Appletiser’s black economic empowerment deal
Source: Sowetanlive, by By Mpho Sibanyoni
Appletiser’s black economic empowerment deal and how Sipho Madlala went from cleaner to shareholder.
The man who benefited the most from Appletiser’s black economic empowerment deal struck this week, started off as a cleaner at Coca-Cola Beverages SA 28 years ago.
CCBSA announced that it had sold 17.5% of its shareholding in Appletiser South Africa (ASA) to a black owned investment company, African Pioneer Group (APG), and an additional 4% stake was sold to Sipho Excellent Madlala, as a black empowerment partner.
Appletiser was previously wholly owned by SABMiller but as part of the AB InBev merger conditions it became a subsidiary of CCBSA.
The deal will see Madlala representing the empowerment company as a board director.
In 1999, a year after Madlala matriculated from Sigweje High School in Wasbank, Kwazulu-Natal, he came across a group of people standing outside Suncrush/ABI’s offices in Ladysmith and was told that the company was hiring.
He bypassed the group, went straight to the reception area and was referred to a waiting room in which short-listed job candidates were seated and filling forms.
He passed his interview and he was hired as a cleaner on a six months contract.
“It was hard work but I did it all, including learning how to operate all machines, and filling in when other colleagues were not at work.”
“I did everything without complaining, so when the six months review period was up, my contract was extended and in 1991 I was appointed on a permanent basis as a machine operator,” he said.
Madlala later applied for a merchandising job in the sales department despite the role being two grades below his pay.
“Within six months I was appointed to sales rep and excelled both in sales targets and marketing standards. I was later appointed to key accounts rep and at this time, I was only calling on top end grocers.”
His work there then earned him a promotion to account manager.
He continued to work his way up ladder, eventually earning the executive position of District Manager for [then ABI and now CCBSA].
The married father of seven said his time at the company was not always smooth sailing.
“I had to keep my head down and soldier on to make my sales targets.”
“Perseverance, hard work and resilience have governed my game over the years. I also encourage young colleagues entering the business to set high standards and strive to achieve them, rather than trying to be better than the person next to them,” he said.