- In 2024, the Coca-Cola system in South Africa contributed R51.2 billion in value-added economic impact across its value chain.
- The Coca-Cola system and its value chain supported over 87,000 direct and indirect jobs in South Africa in sectors including retail, agriculture, manufacturing, transport and services.
- The Coca-Cola system purchased R25.6 billion worth of goods and services from suppliers in South Africa in 2024, strengthening the country’s industries and communities.
The Coca-Cola system in South Africa today announced the results of a comprehensive socio-economic impact study, conducted by global consulting firm Steward Redqueen.
“This new independent study highlights the scale of the Coca-Cola system’s contribution to South Africa’s economy, employment, and communities,” said Luis Felipe Avellar, president of the Africa operating unit of The Coca‑Cola Company. He spoke during a media briefing hosted by the Honourable Minister of Trade, Industry, and Competition, Mr. Parks Tau, ahead of the 2026 South Africa Investment Conference, where the Coca-Cola system will participate as a sponsor.
The study reveals that the Coca-Cola system in South Africa – comprising Coca-Cola and its authorized bottlers – alongside a broad network of local suppliers, distributors, and retailers, contributed R51.2 billion in value-added economic activity in 2024.
Through its value chain, the Coca-Cola system supported over 87,000 jobs through suppliers, partners, and customers. This means that for every direct job created by the system, 10 more jobs were supported across South Africa’s economy.
“Our business is interconnected with local communities, we hire locally, produce locally, distribute locally and, where possible, source locally, helping to build a stronger, more integrated economy in South Africa,” Avellar said.
Charl Goncalves, Managing Director of Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages, emphasized the system’s focus on partnerships: “We remain committed to creating opportunity for our people, our partners, and the communities we serve.”
The study also highlights the Coca-Cola system’s strong local integration, with R25.6 billion worth of goods and services sourced from suppliers in South Africa in 2024. This local procurement supports industries as diverse as sugar production, packaging, transportation, and marketing, reinforcing the Coca-Cola system’s role as a partner for growth in South Africa’s economic development.
“South Africa remains one of our most strategic markets in Africa—the beginning of a legacy that dates back to Coca-Cola’s first entry on the continent in 1928. These findings reaffirm the Coca-Cola system’s role as a key driver of shared value and sustainable growth within the South African economy,” said Sunil Gupta, CEO, Coca-Cola Beverages Africa.
The Coca-Cola system has strengthened its footprint in South Africa through sustained investment and innovation, including the launch of a new bottling line at CCBSA’s manufacturing facility in Midrand. This investment highlights the system’s commitment to investing, producing, and distributing locally, while contributing to South Africa’s social and economic development.
The Coca-Cola system’s contribution extends beyond economic impact. South Africa is one of the beneficiaries of the Africa Water Stewardship Initiative (https://apo-opa.co/4bFqSiD), a nearly $25 million investment through 2030 to help address critical water-related challenges in local communities in 20 African countries.
The study conducted by Steward Redqueen measured the direct, indirect, and induced economic impacts of the Coca-Cola system in South Africa, combining company operational data with trusted third-party economic sources. The analysis demonstrates how Coca-Cola’s local operations ripple across the economy – from farmers growing sugarcane to retailers selling beverages – creating jobs, generating income, and building opportunities.
Africa Fact: Dr Albert Churchward, author of Signs and Symbols of Primordial Man, pointed out that writing was found in one of the stone built ruins: “Lt.-Col. E. L. de Cordes . . . who was in South Africa for three years, informed the writer that in one of the ‘Ruins’ there is a ‘stone-chamber,’ with a vast quantity of Papyri, covered with old Egyptian hieroglyphics. A Boer hunter discovered this, and a large quantity was used to light a fire with, and yet still a larger quantity remained there now.”
Delicious
National debt: South Africa’s debt to GDP ratio is 48%. Compared to the USA (100%), Japan (200%), and the UK (90%) South Africa does not do too badly in this department. The World Bank recommends a ratio of 60%. With reasonable debt levels the likelihood that the government is able to repay its debt is high and that its fiscal policy is sustainable. This is conducive for starting a business in South Africa, knowing that the government will still be able to continue spending and thus stimulate the economy.