About AABS Case Studies

With the rise of experiential learning, case studies remain a fundamental teaching tool in every subject area within the business school discipline. Those cases with a local focus are critical to developing business school curriculum in the emerging economies. AABS is devoted to developing high-quality cases focused on the African region. For any request or additional information please email us : info@aabschools.com

ABOUT AABS CASE STUDIES

The details of over 500 African case study abstracts are listed in the AABS case study database.

HOW TO ORDER A CASE STUDY

To order the case study please contact the institution or case clearing house listed alongside the case study. Fees will vary depending on the case, where it originated, what it is to be used for, the number of students using it and whether you are a member of that institution. Each institution will be able to provide a guideline as to the costs involved.

PERSONNEL POLICIES AT PARAGON MERCHANT BANK PLC (PART II)

This is the second of a two-case series. The case is useful for a Strategy course or a HR Management course. The main objective of Part I is to examine the fit between the HR strategy and the business strategy. The objective of Part II is to get parti

PERSONNEL POLICIES AT PARAGON MERCHANT BANK PLC (PART I)

This is the first of a two-case series. The case is useful for a Strategy course or a HR Management course. The main objective of Part I is to examine the fit between the HR strategy and the business strategy. The objective of Part II is to get partic

MASSEY STREET CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, a highly successful Nigerian indigenous “new generation” bank, decided to devote 2% of its profit before tax to corporate donations and to concentrate its giving for several years on a single project: the rehabilitation of a S

EMPLOYEE COMMUNICATION AT CONTINENTAL PRODUCTS PLC

This case describes the circumstances that led to the adoption of briefing sessions for employees at all levels in a manufacturing concern, and how these briefing sessions are conducted. The main objective from the point of view of the HR Director is

THE RED STAR SPIRIT

Red Star is a Nigerian courier company that has a technical agreement with Federal Express (Fedex). The case provides a short history of thecompany and a brief presentation of Red Star services. The company was in a sore state by 1995, with high debts

DRIVING TO THE FUTURE: dUNLOP NIGERIA PLC

Against an unstable and harsh economic environment, Dunlop Nigeria had recorded an average real growth of 20% in sales and 11% in asset size. In March 1991 the company had invested in the purchase of 60% of the shares of PAMOL, thus integrating backwa

CEMENTING THE NATION: WEST AFRICAN PORTLAND CEMENT

West African Portland Cement (WAPCO) is at the point of making a decision regarding the replacement of the old kiln at its Ewekoro plant with a new dry process kiln. The 40-year old equipment made the running of the plant uneconomical. The unstable ec

TANTALIZERS

Tantalizers is a leading company in the emerging fast food industry in Nigeria. The first outlet at Festac was started to keep Bose (Folu’s wife) busy. By exploiting her previous work experience, Bose turned the venture into a business. Encouraged by

The Bad Fuel (a-d)

This negotiation case includes the respective briefs of the four parties to the negotiation. Victor Oil imports fuel from Germany into an African country and delivers it to PPMC, the petroleum parastatal corporation. One consignment proves to be subst

Team Work

A great deal of ink has been flowing on the topic of teams, expressing a wide range of opinions. There are enthusiasts and there are skeptics. However, if teamwork is not simply going to join the list of management fads in vogue today and abandoned to

Communication in Groups — Social-psychological studies of groups: A literature review

This technical note will review the research literature, highlighting the findings that constituted important steps forward in the knowledge and understanding of how people work in groups.

HYGEIA NIGERIA LIMITED (A) – MANAGED HEALTH CARE IN NIGERIA

In May 1994, the management of Lagoon Hospital faced a new challenge: the hospital’s marketing team had brought in a proposal, from AA Ltd, a mid-sized multinational company, asking the hospital to quote a fixed price per employee per annum for its

HYGEIA NIGERIA LIMITED (B) — RE-POSITIONING AS AN HMO

After five years of providing a managed care product, Hygeia’s management felt that the time had come to consolidate the gains from that business by giving it as much focus as the more traditional specialist fee-for-service business that had histori

FORGING A TEAM CULTURE AT MARATHON BANK

Marathon Bank faces the challenge of moving from a civil service to a dynamic private sector culture. The case describes the leader’s effort to implant teamwork in the bank. The objectives of the case are (1) to make participants realise the need to g

CHALLENGES OF A CAREER WOMAN (B): THE BALANCING ACT

This is the second of a two-case series. After providing a brief summary of case (A), case (B) relates Obi’s decision to resign and to take on the challenges she faces in her new job. Highly successful professionally, she has to dedicate more and more

Lawbreed Limited

Mr. Layi Babatunde, Editor-in-chief of Lawbreed limited, publishers of Judgements of the Supreme Court of Nigeria (more commonly known as S.C. Report) was reluctant to pay for an office accommodation in Port-Harcourt in October 2002. Acquiring an offi

AVIAN SPECIALTIES (A): MORE THAN CHICKEN FEED

The newly completed hatchery was one major step towards achieving Gbenga’s goal of turning his company into a fully integrated poultry farm by the new millennium; but he kept wondering what his next step should be. The company’s three products wer

AVIAN SPECIALTIES (B): POSITIONING FOR GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS

Gbenga James was at his desk located close to his modern hatchery, which was producing the highest number of day old chicks (DOC) in the country. He was busy by 8.00am putting the facts and figures together in preparation for the 11.00 o’clock meeti

DUNLOP NIGERIA

In 1999, Dunlop’s management decided to defend their volume by lowering their price. To effectively accomplish their strategy, Dunlop adopted a series of initiatives that were to boost sales and reduce operational costs. By following this strategy,

LINKSERVE: NIGERIA’S PREMIER ISP

With the increasing demand for Internet services and the expected growth of the industry arising from the deregulation of the sector, Chima was facing the challenge of growth. However, growth posed a strategic problem for Chima. Getting VSAT services

TACKS FARMS LIMITED (A) — IN THE BEGINNING… 1984-1995

This is the first of a series of 4 cases. Part A describes the beginning of Samuel and Gloria Tacki’s farm and the first steps Tacks Farms took to export its products (mangoes, papayas and assorted vegetables) to the European market. It can be usefu

TACKS FARMS LIMITED (B) – VENTURING INTO THE FUTURE

This is the Part B identifies the operational issues that the owners had to address and the basic requirements to improve the efficiency of their farms. The case exhibits show the projected revenue and fiancial performance of the farm after project im

TACKS FARMS LIMITED (D) – ADAPTING TO CHANGE

his is the last of a series of four cases. Part D shows how the ability of the entrepreneur to adapt to change becomes critical. There were relationship problems between the financiers and the sponsors, and the information provided in the case may be

TACKS FARMS LIMITED (C) – THINGS FALL APART

This is the third of a series of four cases. Part C tells of a number of problems that began to affect the nicely tuned financial package obtained for Tacks Famrs.This section of the case illustrates very clearly what can go wrong in the implementatio

OLD GIRLS’ MEETING

The case tells of the inaugural meeting of the new Executive committee of the Old Girls Association of a renown secondary school. As the members tell their experiences in trying to harmonize professional and family life, the president wonders: How had

DIVINE PRINTERS NEGOTIATING BANKING FACILITIES

The case tells the story of a small entrepreneur who wants to acquire new machinery, for which he needs a banking facility. He approaches a bank and starts to discover how difficult it is to obtain money unless you have certain systems in place. It ca

CUTIX PLC FACING THE CHALLENGES OF CHEAP IMPORTS

Chief Ajulu Uzodike, the chairman and CEO of Cutix Plc, was putting together his 2005 strategic plan for the board meeting scheduled for February 21, 2005. He was faced with the challenges of growing the business in the face of increased competition

STELLAR ENGINEERING

Dotun was thoughtful. It was when the company was very small and he was doing practically everything himself that he had made money and acquired property. Now he was forced to rely on other people who could not possibly be as committed as he was. He h

THE PHP MANAGEMENT TEAM (III)

This forms part of a three-case series. The main teaching objective is to achieve a good understanding of the requirements of team building and team work. The case shows the management team of the Nigerian operation of a worldwide pharmaceutical compa

THE PHP MANAGEMENT TEAM (II)

This forms part of a three-case series. The main teaching objective is to achieve a good understanding of the requirements of team building and team work. The case shows the management team of the Nigerian operation of a worldwide pharmaceutical compa

THE RECRUITMENT CHALLENGE

Jumai Dongtoe, the Human Resources Manager of Populace Bank, was confused. Within the last month over 60 people had resigned from the Bank. Five branches were without a branch manager. The former MD was taking all the good people to join him in his ne

The case is a role play with two sides: the Management and the Union, each of which is divided by sectional interests which must be appeased even before the bilateral negotiations commence The case can be used to teach a class on Union/Management nego

REVAMPING A FAMILY BUSINESS: ROSAAB INDUSTRIAL DESIGNS

A young man came back from England to work in his father’s business. He was quick to see an urgent need for change in the way the company was run. The number of family members working in the company created an unprofessional atmosphere leading to in

AMAJIYE, AHMED & CO. (BARRISTERS AND SOLICITORS)

A young lawyer faces lots of difficulties at every step of the procedure to incorporate a company for his clients. As he kept a mental debate on the payments he has been obliged to make, he asks himself: Is there really a clear-cut line between briber

IVY CONSULT (B)

This two-case series tells how the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund decided to review its rates of contribution and of the ceiling on insurable earnings. This may seriously affect staff costs and Ivy Consult managers wonder whether to comply or to

IVY CONSULT (A)

This two-case series tells how the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund decided to review its rates of contribution and of the ceiling on insurable earnings. This may seriously affect staff costs and Ivy Consult managers wonder whether to comply or to

Black Like Me: Creating a Legacy: Part E

The first part of this case is set in 1985, when twenty-five year old Herman Mashaba and two colleagues decided to enter the ethnic hair-care market in a politically turbulent South Africa with an evocative name for their product and a R30 000 loan. T

Kulula.com: Now Anyone Can Fly

kulula.com was South Africa’s first true low-frills airline and had managed to be profitable from day one. Its somewhat unconventional, but very funky communication strategy contributed hugely towards its successful performance. Advertising agency, mo

MTN: One Group; One Vision; One Brand

On 17 April 2005 African cellular telecommunications company MTN finally launched its new ‘everywhere you go’ pay-off line across all of its African operations. Three months later, with the rush over, MTN’s group executive director: marketing, S

Pravin Gordhan: Master Juggler

The 2006 tax year was a record one for Pravin Gordhan, commissioner of the South African Revenue Services (SARS). By March 2007, he had already outstripped Finance Minister Trevor Manuel’s revised tax collection target by R3 billion. And, at the las

Kulula/Comair – Getting the Balance Right?

A plane flies overhead. As if on automatic pilot, Gidon Novick glances out his second floor office window. In reality, he doesn’t really notice the plane. His thoughts are elsewhere. He is planning: considering possibilities, ideas that could work f

African Bank Investments Ltd – Breaking through Microfinance Frontiers

By May 2007, African Bank Investments Limited (ABIL) had, under the leadership of Leon Kirkinis, become one of the predominant players in the provision of financial credit services to the mass employed population of South Africa. Over the years it ha

South Africa – The Battle for Social & Economic Policy

On Saturday 13 January 2007, the South African president, Thabo Mbeki, stepped up to the podium at a mass rally of African National Congress (ANC) supporters in Witbank, Mpumulanga to deliver the annual January 8 Statement of the ANC National Executiv

Polecat: Poised for Growth

It was October 2007, and a perfect early summer’s day in Cape Town. In his small loft office, Michael Meltzer, founder of Zacron Industries CC trading as Polecat, which manufactured and marketed a patented clasp and claw device used in shopfitting a

Sally Williams Fine Foods: To Market, To Market …

Dries Pretorius, national sales manager of Sally Williams Fine Foods, a small manufacturer of luxury nougat, was furious. It was May 2007, four years since Sally Williams had first appointed its distributor and the thermostat at the distributor’s wa

Netflorist: Maintaining Momentum

Netflorist managing director Ryan Bacher’s wife always gets flowers for Valentine’s Day. His mother always gets some for Mother’s Day. But neither sees him for days around those periods. His head is buried in flowers and gifts, and his mind is r

Yahluma: A Sustainable Business Model?

Yahluma: a Sustainable Business Model? In September 2007, Pindiwe Holomisa and Nomaciko Ngoasheng, started Yahluma Solutions Ltd with the intention of building a fully-owned contact centre in Buffalo City (Eastern Cape), and making use of a Departm

Sandton City: Looking for a Sustainable Power Solution

In May 2008, Johannesburg’s Sandton City shopping complex was on the road to recovery from its experience that January, when it was hit hardest of all shopping centres in the country by Eskom’s random power cuts. Sandton City general manager, Gary

J L Zwane – Corporate Social Responsibility meets Social Entrepreneur

It was October 2007 and more than 13 years had elapsed since South Africa’s first non-racial, democratic elections. Social entrepreneur Reverend Spiwo Xapile sat in his immaculate office at the J L Zwane centre, located on the corner of NY2 and NY7

Cape Herb & Spice Company: Choosing a Growth Strategy

Irene Ivy-Schuurmans and Dale Kneen started the Cape Herb and Spice Company in 1992, selling their wares from a modest barrow at the Cape Town Waterfront. They were housemates with full-time jobs, but both were passionate about cooking “wacky, creat

Pick n Pay: Changing its Environmental Footprint

Pick n Pay’s initial steps to address environmental issues in the 1980s culminated in 2007 with the launch of its Sustainable Development Vision and Action Plan. Although the plan commits the organisation to a number of environmentally-friendly goal

Dan Olofsson: IT Magnate at a Turning Point

“We cannot just sit by and do nothing!” said Sebastian Olofsson to his uncle, Dan Olofsson, a Swedish IT billionaire and owner of a private game reserve in Hluhluwe (northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa). It was February 2003, they were both at th

eNaTIS: What Went Wrong?

On 31 May 2007, Werner Koekemoer, project manager for the eNaTIS (a new national traffic information system) in the Department of Transport (DoT), and Johan Vorster, project director of Tasima (the consortium that had developed the system), met to ref

Brian Bruce: New Century Leader

Brian Bruce – New Century Leader In July 2008, Brian Bruce, chief executive of the 106-year-old construction, mining, engineering and manufacturing giant Murray & Roberts, had been at the helm for eight years. His leadership has resulted in a s

Andbeyond: From Africa to India and Beyond

Steven Fitzgerald looks relaxed as he arrives home from his fourth trip to South America this month. The chief executive officer of Andbeyond (originally Conservation Corporation Africa), a leader in luxury ecotourism, is taking his company to new cli

Legal Aid Board: Balancing the Scales of Justice

In 1998/1999, the Legal Aid Board faced closure because of a contingent liability of more than R600 million for legal services delivered by private practitioners to the organisation’s clients. Since then, through three phases of transformation, unde

The Times – Bridging the Old with the New

It was April 2007, and Ray Hartley still had myriad unanswered questions in the lead-up to the launch of a new daily newspaper, The Times, in June 2007. As the editor, he debated whether the paper, with its online functionality, would be targeting a b

Deposita: Whether to dominate the value chain or not

Post-Apartheid South Africa has been characterized by high levels of crime, but also by sustained increases in the income levels of the previously disadvantaged black community. Cash is the preferred method of payment for new entrants into an economy,

Woolworths SA: Making Sustainability Sustainable

In February 2009, Justin Smith, manager of the Good business journey at Woolworths , a leading South African department store, was a worried man. Woolworths had launched its five-year sustainability strategy just under two years before. After undertak

MCM Wines in China: Taking on the Dragon

In July 2009, businessman and entrepreneur, Martyn Mills of MCM Wines, reconsidered his marketing strategy. He had been exporting his own wine to China since 2003 and had recently signed an agreement with the prestigious South African wine estate, Gro

Hollard: The Office Move

We shape our buildings, and afterwards our buildings shape us – Winston Churchill (28 October 1943) By April 2009, Hollard Insurance had been in Arcadia, its new building, for a little over three years. A key motive behind the move had been to

Pamodzi Investment Holdings: To List or Not to List?

In January 2008, the black-owned Pamodzi Investment Holdings (PIH) was at a crossroads, as its chief executive officer (CEO), Ndaba Ntsele, sat down with his board to discuss how to finance the growth of the business. Ntsele and co-director, Solly Sit

Altis Biologics: From Labs to Riches?

Doctor Nicolaas Duneas was in a quandary: as he sat in his dishevelled office at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), he pondered the future of his company Altis Biologics. Founded in 2002, Altis was a small biotechnology company specialising i

Broad–based Black Economic Empowerment: 2004 – 2009

One of the most important black economic empowerment events of the period 2004 to 2009 was the promulgation of the Broad-based Black Economic Codes of Good Conduct (the Codes) in February 2007. In 2004, when the Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment

Tashas Franchising

It was a Saturday morning in April 2009 at Tashas at Atholl Square: the first Tashas that Natasha Sideris had opened, and her flagship store. As always, the restaurant was incredibly hectic. Sideris walked over to a table where one of the guests was c

The Phone Shop: Growth and the Entrepreneur – Part A + Part B

(Part A) In August 2006, the lease on The Phone Shop – a business that the Brill family had run for the past 18 years – was up for renewal. In recent years, the shop had not performed well, but Eran Brill believed that because it had developed

Verity: In Tune with Viral Marketing

Looking across the bay from her home in Hout Bay, Cape Town singer Verity Price (known to her fans as Verity) reflected on how she had not allowed the exclusive South African music industry to prevent her from making and selling her first album. She w

Woolworths SA: Something in the Yoghurt Mix (with Epilogue)

Woolworths SA: Something in the Yoghurt Mix In May 2008, alerted by a primary dairy supplier that one of its raw material suppliers may be including gelatine in its products, Julian Novak, divisional director of food at Woolworths SA , tasked his t

A Driving Force in Motors

Johannesburg-based Zest, well respected in the electric motor industry, was the only distributor of WEG motors throughout southern Africa. In 2001, its chief executive officer (CEO), James Blakemore, added variable speed drives (VSDs) to the product p

Team Barloworld: Building a Global Brand

It was July 2008 and the Tour de France had just finished. Barloworld Ltd, an industrial brand management company, had sponsored one of the teams that took part – named Team Barloworld. It was a team that had proven extraordinarily successful in 200

eThekwini MetroConnect: Broadband for the Community

In the early 2000s, the eThekwini Municipality (the City) embarked on a strategy to turn Durban into a ‘Smart City’. As availability and quality of ICT infrastructure was the prerequisite for achieving this goal, the City started laying a next-gen

Discovery Ltd: Entrepreneurship in its DNA

On 1 September 2009, as financial services firm, Discovery Ltd was about to release its annual results for 2008/2009, its chief executive officer (CEO) and founder Adrian Gore, took some time to consider the company’s trajectory since its inception

Competition Commission vs South African Airways (2005)

2005 – The Tribunal’s Decision The Tribunal found SAA in contravention of the Act, that is that its incentive schemes had been exclusionary and that it had abused its dominant position in the market. The Tribunal also noted while it wasn’t nece

Phodiclinics’ Acquisition of New Protector: Increasing Concentration?

Despite the fact that the summary of the Tribunal’s deliberations, with non-confidential information only, ran to some 63 pages, its decision was straightforward. The Tribunal considered that New Protector was a failing firm – “or more precisely

Phodiclinics’ Acquisition of New Protector

On 31 October 2006, executives at the Council for Medical Schemes (CMS) and private hospital group Netcare were eager to hear the Competition Tribunal’s decision regarding the acquisition of the New Protector Group hospitals by Phodiclinics (Pty) Lt

Competition Commission: 1999–2009

The Competition Act of 1998 came into force in South Africa on 1 September 1999, and enabled the establishment of three bodies: the Competition Commission (the Commission), The Competition Tribunal (the Tribunal) and the Competition Appeal Court (CAC)

Remgro: Distributing its Tobacco Interests

It was December 2009, just over a year since Remgro Limited (Remgro) had completed the distribution of its indirect shareholding in British American Tobacco plc (BAT): 90% of its shares had gone to its shareholders, while the balance of 10% went to a

Ndaba Ntsele: Entrepreneurial Vision

On 19 May 2010, Ndaba Ntsele – Ernst & Young World Best Entrepreneur (SA, 2007) and CEO of Pamodzi Investment Holdings (PIH), a diversified investment company – was preparing for the launch of Pamodzi Aviation the next day. The company had secured

The JSE/BESA Merger: Navigating the Integration Minefield

The JSE/BESA Merger: Navigating the Integration Minefield A few days before the JSE Limited (JSE) and the Bond Exchange of South Africa Limited (BESA) merged on 22 June 2009, Nicky Newton-King, deputy CEO of the JSE, –who had been tasked with lea

The JSE/BESA Merger: Navigating the Integration Minefield

On 22 June 2009, the JSE Limited (JSE) and the Bond Exchange of South Africa Limited (BESA) merged. Nicky Newton-King, deputy CEO of the JSE, had been tasked with leading the integration of the two organisations. She knew that a speedy and smooth tran

SA Metal Group: Could Bigger Be Better?

In November 2010, Clifford Barnett – director and co-owner of family business, SA Metal Group (SA Metal) – put his hard hat down on his desk, looked out on the busy scrapyard below his window in Epping, Cape Town and pondered the company’s growt

Coca-Cola’s MDCs: Distribution Effectiveness vs Social Responsibility?

By June 2010, The Coca-Cola Company’s (Coca-Cola) micro distribution centre (MDC) network in Africa had proven to be incredibly successful. Coca-Cola had built up the network to distribute its products through small, independent local entrepreneurs

Corporate Social Responsibility Activities related to HIV/AIDS Prevention at Sechaba Brewery Holdings Limited

This paper investigated the perceptions of Sechaba Brewery Holdings Limited employees on corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities related to HIV/AIDS prevention in order to provide informed guidelines and to increase awareness. The results in

First National Bank: Developing a Culture of Innovation

It was mid-September 2010. All 50 finalists in the annual First National Bank (FNB) Innovators Campaign were about to present their ideas to the judges. For CEO Michael Jordaan, this was a highlight in his calendar – he always looked forward to bein

Woolworths SA: Making Sustainability Sustainable

Woolworths was founded in 1931 by Max Sonnenberg, with one store in Cape Town. By 2009, it had 408 stores, making it one of the largest retail chains in the country. Woolworths’ main product ranges are food, clothing and homeware, targeted predomina

Ransom on the High Seas: The Case of Piracy in Somalia

The setting of this case is off the coast of the failed state of Somalia, where incidents of piracy have increased dramatically over the past few years. In this case a group of 14 pirates have hijacked a cargo ship full of machinery, but have yet to m

Platmin Mining: Managing Your Stakeholders in Developing Economies

This case deals with the problems that Platmin faces as it heads toward full production at a new open-cast mine in the Pilanesberg area in South Africa. Platmin is caught in a very difficult situation that is affecting the viability of the operation:

Danimal in South Africa: Management Innovation at the Bottom of the Pyramid

The case focuses on management innovation in the South African dairy industry, describing how an innovative new yoghurt product, Danimal, was created specifically for the market at the base of the pyramid. It explains how management of the product lin

Stakeholder Management and the Endangered Wildlife Trust

The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) had been in existence for 35 years and up until recently had grown organically by taking on new projects as and when they arose. While this had had the advantage of the EWT maintaining its relevance, the EWT had los

Chabros International Group: A World of Wood

The Chabros International Group case examines how a Lebanese multinational wood company confronts a drastic drop in its largest subsidiary’s sales after 2008’s global economic crisis. Antoine Chami, Chabros’s owner and president, was reviewing his com

Barrick Gold Corporation – Tanzania

This case examines the giant Canadian mining corporation, Barrick Gold Corporation (Barrick), (called Africa Barrick Gold plc since 2009), and the way it engages in sustainable community developments that surround its mining activities in Tanzania. Fo

Yola: Managing Multiple Challenges

The South-African founder of Yola, a San Francisco-based company that provides simple website creation software, has developed a vibrant business that went from eight to more than 40 employees in only a year. He has secured two rounds of funding from

Yogurt Mamas: Probiotics in Tanzania

The case illustrates a grassroots enterprise path to self-sufficiency in a subsistence market context. It explores the gradual evolution of a business model with strong pro-social mandates (pro-health, pro-women) and asks which growth options may best

Royal Dutch/Shell in Nigeria Stakeholder Simulation: Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation

The goal of the simulation is to illustrate the challenges in anticipating points of common interest, and the difficulties of overcoming initial antagonistic framing in order to work together to develop novel positions. The simulation illustrates the

Botswana Uniform Agency (PTY) (B)

The managers call a meeting of all staff as a strike is threatened over a pay dispute in this rural African company. They learn that the real issue is the disparity between the pay of some workers. This is the sequel to Botswana Uniform Agency (PTY) L

Ebio – What Value are Social Partnerships in South Africa?

The case deals with the evolution of a socially based business that provides education and work-preparedness to underprivileged people in South Africa. The case takes place in South African townships and involves the formation of a firm that provides

Adcock Ingram: Decisions and Motives That Steer Acquisitions

The case sketches the story of a charismatic and ambitious young business leader who, through value-adding commercial transactions, has helped set a South African pharmaceutical company, Adcock Ingram, on a trajectory of growth. The case reader meets

African Tiger (A)

AWARD WINNING CASE – This case series won top prize in the 2010 Association of African Business Schools (AABS)/EMERALD case competition. In early 2005, South African company Tiger Wheels Limited (Tiger) had established a global footprint in the manufa

African Tiger (B)

AWARD WINNING CASE – This case series won top prize in the 2010 Association of African Business Schools (AABS)/EMERALD case competition. In January 2007, Tiger Wheels (Tiger) and ATS informed its lead banker in Germany that it was forecasting a breach

Making Waves in Rural Kenya

The developers of a simple, inexpensive, locally produced rain water harvesting system tackle the social marketing issues in the undeveloped market of rural Kenya. The benefits of the product are obvious but the poverty levels and entrenched tradition

Netcare’s International Expansion

In 2008, the acquisition of the General Healthcare Group (GHG) in the United Kingdom had propelled Netcare Limited (Netcare) from a predominantly South African operation into one of the largest private hospital groups in the world. One of Netcare’s ke

Market Stretch

Bio-Oil is a multi-purpose skin care product that has gone from being sold only in South Africa to being the No. 1 scar treatment product in 16 of the 17 countries that it is distributed. Retail sales have jumped from R3 million per annum to R1 billio

Goedehoop: When Social Issues Become Strategic

This case chronicles a change process to counteract the epidemic of HIV/AIDS on a coalmine in South Africa that impacts the sustainability of the organization. The case describes the business case for dealing with the problem and the sequence of event

Social Enterprise Under Adversity: Bridge EXP in Kibera (A)

The case illustrates the opportunities, challenges and trade-offs involved in developing a pro-social business venture in emerging economies by outlining the interplay between a Nairobi-based venture by Insta Products (Insta) and a Toronto-based non-p

Royal Dutch/Shell in Nigeria Stakeholder Simulation: Human Rights Watch

The goal of the simulation is to illustrate the challenges in anticipating points of common interest, and the difficulties of overcoming initial antagonistic framing in order to work together to develop novel positions. The simulation illustrates the

Royal Dutch/Shell in Nigeria Stakeholder Simulation: The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP)

The goal of the simulation is to illustrate the challenges in anticipating points of common interest, and the difficulties of overcoming initial antagonistic framing in order to work together to develop novel positions. The simulation illustrates the

Royal Dutch/Shell in Nigeria Stakeholder Simulation: Pengassan

The goal of the simulation is to illustrate the challenges in anticipating points of common interest, and the difficulties of overcoming initial antagonistic framing in order to work together to develop novel positions. The simulation illustrates the

Royal Dutch/Shell in Nigeria Stakeholder Simulation: Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC)

The goal of the simulation is to illustrate the challenges in anticipating points of common interest, and the difficulties of overcoming initial antagonistic framing in order to work together to develop novel positions. The simulation illustrates the

Royal Dutch/Shell in Nigeria Stakeholder Simulation: The Ogoni

The goal of the simulation is to illustrate the challenges in anticipating points of common interest, and the difficulties of overcoming initial antagonistic framing in order to work together to develop novel positions. The simulation illustrates the

Deposita – Whether to Dominate the Value Chain or Not

Post-Apartheid South Africa has been characterized by high levels of crime, but also by sustained increases in the income levels of the previously disadvantaged black community. Cash is the preferred method of payment for new entrants into an economy,

Microfinance and the Kipsigis of Southwest Kenya

A group of business students and their professor travel to rural Kenya to work with Free The Children (FTC), an in-situ, non-governmental organization (NGO) that is focused on generational social change through education for children. This Canadian NG

Competing for Development (A): Fuel Efficient Stoves for Darfur

The new country director of CHF International (CHF), a U.S.-based organization that initiated operations in Sudan with USAID funding, must review the successes of CHF’s early interventions, and its strategic interest in the fuel efficient stoves proje

Competing for Development (B1): The Intermediate Technology Development Group/Practical Action

This a role play supplement to Competing for Development (A): Fuel Efficient Stoves for Darfur, product # 9B08M061. The role plays feature additional background, motivations and decision priorities from the key local and international players in Darfu

Competing for Development (B2): The Berkeley Lab

This a role play supplement to Competing for Development (A): Fuel Efficient Stoves for Darfur, product # 9B08M061. The role plays feature additional background, motivations and decision priorities from the key local and international players in Darfu

Competing for Development (B3): Aprovecho

This a role play supplement to Competing for Development (A): Fuel Efficient Stoves for Darfur, product # 9B08M061. The role plays feature additional background, motivations and decision priorities from the key local and international players in Darfu

Competing for Development (B4): International Lifeline Fund

This a role play supplement to Competing for Development (A): Fuel Efficient Stoves for Darfur, product # 9B08M061. The role plays feature additional background, motivations and decision priorities from the key local and international players in Darfu

Competing for Development (B5): USAID

This a role play supplement to Competing for Development (A): Fuel Efficient Stoves for Darfur, product # 9B08M061. The role plays feature additional background, motivations and decision priorities from the key local and international players in Darfu

Competing for Development (B6): IDP Women Organizations

This a role play supplement to Competing for Development (A): Fuel Efficient Stoves for Darfur, product # 9B08M061. The role plays feature additional background, motivations and decision priorities from the key local and international players in Darfu

Competing for Development (C): Success, Bittersweet

General De La Rey and the Blue Bulls

The Blue Bulls rugby team enjoyed a fanatical fan base and had been performing well in local and international competitions recently. As a leading South African rugby franchise, the Blue Bulls faced a social and political environment that emphasised r

Phil Chan (A)

The case deals with a scam that has been run out of Nigeria since 1990. In it, foreign companies are approached for their assistance in facilitating an international transfer of funds in order to receive a very large but unearned commission. In the ca

Phil Chan (B)

En route to Nigeria the decision maker learns that he is walking into a scam and must decide whether to show up for the scheduled meetings or to return home immediately. The case illustrates ways of being drawn into unethical situations, and the sever

Human Resource Management in Multinational Banks in Tanzania

The case examines how the best practices of two banks were organized and managed to provide financial services to a small niche of foreign customers in the mining, tourism and construction sectors in Tanzania. The two banks claimed to be similar in ma

Rwanda & David Cechetto

Dr. David Cechetto, a University of Western Ontario (UWO) medical professor, left Rwanda after a distressing week. Having seen first-hand the impact of the 1994 genocide and the HIV/AIDS pandemic, Cechetto committed himself to accept the request from

Malawi Business Action Against Corruption

The founding executive director of the African Institute for Corporate Citizenship (AICC), felt very tense as he typed the last revisions to the speech he would be giving to a Llongwe merchants’ association later in the week. He really enjoyed proudly

Honey Care Africa: A Tripartite Model For Sustainable Beekeeping

The director and co-founder of Honey Care Africa (Honey Care) looks back over the six years of operations and describes the original business model and several sequential changes based on feedback from rural communities, partner organizations, and lea

A Model of Clean Energy Entrepreneurship in Africa: E+Co’s Path to Scale

The founder and executive director of E+Co faces the challenge of ten-fold growth and reviews the core parts of the company’s innovative business model, the changes in the energy markets around the world, and the rationale for local solutions to energ

City Water Tanzania (D): Things Fall Apart

This is a supplement to City Water Tanzania (A): Water Partnerships for Dar es Salaam, product #9B07M025. This case summarizes the decision of the negotiation: the break up of City Water Tanzania and its aftermath, including litigation and forgone opp

City Water Tanzania (C): Striking a Deal

This is a supplement to City Water Tanzania (A): Water Partnerships for Dar es Salaam, product #9B07M025 and is a two-part role-play. In this part (B) role-play, students take the position of Cliff Stone, Biwater’s former director of sales for Africa

City Water Tanzania (B): Privatizing Dar es Salaam’s Water Utility

This is a supplement to City Water Tanzania (A): Water Partnerships for Dar es Salaam, product #9B07M025. It details the terms of the lease contract with an international operator, Biwater, and discusses the alternatives that were considered and disca

City Water Tanzania (A): Water Partnerships for Dar es Salaam

This case examines how the Tanzania government intends to address a pressing deterioration in the infrastructure and services of Dar es Salaam’s Water and Sewage Authority. The decision process unfolds in the spring of 2002, on the heels of the Cochab

Honey Care Africa (A): A Different Business Model

The founding entrepreneur of Honey Care Africa (Honey Care)revitalized Kenya’s national honey industry by focusing on small-holder farmers across the country. Central to the success was an innovative business model: a synergistic partnership between t

Honey Care Africa (B): Opportunity Knocks

This is a supplement to Honey Care Africa (A): A Different Business Model, product 9B07M022. This case presents Honey Care’s upstream, downstream and horizontal expansion opportunities. Students are asked to recommend a course of action that will main

Honey Care Africa (C): Growth Alternatives

In this supplement to Honey Care Africa (A): A Different Business Model, product 9B07M022, students will gain additional insights into the entrepreneur’s challenges by comparing and contrasting the Honey Care approach to three other business models

Royal Dutch Shell in Nigeria: Operating in a Fragile State

Stuck in a quagmire of violence and political issues in Nigeria, Royal Dutch Shell’s challenge was to establish socially responsible business practices to enable the company to sustain and expand its operations in Nigeria and the Niger Delta in partic

Lonrho PLC (A): An African Conglomerate

In January 1997, Sir John Craven, a highly respected investment banker and chairman of the investment bank Deutsche Morgan Grenfell, was offered the chairmanship of Lonrho, a conglomerate with headquarters in London, England, and operations primarily

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In this supplement to Lonrho PLC (A): An African Conglomerate, product 9B05M067, Sir John Craven discusses his decision to accept the chairman position. It also looks at the general direction taken by Sir John, and how Lonrho had faired as it took thi

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A highly respected investment banker was offered the chairmanship of Lonrho, a conglomerate headquartered in London, England with operations primarily in Africa as outlined in Lonrho (A): An African Conglomerate, product 9B05M067. The investment banke

Care Kenya: Making Social Enterprise Sustainable

CARE’s Rural Entrepreneurship and Agribusiness Promotion project is a new, market-driven approach to development in Kenya. While the project has been successful from a development standpoint, it is not commercially viable. The sector manager must dete

De Beers and the Global Diamond Industry

De Beers Consolidated Mines has successfully managed the global diamond industry for many decades, propping up prices at all stages of the value chain, reducing price volatility and increasing consumer demand. By the end of the 20th century, however,

Exporting to Ghana

A loan assessment officer at Export Development Canada is evaluating a proposed deal involving the export of refurbished machines used in the forestry industry. He must decide whether Export Development Corporation should extend loans to a foreign fir

Divesting the Zambian Mining Industry

The Zambian government embarked on a divesture of its mining industry in 1992. However, by July of 2004, 67 per cent of the mining assets were still in government hands and the government is still looking for equity partners. This case can be used as

Larson in Nigeria (Revised)

The vice-president of international operations must decide whether to continue to operate or abandon the company’s Nigerian joint venture. Although the expatriate general manager of the Nigerian operation has delivered a very pessimistic report, Larso

Talisman Energy Inc.

Talisman Energy is the largest Canadian oil and gas producer, with main business activities in exploration, development, production and marketing of crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquid. At a special board of directors meeting, the management

Note on the Global Beer Industry

Discusses the historical context of the global beer industry, followed by a discussion of the industry in each major world market, including North America, Asia, Europe, Africa and Latin America. The U.S. market has only seen growth in crafting brewin

Craggier National Park

Craggier National Park is a typical game reserve located in South Africa. The game reserve’s management is trying to determine the optimal mix of animal species to stock a game reserve. Jointly they are trying to determine the mix of hunting packages

Kashiwa Tubing Ltd.

A student at a large Boston-area university would soon be completing a dual degree in Management Information Systems and Business Administration. She is the oldest child and only member of a Japanese family that spoke English and was learning to repre

Bhiwar Enterprises

A nephew in an Indian family business has prepared a consulting report advocating changes in organizational structure and practices. His North American MBA training has influenced both the content of his recommendations and the process of suggesting t

Sapphire Beach Hotel Limited

The general manager of a financial services company is examining a request for a loan to finance the completion of a hotel on the ocean shore in Kenya. Projected costs and revenues for the first three years are presented. The manager is trying to asse

Botswana Uniform Agency (PTY) (A)

Two young Canadian women have to deal with the threat of strike in a model factory started up in a rural African village. Cross cultural management problems arise as these two women with different management styles attempt to combine rural African nor

Equity Bank: Accelerating Business Growth with IT (A,B,C)

In 2006, Equity Bank undertook the second phase of the implementation of the core banking system that included set-up and integration of the Finacle Treasury module, the ATM switch and other related auxiliary systems. During the year, they also opened

LawAfrica (A)

Maina Waweru, CEO of LawAfrica, and Katarina Juma, Chief of Operations, were faced with a dilemma. Their new online business had not generated any revenue because their developer contracted to do the job had failed to deliver the website on time. More

Pentapharm

In December 1997, Dr. Macharia and his four colleagues were deeply contemplating the idea of opening their own pharmaceutical store. They had accumulated Ksh 400,000 (US$ 5334) in the bank through individual contribution of Ksh 80,000. It had been eig

Marva Mbukali

Marva Mbukali, a first year Business student of Madaraka University was seated in front of a computer at Mt. Elgon Lab at 12:40pm struggling and still trying her best to key-in her assignments. It was Monday of the fourth week of the first semester fo

Kevin Otieno-Onyango: Business and Technology Dilemma

Kevin Onyango, the owner/manager of Complexity Ltd. located in Nairobi, was in his centre on the evening of the 15th of May 2005. He was contemplating the recent positive developments in his computer business. He planned to buy an additional 10 comput

Corporate Innovations at Sevenseas Technologies Ltd.

Seven Seas Technologies (SST) Ltd. was founded by Michael Macharia in 1999 when he was only 24 years old. Since then, SST Group had grown steadily over the years – evolving from a humble infrastructure based company to a multi-billion shilling full IC

The Turnaround of Kenya Wildlife Service

In September 2010, three months to the end of his 6 year contract as Managing Director of the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), Dr. Julius Kipng’etich was reminiscing how he got into this job. “My appointment was over the radio. It was the media wh

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On an early Thursday morning in February 2001, Abbas Gullet walked into his new office at Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) Headquaters in Nairobi. The International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) seconded him to be the Secretary General of KRCS. His eye

Trucking Wellness: An Industry’s Response to Managing HIV/AIDS

In 2012, South Africa was still one of the countries with the highest prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the world. Statistics SA estimated that in 2011, 10.6% of the total population and 16.6% of the adult population (people between 15 and 49 years of age) we

SACMEQ: Monitoring the Quality of Education in Developing Countries

In October 2012, Dr Kenneth Ross, professional fellow at the Graduate School of Education of the University of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia and chairperson of the Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality (SACMEQ)

Hansa Pilsener: Remaining Relevant in a Changing Market

In September 2012, Khensani Nobanda took over as general manager of Hansa Pilsener, South African Breweries’ (SAB) second-biggest brand. Under her predecessor, Mosidi Seretlo, SAB had developed a highly successful advertising campaign for Hansa, fea

IDC: Prioritising Development Impact

As Geoffrey Qhena, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), sat in his office at the organisation’s headquarters in Johannesburg, reviewing details of the recently published annual report in preparation for a me

Umsinsi Health Care: Employees as partners: Is the time right for Umsinsi Health Care?

Ever since she had started Umsinsi Health Care (Pty) Ltd in South Africa in November 2008, Amanda Wilde’s vision had been to place the company, which distributed medical devices, in a trust for all of her employees. When this happened, they would be

Republic of Ghana: A Country’s Growth Path

Ghana is widely regarded as an African success story as a result of its political stability and consistent and imppressive economic growht over the past ten years. Despite an annual average economic growth rate of 7%, Ghana still struggles with huge u

Regulate or motivate? A salt reduction strategy for processed food in South Africa

Six months had passed since the South African government had gazetted draft regulations on salt content in food. Now, in December 2012, the Minister of Health, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, was reviewing the submissions received on the proposed laws. As the co

Arco Petrochemicals: Climbing by merit

The case protagonist, Alfred Okoigun, left his comfortable well-paid job with an oil company to pursue a new business aimed at filling a gap that he noticed while in employment. In spite of the fears expressed by friends and relatives with whom he sha

TopTV: Changing the Face of the South African Pay-TV Landscape?

In May 2011, Vino Govender, CEO of the Johannesburg-based On Digital Media’s (ODM) TopTV, felt pleased about the 200 000 subscribers that had been secured in less than one year in the competitive South African satellite pay television (pay-TV) marke

Tia’s Muesli: Small Dog in the Big Dogs’ Lair

In April 2011, Hani Niayesh, owner and managing director of breakfast cereal manufacturer, Tia’s Muesli, received an unexpected phone call from the Pick n Pay Hypermarket Head Office. The retailer, which formed part of one of South Africa’s bigges

Woolworths Food: High-end Retail in Tough Economic Times

In February 2009, Julian Novak, Woolworths divisional director of food, announced a new strategy for the company’s food division. The South African retail sector had been affected by the global economic downturn and conditions were grim. By August

Blue Financial Services Group: The Perils of Rapid Growth

It was June 2010 and Dave van Niekerk, the chief executive officer (CEO) of micro-lending company Blue Financial Services (BFS), had just handed in his resignation. BFS, which listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange AltX in 2006, had in less than f

Metrorail: Building on the Success of 2010

It was June 2011 and South African passenger rail company, Metrorail, was celebrating its success in moving passengers during the 2010 FIFA World Cup™. The organisation had done much to improve its infrastructure, safety and image for the event. Now

Netcare Breast Care Centre of Excellence: What Opportunity in African Medical Tourism?

In August 2006, Dr Richard Friedland, the chief executive officer of Netcare Holdings, which operated the largest private hospital network in South Africa, was looking at the findings of research into the opportunity that medical tourists from Africa

South African Airways (SAA): Navigating Turbulent Skies

In April 2010, Siza Mzimela was appointed as chief executive officer (CEO) of the government-owned South African Airways (Pty) Ltd (SAA). She was the seventh CEO to be appointed since 1993. As far back as 2007, the South African government had issued

Regulating Hawala: Informal Remittances Post 9/11

In 2010, the officials of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) were reviewing the problems of formalising informal financial systems in developing countries, and specifically addressing the hawala system in Africa. Hawala was a highly popular form o

Bank Saderate Iran: Financial Embezzlement under Sharia Law

In September 2011, news of Bank Saderat Iran’s involvement in an embezzlement operation became public. Amir Mansoor Khosravi, an Iranian businessman, had used fraudulent documents from Bank Saderat to obtain bank loans that amounted to US$2.6 billio

Charterhouse Bank: Banking Operations Undermining the Law

On 23 June 2006, the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) announced that it had placed Charterhouse Bank (Charterhouse) under statutory management as a result of an ongoing investigation into banking operations at Charterhouse. The CBK led the investigation in

Deutsche Bank AG: Spying on Stakeholders

In May 2009, news of Deutsche Bank’s spying operations became public. Over a period of six years, the bank’s corporate security department had conducted secret surveillance of certain employees, board members and shareholders. Deutsche Bank had ho

Lehman Brothers: The Fall from Grace

On 15 September 2008, Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. filed for bankruptcy protection at the United States Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan, New York. The news of Lehman’s bankruptcy filing sent shockwaves through the United States (US) financial markets

Nomura Group: Trading with Privileged Information

In late March 2012, the Securities Exchange and Surveillance Commission (SESC), the investigative unit of the Japanese Financial Services Authority (FSA), confirmed that Nomura Securities Co., Ltd (NSC) – a subsidiary of Nomura Holdings, Inc. – ha

Peregrine Financial Group: Misappropriating Customer Funds

In early July 2012, the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) filed a federal lawsuit against Peregrine Financial Group Inc. (PFG), a futures trading firm, and its founder Russell Wasendorf. The CFTC accused PFG and Wasendorf of fr

Standard Chartered Bank plc: Violating Banking Sanctions for Profit

On 6 August 2012, Benjamin Lawsky, superintendent of the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS), announced findings from an investigation of Standard Chartered Bank New York (SCBNY). The DFS claimed that over nine years, SCBNY had hidde

UBS AG: The Cost of Failing to Manage Operational Risk

On 15 September 2011, news of United Bank of Switzerland’s (UBS) operational failures in its investment banking division hit the market. Kweku Adoboli, a trader who worked at UBS’s central London branch, had beaten the control system and carried o

Raizcorp: Planting the Seeds for Entrepreneurial Growth and Prosperity

Raizcorp chief executive Allon Raiz was faced each day with many applications to join his business incubation Prosperator programme. He knew what to look for in an entrepreneur, but it was not always “cut and dried”. In September 2012, he and his

Raizcorp: Planting the Seeds for Entrepreneurial Growth and Prosperity Teaching Note

Raizcorp was a South African business incubator founded by Allon Raiz in 2000. The company, which was the only privately held, unfunded, profit-making incubator in South Africa, provided a variety of business support programmes aimed at guiding indivi

The Laudare School: The Quest for Excellence in the Inner-City

In early January 2013, Adrian Miller, principal of the Laudare School, situated close to the inner-city in the lower-income suburb of Belmont in Johannesburg, was reading through the results of a recent customer satisfaction survey. While the feedback

Reel Gardening: Making a Profit to Fight Poverty

On 1 July 2013 Claire Reid, founder and director of Reel Gardening, a manufacturer of prefertilised vegetable and herb seed strips, met with Emily Jones, head of Reel Life, the community-focused arm of Reel Gardening. Reel Life aimed to address food s

Business Process Outsourcing and Offshoring: Could Yahluma Compete?

In January 2009, young entrepreneurs Ayanda Qunu and Thembi Bhayi abandoned their plans to start a fully owned contact centre, Yahluma Solutions Ltd, in Buffalo City in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Even with the assistance of a financial incentive

The Sebata Group: Doing Business the African Way

Matome Modipa, executive chairman and founder of the Sebata Group of technical engineering and management consultants, enjoyed coming to work. His offices in Midrand, near Johannesburg, had an open and friendly feel, and the pervading ethos reflected

Dimension Data in Africa: Making BEE Week

In September 2012, IT firm Dimension Data paid out R1.26 billion to the various participants in a broad-based black economic empowerment (BBBEE) deal that the company had signed eight years earlier. When Dimension Data had first embarked on its empowe

Calum McCracken and NGN Telecoms: The Power of Perseverance

In September 2014, Calum McCracken, chief executive officer (CEO) of Next Generation Network Telecommunications (Pty) Ltd (NGN Telecoms), met with his partners to discuss the company’s Kenyan dilemma. Doing business in Kenya had proved to be far

The Washing Powder Wars: Ariel vs Omo

On 12 November 2014, Omo, Unilever South Africa’s premium washing powder brand, was facing the biggest challenge yet to its 50-year dominance of the South African washing powder market. Proctor and Gamble (P&G) had launched Ariel in May of the previ

Cocoa Agro Smallholder Approach to Sustainability

In today’s globalizing world, can agricultural growth still jump-start overall growth? And what are the essential policies to accelerate agricultural growth to fulfill its historic role? How would cocoa agro smallholder approach ensure sustainabilit

Beauty Factory: Planning a Future in a Slow Economy

Le-Sel Research, a family-owned, South African manufacturer of beauty products, launched Beauty Factory in 2011, after seeing a gap for affordable, high-quality beauty products. As a boutique retailer of beauty and home products, the brand had achieve

Transport as an Enabler for Infrastructure Development in African Countries

The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) identifies infrastructure and regional integration as major parameters for economic growth and poverty reduction in Africa. Regional integration is essential to building markets, creating robust and

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In November 2014, Kagiso Trust (KT) was at an important crossroads. Anti-apartheid struggle icons such as Dr Beyers Naudé and Archbishop Desmond Tutu had established the organisation with European Union (EU) funds in the 1980s to promote the struggle

Strategic Approach to Tourism Development: A Case of Namibia

The importance of the tourism system for economic development in Namibia has been clearly acknowledged in the development strategies and plans. Despite this, there have been few detailed and comprehensive studies of the structure, dynamics and potenti

Culture – Learning – Development Nexus in Namibian Higher Education

Significant body of literature suggests that different students have different styles of learning, in which they learn more effectively. Furthermore, the influence of cultural background on the way of thinking of individuals, and hence their learning

The Saga of Prodigious Namibian Entrepreneur: Harold Pupkewitz

The world’s history is replete with examples of how individuals invested – called ‘entrepreneurs’ or ‘entrepreneurial managers’ – can result in big pay offs. These individuals dare to dream, have vision, foresight and untiring energy to pu

SWOT Approach for Flying High: A Case of Air Namibia

When you run an organisation, one is likely to have many issues which need attention and prioritisation. More so, it is true when it a complex organization like that of airlines. Airlines, not only has diverse mix of people who bring a range of skills

Relook at South African Talent Management Strategy thru Global Lens

Marchington and Wilkinson (2012) suggest that effective talent management is essential for ‘competitive edge and future survival’, specifically relating to leadership talent. Of course, volatile economic context tends to render talented leadership

Entrepreneurship Development in Namibia

Entrepreneurship has assumed tremendous importance for accelerating economic growth both in developed and developing countries (Baporikar, 2007, 2009). It promotes capital formation and creates wealth in country. Hence, entrepreneurship development is

Poultry Tariffs: Levelling the Playing Field or Rewarding Inefficiency? EPILOGUE

In July 2013, Siyabulela Tsengiwe – chief commissioner of the International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (ITAC) – and ITAC commissioners met to make a final determination on a highly contentious customs tariff application. The

Industrial Relations in South Africa: Labour Laws, Labour Institutions and Political Disillu

In 2014, South Africa experienced its longest and costliest strike ever: a five-month stoppage in the platinum sector that cast doubt on the institutions and culture of the country’s labour relations framework. After the strike came to an end in la

Strategy Mapping: Case of NamWater

Knowing-doing gap is an issue that most organizations struggle with. Strategy mapping can help to overcome that gap by illustrating strategy in a cause-and-effect format, and making strategy easier to understand. This in turn can facilitate the bridge

Mowana Spa: A top-to-toe experience

Since the opening of Mowana Spa at the Indaba Hotel in Fourways, north of Johannesburg, three years ago, marketing manager Sharon Hunink had sought to create an experience that would entice her customers to return again and again. The spa industry was

Fairway Hotel: Customer lifetime value through a loyalty programme?

In July 2015, Stefanie Pietzsch, guest relations and marketing manager of The Fairway Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort, a Johannesburg-based luxury city resort owned by property developer Guvon Investments, considered introducing a loyalty programme to reward

Old Mutual: Breaking into the mass market

It was November 2014 and just three months since Old Mutual, a well-established, global financial services group, had launched the 2-in-One Savings product to target the South African retail mass market. Anele Mbuya, senior marketing actuary for Old M

City Lodge Hotel Group: Redefining Segments and Brands

In 1985, the market regarded Hans Enderle as foolhardy when he resigned from the helm of one of South Africa’s leading hotel chains to launch a new concept in short-stay accommodation. However, by 1990, his City Lodge select service hotel concept bo

Anheuser-Busch InBev and SABMiller: Would Strategic Benefits come easily with “Newco”?

On 11 November 2015, Carlos Brito, chief executive of global leading beer brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev), presented his final offer of US$105.5 billion (£69.8 or £44 pounds per share), to acquire its rival, SABMiller, which the company accep

Systems Approach to Namibia’s Infrastructure Development

Government of Namibia has identified scaling-up investment in infrastructure as a key enabler to achieve development objectives in 4th National Development Plan (NDP4). How can Namibia develop infrastructure requirements needed to unlock the potential

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At the end of the third quarter of 2007, Leon Kirkinis, chief executive officer (CEO) of African Bank Investments Limited (ABIL), unexpectedly arrived at the head office of Ellerine Holdings Limited (EHL), a South African furniture retail group, with

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In August 2014, seven years after Ellerine Holdings Limited (EHL) had been purchased by African Bank Investments Limited (ABIL), the board of EHL announced that EHL and Ellerine Furnishers (Pty) Ltd (EF) had applied for voluntary business rescue. The

Scaling Innovations in Education: The Namibian Milieu

Education is a means to succeed as it lessens life challenges. In globalized knowledge society it has vital role, as it empowers to interpret rightly, innovate and find means for better living. Innovations are often proposed as solutions to the educat

Critical Success Factors for Internationalization in African Context

Relevance of global economy is a fact. Internationalization is becoming significant. Many countries have started their internationalization process, but not all of them are successful. Thus, the core aim of this case study is identify the critical suc

National Development Plan: The Outlook in 2016

At the beginning of 2016, South Africa faced what Songezo Zibi, outgoing editor of Business Day, termed a “perfect storm”. President Jacob Zuma’s December 2015 decision to replace finance minister Nhlanhla Nene with David van Rooyen, an African

A Tale of Three Houses

The first thing Thandie Dhlomo, sales partner at the Rawson Property Group, did when she arrived home on a chilly Friday evening in July 2016 was pour herself a glass of red wine, kick off her shoes and curl up on her couch. She felt exhausted. Her la

Bank Windhoek Multi-Pronged Approach to Corporate Social Responsibility

Sustainability is crucial and to large extent adopting right approach to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is needed to ensure the same and many sectors are doing so. Banking is no exception. This case delves on the CSR initiatives by Bank Windhoe

FirstRand: Finding its path into the Indian Market

In February 2008, eight months after FirstRand Limited sent Stephan Claassen to India to gather insights for a market-entry strategy into that country – the initial preference being to set up as a retail bank – Claassen presented a strategy to the

Volkswagen South Africa: VW up! Marketing

At the beginning of August 2016, Bridget Harpur, marketing brand manager for Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA), and Mark Handley, national sales manager, were debating how to grow sales of the entry-level VW up! that VWSA had launched in February 2

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On a Saturday morning in early October 2015, Choppies chief executive officer (CEO), Ramachandran Ottapathu, made his weekly visit to a Choppies store. While watching the familiar scenes in the Choppies superstore in Gaborone, he considered the compan

Women in Wine: Can Principles Turn a Profit?

In October 2016, the management team of Women in Wine – South Africa’s first wine brand to be owned and controlled by black women – gathered to prepare for the annual meeting of company shareholders. Operating conditions locally and abroad over

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In July 2016, MTN’s newly appointed CEO, Rob Shuter, was considering how it was possible that the company had been fined US$5.2 billion (R78 billion) by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in October 2015. He also wondered what could be don

City Lodge Hotel Group: Redefining Segments and Brands TEACHING NOTE

This case is set in 2015, when the City Lodge Hotel Group’s portfolio had risen to 55 hotels and an annual turnover of more than R1 billion. However, growing competition and increasing customisation within the hotel industry meant that in early Nove

Nando’s Chilli Sourcing: Innovation for Social Impact

In late 2013, Nando’s, a global chicken restaurant chain, marked the successful implementation of a project for ethical sourcing of African bird’s eye chillies (ABE) – the signature ingredient of the brand. The initiative had set Nando’s on th

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On 17 February 2017, Thomas Quinn, the managing director of online florist, Flowers4U.co.za, received an irate email from one of his clients. The client was still not satisfied with a solution he had proposed the day before to make up for unmet expect

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In late 2013, Nando’s, a global chicken restaurant chain, marked the successful implementation of a project for the ethical sourcing of African bird’s eye chillies (ABE) – the signature ingredient of the brand. The initiative had set Nando’s o

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As he made another payment to the previous owner of LEW Auto and Electrical & Aircon Repairs in June 2017, Peter Simelane, the new owner, was worried that his business was not growing as he had anticipated that it would. He had seen great potential fo

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In February 2015, Llewellyn Walters, CEO of Massbuild, the building products division of Massmart, a warehouse retail organisation, was perplexed by the results of the 2014 employee engagement survey. The survey showed that employee engagement had con

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In January 2017, Dr Nicolaas Duneas, founder and chief executive officer of Altis Biologics – a small, South African-based biotechnology company specialising in bone regeneration – was beginning to wonder whether he had chosen the right strategy f

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On 8 February 2017, parties to the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) signed an agreement on the introduction of a national minimum wage (NMW). The only party that refused to sign the agreement initially was the Congress of Sou

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Mark Barnes, chief executive officer of the state-owned South African Post Office (SAPO), leaned back in his plane seat and started reviewing his notes. He and his team of executives were returning to Johannesburg after a meeting in Cape Town with mem

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The Gouritz Cluster Biosphere Reserve (GCBR), an international biosphere reserve programme, is an initiative of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). UNESCO describes these reserves as “learning sites for sus

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Tom Boardman learnt volumes when he created and sold Boardmans (the store) in the 1980s, and when he led Nedbank from an ailing organisation, through its turnaround in the early and mid-2000s, to one of the top banks in 2010. In May 2016, Kinnevik, a

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Student discontinuing at masters level is an observed problem at many SADC Universities. This case study is about reducing the number of students who discontinue by adopting proper retentions strategies. Through review of core constructs, current appr

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Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) play a pivotal role in fostering socioeconomic development especially in developing countries. They aid employment, empower communities, and make positive contribution to GDP. This case study is about application of

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Not for the first time since opening his company’s demonstration facility in the Stellenbosch Technopark, Professor Vivian Alberts – chief executive and co-founder of Photovoltaic Technology Intellectual Property Innovations (PTiP) – stood back

Barbara Queally: A 180˚ Change in Leadership Style Part A

It was late afternoon in June 2016 and Barbara Queally, founder of Garden Morris, a company that specialised in chocolate products, confectionary ingredients, gifting and packaging, had just finished the first module on a leadership course for women a

Barbara Queally: A 180˚ Change in Leadership Style – Epilogue

It had been difficult for Barbara Queally to go back to “school”, but she knew deep down that she had lost touch with her authentic self as a businesswoman and leader. The Women in Leadership course at Wits Business School (WBS), which ran from Ju

Hartmann Southern Africa: Keeping Healthcare Moving Forward

In September 2016, Wits Business School MBA student, Rishka Reddy, was reviewing the information she had gathered for a proposal she was considering putting to Andreas Joehle, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Paul Hartmann Group, a leading interna

Barbara Queally: A 180˚ Change in Leadership Style Part A

It was late afternoon in June 2016 and Barbara Queally, founder of Garden Morris, a company that specialised in chocolate products, confectionary ingredients, gifting and packaging, had just finished the first module on a leadership course for women a

Another Hotel on Route 62: Room for a Niche?

In late 2017, Wits Business School MBA student, Bulelani Moyo, pondered all the information he had gathered for a proposal he was considering putting to Jeff Miller, CEO of South African venture capital company Grovest, for investing in a new and inno

Women in Wine: Can Principles Turn a Profit? Abridged

In October 2016, the management team of Women in Wine – South Africa’s first wine brand to be owned and controlled by black women – gathered to prepare for the annual meeting of company shareholders. Operating conditions locally and abroad over the preceding year had once again proved extremely challenging, and chief executive officer (CEO) Beverly Farmer felt the firm needed decisive action to improve its fortunes. Accordingly, she was going to present two possible courses of action to shareholders: focus resources on developing a more innovative marketing strategy for the company, or acquire a property to enable diversification into hospitality and farming ventures. Farmer wondered which option would be most effective in enabling Women in Wine to fulfil its central purpose: giving black women – particularly farm workers – a meaningful stake in a sector that had traditionally been controlled by white men.

Women in Wine: Can Principles Turn a Profit? Abridged

In October 2016, the management team of Women in Wine – South Africa’s first wine brand to be owned and controlled by black women – gathered to prepare for the annual meeting of company shareholders. Operating conditions locally and abroad over

The Expansion of Choppies into Africa Teaching Note

From humble beginnings in 1986 with a single store in Lobatse, Botswana, by 2015 Choppies was the leading supermarket chain in Botswana. It was listed on the Botswana and Johannesburg stock exchanges and it had 134 stores in three countries: 75 in Bot

Lumkani: Rapid Detection of Fires in Informal Settlements

In mid-2017, David Gluckman, director of Lumkani, contemplated the company’s next strategic move. Lumkani, a South African start-up company, manufactured an early-warning fire detection system designed for shack-dwellers in informal settlements, wit