P3rsist

Two weeks of team-building activities filled with insightful conversations, shared experiences, and meaningful collaboration. A big thank you to Harm Voortman for the valuable insights shared and for being open to listening to diverse perspectives on workplace culture and climate challenges. It was a pleasure working alongside you and the team on this journey. Looking forward to crossing paths again in the near future! #TeamBuilding #Collaboration #WorkplaceCulture

🌍 Unlocking African Agribusiness Growth! The reliance on the founder or a few key individuals is one of the main bottlenecks for the development of larger African Agribusinesses. Discover how reducing dependence on key individuals is crucial for scaling African agribusinesses and how to go about it. The latest article on P3rsist dives deep into transitioning from founder-led to management-led businesses. Team-based management, effective delegation, and the role of investors in governing sustainable growth. If you're stuck scaling your business, this is a must read! What are you struggling with right now in scaling your business? 👉 Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eGuw6DuH Jozien Maliyabo de Kwaasteniet, Tom Borghols, Simon Hummel, Dimitry Van Raemdonck

Market-based approaches with a focus on value chains. Understanding investors' decision-making to better support companies in developing countries. The UNDP's response to the 2024 evaluation session is music to my ears. "Without the private sector, the Sustainable Development Goals will not be achieved". - Marcos Neto, UN Assistant Secretary General and Director of UNDP's Bureau for Policy and Programme Support. There you have it. Entrepreneurs, businesses and investors have the capacity to find answers to making our societies function within planetary boundaries and more equal social outcomes. The term “social business” should not exist. The purpose of business is to solve the problems of people and planet profitably and not profit from creating problems. Read the full address by Mr. Neto here: https://lnkd.in/ecradtvV #SDGs #Purpose #PrivateSector

"...by screening out investments that fail to meet benchmarks for factors such as inequality or corruption, ESG strategies actually direct capital away from emerging markets." 🌱💼 🌍 That right there, is the key problem with ESG investing. It moves money away from where it is needed most. Whereas ESG investment strategies focus on risk-based exclusion, impact investment strategies seek to create positive impact through transformation. 💡Some insights by Nimrod Gerber from Vital Capital in this Financial Times article: - Some of the most promising investment opportunities are in #Africa with "...a billion new consumers very soon consuming potable water, basic healthcare, better food, infrastructure and education". - "Creative, smart African entrepreneurs that live the problems are developing the solutions. It's a winning formula." - Investors meet less competition in emerging markets. 👉🏼 Oh, and the final takeaway: impact investing is not philanthropy. It can deliver healthy financial returns at scale. ✌🏼 Just awesome to see impact investing getting more attention. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eVfEnXZ9 Jozien Maliyabo de Kwaasteniet, Jos Lemmens

African agri-processors are uniquely positioned to lead in the transition to sustainable value chains. 🌾 Proximity to farmers, vast areas of arable land, diverse climates and rich biodiversity provide a solid foundation. 🌍 Proximity to key markets like the EU as well as a young workforce, make for strong fundamentals. 📈 How to seize the opportunity? The backbone is advanced traceability. Without it, you cannot credibly communicate about your greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity impact or living wages in the value chain. 🌱 In our latest article we've put together a comprehensive guide on building an impact strategy for African agribusiness. From the key elements of an impact strategy to turning impact into competitive advantage. 👉🏼 Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/evpXNEWN #Agribusiness #Africa #ImpactInvesting

The Deloitte Kenya restructuring survey 2024 is well worth a read. Here are my key takeaways: 🔍 Early Identification of Distress One of the standout messages is the critical importance of identifying financial distress early. As Gladys Makumi points out, "...the main hurdle to achieving success in an informal process continues to be the late identification of distress." Intervention is required before warning indicators flash red. 🔧 Informal Restructuring Preferred The survey predicts that informal restructuring processes, such as operational, advisor-led, and management-led efforts, will dominate in 2024. These methods are seen as more efficient compared to formal administration, which often becomes "liquidation by another name." 🏦 Role of Lenders Lenders are positioned as pivotal players in early distress identification. Proactive monitoring, enhanced discussion covenants, and leveraging data analytics for early warning signs are crucial strategies to mitigate risk. 📊 Governance Challenges Effective governance is essential for successful restructuring. The survey highlights that boards often prioritize overall business strategy over critical cash and cost management initiatives. Aligning board and C-Suite priorities is vital for driving operational restructuring. As noted, "The lack of capacity and experience of board members is increasingly proving to be a challenge." 🔑Experience Matters We have seen firsthand how early intervention can transform distress into recovery. We echo Deloitte's call for proactive measures and early operational restructuring involvement of board members through a board subcommittee. Timely action makes all the difference. Find the full Deloitte report here: https://lnkd.in/eqN4PXqa 👉🏼 Let’s work together to identify distress signals early and implement effective turnaround strategies. Feel free to reach out if you need guidance on governance and turnaround challenges. #EarlyIntervention #BusinessResilience #P3rsist

🌍 Agri-processing in Africa is hard. Understanding and overcoming the unique challenges is crucial for business leaders and investors in this field. Our latest blog provides practical insights based on our experience in managing these complexities. 🔑 Key Challenges and Solutions: 1️⃣ Skills Development: Essential for success are skills such as quality management, food plant engineering, and financial acumen. We discuss ways to bridge the skills gap through continuous training, a focus on resourcefulness and effective leadership. 2️⃣ Supportive Ecosystem: 🌱 Successful agri-processing requires more than raw materials. It needs a strong support system including local markets, specialized services, and strategic partnerships. Businesses have a certain degree of control over their ecosystem through the choices that they make. 3️⃣ Building Resilience: 💪 Resilience is essential to manage environmental and operational challenges effectively. Our article outlines strategies for building robust infrastructure and maintaining organizational and financial stability to handle disruptions smoothly. 🚀 Dive deeper into our analysis and discover how to enhance your agri-processing business. 👉 Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/g2ecC9zM #AgriProcessing #BusinessInAfrica

Is your agri-processing operation constantly playing catch-up with equipment breakdowns? Stop celebrating the heroics 🚨 of the maintenance team when they get the production line going again. Glorifying last-minute fixes not only hinders efficiency but also overshadows the true objective of maintenance: preventing breakdowns in the first place. Warning signs your maintenance strategy needs an overhaul: - Machinery is used until it fails 🔧 - The same issues cause repeated breakdowns 🔄 - Spare parts stocking decisions are made by trial and error 🎲 - Spare parts inventory records are inaccurate or non-existent ❓ - Preventive maintenance schedules are poorly implemented, if at all 📅 - Communication between operators and maintenance staff is informal and inconsistent 🗣️ Leadership sets the tone. Applauding quick fixes sidelines the importance of planned, strategic maintenance. Measure success by the absence of downtime 📉, not the speed of recovery. Commit to a maintenance approach that prioritizes foresight over quick fixes, reducing downtime and boosting overall productivity. Shift your perspective: - Praise planning, not patching 📈. - Celebrate consistency, not crisis management 🏆. - Invest in prevention, not just repair 🛠️. Embrace a maintenance mindset that anticipates challenges and values thorough preparation. Stop fighting fires, start cultivating a culture of continuous improvement 🌱. Jozien Maliyabo de Kwaasteniet #AfricanAgribusiness #PreventiveMaintenance #P3rsist

🏭 "How to implement lean manufacturing", a book by Lonnie Wilson has greatly contributed to the way we approach agri-processing in #Africa. It's one of the top books I'd recommend to factory managers all over the continent. 💡 Over the past few weeks we've been posting on #LeanManufacturing in the context of African agri-processing. We've engaged on this platform with Lonnie and also had a few one-on-one calls with him. It's amazing how knowledgeable Lonnie is and how easily he translates concepts and frameworks to practical recommendations. Personally I've learnt a lot from our exchanges and Lonnie has given me new food for thought. Thank you! 👉🏼 Lonnie has been so kind to agree to me publishing an excerpt from our latest conversation. That's what this article is about. I hope that the read is useful for you. If you have any questions on lean in the context of African manufacturing, please post them in the comments! Jozien Maliyabo de Kwaasteniet, P3rsist #AfricanAgribusiness, #AfricanAgriprocessing #P3rsist