The low-profile Smartcall Cointel Group emerged as SA`s top growth company in the unlisted company category at the Brait, Gemini and Business Report-sponsored Growth Awards. The annual ceremony was hosted at Brait`s offices in Illovo last night.
For the third consecutive year, The Growth Awards recognise "companies and leaders that are making a significant contribution to growing SA`s economy".
Companies were evaluated and considered qualifiers for the awards if they could show three to five years of growth in turnover, EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) and EPS (earnings per share). Once the final list was compiled, a fourth criteria of shareholder return was used.
Smartcall Cointel Group, an m-commerce solutions and value-added service provider to Vodacom, reports over R2 billion in revenue and over 1.5 million customers. Brait acquired a 30% interest in Cointel in March 2000.
Cointel MD, Ahmed Ayob, attributes the company`s success to its ability to develop high-tech systems that have simple user-interfaces, so that anyone can use them from any cellphone. "My test is whether my grandmother could use the service," he told Business Report.
Another IT company recognised, but in the three-year growth category, is Net 1 Aplitec Technologies, which grew revenue from R21 million in 1998 to R557 million in 2001, with profit before tax growing from R7 million to R137 million. The winner in this category is Sasol.
CEO Serge Belamant says the secret of Aplitec`s sustained growth over a tough period is its focus and trust in its proprietary technology, patented 12 years ago: Aplitec`s Universal Payment System and its Fund Transfer System.
Belamant says Aplitec`s technology was designed for Third World countries and facilitates the provision of financial services to the unbanked. The company has indeed rolled it out in areas where others fear to tread: Mozambique, Ghana, Rwanda, Burundi and Russia.
In the five-year growth category for listed companies, the only IT company recognised as a qualifying contestant was Datatec, with 216% compound annual growth rate in turnover, 205% growth in EBITDA, 38% growth in shareholder return, and a 106% compound annual growth rate in EPS. However, the category award, based on additional qualitative analysis which included corporate governance, sustainability and growth strategy, went to the Bidvest Group.
ITWeb was a qualifying contestant in the unlisted company category and the only Internet concern in the competition. "It`s amazing and encouraging to see an Internet company on the shortlist of top South African performers," says ITWeb CEO Jovan Regasek.
"The listing restores business faith in the Internet as a business medium. In the Internet explosion era, the Internet was touted as much better place to do business in, but this changed after the famous bubble burst. This year`s growth award restores the balance. It shows that the Internet is as good a business environment as any other - if you adhere to the principles of the good Old Economy."
Kem Tissiman, MD of Rethink Management Consulting, which was a contestant in the unlisted company category, says 75% of his vendor-independent consultancy`s business involves technology solutions, mostly workflow and document management processes.
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