July 2016

This month we follow the theme of ‘international expansion’; growing beyond the borders of South Africa and the African continent; building relationships and markets in countries that are different and not what we’re used to.

While many of the big-name, well-recognised companies have already made this move, it’s not something that offers the certainty of success. There’s many that have failed in Nigeria, Ghana or Zimbabwe; Europe and the US are extremely difficult and the Far East is a logistical nightmare. But for those who get it right, the rewards can be enormous.

Our lead features come from BCE Foodservice Equipment, the SKA Project and Tsebo Facilities Solutions, and these are all companies and projects that have had success across different territories. The SKA Project is an example of how to build effective communication between many different parties from many different disciplines; BCE is taking the cautious approach and building its brand from within while researching international markets before jumping in, and Tsebo FS has firmly set out its vision of becoming Africa’s preferred supplier. We also learn more about Van Schaik Bookstores, Nampak, Edcon and Osmond Lange Architects all of whom are expanding into Africa.

When political, economic and financial elements are all uncertain, this type of expansion can be hugely risky. Following the ‘Brexit’, many global markets have been thrown into turmoil and this creates a challenging environment for growth so we want to explore how successful companies achieve success and applaud them for their work.

If you have managed to expand internationally, get in touch with us @EnterpriseAfri1