Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) has graduated 31 senior-level and high-potential employees from 12 African countries under its EDGE leadership development programme, marking an expansion of collaboration among businesses operating within the wider Coca-Cola system across the continent.
The graduation ceremony, held in Bryanston, Johannesburg, marked the completion of the programme’s second generation and its first pan-African cohort. The 2026 edition brought together participants from CCBA, The Coca-Cola Company, Equatorial Coca-Cola Bottling Company and Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company.
The initiative, originally established by CCBA, was expanded this year to provide participants with opportunities to exchange experiences and develop leadership skills across different markets and business operations.
The programme was developed in collaboration with Henley Business School Africa and combined classroom instruction, practical business assignments, mentoring and professional coaching. Participants also worked on projects addressing business challenges and strategic priorities within their respective organizations.
The curriculum covered several areas, including corporate strategy, value creation, organizational transformation, commercial decision-making and the management of high-performing teams. Participants were also required to present business projects as part of the programme’s graduation requirements.
The expansion comes as beverage companies operating across Africa face increasingly complex commercial environments, with differences in consumer markets, distribution networks, operating conditions and regulatory requirements.
CCBA serves more than 840,000 customers across its African operations, making effective management and coordination across markets important to its business activities. The company operates in 14 countries and employs more than 13,000 people.
Natasa Prodanovic, Chief People and Culture Officer at CCBA, said the programme reflected the company’s focus on developing leadership capacity and creating opportunities for employees to learn from colleagues across different markets.
She said bringing together participants from different Coca-Cola businesses enabled them to exchange perspectives, strengthen professional relationships and improve collaboration across the organization’s operations.
The involvement of three major Coca-Cola system entities beyond CCBA also reflects a broader effort to develop leadership capabilities across the company’s African and international business networks.
CCBA is the largest Coca-Cola bottler in Africa by revenue and accounts for more than 40 percent of Coca-Cola ready-to-drink beverage volumes sold on the continent. Its operations span markets including Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and several other African countries.
The programme’s expansion highlights the growing importance of leadership development and cross-market cooperation as multinational companies seek to strengthen management capacity and respond to changing business conditions across Africa.
However, the longer-term significance of the initiative will depend on how participants apply the skills and business experience gained through the programme to improve organizational performance and address challenges in their respective markets.
