Sisipho Ntsabo
, , , , ,

Let’s Talk Quality in the Global Mobility Services

This article serves to describe our lived experience from a longstanding Relocation Destination Service Provider (DSP) in the Relocation Industry, Relocation Africa. Founded in 1993, our footprint is the continent of Africa where they provide Mobility services to the Relocation Industry.
Price is an important factor in making any purchasing decision, but when it comes to our most important assets, our people, quality should play a much larger role in influencing the purchasing decision than for other products or services.
Price is just a number. Quality is an ideal we strive for in our business, and as a business that embraces the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, we see a constant improvement and positive influence in the quality of our service and in our decision making by keeping these SDG’s top of mind.
This focus on quality delivers a direct benefit to our clients and it is why we have received several global awards for the quality of our service, even though our volumes across the entire continent of Africa are a fraction that a competitor will be delivering in one 1st world city – we are extremely proud of these awards, and they reflect our focus on providing high quality service. “Best value for money” is a common phrase used in the service industry. The best definition to capture the message of this article is the United Kingdom’s Department of Finance’s definition; “the most advantageous combination of cost, quality and sustainability to meet customer requirements.” Sustainability is deeply rooted in influencing the choice of quality over price.
Is there a disproportionate focus on price rather than quality in the global relocation industry? Our investigations show that there are certain sectors in our industry where this appears to be the case. The pressures that this new COVID reality we are all trying to navigate puts on all business brings costs front and center for all, however the duty of care for employers hasn’t reduced – if anything it has become greater and bringing this debate to the fore is vital to ensure that all international assignees are receiving the appropriate care from their employers.
The drive towards throwing technology at the problem is vital, both for cost saving as well as planet saving, however it can’t replace the services delivered and the human imperative – it can complement and enhance them – an app can’t drive you to a house or provide emotional support to a concerned spouse … well, not in Africa … yet.
Sisipho Ntsabo
, ,

Unlocking Core Values with Andrew Stegmann

Unlocking Values with Andrew Stegmann

Core values are principles and beliefs that are the cornerstones of a company’s actions. They are guiding principles for your employees, the company culture and business strategies. In this day, stakeholders – internally and externally are asking companies to be transparent about their company values in an effort to hold them accountable. More and more, it has become apparent that the consumers are aligning themselves with companies that reflect and resonate with their own personal values.

Andrew believes that a business is a collection of people (read employees) with their own personal values, believing that their personal actions are right. Thus, it almost becomes imperative to define your own company values in efforts to not only build team cohesion but to achieve a collective goal and gain.

Stegmann says that defining company values with your employees is important so that they know what values to evoke in their personal decision making. More so, to identify which values closely resonate with them and that they can live out boldly, and which ones they may need to work on.

Relocation Africa presents their Four Core Values

After a 6-week robust, extensive workshop ran by Relocation Africa’s HR Generalist, Joy Jackson, the team defined Relocation Africa’s four company values. Every Wednesday, the team gathered to discuss their personal values and values they ‘think’ Relocation Africa represents. Stegmann highlights that the reason for this 6-week course was to create a collaborative space for employee and employer to define values not only to publicise but to define the true reflection of who they are.

“It is important to understand in defining our values that we are not trying to create some desirable, fictitious, theoretical values but to assess and document what the values in the business are” 

After an intense six-week deliberation, the team is proud to announce their four core values:

EMBRACE CHANGE

Our attitude towards change is an opportunity to be better. Adapt to progress.

UNCOMPROMISING ETHICS

We proudly hold ourselves to the highest standards in all our actions. We build trust through responsible actions and honest relationships.

CONSIDER THE PERSON

We believe in the power of each of our differences – Seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another, and feeling with the heart of another​

I DO IT, I OWN IT!

We accept accountability for what we are entrusted with by our stakeholders.

 

Values as a structural framework in Decision Making 

Speaking to Stegmann is quite interesting as I ask why it is imperative to document and publicize a company’s values. He says, “Our team needs to see what our values are, to use them with their decision making. And if people are making decisions, they need to have a framework which they reference it against. We can only be more productive when people are making decisions without having to get approval to check if it is the right decision”. Indeed, values give a structural framework for decision making. Core values simplify and facilitate the decision-making process for not only the employees and employer but also for the client. Clients know what the value system is of the business they are partnering with and to know what is acceptable and what is not.

Values as a counternarrative to the world’s misrepresentation of Africa

Africa is often misrepresented and mis-imaged. This draws back to centuries of work through colonialism, media, religion, education, and science. The only way to counter these narratives is with intentional acts such as defining company values for stakeholders, clients and the broader community to see. This is an active construction of a counternarrative which deconstructs and debunks the world’s negative perceptions and representation of Africa, while actively legitimising and it documents what is true and a lived experience in African by Africans.

Stegmann speaks quite extensively about the importance of having contextualised Relocation Africa’s core values. While some values may seem to be a ‘no brainer’, we must be cognisant of the Africa’s positionality in the global sphere. It is seen as a corrupt and disorderly nation. Therefore, defining and publicising their values is not only an act of internal team cohesion but an act of committing to represent Africa in a positive light.

Measuring and Monitoring the Fulfilment of Values

With almost everything in life, there is an expectation of measuring and monitoring what it is you have introduced/implemented in life and in business. In efforts to measure one’s progress with the newly implemented object or routine, one sets measuring tools or criteria for accountability.

Posing the question to Andrew, he replies “I would suggest that it is almost irrelevant, because values are supposed to be part of what you are doing. Values aren’t something to measure, they just are what they are”.

These next few weeks, we will be discussing defining core values in its entirety. From the workshop with Joy Jackson, to discussing each of the values and their alignment with Relocation Africa. Watch this space. Unlocking core values with Andrew Stegmann.

 

 

 

 

 

Sisipho Ntsabo
, ,

Biovac To Produce Covid-19 Vaccine in Africa

BioNTech and Pfizer have announced that they reached a deal with Biovac to produce Covid-19 for the African Union (AU) countries beginning in 2022. Biovac is a bio-pharmaceutical company that was established with the South African government as a partnership for local vaccine manufacturing capability. Under this agreement, 100 million doses are expected to be produced annually for the AU countries.

In an MoneyWeb’s interview with the CEO of Biovac, Dr Morena Makhoana states that this is a historical moment for Africa as this is the first mRNA technology transfer on the continent. Pfizer has committed about 30 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine before the Biovac-Pfizer agreement.

Biovac CEO states, “The deal is to “fill and finish” the vaccine, the final stages of manufacturing where the product is processed and put into vials. It does not cover the complicated processes of mRNA drug substance production, which Pfizer and BioNTech will do at their own facilities in Europe”.

Pfizer released a press release in which the full statement of the Biovac and Pfizer-Biotech deal was extensively discussed. In the technicality of the manufacturing of the vaccine in Africa, Pfizer writes, “Biovac will perform manufacturing and distribution activities within Pfizer’s and BioNTech’s global COVID-19 vaccine supply chain and manufacturing network, which will now span three continents and include more than 20 manufacturing facilities. To facilitate Biovac’s involvement in the process, technical transfer, on-site development and equipment installation activities will begin immediately.”

We can expect the Biovac’s integration into the vaccine supply chain by the end of 2021, while the manufacturing of finished doses is scheduled to star in 2022. Once full operation capacity is reached, the annual production is set to exceed 100 million finished doses distributed within the 55 states of the AU.

Pfizer Chairman and CEO, Albert Bourla wrote, “Our latest collaboration with Biovac is a shining example of the tireless work being done, in this instance to benefit Africa. We will continue to explore and pursue opportunities to bring new partners into our supply chain network, including in Latin America, to further accelerate access of COVID-19 vaccines.”

This is good news for the continent of Africa. Currently experiencing the third-wave and a hampered rollout out, things are looking up as Senegal joins likes of Egypt, Morocco, and South Africa in the list of African countries that have successfully secured the rights to produce the jabs.

South Africa will be a great destination for investment, and we are proud to offer services for Immigration and Relocation services into Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg. Please contact us for further information.

Have a look at the brief overview, housing, school and immigration information about South Africa on our location’s website: https://www.relocationafrica.com/locations/south-africa/

 

 

 

Sisipho Ntsabo
,

The Ongoing Protests in South Africa Right Now

Following the arrest of the former president of South Africa, Jacob Zuma – looting, unrest and violence has broken out in Kwa-Zulu Natal and Gauteng provinces.

On the 29th of June 2021, the former president was sentenced to 15 months in prison for contempt of court after failing to attend a corruption inquiry. The former president handed himself into the police and was admitted to Estcourt Correctional Centre in KZN.

Following this arrest, violent looting and rioting began in his homestead Nkandla and spread to the wider parts of Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Al Jazeera reports that “Several hundred people looted and burned stores in the Alexandra and Bramley neighbourhoods of Johannesburg, according to a statement by police Major General Mathapelo Peters.”

The AFP news agency states that for many hours, the N3 highway linking Johannesburg and the coastal city of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal was blocked. Further, some 23 trucks were also set alight at Mooi River around 150 kilometres (100 miles) northwest of Durban. At least 72 people have died amid the instability, officials said Tuesday, some trampled to death in shopping-centre stampedes.

Dozens of burnt-out trucks at the Mooi River toll plaza in the KZN Midlands after they were torched. (Photo: Daily Maverick)

President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation on Sunday, with the cabinet deciding to deploy members of the military in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.

 

In his address condemning the ongoing violence, President Ramaphosa stated, “In the past few days we have seen sporadic but increasingly violent protests in some parts of the country. Key infrastructure like national roads has been affected‚ slowing down the transportation of goods and services that keep our economy running.”

While the condemnation of those ongoing violence and looting, some protesters shared that the reason for looting was due to the loss of jobs due to the pandemic, the high unemployment rate in South Africa and ongoing socio-economic problems which continue to destabilise the country.

The Wall Street Journal writes a compelling article about how the ongoing violence reflects inequalities exacerbated by the Covid-19 Pandemic. The author writes, “The looting and violence are emblematic of the economic and social dislocation the pandemic has unleashed in many developing countries. Governments from Colombia to Lebanon, in addition to South Africa, lack the resources to provide the economic stimulus and social-security programs implemented in richer countries. Limited supplies of Covid-19 shots are also holding back the recovery, as fresh waves of infections continue to overwhelm hospitals and cause thousands of deaths.”

Amid the many lockdowns, the government continues to fail to provide social relief to businesses and the unemployed citizen of South Africa. The unemployment rate sits at a concerning 43%. The pandemic relief amount to the citizen was set at R350 a month, which some have reported to never have gotten. Albeit there is the hijacking of the protest by opportunists, loyalists and criminals, the socio-economic factor and outcry of looters cannot be ignored. A tweet said, “You cannot threaten the hungry with hunger. You cannot scare the jobless with jobless”

While other provinces remain “unlooted” and stable, this is a stern warning of the future of South Africa if corruption and inequality continue to plague this developing country.

Relocation Africa condemns any violence and vandalism and calls for change in policy and stakeholders. South Africa is a beautiful and rich land, full of potential. Let us stand together in unity, and rebuild what is lost.