Coca-Cola Announces $5B Investment with Africa Bottling Partners

Coca-Cola is turning its attentions to business growth in Africa. During the US-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington, D.C., this week, The Coca-Cola Company announced plans along with its bottling and distribution partners in Africa to channel a new $5 billion investment into its operations throughout the continent.

According to a statement issued by The Coca-Cola Company, this $5 billion infusion into its Africa operations will be directed towards a range of initiatives including:

• Production and installation of new manufacturing lines, cooling and distribution equipment;
• Creation of new jobs and opportunities throughout Coca-Cola’s Africa supply chain, and;
• Sustainability initiatives to improve operational efficiencies and community wellness

The Coca-Cola Company has plans to execute the last plan through several programs including Source Africa, an initiative created in partnership with the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition and Grow Africa to promote sustainable agriculture methods and develop more reliable local ingredient sources for staples like citrus fruits and tea. The initiative plans to start with programs in Kenya, Nigeria, and Malawi, with further plans to expand into Ethiopia, Senegal, Tanzania and Mozambique. Other initiatives include women’s economic empowerment programs and an plan to develop better access to safe and clean water.

Soon after this announcement, Kent published a longer opinion piece further highlighting The Coca-Cola Company’s reasons for increasing its investment budget in Africa:

In total, this new commitment will bump the company’s expected investment in Africa up to $17 billion between 2010 and 2020.