TSEBO SOLUTIONS GROUP: Transformational, Client-Centric Solutions to Support Success

“A workplace that works for you.” Creating this is what drives everything that Tsebo does, with its more than 40,000 employees across nearly 30 countries having transformed thousands of client sites into those offering the height of workplace productivity, which in turn breeds sustained success. “The health, safety and wellbeing of our clients, employees and communities is our number one priority,” Tsebo says.

“Developing our people – the heart of Tsebo – is the foundation of our purpose. We develop people, to serve people and to uplift society. The result is a knowledgeable workforce that is in touch with every nuance of our clients’ needs.

“Through hard work and dedication to the task at hand our people advance the true potential of our clients.” An increasingly crucial aspect of any successful business, at its core workplace management solutions refers to an all-encompassing, holistic approach to an industry whose central ethos is, in essence, people taking care of people.

“We offer customised integrated workplace management solutions built upon 50 years of proven experience,” Tsebo neatly condenses of its overarching mission. “Beneath our strategic efforts lies a robust dedication to sustainable development and equal opportunity employment, which has seen Tsebo emerge as a progressive African corporate entity.”

AFRICA-UNIQUE SOLUTIONS

Four core values lie beneath Tsebo’s proven ability to time and again achieve the central aspects of its vision to be the Pan-African leader in integrated workplace management solutions, and the partner of choice to current and prospective clients operating in the region.

“We embrace highly ethical, moral and respectful behaviour, without exception,” Tsebo declares of its famous integrity while the enterprise it promotes drives it to, “seek opportunity, respond rapidly, strive for continuous improvement and behave like intrapreneurs.

“We care for people, communities and the environment and are industrious, efficient and dependable,” states this most diligent of businesses, unique in Africa as the only workplace management solutions provider that combines local expertise with global standards. “Our significant footprint across Africa Middle East means that the economic and social impact of our operations reaches well beyond our working environment and affects the lives of millions of people,” Tsebo explains.

“We have a deeply ingrained understanding of operating in local communities and cultures across Africa, and our people, the essence of our business, are experts in what they do.” A Level 1 B-BBEE employer and inclusivity champion, with a 2.3% disabled workforce, even Tsebo’s choice of shareholders furthers its authentically African approach, including Investec, Nedbank Private Equity and Standard Chartered.

The synergy of these two vital characteristics has enabled Tsebo to grow into the foremost workplace management solutions provider across Africa Middle East, creating tangible and sustainable value for clients by improving their workplace productivity and, simply, ‘a workplace that just works.’

“We can provide single-point service accountability for more than 100 distinct services,” Tsebo furthers, of which some of the principle offerings include facilities management, catering, cleaning, security, remote camps, hygiene, procurement and energy. In addition to these services, the company manages various specialised outsourced services on clients’ behalf, including laundry, catering, lift maintenance, landscaping and much more, in a portfolio that continues to expand.

Its vast range of expertise in turn allows Tsebo to service numerous sectors, across a diverse range of geographies, ethnicities, languages, religions and cultures, including mining, healthcare, financial services, and industrials and create, manage and maintain safe and healthy work environments. Whether city-based corporate headquarters or difficult to reach remote sites, Tsebo ultimate enhances not only productivity, but also transparency and compliance.

“By taking time to understand our clients’ businesses we create bespoke and agile solutions to meet their needs,” the company underlines. “This allows Tsebo to remain relevant and helps our clients reduce risk, complexity and cost.

“We use global best practice systems of quality management, ethics, health and safety and environmental protection. Our knowledge is our clients’ advantage. We set out to provide our clients with Workplace Solutions that support their success, whilst creating opportunity for upliftment for our people and communities.”

GOLDEN JUBILEE

“For more than 50 years, we have been reimagining the world of work and building a legacy for the businesses, communities and employees of the future,” effuses Tsebo Group CEO Tim Walters, and the celebration of its half century was notched up as it proudly retained and strengthened its Level 1 B-BBEE certification with a procurement recognition of 135% for its clients. Currently, black ownership stands at 53.7% and this component continues to grow, joined by a 45.9% black female ownership element.

A host of exciting, innovative initiatives that evince its ability to adapt to the prevailing climate and cater accordingly also greet the group’s 50th birthday, including Tsebo Agile Solutions, app-based food ordering and delivery, Aerial Surveillance Solutions and Tsebo’s second state-of-the-art National Control and Command Centre (NCC), among many others.

“We use technology to augment service excellence,” Walters says, and over the last five decades Tsebo has built a reputation based on service, innovation and growth, evolving from a single catering contract. In 1971, Fedics pioneered the concept of contract catering which simply did not exist in South Africa at the time, an ethos which it has steadfastly maintained over the ensuing half-century which has entailed multiple mergers, acquisitions and new markets conquered before the rebrand to Tsebo Solutions Group during the 2010s.

“In the current economic climate it is amazing that Tsebo has a proven track record in excess of 50 years,” recognises Brett Hoppé, General Manager of one of Tsebo’s key partners, Sun City Resort. One of South Africa’s most popular holiday destinations, it is a complex and extremely diverse engineering setup requiring the full depth of Tsebo’s expertise and knowledge to deal with the more than 5,000 maintenance job tickets issued monthly.

“We are really proud of our association with Tsebo and its 50 years of cumulative intellect and expertise, and thankful for our partnership with their Engineering Solutions Team.” An excellent example of Tsebo’s enduring tenacity, the Sun City partnership is its biggest engineering contract to date, encapsulating the ambitious nature which has enabled Tsebo to survive and thrive throughout the last 50 years of organic growth, mergers and acquisitions, people development, capacity building and innovation.

“As a client-centric business, people remain at the core of everything that we do,” Tim Walters sums up as Tsebo looks ahead to completing its century. “Our people are our legacy, and by partnering with and developing people we have touched tens of thousands of lives across Africa.

“Our initiatives are key to empowering people, and exceeding world-class operational standards. Tsebo has always understood its higher purpose: to build an inclusive and sustainable society, by developing and serving people and uplifting the world around us. Our legacy lives on through our people, clients and stakeholders, without whom 50 years of Tsebo would not have been possible.”