South African electrical and lighting products group Voltex has set its sights on expanding its presence into the African market.

Voltex MD Stanley Green says that the group, which has 53 strategically-located outlets in South Africa, has plans to increase its activity into Africa.

“We are very proud of our national footprint and we do at present distribute our products to some African countries, but we believe that significant opportunities exist to grow our business in Africa, and in doing so better serve our customers,” says Green.

Voltex group commercial manager Hugh Ward explains that with the South African business sector under stress, many of its customers are becoming more active beyond the country’s borders.

“We will partner with our preferred suppliers and customers going into Africa and in this way, they can have the confidence that they are getting the correct product, at the correct price, at the destination of their choice,” says Ward.

The group is exploring the establishment of Voltex business units in the African market and is at present negotiating within two countries north of our borders.

“By putting down a footprint north of our borders we will have the opportunity to grow our footprint and our ability to market our products. This we will do in partnerships with our key suppliers and the brand which we represent,” says Ward.

Voltex group commercial director Bongi Thwala adds that the move into Africa is being done in conjunction with the Department of Trade and Industry

“We do export to Africa but we truly believe that we can take up the opportunities in a more focused way. We are a force to be reckoned with in our industry in South Africa and with the skills and expertise resident within the group, we are well positioned for similar success in Africa,” says Thwala.

She reports that Voltex places a great deal of emphasis on its BEE performance, and looks to enhance its empowerment initiatives wherever possible.

“We are a wholly owned subsidiary of Bidvest, and therefore the responsibility for shareholding takes place at group level. However, we have embraced the other six element of the BEE scorecard and continue to make strong progress on this front,” says Thwala.

Voltex forms part of Bidvest Electrical and enjoys a level 2 BBBEE rating. For example, with regards to skills development the company is active on a number of fronts, including the sponsorship of employees at various universities, adult-based education and training learning courses for low-level employees, as well as training courses dealing with the various aspects of the business.

“We invest a great deal of time and effort in our employees and believe that by enhancing their skills, they will be better informed to provide our customers with the most appropriate solutions for their needs,” says Thwala.

In the area of employment equity, it has embarked on a number of projects and this year has more than 20 recently qualified graduates involved in internships across the group.

“We are looking to address the issue of scarce skills in conjunction with government, and have students from previously-disadvantaged backgrounds who have qualified in electrical engineering, IT, and sales and marketing.”

Ward reports that over the past year the Voltex brand has undergone a rejuvenation process.

“We represented a number of brands in the market, but we identified that there was a lack of understanding as to who the Voltex group was. We therefore decided to build our brand image, value and educate the market on our offering. To this extent we are in the process of rebranding all our stores with the Voltex name,” says Ward.

“In addition to raising the brand’s profile, this means that when customers deal with any segment of our group, they will have a consistent expectation of what we can offer as our brand value, service levels and quality are standard throughout the country,” says Ward.

He adds that as a result of its specialised business units, the experts within the various divisions can offer optimum solutions to customers’ needs.

A subsidiary of JSE-listed Bidvest Limited, Voltex forms part of Bidvest Electrical and has level 2 broad-based black economic-empowerment (BB-BBE) rating.

The company is divisionalised into specialised supply and distribution business units.

The six supplier divisions, namely Atlas Cable Suppliers/Voltex T&D, Versalec, Cabstrut, Voltex LSis, Voltex Lighting as well as Waco Industries, ensure a well-rounded product range supporting the distribution division, consisting of strategically located outlets nationwide. The retail division distributes the product directly into the retail industry.

As a large electrical wholesaler in Southern Africa with a staff complement in excess of 2 100 people, the company is geared to handle specialised projects within the electrical industry, catering for infrastructural, commercial, industrial, residential developments and energy efficiency replacement and retrofit markets.

Products and services are marketed and distributed to every sector of the market through more than 25 000 account holders as well as countless retail/cash customers. This customer base is serviced nationally by a fleet of more than 250 vehicles.

Product research and development forms a significant part of its responsibility in offering a vast array of products such as general industrial electrical products and components, lighting and sensor technology, switchgear and motor control, transmission and distribution products, wiring accessories, cable support systems, power tools, hand tools and testers. All these products conform to South African Bureau of Standards specifications where set standards are in place.

Green says that having been in existence for more than 50 years, Voltex has evolved out of a small group of independent electrical wholesalers and is today a leading stockiest and distributor of a wide array of electrical and related materials.

“Voltex will continue to grow, not only to bring stability to our markets and revenue to the group, but for our people, so that they can earn a living and develop and thrive,” says Green.