Coca-Cola Responds After It Announces Plans To Cut 680 Jobs in South Africa

• Coca-Cola in South Africa said that almost 700 South African employees may lose their jobs as it plans to retrench employees
• The beverage production company is reportedly planning on closing its plants in the Eastern Cape and the Free State
• The company's head of communications said that Coca-Cola's decision is inspired by the need to adapt to changing industry conditions

Tebogo Mokwena, Briefly News’ Deputy Head of Current Affairs, contributed coverage of international and local social issues, including health, corruption, education, unemployment, labour, service delivery protests, and immigration in South Africa, during his seven years at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.

JOHANNESBURG — Coca-Cola has spoken up after reports surfaced that over 680 employees in South Africa could lose their jobs as part of a restructuring process.

Coca-Cola South Africa's Head of Communications, Motshidi Mokwena, spoke to IOL and said that the company is responding to changing industry conditions. These changes could result in job losses. It is allegedly planning on closing its manufacturing plants in East London, Eastern Cape, and Bloemfontein in the Free state.

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Mokwena remarked that the company is in consultation with unions and affected employees and said that its priority is to support them with transparency, compassion, and fairness during the process.

Union slams Coca-Cola

However, the Deputy General-Secretary of the Food and Allied Workers Union (FAWU) Edwin Mabowa, spoke to SABC News. He accused the beverage production company of trying to negotiate directly with the employees and bypass union negotiations. H denied that there was a phased approach and said that the company served the union with a notice. The union and Coca-Cola are expected to meet at the Commission of Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) on 19 September.

Unemployment in South Africa

The condition of employment in the county has become dire. Statistics South Africa revealed in its Quarterly Employment Statistics on 24 June 2025 that 95,000 jobs were lost between March 2024 and 2025. The statistics revealed that the trade industry lost the most jobs at 52,000. It also revealed that 74,000 jobs were lost in the first quarter of 2024.

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StatsSA also released its employment figures on 12 August 2025. It revealed that the unemployment rate climbed to 33.2% in the second quarter of 2025 and said that the number of unemployed people reached an alarming 8.4 million.

South Africans react

Netizens commenting on Facebook shared their views.

Bandile Mnguni said:

"Obviously, they developed one machine that can take the jobs of 680 people."

Victor Rasha said:

"People are taking their health seriously now."

Mekoa Sereme said:

"Unfortunately, retrenchments are going to be inevitable because most companies out there are restructuring their organisational designs and structures."

Hloks Molaudi said:

"I blame the government who is allowing fake manufacturers to flourish."

Deborah Lucke said:

"Sugar tax? Even Illovo Sugar is retrenching."

Women bear the brunt of unemployment

In a related article, Briefly News reported that the South African unemployment rate for women continues to rise. This is according to StatsSA's latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey.

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The survey revealed that the unemployment rate for women is higher than men's unemployment rate. It showed that 35.9% of women in the country are without jobs.

Source: Briefly News