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FEATURES
But the company has no intention of standing still. At 40
years, it has just begun a new process to ramp up to newer
and bigger things. “It feels like the company is growing up,
and like we are all playing a part in that,” says Kololo.
Recently, the company was bought into by entrepreneur
and law graduate Zweli Mntambo; a relationship that
Burgess describes as being a moment of sublime luck.
“Zweli is a friend of my brother John. John arranged for
me and MD Craig Preston to meet Zweli at Killarney Golf
Clubhouse to give us advice on a way forward for our
B-BBEE. We explained that we wanted to be involved
with someone who would add value and take us in the
right direction; also importantly, to do it properly — no
window dressing,” he says, adding, “After meeting Zweli
and thanking him for the meeting, he was so impressed
with our story of uplifting people, how we treat people,
and generally wanting to make a big difference to South
Africa, that he decided to buy into the business.”
Burgess is full of praise for the company’s new partner,
explaining that Mntambo supports the company
unconditionally, allowing the company freedom to
operate while also setting beneficial outcomes and
targets. “Zweli is a strategic thinker and unlocks our
November 2018 Volume 24 I Number 9
thinking on an ongoing basis. We now believe that we
can grow the business simply by focusing on the things
we have been doing right all along,” says Burgess.
Meanwhile, Mntambo’s son Mzwakhe Mntambo has also
been appointed non-executive director and has been
working his way through the ranks at the company to
ensure he understands exactly what is going on at all
levels; meaning that as well as feeling like one, Burgess
and Partners is now actually a family business.
“My father and I share a lot of things in common with Chris.
We believe in good values and in developing people. No
one came here to change that. We are agreed that good
relationships with clients and staff will be core to whatever
we decide to do in the future, because that is what makes a
company sustainable,” Mzwakhe Mntambo explains.
Having already expanded into Cape Town, Burgess and
Partners looks like a company that on its 40th anniversary, is
destined to only grow significantly larger before its 50th.
“One of Zweli’s phrases he gave us when we first met
was, ‘Black and white united in action for generations to
come’ — that really stuck with us,” says Burgess. PA
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