It’s a minefield out there for companies trying to avoid getting dragged down by their country’s president. Take US-based group Starbucks, which said on Sunday it would employ 10,000 refugees after US President Donald Trump decreed a 90-day ban on people from Muslim countries entering the US and halting the US’s refugee programme for 120 days. Already in Mexico, there were calls late last week for a boycott of Starbucks in retaliation for Trump’s policies. Now it no doubt expects a global backlash against US companies. The coffee company’s plan to protect its more than 25,000 outlets is to employ refugees, initially those who have served as support staff for the US army, CEO Howard Schultz has said. Starbucks in SA, for which JSE-listed Taste Holdings holds the master licence agreement, and other US businesses that operate here or sell products into this market, such as Coca-Cola, are unlikely be affected, as South Africans have not launched any consumer boycott in recent memory tha...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.