Chapter List

Overview

Dermot Knight, now CEO of SWK Central Africa, had spent much of the last two years in extensive planning activity designed to help the SWK activities in the region to position themselves to take advantage of the opportunities that were opening. One result of this work had been the division of African businesses, present and potential, of Scott Wilson Kirkpatrick into two regions. SWK South Africa covered South Africa, and countries closely related to it. SWK Central Africa was responsible for the whole of the rest of Africa from headquarters in Harare. Included in that responsibility was the biggest company in the region, SWK Zimbabwe and its related companies.

In January 1996, Dermot and his management team were faced with the task of developing a business plan for the Zimbabwe operations, in the context of the new regional structure. Code-named Operation Bridge, the aim was to revitalise the Zimbabwe business. But first the marketing strategy had to be determined.

Background to Zimbabwe Environment

Zimbabwe is a developing country whose economic growth is not keeping pace with the expansion of the population. In Zimbabwe at this time the currency had been losing value in relation to many foreign currencies, some of the protective shields for local industry had been removed, allowing more products...