BT has been present in South Africa for more than 17 years and is continuing to expand its operations in sub-Saharan Africa. BT Communications Services South Africa entered into an agreement with AEEI, under which AEEI holds a 30% share in BT’s South African business. This partnership is a demonstration of BT’s long-term commitment to South Africa and the B-BBEE agenda.

Market/services

BT is focused on serving the increasing requirements of both South Africa-based multinationals expanding globally as well as global companies that are expanding their presence into South Africa and the rest of Africa. BT has experience across all industry sectors and has unrivalled expertise in the financial services, mining, oil and gas, government, health care and media and broadcast sectors.

Customers include more than 300 blue chip clients in South Africa, including Anglo American, Unilever, Thomson Reuters, Barclays Bank Africa and VISA.

BT has extended its next-generation global IP network into South Africa to three global points of presence within South Africa. BT’s Global Media Network is also being extended to South Africa with the deployment of the media and broadcast node in Johannesburg, enabling the delivery of high-quality, real-time video content between South Africa and popular media hubs worldwide.

BT has also extended its global managed voice network into South Africa, providing carrier-grade global voice services including global termination services for outbound voice requirements both mobile and fixed-line originated, global inbound voice services for South African call centre operations, as well as extending BT Conferencing services into the region.

On top of these network services delivered by the BT 21st Century Network platform globally, BT also delivers unified communications and collaboration services, including Immersive Telepresence, Managed LAN and IPT services as well as the Security and Consulting services that form an essential part of these offerings. BT has been present in South Africa for more than 17 years and is continuing to expand its operations in Sub Saharan Africa.

Note: BT and its profits are now disclosed under the technology division.

Through the years, the majority of Saab’s business units have been active in South Africa and involved in developing solutions for the African Armed Forces in a number of different areas.

Saab has reinforced its position as a leading South African defence and security company, bringing capabilities including electronic warfare systems, sensor technology, command and control, training systems, avionics, security and support solutions to the African and international markets.

With new and improved technological systems and solutions, Saab increases a country’s defence capabilities and provides innovative, effective products and services for those tasked to maintain security. The Company also works with various stakeholders in gathering data and providing insight into how security threats evolve and what the best market-customised solutions are.

Saab is able to work with customers to create solutions that meet their needs and budgets and many of the Company’s solutions can be retrofitted to existing infrastructure, further enhancing their versatility and cost-efficiency.

As the exporting of products represents almost 75% of the South African company’s total turnover, Saab was awarded the Best Exporter Award by the SA Premier Business Awards in 2013, 2014 and 2016. Hosted by the Department of Trade and Industry in partnership with Proudly South Africa and Brand South Africa, the award recognises the spirit of success, innovation and good business ethics in the economy.

Important markets beyond the country’s borders is where the Company intends to maintain and expand its successes include India, Asia Pacific and Europe. On the continent, markets of particular focus include Namibia, Botswana, Kenya, Ghana and Nigeria, while the Company’s solutions and services are at home in many nations beyond these. Saab and Tata Power Strategic Engineering Division recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding as part of the ’Make in India’ programme that promotes defence trade manufacturing in India and creates new export opportunities for South Africa.

Saab offers practical services to a wide range of sectors, including conservation, mining, health support services, peace-keeping, air traffic control, weather forecasting and other sectors that require sophisticated military-grade technology to deliver the best solutions for civilian safety and protection. The Company’s local aeronautics business focuses on the marketing and sales of all aeronautics products and services, programme components and support for its Gripen Fighter System, supplied to the South African Air Force.

With 650 members of staff across two campuses in Pretoria and Cape Town, the Company represents the second largest of Saab’s workforces worldwide out of the 70 countries in which it operates, with the local team researching, developing, producing, exporting, maintaining and upgrading world-standard technologies.

Pioneer Foods was established in 1997 and listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) in 2008.

Pioneer Foods is one of the largest South African producers and distributors of a range of branded food and beverage products. The Group operates mainly across South Africa, providing wholesale, retail and informal trade customers with products of a consistently high standard. Pioneer Foods exports to more than 60 countries across the globe. The growing international business represents 21% of operating profit.

The Group operates a number of world-class production facilities producing a range of products that includes some of the most recognisable and best loved brand names in South Africa, including the following power brands: Weet-Bix, Liqui-Fruit, Ceres, Sasko, Safari, Spekko and White Star.

They have three main divisions:

• Essential Foods – manufactures wheat and maize products, pasta; it packs rice, beans and other dried vegetables and has large bakery operations;
• Groceries – produces breakfast cereals, rusks, cake mixes, baking aids, dried fruit products, nuts, sweet and savoury spreads, processed salads, long-life fruit juices, fruit concentrate mixtures and dairy fruit blends; and
• International – is primarily structured around an export business model which is managed across two channels, namely Africa and rest of the world. This division also incorporates the Group’s fruit operations and the wholly owned Bokomo Foods UK business.

They have joint venture investments based in South Africa, Nigeria, Botswana and Namibia which include:

• Heinz Foods SA (49.9%)
• Bowman Ingredients South Africa (50%)
• Bokomo Namibia (50%)
• Bokomo Botswana (50%)
• Food Concepts Pioneer Ltd, Nigeria (50.1%)
• Alpen Food Company SA (50%)
• Amigear Ventures Botswana (49%)

Sygnia is an innovative FinTech Company based in South Africa and listed on the main board of the JSE. The Company provides asset management, stockbroking and administration services, as well as a wide range of savings products, to institutional and retail clients. All that they do is supported by leading-edge technology platforms.

The main services provided by Sygnia include: asset management, transaction management, investment administration, liability administration, stockbroking and digital financial advice.

The primary institutional clients span both the private and public sector and include retirement funds, Umbrella Funds, life insurers, third-party multi-managers, endowments and other special purpose funds. The primary retail clients include individual members and beneficiaries of retirement funds, as well as the wider individual savings market.

Sygnia manages and administers assets on behalf of over 600 domestic and international institutional clients and over 6 000 individual clients. The integrity of these relationships is the core of their business. Sygnia’s principal geographic focus is South Africa, where it has been operating in its current form since November 2006.

Sygnia at a glance:

• R174bn in assets under management and administration
• R14bn in unit trusts since launch in 2012
• Over 600 institutional clients (domestic and international)
• Over 6 000 individual clients
• Over 190 employees
• Market disruptor business strategy
• Focus on innovation through technology
• Most cost-effective savings products in South Africa, with fees starting at 0.40% per annum
• Level 2 contributor in terms of the Financial Sector Charter