Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA), the continental beverage company based in Johannesburg, South Africa has relocated to a new headquarter in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

According to a statement from the company, the facility will house the largest Coca-Cola bottler in Africa, accounting for around 40% of all coke volumes on the continent.

CCBA CEO Doug Jackson, said, “CCBA is building a successful Coca-Cola bottler in Africa, which means greater shared value for the business and the communities the region serves, and we are optimistic about the future growth of our business on the continent”.

“We aspire to be the best Coca-Cola bottler in the world and Africa’s most valuable independent food and beverage-company, driven by engaged, motivated, and capable employees.”

“The opening of a new head office is part of creating a first-class working environment for our staff, with a design that truly reflects the ambition of CCBA on the African continent,” he said.

Chairman of CCBA, Phil Gutsche, said: “Port Elizabeth has been an important part of the history of CCBA and we are really proud to be opening this new head office today. Its modernity reflects the company’s ambitious growth strategy aligned with The Coca-Cola Company’s 2020 Vision and will be supported through investment in manufacturing, sales, distribution and marketing.”

CCBA has 30 bottling plants in nearly a dozen countries serving over 249 million people. The countries include South Africa, Uganda, Mozambique, Kenya, Namibia, Ghana, Tanzania, Ethiopia, the Islands of Mayotte and Comoros, with more to join in the future.

The company came into existence in July 2016 following the merger of SABMiller’s non-alcoholic beverage unit with The Coca-Cola Company’s (TCCC) South African operations and South African-based Gutsche Family Investments owned Coca-Cola SABCO.

Following the completion of the big beer merger of October 2016, which saw Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) acquire SABMiller, AB InBev by default became the largest shareholder in CCBA with 54.5% of its shares. In the same month, TCCC which had a “change of control clause” in the initial soft drinks merger with SABMiller and Coca-Cola SABCO announced its intention to acquire AB InBev’s stake in CCBA. Coca-Cola and AB InBev reached an agreement in December 2016 to transition the 54.5% equity stake held by AB InBev in CCBA. This was finalized in October 2017.

CCBA current shareholders are The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC) 65.5% and Coca-Cola SABCO 34.5%. TCCC has already indicated it plans to refranchise the 54.5% stake it acquired from AB InBev to new franchise partners in 2018.