145 bottling and canning facilities.
“At CCBA, we are a proud industry leader in developing increasingly sustainable ways to manufacture, distribute and sell our products. We use our industry leadership to be part of the solution to achieve positive change in the world and to build a more sustainable future for our planet.
“Our aim is to create greater shared opportunity for the business and the communities we serve across the value chain. Opportunity is more than just money, it’s about a better future for people and their communities everywhere on the African continent,” added Wyness.
The investment in Mozambique follows the launch of a new US$100 million bottling plant at Sebeta in Ethiopia.
The Ethiopian plant will enable the company to integrate the production of inputs such as preforms, closures and other materials.
Production of these input materials, besides meeting CCBA’s own demand, is planned for the export market to generate foreign exchange and supply the local market to help resolve shortages in the sector.
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