From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, this is the Real Economy Report.

Sashnee Moodley:

Beverage manufacturers Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) in July unveiled a new high-speed automated bottling line at its plant in Midrand, which is producing the group’s Powerade and Bonaqua products for the local market. Marleny Arnoldi visited the site.

Marleny Arnoldi:

CCBA invested R365-million on its new production line in Midrand to cater for increased consumer demand and to introduce new efficiencies. The line produces 72 000 bottles an hour, which equates to 1 200 bottles every minute or 20 bottles a second.

The group also invested R80-million to upgrade its warehouse capacity on site.

The upgrades reaffirm CCBA’s commitment to local innovation and sustainability.

The new line is the fastest in CCBA’s portfolio, cementing the group’s position as the largest bottler in Africa and among the largest bottlers globally.

CCBSA manufacturing and technical director Moses Lubisi unpacks the more than 100% improvement in bottling speed that the new line introduces as well as energy efficiencies.

CCBSA manufacturing and technical director Moses Lubisi…

Marleny Arnoldi:

Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa, as part of CCBA, has 13 manufacturing plants across six provinces in south Africa, which services more than 197 000 customer outlets.

CCBA, in turn, services more than 735 000 customers in Africa with a host of international and local brands.

Lubisi tells us about the rationale for investing in the new line and how it helps strengthen their distribution network.

CCBSA manufacturing and technical director Moses Lubisi…

Marleny Arnoldi:

The employees of the new Line 6 have been upskilled to operate, maintain and clean the machinery, which boosts their employability in world-class factories worldwide while ensuring early failure detection and servicing for the company.

Lubisi elaborates.

CCBSA manufacturing and technical director Moses Lubisi…

Sashnee Moodley:

That’s Creamer Media’s Real Economy Report. Join us again next week for more news and insight into South Africa’s real economy. Don’t forget to listen to the audio version of our Engineering News daily email newsletter.