The Competition Tribunal has approved the merger of Coca-Cola HBC and Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA), with conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The tribunal said it had “approved the transaction subject to conditions aimed at addressing various public interest considerations.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The merger was first announced in 2025 and would see Coca-Cola HBC account for two-thirds of Coca-Cola system volumes in Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was announced at the time that Coca-Cola HBC would buy a 75% stake in CCBA, with an option to buy the remaining 25% within six years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Coca-Cola HBC is one of the largest Coca-Cola bottlers in the world and is based in Switzerland, having been founded in Nigeria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Together with their subsidiaries, they form part of a group authorised to bottle for The Coca-Cola Company\u2019s products across Europe, Eurasia and Africa,” the Competition Tribunal said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
CCBA was founded in 2015, following a merger among three companies \u2013 namely the Coca-Cola Company, SABMiller, and Gutsche Family Investments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following the merger’s approval, CCBA began operating as its own legal entity in July 2016.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, CCBA is owned by two groups, with the Coca-Cola Company holding a 66.5% stake and Gutsche Family Investments holding the remainder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The approval follows hearings conducted by the Competition Tribunal between the two merging companies and representatives from the National Union of Food, Beverage, Wine, Spirit and Allied Workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The merger was approved by the tribunal with conditions to address public-interest concerns, but those conditions were not announced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As part of the new deal, Coca-Cola HBC plans a secondary listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange \u201cto underpin its commitment to both South Africa and the African continent,\u201d it said in 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In September 2025, before the merger was announced, concerns were raised over Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA) planning to retrench up to 680 workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
CCBSA is the South African subsidiary of CCBA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The decision came after CCBSA was reportedly experiencing “financial constraints,” prompting discussions about a restructuring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“In response to evolving industry dynamics, Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa intends to make adjustments to its organisation that, if implemented, may result in some roles being impacted and may, unfortunately, result in job losses,\u201d it said at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following the merger, Coca-Cola is planning a major expansion to its bottling operations in South Africa worth R17.6 billion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The planned expansion programme was the largest fixed investment project announced in South Africa in the first half of 2026.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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