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 CocaCola 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. ■

Border-Kei Chamber of Business provides key services to over 650 member organisations, and aims to be the “voice of business” in the region.

Border-Kei Chamber of Business (BKCOB) has offices in East London and Queenstown (Komani) which serve the greater Border-Kei region.