This Women's Month, Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages (CCPB) is highlighting how women's roles across its business have transformed over the past four decades, from manual production work to technical, operational and senior leadership positions.
Today, women make up around 27% of the company's approximately 1,350 employees, with growing representation in technical, operational and leadership roles that were once largely occupied by men.
The change is perhaps most visible in its senior management team, where there was once a single woman among 30 senior leaders. Today, there are 12 women in equivalent leadership positions.
Serving parts of the Western and Northern Cape, the independent Coca-Cola bottler and distributor says the transformation reflects not only an increase in female representation, but a fundamental change in the kinds of roles women occupy across the business.
A changing workforce
When Bryn Morse, Culture and People Development Director, joined CCPB in the mid-1980s, women worked predominantly in manual roles on the manufacturing lines. Over time, supported by training and development opportunities, women have steadily moved into professional, technical and operational positions across the business.
The change is particularly visible in roles that were once considered unsuitable for women.
"Going back to the mid-1980s, there was the perception that women couldn't drive forklifts, that they couldn't be lorry or truck drivers, that it wasn't a woman's role. That has changed. Some of our best forklift operators and truck drivers are female," he says.
Women shaping the next chapter
Larochelle Bezuidenhout joined CCPB in 2005 as a seasonal truck driver before becoming the company's first permanent female driver in 2012. "I envisaged myself as being an example for many other females to follow."
Refrigeration technician Yonela Mayongo says entering a traditionally male-dominated technical field was intimidating at first but believes more women should consider technical careers because of the opportunities they provide.
Morse says the goal is to continue creating opportunities for women across every part of the business.
"The real measure of success isn't how many women we have today, it's whether the next generation sees these careers as possibilities from the start. We want women to know there are opportunities to build long-term careers here, whether that's in operations, technical roles, leadership or anywhere else in the business."
"Increasing female representation in leadership is about creating visible pathways for future generations," adds Morse.
"The more women you get into leadership roles, success breeds success. They become role models."
Brand Activations Manager Suné Kies, who has spent two decades with the business, says mentoring future leaders has become one of the most rewarding parts of her career.
"One of my proudest achievements has been receiving my 20-year long service award. Today, I'm equally proud to contribute to the Springbok Rugby x Coca-Cola partnership and to mentor the next generation of leaders within the business."
