Coca-Cola gears up for IPO of $8bn African bottling arm

30 April 2024 - 07:51
By Ananya Mariam Rajesh
The company in 2021 had said it was planning to list CCBA in 18 months, with primary listing in Amsterdam and a secondary listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. File photo.
Image: REUTERS/JACKY NAEGELEN The company in 2021 had said it was planning to list CCBA in 18 months, with primary listing in Amsterdam and a secondary listing on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. File photo.

Coca-Cola is gearing up for a potential initial public offering (IPO) of its African bottling business as soon as next year, Bloomberg News reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter.

It may seek a valuation of more than $8bn (R149.56bn) for the business, the report said, adding that the deliberations were at an early stage and the offering details could change.

Coca-Cola declined to comment on the news, when contacted by Reuters.

Last year, the company had noted during its third-quarter earnings it remains committed to listing Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) as a public company once market conditions become more favourable.

The company in 2021 had said it was planning to list CCBA in 18 months, with primary listing in Amsterdam and a secondary listing on the JSE (JSE).

In 2022, Coca-Cola delayed plans of an estimated $3bn (R56.09bn) IPO of CCBA, due to turbulence in the market mainly rising from the Russia-Ukraine war, which had resulted in shaky investor confidence and a dry spell for IPOs globally.

If listed, the flotation of the division would have been the biggest on the JSE since at least 2016 and a major boost for the flagging index.

Reuters