By: Yusuf M Hasan
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – Consumers of locally produced soft drinks have the opportunity to win prizes on as you drink basis.
This was revealed by the managing director of the Somaliland Beverages Industries-SBI Mr. Mustafa Osman Gelle who also announced that his company is set on the creation of thousands of jobs to upcoming youthful entrepreneurs in the country.
The local business tycoon credited with enticing the giant coca cola international company to invest millions of dollars in Somaliland where his SBI holds the local franchise said that plans are at an advanced stage to distribute thousands of free refrigerators nationwide.
“The free of charge refrigerators shall be issued to enterprising youthful citizens thus establish their own outlets for our locally produce
d range of soft drinks at the Jalelo based Coca Cola factory” Said Mr. Gelle
The SBI Chief who further revealed that his company shall also supply a regular supply of ice in areas without electricity said that the innovative project is not only intended to profit his company through increased sales of products but most importantly availing employment opportunities to thousands of currently unemployed youthful citizens.
As per the drink and win lotto the beverages industries MD informed that the scheme shall see successful participants win numerous prizes in stages during the three weeks lifespan of the lotto.
To participate in the round one draw customers of SBI soft drinks are required to collect 12 bottle tops and attach them to a special A4 sized document supplied by the company and to be availed wherever its products are on sale.
“Successful participants of the first round have the opportunity to win an assortment of items that include footballs, Caps, T-shirts and key rings among others in addition to the winning ticket automatically proceeding to the next level” Said Mr. Gelle
Upon succeeding for the next level to be held for two consecutive weeks the winners shall be awarded numerous electronic goods like 21′ Colour TV sets etc.
This is the first time for the Coca Cola company franchise holder to make a foray into the sweepstake arena in itself still a novel idea in the country.
The SBI products that shall be viable for participation in the lottery are Coca Cola, Fanta, Sprite soft drinks which are locally produced to international Coca Cola company specifications and recipes
According to Journalist Mark Tran of the Guardian.co.uk, the SBI factory is Africa’s, if not the world’s, most isolated Coca-Cola bottling plant, a large shiny white-and-red hangar-like building in the middle of nowhere, with camels and black-headed sheep as neighbours.
About the Bottling Factory
The Coca-Cola Company which was Inaugurated in May 2012 by Somaliland’s president, Ahmed Mahmoud Silanyo is a new state-of-the-art bottling plant in Jalelo village 35 kilometers North of Hargeisa which has the capacity to produce 18,000 crates of assorted beverages daily.
Apart from the expected new employment opportunities to be created the bottling plant had create an estimated 135 direct jobs and 2,500 indirect ones, on initiation and it is hoped that it will contribute to a healthy distribution and retail sector in Somaliland
According to the Coca-Cola president for Central, East & West Africa Mr. Nathan Kahumba, the US $15 million investment by the global beverage maker and its local partner, the Somaliland Beverage Industries, is part of the Coca-Cola system’s commitment to invest US $12 billion in the African continent by 2020, starting in 2010.
