Eastern Cape Business 2023-24

FOCUS
CCBSA Water Case Study
CCBSA’s commitment to assist water-distressed
communities in Nelson Mandela Bay.
In response to a looming Day Zero in parts of the
Eastern Cape, Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa
launched an ambitious project to work with the
Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality and other key
stakeholders, including Gift of the Givers, to assist
vulnerable and distressed communities.
Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA) aims
to be part of the solution to achieve positive change
in the world and to build a more sustainable future
for our planet.
In response to the dire situation in the Nelson
Mandela Bay Metro, where dam levels reached a
critically low level, CCBSA worked with the Nelson
Mandela Bay Municipality and other stakeholders
to ensure exposed communities continued to have
access to water.
CCBSA realised that it could not undertake this
challenge alone and set out as part of a strategic
private-public partnership to work with local
communities, the NMB Municipality, as well as the
Gift of the Givers Foundation.
Nozicelo Ngcobo, Director of Public Affairs,
Communication and Sustainability at CCBSA,
said: “Water is important capital for the Coca-
Cola company, as it is the main ingredient in our
beverages. We need to ensure that everyone has
access to clean running water, especially vulnerable
communities hard hit by the water crisis.
“This is particularly so for the vulnerable girl
child and women, as the primary drawers of
water in rural areas. However, we can do that
only if we all understand that water is a finite
resource,” added Ngcobo. The beverages bottling
company’s trucks were leveraged to support the
Gift of the Givers with the distribution of water
to struggling communities in the NMB area. The
first water delivery through
this initiative was done on
23 June 2022.
The company further
donated 20 x 5 000-litre
JoJo tanks which were
placed at identified water
collection points around the
city. In addition, 500 water
wheelers were distributed
to communities to aid with
water collection and storage.
CCBSA further deployed
three off-grid, solar-powered
groundwater harvesting and
treatment systems called
Coke Villes in the region.
The sites have a combined total of nine systems
with a minimum annual potential of replenishing
90-million litres per annum at no cost to the
beneficiaries.
To ensure security of water supply, the NMB
Municipality concluded an emergency water
supply continuity plan to ensure water supply to
critical installations such as healthcare facilities,
schools, police stations and some commercial
and industrial users. In support of this municipal
initiative, CCBSA implemented a six-point plan
that is directed towards securing alternative water
supply sources.
Since inception in 2020, the Coke Ville project
has distributed over 200-million litres of water
in Limpopo, Gauteng, the Eastern Cape and
KwaZulu-Natal.
By working together, we will overcome this crisis
and create a more sustainable future for all. ■
EASTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2023
18