ContinuitySA rounds out successful year

Despite the gloomy economic predictions and less than sterling company results that abound globally, South Africa's leading business continuity provider, ContinuitySA has produced sterling results for its financial year ended December 2008.

Michael Davies, financial director of ContinuitySA, says the company closed the year with growth of 30% above the previous year. “ContinuitySA is fortunate to be in the position of offering a service our customers need in good times, as well as bad,” says Davies. “Consequently, we are continuing our expansion strategy and expect to report even better results next year, even topping the 30% mark.”

According to Davies, ContinuitySA adopted a three-pronged approach to growth in 2008/2009 and will continue to reap the benefits of this strategy in the coming year.

The three strategic factors are:

* African expansion
* Acquisitions
* Organic growth

ContinuitySA is committed to expanding its presence in Africa. The company is already involved in consulting work in numerous countries, such as Kenya, Uganda, Ivory Coast, Ghana and others, while it has also established recovery sites in Botswana, Mozambique and Mauritius.

Davies says all aspects of its operations in Africa were growth areas in 2008, and he expects further expansion this year, with more disaster recovery sites established.

The acquisition of the South African subsidiary of SunGard Availability Services by ContinuitySA in 2008 was another success factor. The deal was finalised in June and in the following months, ContinuitySA turned the company around into a profitable enterprise.

In 2009, Davies says this business will contribute to the bottom line for the full 12 months, which will definitely boost the results shown next year. Moreover, Davies says the company is looking towards further small acquisitions during the course of the year.

Finally, organic growth will also continue. In 2008, ContinuitySA leased a new 8 000 square-metre property, now named Continuity Junction. The facility still has capacity to spare, which will be snapped up in the coming year. The company is also looking at buying and equipping a new 6 000 square-metre facility in Cape Town to deliver continuity and disaster recovery services to the many corporations headquartered there, and to expand its existing presence in Cape Town.

In addition to its current business continuity training programmes, a new training programme has been developed by ContinuitySA, which will offer customers the ability to learn the intricacies of business continuity and disaster recovery from specialist consultants in the field. There is nothing like this on the continent, and he expects tremendous success from this venture as well.

“While we are not in a position to arrogantly claim we are recession proof, ContinuitySA has weathered the storm of economic turmoil by offering unmatched services to our clients,” states Davies. “The company is in a good position, delivering R15 million in after tax profits in 2008, and is in a prime position to take advantage of the growing emerging market engines in South Africa and Africa.”