Africa’s largest Coca-Cola bottler – Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) has announced that it has concluded negotiations to acquire 100% stake in Equator Bottlers, a franchise bottler for Coca Cola Company based in Kisumu-Kenya.
The acquisition has now been approved by the Competition Authority of Kenya and all of the conditions precedent were, as of Tuesday, 27 June 2017, either fulfilled or waived and the deal was completed on 30 June 2017. Accordingly, Equator Bottlers Limited is now owned by CCBA (via wholly-owned subsidiary Coca-Cola Sabco East Africa Limited (CCSEAL)), with effect from 1 July 2017.
Equator Bottlers, was previously a subsidiary of Kretose Investments Limited owned by the Shah family, has been one of several authorized Coca-Cola Bottlers which supply products in the Western regions of Kenya. It was established in 1966 and is based in Kisumu.
Equator Bottlers brings to CCBA one plant and three manufacturing production lines which supply thousands of outlets in Kisumu and surrounding areas in Western Kenya, including the counties of Kisumu, Kakamega, Kericho, Bomet, Siaya, Busia and Vihiga.
Coca Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) was formed two years ago through the combination of African non-alcoholic ready-to-drink bottling interests of SABMiller plc, The Coca-Cola Company, and Gutsche Family Investments. CCBA currently produces and distributes about 40% of all Coca-Cola beverage volumes in Africa and is the 10th largest Coca-Cola bottler worldwide.
