‘CLEAR RIVERS CAMPAIGN’ HITS DIRTY WATER SYSTEMS ACROSS SA ON MANDELA DAY

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JOHANNESBURG, July 19 – A Mandela Day clean-up of river systems around South Africa, including drought-stricken Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB), could be vital to future water security in the region.

This is according to Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA) acting Head of Sustainability Ntsako Baloyi during a Clear Rivers Campaign as part of Mandela Day activities, in partnership with the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) and other key stakeholders.

The campaigns targeted a number of river systems as part of Mandela Day on Monday, including a Presidential event in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, the Apies River in North West, the Kaalspruit River in Gauteng and the Renoster River in Mangaung.

The river clean-up event in NMB was attended by President Cyril Ramaphosa and DWS Minister Senzo Mchunu , while DWS Deputy Ministers David Mahlobo and Dikeledi Magadzi attended river clean-up events in Mangaung and Moretele Municipality in North West respectively. CCBSA operates its Lakeside production facility in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro.

The Clear Rivers Campaign concentrates efforts on areas where streams or rivers situated near  communities experience river pollution due to illegal dumping of waste. Clean up activities include removal and litter picking, environmental education, and rodent and pest control awareness.

Baloyi said that healthy watersheds are essential to create balanced, sustainable, and long-term water security.  Watersheds are areas that drain or “shed” water into a body of water.

“We live in a water-stressed country, and collectively, we are working hard to stave off Day Zero in Nelson Mandela Bay, only a few short years after we faced a similar situation in Cape Town,” Baloyi said.

“Healthy watersheds are about rehabilitation, restoration and protection of our watersheds and catchment areas to address long-term, sustainable and cost-effective water security through nature-based solutions such as clearing of waste and alien invasive species.”

Also, in commemoration of Mandela Day, around 2000 volunteers worked at various locations around the country to clear the rivers of waste and other hazardous material.

Volunteer teams managed to clear 1300 bags of plastic waste from the various river systems.

Coca-Cola’s Water Stewardship Strategy 2030 is a three-pronged approach around stewardship of water including regenerative operations, healthy watersheds, and resilient communities.

Sustainable water stewardship is critical in a country such as South Africa which is one of the most water scarce countries in the world and prone to droughts. SA also has more than three million households without access to clean running water.

Regenerative operations are intended to reduce local water challenges by preventing water wastage, reducing the amount of water being used and safely discharging water, as well as through reducing, reusing, recycling and replenishing water within CCBSA operations.

Enhanced community water resilience is focused on the provision of clean access to water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, especially for women and girls who are the most vulnerable in most of the communities in which CCBSA operates.

Healthy watersheds are about rehabilitation, restoration and protection of watersheds and catchment areas to ensure long term, sustainable and cost-effective water security through nature-based solutions such as clearing of alien invasive species and cleaning up of waste.

According to the DWS, a 2019 study by IWA Publishing, a leading global publisher of water, wastewater and environmental publications, the Kaalspruit River near Tembisa in Gauteng is a prime example of a “highly polluted” river system in South Africa.

The river flows through two municipalities, the City of Johannesburg (COJ) and Ekurhuleni (COE), including the Clayville industrial area and the surrounding communities of Tembisa and Ivory Park. CCBSA has three manufacturing plants in the two municipalities.

Minister Mchunu was also taken to CCBSA’s Coke Ville project, an off-grid, solar-powered groundwater harvesting and treatment programme, targeted at indigent communities experiencing water insecurity.

Launched in 2020, Coke Ville Project has generated more than 150 million litres of water and  benefitted more than 15,000 households in urban and peri-urban communities across nine sites in Limpopo, Eastern Cape, Gauteng, and KwaZulu-Natal, with a projected 12 more systems planned for 2022 and nine in Eastern Cape. Nozicelo Ngcobo CCBSA’s – Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability Director, said safe and clean water is imperative for healthy communities and also critical to the long-term business sustainability of CCBSA.

“We are mindful that reliable access to good and safe water is essential to life, nature, and the health of our communities,” she added. “CCBSA is a leader in using water responsibly in our operations and giving it back,” concluded Ngcobo.

ENDS

 

About CCBSA

Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA) is a proudly South African company which began operating as a legal entity in July 2016, after the merger of six non-alcoholic ready to drink bottling operations. We are level 1 B-BBEE empowered company. We employ over 7000 people at 13 manufacturing facilities across the country. As a subsidiary of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) and a bottler for The Coca-Cola Company, our vision is to refresh Africa every day and make our continent a better place for all. We manufacture and distribute Coca-Cola beverages that make life’s everyday moments more enjoyable, while doing business the right way. The result is shared opportunity for our customers, our employees, our communities, and our shareholders. We conduct our business ethically, transparently, and conscientiously. We espouse an inclusive business culture to reflect our African identity. We accelerate sustainable, profitable revenue growth across all categories and offer an innovative portfolio of products that respond to customer needs and consumer preferences. Profitability is important, but not at any cost. People matter. Our planet matters. We do business the right way by following our values and partnering for solutions that benefit us all.

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Rakesh Rajbally

Managing Director: South Africa

Rakesh has 26 years of experience in General Management, Sales, Marketing, Logistics and Finance in the Coca-Cola bottling system. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce and his focus on growth and leadership in CCBSA’s Commercial function has made him a sought after thought leader in developing and implementing revenue growth and route to market strategies in both modern and emerging markets.

As a leader of CCBSA’s strategic and operational customer management, he recently achieved the #1 ranking across FMCG companies in the Advantage survey for two consecutive years. Having started his Coca-Cola system journey as a young temporary Filing Clerk at ABI in 1997, Rakesh’s drive to succeed is inspirational testament to the power of self-development within our system that supports and rewards a consistent work ethic, self-empowerment and a growth mindset.

Janett Forbes

Commercial Excellence Director

Janett is a seasoned financial, logistics, and commercial executive who joins us from Vector Logistics previously a division of RCL Foods where she held position of Finance Director.

Prior to this, Janett was part of the Coca-Cola family, having occupied various senior roles of Finance Manager, Category Manager, Revenue Growth Manager and Channel Development Manager within ABI in 2002 and 2016.

Janett is a qualified Chartered Accountant (CA(SA), has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Rhodes University in Grahamstown and a higher diploma in Accounting from University of Natal in Durban.

Desilan Pillay

Logistics Director

He joined the Coke system as a Unit Manager Designate at ABI Midrand in 2008. Desilan encompasses 20 years of management experience from companies including Afrox (Linde Group), the South African Breweries (ABI soft drinks and SABMiller – now ABInbev), and Unilever.  

He has a wealth of experience and a vast skillset within South Africa and across the African continent – all at executive levels. This includes, but is not limited to, project management, engineering, production (gases), packaging (FMCG), as well as operations management, financial management, sales and distribution, procurement, and planning (demand, supply, and production). Desilan has managed portfolios across end-to-end Supply Chain (Sourcing, Demand, and Supply Planning), Warehouse Management, Production, and Distribution, including Customer Care, After-sales and reverse logistics. He was also accountable for the delivery of service excellence in order fulfilment, cost of goods sold enhancement via strategic sourcing, and the overall cash optimisation (inventory) across the business. His most recent role before re-joining the CCBSA family is as the Chief Operations Officer at Anchor Holdings, one of the largest privately-owned warehousing companies in South Africa.

Desilan is a qualified Mechanical Engineer and has completed a Management Development Programme from UCT. His areas of expertise include building high performance teams and E2E supply chain and commercial acumen.

Desilan has been happily married for the past 16 years and has a 12-year-old daughter and 18-month-old twins – a boy and a girl. In his spare time, he enjoys seeing new sights locally and abroad. He is always planning his next trip to an exciting destination together with his family.

Nozicelo Ngcobo

Public Affairs, Communications & Sustainability Director

Nozicelo started her corporate career in 1994 when she was recruited by Sasol into their Management Trainee Programme of the top 16 academic graduates in South Africa – class of 1993. In addition to Sasol, Nozicelo has since worked for listed companies such as Telkom SA, South African Breweries (SAB) as well as multi-national organisations such as Philip Morris International (PMI). In 2020, Nozicelo joined Coca Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA) as Director for PACS.

Nozicelo has a demonstrable track record in successfully developing and managing corporate affairs and regulatory strategies for complex industries such as alcohol, tobacco and recently the beverages industry. Nozicelo has strong professional networks spanning more than 25 years in both public and private sectors. Her strategic insights, value creation, solutions orientation, strong business/political acumen, solid networks and ability to mobilise teams to successfully execute towards a common vision are just some of the many attributes she brings into any organisation.

Nozicelo is an advocate of human rights, animal rights and has a passion for youth/women empowerment.

Michael John Wilson

Finance Director

Michael started his working career at KPMG as a Manager and Trainee Accountant from 2002 until 2006. After completing his articles, his highest position held at KPMG was Audit Manager and Office Administration Manager. In 2006 to 2009, he worked at BASF South Africa (previously known as Engelhard South Africa), where he was appointed as Site Controller – Mobile Emissions Catalysts Division. He also served as a Team Leader for Finance when the company changed its ERP from JD Edwards to SAP. In 2009, Michael joined Coca-Cola Fortune (CCF) as Finance Manager – Business Support.

In 2015, he was assigned to the CCBA integration team as a Finance work stream member and later that year, Michael was appointed Finance Manager for Marketing, Sales and Distribution. Michael relocated to Windhoek, Namibia in January 2016 as Financial Director for Coca-Cola Beverages Namibia. In October 2017, Michael returned to Port Elizabeth as Group Financial Controller for CCBA, a position he currently holds. He serves on a number of boards and audit committees within the CCBA Group.

In 2000, Michael graduated with a B.Com (Accountancy) Degree from the University of Port Elizabeth and a year later, he completed his B. Com Honours (Accountancy) at the same university. He was admitted as a Chartered Accountant (CA) in 2005. In 2010, he completed his Executive Development Programme at the University of Stellenbosch Business School.

Moses Lubisi

Manufacturing & Technical Director

Moses has over 20 years of extensive experience spanning various industries such as Sugar, Food and Beverages, and Mineral processing, including 15 years within the Coca-Cola system, Moses brings a wealth of knowledge to this role.

His journey within CCBSA has seen him excel in positions ranging from Plant Manager, Regional Manufacturing Manager (Coastal) in CCBSA to Executive Director for Appletiser (Pty) Ltd. Before returning to CCBA within Group Office, Moses served as an Operations Director at Illovo Sugar (Pty) Ltd. His expertise lies in strategy formulation, governance and execution, with a focus on end-to-end value chain orchestration across manufacturing, warehousing, logistics and supply chain management.

Moses has held senior and executive management roles for over six years, overseeing regional and enterprise-level strategies, assets and resource allocation.

Agatha Masemola

Strategy and Performance Director

Agatha joined CCBSA in April 2020 from Absa Corporate and Investment Bank Africa, where she held various roles in the past nine years, including as Managing Principal for Strategy & Business Transformation and Chief of Staff to the Chief Executive of Barclays Africa Corporate Bank. She was a key figure in the build-out and integration of the Corporate Bank across 13 African markets.

Prior to joining Absa, Agatha was a Senior Management Consultant in Strategy and Innovation at Deloitte Consulting, South Africa. At Deloitte, Agatha worked on several executive-sponsored strategy and innovation projects across various sectors, as well as driving new business development. Prior to Deloitte, she worked in Life Sciences R&D for over ten years, both as a full-time researcher with publications in peer reviewed journals, and as a Portfolio Manager & COO for a biotechnology fund management, focusing on investment in early-stage biotech ventures and commercialisation.

Agatha holds a PhD in Medical Biochemistry from the University of Cape Town and has completed post-Doctoral research in South Africa and the USA. She obtained her BSc (Biochemistry and Physiology) and MSc (Biochemistry) from the University of the North. She completed a Management Advancement Programme at Wits Business School to help her transition from laboratory to business.

Agatha loves to travel and enjoys experiencing different cultures and sampling local cuisine.

Hannes Prinsloo

Country Sales Director

Hannes comes with a wealth of experience and strong commercial operations expertise stretching over 30 years within the Bottling system; truly an example of “home grown timber”.

In his most recent role, of General Manager Commercial, he managed the Revenue Growth, Route to Market, Category management, Channel Development and Knowledge and Insights. His previous experiences include that of General Manager Operations, District Manager and National Account Manager.

Among his career achievements, he counts being inducted as a Grand Master in 2021, which is a true testament to his passion for people, strong work ethic, and unwavering commitment to performance. The Masters are seasoned professionals in our core functions (Commercial, Logistics & Manufacturing) who have consistently delivered exceptional results in their 20-plus years of service in the organisation. CCBSA bestows its highest honour these professionals who have shown exemplary commitment, fortitude, passion, loyalty and most importantly, value-adding leadership.

In May 2023, at the annual Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) General Management Meeting (GMM) Awards, he was honoured to receive the CEO Award, which honours exceptional leadership that sets a clear example of consistently living our values. In his leisure time, Hannes follows a wide variety of debate platforms and sports.

Mkuseli Dlikilili

Human Resources Director

Prior to Mkuseli’s appointment to CCBSA, Mkuseli was Group Executive: Human Resources at Pioneer Foods, he  worked for leading South African organisations, including Eskom, SAB, Dulux and Portnet.

Mkuseli’s extensive experience in the FMCG environment includes playing a leading role in Pioneer Foods’ successful listing on the JSE and the integration of SA Dried Fruit and Ceres Fruit Juices. Mkuseli is passionate about empowering and developing people to realise their full potential, as well as contributing positively to all the spheres of their lives, and the accentuation of human dignity. He describes himself as an authentic, resilient, reliable, courageous, humble, principled and value-based person, and a committed Human Resources professional.