Komani News

R2.1bn Sale of SA Soft Drinks Maker, Twizza Finalised

Standard Bank Business and Commercial Banking’s Corporate Finance Advisory team is proud to confirm the successful completion of the of R2.1 billion sale of South African non-alcoholic beverages manufacturer, Twizza Proprietary Limited (“Twizza”) to The Beverage Company Proprietary Limited (“Bevco”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of India-based Varun Beverages Limited (“Varun”) for an amount of R2.1 billion.

This follows the receipt of all required regulatory approvals, marking the formal conclusion of the transaction and representing a significant milestone and a landmark transaction in South Africa’s fast‑moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector.

Twizza is a leading South African soft drink manufacturer that produces and distributes a range of affordable, high-quality non-alcoholic beverages, including carbonated soft drinks, energy drinks, functional drinks and mixers.

Founded in 2003 in Queenstown (Komani), Eastern Cape by entrepreneur Ken Clark, the business was built on a clear ambition: to provide accessible, great-tasting refreshments to everyday South Africans, particularly in under-served markets. Over time, Twizza has grown into a successful family-owned business, reflecting the strength of founder-led enterprises in the consumer economy. Today, Twizza operates three internationally accredited manufacturing and primary distribution facilities in Queenstown, Middelburg and Cape Town, supported by additional revenue streams including contract manufacturing, packing and distribution. Its products are available in South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Botswana and Namibia. The acquisition by Varun brings Twizza into one of the world’s largest PepsiCo franchise bottling networks.

Headquartered in India, Varun manufactures, bottles, distributes and sells a wide range of beverages under PepsiCo trademarks and operates across multiple markets in Asia and Africa, supported by scaled manufacturing capabilities and an extensive distribution footprint.

“The acquisition by Varun marks the next phase of Twizza’s growth journey”, says Lisle Clark, the Chief Executive Officer of Twizza.

“From our beginnings in Queenstown to becoming a recognised player in South Africa’s beverage market, our focus has always been on delivering affordable, quality products to our customers. Under Bevco’s ownership, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Varun, the business is well positioned to scale further, access new capabilities and continue serving consumers with the same commitment, while unlocking value for shareholders.”

“This transaction affirms the strength of our advisory capability and our ability to support clients in structuring exits at the right time”, says Raven Moodley, Head of Corporate Finance Advisory within Business & Commercial Banking (BCB) at Standard Bank South Africa. “It reflects the power of timing, performance and sector dynamics in unlocking meaningful shareholder value.”

Standard Bank’s BCB Corporate Finance Advisory team provides end-to-end advisory services across mergers and acquisitions, capital structuring and strategic transactions, including B-BBEE transactions. Drawing on deep sector expertise, a strong African footprint and access to global investor networks, the team supports clients in unlocking value, navigating complex transactions and executing outcomes aligned to their long-term growth ambitions.

Leveraging this capability, the team ran a competitive process to optimise value for shareholders, resulting in a premium outcome for Twizza’s founding shareholder.

The sale of Twizza was executed against a backdrop of strong company performance and favourable market conditions, with sector consolidation driving strategic interest from both local and international bidders.

Beyond the transaction, the deal highlights continued investor confidence in South Africa’s consumer market, particularly in scalable businesses serving the affordable segment – in line with broader insights from Standard Bank’s Township Informal Economy Report (October 2025).

As a trusted partner for growth, Standard Bank continues to enable market access for its clients, supporting them as they start, manage and grow into sustainable enterprises with the ability to compete and scale in global markets.

The successful conclusion of the transaction further demonstrates Standard Bank’s role in connecting African businesses to global capital and strategic partners, while supporting clients in achieving optimal outcomes aligned to their long-term growth and succession objectives.

Sourced With Compliments of MyZA

Shosholoza Meyl Faces Uncertain Future

The Shosholozo Meyl long-distance passenger train service is not currently operating.

PRASA says it plans to restore a “limited service” on four long-distance passenger routes next year. But recent attempts to restore these services have failed because of ageing locomotives. The National Treasury appears to be phasing out PRASA’s funding for repairing or buying new locomotives.

A long-haul service would provide an affordable alternative to flights and buses.

The Shosholoza Meyl service, which operated four routes – between Johannesburg and Durban, Cape Town, East London and Musina via Polokwane – was suspended in 2020 after a fatal collision with a goods train.

Limited operations resumed on the East London and Musina routes in 2022. The Durban and Cape Town routes resumed in December 2023. But passengers experienced cancellations and hours of delays. Three of the four routes were again suspended in October 2024, because the locomotives were “old, unreliable, and repeatedly breaking down”, according to PRASA.

GroundUp reported on a trip between Johannesburg and Durban in March last year. The train broke down several times. The service has since been suspended.

PRASA’s current fleet of ageing diesel locomotives has presented “reliability challenges” resulting in “limited locomotive capacity”, said spokesperson Andiswa Makanda. But, she said, routes between Johannesburg and Queenstown (Komani), Durban, Musina and Cape Town will resume in 2027.

It is unclear where PRASA will find the money for locomotives.

According to the budget tabled in Parliament in February, most of PRASA’s funds will go towards restoring signalling infrastructure for Metrorail, which operates commuter rail services in several metros.

The budget for purchasing new locomotives will halve over three years. Spending on new locomotives peaked at R12-billion in 2025/26 and will drop to R6-billion in 2027/28. Spending to refurbish existing mainline train coaches will be reduced entirely from R200-million last year.

Makanda said the agency is exploring “a range of options to address locomotive capacity constraints”, including leasing locomotives. “Details regarding the type, quantity, and timelines” are yet to be finalised, she said.

The national department of transport did not respond to questions.

Speaking on Radio 702 on Friday morning, transport minister Barbara Creecy said she was “concerned” about how PRASA has dealt with procurement in the past. She said there were “ongoing legacy issues” plaguing the agency, pointing to allegations of irregularities in its administration of the 2022 General Overhaul Programme, aimed at maintaining and refurbishing existing PRASA trains.

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Sourced With Compliments of MyZA

Shocking NMB Water Waste Woes: Is the Municipality Drowning in Apathy?

South Africans and thirsty Nelson Mandela Bay residents, the numbers are in, and they paint a critical picture of Nelson Mandela Bay’s water supply. Whilst one significant dam level has increased, the biggest leak isn’t in the Western Region; it’s in our municipal infrastructure.

Here are the facts:

65% of Nelson Mandela Bay’s water comes from the Gariep Dam, which saw rising levels throughout 2025.
Nelson Mandela Bay has a TOTAL reliance on external water sources (Free State and Sarah Baartman Districts).
35% of the municipalities water comes from dams to the west, four of which fall within the Sarah Baartman District.
BUT… 60% of that water is lost BEFORE it reaches consumers taps due to municipal infrastructure failure.

What does that mean? The municipality is responsible for wasting 223 Million Liters per day (MLD).

That is equivalent to losing 90 OLYMPIC-SIZED SWIMMING POOLS DAILY.

We are importing water from across the country, only for more than half of it to disappear through broken pipes. We cannot afford this waste.

How We Fight Back:

We must turn this data into collective action. We can’t wait for the municipality to fix it; we have to develop our own pressure map.

Join the Discussion: What is the water pressure like in your street? Have you reported a leak with zero feedback?
Report the Leaks: Share your municipal reference number on the forum. We use this data to escalate entire neighborhoods, bypassing the call center queue.

Don’t just watch the 90 Olympic size pools drain daily. Take control.

Join the MyNMB Forum to express your feelings, share solutions and vent!

#NelsonMandelaBay #Gqeberha #NMBWaterCrisis #ServiceDelivery #CommunityAction #TheMyNMBWay

Infographic:

Where Nelson Mandela Bay Gets It’s Water From

Sourced With Compliments of MyPR

Work at the Bushmanskrantz Water Treatment Works has ground to a halt

A growing number of shacks are being erected in unserviced informal settlements in Clanwilliam and Citrusdal as families with few alternatives settle on the outskirts of towns in the Cederberg Local Municipality.

A Western Cape socio-economic survey from 2023 states 18% of the municipality’s population — almost one in five people — live in informal dwellings. Many lack rubbish collection, a reliable water supply, and adequate sanitation.

In Clanwilliam, the centre of South Africa’s rooibos industry and the seat of the municipality, an informal settlement called Khayelitsha has for years been expanding next to the Clanwilliam Dam. On its outskirts, in an area known as Sandkamp, residents live in Wendy houses and makeshift homes.

Karen Zas said she moved to Khayelitsha as she could no longer afford her backyard accommodation in Clanwilliam. Her husband is a seasonal farm worker who does not work in winter.

Anna April said electricity is their biggest challenge, and the lack of lighting makes the area unsafe at night. She said the municipality recently installed a block of toilets after residents complained. As she spoke, we saw a shack being erected behind the toilets.

Citrusdal

In Citrusdal, at the foot of the Cederberg mountains, an informal settlement called Riverview has grown rapidly over the past 15 years. Satellite imagery shows it expanded from an open field in 2010 to what is currently a densely populated area. The municipality confirmed that an estimated 4,725 people live in Riverview informal settlement.

Resident Sipho Khumalo said they share communal water points fed by pipes that frequently run dry or leak. Khumalo said there was a water tank, but it was often empty. Some people have set up their own informal water connections to the municipal pipes, which contributes to leakages. Some have also made illegal electricity connections.

The municipality’s 2025/26 Integrated Development Plan (IDP) acknowledges the informal settlement is far from water sources and leaks are a problem.

Rubbish removal is limited to areas that can be accessed by trucks. Accumulated waste is burnt by residents. The portable toilets are not serviced regularly, said Khumalo.

Piles of rubbish line the roadsides and spaces between shacks. Greywater runs in ditches and down the streets, draining into a small wetland that has expanded in recent years.

Riverview is highly vulnerable to flooding. Severe storms in 2023 and 2024 forced evacuations when the Olifants River flooded. But people have returned, said Khumalo, who also said he has been on the housing waiting list for 30 years.

Janelle Simons lives in a house on the edge of the settlement and runs a communal vegetable garden. She said illegal dumping and the smoke from burning waste are major problems.

Near her is a small informal settlement established years ago and known as Rastakamp, where a group of Rastafarians have formed their own community.

Rastakamp resident Magdalene Witbooi said shack fires have become more frequent as more people have settled in the area, along with conflict over limited water.

Witbooi said the municipal chemical toilets are old, “dirty” and “unhealthy”.

Cederberg municipality spokesperson Anthony Mlata said rubbish removal occurs weekly.

The municipality did not respond to follow-up questions regarding the number of water points or tanks currently provided to Riverview township.

Upgrades

The municipality has frequently cited “uncontrolled” informal settlement growth as a major challenge. In its 2024/25 IDP, the municipality said it lacks resources to deal with the influx of people, and law enforcement struggles to keep up with new shacks being erected.

The housing backlog in the Cederberg municipality in 2025 was 6,355 households. This is more than half the total number of households in the municipality, which the province’s 2023 socio-economic profile listed as 11,953.

Funding has been provided under the Western Cape Government Upgrading of Informal Settlements Programme (UISP) to 436 mixed-income houses on the Clanwilliam Golf Course, and 864 houses on undeveloped land bordering the town.

Under the UISP, nearly 1,000 houses are to be built in Riverview in Citrusdal. However, no timelines for completion are attached to documentation GroundUp has been able to access. The projects are approved but are still in their planning phase. A budget for initiation/pre-feasibility gives a date for this initial phase to only finish in March 2028.

The municipality has allocated funds for services in the informal settlements. In 2023, it built 240 toilets in Khayelitsha and provided skips for dumping waste. When GroundUp visited, the skips and toilets were in good condition. But there was minimal waste collection in Riverview, Citrusdal.

A key step towards housing development has been the completed refurbishment in 2025 and ongoing upgrading of the Clanwilliam Wastewater Treatment Works (WWTW). The R80-million upgrade is being funded through the Department of Water and Sanitation’s Water Services Infrastructure Grant (WSIG).

A 2022 technical report said the need for low-cost housing is “serious and urgent” and requires that the municipality deliver “a long-term sustainable sanitation service”.

Riverview, Citrusdal, is a fast-growing informal settlement that lacks rubbish collection and a reliable water supply.

The municipality provided the residents of Sandkamp, on the outskirts of Khayelitsha in Clanwilliam, with toilets. Without electricity, the toilets are unlit and unsafe at night.

On the outskirts of an informal settlement in Clanwilliam, Khayelitsha, shacks have been erected by residents not able to afford to pay rent in town anymore.