CoCA-ColASoutHAFRICA

NUMBER 4

Coca-ColaSouthAfrica 9 Junction Ave, Parktown 2193 Telephone: +27 (11) 644 0842 E-mail: mmojapelo@afr.ko.com Website: www.cocacola.com

Ranked No. 4 BEST 10 Overall Employer No. 1 BEST Small-sized Employer No. 1 BEST Empowered Employer No. 1 in Sector: Fast Moving Consumer Goods

Introduction
The worlds largest beverage company, Coca-Colas product portfolio numbers nearly 500 brands. These include Coca-Cola (the worlds most valuable brand), Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, POWERADE and Minute Maid.

The business
From a pharmacists brainwave to a global phenomenon. That is pretty much the story of the Coca-Cola Company, which came into being on 8 May 1886, when a pharmacist by the name of Dr John Stith Pemberton produced the syrup for Coca-Cola in Atlanta, Georgia. While most people who tried the new drink gave it the thumbs-up, it wasnt an overnight sensation; during the first year of trading, sales averaged a modest nine drinks per day. Even Dr Pemberton did not cotton onto the fact that he had invented something truly special, so much so that he gradually sold portions of his business to various partners. When he died in 1888, he did not own a single share. Today, the Coca-Cola Companys products are consumed in more than 200 countries at a rate of nearly 1,6 billion servings a day. Maggie Mojapelo, Human Resources Director at Coca-Cola South Africa, says this global success sets the organisation apart as an employer. We all know and love our brands. Most staff members have always dreamt of working here. This is an aspirational company at which to work because we know that the brands will always be here; they will last a lifetime and beyond, she notes.

Talent management and development

There are many exciting career opportunities available at Coca-Cola both in South Africa and also in the rest of the world. Just one is that of operational marketing manager in the franchise operations department. These people provide leadership and co-ordination across the supply chain to achieve the geographic locations volume and share objectives through leading the development and execution of a bottler business plan. They are responsible for the performance of the business, business planning and consumer penetration, among other duties, comments Mojapelo. Considerable emphasis is placed on talent management and succession planning at CocaCola South Africa. Its all about securing the right capabilities for the future, she notes. A new management-development programme called Kusile (meaning awaken) has been launched. The candidates for this development programme are drawn both from within and outside the company. We bring in young talent (graduates with one or two years of experience) and then focus on building the required capability in terms of leadership. The 24-month programme is designed to offer

Biggest plus
Coca-Cola South Africa has a clear long-term vision, which is the architecture of the way it operates. This vision is clearly communicated to all stakeholders.

Biggest challenge
Its biggest hurdle is the competitive nature of the sector in which it trades. This is a unique and complex business and new staff members are required to learn the business faster than ever in order to make an immediate contribution.

Facts and figures

Total number of staff employed (full-time):277 Annual turnover in Rands for 2009 (RSA only):Notavailable Industry sector:Foodandbeverage Black employees:63,18% Previously disadvantaged individuals in management:79% Women employees:52% Women executive (senior) management:23% Employee Assistance Programmes:AfullrangeofEAPsisprovidedcoveringaspectssuchas financialfitness,andhealthandwellness.InconjunctionwithDiscovery,thecompanyruns healthandwellnessweeks,whichofferHIV/AIDStesting,nutritionguidance,eyetesting, cholesteroltesting,andhealthandfitnesspresentations.Staffmembersalsoreceiveanannual financialwellnessgrant.Employeescanspendthemoneyonanythingtheirheartdesires.

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an in-depth development and understanding of our business in South Africa; we want to develop and nurture future leaders not only for our business here but for Coca-Cola operations the world over. Our philosophy is if you can develop your leaders and managers to effectively nurture your talent, half the battle is won, she reports. When recruiting new staff, Coca-Cola South Africa does not only consider the local trading environment. We are global and so we circulate our talent, explains Mojapelo. When we appoint, we dont only look at the person as a local asset but as an international talent.

Salaries, rewards and benefits

The staff at Coca-Cola South Africa are

extremely well remunerated. I am proud to say that we pay at the top end of the scale. We try to lead the market when it comes to how we pay our talent, says Mojapelo. Furthermore, staff members are encouraged to perform via financial rewards. We pay for performance; this drives how we reward and differentiate our talent, she notes. Especially noteworthy benefits are the provident fund and death cover, which Mojapelo describes as very generous and incomparable within the industry. Yet another noteworthy benefit is the opportunity to travel and work overseas. Plus there is the opportunity to be involved in what Mojapelo calls lots of fun stuff. By this, she means activities such as the FIFA World Cup, for instance. We sponsor

ourphilosophyisifyoucan developyourleadersand managerstoeffectivelynurture yourtalent,halfthebattle iswon.

MaggieMojapelo HumanResourcesDirector

CoCA-ColASoutHAFRICA

lots of leading sporting and social events and we make a point of involving staff members. A full house of conventional benefits applies, including four months of paid maternity leave, study assistance and medical aid. Club fees are paid to encourage healthy lifestyles, meals in the canteen are subsidised (it is open for breakfast and lunch), cellular telephones are provided as a tool of trade and 3G cards are given to staff members who travel. Every month employees are offered four cases of beverages free of charge. A R20 000 donation to the family is made on the death of a staff member and the family also receives 15 cases of beverages.

Responsible citizenship
Coca-Cola South Africas corporate social investment (CSI) projects are divided into five main areas: health, education, entrepreneurship, environment (water and recycling) and employee volunteering. According to Tuli Mkatshwa, Community Affairs Manager at Coca-Cola South Africa, much of the companys health-related CSI activities revolve around fighting the scourge of HIV/AIDS. For instance, we have partnered with the Olive Leaf Foundation in the Men As Partners programme. The Olive Leaf Foundation provides a holistic approach to the challenges of HIV/AIDS and the programme aims to reduce gender-based violence while promoting awareness of HIV, she explains. Coca-Colas partnership with the Olive Leaf Foundation stems back to 2001, and it has expanded to target women as well as men. On an educational front, Coca-Cola launched its Discovery Channel Global Education Partnership in 2007. This is a multi-media educational programme targeted at primary school children in disadvantaged communities. A total of eight schools in Gauteng and Limpopo have benefited from the project, says Mkatshwa. Entrepreneurship is encouraged via the companys Schools Mini-Enterprise Project.

Black economic empowerment

One of the most important variables of success within companies is when employees are allowed to develop and their talent is leveraged, resulting in a high employee retention rate. The Coca-Cola Company subscribes to this philosophy, hence the companys investment in its people, which results in low employee turnover.

William Egbe Chief Executive Officer

Black economic empowerment (BEE) is a top agenda item at Coca-Cola South Africa. A dedicated manager ensures that we are BEE compliant not just within Coca-Cola South Africa but also within our bottlers, reveals Mojapelo. We are investing a lot of time and money in the development of spaza shops, taxi ranks and car washes in the townships, where we are providing training and support. We have made a huge investment in terms of economic development. We have a dedicated team that focuses on this market and develops sustainable small businesses, says Mojapelo.

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Staffmembersarerecruited viaemployeereferralsand employmentagencies,andall newassociatesshareonetrait: theyareresults-driven.

FIFA World Cup, for instance. One hundred days prior to kick-off, we took the day off work and we all had fun. Events like this are excellent for team building and motivation; every single staff member will get tickets to go and see the match. Plus every staff member will get to see and touch the trophy, Mojapelo reveals.

Company culture and style

Coca-Cola South Africa is epitomised by a passion for marketing and sales of the companys treasured brands. We are all true brand ambassadors and marketers of the brands even if we do not work for the marketing department per se, notes Mojapelo.

This applies both during working hours and after employees leave Coca-Colas warm and attractive head office. Ultimately, people enjoy working for CocaCola South Africa because the company truly values its people. This is one company that could be a role model in terms of how you take HR as a serious business partner. Coca-Cola South Africa has realised that HR can lead the business to the next level. We are in changing times and change calls for a focus on softer issues, which is precisely where HR comes to the fore. A business isnt just about rands and cents; its about people and people are at the core of this business, Mojapelo concludes.

CoCA-ColASoutHAFRICA

This is an economic empowerment programme for secondary school learners, run in conjunction with Junior Achievement South Africa. Coca-Colas RAIN Water Project is an interesting environmental initiative. This project is a partnership with USAID, Mvula Trust and the Mbashe Local Municipality, and we aim to build water reservoirs and pipe water to villages, says Mkatshwa. In terms of the Staff Volunteering Programme, associates volunteer their time to community volunteering twice a year. A total of nine organisations have benefited from the generosity of Coca-Cola associates since last year.

says Mojapelo. We need to continue being innovative so that our consumers can continue to enjoy the brands that they love so much. Mojapelo says the team constantly strives to up its game. We will continue to put pressure on ourselves to be better every day. Last years successes are gone. We are always looking for new opportunities, she concludes.

The people
Coca-Cola South Africa is staffed by a team of high achievers; people who are true professionals. The company attracts high performers. We are extremely business focused; there is no time for politics everyone gets on with doing the job at hand, says Mojapelo. Staff members are recruited via employee referrals and employment agencies, and all new associates share one trait: they are resultsdriven. As a company, we continue to succeed every year and this motivates us to do even better, says Mojapelo. All staff members are brand ambassadors. While the emphasis is decidedly on hard work, there is also time for fun. Take the 2010
The breadth of skills and experience gained at both a local level and exposure to global workstreams is incomparable to any other FMCG organisation. The amount of information and support at ones fingertips is tremendous in order to facilitate decision making. Working for the company has been an incredible experience.

International stance
Coca-Cola employs 92 400 people worldwide, more than 86% of them outside the United States. Its beverages are produced in more than 800 plants in over 200 countries.

The future
The companys future goal is simple. We want to further entrench our brands in the hearts and minds of South African consumers,

Elizabeth Moroldo Senior Brand Manager (Juices and Liquid Concentrates)

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