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