African Mining October 2019 | Page 39

MINING IN FOCUS  on value systems and, secondly, on passion. Passion for what you do, and passion for making South Africa a better place for all,” says Joe. The development of young engineers is something very close to the hearts of the Brinkmanns, as well as Letsoalo and Raseroka. “Bringing young people into the business is key for any company. And instilling the right values is critical. A ‘tenderpreneur’ attitude and culture is not what South Africa needs right now,” says Raseroka. “They should aim to build a legacy instead. I’m hoping to make a difference at Jet Demolition in this way – to develop skills, and leave a lasting impact,” he says. “It’s sad that most young people entering industry today want to become involved in procurement,” says Letsoalo. “It shows the impact of the ‘tenderpreneur’ culture that has taken hold, and the shambles it has left the supply chain profession in. I would like to share the experiences that I’ve had in the industry, and make sure we build a strong value system in the organisation, in respect of governance, ethics, and social responsibility,” says Letsoalo. “I want to make a difference in working with the youth and entrepreneurs to ensure they become competitive and sustainable,” she adds. Although Jet Demolition already has a significant presence in the rest of Africa, one of its goals is to grow the company’s footprint across the continent. Letsoalo and Raseroka have worked in a number of other African countries, and it is through driving growth in Africa where they are expected to make their biggest contribution to the Jet Demolition family. Joe says the company will make a concerted effort to develop their interests in the rest of Africa, but that this will be done in a responsible fashion. “We want to make sure that we partner with local companies with the same values, and that are doing the right things in the right way. There is a lot of space for us to grow into the rest of Africa,” says Joe. Growing into Africa Liz Brinkmann, executive director at Jet Demolition. He mentions countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Angola, and Zimbabwe as other countries of interest, noting that Zimbabwe is experiencing difficulties in terms of currency issues. “Overall, I see a lot of opportunity in Africa,” he says. “We should work towards real transformation and not just ticking boxes. BEE partners should add value and assist the company in growing beyond where it is now.” “I love doing business in Africa, and let’s not forget that South Africa is part of Africa. I lived in Nigeria for two years, and have been involved in business deals in more than half of the countries on the African continent,” says Raseroka, adding that Ethiopia and the DRC are probably the two countries to look out for in the near future, despite the fact that both are facing significant challenges. Raseroka says that, from January next year, he will aggressively start looking at growing the business into the African market. www. africanmining.co.za African Mining Publication “I would add Zambia to that list. There are many blue-chip companies I work with that are currently developing their growth strategies into Africa, especially into Lesotho and Mozambique. Ghana has world-class supply chain policies, and is attracting a lot of international investment,” says Letsoalo. Letsoalo believes the Jet Demolition’s B-BBEE deal could be regarded as a benchmark for other companies in South Africa. “More companies are now aware that they cannot just seal a B-BBEE deal for the sake of sealing a deal. The biggest positive about this deal is that we have become part and parcel of building the organisation. Jet Demolition is where it is because of capable people who came up with the idea and built it into what it is today. With us being part of that now, we can all learn from each other, as we all bring our unique skills, experience, and backgrounds. It is a recipe for success,” Letsoalo concludes.  African Mining African Mining  October 2019  37