Reference no: EM133345824
Case Study: Sefalana mission statement
"Exceeding our customer expectations through the provision of a pleasant and affordable experience in FMCG, Manufacturing, Automotive, and Property, served by highly motivated and empowered staff, delivering superior shareholder value that exhibits profitability and sustainability".
Our Sefalana
Our Sefalana can safely boast to be a major player in Botswana's Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sector. Its headquarters are located in Gaborone, Botswana's capital city.
Since its inception in 1974, our Group can point out that we have grown our operations in leaps and bounds across Botswana with an aggressive regional expansion into South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho and Zambia. Our main focus is on the fundamental FMCG business, but the Group remains well diversified in manufacturing, focusing on products such as UHT milk, breakfast cereal meals, soaps and detergents.
Also, Our Group has a foothold in the regional property market, accompanied by three automotive dealerships (HONDA, TATA and MAN). This diversification drive has contributed to the delivery of sustained growth over our 44 years of trading. This year has been a very exciting year for us, and we have great pleasure in articulating this to our valued Shareholders, potential investors and other stakeholders, in this annual report.
Sefalana was created in 1974 and a year later was the first company to list on the Botswana Stock Exchange. After 44 years of operation and an ever-changing business environment, our Group remains the only listed company in Botswana without a controlling shareholder. This has enabled us to hold strong to our status as a truly Botswana company, made for the people of Botswana, by the people of Botswana.
Our operations commenced by purchasing the local activities of Bechmalt Holdings Limited, a South African company consisting of 6 wholesale units, 1 maize mill and a staff complement of only 233 individuals. Over the years, we have nurtured our business, allowing it to flourish into a prominent player in the market. We now own 73 stores across 3 countries and employ over 3 200 employees.
Our shareholding is still significantly held by Botswana citizens or citizen-based institutions. We are proud of this as this is where our journey began. The majority of our shareholders have remained shareholders for many years and have supported us in each major phase of our growth strategy. We would like to acknowledge that and show our appreciation for the confidence you have placed in us. In return, we are pleased to report our best-ever set of results.
In 2013, the Board of Directors met to formulate a five-year strategy given the onset of difficult trading conditions in the Botswana market. The Board recognized the saturation levels in the FMCG sector and had to devise a strategy that would help maintain the Group's position as one of the bestperforming listed companies in Botswana.
Sefalana sa Rona - Your basket of opportunities. Adapted from https://www.sefalana.com: [Accessed 13 October 2022].
Case Questions
Question 1 Evaluate the mission statement for Sefalana based on any FOUR characteristics of a good mission statement.
Question 2 Describe the level of strategy that is referred to in the case, highlighting the main areas covered by the strategy.
Question 3 Discuss how Sefalana benefited by listing on the Botswana Stock Exchange in 1974.
Question 4 Discuss the major strategies used by Sefalana in the case. Support your answer by citing relevant examples from the case.
Question 5 Assume that Sefalana were to face serious operational challenges and decided to use defensive strategies. Discuss any FOUR defensive strategies that Sefalana could use in reducing the impact of the challenges.