Staff Writer
The Namibian Competition Commission (NaCC) has approved the proposed acquisition of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa by Coca-Cola HBC AG and its subsidiary Coca-Cola HBC Holdings B.V.
The approval was granted without conditions. The transaction will result in Coca-Cola HBC AG and Coca-Cola HBC Holdings B.V. gaining full control of Coca-Cola Beverages Africa.
Coca-Cola HBC AG is based in Switzerland and the Netherlands. It is an authorised bottler of The Coca-Cola Company and operates in 29 countries across Europe, Eurasia and Africa.
The group produces and sells soft drinks, water, energy drinks, juices, coffee and tea. It also works with brands such as Monster Energy, Brown-Forman and Edrington. The commission noted that the group does not currently operate in Namibia.
Coca-Cola Beverages Africa is based in South Africa. It is an investment holding company with interests in soft drinks across Africa. It controls subsidiaries that produce and distribute Coca-Cola products in different countries.
In Namibia, Coca-Cola Beverages Africa indirectly controls Coca-Cola Namibia Bottling Company.
This company also controls Northern Mineral Waters and operates bottling plants and depots in the country.
The commission classified the deal as a horizontal merger. It defined the market as the supply of non-alcoholic ready-to-drink beverages in Namibia.
After reviewing the deal, the commission said the merger is unlikely to reduce competition or create a dominant market position. It also found no public interest concerns linked to the transaction.
