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BUSINESS STRATEGY
Coca-Cola announces US$175m investment plans for Kenyan market
By our African Marketing Confederation News Team | 2024
Announcement timed for visit by Kenya’s President, Dr William Ruto, to company’s global headquarters in Atlanta.
Coca-Cola has announced its intention to grow its investment in Kenya by up to US$175-million over the next five years, should the business achieve expected growth targets in the country.
Hosting Kenyan President, Dr William Ruto, at the company’s global headquarters in Atlanta in the US, the CEO of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa, Sunil Gupta, said: “The Coca-Cola system has been an integral part of Kenya’s landscape for more than 75 years. Today, we are excited to announce our intention to strengthen this legacy through a substantial investment.”
Kenyan President, William Ruto (far right) and Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Investments, Trade & Industry, Rebecca Miano, with Coca-Cola executives Sunil Gupta and Alfred Olajide
The company uses “system” to encompass The Coca-Cola Company and its authorised local bottler, Coca-Cola Beverages Africa.
“This investment is aimed at accelerating the Coca-Cola system’s capacity and capability expansion over the next five years. Our decision to invest underscores our belief in the long-term potential of Kenya’s economy,” Gupta added.
Luisa Ortega, President of The Coca-Cola Company’s Africa Operating Unit, emphasised the importance of collaboration with the Kenyan government to create a stable policy environment.
Part of Kenya for more than seven decades
“The Coca-Cola system has been part of communities in Kenya for more than seven decades. We are excited to continue growing our business and supporting communities across Kenya for many years to come,” said Ortega.
In East Africa, the company directly employs around 10,000 people. It also works with over 500,000 micro, small and medium enterprises across the region.
“Our value chain supports livelihoods for over a million people in distribution, sales and other roles,” stated Gupta.
“We source close to 8,000 metric tons of mango puree from East African farmers. We believe in the region’s potential and its ability to achieve significant growth through collaboration between public and private sectors.
“Our business in Kenya is centred on a local approach – we hire locally, produce locally, distribute locally and source locally.”
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