In the wake of the successful launch of its manufacturing and distribution operations in India, the commercial dust has now settled and management at the Sahara Group is eager to invest the fruits of its labour into the growing South African business.
Sahara's success with its entry strategy into India through its globally established Proudly South African operation and joint venture, Sahara Computers and Electronics Ltd (SCEL), is viewed as a defining moment and one that opens a new chapter in the company's development.
Following a two-year stint as CEO of SCEL Atul Gupta, Managing Director of the Sahara Group, has returned home to South Africa to oversee the assimilation of international best practices to enhance the local offering.
Gupta played a leading role in helping to implement the necessary processes, procedures and systems at SCEL and has steered the operation towards rapid success (with over 900 employees on the company's payroll and a multimillion US dollar turnover).
"My initial focus was the development of the first phase of our infrastructure. We also have our management and sales teams in full capacity and in full operation. All the necessary resources and training are in place. Our viewpoint is that sales is the main driving force behind the future of Sahara's business in India going forward," says Gupta.
As part of its second phase of development in India, the company is completing the roll-out of a new 30 000sq meter manufacturing plant to cater for the tremendous growth that it is enjoying there.
"This is an important extension of the business in India. We were fortunate to have been in a position to also complete an acquisition of a national distribution company. Together with this acquisition, we have also managed to establish a broad-based service company with 278 engineers, servicing all Sahara products across the entire Indian market."
Gupta is now turning his attention towards the African operation, confident of the positive outcome of transferring skills and knowledge acquired in India.
"It is against this background and with this invaluable knowledge that I now continue to concentrate on Sahara's expansion locally and into emerging markets throughout Africa," he states. "The launch of an exciting range of new products, systems, solutions and services will spearhead this expansion."
Management at Sahara says this enhanced offering is unique and will differentiate the company from competition.
"It may take 12 to 15 months to start the roll-out of the complete new offering, but it will be well worth the wait," says Gupta. "The market can expect a greater focus on components within the forthcoming quarter. We predict that our market share and position will increase significantly within the next two to three quarters."
Gupta will focus on the strength of the company's market position within the notebook space, as well as its expanding footprint into digital lifestyle market.
"We have become a very fast growing local brand. We have used market knowledge and expertise, as well as manufacturing and assembly capabilities, to export a Proudly South African brand and concept to international markets. This has been a formula for success and has helped us achieve number one status in the locally-produced notebook space in South Africa. Building on this, the company has within a short period of time emerged as the number one local brand in India, as well and through our operations in Dubai, we have emerged as the number one notebook brand in the Dubai market," he continues.
"Seems to us that a company with a Proudly South African brand has grown to become a brand that all South Africans can truly be proud of," Gupta concludes.
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Established in 1997 Sahara Computers assembles and markets PCs and peripherals through a global distribution network that covers both established and emerging markets.
The company is an official distributor and Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) for a variety of top international vendors including: AMD, Creative, Delta, Epson, Foxconn, Intel, Lexmark, Maxtor, Microsoft, Samsung, SMC Networks and Symantec.
The core focus of Sahara's operation is the consistent and effective supply of affordable, reliable and accessible technology.
This operation is managed via the company's head office in Midrand, Gauteng - considered a central business hub. The Sahara business network stretches across South Africa to include Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth.
The company has successfully extended its reach to key regions and emerging global markets including Dubai, China and India. The Sahara brand is also well known across Africa, with established company presence in countries like Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique and Namibia.
Sahara's vision is to become a truly global brand and premier IT supplier throughout Africa.
Sahara is also an accredited member of the Proudly South African campaign as well as the SAVANT global SA brand awareness initiative. Corporate social responsibility is a key priority for the company and it continues to contribute towards projects and programs aimed at individual and community upliftment.
The name Sahara is widely associated with the development of sport, including soccer, cricket, rugby and motorsport.
This is considered a significant area of business development by the company.
As a result of hard work, commitment and unwavering dedication to its brand, Sahara has formed several strong alliances with key role players, stakeholders and representative bodies.
Most recently Sahara announced the signing of a ground-breaking sponsorship and technology supply agreement with Mamelodi Sundowns, a top ranking soccer club competing in South Africa's Professional Soccer League.
The sponsorship is underpinned by the provision of communications infrastructure and mobile technology - including laptops, notebooks and digital lifestyle technology - and signals Sahara's commitment to the club and South African soccer in general.
Effective marketing and generating awareness are significant elements of the company's ongoing marketing campaign.
Under the direction of Gary Naidoo, appointed as Deputy Managing Director at Sahara in December 2005, the company retains a focus on a number of growing market sectors including corporate, government, digital lifestyle and mobile & wireless.
For more information on Sahara Computers, its products and services, visit www.sahara.co.za
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