Coca Cola Africa President, speaking at the US-Africa Business Summit in Luanda, Luisa Ortega./HANDOUT
The Coca-Cola Company has announced that its operations across Africa generated $10.4 billion in economic activity in 2024, supporting more than 1 million jobs.
The findings were revealed during the 2025 US-Africa Business Summit held in Luanda, Angola.
The data comes from a new socio-economic impact study conducted by global consultancy Steward Redqueen.
The study highlights the wide-reaching role of the Coca-Cola system—comprised of The Coca-Cola Company and its authorised bottlers—across 54 African countries.
“Our long-standing presence in Africa, working with locally owned bottlers and suppliers, allows us to drive more sustainable growth and contribute to the continent’s development,” said Luisa Ortega, President of the Africa Operating Unit of The Coca-Cola Company.
The company’s value chain includes retail, agriculture, manufacturing, transport, and services.
In 2024 alone, the Coca-Cola system supported 36,800 direct jobs.
An additional 987,000 jobs were supported indirectly across the continent.
This means that for every job created directly by the Coca-Cola system, 27 more were supported in related industries.
According to the report, the company also spent $4.3 billion on goods and services from African suppliers in 2024.
This accounted for 83% of its total procurement on the continent.
“The Coca-Cola system has announced investments of nearly $1.2 billion on the continent over the next five years,” Ortega said.
“We are hopeful that stable and predictable policy environments will enable more investments in the months and years ahead.”
In addition to its economic contributions, Coca-Cola is addressing social and environmental challenges.
The company has pledged to invest nearly $25 million by 2030 to tackle water-related challenges in 20 African markets.
The company’s portfolio in Africa spans multiple beverage categories. Ingredients and packaging are primarily sourced, produced, and distributed locally.
Steward Redqueen Managing Partner Teodora Nenova said the research highlights the system’s broad economic footprint.
“Our impact assessment reveals the wide-reaching economic footprint of the Coca-Cola system across Africa,” she said.
“The findings highlight the scale of the Coca-Cola system’s local presence and its ongoing contribution to economic opportunity and livelihoods across the continent.”
The research integrates operational data from Coca-Cola with third-party economic sources to provide a detailed picture of the company’s role in Africa’s development.
The Coca-Cola Company operates in over 200 countries and territories.
Globally, it works with bottling partners to employ more than 700,000 people.
The company continues to expand its impact through initiatives in sustainable packaging, water replenishment, and carbon emissions reduction.
This study underlines the Coca-Cola system’s role not only as a beverage provider but also as a key economic player in Africa’s future.
