Coca-Cola Beverages
Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa is assisting water-stressed communities Since its inception, the Coke Ville project has distributed over 200-million litres of water. In response to a looming Day Zero in parts of the Eastern Cape province, Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa commenced 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. Since the company’s community water project was launched nationally in 2020, more than 200-million litres of water have been supplied in four provinces. In response to the dire situation in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, where dam levels reached a critically low level with the very real prospect of taps running dry, CCBSA worked with the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality and other key stakeholders to ensure vulnerable and distressed 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 signing a Memorandum of Understanding with 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. This was to support the rapid roll-out of collection point sites as outlined in the Municipality’s emergency response plan. 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. The Coke Ville sites became operational in August 2022 and are located in the worst-affected areas in NMB such as Walmer, which at the time was facing serious water shortages. National programme 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. A total of 12 new systems are currently under construction targeting mainly the Gqeberha area. 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 and police stations. Commercial and industrial users like CCBSA that receive water through the Western Water Supply System are also covered by this plan. This allows businesses to continue focusing on operations and preserving jobs and livelihoods. In support of this municipal initiative, CCBSA implemented a six-point plan that is directed towards securing alternative water supply sources to support the business continuity, support our local employees, as well as minimising our societal impact. Ngcobo said: “How we respond to the water situation in our country, and how we preserve and manage our use of water resources to ensure the adequate and sustainable provision of clean, safe water to communities, will go a long way towards ensuring water security not only for us, but for future generations as well.” CCBSA continues to work alongside the Municipality and all relevant stakeholders to avoid Day Zero, while at the same time implementing its societal intervention plan to support vulnerable communities during this period. We believe that by working together we will be able to overcome this crisis and create a more sustainable future for all. Nozicelo Ngcobo, Director of Public Affairs, Communication and Sustainability at CCBSA
Beverages South Africa Since inception, over 400 million In 2022 alone, just under 1 billion In 2022 alone, over 25 000 Three in 5 provinces
