Saint-Francis Tohlang is the Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Director for Nestlé East & Southern Africa Region, which comprises 23 countries. At 33, Tohlang is the youngest member of the Executive Committee of Nestlé East & Southern Africa Region. 

He holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences Honours degree from Rhodes University and a Master of Arts from the University of Cape Town. His career spans different fields such as communications, innovation management, trend analysis and professional services, specialising in go-to-market strategy.

AlCircle: Can you tell us what more Nestle is going to do in the coming days when it comes to digital transformation?

Saint Francis Tohlang: Our industry is transforming into one that is driven and shaped by data and technology. We are focusing our digital efforts on the following key areas

• Creating channel less ecosystems
• Advancing always on analytics
• Expanding connected operation
• Supporting sustainability

In supporting sustainability, digitalization not only supports efficiency and growth but also helps our sustainability agenda. It also assists us with systems and tools to monitor our progress with increased accuracy through primary data and improved calculations in sustainable packaging, responsible sourcing, and climate change and water management.

AlCircle: Is aluminium one of the preferred choice for Nestlé when it comes to sustainable packaging?

Saint Francis Tohlang: We are helping to create a future where cleverly designed packaging, innovative new materials, better recycling infrastructure, and reusable or refillable packaging can prevent waste from contaminating the land and oceans.

We use aluminium capsules because it is an infinitely recyclable material, which helps our commitment to the environment.

The recycled aluminium comes from various sources, including post-consumer scrap and scrap recovered during production. Using 80% recycled aluminium is not only better for the environment, but aluminium is also one of the best materials to keep fresh and protect the aromas of the coffee. It provides an excellent barrier to oxygen, light and humidity and is, therefore, a perfect choice to preserve volatile aromas and freshness for a long time.

AlCircle: What are Nestlé East and Southern Africa Region Sustainability programme “RE”?

Saint Francis Tohlang: Through RE, Nestlé ESAR is not only taking action to shift its business; we are also demonstrating the behaviour the planet ought to espouse, at scale, to get to circularity.

RE is a resource that empowers people with clear, tangible and practical ways to participate in the circular economy. It is all about making sustainability real.

RE is also a call to action, an invitation for our communities to join in, collaborate and partner with us and each other, across a range of initiatives, for the good of our planet/to deliver a suitable world collectively. RE is made up of three pillars, Reuse, Reduce and Repurpose.

AlCircle: ‘Starbucks At Home’ by Nespresso is made of 80% recycled aluminium. What was Nestlé looking for when designing aluminium-made coffee pods? When will the 100% recycling come into force?

Saint Francis Tohlang: With every material we use to produce the capsules, we are committed to ensuring that none of our packaging ends up in landfill or as litter and aims to minimise the impact of our packaging on the environment. This includes advocating for adequate recycling infrastructure for coffee capsules regardless of the material used. In addition, aluminium can be re-melted and reused infinitely, giving it a second life.

AlCircle: What message does Nestlé want to deliver to the world with the ‘Starbucks At Home’ aluminium coffee pods? Are PET pods getting replaced by aluminium from Nestlé’s end?

Saint Francis Tohlang: By using 80% recycled aluminium, we demonstrate the recyclability of aluminium and want to encourage our consumers to recycle their aluminium capsules. When we recycle the Starbucks® At Home by Nespresso® coffee capsules, you also help decrease the carbon footprint of your cup of coffee. This is a key aspect of the Nestlé ESAR RE initiative that focuses on three key pillars, RETHINK, REDUCE and REPURPOSE, to tackle sustainability issues.

AlCircle: ‘FROM LINEAR TO CIRCULAR’. Can you share the Nestlé ESAR flagship initiatives?

Saint Francis Tohlang: RE-Imagine Tomorrow, in Tembisa east of Johannesburg, is a partnership with informal waste reclaimers; waste buy-back centre, Destination Green; and technology partner, Kudoti, to evolve the waste management sub-sector. Since its launch in September 2021, the initiative has developed a playbook that has formalised data collection at buy-back centres while empowering waste reclaimers through training, capacity building and incentives. To date, working with 150 reclaimers, a total of 188 tonnes of waste has been collected, and some of it has been sustainably processed to make dustbins installed in Tembisa.

In George, Skimmelkrans Boerdery is well on its way to being Africa’s first net zero dairy farm. The pilot uses regenerative agriculture practices to trap and reduce emissions, save water, and reduce energy while increasing milk quality and productivity. Using mixed pastures increased soil carbon by an average of 0.11% in the first year, which relates to 4,723 tonnes of CO2 sequestration from the atmosphere on the 600-hectare farm. Manure management through the screw press separator prevents 500 tonnes of carbon from escaping into the atmosphere annually. Active water conservation measures at Skimmelkrans save 292,500 kilolitres a year through irrigation and 21,900 kilolitres a year through recycling.

In Hammanskraal, the Babelegi factory is the industry-first carbon capture technology that draws fumes from manufacturing processes and converts them to bicarbonate of soda and water. The initiative is in partnership with the Emissions Capture Company and, pending its imminent success, will be rolled out to manufacturing facilities across the region. Based on the pilot’s data, the rollout of the technology will prevent 5,516 tonnes of carbon dioxide from escaping into the atmosphere; it will save 9,284m3 potable water annually at a typical factory.

AlCircle: How is Nestle progressing towards a sustainable future? What is the deadline Nestle has announced?

Saint Francis Tohlang: Climate: We aim to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions no later than 2050.

Packaging and circularity: By 2025, 100% of our packaging will be recyclable or reusable, and we will reduce our use of virgin plastics by one-third.