Inspection and verification company SGS has seen significant growth in Africa, especially Tanzania and Botswana. According to business manager Viviane Lokale, SGS has achieved growth of around 35% in these markets where the company has commissioned two green fields agriculture and consumer testing services laboratories. “In addition we won a big contract in minerals services,” she told FTW. “In inspections Kenya remains our main financial hub as it contributes significantly to revenue. “While we grow our geographic footprint in Africa, we are also building the South African business to affiliate it within the larger SGS Group,” she said. “In South Africa all the business units are operational in the SGS Group, with our offices in Booysens serving as the head office in the country. We have regional offices in Mpumalanga, Durban, Cape Town and Randburg.” The company also recently established a state-of-the-art laboratory in Maitland in Cape Town for microanalysis and food sampling, with a second laboratory in Somerset West whose core business is the sampling and testing of agricultural products. The sector is fiercely competitive, with a handful of companies vying for the same business. “Clients are very hesitant to move all their businesses to one company, especially if they already have long-standing business relationships with another company,” said Lokale, “but loyalty does go a long way and often clients will appoint a company to manage their business based on that loyalty relationship.”
