Issue 41
Geosearch International
Following a Roadmap to SuccessWriter: Emily JarvisProject Manager: Josh Hyland Facing an industry downturn in the drilling industry, Geosearch International has focused on consolidating its core operations while also exploring ways to unlock new revenue streams in Africa’s earthmoving industry.Aligning with its 2020 vision – which will allow the business to truly thrive over the next 10 years and beyond – the Company is actively evaluating business opportunities in all regions across the African continent on their individual economic merits.“We must look ahead and understand the trends and forces that will shape our business in the future and move swiftly to prepare for whatever is to come,” says the Company. “Change is the only constant in the exploration and mining industry and we must get ready for tomorrow, today. This is what our 2020 vision is all about. It creates a long-term destination for our business and provides us with a roadmap to achieve success together with our business partners.”Since Sentula Mining Ltd acquired Geosearch and all its subsidiary companies in October, 2006, the organisation has undergone subsequent expansions resulting in the formation of Geosearch International, a name representative of the Company’s operational development across the entire African continent.“Geosearch currently has more than 50 exploration drilling rigs operating on the African continent and employs in excess of 500 permanent staff. Exploration and mining companies have utilised our services across a diverse range of commodities; including platinum, gold, coal, copper, cobalt, nickel and uranium,” explains the Company.Focused largely on exploration and drilling projects in key mining hubs across South Africa,…
Eslon Plastics of Kenya Ltd
East Africa’s Piping PioneersWriter: Emily JarvisProject Manager: Stuart Parker Having built a name for itself as a leading supplier of uPVC and HDPE pipes and fittings for a significant number of East Africa’s biggest water and sewerage projects, Eslon Plastics is proudly celebrating half a century of operation and is excited for what the future holds over the next few years.With initial shareholdings divided between a multinational group and the Industrial and Commercial Development Corporation (ICDC), Eslon’s current shareholders took advantage of the opportunity to buy-out all the shares in 2004; making Eslon part of the Metro Group of Companies in Kenya.“The Company started with a few pipe extrusion machines and as the market kept growing, more and more machines were added,” recalls Satishchandra Shah, Managing Director. “Today, we have 15 lines of which 11 are for PVC Pipes and four for HDPE Pipes. Our core business is to tender and supply for large irrigation, sewerage and domestic water supply projects in East Africa. Due to the nature of our business, our customers are mainly Central Government, County Governments, water companies and foreign aided projects.”As the oldest existing pipe manufacturing Company in Kenya, Eslon Plastics has established an export foothold in the surrounding region, unlocking new opportunities in countries such as Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and South Sudan.“Currently, we supply a number of large projects in these areas and we are expecting to see an increase in our business volume with more major projects in the pipeline,” explains Shah.Rated as one of the most reliable and conscientious Companies to…
Regis Holdings Ltd
Trust, Reliability, PerformanceWriter: Matthew StaffProject Manager: Josh Hyland Making waves across Africa and Middle East’s oil & gas sector has become somewhat of a status quo for Regis Holdings Ltd, a Company who has expanded from its South African base over the past 22 years to become a diverse international operator capable of customising its offering to suit the full range of industry needs.Comprising seven divisions within its armoury, the business that initially made a name for itself in the logistics and procurement domain in Southern Africa, now boasts a whole host of services within its portfolio; including procurement management, capital equipment, personnel solutions, steel structures, integrated logistics services, drillstem testing, and consulting engineering services.Alone, they ensure reliability and quality difficult to replicate, but together, Regis Holdings ensures it has flexibility almost unparalleled in the wider region.“The Regis Holdings Group of Companies provides procurement, logistics, equipment and recruitment services to national and international oil companies, oilfield services companies, drilling companies, product and equipment manufacturers and other oilfield-related contractors,” the Company explains. “We have a highly experienced team of supply chain professionals equipped with all the skills required to service the oil & gas industry across our areas of operations.“Adherence to our founding principles of trust, reliability and performance has made us a key partner for each of our customers.”Committed to providing the most comprehensive range of services to said clients, this vision is achieved on a backdrop of global influence – a reach which spreads as far as Australia – and a profound understanding of the cultural diversity that…
Kenya Pipeline Company
Realising a VisionWriter: Matthew StaffProject Manager: Eddie Clinton The past 12 months has represented a key period within Kenya Pipeline Company’s (KPC) long and esteemed history, comprising a series of industry challenges and internal goals being juggled in order to achieve relative success.With around 30 years of experience in overseeing all of the country’s major oil & gas construction projects, the pivotal energy sector operator is in a unique position of being 100 percent state-owned while still funding its own existence via the projects it undertakes; and with an industry very much in limbo on an international scale, yet a corporate strategy determined to transform and improve, the 2015-2016 chapter of the KPC story has been one of the Company’s most significant.“2015-16 was a year of many successes and challenges for KPC,” affirms the Company’s Managing Director, Joe Sang. “From a strategy perspective, we finalised and started by implementing our 10-year Corporate Strategic Plan, dubbed Vision 2025, which envisages our turnover growing to KES 150 billion and pre-tax profit to KES 80 billion by 2025.“Financially, our 2015-16 accounts are currently being audited, but we are confident we met our targets.”Completing the Sinendet-Kisumu pipeline and the leasing of the Petrocity Oil Depot in Konza over that time period, as well as advancing substantially on the landmark Mombasa-Nairobi pipeline project has ensured a natural continuation of its core objectives; and have been compounded also by a general broadening of the organisation via a more refined human resource and remuneration strategy, heightened shareholder engagement procedures, and perhaps most importantly, a more extensive…
STAG African
Accommodating an African TransformationWriter: Matthew StaffProject Manager: Stuart Parker STAG African’s dream of becoming the most innovative green Company on the African continent is well on its way to fruition following the completion of numerous projects ingratiated into its core model, while diversifying into myriad adjacent sectors through the optimisation of its guiding principles.Established in its current guise in 2008 as an organisation committed to producing more affordable student accommodation in South Africa, the pillars on which this vision was built incorporated sustainability, flexibility, technology, innovation and community. With affordability the umbrella keeping all of these facets aligned, STAG African soon made a name for itself in bringing much needed efficiencies and cost savings to a country having somewhat of an accommodation crisis.Education was required in most cases, and it’s not to say that the crisis is over, but STAG African, guided by its driven Managing Director (MD), John Schooling has certainly succeeded in making affordability and green solutions mainstream, with numerous opportunities both home and abroad being formulated as a consequence of these initial achievements.“It’s still a crisis in Africa as a whole with most students not able to afford the true cost of student accommodation and all of its operating costs,” he affirms. “Our new approach provides a sustainable solution guided by expectations of our own markets and bridging that gap to the expectations of universities and the current costs of student accommodation.“Our eight guiding principles can combine to drive affordable student accommodation, based on principles of the 21st century student lifestyle. Through these principles – namely…
Athena Properties
Breathing Life into East African Real EstateWriter: Emily JarvisProject Manager: Stuart Parker Having firmly established itself as the preferred property developer and urban management services firm in East Africa, known for its mixed-use developments and the creation of urban nodes, Centum Investments’ subsidiary, Athena Properties is capitalising on the Kenyan Government’s decentralisation initiative to tap into new real estate opportunities.Meanwhile, the Company’s existing significant projects – including Two Rivers mall, the largest retail centre in sub-Saharan Africa, and Pearl Marina, Uganda’s destination of choice for tourists and locals alike – are taking shape as planned; showcasing Athena’s unwavering commitment to developing landmark projects that incorporate global best practices.“Two Rivers mall is now ready for opening and occupation. The two office towers located at the top of the mall are in the final stages of completion and we are extremely pleased with progress of Phase 1 so far and are keen to push-on with Phase 2,” says Chris Ochieng, the Company’s Managing Director (MD). “Moreover, Pearl Marin Phase 1 is currently under construction with the show cluster scheduled to complete by November, 2016.”Tangible wealthSecuring these high-calibre flagship projects was thanks to both Athena’s passionate workforce and alignment with the Company’s core values to create long-term value and sustainable, tangible wealth for clients and stakeholders. As one of many regional real estate giants stepping up to the plate to answer East Africa’s call for an end-to-end seamless construction service – comprising land acquisition, master planning, urban planning, project management, construction management, development management and project finance right through to asset management…
Dickon Hall Foods
Passionate About FlavourWriter: Emily JarvisProject Manager: Joshua MannBy aligning its service offering with wider Libstar Group’s core values, Dickon Hall Foods has strengthened its market position to become a one-stop shop provider for fast-moving consumer goods (FMCGs) in the retail, wholesale, out-of-home and industrial sectors.Celebrating 25 years of operating excellence in the food industry as one of the first subsidiaries to be acquired and subsequently housed under the Libstar banner, Dickon Hall Foods continues to place innovation at the forefront of its activities, inventing new and exciting products to a world-class standard. This has long been a focus for the Company’s Managing Director, James Parkin.Supplying and manufacturing a diverse range of condiments, chutneys, salad dressings, mayonnaise, spreads, savoury dips, and sauces and marinades from its Southern Johannesburg facility in Southdale, Dickon Hall Foods proudly upholds a portfolio of more than 250 products available in both bulk and retail pack sizes; running at an annual production capacity of 25,000 tonnes.As the contract manufacturer for a whole host of multinational names including the likes of Nestlé, Tiger Brands, Nandos, Unilever and McDonalds, the Company has built a reputation as the trusted partner capable of “delighting and exceeding the expectations of key consumers, customers and their shoppers in selected markets in Africa and beyond”.Alongside this strong portfolio of branded products, Dickon Hall Foods has also been producing its own range of quality goods that the Company hopes to enhance by exploring growth opportunities in selected categories and markets.“Dickon Hall Foods is proud of its 25 years’ operating experience in the food…
BJK Industries
Quality, Reliability, NutritionWriter: Matthew StaffProject Manager: Joshua Mann Over the next 12 months, BJK Industries will be celebrating its 20th birthday, representing two decades of life at the top of South Africa’s import, manufacturing and distributing sector for the pet nutrition, livestock, pharmaceutical and aqua feed ingredients industries.Founded in 1997 by the then Tiger Brands Procurement Manager, Brendhan ‘Jock’ Kannemeyer, BJK was formed in collaboration with the globally renowned brand as a specialised outsource procurement agency to manage the influx of specialised essential ingredients to the organisation.Nearly 20 years on, and BJK’s customer count now stands at 53, highlighting the quick impact that the business has made in proving itself on the national and international stage. October, 2015 has more recently seen 50 percent of Kannemeyer’s Company sold to Leo Group UK, a world-leading producer that specialises in processed animal proteins and fats; the trading and distribution of which being BJK’s main business.Kannemeyer, the Company’s Chairman says: “Throughout the Company’s evolution the main continuous improvement strategies and philosophies have been around branding, quality, reliability and structured strategic partnerships with our suppliers and customers; and our focus on quality, reliability and nutrition especially ensures that the best ingredients are delivered directly to your factory door, in full, and on time.“We currently service the pet food, animal and aqua feed manufacturing industries in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, and Nigeria and continue to focus on, and expand into, the sub-Saharan and West African markets.”Leading supplierIncepted with a view to source critical ingredients for several leading food processing factories throughout South Africa,…
Winelands Pork
Top Quality from Farm to PlateWriter: Matthew StaffProject Manager: Joshua Mann As the first Pork 360 approved abattoir in South Africa, Winelands Pork has seemingly mastered its profession in the country, but refuses to rest on its laurels as a new slaughter line and a continuous refinement of its processes ensures even more sustained long-term progression.Founded in 2001 when a couple of farmers saw an opportunity to start their own abattoir, the vast operations that exist today are a far cry from the few hundred pigs a day enjoyed 15 years ago.Now boasting an export abattoir of more than 1,600 pigs each day, the second largest pig abattior in the country – with an equally extensive international reach – is right on course to meeting its ultimate objectives; driven by a shareholder structure conducive to the most streamlined of strategies.“Winelands Pork is owned by its shareholders who are all farmers producing pigs for the Company, hence the fact that we only have good, consistent, quality meat,” Winelands’ Managing Director, Ken Polley explains. “We sell fresh carcasses, primals, value-added products as well as pre-packed merchandise for selected retailers, but only use pigs from our own shareholders to guarantee constant high quality and safe meat for our customers.”Continuous improvement is now the name of the game for Winelands Pork, with a major upgrade to its slaughter line in the past 24 months paving the way for increased production capacities, an extension of its truck fleet to speed up deliveries, and the attainment of the all-important Pork 360 accreditation.“Pork 360 is a…
Berfin
Quality Foods from South AfricaWriter: Emily JarvisProject Manager: Joshua Mann Targeting manufacturers, wholesalers, supermarkets and the world’s leading retailers across 42 export markets from its strategic base in Cape Town, FMCG marketer, Berfin is hoping to increase its production capacities and export reach even further with the help of its aptitude for continuous improvement and innovation.Founded more than 20 years ago, and borne from the need for a vehicle to capitalise of the booming South African FMCG manufacturing industry, the Company has firmly established the international connections needed to take its brands to the next level and place the nation’s best-loved foods in foreign markets.“We have a very well-established high quality food manufacturing industry here in South Africa, and we quickly identified the potential to take South African food products to new markets. The UK was our first foreign market and remains among our established trading partners, with North America, Europe, Asia, Australasia, the Middle East and Africa today,” recalls Grant McGregor, Managing Director (MD), Berfin.Now part of Libstar Group of Companies, which comprises a large group of FMCG manufacturers and an extensive range of food and beverage products – from branded to private label products – Berfin continues to look for ways to retain its position as one of South Africa’s leading food marketers. By closely monitoring taste profiles and trends of customers around the world, and matching this with high quality products, the Company has maintained its reputation and good relationships which have stood the test of time.“From a logistics point of view, our unique positioning in…
Melissa’s The Food Shop
South Africa’s TrendsettersWriter: Emily JarvisProject Manager: Joshua Mann Working tirelessly to bring a vision for a quality South African food store to life over the past 20 years, Mark and Melissa van Hoogstraten are an entrepreneurial duo to watch. A Company closely intertwined with key events in their own family history, Melissa’s The Food Shop was founded on solid principals and a set of core beliefs that continue to drive the business to new heights today.“We opened our first Melissa’s store in August, 1996 in Kloof Street, Cape Town; in a South Africa in stark contrast to the one we inhabit today,” recalls Melissa van Hoogstraten. “The opening of our first store happened very much at the beginning of our life together and the business mirrors our lifestyle, values and appreciation for the classic and quality things in life. And so the story of our family has become the story of our business.”She adds: “Understanding the value of quality, where one appreciates that having less, but the best, more often than not leads to a richer experience. We value original, time-honoured principles and philosophies and it’s this value system that has driven our Company strategy. Melissa’s is therefore unique in that it is really selling a personal mantra rather than a brand. This is reflected in our stores and products which embody these values.”Consisting of 12 stores, eight of which are franchises and four Company-owned, Melissa’s has evolved into a multifaceted business comprised of a number of key units, including Melissa’s Food Shops, offering an unrivalled retail experience spanning…
Butler Foods
Innovative Convenience Foods with a Premium TasteWriter: Emily JarvisProject Manager: Joshua Mann Having shifted its focus to the convenience food market in response to the growing trend for quick and easy mealtimes, Butler Foods has witnessed exponential growth over the past five years of operation.As a young, South African-based player in the convenience food market, the Company has continually placed emphasis on sourcing high quality ingredients for its assortment of tasty meals and sauces to stand out in the ever-saturating market; with its two staple brands, Bread & Butler and Great Scott, quickly gaining national appeal.Celebrating its fifth birthday back in May, 2016, the Company has built the foundations on which to grow its product lines with the help of a research and development (R&D) team committed to developing innovative premium tasting foods.“Butler Foods has progressed from humble beginnings to exponential growth in just five years, with a total staff complement of 93 today,” says Francois Mouton, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO). “Our success is measured by the level of service we provide to our customers. Customer satisfaction and product development are what we pride ourselves on. Our customers know from the first day they do business with us that they will be greeted by a friendly face and treated with respect; and their orders will be handled correctly, quickly and efficiently.”This relationship with each and every customer is based on trust and respect, an ethos which is represented in the Company logo’s tagline, ‘how may we serve you?’ “It is our duty to continuously monitor market trends and…
VENCO Food Processors
Reaping the Fruits of Hard LabourWriter: Matthew StaffProject Manager: Joshua Mann With an astounding production volume of as much as 85,000 tonnes of citrus fruit per annum, VENCO Fruit Processors can confidently proclaim itself as one of the leading market operators in South Africa, but refuses to just stop there, with a host of innovative improvement strategies laid out for even more concerted future growth.Comprising a variety of lemon cultivars, Valencia oranges, Navel oranges and a plethora of soft citrus fruits, the VENCO portfolio deriving from the Company’s head office in Sundays River Valley represents almost unparalleled levels of efficiency throughout the refined manufacturing processes; allowing for maximum return on raw materials, zero product waste, and the flexibility to upgrade and enhance processes according to capacity growth.Such consistent operations can be attributed to the strength of combined ownership across Sundays River Citrus Company (SRCC) (35 percent), San Miguel Fruits South Africa (35 percent), Coerney Packers (10 percent), Sitrusrand Boerdery (10 percent) and Raptotron Investments (10 percent); a team that has seen VENCO branch out from its South African roots to export as far afield as Africa, Europe, the US, the Middle East, the Far East and Australia, and who can be lauded for setting the Company apart from its market competitors.“VENCO has a very strong business model where shareholders are also suppliers of raw materials, to ensure a guaranteed supply of raw material and to ensure customers’ product availability. Roughly 98 percent of the fruit we process is supplied by shareholders of VENCO,” General Manager, Andre Swart says. “We…
Greenway Farms (Pty) Ltd
Fruitful EntrepreneurshipWriter: Matthew StaffProject Manager: Joshua MannRugani Carrots represents a move into 21st century food often neglected in South Africa, and the Company behind the now renowned products – Greenway Farms – is now honing in on a diversification strategy to ensure even more concerted growth in the future.Formulated in 1988, the Rugani journey to today’s thriving family-run enterprise can be split into numerous succinct periods of evolution off the back of financial struggles, outdated methods, industry epiphanies, fiscal revivals and revolutionary breakthroughs. Present throughout all of the above though has been the Managing Director, Vito Rugani; an executive who has never been one to rest on his laurels or to avoid exploring the unexplored in order to achieve the seemingly impossible.He recalls back to the Company’s early days: “My business partner and I brought the Company together in our late 20s-early 30s having both come from farming backgrounds ourselves, and we began with a very traditional farming business with numerous crops, everything done by hand and the products then loaded up to be taken to the various markets.“However, by the early ‘90s we realised we were going nowhere; our wages were low but still a vast percentage of our turnover, so something was wrong with our business.”A subsequent foray into international domains brought to light the mistakes that were being made, not just by Greenway Farms, but indeed much of South Africa’s farming community. Australia’s model, for example, emphasised that such processes hadn’t been used there for nigh on a century, and it was clear that an…