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Zetes Globe 9th Edition - Nov 2011 >
Zetes South Africa
Zetes expands its Goods ID business to Africa
Alain Wirtz, CEO of Zetes, explains the great potential behind the acquisition of the South-African ProScan
Alain Wirtz - Africa offers strong development potential, with double digit growth rates expected for South Africa and the sub-region (South African Development Community) for the coming years . With its abundance of raw materials, African countries also have enormous needs for traceability and supply chain solutions. Moreover, Zetes knows this continent very well as the company is already very active in Africa, with its People ID solutions. For all those reasons, it is a quite natural expansion for us.
Why did you choose ProScan?
Alain Wirtz - First of all, its geographical location, in South Africa, was an important argument, as this strategic position offers a perfect entry point to the whole sub-Saharan zone. Besides that, ProScan holds a dominant position on its domestic market, and has a portfolio of solutions which is very similar to Zetes’. They have a strong management and a solid team of 170 people, distributed over 4 sites in South Africa: Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth. They also have a number of important references, especially within the manufacturing area. Finally, they share the same business vision as Zetes and we think they will integrate very well into the Group.
Is there any benefit for Zetes’ European customers with this expansion?
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ProScan holds a dominant position on its domestic market, and has a portfolio of solutions which is very similar to Zetes’ |
Alain Wirtz - There certainly are benefits for companies operating on both the European and the African continents, as we will be able to offer them the same level of services everywhere. As supply chains are getting ever more global, multinationals are looking for “glocal” solutions: a global approach but local services and support. That is what we have been offering them with our network of subsidiaries around Europe for many years. Now, this offering is extended to a new continent. In Asia and America, we have an alliance with the leaders on these markets. As the auto-ID market is very fragmented, we are the only company in the industry which is able offer this level of services.
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