Ritasha Kalidas appointed group head of cybersecurity at Coca-Cola Beverages Africa

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Ritasha Kalidas has been appointed group head of cybersecurity at Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA). In this role, she will lead the development and execution of the company’s cybersecurity strategy.

Ritasha joins CCBA from Tiger Brands where she served as the director of IT security, risk, governance and business continuity management. She was also the head of digital and acted as CIO, overseeing the company’s IT function and its various disciplines.

Her previous roles span across Deloitte, Absa, Nedbank, Liberty, Accenture and RMB. With over 20 years of experience, Ritasha brings information security expertise across sectors including banking, telecommunications, entertainment, petrochemicals, retail, manufacturing, military and oil and gas.

Her educational accomplishments include an MBA as well as an honours in informatics, both awarded cum laude. As a proponent for continuous learning, she completed the international executive development programme through GIBS in 2024.

Beyond her operational responsibilities, Ritasha is a leading voice in cybersecurity and was the first woman in South Africa to achieve the Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP) certification. Additionally, she has presented on cybersecurity, privacy and information security at over 50 local and international conferences.

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