CEO Today Africa Awards

www.ceotodaymagazine.com 30 CEO Today Africa Awards 2019 BOTSWANA CHANDRA CHAUHAN Group Managing Director Sefalana Group FIRM PROFILE Sefalana has grown into a trusted household name in Botswana through establishing itself as one of the country’s leading businesses in the Fast- Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) sector. Our headquarters are located in Gaborone, Botswana and our primary focus is on the core FMCG business. The Group however remains well diversified, with a strong, reliable presence in manufacturing of nutritious cereal meals, UHT milk and soaps and detergents. Our Group also has a significant property portfolio across the Region along with 3 motor dealerships (MAN, TATA and Honda). This diversification has facilitated significant growth in our business and has allowed Sefalana to accomplish the following, significant milestones: growth from just 6 stores in one country to a total of 74 stores across 3 countries employment of over 3 400 individuals from a mere 233 in 1974, making Sefalana an employer of choice in each territory that it has a significant presence extension of manufacturing operations to include a wide range of products as we pride ourselves on feeding our Nation. The light blue (of the Botswana flag) recognises our roots as a true Botswana company, with the majority shareholding in the hands of our people. The dark blue symbolises the precious commodity of water and the life it sustains. The orange represents the African sun that nurtures life and brings forth warmth, happiness and optimism at the heart of our Group and our brand. At Sefalana we pride ourselves on conducting business responsibly. This is critical to our success as a Group. We place considerable focus on social, ethical and environmental matters so that we bring value to all of our stakeholders, in particular to our valued customers and Shareholders. We take full responsibility for our actions and carefully consider the impact our choices have on others, continuously ensuring our ethics and values are integrated into our business policies, practices, plans and generally everything we do. Over the years, we have grown the Sefalana brand through regional expansion, encompassing distinctive territories and cultures. This has heightened our motivation to foster our values and promote the achievement of these through educating both our internal and external stakeholders in all regions in which we operate. Our values are our guiding principles, derived from our passion and commitment to the way we conduct business. These have resonated throughout our various business sectors and have formed the foundation on which we work and conduct ourselves, as we strive to live and achieve our mission: To be the leading Brand of Choice for our Customers, Employees and Capital ABOUT CHANDRA CHAUHAN Chandra is a Chartered Accountant who trained and qualified with KPMG in the United Kingdom. A Zambian by birth, he became a naturalised citizen of Botswana and has over the years become a very successful entrepreneur and respected businessman. He is currently the Group Managing Director, having been appointed to the Board in 2003. He has been responsible for turning around and restructuring Sefalana and has seen its market capitalisation increase from P64 million in 2004 to its current capitalisation of just under P3 billion. He is also a Non - Executive Director of Botswana Insurance Holdings Limited, a company listed on the Botswana Stock Exchange having been appointed to its Board in April 2009 and he is the Chairman of the Board of Botswana Insurance Fund Management. Mr. Chauhan has a BAcc (Hons) from the University of Zimbabwe, ACA (England & Wales) and FCA (Botswana). www.sefalana.com