CCBA declares 2026 Year of the Customer at Africa Leadership Summit

Coca-Cola Beverages Africa has declared 2026 its “Year of the Customer”, placing customer service and execution at the centre of its growth strategy across the continent.

The announcement was made at the company’s annual awards ceremony, which marked the end of a two-day Leadership Conference attended by more than 100 senior leaders from across its markets. The gathering focused on aligning strategy, improving execution and strengthening the company’s push to win in every market by putting customers first.

CCBA said the conference was built around a customer-centric growth plan that calls on every employee, whether in frontline or support roles, to take responsibility for the customer experience. The company said this shared focus is meant to improve product availability, service delivery and overall value for customers across Africa.

Addressing the leadership team, CCBA chief executive Sunil Gupta said the company’s future success would depend on how well it serves its customers.

“Our success is a direct reflection of how well we serve our customers. They are the heart of our business,” Gupta said.

“In our ‘Year of the Customer,’ we are sharpening our focus on execution, innovation, and partnership to ensure a CCBA product is always within reach and consistently delivered with excellence. The teams we celebrate this week are the champions of this mission.”

The ceremony recognised top-performing markets for their results in culture, growth, customer experience, reputation and financial delivery.

Uganda won the Employer of Choice Award for building what the company described as an exceptional high-performance culture and an engaging workplace.

Malawi emerged as one of the strongest performers of the night, taking the Top Line Acceleration Award for revenue growth and rising consumption, as well as the award for building enduring economic value through disciplined execution and improved margins.

Malawi also received the CEO Award, the company’s highest honour, for all-round excellence in financial performance, customer execution, operational delivery and people leadership.

South Africa took the Customer Obsession Award for delivering a superior customer experience through product availability and execution. Kenya received the Corporate Reputation Award for maintaining high standards in safety, quality and sustainability.

CCBA said the conference ended with a renewed commitment to customer-centricity as the main driver of growth, with the company aiming to become the most admired business in Africa.