The Coca-Cola system contributed US$3.6 billion in economic value to the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) region in 2024, while supporting more than 458,200 jobs across multiple industries, according to a new study unveiled during the 19th COMESA Business Forum.
The findings, released on October 20, 2026, in Harare, Zimbabwe, highlight the economic contribution of the beverage company’s network of bottlers, suppliers, distributors and retailers across the regional trading bloc’s 21 member countries.
Conducted by global consultancy Steward Redqueen, the study found that the Coca-Cola system’s activities accounted for approximately 0.3 percent of COMESA’s combined gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024, demonstrating the role of private-sector supply chains in supporting production, employment and commercial activity across national borders.
The report also revealed that the company spent nearly US$1.5 billion on goods and services sourced from suppliers within COMESA member states during the same period, providing business opportunities for local enterprises operating in agriculture, sugar production, manufacturing, packaging, logistics, retail and other services.
Luis Felipe Avellar, President of Coca-Cola’s Africa Operating Unit, said the findings demonstrated how local partnerships, investments and supply chains contributed to economic activity throughout the region.
“As this study shows, the Coca-Cola system continues to deliver substantial economic impact in COMESA, creating opportunities through local partnerships, investments, and supply chains,” Avellar said.
He added that the 19th COMESA Business Forum provided an important platform for demonstrating how businesses could contribute to sustainable economic development across Africa.
The forum brings together regional stakeholders to discuss trade, innovation and economic growth, with private-sector participation forming part of broader efforts to strengthen economic relationships among COMESA member states.
A key finding of the study was the employment generated beyond the company’s direct operations. According to Avellar, every direct job created by the Coca-Cola system in COMESA supported an additional 28 jobs elsewhere in the regional economy.
“For every direct job created by the Coca-Cola system in COMESA, an additional 28 jobs are supported throughout the regional economy,” he said.
The employment figures encompass opportunities across the company’s wider value chain, including agricultural production, transportation, manufacturing, distribution and retail. These linkages illustrate how demand from large businesses can create income-generating opportunities for smaller enterprises and workers beyond the immediate beverage production sector.
However, the study’s headline employment figure covers both direct and indirect jobs, rather than employment within Coca-Cola’s own operations alone.
Alfred Olajide, Vice President of East and Central Africa Operations at Coca-Cola, said the company’s connections with local businesses were central to its contribution to regional economic activity.
“The Coca-Cola system operates as a critical economic engine across the COMESA region, empowering local suppliers, retailers, and distributors to thrive,” Olajide said.
He said the business forum offered an opportunity to highlight the company’s commitment to innovation, collaboration and sustainable development alongside its beverage operations.
The nearly US$1.5 billion spent on regional suppliers represents another significant aspect of the study, particularly for businesses supplying agricultural inputs, packaging materials, manufactured goods and logistics services.
Local procurement can support production and commercial activity within member states by creating demand for goods and services, although the scale of benefits experienced by individual countries and sectors was not detailed in the press release.
The study employed a Multi-Regional Input-Output (MRIO) model to assess the economic effects of Coca-Cola’s operations, procurement activities and value-chain relationships. The methodology was used to trace how business expenditure and production activities generate economic effects across interconnected industries and economies.
Beyond employment and procurement, the company highlighted its water stewardship programme as part of its sustainability commitments across Africa.
According to the release, several COMESA member states benefit from the Africa Water Stewardship Initiative, a programme valued at nearly US$25 million that aims to address water-related challenges across 20 African countries by 2030.
The initiative forms part of the company’s wider sustainability and community development activities, although the announcement did not provide country-specific results or measurable water outcomes achieved to date.
The economic findings come as regional governments and businesses continue to pursue stronger trade links, industrial development and greater participation in regional value chains. COMESA’s regional integration agenda places emphasis on expanding trade and cooperation among member states, creating opportunities for businesses to operate across national markets.
The Coca-Cola study presents large-scale private-sector procurement and employment as potential contributors to these objectives, particularly where companies source inputs locally and maintain commercial relationships with domestic enterprises.
Nevertheless, the reported figures represent the economic contribution attributed to the Coca-Cola system through the study’s modelling approach. The release did not provide a country-by-country breakdown of the US$3.6 billion contribution, the distribution of the 458,200 jobs, or the individual contributions of participating bottlers and suppliers.
Avellar said cooperation between businesses and regional institutions remained important to achieving inclusive economic growth.
“The 19th COMESA Business Forum reaffirms the importance of collaboration in achieving sustainable and inclusive economic growth. We are proud to collaborate with COMESA in building stronger economies and better futures for the communities we serve,” he said.
The findings underscore the scale of the Coca-Cola system’s reported economic footprint in COMESA, with supplier expenditure and value-chain employment emerging as key channels through which its operations extend beyond beverage manufacturing into the wider regional economy.
