Coca Cola to invest $5bn in Africa

From left Presidents Yoweri Museveni, Jakaya Kikwete, Uhuru Kenyatta, Paul Kagame and Pierre Nkurunziza. The East African leaders returned from the August 4-6 US-Africa Summit with a mixed bag of pledges. FILE PHOTOS 

By SCOLA KAMAU Special Correspondent

In Summary

• Coca-Cola is investing more funds in Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania as it seeks to diversify its business to caffeinated products and fresh juices in Africa, while offsetting the slowing growth of soda sales in other markets.

Coca-Cola is investing more funds in Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania as it seeks to diversify its business to caffeinated products and fresh juices in Africa, while offsetting the slowing growth of soda sales in other markets.

The Coca-Cola company and its African bottling partners announced a new investment of $5 billion during the just concluded US-Africa Leaders’ Summit. 

The investment, to be made over the next six years, increasing its total announced investments in Africa to $17 billion from 2010 to 2020.

Part of the funds will be used to boost tea production in Kenya, in collaboration with Finlay Tea Solutions.

“The company is working to increase uptake of tea production from its existing supply base as well as explore development of new supply bases in the region,” said Peter Njonjo general manager Coca-Cola East Africa.

Coca Cola has also signed a letter of intent to launch Source Africa — an initiative to source ingredients for its products from the continent in partnership with the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition and Grow Africa. 

The initiative will focus on sustainable mango and tea production in Kenya; citrus, mango and pineapple production in Nigeria; and mango production in Malawi before expanding to Ethiopia, Senegal, Tanzania and Mozambique.

Coca-Cola faces stiff competition from carbonated drinks producers like Pepsi; brewers like East African Breweries Ltd with their Alvaro brand; Harris International Ltd and Sai Beverages Ltd (SBL) in Uganda; Bakhresa Group in Tanzania; and Crystal Beverages Ltd in Rwanda and South Sudan.

“We continue to see increased competition across all categories, from sparkling beverages, to juice, energy and water, in all the markets in which we operate,” said Mr Njonjo.  

The company recently announced falling global revenues for the quarter ended June. Net revenues declined to $2.59 billion in the quarter to the end of June, down from $2.67 billion a year earlier. In contrast, demand in East Africa is rising.

According to the Kenya economic Survey 2014, production of carbonated drinks in 2013 went up by 6.4 per cent to stand at 405.5 million litres.