Latest news with #Powerade
The Citizen
a day ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
I'm not yet the guy, says Springboks' Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu believes he still has plenty of work to do to become 'the guy' for the Springboks. Arguably the most exciting rising talent currently in the Springbok system, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, is keenly aware that he still has plenty of growing to do, despite his meteoric rise, and is not yet 'the guy'. Feinberg-Mngomezulu was speaking as the brand ambassador at Powerade's launch of their 'Respect the Pause' campaign, which is focused on supporting athletes and protecting their mental health, on Friday, when he mentioned that he still had a way to go. Asked what it looks like to be 'the guy' in the Springbok jersey, the utility back explained that you had to be the main man in your position, or in the team. The guy 'That's a tricky question. But Siya (Kolisi) is the guy, (Handre) Pollard's the guy, Eben's (Etzebeth) the guy, Cheslin's (Kolbe) the guy,' said Feinberg-Mngomezulu. 'What do they all have in common? They've won this country matches, they've won this country World Cups, they have been around for a long time, have a huge support base, and they are good examples. 'So the sooner I can become like them, then I will start looking like the guy. But it's going to take time. I think Siya and Eben have been around for over a decade, so it's not going to happen tomorrow.' Key to the Powerade campaign to assist athletes with their mental struggles, is an agreement to allow them to take a pause when needed, which is something that Feinberg-Mngomezulu has battled to do in recent times. The 23-year-old has picked up a number of injuries already in his fledgling career, and that has led to him taking risks, like playing despite being injured, as he did against the All Blacks last year, and most recently with a niggle against Georgia a few weeks ago. 'I think that's a valid assessment. I think I have experienced a lot of pausing for injuries, but I am just a passionate guy that wants to play rugby,' explained the flyhalf. 'I am just thinking about playing the game I love and helping my team win. And it just eats me up when I am not able to do that, whether it is through injury or selection or whatever. I just want to help my team win and that's where the reluctancy (to pause) comes from.' Mental aspect Also speaking about the mental aspect of the game, particularly as a flyhalf, where you can go from hero to villain in the blink of an eye due to one missed kick, he admitted that the pressure that came with that expectation was something that he relished. 'That's one of the biggest pressures of our position. But it is also one of the most attractive things about our position. You have to really be on par with everything and I think that drives you to new standards and levels,' said Feinberg-Mngomezulu. 'It gives you the responsibility to be a match breaker and orchestrator for the team. It is tough and tricky that sometimes one impact on the game could have such a negative push back (from the fans). 'But that is a part playing flyhalf and it just motivates you to be batter in that aspect of the game. I think that's the one positive that comes from that, knowing that you just need to nail down as many aspects of the game that you can.'
IOL News
3 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Springbok Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu emerges as new campaigner for mental health rights among athletes
Powerade launched the 'Respect the Pause' campaign with Springbok star Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, introducing a groundbreaking 'athletes code' that guarantees mental health breaks for ambassadors without affecting their contracts, aiming to break mental health stigma in sports. Picture: Michael Sherman/IOL It's not often that a sponsor launches an entire campaign about mental health, but that's exactly what Powerade did with Springboks star Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu on Friday. At the Coca-Cola offices in Rosebank, Johannesburg, the 23-year-old flyhalf was front and centre for the campaign entitled 'Respect the Pause'. It's a clause that the brand is writing into all their contracts with their ambassadors that they will be entitled to a break from playing to focus on their mental health, and it will in no way affect the deal they have with Powerade. The clause will be called the 'athletes code'. At the launch Feinberg-Mngomezulu was one of a number of sportspeople that will be part of this campaign, which also included South Africa's most successful Olympian - Tatjana Smith.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
1 Dividend Champion Stock Beating the Market in 2025
Key Points With the market near all-time highs again, dividend growth stocks have been set on the back burner. One iconic American brand has avoided this trend, however. Recently delivering its 17th consecutive quarter of market share gains, this consumer goods juggernaut looks to keep its momentum going. 10 stocks we like better than Coca-Cola › Dividend Champions are an elite group of stocks that have increased their dividend payments for more than 25 consecutive years. Blue chip dividend growth stocks with these lengthy track records are typically some of the best compounders on the market. This compounding ability may not be surprising, given that dividend growth stocks in the S&P 500 index have delivered annualized total returns 2.6 percentage points higher than the index as a whole since 1973. However, so far in 2025, these steady-Eddie, low-volatility compounders haven't been favored by the market. Many investors have shifted their attention to high-beta (more volatile) growth stocks as they look to profit from a market setting new all-time highs. Despite this apparent shift in investing attitude, one iconic American brand (and Dividend Champion) has managed to buck this trend and beat the S&P 500 so far this year. Coca-Cola: Up 11% in 2025 The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is home to 30 billion-dollar brands, including its namesake brands as well as Sprite, Fanta, Vitaminwater, Minute Maid, Smartwater, and more. Of these 30 brands, Coke created 15 of the brands organically, while it acquired the other 15, showing the company's roots as both an innovator and a shrewd mergers and acquisitions (M&A) behemoth. Interestingly, from these 15 acquired brands, 12 of them became billion-dollar brands after Coke purchased them. While it is great that the company can lean on M&A to grow, this track record of successfully integrating and growing these brands post-acquisition is far more promising. While Coca-Cola is best known for its sparkling soft drinks (pop, where I'm from), it is actually a well-diversified leader in the commercial beverage industry. Not only is it No. 1 in global market share for sparkling soft drinks, but it also holds the top spot for water (Dasani, Smartwater, and more), sports drinks (Powerade, Bodyarmor, and others), and juice (Minute Maid, Simply, and Maaza). Despite this leadership position, Coke's growth story should be far from over, as it still only holds a 14% market share in beverages overall in developed markets and a 7% share in emerging markets. Furthermore, 68% of emerging markets' drinks are non-commercial, whereas that figure sits at only 30% in developed markets. Over the long haul (multiple decades, likely), this 68% figure will likely trickle lower and benefit Coca-Cola over time, provided it remains the market share leader in global beverages. Considering the company recently announced second-quarter earnings that saw it grow its value share (similar to market share) for the 17th consecutive quarter, it's no wonder the stock is beating the market so far this year. Is Coca-Cola a passive income machine? Powered along by this leadership position, Coca-Cola has grown its dividend payments for a stunning 62 years in a row. The stock currently pays a 2.9% dividend yield, which is more than double that of the S&P 500 index. Despite this hefty dividend yield, the company only utilizes 69% of its net income to make its dividend payments. This reasonable payout ratio leaves plenty of wiggle room for future increases, especially considering Coca-Cola's leadership position and stable operations. However, Coke's dividend growth rate has slowed to 5% annually over the last decade. In my eyes, this makes it more valuable to investors seeking a high yield up front, rather than buyers hoping for a return to double-digit dividend growth. Regardless, Coca-Cola remains one of my daughter's core holdings, as she gets to invest in a product she enjoys and collect reasonable returns doing so. Is Coca-Cola a market beater? Following Coke's 11% total return so far this year, the stock now holds a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 24 and trades at 23 times next year's earnings. This P/E ratio of 24 is slightly below its five-year average of 27 and is on par with the S&P 500's average P/E of 25. Coca-Cola's dividend yield of 2.9% is also roughly in line with its five-year averages. These figures lead me to believe that the company is fairly valued right now. Considering this valuation and management's ambitions to grow earnings per share by 8% over the long term, I believe Coca-Cola could provide market-similar returns. Though it won't be a multibagger anytime soon, its stability should make it an outstanding pick for income-seeking investors. However, if investors are looking to try to beat the market handily, they may want to look elsewhere for faster growth options. Should you buy stock in Coca-Cola right now? Before you buy stock in Coca-Cola, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Coca-Cola wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $624,823!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,064,820!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,019% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 178% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 29, 2025 Josh Kohn-Lindquist has positions in Coca-Cola. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 1 Dividend Champion Stock Beating the Market in 2025 was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
News24
25-07-2025
- Business
- News24
20 bottles a second: How Coca-Cola's new R365m Midrand line ramps up Powerade, Bonaqua output
Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) has invested R365 million in a new line at its Midrand plant to produce 72 000 bottles an hour and supply South Africa, Eswatini, and Lesotho with its Bonaqua water and Powerade energy drinks. The group's newly launched Powerade Springboks Edition will also be produced at the new plant, which is six times as fast as its old Wadeville plant, which up until now has produced Bonaqua products for South Africa. It is also nearly four times quicker than its Pretoria West facility, which had supplied Powerade. Speaking to News24 on the sidelines of the new hydration line's official launch on Friday, Moses Lubisi, manufacturing and technical director at Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa, said the Pretoria West plant had older technology that produced about 19 000 bottles an hour, while Wadeville, which produced Bonaqua Pump, delivered 12 000 bottles an hour. In Wadeville, too, the technology was becoming outdated. Now, the two lines will be replaced with one 'supercharged' line in Midrand that is significantly more efficient. Nick Wilson/ News24 He said the 72 000 bottles produced on the new line equated to 1 200 bottles every minute. Breaking it down even further, this meant that 20 bottles were 'zipping through the filling machine every second'. 'That's fast by anybody's standards, and we are proud to bring this under Coke's banner right here in Midrand.' He said the investment represented a 'major step' forward in the group's ability to meet growing consumer demand and 'create shared value across the local value chain'. Supplied/ Coca-Cola Beverages Africa 'This technology reaffirms the Coca-Cola Company's commitment and approach to manufacture locally, distribute locally, and, where possible, to source locally.' CCBA said in a statement that the production line would produce Bonaqua Pump Still in the 750ml pack and Powerade in the 500ml pack sizes with an 'innovative sports bottle cap', as well as the Bonaqua Still in 330ml and 500ml packs. Supplied/ Coca-Cola Beverages SA The smaller pack sizes for Bonaqua Pump Still formed part of the group's plan to focus on expanding the hydration category. CCBA, which operates in 15 African countries, said it was the eighth-largest Coca-Cola bottler in the world by revenue, and the largest in Africa, accounting for more than 40% of all Coca-Cola's ready-to-drink beverages sold in Africa by volume. CCBA's shareholders include The Coca-Cola Company with 66.5% and Gutsche Family Investments with 33.5%. SA is the largest market in the CCBA group and home to 13 manufacturing plants across six provinces, with more than 7 000 employees.
Daily Mail
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Footy star Jarome Luai is busted trying to cover up his VERY unhealthy post-match drink in bizarre act at press conference
Jarome Luai might be a master of the deceptive play, but his latest attempt at subterfuge fell flat after he was busted by eagle-eyed NRL fans. The Wests Tigers playmaker sat down to front media on Sunday after his club escaped with a 21-20 win over a wasteful Gold Coast Titans outfit. It is common for players to bring a drink into the media conferences after 80 minutes of tough football, and they usually choose water or a sports drink like NRL sponsor Powerade. However, Luai had a thirst for something a little unhealthier after the win, bringing a can of Coca-Cola with him as he fronted the media scrum. In hilarious scenes, he used both hands to cover the label while he sipped from the can, in a failed attempt to disguise the brand of the beverage. 'Jarome Luai trying to not so subtly cover a Coke can before taking a sip during the press conference,' an NRL fan page posted with the video. 'Poor post game drink choice,' another posted. While it is one of the largest drink brands on the planet, few would agree that Coca-Cola is an ideal choice for athletes looking to refuel after a gruelling game. However, it can have its benefits - even for athletes like Luai. Advanced Sports Dietitian Taryn Richardson says Coca-Cola can be a useful tool for endurance athletes when used strategically. On her podcast, she explained it provides quick-access carbohydrates, caffeine and a small amount of sodium during long events. 'It can actually be a performance enhancer,' she said, before adding that it's 'terrible for your teeth' and not recommended outside of training or racing. Coke contains about 10g of sugar per 100mL, making it sweeter than most sports drinks. That high sugar content delivers fast-digesting fuel when glycogen stores are depleted. Its caffeine helps improve alertness and reduce fatigue in late stages of racing. Some athletes also use it as a palate cleanser or psychological reset after hours of taking in sweet gels and fluids. However, Richardson warned not to rely on it as the only source of fuel. 'Try it in training first,' she said, noting individual responses will vary. Luai is not the only NRL star who likes a cold can of Coca-Cola on game day. His former Penrith teammate and best friend Brian To'o is a well-known addict of the fizzy drink, albeit the No Sugar variety. The Penrith Panthers and NSW Blues star previously revealed he drank nearly 600 cans of Coke No Sugar in just one month in the offseason, claiming he felt no ill effects. 'Coke sponsored Penrith so they sent me 24 boxes of 24 packs... I got them in October and they were finished by November,' he said. Coca-Cola delivered the massive haul after hearing about his infamous pre-game meal: two breakfast burgers, a bowl of chips with aioli, a cafe latte with two sugars, and six cans of Coke Zero. To'o said the routine began at age 14 after a strong performance following a similar meal. 'I had it once when I was young and played really well, so I kept doing it,' he said. Back then, he ate outside the house to keep it secret from his parents. 'Mum and Dad found out after my second NRL game,' he laughed.
