Coca-Cola opens distribution network to 100 independent operators

By Boitumelo Tshehle

Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA) has invited 100 entrepreneurs to express their interest in operating independent storage and distribution businesses as part of a regional delivery model shift.

Under the project, selected operators will be in charge of storing and distributing Coca-Cola products within specific geographic areas, providing the company’s conventional trade channel, which includes spaza shops and small independent retailers.
According to CCBSA, opportunities exist in six provinces: Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, the Free State (Bloemfontein), KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.

Successful applicants will be required to manage their own warehouse and fleet and operate as independent businesses supplying Coca-Cola’s traditional trade channel.

CCBSA said candidates must have prior entrepreneurial experience, live in the area of operation and have knowledge of local trading conditions.

Minimum requirements include a fleet of at least five delivery trucks, experience operating articulated vehicles, and ownership of or access to warehouse space of no less than 1,000 square metres.

The distribution partners will form part of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa, the continent’s largest Coca-Cola bottler, which operates in more than a dozen African markets. CCBSA did not disclose the contract terms, investment size required, or the duration of the distribution agreements.

The company said the programme is aimed at strengthening last-mile delivery and improving service levels in areas where informal and small retailers dominate.