Supply Chain
The International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Outlining the evolution of Imperial’s
predicts that no continent will grow
Africa strategy, Truter notes that it
more strongly than Africa over the com-
began with transport companies in
ing years, while McKinsey and Company
South Africa that offered cross bor-
statistics reveal that the region’s con-
der services. From this more tradi-
sumer-facing industries are expected to
tional transport based service, Imperial
grow by over $400 billion by 2020. It
expanded its service offering with dis-
is for these reasons that global compa-
tributor capabilities, in order to meet
nies are increasingly setting their sights
clients’ “sell your product” needs. “We
on Africa. “Along with the opportunities,
moved into Africa’s consumer market
however, come challenges and risks,”
with the acquisition of CIC Holdings,
Truter cautions.
through which we are now operating
extensively within the FMCG industry,
with a service offering that includes
distributorships, merchandising, warehousing, distribution, debtors’ adminis-
tration and staffing solutions.”
There is no ‘one size fits all’
Imperial’s Africa division CEO Dougie Truter
Imperial entered the pharmaceutical
approach to the African
space with the acquisition of Imperial
consumer or the African
Health Sciences - which is one of
market. Distinct consumer segments exist,
Africa’s leading pharmaceutical and healthcare supply chain
service providers, specialising in multichannel solutions for
with significant variation by country.
delivering essential medicines and consumer health products
The legal systems are as varied as the languages
in South Africa and to Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique,
spoken. Cash presents risks and challenges.
Zambia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Uganda, Ethiopia, Rwanda,
Zimbabwe, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire and Nigeria.
The complexity of doing business in Africa
Today, Imperial is the only company that can take products
cannot be overemphasised,” he stresses, and
from manufacturing to the point of purchase in both a southcites the example of a multinational aiming to
ern African and Pan-African context.
grow in Africa, but having to deal with hundreds
“Build your brand” refers to the group’s brand activation serof small distributors spread across a host of
vices – to its unique ability to “pull” products through the value
countries, and expecting from them the same
chain to the consumer.
governance and control as they would have with
The latest development in this space is Imperial’s acquisition
a large, world-class distributor.
of mobile firm, Resolve Mobile.
The aim of Imperial’s approach, Truter states, is to minimise
the risks and complexities for clients seeking to enter or grow
in the African market; to simplify business in Africa for them,
and offer a single point of contact that can deliver world class
service, standards, governance and control.
The group is doing this by offering a total, end-to-end value
proposition that is summed up in its catch phrase: “Get you
there; sell your product; build your brand”.
It is a strategy that is built on the foundation of Imperial’s
understanding of the dynamic and ever expanding demands
of the African consumer, as well as knowledge and experi-
On a continent where mobile is the primary
mass communication source, and cell phone
advertising and marketing is set to grow rapidly,
it’s a significant move, Truter notes, adding
that Imperial has plans to leverage its mobile
capability to offer clients digital marketing
opportunities.
ence – built up over more than 40 years – of the continent’s
challenges.
continued on page 16
october 2014 • logistics in action •
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