OVERVIEW
QUARTER 3
QUARTER 4
customers by means of producer clinics. 2 478
producers were reached through this pro-
gramme.
An interim dividend of 27c/share was declared
and paid.
The share repurchase programme was conclu
ded on 29 January 2018, with a 100% success
rate in respect of price as well as expected
volumes.
Univision Broker Services was mandated to
handle and finalise Santam short-term insurance
claims in future.
The holding company of the insurance division,
SENWK, which is a joint venture with NWK,
obtained an underwriting agency for the under-
writing of crop and related risks.
Senwes received an award for the best risk
management in the agriculture, forestry and
fishery sector.
A fire destroyed the Hartswater branch and the
Petrusburg and Bloemfontein silos were also
damaged by fire. Emergency plans were imple-
mented and the Hartswater branch operations
were temporarily moved to the silo site.
Hinterland upgraded its Delmas, Middelburg and Newcastle branches in or-
der to improve service delivery, the product offering and the buying experi-
ence.
57 retail businesses previously operating under the Senwes Village and Afgri
Town & Country trademarks, were rebranded to Hinterland.
The Human Resources division launched its new, integrated management sys-
tem to increase efficiencies and control.
Certisure, the insurance company, obtained a 30% share in IP Brokers, thereby
expanding its presence in Ventersdorp and Potchefstroom.
Grasland increased the production of its Buhrmansdrif mine by 129% by
means of a quantum upgrading of its plant.
The Senwes loyalty scheme product offering was expanded by means of an
agreement with McCarthy, in terms of which vehicles can be bought at good
discounts by Senwes Fleet, its personnel and clients. In addition, R55/ton was
allocated to customers who made use of our storage and marketing services
and 0,75% was returned to clients in respect of interest on Senwes Credit
accounts.
Senwes increased exposure to its brand through the Senwes Spinners cricket
tournament and the Nation in Conversation television series.
Senwes Grainlink upgraded its Makokskraal silo to improve service delivery.
Senwes Credit launched its structured finance unit, which will focus on tailor-
made, specialised finance products for the high value client segment.
The group finalised the amalgamation and restructuring of the property mainte-
nance division and the capital projects office will be rendering these services in
future.
Senwes approved a project to consolidate data and voice communication
whereby the average network will be increased by 50 times its current size.
Advanced technology will be implemented over the next 12 months in terms of
this project, which will create further integration opportunities with other appli-
cations being used.
OVERVIEW | THE BUSINESS | STRATEGIC AND OPERATING CONTEXT | CORPORATE GOVERNANCE | FINANCIAL REVIEW
Prodist went through a restructuring process
to align with economic realities.
Nation in Conversation received the Writers’
Award for SA for the programme’s contribution
to agriculture.
Tradevantage, the grain trading house, im-
proved its B-BBEE-status to a level 4 for the
next year during this quarter.
Tradevantage also successfully renewed the
Meadows contract until 2020.
Senwes Credit went through a restructuring
process to enable the division to implement its
new strategy.
Senwes Equipment expanded its JCB agency
to the Northern Cape.
Grasland's lime plant at Britten mine was up-
graded in order to increase productivity by
15%.
OTKV, the mining company in the lime group
Grasland, concluded a B-BBEE transaction,
and a 26% share was sold to, inter alia, mine
personnel, black entrepreneurs as well as the
B-BBEE-companies of the two shareholders.
Hinterland, the retail business, opened a new
OK Foods in Bultfontein and implemented the
OK loyalty scheme.
Grainovation, the joint venture logistics com-
pany with Imperial, expanded its own fleet ca-
pacity by 41%.
Senwes Equipment increased its visibility to
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