Coca-Cola Beverages Taps Digital and Analytics to Transform Operations in Africa

Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA), the eighth largest Coca-Cola bottling partner worldwide by revenue and the biggest on the African continent, and Genpact, a global professional services firm focused on delivering digital transformation, announced they are partnering to accelerate CCBA's competitive growth.

The partnership is aimed at streamlining CCBA's operations, leveraging Genpact's process expertise, combined with digital technology and analytics, to enable real-time business decision making. Genpact will establish a multi-function, digitally enabled shared services organization to centralize and automate CCBA's finance, procurement, data management, and other functions, to create intelligent operations that improve customer service and allow CCBA to focus more on its core business.

"Our new shared services organization is key to CCBA's business strategy. Genpact's deep process, domain, digital, and analytics capabilities, combined with its track record of transforming consumer goods and beverage companies, will help us sustain profitable growth and increase our market share," said Jacques Vermeulen, chief executive officer, Coca-Cola Beverages Africa. "We're also delighted that our relationship with Genpact will provide rewarding career opportunities for many of our South Africa associates."

The initial phase of the multi-year engagement involves CCBA's South Africa operations and is expected to expand to other countries in Africa. CCBA employees in South Africa working in the areas covered by the partnership will transfer to Genpact, with new career path prospects that take advantage of Genpact's expertise in finance and process transformation.

Genpact will open a second delivery center in Johannesburg, South Africa, expanding its footprint in the country from its existing sites in Johannesburg and Durban.

"We are excited that Genpact is partnering with us and expanding its operations locally," said Velaphi Ratshefola, managing director, Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa. "This is in line with our focused customer-centric approach while developing people and communities where we operate. Importantly, the shared services model will enable us to realize our aspiration of sustainable, profitable growth as we adapt to a dynamic, changing environment."

CCBA's African footprint now encompasses South Africa, Ghana, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia, Mozambique, Comoros, Mayotte, Zambia, Botswana, Eswatini and Lesotho.