Africa

Jane Bordenave revisits Retsol to learn about the dramatic changes that have taken place over the past year; and to find out more about chairman Wayne Duncan’s ambitious plans for the future.

A lot has changed since we last spoke to Retsol in 2009. The company, which was established in 2002, was working with Unilever to manage two of its franchises in ice cream and health food. It was also involved in the fast food and bakery markets, independent of Unilever—however, since then the firm has undergone a major overhaul.

As the world emerges from global recession, the prospects look good for the rapidly expanding Barcelos brand. Ben Sansom discovers how good quality rustic Portuguese cooking has been turned into a global restaurant franchise.

When Nairobi residents Howard Crooks and Derek Oatway got fed up with playing golf and decided to start a business together in 1994, their attention was captured by a small security company based on the coast at Mombasa. Senior consultant Rocky Hitchcock tells John O’Hanlon how KK Security brought professionalism to East Africa’s security industry.

Looking at the bigger picture has always been a must for success; and in the case of Devmark Property Group, it led to a withdrawal from the residential market just before the bottom dropped out. Founder and group managing director Hein Ehlers tells all to Andrew Pelis.

Formed during the dark days of apartheid, Shereno Printers has undergone exponential growth since the end of that repressive regime. Gay Sutton talks to administration manager Vee Garrib about the company’s long history of investing in people and the power of the printed word.

Given the right background and a sound strategy, some businesses can take off like a rocket, as Alan Swaby discovers.

How would you take a start-up business from zero to a turnover of R2 billion in just five years? Well, the way that Johan Fouché did it was by creating an independent fuel wholesaling business, under the auspices of South Africa’s Black Economic Empowerment programme (BEE).

South Africa’s clothing retail sector has faced a challenge as customers find themselves with lower disposable incomes. Lily Moreira, managing director at John Craig, tells Andrew Pelis how tough times have sparked new ideas.

Tough times call for tough measures, or so the saying goes. But for one South African business, the current economic retail slump has led to rather more creative measures as it has cut its cloth accordingly.

SABMiller, the world’s second biggest brewer by volume, has reported a 13 per cent rise in interim profits.

The London-based brewer’s results were boosted by this summer’s World Cup and sales growth in emerging markets.

The group’s portfolio of brands includes international beers such as Pilsner Urquell, Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Miller Genuine Draft and Grolsch, as well as brands such as Aguila, Castle, Miller Lite, Snow and Tyskie. SAB is also one of the world’s largest bottlers of Coca-Cola products.

BP has announced the sale of its Southern African forecourt network to Puma Energy, a unit of international commodities trader Trafigura, for $296 million.

BP is selling its interests in forecourts and supply businesses in Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Tanzania and Malawi. The sales do not include BP's refining and marketing businesses in Mozambique or South Africa.

Angola's state-owned oil company Sonangol will buy a 10 per cent stake in Puma's newly acquired assets.