Country Lead: Competitor Engagement

Coca-Cola Beverages Africa; Midrand; On-site; ZAR 1,500,000 - 2,300,000; Full time

Job summary

Coca‑Cola Beverages Africa seeks a Country Lead: Competitor Engagement to shape and lead the competitive intelligence agenda across South Africa. You will identify market opportunities, translate insights into actionable strategies, and influence decisions with Sales, Marketing and Strategy teams to sustain growth in a dynamic FMCG environment.

You will monitor competitor activity, benchmark best practices, and drive response strategies to protect market position while partnering with key

Qualifications

• Strong analytical capabilities and experience with competitive intelligence tools.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication abilities.
• In-depth knowledge of the South African beverage market and competitive landscape.
• Leadership and team development skills to drive results in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and implementation of a competitive intelligence strategy.
• Analyze competitors' strategies, pricing, product offerings, and market share.
• Build relationships with industry leaders to gain market insights.
• Benchmark best practices and integrate findings into growth initiatives.
• Collaborate with Sales, Marketing, and Strategy to align on insights and actions.
• Develop and execute response strategies to competitive threats or market disruptions.
• Communicate insights to senior leadership to inform strategy.

Skills

Analytical skills

Stakeholder management

Competitive intelligence tools

Leadership & team development

Education

Bachelor's degree (BCom/Business or similar)

Tools

Competitive intelligence tools

Job description

Role Purpose

Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) presents an exciting opportunity for a Country Lead: Competitor Engagement, to join the Midrand team at CCBA. This role will report to the Revenue Growth Management Director. CCBA is the 8th largest Coca-Cola authorised bottler in the world by revenue, and the largest on the continent. It accounts for over 40% of all Coca-Cola ready-to-drink beverages sold in Africa by volume. With over 14 000 employees in Africa, CCBA group services more than 800 000 customers with a host of international and local brands. CCBA group operates in 14 countries: South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Botswana, Zambia, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi and the islands of Comoros and Mayotte.

Key Purpose

Are you naturally curious about market dynamics, competitor strategies, and what drives commercial success? We are seeking a commercially astute and analytically driven leader to shape and lead our competitive intelligence agenda across South Africa. This role is responsible for identifying market opportunities and competitive threats, translating complex market intelligence into actionable business insights, and influencing strategic decisions that strengthen our market position and drive sustainable growth. The successful candidate will partner closely with Sales, Marketing, and Strategy teams to monitor competitor activity, assess market trends, benchmark industry best practices, and develop response strategies that enable the business to stay ahead of the competition. This is an exciting opportunity for a strategic thinker who combines strong commercial acumen, data-driven decision making, and stakeholder influence to deliver meaningful business impact in a fast-paced FMCG environment.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Competitive Intelligence Strategy Development: Lead the development and implementation of a competitive intelligence strategy to monitor and assess competitor activities, trends, and market movements. Lead Competitive Intelligence Strategy anchored in robust financial analysis and insights. Reconstruct and analyze the value chain, focus on price points, portfolio launches, launch timing, and pricing strategies. Continuously identify shifts in competitor tactics and translate insights into forward-looking plans.
• Market & Competitor Analysis: Conduct in-depth analysis of competitors' strategies, pricing, product offerings, and market share, providing actionable insights to inform strategic decision-making. Maintain intelligence on volume performance, market share trends, and executional moves in trade. Gather field intelligence via regular trade visits, working closely with sales regions and key account teams.
• Engagement with Industry Leaders & Competitors: Build relationships with key competitors and industry leaders to gain insights, foster collaboration, and maintain a competitive edge in the market.
• Benchmarking & Best Practices: Lead benchmarking exercises to identify industry best practices, incorporating relevant findings into CCBSA's competitive strategies and growth initiatives.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration on Competitor Strategy: Collaborate closely with Sales, Marketing, and Strategy teams to ensure alignment on competitive insights, pricing strategies, and product positioning.
• Crisis Management & Competitive Threat Response: Develop and execute response strategies to address significant competitive threats or market disruptions, ensuring CCBSA's market position is protected.
• Stakeholder Management & Communication: Communicate competitive insights and threats to senior leadership and relevant stakeholders, ensuring alignment on strategic initiatives and actions.

Key Outcomes

• Volume Growth
• Market share

Functional Capabilities

• Strategic Intelligence Development
• Market & Competitor Analysis
• Stakeholder Communication & Influence
• Benchmarking & Best Practice Integration
• Industry Engagement & Networking
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Crisis Management & Competitive Threat Response

Skills and Experience and Education

Education

• University Degree (BCom, Business, or similar) required, post-graduate qualification/MBA preferred.

Experience

• 10 years of relevant experience in competitive intelligence, market analysis, or strategic planning, particularly within the beverage or FMCG sector.
• Proven experience in identifying and responding to competitive threats and opportunities.
• Strong background in cross-functional collaboration, especially with Sales, Marketing, and Strategy teams.

Skills

• Strong analytical skills and experience with competitive intelligence tools.
• Exceptional stakeholder management and communication capabilities.
• In-depth knowledge of the South African beverage market and competitive landscape.
• Leadership and team development skills, with the ability to drive results in a fast-paced, competitive environment.