'Finding the right people is crucial'

Having the right people on the ground remains the one key ingredient for success in Africa, according to UTi’s Michelle Tinkhof and Gerald Povey. The supply chain management company has continued to see growth in its African operations year-on-year and says that while a client-centric focus with innovative solutions goes a long way in Africa, the biggest asset for success is the people employed. “Africa is vast and different. No two countries are the same,” says Tinkhof. “We have found that the Francophone countries are more challenging than the Anglophone and Lucophone countries due to the bureaucracy and language barriers to operate in these territories. One therefore needs the right people on the ground that converse and understand the policies and procedures.” According to Povey there has been substantial growth in the company’s business into sub- Saharan Africa from South Africa and other developing markets. “Our main growth has been in our core verticals which are automotive, pharmaceutical, consumer and retail. Our original Africa strategy was developed around the projects, mining and energy sectors and in these markets we have also seen an upturn over the last 12 months.” Tinkhof and Povey agree that corruption remains a challenge in parts of Africa. “UTi is a signatory to the Foreign Corrupt Practice Act (FCPA) and therefore will not get involved in any acts of corruption. This is very important for companies operating in Africa. At the same time it is just as important to have a full understanding of local policies and procedures within the different countries before operating in them and then finding the right partners to deliver enterprise-wide solutions is crucial.” Tinkhof says much effort goes into finding the right people to work with in each country. “There is no one size fits all approach. The same goes for service providers as it is about having the right people in place to provide a predictable service in airfreight, seafreight and roadfreight.” This helps to overcome the challenges of bureaucracy and corruption. “Africa has major potential and we are definitely seeing an improvement in infrastructure, particularly on roads and ports in the Southern and Eastern parts of Africa, while there are also areas in the West where the upgrades are taking effect. Rail infrastructure, however, remains lacking throughout the continent.” According to Povey, as more infrastructure goes up more opportunities become available. “UTi sees Africa as a growth region for the organisation and has prioritised certain countries and regions of Africa to expand and grow our services into.” He said Southern and East Africa as well as selected countries in West Africa had been identified. INSERT There is no one size fits all approach.