Sizwe Africa IT Group aims to move onto the continent within the next year-and-a-half, taking advantage of strategic partnerships.
Sizwe Africa is the holding company for several Sizwe subsidiaries, including Sizwe Business Networking, Smart Support Services and Sizwe Infrastructure.
Tim Modise, who was appointed CEO this week, says his first task will be to consolidate the company's business units, which are operating separately of each other.
In an exclusive interview with ITWeb, the day after he took the reins from founder Ben Kekana, Modise said he wants to align the company's functions. He explains that the divisions, such as cabling and box-dropping, do not cross-sell other solutions to clients.
“All the technology will be managed from a central position and a suite of our offerings taken to the marketplace,” Modise says. The company will also make executive appointments of new divisional heads, some of which will be made from inside the company, he notes.
Look north
To take Sizwe into the African continent, Modise aims to form strategic partnerships with companies that are already active further north. He explains that these partnerships are more likely to be in the communications field, especially with telecommunications groups.
He plans to take Sizwe into Africa within the next year to a year-and-a-half, he adds. While it will remain autonomous of its parent company, ConvergeNet, it will leverage off partnerships within the broader ConvergeNet group, Modise comments.
Modise has a long career in television and radio, and was also executive director of communications and commercial affairs for the 2010 Local Organising Committee.
He was also chairman of the BEE scorecard for the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, and chairperson of the Proudly South African campaign for three years.
Although Modise previously served as a non-executive director at Sizwe Africa, he admits his technological knowledge may be lacking. “If I want to become a technology expert, then it will be a tall order. But, in terms of putting the organisation together, that will be more exciting.”
He says aligning the company with the market's needs is a “challenge I relish”.
Sizwe was established in 2001 by Kekana and Hanno van Dyk. In 2007, 51% of Sizwe Africa IT Group was purchased by ConvergeNet, which is listed on the JSE.
It employs more than 500 people and has an annual turnover of R700 million.
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