Johannesburg, May 2021 - The commemoration of Africa Day presents a unique opportunity for the affirmation and celebration of the history and ideals that spawned and sustained the movement towards economic integration, political unity, and liberation of the African continent.

Africa Day celebrations should be inspired by more than just inquisitiveness about the past and about politics. Though history and politics are still the basis of the celebrations, the celebration should also help us affirm our ingenuity, entrepreneurial spirit, innovation and excellence as progenies of the African soil. It is indeed true that much has been achieved on the political and economic front. In a similar vein, there is a lot that still needs to be done. We should pause, take stock, and embrace what has been achieved – with the sole understanding that this can lead us to achieve even more.

The African Union theme for 2021 is ‘“Building the Africa We Want.”  Local beverage manufacturer Twizza, with several international awards under its belt, its support of women and youth sport initiatives, its commitment to economic growth and responsible manufacturing processes, has cemented its position as a proudly South African and proudly African company.

Innovation is not always a big leap forward in evolution, sometimes it is a combination of finding the right elements’ and combining them to bring about change. This forms the cornerstone of the Twizza business model and a strategy that sets them head and shoulders above the bigger international production companies.

Twizza has put responsible manufacturing and sustainability at the top of its priorities ensuring they contribute to “Building an Africa They Want”.  They utilise solar power for their Queenstown plant where they have 2,700 panels covering 5,500 square meters generating 1.5 million KWH annually.

Lisle Clark, CEO of Twizza says “We have an eye for the latest technologies and efficiencies, and a demand for the best quality. Not only committed to provide affordable and accessible refreshment, we are also committed to sustainability, where we aim to have all of our factories using solar as an alternative form of energy by 2025.”Being a voluntary member of PET Recycling Company is another way in which Twizza is giving back by paying a voluntary levy to PETCO for every ton of PET that is converted since its inception in the early 2000s. Twizza’s investment into their manufacturing capabilities sees them able to produce their own products as well as retain the capacity needed to serve the local beverage market as a contract manufacturer producing beverages for a number of local players.

Another display of their commitment to South Africa and Africa is their support of the #BuyLocal Campaign as well as ensuring that the jobs of their employees were well protected, fully putting their weight behind rekindling the economy post- Covid-19 Lockdown and fulfilling their promise to “create a place where people want to and love to work”.

Despite competition from international soft drink brands, Twizza’s vision to become the “local refreshment of choice” and its dedication to innovation has seen the company grow to become one of South Africa’s most popular soft drink brands and are well set for growth across the continent and African Diaspora.

“In addition to this, when it comes to our customers and our consumers, we endeavour to not just deliver, but to go the extra mile,” adds Clark, “we want to obtain a deeper understanding of our consumer’s needs where our objective is to become a household South African name in the communities that we serve. Not only this, but we aim to win by becoming the supplier of choice, delivering on the explicit needs of our customers and outdoing our competitors. Africa is a unique continent, with an unmatched diversity and at Twizza we want to be equally as unique and diverse.”

With ingenuity and forward thinking like this, Twizza embodies African excellence  and contributing to “Building an Africa We Want.”