Spree
Unlocking Growth through EcommerceWriter: Emily JarvisProject Manager: Callum Philp Since launching in April, 2013, online retailer, Spree, has successfully established its name and brand within both the fashion industry and amongst major retailers. Initially launched as a womenswear retailer, and leveraging Media24’s target audiences and partnerships with publications to take its ecommerce offering to market, the brand and product offering has grown and expanded over the past few years to include a full menswear offering, children’s and baby clothes as well as well-known international brands. The launch of its new mobile application marks a further commitment to the seamless and convenient online shopping experience.As part of South Africa’s largest traditional media Company with more than a century of publishing experience, Spree has been able to take it’s understanding of customer demands and translate these into bringing the best brands and fashion apparel to consumers; displayed through what Head of Customer Service and Business Intelligence, Nic Robertson, calls “beautiful look-books and editorial styled photo shoots”, that create a “digital shoppable magazine offering”.“Spree was a welcome addition to the already diverse Media24 portfolio, comprising more than 60 magazines and 90 newspapers, offering a mixture of news and lifestyle stories. In recent years, the Group has diversified into the digital media and services space, and Spree is one of these divisions which embraces the Group strategy to reshape its content-centric offering so as to remain relevant and useful to consumers and clients,” Robertson recalls.Marking Media24’s first foray into the ecommerce space, Spree was initially launched to directly support the popular Afrikaans women’s…
Good Time Steel Zambia
Building a Better ZambiaWriter: Emily JarvisProject Manager: Joe Palliser After opening a new branch in Kitwe in September, 2015, Good Time Steel (GTS) Zambia has been widening its geographic reach and expanding its facilities in order to provide an increasingly diverse range of steel products to copper belt clients and Zambia’s eight neighbouring countries in the most efficient and flexible way possible.Commencing production from a greenfield factory in January, 2008, GTS has become the second largest steel-producing Company, now equipped with a 40,000 square metre workshop facility situated in Lusaka’s heavy industrial area on Mungwi Road. GTS was formed to fill a gap in the market and represents one of the biggest privately-owned Chinese investors in Zambia today, having spent more than US$100 million on its continuous improvement to date.“Since inception, we have established an impeccable record in the manufacture of reinforced steel for the construction industry, providing a reliable service backed by our reputation among the most recognised and well-known leaders across the construction industry,” says Jacky Huang, Managing Director of Good Time Steel Zambia.Country-leading productsIn the past two years, GTS has commissioned two plants in a bid to increase its product range and capacities to more than 6,000 tonnes per month, compared to 3,000 tonnes per month previously. “Off the back of our expansion success, we were able to extend our product range into tubes, steel plates, roof sheets, lip channels, galvanised pipes and any other steel fabrication products that a project may require such as window and door frames,” he adds.Investing significant portions of its profits…
AttAfrica
On Course for $1 billion TargetWriter: Matthew StaffProject Manager: Callum Philp AttAfrica is edging closer to its $1 billion goal as the snowball effect of early successes in the retail property investment market look set to drive future international growth, key business partnerships and sustainable recognition on a continental scale.The $1 billion relates to property assets, and signifies a concerted strategy which has been in place for the Company since its inception in 2012 under the name Atterbury Africa. Off the back of its initial achievements in Ghana and Zambia, a recent rebranding to the name AttAfrica signifies the standalone reputation that has manifested within the sector over the past four years, with the new-look business still able to leverage the experience and expertise of its three shareholders - Atterbury, Attacq and Hyprop - in the process.“It all started in 2012 off the back of the acquisition of Accra Mall,” Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Kevin Teeroovengadum recalls. “It was the first grade A mall in the city and we saw an opportunity to expand it and use it as a gateway to do other developments in Ghana.”This is precisely the knock-on effect that occurred, with the purchased and revamped Mall setting the tone for Westhills Mall which opened in late 2014, Achimota set to open in October, 2015, and its Kumasi Development which will be up-and-running in early 2017.Adding the Manda Hill Centre opportunity in Lusaka, Zambia, AttAfrica is now truly an international Company and has ticked off phase one of its strategy in making its mark in the…
Edendale Hospital
Making Significant Strides in 2015Writer: Matthew StaffProject Manager: Eddie Clinton Edendale Hospital has made great strides over the course of 2015 as it continues to affirm itself as one of the leading medical pioneers in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa.Having achieved a score of 90 percent in the latest National Core Standards assessment, the institution’s rise from humble beginnings has arguably been completed from an outside perspective but, from an internal point of view, the Hospital’s development is far from done.An ongoing commitment to continuous improvement and remaining ahead of, or at least in line with, global medical care processes has culminated in yet another proactive 12 months of capital expenditures, knowledge sharing, treatment enhancements and, most importantly, patient care improvements.Urolology and ophthalmic services have both seen service expansion, while Edendale’s Emergency department has also benefitted from new technologies and machinery to enhance diagnostic aspects. Two further ward upgrades, the installation of 256 network points to enhance tech access around the hospital, and the implementation of additional CCTV cameras to improve security are further evidence of what can be achieved in just one year, and are all part of a general R237 million grant from the Department of Health (DOH).“Capacity increases will occur through the DOH Revite programme while other projects have followed on from this as a result of the hospital needing a revamp because of its ageing infrastructure,” explains Edendale’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Zanele Ndwandwe. “It consists of a fire detection system, electrical reticulation upgrade, new linking bridge, provision of decanting space, an upgrade of…
Virgin Active SA
Live Happily Ever ActiveWriter: Matthew StaffProject Manager: Callum Philp The Virgin Active SA (VASA) footprint was established in 2001 when Nelson Mandela phoned Richard Branson to ask him to save thousands of jobs by taking over the liquidated Health and Racquet Club. Branson agreed and set in motion what was to become one of South Africa’s most loved and instantly recognisable brands.Virgin Active’s success has been built on a strategy that focuses on three key factors: Location; the use of precise demographics to ensure the clubs are situated in large catchments where the demand will support building large facilities. Value: large facilities allow the company to drive economies of scale which provide the opportunity to offer outstanding value for money with comprehensive multi-use facilities at competitive prices. Service; Virgin Active is a dynamic business with one of the world’s most recognisable global brands, which enables the company to attract great people who are very passionate about customer service.An effective recruitment, performance and talent management process is critical to the success of the business, with emphasis placed on proactive identification of future talent that supports the organisation’s strategic plans and championing of VASA’s values. In turn, the Company proved to be an extremely attractive business proposition.Classic CollectionIn April, 2015, CVC and Virgin Group announced that Brait had acquired a controlling interest in Virgin Active in a transaction that put an enterprise value on the business of £1.3 billion. Brait’s experience in long-term global investments, as well as in Virgin Active’s biggest market, South Africa, fitted with Virgin Active’s aspirations for…
Ghana National Petroleum Corporation
Harnessing Petroleum Resources for Ghana’s Sustainable GrowthWriter: Matthew StaffProject Manager: Eddie Clinton Ghana National Petroleum Company (GNPC) continues to fulfil the needs of a nation in meeting governmental expectations amid challenging industry conditions.As a corporation 100 percent-owned by the Ghanaian government, it is responsible for the provision of commercial oil & gas, both onshore and offshore, and was created to promote the country’s objective of supplying adequate and reliable petroleum for the country and the discovery of crude oil across all the nation’s regions.Established as a state-owned Company, the mandate was and remains simple; to engage in exploration, production and disposal of petroleum products. And, for a country and indeed region that relies so heavily on the industry, the pressure to adhere to these functions in an innovative, diverse and socially responsible way is something that GNPC has strived for since its inception.“The Corporation has amongst it functions to promote petroleum exploration activities, to appraise existing petroleum discoveries, to ensure that Ghana benefits the most from the development of the country’s petroleum resources,” its Wikipedia page aptly explains. “The Corporation promotes the training of Ghanaians in petroleum-related activities and ensures environmental protection in all petroleum-related activities.”After six years of establishing commercial crude oil quantities, the country’s oil fields - known as Jubilee Fields - were finally entered for production in late 2010, with the Corporation enjoying a controlling stake in all active oil wells.Further expansions from this initial western foray were later witnessed through a new oil discovery at the Paradise offshore project - discovered by US Company, Hess…
Corner Bakery
Taking a Share of the Retail PieWriter: Emily JarvisProject Manager: Chris Marsh Selling more than one million pies every month and creating more than 2,000 jobs through its franchisees, Corner Bakery has cemented its reputation as a fresh food and confectionery provider, baking products on-site daily to the highest food hygiene and safety standards across the franchise. Complementing the sale of pies and baked goods is a new range of Brazilian coffee from the Equatorial Coffee franchise brand. Corner Bakery recently passed the 640 store mark, making the up-and-coming franchise Group the fourth biggest retail chain in South Africa in terms of store numbers, and one of the biggest local business success stories in the country.“We are dedicated to bringing you our wide range of products every day with extra convenience to suit your schedule at the kind of prices that suit your pocket,” says the Company.Holding Company, Retsol’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Wayne Duncan is particularly proud of the rapid growth and acceptance of both brands into South Africa’s convenience food & drink industry.“Retsol was started and is still operated by experienced entrepreneurs who are constantly innovating to offer consumers the best products and services in a retail setting,” the CEO states.Since purchasing Corner Bakery in 2007, Duncan has grown the Company from a “franchise by name only” with no franchisees, to one with outlets in Engen Garages across not just South Africa, but a further 65 stores spread across Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia, Reunion and Mauritius.Since signing a management agreement with Engen just under five years ago,…
Three Streams
Celebrating 25 years of Sustainable AquacultureWriter: Emily JarvisProject Manager: Chris MarshHaving been present in the aquaculture industry since 1990, Three Streams has experienced firsthand the need to address the intensifying demand for quality fish products in sub-Saharan Africa, through its involvement in the entire value chain; including research & development and distribution of marine fin-fish.Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, the Company has witnessed healthy and steady growth of its business in line with increasing demand for aquaculture production; helping to build a market that was virtually non-existent a few decades ago, into a thriving mainstream retail, wholesale and foodservice industry.“Supported by my two brothers, Andrew and David, we were able to embark on an ambitious strategy of vertical integration with a concerted focus on supplying a quality product. Rather than trying to be a price-setter, the business was designed to recognise the need to remove pressure on the ocean’s dwindling resources by establishing sustainable fish farming activities and value-added services such as smokehouses and hatcheries,” explains Gregory Stubbs, Chief Executive Officer of Three Streams.Now with a footprint spanning beyond South Africa into Zimbabwe and the highlands of Lesotho, Three Streams has created a better economy of scale for the business, creating fruitful partnerships that add value through sustainable fish farming practices.“The future of fish farming and production requires continuous investment back into the Company, and keeping a close eye on the latest industry trends and regulations and training our staff to uphold these standards in order to maintain customers for the long-term,” he adds.Identifying potentialThrough its closely-linked…
Delta Food Industries FZC
UAE’s Cream of the CropWriter: Matthew StaffProject Manager: Sammy Wilkinson Delta Food Industries is capitalising on a strong first four years of operations inside Sharjah Airport Free Zone, UAE with its latest capital investment which will see enhancements across capacities, range and efficiencies as the Company enters the next stage of its international development.The Free Zone exporter of food products - ranging across tomato paste, tomato ketchup and milk powder products since 2011 - occupies an area of 9,000 square metres inside the Sharjah Airport International Free Zone (SAIF-Zone), but with an ethos of continuous improvement and expansion, a recent 20 percent stake sale to Rafi Agrifood in July has set the tone for its biggest step forward to date.In-keeping with the Company’s general upgrade and expansion plan across its facilities, a new plant for the production of evaporated milk and sterilised cream is due to open in December, 2015; not only consolidating its strong position in the Middle East and GCC market but leveraging its new products to introduce more advanced technologies and process into the business also.“In September, 2014 we decided to venture for the manufacture of evaporated milk and cream and immediately purchased the adjacent premises at E2-10 and ordered machineries for dairy plants,” says Chairman, Shiraz Osman. “The new dairy production machinery is a modern, state-of-the-art technology imported from Europe and India and is capable of producing 90,000 cartons of 170 gram evaporated milk and cream. “The processing facility for the dairy plant has also been designed in such a way that it can double its…
Vodafone Ghana
The Journey of Transformation ContinuesWriter: Matthew StaffProject Manager: Donovan Smith Vodafone Ghana has surpassed its expectations in 2015, fulfilling its ambitions not only in terms of network expansion, but also across its wider, more all-encompassing, goal of enriching the country as a whole.Established in 2008 following the acquisition of Ghana Telecom, the core blend of mobile and fixed offerings has been complemented in the subsequent seven years by a plethora of value-add services, bridging mobile money and broadband data especially.The latter has been a core focus over the past 12 months too, having invested GH¢4.5 million into its fixed broadband network, once again finding a way to enhance what is already a market-leading option for its loyal customers.“We have invested in modernising the infrastructure as well as developing a backbone of fibre across the entire country. This is not only serving the needs of the Company, but also the wider industry and other players in the market who want access to that connectivity,” explained Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Haris Broumidis at the start of the year. “The process has been a journey of transformation, and still remains an ongoing agenda.“It is our responsibility to ensure that every corner of Ghana reaps the benefits of the Vodafone offering in their lives.”Such widespread national transformation isn’t always as simple as injecting money into a project however, with the digital domain influenced not only by market competition, but adjacent industrial challenges as well.The advent of the energy crisis, for instance, has made it difficult for all operators to offer consistent connectivity across…
