The sky is the limit for Phillipine Mtikitiki, the Coca-Cola trailblazer

Phillipine Mtikitiki reminisces about her early childhood entrepreneurial spirit in Kabokweni township near Nelspruit – collecting empty bottles and selling them to a nearby shop, earning her enough cash to buy Coca-Cola, her favourite soda.

Despite her dream of becoming an entrepreneur, little did she know that years later, she would occupy the position of vice-president of Coca-Cola’s South Africa Franchise – becoming one of the most senior executives of the multi-billion-rand multinational. 

“It’s such an honour to be in this position – to steward the brand and the system, because I used to be the child who would walk to the shop with empty bottles and buy Coca-Cola,” remembered Mtikitiki, in a wide-ranging interview with the Saturday Citizen.

While she always knew that she wanted to be in business, her initial focus was “never on how I could become a great leader and run a large corporation”.

“You discover whether or not you can lead as you grow, develop and face new problems.

“In earlier years, I never considered donning the hat of a leader,” she said.

With an unending list of strategic engagements, aimed at growing the company brand and its business, Mtikitiki has a busy diary.

She has been credited for being a fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) professional, with a wealth of experience in operations, marketing, planning, strategy and in the commercial sphere – spanning over 20 years of experience, working across various Coca-Cola entities.

With an economics honours degree from the University of KwaZulu Natal and an MBA at the University of Reading, Henley Business School, Mtikitiki joined Coca-Cola in 1988 – becoming part of the Kusile Graduate programme.

As vice-president of Coca-Cola’s South Africa Franchise, she is in charge of a large organisation “where no day is the same”.

Said Mtikitiki: “There are the typical meeting agendas and report backs, but I am most aware of my role as a leader.

“A significant part of that is about building, maintaining an environment and climate in which people from various backgrounds and experiences, can come together to be the best versions of themselves, while working towards a common goal.

“Because we have a vision for where we want to go as a company, we have milestones we want to hit and you have this diverse collection of people to bring this vision to life.

“My responsibility as a leader is to figure out how to deliver that vision so that everyone can work in an environment where they can flourish and succeed.

“I’m always ask myself: ‘How can I get the entire team focused on how to get there and ensure that everyone can thrive?’.

“Building a non-hierarchical, inventive environment that reduces people’s anxiety about trying something new, are some of the questions that come to the fore.

“We can only grow if we have new ideas.”

On what has kept the Coca-Cola brand popular in South Africa and globally, Mtikitiki said the company continued to deliver “beverages that align with the goals and demands of consumers, wherever they are”.

“We’ve worked hard to become a total beverage company and we want to supply customers with beverages that change with them.

“The market pushes us to be innovative on every level – from hiring the finest people to developing the best beverages.

“Our long-term approach, continued investment in local production and local beneficiation – from farmers, retailers to industry – is a testament to our belief and ambition,” she said.

A member of the Global Women’s Council of The Coca-Cola Company, Mtikitiki has become an advocate for the empowerment of the African girl-child.

“Women are talented and ready to lead.

“But we must create opportunities in which the talented and those who ready, are recognised.

“As a member of the Global Women’s Council of The Coca-Cola Company, we have incredible initiatives such as Women’s Link – a broader network of women across the company, where we focus on the development of women, regardless of who they are.

“We let them know we will have the headwinds on their side,” added Mtikitiki.

In East Africa, she worked closely with The Coca-Cola Company’s 5by20 programme – helping women entrepreneurs overcome social and economic barriers to business success.

The company’s vision was “rooted in the belief that investing in women who are pillars of their communities, creates a ripple effect of economic growth and sustainable change”.

Said Mtikitiki: “We give women the tools to gain confidence to set up and run their businesses.

“We must be in an environment that allows everyone to thrive.

“People sitting in boardrooms at the moment are mostly male – and this is across the corporate world.

“They must take the lead to create and the open doors for women – continuing get them involved.

“It means changing the environment to one that is inclusive, with the change in the workspace coming from the leadership.

“It’s not about the numbers and ticking boxes.

“If your approach to achieving diversity is in ticking boxes, you will fail.

“It simply reinforces stereotypes and complacency – not sustainable, because nothing changes.

“Creating a genuinely inclusive workspace is not about making a space for us to fit in.

“Being inclusive means that everybody is in an environment where everyone has an opportunity to succeed.”

The Coca-Cola Company’s global goal is for women to hold 50% of leadership positions by 2030.

Mtikitiki said her supportive parents, her immediate and extended family deserved “a lot of credit for my accomplishments”.

“My family environment was encouraging, not only in terms of enabling academic performance but also in terms of developing social skills that subsequently helped me succeed.

“Growing up, I was completely unaware of gender differences.

“My mother was the rock and she was a force to be reckoned with, ensuring that our home responsibilities were never decided based on gender,” she said.

What drives her?

“Keeping an open mind, willingness to learn and grow by listening intently and sharpening my skills.”

– brians@citizen.co.za