Coca-Cola bottling plant
Coca-Cola said it will hold all of these territories temporarily until they can be refranchised to other partners.

ATLANTA — The Coca-Cola Co. on Dec. 21 announced an agreement to buy Anheuser-Busch InBev’s 54.5% equity stake in Africa’s largest Coca-Cola bottling operations for $3.15 billion. Coca-Cola Beverages Africa includes the countries of South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Ghana, Mayotte and Comoros.

Additionally, the companies reached an agreement in principle for Coca-Cola to acquire the Belgian beer maker’s interest in bottling operations in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Swaziland, Lesotho, El Salvador and Honduras for an undisclosed amount. The transactions remain subject to regulatory approvals and are expected to close by the end of 2017.

Coca-Cola said it will hold all of these territories temporarily until they can be refranchised to other partners. The Atlanta-based company intends to account for the acquired stakes as a discontinued operation for reporting purposes.

Muhtar Kent, Coca-Cola
Muhtar Kent, chairman and c.e.o. of Coca-Cola
“We are pleased to have reached an agreement quickly that is in everyone’s best interests,” said Muhtar Kent, chairman and chief executive officer of the Coca-Cola Co. “We will move forward with our long-term strategic plan in these important growth markets. We are continuing negotiations with a number of parties who are highly qualified and interested in these bottling territories and look forward to refranchising these territories as soon as practical following regulatory approval.”