LIVING REVOLUTION

BATSAA TALKING MAY 2015 

WE ASKED YOUR COLLEAGUES HOW THEY ARE 

LIVING THE 

REVOLUTION 

READ WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY

InFocus 

InFocus 

CONTENTS 

FOCUS ON BATSAA 

4. Revving things up 

5. Winning back & growing 

our market share 

6. Indaba in pictures 

8. My TaO story 

10. Raising our game 

11. New strategy for growth 

38. SAM Go Live 

FOCUS ON SA 

12. Dunhill: Our premium 

powerhouse 

14. Positive programme 

empowers BATSA 

16. One on One: Thobani Dlodlo 

17. One on One: Paul Kruger 

18. EHS update 

19. Contributing to the communities 

20. Making headway with AIT 

FOCUS ON HEIDELBERG 

22. The process of revolution 

23. Heidelberg facts & figures 

24. One on one: Nomsa Sibanyoni 

25. One on one: Nisaar Ebrahim 

26. Saving energy & water 

27. IWS 

28. EHS update 

30. Sports update 

FOCUS ON SAM 

ED’S 

NOTE 

We broke with tradition this 

year, and for the first time 

INDABA was broadcast live 

to 24 sites across the Southern Africa 

Area ensuring that everyone received the 

messages from our SAALT members at 

the same time. I am sure you will agree, it 

was an exhilarating and great experience! 

This issue of INFOCUS, which includes 

content from the whole BAT Southern 

Africa Area, focuses on our need to REV UP 

the EVOLUTION! 

We hear from our Marketing Director, 

Sacha, how, as a marketing-led business, 

we are well positioned to win back and 

grow our market share. We also ask six of 

your colleagues how they intend to ignite 

and start the Revolution in their own jobs 

and areas of influence. We are sure that 

their stories will motivate you as well – to 

be the best YOU you can be in 2015! 

Our colleagues at Heidelberg have 

been hard at work (as always) ensuring 

that our brands are produced to the 

highest standards of quality – whilst 

embracing our sustainability journey and 

commitment to keeping safety at the top 

of mind every moment in the factory. 

The TaO team celebrated their Go 

Live in SAM in May – and we find out 

from seven Super Users in five countries 

what they have been up to and what this 

process means to them. 

Congratulations to TM&D in BATSA 

for having so competently embraced the 

Positive Programme – we are now firmly 

in step with the rest of the BAT global 

community. 

2015 is predicted to be another 

tough trading year in SAA and, as SAALT 

passionately told us at the INDABA, we 

need to UNLEASH THE BEAST in each one 

of us so that VICTORY WILL BE OURS! 

Happy reading, 

Tabby 

32. Challenges & opportunities 

for SAM 

33. BAT Zim Closes the Gap to Zero 

36. One on one: Geena Mwiyeriwa 

37. One on one: John Masala 

MORE ABOUT... 

Sustainability 

INFOCUS IS PRINTED ON: 

Amadeus 50% recycled silk, comprising 25% postconsumer 

and 25% pre-consumer waste, and 50% 

virgin wood fibre sourced from sustainable forests 

INFOCUS IS DESIGNED BY Fountainhead 

Design: a B-BBEE Level 3 contributor 

INFOCUS IS PRINTED BY 

Tandym Print: a B-BBEE Level 2 contributor 

InFocus is recyclable 

InFocus: SAA is produced for employees of British American 

Tobacco’s Southern Africa Area. 

Got a story you would like to share? 

Contact Kimala Ross on: 

Tel: +27 21 888 3436 

Email: kimala_ross@bat.com 

2 – INFOCUS ISSUE 1 2015 

WARNING: TOBACCO SMOKE CAUSES DISEASE 

WARNING: TOBACCO SMOKE CAUSES DISEASE 

INFOCUS ISSUE 1 2015 – 3

Focus on BATSAA 

REVVING 

THINGS UP 

IS 

WINNING BACK 

& STRENGTHENING 

OUR LEADERSHIP 

Message from Brian Finch 

MD SAA 

FOR THE 

Take 2 600 people and apply the 

pressure of targets they could 

not quite meet. Throw in some 

shareholder grumbles and internal angst 

about a change in location – and you 

have the recipe for a very tough…year. 

2014 was one of those exceptionally 

tough years, one that had many wishing 

for “the good old days”. But casting that 

lens aside for a moment, let’s look at the 

facts in a little more context. In 2010, when 

we re-thought our vision and strategy, we 

were coming off the back of a big change 

in the market. We put our heads down and 

focused on six key strategic areas which we 

believed would drive sustainability. And, 

while these were largely the right things 

to focus on, four years down the road we 

haven’t quite achieved the vision for the 

business that we wanted to. We’ve done 

brilliantly on consumer leadership, but 

we’ve not been quick enough to react to 

competitors. 

Now let’s look through a new lens – the 

one that sees clearly how we’re going to rev 

things up and start the revolution – today. 

First, let’s acknowledge that while 

we’ve made lots of progress on delivering 

outright consumer leadership, more needs 

to be done. This will be achieved in 2015 

by building our distribution network wider 

than ever before, and providing a bespoke 

delivery service which is the best in its class, 

world wide. Scale, speed and agility are key. 

Second, let’s be aware that while we’ve 

seen a tangible shift in the fight against 

illicit trade in South Africa for the first time, 

the threat is moving across the area. We 

know from experience that it will not be 

quelled quickly, and we must continue to 

tackle the challenge head on, using the 

expertise we’ve already honed and bring a 

whole lot of fresh energy to the battle. 

Third, let’s get real about maximising 

our operating margins. While we have 

traditionally delivered on our own 

expectations, and delivered on financial 

commitments to our shareholders and 

stakeholders, we missed our targets in 

2014. There’s no question that these targets 

were very tough – but this was incredibly 

disappointing. The only way is up in 

2015, and we are committed to operating 

with more precision, getting our product 

mix and pricing right, while asking our 

shareholders for a more prudent return for 

the next years to get us back on the growth 

trajectory. 

Finally, let’s remember that as a high 

performance organisation, there is no use in 

looking backwards when faced with major 

challenges. We need to focus on the future 

and look forward to “the good old days” 

that are right here and now. The business 

has always had challenges, and we still 

see massive opportunities in the market. 

ABOUT OUR BRANDS 

Let’s look through a new 

lens – the one that sees 

clearly how we’re going to 

rev things up and start the 

revolution – today. 

With the institutional knowledge of the 

“old guard” and the enthusiasm of our new 

talent working together, we can make sure 

that the best days for our business lie ahead. 

This year you will see us launching 

initiatives every quarter that will build 

momentum and confidence. You will have 

the opportunity to report back and offer 

feedback on each of the initiatives, because 

the most important thing I can ask of you is 

to help us move forward into growth with 

positive momentum. 

Please also reflect on how YOU are 

leading the organisation. Is there some 

behavior change that you can make to 

ensure you have a positive impact on our 

circle of influence? Is there something you 

can do, every day, to lift the company and 

your colleagues? 

We’ve taken our knocks and we 

continue to evolve. I am tremendously 

excited about 2015. 

Rise and shine, 

Brian. 

Message from Sacha Ruffier 

Area Head of Marketing for SAA 

Marketing will lead 

the revolution by 

increasing our portfolio 

competitiveness in SA 

and fostering our growth 

opportunities in SAM. 

Consumer affordability has been 

a hot issue for us. External 

economic factors are translating to 

constrained disposable income, making 

it difficult for consumers to afford our 

Premium Brands. We’ve been evolving our 

portfolio significantly over the last couple 

of years but competitors are spotting the 

opportunity and have been increasingly 

aggressive on pricing. We need to balance 

some of our offers to not allow them any 

opportunity for growth. 

What will this mean? Well, for our 

Premium Brands, it is all about striking the 

right balance between price, quality and 

innovation – and continuously bringing 

tangible value and an unsurpassed 

experience to the consumer. In the belowpremium 

sector, we’ll focus on getting 

the price right and evolve the offers to be 

extremely competitive, all the while looking 

to catch the consumer who falls out of the 

less affordable Premium segment. 

There is no question that our 

brands remain incredibly strong, but if 

we are to retain and further grow our 

market share, we must make sure our 

consumers are getting good value for 

their brand of choice. 

2015 will see us roll out all our 

initiatives to consumers and customers 

in a way that makes sure we retain our 

market leading position. In South Africa, 

we will continue to evolve the portfolio 

and establish points of differentiation 

through some strategic pricing initiatives. 

Rest assured, there will be big news on 

all of the four key brands. This will entail 

landing our products in the market for 

maximum impact – and doing it bigger, 

better and faster than our competitors, 

supported by our outstanding TM&D 

capabilities. 

In SAM, we need to grow our already 

strong leadership position by going 

back to basics. In Angola, where we 

already have 50 per cent of the market 

share, we know we can grow further, 

and the key focus will be on perfecting 

our distribution and RTM activities. Even 

in markets where we have as much as 

90% of the share, we are determined 

to expand. Our product availability and 

the way we execute activities in these 

growing markets are key to success. 

I firmly believe that the revolution is 

really a day-to-day process of doing the 

right things to continuously evolve. I 

will provide my team with the tools and 

support for us to win – and every success 

will generate more energy and motivation 

to carry on striving for growth. We’ve 

always been a consumer-driven company, 

whose heart is its brands and people. This 

does not change in the face of adversity. 

Challenge is the name 

of the game, and we know 

how to do what we do 

best: meet the market’s 

challenges head on, and 

come out on top. 




2 600 PEOPLE 

24 SITES 

1 BROADCAST STUDIO 

1 MESSAGE = 

ENOUGH IS 

ENOUGH! 

RISE UP 

& SHINE 

VICTORY WILL 

BE OURS! 

YOU ASKED 

Keep an eye on the internal 

communication channels, 

(such as InBrief, InFocus and 

InTouch) to see the answers to 

your questions. 

WE HAVE 

ANSWERED 




MY TaO STORY 

SAM is buzzing since the Go Live on 

4 May 2015. It has certainly been 

an exciting journey with a lot of 

hard work to ensure the end-markets reap 

the benefits of TaO. At the end of the day, 

it is the people who drive the change so 

some of the Super Users reflected on their 

experiences and what they were looking 

forward to post Go Live. South Africa, 

take note! 

BAT 

FACTORY 

ANGOLA 

NAMIBIA 

BOTSWANA 

LESOTHO 

SOUTH AFRICA 

ZAMBIA 

“My favourite 

moment on TaO was 

when we started 

testing business 

scenarios, being able 

to test was easier 

than just working 

with theory. We were 

well prepared for Go 

Live and I believe that TaO will make our 

work easier, improve performance and 

efficiency in our processes. We need to 

ensure that nothing fails and people are 

prepared for the change. TAO IS REAL - 

let’s take it seriously and shine together!” 

Judite Matsinhe - Mozambique 

ZIMBABWE 

SWAZILAND 

MALAWI 

MOZAMBIQUE 

“The TaO journey has 

had many moments; 

exasperating, 

adrenaline-charged, 

demanding, but there 

have been beautiful 

moments too, with 

Fit Gap Training and 

Testing by far being 

the most awesome experiences. Since 

embarking on this journey, my knowledge 

tank has enlarged and I have gained 

immense knowledge that will aid me in 

the execution of my work but above all it 

has helped my individual development. 

To my SA colleagues and Super Users: 

know that being a Super User is going to 

be demanding as you have to find that 

balance between BAU and TaO, it’s going 

to be challenging and tough but it’s been 

proved beyond doubt that it’s possible 

and can be done. Enjoy the journey!” 

Wadzanai Munakamwe - Zimbabwe 

“Testing has been my 

best moment on TaO 

because we managed 

to have all SAM 

markets together in 

one place and it was 

a good experience 

to share knowledge. 

Now that we are live, 

I am looking forward to finally putting in 

practice all that we have been exposed to. 

As a new employee, being a Super User 

was a tool that actually helped me blend 

in the company and gave me a good 

understanding of the processes used in 

the past and what’s coming in the future. 

My advice to South Africa would be that 

they need to embrace TaO, it’s a new tool 

and it will improve the way we operate 

and it’s an opportunity they have to shine 

because it is also a new beginning.” 

Joao Morgado - Mozambique 

“It was exciting to see 

TaO Go Live and to 

be able to work in the 

new system now that I 

have more knowledge 

on how SAP works. For 

Marketing, TaO will 

simplify the process of 

sales, production and 

logistics. My message to the Super Users 

and BAU employees is that when you are 

completing Conversion Load Templates 

(CLTs) for Data, it is very important to get 

the master data correct.” 

Cristina Ferreira - Mozambique 

“It was really exciting 

to Go Live with TaO… 

Finally all the hard 

work we had put in 

was realised. From a 

Finance perspective, 

TaO brings many 

benefits: visibility 

of the process 

in the system across the business will 

improve greatly, for example the ease of 

administrative operations such as Financial 

Supply Chain Management. I have grown 

immeasurably and the level of knowledge 

gained on the TaO project has been 

amazing. I am humbled and privileged 

to have been on the TaO project as a 

Super User. For South Africa my advice is: 

Discipline, Determination, Commitment, 

Resilience and finally, have fun!” 

Maposa Hamakoko - Zambia 

“For Finance, I believe that with TaO we 

will have shorter period ends and year 

ends. Another benefit will also be the 

ability to view consolidated information for 

SAM at any time. And maybe Finance will 

even be able to take December holidays!” 

Carmen Moses - Head Office 

“I believe BAT Malawi 

will benefit from the 

standardisation of 

business processes in 

TaO which will lead to 

greater efficiency in 

business transactions. 

Through TaO I have 

grown professionally and 

personally: it has instilled a hardworking 

spirit in me and with the standardisation 

of processes; I will be able to work in 

any market. My advice to the SA Super 

Users is to embrace TaO as the business 

depends on you to lead the change. To 

BAU employees: work together with the 

Super Users to find out more about TAO 

from them. TAO is here for everyone!” 

Tapiwa Phiri - BAT Malawi 




RAISING 

OUR GAME 

Leslie Rance 

Head of CORA for SAA 

In 2015 the biggest 

challenges for CORA 

will lie in the regulatory 

environment across SAM. 

This year, tobacco regulations and 

business sustainability regulations 

will present a double-edged sword. 

The future of our nicotine business is 

under pressure, with health organisations 

and governments ratcheting up their 

focus on tobacco. Yet like a coin with two 

faces, the flip side of every challenge will 

present an opportunity to raise our game. 

This is what we must do in CORA as 

we move forward with BATSAA’s revolution 

this year. We have to prepare the business 

for change, and do our best to level the 

playing field in the face of adversity. 

On the tobacco regulations front, we 

are seeing more restrictive laws come into 

force in Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland 

and Lesotho. Meanwhile in South Africa, 

plain packaging laws continue to present 

challenges, and we are also experiencing 

increased taxation on tobacco products in 

the form of levies. 

For the last three to four years, 

we’ve engaged with government and 

successfully delayed the impact of 

regulations, such as the public place 

smoking laws, without impeding 

business. We’ve also kept new regulation 

in Namibia and Swaziland at bay, which 

has given us time to prepare to handle 

the eventual enactment of these new 

laws. In Malawi, we’ve worked to make 

adverse tax laws fairer and we’ll build 

on this, effectively staving off adverse 

taxation in Botswana. 


As we celebrate each small victory 

in the battle against illicit trade in South 

Africa, we turn our attention also to the AIT 

fight, which is heating up in Zambia and 

Namibia. We must apply our learnings from 

the domestic environment and continue 

to think creatively about how to engage 

government, third party stakeholders and 

the public on illicit activity. 

We will also aggressively seek 

opportunities to enhance the value 

of our organisation in 2016. From a 

sustainability standpoint in Zimbabwe, 

51% of the business will be owned by 

Zimbabweans by the end of this year, in 

line with indigenisation laws. We are all 

but there already, and well ahead of other 

multinationals in the country. 

In South Africa, we face the challenge 

of the new B-BBEE codes, which will 

require a recalibration and renewed 

focus on transformation. I really want to 

commend everyone who has already taken 

the challenge of BATSA’s transformation 

head on. We are now at the top of our 

peer set, and we are well ahead of most of 

our multinational FMCG peers. 

Change is afoot within the 

organisation, and we will be ramping 

up our engagement with each of you 

this year, to ensure you have a good 

The future of our 

nicotine business is 

under pressure, with 

health organisations and 

governments ratcheting 

up their focus on tobacco. 

Yet like a coin with two 

faces, the flip side of 

every challenge will 

present an opportunity to 

raise our game. 

understanding of the challenges we are 

facing, and feel equipped to manage 

them. I am very proud of the whole 

business for the resilience we have shown. 

You are proving that we have the right 

culture to overcome every challenge 

we’ve faced to date, and that we will win 

going forward. 

BATSAA IMPLEMENTS 

NEW STRATEGY 

FOR GROWTH 

Since 2012, there has been a 

change in pace of regulation in 

Southern Africa with the World 

Health Organisation (WHO) streamlining 

its strategy and focus resulting in key 

developments. This has impacted our 

industry in the sub-region for the last 

three years. Due to this impact, BATSAA 

has put new strategies in place to 

minimise the impact on sales. 

Within Africa, the WHO is encouraging 

governments to treat the tobacco 

pandemic, at policy level, as a Non- 

Communicable-Disease [NCD]. This will 

cause the prioritisation of tobacco control 

for fiscal/budgetary spend and will also 

increase the availability of non-traditional 

sources of development funding to efforts 

in tobacco control. 

This has translated into increased 

impetus and momentum in the 

formulation of tobacco control legislation 

on SAM. Both the WHO, and associated 

Anti-Tobacco Organisations, have 

increased funding and the provision of 

technical support to governments within 

SAM and beyond. This funding is in a bid 

to enable and encourage an increase in 

tobacco taxation as an effective tobacco 

control measure. 

GROWTH 

PRODUCTIVITY 

SUSTAINABILITY 

As a responsible company 

we are able and willing 

to contribute information 

and ideas to regulators 

in order to address the 

key issues surrounding 

our industry. We agree 

that tobacco products 

should be regulated and 

we support balanced, 

evidence-based tobacco 

regulation provided it 

remains within the legal 

guidelines. 

As a result, BATSAA has implemented 

a clear strategy in order to create the 

time, space and opportunity for growth. 

The aim of this strategy is to minimise 

the effect of these new regulations and 

to pre-empt any harm from further 

regulations. 

This strategy focuses on the following 

activities: 

GROWTH 

A robust assessment of where we are 

as a business is needed as it will allow for 

a clear vision of where we are going. This 

needs to be combined with a thorough 

understanding and engagement of Fiscal 

Regulation i.e. indirect taxes, import 

duties and levies. In order to truly grow 

we need to understand how these 

regulations may limit us in order to map 

out a clear path for consistent growth. 

PRODUCTIVITY 

We will defend our competitive 

advantage by proactively engaging to 

shape the regulatory framework in SAM 

markets. Our skill and knowledge allows 

us to be a part of shaping the future 

and as such it is important our voices 

are heard when it comes to proposed 

regulations. We continue to produce 

highly skilled leaders across all divisions to 

ensure we have the advantage. 

SUSTAINABILITY 

SAM’s efforts towards shaping a new 

deal with consumers and society is to 

build a foundation for growth. This will 

be done by creating solid relationships of 

trust through constructive dialogue with 

stakeholders. By continuously providing 

informed feedback to stakeholders, and 

indeed throughout BATSAA, we will thrive 

regardless of any regulatory challenges. 

This will be achieved by shifting strategies 

when necessary and putting plans in 

place to minimise any impact from further 

regulations. 

Globally, there is debate on alternative 

crops. The Framework Convention on 

Tobacco Control (FCTC) has called on 

governments to promote economically 

sustainable alternatives to tobacco 

growing. This we fully support, however 

we also believe farmers should have the 

right to chose whether they want to be 

involved or not. 

While the debate on plain packaging 

is ongoing, we will continue to keep 

abreast of any new developments and 

are carefully watching how this unfolds 

in Europe. We are currently working on 

detailed plans to delay this for BATSAA 

and will keep everyone informed as we 

progress in this matter. 


Focus on BATSA 

Premium 

OUR 

POWERHOUSE 

BUILDING DISTINCTIVE BRANDS 

As the leading premium brand in South Africa, DUNHILL Courtleigh Blend 

has experienced positive growth over the past few years amidst tough 

market conditions. The brand continues to remain resilient and is loved by 

our consumers, as its iconic status and premium appeal for a sophisticated, 

superior product continues to drive the brand forward. 

QUALITY MEETS CHOICE 

DUNHILL Courtleigh Blend, the benchmark in quality tobacco that delivers a 

consistently smooth smoking experience, is now available in a new 10s pack. 

DUNHILL goes to great lengths to give consumers a superior product for the 

ultimate smoking experience. 

EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS 

Following a successful launch in March 2015, the introduction of the new 

DUNHILL Courtleigh Blend 10s pack into the DUNHILL family has exceeded 

our expectations. 

Thank You from the DUNHILL Team. 

Here DUNHILL Courtleigh grows again, what an amazing offer for our 

consumers. I am extremely proud of what DUNHILL Courtleigh has achieved 

over the last two years. The brand continues to grow despite the current 

market pressure, which shows that DUNHILL Courtleigh truly understands 

consumer moments. 

Credit goes to all involved in making this launch such a success; Factory, 

NPI, Shopper and Trade Teams. 

- Paul Pretorius, Senior Brand Executive, DUNHILL 

12– INFOCUS ISSUE 1 2015 

DANGER: TOBACCO IS ADDICTIVE 

DANGER: TOBACCO IS ADDICTIVE 



POSITIVE 

PROGRAMME EMPOWERS BATSA 

BAT South Africa has joined the rest 

of the British American Tobacco 

global community in introducing 

the world-class and highly effective 

POSITIVE training programme with 

impressive results. 

Launched in July 

2013, the global training 

programme called 

‘POSITIVE’ is based on 

a Trade Marketing and 

Distribution Competency 

Framework and represents 

nine core competencies, 

focusing on the Head 

- knowledge, Heart - 

passion and leading 

attitude, and Hands - 

commercial selling skills. 

These are at the core of the programme 

and are supported by 10 learning modules 

facilitated by line managers. The goal of 

the programme is to empower TM&D in 

producing leaders to keep the company 

growing from strength to strength. 

With over 900 representatives at 

BATSA, and around 120 managers country 

wide, the programme has now been rolled 

out across SA and has been implemented 

in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban and 

the North and Central Regions. 

The company’s training philosophy 

is simple: 10% classroom training, 20% 

coaching and 70% on job application with 

key outcomes defined and measured. By 

using POSITIVE as both the title of the 

programme as well as an acronym for eight 

steps of the call, it inspires and works as 

an effective learning tool. The qualification 

ensures all managers and reps receive a real 

skills transfer enhancing both selling and 

negotiating skills. 

The approach of investing in the Field 

Force and empowering managers and 

TM&D reps across the country has been 

met with enthusiasm and success at 

BATSA. The objective of the programme 

is to upskill TM&D Managers on the 

POSITIVE outcomes so that they can go 

back to their teams and impart what they 

have learnt. This not only promotes a 

culture of learning but also one of sharing 

knowledge which is vital in producing a 

legacy of leaders. 

The process is a lengthy one, nine 

months in total from training managers to 

reps as a staggered approach is needed to 

ensure that not too many staff are taken 

away from their daily responsibilities at 

one time. However, the process is worth 

it. The programme teaches the managers 

how to facilitate the content rather 

than to simply present it, this includes 

developing action plans, knowledge 

checks via quizzes, role plays as well as 

feedback by peers thereby ensuring that 

the knowledge is not easily forgotten 

giving them the skills they need to truly 

thrive at their job. 

To date, 315 reps have passed the 

knowledge assessment and have received 

their “license to sell”. It’s an impressive 

pass rate out of the 323 who have taken 

the Knowledge Assessment, bearing in 

mind that the pass mark is a high 80%. 

97% of reps completing the Knowledge 

Assessment for the first time achieve over 

80% which is very promising. 

In the background the marketing skills 

development function have worked with 

AGRISETA, the education and training 

quality assurance authority responsible for 

assisting us with training accreditation, 

to map the POSITIVE programme to 

a current accredited qualification. We 

have recently received feedback that 

the learning outcomes of POSITIVE are 

aligned to certain credit bearing unit 

standards which is awesome news. 

This means that if you complete the 

POSITIVE programme you will receive a 

competency certificate which will have 

formal credits linked to it versus just 

an attendance based certificate. This 

recognition means employees who pass 

the assessment will receive a formal 

competency certificate accounting for 

41 credits towards a BCom Marketing 

Management degree of 360 credits. 

The qualification is also recognised 

internationally (BATSA and globally as an 

in-house accreditation). For BATSA, it is 

important that we are now aligned with 

the BATSA Work Place Skills objective and 

the South African transformation charter. 

The process is a journey; the 

knowledge assessment is just the start 

as the skills need to be embedded into 

BATSA’s DNA and will start to see a steady 

increase both in productivity, sales and 

the results of a stronger and more highly 

skilled TM&D force. 

Knowledge 

Passion & 

leading attitude 

The end result is key 

and our core focus is to 

empower our reps to get 

“One Extra Yes” at every 

call, every outlet, and 

every single day. 

The company’s scale and impact 

on the economy as an employer and 

corporate citizen places a responsibility on 

its shoulders to ensure the sustainability of 

its business. Through POSITIVE, BATSA is 

truly investing as much in our people as it 

does in our brands. 

Commercial 

selling skills 




HOW WILL YOU 

START & LIVE THE REVOLUTION? 

ONE-ON-ONE 

WHAT 3 INTERESTING 

THINGS DO WE NOT 

KNOW ABOUT YOU? 

I am a die-hard Orlando Pirates fan 

and still believed that we could take the 

League this season. Unfortunately l have 

to look forward to a better performance 

next season. 

I have a passion for designs and 

architecture and believe that someday 

l will find an alternative solution to 

our ongoing urban accommodation 

challenges. 

I am passionate about education and 

developing leaders for tomorrow and 

am currently mentoring high school and 

tertiary level students. 

Thobani Dlodlo 

Regional Manager BATSA 

Tell us a little about your career 

before BAT 

I have been privileged to have worked 

for exciting global and local brands in 

the beverage and telecommunications 

space. I started my career at Coca-Cola 

as a Management Trainee and received 

training in Brands, Trade Marketing, Sales 

& Distribution, Strategy and General 

Management. I then went on to hold 

various Senior Executive roles at SABMiller 

in Sales & Distribution. After years of 

beverage exposure l then sobered up and 

explored the highly contested terrain of 

mobile telecommunications at Vodacom 

where I was Executive Head responsible 

for crafting and leading the execution of a 

route to market strategy in their Emerging 

Markets. Helping people to connect was 

very exciting as we sought to get the 

Vodacom products available where the 

consumer lived, travelled, worked, played, 

learnt and prayed. I was also part of a team 

responsible for landing a market leading 

mobile money product into the market. 

What personally motivates you 

every day? 

I think waking up alive every morning 

which we sometimes assume will always 

happen. I am motivated by achieving the 

goals that I set for myself in my personal 

life and career. I also enjoy seeing other 

people succeeding in their personal and 

career goals. 

How will you play your part in 

the ‘2015 BAT revolution’? 

Stop and look at what we are doing 

and ask myself if there is no better, faster 

and more effective way of doing it. I will 

start by demanding more of myself by 

ensuring that l’m bringing my full self 

to my role every day and equally l will 

demand more of my immediate team 

and their teams in our quest to win 

back market share and volume growth 

and improving customer service and 

competitiveness. 

What inspirational message 

do you have for your BAT 

colleagues for making 2015 a 

success? 

We need to stop thinking like a 

number two in order to stay number 

one in the market. We have an array of 

exciting brands and the capability and 

scale to execute them in the market. We 

have home ground advantage and let’s 

use that fully and play the game fairly and 

outdo our competitors. This is our turf 

and 2015 is our year!! 

What qualities are important for 

the role you perform at BAT? 

As a Regional Manager, my role is to 

drive excellence in strategy execution 

aligned to the BATSA objectives. There 

are 20 activities that need to be done 

but my role is to prioritize the top five 

activities to be done now. I believe that I 

have to be able to simplify big strategic 

goals to smaller size chunks that can 

easily be understood by all employees 

in my team. Once l have set clear goals 

and communicated them, l need to then 

drive performance to achieve those goals. 

It’s about balancing the focus on daily 

operational nuts and bolts with the bias 

for reviewing the region’s performance 

against our goals and always looking at 

the competitive landscape to identify 

where the next opportunity for growth 

will come from. 

WHAT 2 INTERESTING THINGS 

DO WE NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU? 

I brew my own beer. The higher the gravity and 

the hoppier the beer, the better. 

Long before I became human I used to rock 

dance floors across Cape Town with high 

energy electronic music. I was one of the first 

guys spinning CDs when everyone else was still 

spinning vinyl… 

ONE-ON-ONE 

Paul Kruger 

Commercial Engagement Manager 

Tell us a little about your career before BAT 

I spent too much time working in financial services, too little time in legal 

practice and left the world of government and policy before I got bored. Also 

had a hand in creating the next generation of Chinese / English speakers with 

an Afrikaans accent. 

What personally motivates you every day? 

My first cup of coffee. You have to start your day strong. 

How will you play your part in the ‘2015 BAT revolution’? 

By shuffling every day! Having a positive mindset, keeping a cool head and 

rolling with the punches. And by applying tomorrow what I have learned today. 

What inspirational message do you have for your BAT 

colleagues for making 2015 a success? 

In the words of Maya Angelou: “My mission in life is not merely to survive, 

but to thrive: and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some 

humour, and some style”. 

What qualities are important for the role you perform at BAT? 

Pitching up. Not just in the physical sense, but in every other sense. And 

perseverance. Keeping at it until we find the way, and if we can’t find the way, 

we’ll make one! 




FROM 

BRIAN’S 

DESK 

Dear Colleagues, 

The safety of our employees, contractors and any other people 

involved with BATSA along the value chain is not negotiable. 

We are completely committed to creating a safe and healthy 

work environment, which is clearly reinforced as part of our business 

performance and culture through the Strategic Goal “Closing the 

Gap to Zero”. 

As you are aware the focus areas for 2015 are: 

• To promote a safe work culture for all employees, 

contractors and visitors 

• To reduce the number of work related accidents / 

incidents 

• To enhance EHS awareness and discipline at all levels 

As an organisation, we have many initiatives in place to help 

us create a safe environment and I encourage you to familiarise 

yourself with these programmes. It is also up to every single 

employee to take responsibility and strive to be safety conscious in 

everything you do. 

For any EHS queries or enquiries, please do not hesitate to 

contact any of your local EHS representatives, or alternatively email 

BATSA_EHS@bat.com. 

Take care of yourself and your colleagues by acting safely at all 

times – stop, avoid and mitigate. I rely on you to help make BATSA 

a safe place to work. 

CONTRIBUTION TO THE 


BAT continues to make a meaningful contribution to the communities in which it 

operates in South Africa. 

Part of the revolution is, 

unquestionably, remembering 

to give back. BATSA continues 

to do so, especially in the areas 

of empowerment and sustainable 

agriculture. 

Educating the leaders of 

tomorrow 

We are excited to continue our 

successul bursary programme, through 

which BATSA has awarded bursaries to 

over 200 students over the last decade. 

This year we have a fresh intake of eight 

ambitious students taking part in our 

bursary programme at universities across 

the country. 

More than 200 students have 

received bursaries since 2005. 

We are also proud to announce that 

the 2015 winner of the BATSA Mandela 

Rhodes Scholarship, in partnership with 

the Mandela Rhodes Foundation, is 

Curwyn Mapaling. Curwyn will use his 

bursary to complete a Masters degree 

in Clinical Psychology at the University 

of Stellenbosch. The scholarship is open 

to South African students who have 

demonstrated outstanding academic 

performance and leadership skills. 

Upskilling to uplift small 

business 

Through our work with the Heidelberg 

Chamber of Commerce’s SMME desk, 

BAT continues to offer mentorship and 

skills development to small businesses in 

the area. The project, which started last 

year, is aimed at funding entrepreneurs 

in the informal business sector. In 2015, 

10 new small businesses will be afforded 

the opportunity to participate in the 

programme. 

Eight businesses had access to 

the programme in 2014, creating 

16 new jobs in the Heidelberg area. 

In Stellenbosch, our partnership 

with the Stellenbosch 360 programme, 

Route 360, is now in its third year. The 

programme encourages entrepreneurship 

in the tourism industry. Last year, 50 

small businesses benefitted from the 

programme, which upskills individual 

crafters and equips them with business 

skills to grow their small enterprises. We 

intend to increase this number in 2015. 

In 2014, 63 crafters received 

small business upskilling. 

In 2014 we helped 62 famers 

establish non-tobacco crops 

to drive food security and grow 

their income. 

One of our most successful farming 

groups comprises ten women farmers, 

growing rose geranium. In 2015, their 

farming hectarage will increase from 3ha 

in 2014 to 10ha. 

In 2014, three hectares increasing 

to 10 hectares in 2015. 

Looking ahead 

BATSA is determined to grow our 

Mandela Day initiative. In partnership 

with Stop Hunger Now Southern Africa, 

in July we will once again pack nutritious 

food parcels for delivery to charities across 

the country, in each of our nine South 

African offices. 

Since we started this initiative three 

years ago, the number of employees 

participating has grown. This year we 

have no doubt that the numbers will 

be even bigger than before. This means 

more nutritious meals for those who need 

it most. We’ll be counting on you to make 

this happen. 

Developing emerging farmers 

BATSA’s largest project in the 

sustainable agriculture space is our 

funding of the non-tobacco crops of small 

tobacco farmers, with the aim of helping 

them create a more holistic farming 

system. Through crop cycling, the farmers 

are able to increase income and food 

security. In 2015 we will increase the 

hectarage available to 80-plus farmers. 

In 2014, 378 employees in nine 

offices collectively packed and 

delivered 102 646 meals. In 2015 

our target is higher! 

For more information on how to become 

a volunteer, keep an eye on the internal 

communication channels. 


MANDELA RHODES SCHOLAR 2015 

Curwyn Mapaling, 

Masters Clinical Psychology 

Stellenbosch University 



MAKING HEADWAY 

WITH AIT 

AIToperational statistics for 2014: 

The sustained anti-illicit trade 

strategy implemented by BATSA 

has started to see success across 

the country with the percentage of illegal 

cigarette occurrence down from 34% in 

2012 to 23% in 2014. This is the largest 

drop in illicit trade to date. These results 

are a culmination of hard work in the 

fight against illicit trade with the strategy 

now being implemented across BATSAA. 

South Africa’s illicit cigarette trade is 

currently the third largest in the world 

and the biggest in Africa. It exceeded 

the global average of trade in illegal 

cigarettes, currently estimated between 

eight and 12%, by more than three times, 

at 31% in 2013. However last year, they 

achieved a 2.7 billion stick reduction in 

incidence and volume respectively from 

2013 levels, to a full year incidence of 

23% and volume at 5.3 billion sticks. 

However, on the back 

of this success we are 

starting to see changing 

dynamics in the sourcing 

of product, the types 

of illicit product and 

pricing. As such we need 

to continue to drive our 

message of awareness 

when it comes to illicit 

trade and ensure that as a 

responsible company we 

keep abreast of this everchanging 

environment. 

We have started to see an increase 

in controls over SA based illicit 

manufacturers as currently this is the main 

source of illicit trade. We are also happy 

to report that we have received increased 

levels of cooperation with Zimbabwe and 

are building on positive results from the 

past. We now plan to extend capabilities 

to priority SAM markets to provide for 

better market defence as well as to 

address source and transit. 

The strategy currently in place is 

sound and delivering results; however it 

needs to continuously evolve. As such it is 

built around four key pillars: 

• Insights [research, analysis and 

information]. 

• Administrative processes. 

• Enforcement actions. 

• Co-ordinated through effective 

engagement. 

Under these pillars we ensure the 

following actions are taken: 

Insights [research, analysis and 

information] 

• A thorough understanding of the 

changing landscape. 

• Developing insights on counteracting 

operating methodologies. 

Administrative processes 

• Proposals on implementation of 

administrative controls – local as 

well as a regional / international 

perspective. 

• Import and export processes – 

manufactured and raw product. 

• Manufacturing and warehousing 

control policies and procedures. 

• Fiscal marker policies and controls/ 

enforcement. 

• Illicit trade protocol elements. 

Enforcement actions to 

“encourage action” 

• Making it difficult for illicit products 

to enter into the market by 

implementing interventions and 

seizures (i.e. border operations). 

• Disruption of the illicit supply chain 

through criminal investigations and 

arrests. 

• Supporting, where appropriate, 

investigations into key illicit 

syndicates, leading to criminal 

prosecution. 

Co-ordinated through effective 

engagement 

• International, regional and local 

engagements – continue to 

build momentum and focus on 

communication. This is achieved by 

working closely with organisations 

such as Comesa, SADC, SACU 

together with looking at country 

specific engagements to strengthen 

understanding. 

• Increase collaboration to heighten 

political awareness and priorities and 

to gain a better local perspective. 

• Place a multidisciplinary operational 

focus on both national and provincial 

levels. 

Through a sustained focus on 

developing these insights surrounding 

operating methodologies of illicit traders, 

we have prioritised the problem of illicit 

trade. The implementation of our antiillicit 

trade strategy has shown great 

success and we will continue to develop 

and implement new strategies to further 

combat illicit trade. 

CLOSE TO 

ANNUAL INCIDENCE DECLINED: 

-8 PPTS 

2.7 BN 

VOLUME REDUCTION 

MORE THAN 

200 

MORE THAN 

BUSTS 

2 200 

530 MILLION ILLEGAL CIGARETTES SEIZED 

OVER 

400 

ARRESTS 

MILLION SEIZED ILLEGAL CIGARETTES 

have been destroyed by SARS with assistance of the industry 

HAVE TAKEN PLACE ON VARIOUS 

LEVELS IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN 

700 

TONS 

MORE THAN 

OF TOBACCO SEIZED 

ILLEGAL 

% OF ILLEGAL CIGARETTE 

INCIDENCE 

DROPS 

FROM 

34% (2012) TO 

23% (2014) 



Focus on Heidelberg 

HEIDELBERG: 

THE PROCESS OF 


Arturo Rodriguez 

Area Head of Operations for SAA 

FACTS & FIGURES 

THAT MAKE HEIDELBERG A 

LEADING FACTORY 

26 BN 

STICKS 

VOLUME OF STICKS 

PRODUCED PER ANNUM 

We have big plans and 

high expectations in 2015 

for SAA Operations. 

This is a huge year of change for us in 

SAA Operations. Our Area and other 

markets we service are rolling out a 

number of new products. These innovative 

products involve new technology, 

new processes as well as new skills in 

our factories and as always we remain 

committed to delivering each initiative on 

time and in full. 

A new manufacturing execution 

system will be implemented during 2015, 

which will not only bring SA Operations 

in line with BAT global standards, but 

also complement the introduction of 

TaO. These improvements will ensure our 

teams are better equipped for the future. 

We have initiated our productivity 

improvement programme, looking for 

ways to improve our processes and 

technology and drive effectiveness and 

efficiency in our function. Our aim is to 

create a positive impact on our business 

through a number of projects. 

In addition to the above, we are 

bringing in a different manufacturing 

methodology which should help 

us improve on a number of key 

manufacturing metrics. These include 

our product quality standards, in order to 

continue to improve our performance in 

this area. The first stage will start with one 

of our manufacturing cells and will later 

be rolled out factory wide. We are seeing 

very encouraging results in the factories 

that went ahead of us. 

EHS is another area where we have 

ambitious plans and expectations. We 

are embarking on a revolutionary water 

recycling project which will help us reduce 

our water consumption significantly. We 

Our Area and other 

markets we service are 

rolling out a number of 

new products. These 

innovative products 

involve new technology, 

new processes as well as 

new skills in our factories 

and as always we remain 

committed to delivering 

each initiative on time and 

in full. 

are also exploring a green energy project 

in an effort to drive our consumption 

down as well as make our operation more 

environmentally friendly. 

We currently recycle 90% of our solid 

waste, with the remaining 10% going 

to landfills. We have initiatives to drive 

recycling above the 95% level. Last but not 

least, we have made tremendous efforts in 

relation to safety and are heading towards 

an accident-free year in Heidelberg. 

This will follow the great examples from 

our sister factories in Zimbabwe and 

Mozambique, which are already achieving 

multiple years with no accidents. 

SAA Operations will continue to 

embrace these changes and support our 

commercial teams by enabling them to 

win in the market place. This year we are 

pushing our service levels harder than 

ever before. 

Last but not least, our working climate 

has shown steady improvement. We are 

taking the feedback received from the 

last survey and ensuring that we improve 

on the areas identified by our employees. 

Similarly, we are continuing our skills and 

leadership development programmes. 

I am proud of my team and the 

direction we are taking. With hard work, 

passion and commitment, Operations will 

play its role in our revolution for years to 

come. I am encouraged by the mood and 

energy of our teams, in particular since 

our area SLA was communicated. 

- Arturo Rodriguez 

VOLUME OF CUTRAG 

TOBACCO EXPORTED TO BAT 

END MARKETS PER ANNUM 

NUMBER OF LINES 

IN USE AT ONE TIME 

NUMBER OF SKU’S PRODUCED 

AVERAGE NUMBER OF NEW 

PRODUCTION EVOLUTION 

PROCESSES PER ANNUM 

10 MN 

KG’s 

+240 

26 = 82% 

UTILIZATION 

NUMBER OF DIFFERENT 

PACK FORMATS 

280 

SKUs 

55 MN 

SQUARE 

METERS 

22 

MARKETS 

12 

PACK 

FORMATS 

Gambia 

TOTAL METALLIZED PAPER 

PRODUCED PER ANNUM 

140 

THOUSAND 

Mali 

Algeria 

Nigeria 

TOTAL NUMBER 

OF END MARKETS 

EXPORTED TO 

TOTAL BOBBINS OF 

METALLIZED PAPER 

EXPORTED TO BAT END 

MARKETS PER ANNUM 

Cameron 

Gabon 

Libya 

Angola 

Namibia 

Congo 

Zambia 

Botswana 

Zimbabwe 

Kenya 

Mozambique 

Swaziland 

South Africa 

Lesotho 

Syria 

Yemen 

Mauritius 




HOW WILL YOU 


ONE-ON-ONE 

Nomsa Sibanyoni : HR Business Partner 

ONE-ON-ONE 

Nisaar Ebrahim : SA Manufacturing Manager 


before BAT 

I’ve spent most of my career within the 

FMCG industry, starting off at Woolworths 

as an HR Assistant and progressed to 

become a Finance and Admin Manager. 

Around 2009 I joined the Smollan Group 

(Tiger Brands Field Services) as an HR 

Officer before pursuing a career at BAT as 

a Regional HRBP for the Gauteng Region 

in 2012. 




Sjoe!!! I have a fear of chicken… I am 

sure that I can play with a lion but when 

it comes to a chicken it’s another story 

(I am convinced they can do more harm 

than a lion, it’s just that a lot of people 

tend to under estimate them) *hides*. 

I am a prank master...I have been 

approached by Whackhead Simpson a 

couple of times…“yeah right”. 


every day? 

Knowledge gain, growth and success. 

Eagerness to learn more, eagerness to 

grow as an individual and from a career 

perspective, and the hunger for success 

motivate me everyday. In both BAT and 

the tobacco industry, today is never like 

tomorrow, we learn and experience new 

things often which I really enjoy and 

value. With all the experience gained and 

learnings grasped my growth is fuelled 

which I strongly believe will subsequently 

result in more success. 



I will have two main focus areas in the 

revolution: 

1. I plan to play an active role when it 

comes to attracting and retaining 

talent…It is critical that we have the 

right people in the right jobs. 

2. Ensuring that we listen to our employees 

through Your Voice results and work 

together towards coming up with 

actions and ideas on how to create a 

Winning Organization. I believe that if 

we constantly engage our employees, 

implement initiatives and track our 

progress we will not be far off from 

making this an even better place to work. 

What inspirational message do 

you have for your BAT colleagues 

for making 2015 a success? 

Take charge of your career development 

part of our Must Do’s is to create a Legacy 

of Leaders, and for me it starts with the 

individual taking ownership of their career 

and making use of all the opportunities and 

technology available. 

AND secondly something I live by, 

”ungazoba serious”- laugh often, long 

and loud. In fact make it a point that you 

laugh until you gasp for air everyday (as 

the saying goes, a day without laughter is 

a day wasted). As naive as it may sound I 

believe that the only way to get through a 

tough day or challenges at work is through 

having fun and enjoying what you do...So 

chin up, and smile - it’s not all bad. 2015 

will be a successful year as long as we work 

hard and play our part towards making 

BATSA a success. Let’s remain agile and 

never lose sight of how we want our future 

to look and how we intend to get there. 

Just don’t forget to make it exciting... 

positive attitudes yield positive results. 


the role your perform at BAT? 

One needs to be approachable, 

be a trusted advisor and a good 

communicator. Communication plays a 

vital role in any organization and HR takes 

a major role in this. 

Be innovative because not every situation 

has the same or ready-made solution. 

Have the knowledge and expertise in 

Human Resources, and the zeal to update 

your knowledge on latest practices and 

trends in human resources. Resilience 

is key for one to be a successful HR 

professional. Business acumen is vital 

in order to understand the operational 

functions of the organization. 


every day? 

I just love what I do, so I guess my 

passion feeds my motivation and inspires 

me to work even harder. I think the role 

of the HRBP has evolved over the years. 

HRBPs must now coordinate with more 

stakeholders inside and outside their 

business units to get their work done. 

Being part of a team that is focused on 

supporting the operations team which 

is constantly evolving, and knowing that 

every day I have to deal with different 

challenges, working towards the bigger 

goal, is a great motivator for me. 

On a personal note, I would say seeing my 

daughter going through primary school and 

seeing her becoming more and more of 

an independent girl and still humble at the 

same time, inspires me to strive for more in 

my career and set a good example for her. 



There are three things I will ensure we 

do to bring our part in this revolution. 

Develop the people in our factory 

to be the best they can be by providing 

them with the proper tools to do their 

job. Ensure that we have a strategy in 

place that focuses on delivering the 

business objectives and ensuring that this 

is clearly understood and we are capable 

of achieving it. 

Measuring performance against these 

objectives in a fair manner that promotes 

a culture of continuous improvement. 



Being an open and honest person. 

Give positive feedback where it is due 

and do not be afraid to have tough 

discussions. 

Be a leader. Lead from the front 

and involve your people in the decision 

making process. 

Challenge. The way we did things 

yesterday does not mean it needs to 

remain that way. Challenge the status 

quo ALL THE TIME. 

Personal development. Drive your 

own development relentlessly. This is the 

only way we can improve this company 

as a collective unit. 

Protect. Ensure we look after each 

other and ourselves in our work and 

personal life. 


every day? 

My personal motivation comes from 

my drive to be the best I can be. I am an 

extremely competitive person and this 

has both positive and at times negative 

implications on me and my team. But I 

always look at the positive side in things 

and believe that this behavior will make 

us succeed in being THE factory of choice. 

South Africa has a reputation of being 

the worst in many categories globally 

(crime, corruption etc...) and my belief 

in life is that we have considerable talent 

in this beautiful land. My love for people 

development and seeing people progress 

in life is what also motivates me. I firmly 

believe that by developing and nurturing 

our people we will grow to be a great 

nation and show the world that we can 

compete with the best. 




success? 

“To climb to the top we have to start at 

the bottom”. 

Lay the foundation for success and 

work hard towards it. Do not just chase 

key performance indicators but develop 

our people and lead them, and the 

outstanding key performance indicators 

will come. 

Our people are our main assests. We 

make this comapany, so treat people the 

way you would like to be treated and the 

results will follow. 


before BAT 

I started my career as an Industrial 

Engineer at GE security division in Cape 

Town. The company designed and 

produced smoke detection and fire 

detection systems for local and export 

markets. At the time of joining, the 

factory was based in the Cape Town 

CBD. I was responsible for bringing the 

design prototypes to full scale production, 

looking at automation and ensuring 

proper procedures were in place for the 

operators and technicians. My team was 

also responsible for process improvements 

and line optimization using lean 

manufacturing principles and 6 sigma 

techniques. 

One of the key projects I was 

responsible for was the redesigning of the 

new factory and the management of the 

relocation of the factory to an Industrial 

area about 20km from the CBD. This was 

one of the highlights in my career. 




I used to play ice hockey when I was in 

school. 

I had a normally aspirated Honda Vtech, 

that was modified for track racing. 

I received two trophies during my time 

racing at Killarney race track. One for 

top speed over a 600m distance (172 

km/hour) and one for best time in a 

quarter mile drag in my class. 




SAVING ENERGY 

& WATER AT THE FACTORY 

BAT Heidelberg has made huge contributions towards environmental sustainability as well. Further projects 

planned for 2015 will help to further reduce these numbers. Such projects include increasing the scope of our 

on-site Reverse Osmosis (RO) plant, rain water harvesting, conducting feasibility into solar power generation, 

amongst others. 

Heidelberg’s water recycling projects 

• Reduce – Potential of 57% reduction in annual water consumption 

• Re-use – 100% of all triacetate flow bins 

• Recycle – Potential 75% discarded AHU Water 

• Innovate – 10% Rain water harvesting 

• 2014 Saving – 13.5 Million Litres 

8.00 

7.00 

6.00 

5.00 

4.00 

3.00 

2.00 

1.00 

0.00 

Av Monthly Water consumption (kl/mce) 

7.59 6.06 

5.73 

4.46 3.80 

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 

Energy Initiatives 

• Power factor correction 

• Metering across all main users 

• Diesel flow meters for generators 

• Vacuum tube solar water heaters. 

• Heat pumps 

• Lighting upgrades 

• Consolidation of areas 

12.8 

11.9 

Total Energy (GJ)/MCE (Actual) 

Site Energy (GJ/MCE (Actual) 

11.6 

10.5 

10.4 

9.4 

9.7 

8.2 

7.2 

6.1 

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 

IWS 

THE 

MANUFACTURING 

REVOLUTION THAT 

LAUNCHES IN 

HEIDELBERG 

What is 

IWS? 

• It is a program that helps us to build 

a culture of reliability to accelerate 

results and meet business needs. 

• It is a working tool that creates 

sustainable improvement in the 

production line performance using 

IWS (Integrated Work System) and 

specifically using the RT (Reliability 

Technology) 

• The tool supports the BAT quality 

program which is already being used 

internally. 

What does 

using this 

program 

entail? 

• It incorporates holding Daily 

Direction Setting (DDS) meetings 

with the responsible Line Structure 

teams, and 

• The reorganization of the daily 

activities of Operators along the 

chosen modules. 

Originally developed, tested and tried by Procter 

& Gamble 20 years ago, IWS is a manufacturing 

methodology which has been licensed to Ernst 

and Young. As one of the biggest consulting companies of 

our time, Ernst and Young has now come on board with 

BAT to implement the program. 

The IWS (Integrated Work Systems) methodology has 

already been successfully tested and launched in three BAT 

sites: Russia, Brazil and Switzerland and the results have 

been amazing. 

Now it’s time for Heidelberg to adopt the 

methodology… 

What will 

the results 

be for us by 

adopting this 

methodology? 

• We will be able to see a reduction in 

the number of stops (planned and 

unplanned) 

• There will be a stabilization of the 

production system 

• We will embrace Best Practice 

regarding line reliability with 

the biggest result being OEE 

improvement 

INTERESTING 

FACTS 

Energy: Water: Waste: 

We consume more electricity than 

Heidelberg town 

We have more than a 140 000 litres of 

diesel storage onsite 

We have 2 MvA installed generateor 

capacity 

We consume more than 30 van loads of 

coal a day 

We consume 1.2 million litres of 

water per day 

We recycle approx 500 000 litres of 

water a week currently 

We have the capability to harvest 

110 000 square metres of space 

We generate approx 550 tonnes of 

waste per month 

This is the weight of approximately 

110 elephants 

90% of all waste recycled onsite 



EHS UPDATE 

2014 was a challenging 

year for BATSA, especially 

in terms of EHS. Despite 

the challenges we had 

faced as a company and 

economy, we managed 

to improve our safety 

performance for serious 

incidents by 60% at year 

end. The journey continues 

into 2015 to manage this 

down even further. 

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 

MINOR INJURIES 

SERIOUS INJURIES 

What these key programmes 

have helped us achieve: 

KINDERGARTEN PROJECT 

PULSAR PROGRAMME 

Regarding the work conditions we focused on the Kindergarten project, which ensures 

delivery of certain key projects to ensure a safe work environment. Such projects 

included completion of further segregation of vehicle and pedestrian traffic, mirrors 

for blind spots in warehouses, catwalks in boiler house and ceilings to name a few. 

Kindergarten is a programme that continues year after year to ensure the physical 

environment is safe for our employees, visitors and contractors on site. 

BACK TO BASICS 

The third most important focus for Heidelberg, was piloting the 

Pulsar programme. The launch took place on 16 May 2014 on 

site, which was a day filled with activities in line with our theme of 

Industrial theatre made all understand the importance of Pulsar 

and how this was going to change our personal lives to make us 

safer individuals. 

Our employees and contractors even signed a pledge to state 

their commitment to this programme. 

Secondly going back to basics was key for us. Just streamlining documents and 

procedures to make it user friendly and ensuring the contents are in line with ISO 

requirements. 




SPORTS UPDATES 

Quarter 3 2014 - 2015 

In January 2014 the Heidelberg 

Factory opened its doors once again 

to Arturo Rodriguez, only this time 

as our Operations Director. To honour 

and officially welcome Arturo we had 

a welcome game planned out for him 

with both the Heidelberg netball and 

soccer teams. The internal soccer players 

were then divided into two teams which 

represented the Admin Team vs the 

Production Team. Unfortunately Arturo’s 

team, which was Admin, lost the game. It 

seems Arturo had forgotten his Mexican 

soccer playing skills somewhere in Kenya 

and could not save the Admin Team from 

that disaster but admittedly, he just could 

not cope with the Tsamayas and Shibobos 

of Mzansi. Jerry Chirambo managed 

to salvage some pride for the Admin 

Team by scoring a good hat-trick which 

brought the final score to 3 – 2 to the 

Production Team. 

In May 2014 we also participated 

in the BATSA Tournaments against the 

marketing depots namely the teams from 

the CoE, the East Rand and Waltloo. The 

first tournament was hosted by East Rand 

in Kempton Park which the Heidelberg 

Factory team won thanks to our star 

striker Petrus ‘Costa’ Tsotetsi scoring five 

goals. He also scooped up the best player 

and best goal scorer of the tournament. 

The second tournament was hosted 

by the CoE in Florida in October 2014. 

With the same teams participating in the 

tournament, the reception and play for 

the tournament was very good from the 

CoE team. We hope the other teams 

have learned from team CoE on how to 

be hospitable and entertaining. And, as 

usual the Heidelberg Factory team was 

able to defend their title for the third 

time in a row. 

The 2014/2015 Lesedi Industrial 

League started off in July 2014 and 

currently runs until the end of March 

2015. However, the Heidelberg Factory 

team is leading and we are defending 

our title as the champions in the Lesedi 

Industrial League. We are in the lead by 

30 points with only two games left to 

play. The second place team is lagging 

behind by 19 points. As anyone can 

tell, the gap is a true depiction of how 

wonderfully skilled the Heidelberg Factory 

teams are. We have no doubt once again 

that we will hold the trophy up high 

and make our fellow Heidelberg Factory 

colleagues proud. 

We are thankful for the wonderful 

support from our Operations Leadership 

Team as well as our Team Mentor Jerry 

Chirambo. 

Hopefully the boys will receive 

some token of appreciation for FLYING 

the BATSA FLAG HIGH in the soccer 

fraternities for years to come. 



Focus on BATSAM 

BAT Zimbabwe 

UPDATE ON 

CHALLENGES 

& OPPORTUNITIES 

FOR SAM 

Gary Fagan 

General Manager, SAM 

As I write this, I’m reminded of 

a major Revolution that SAM is 

leading this year, and that is TaO. 

With SAM now successfully Live on TaO, 

I’m confident that our teams will continue 

to do their best through Hypercare until 

TaO becomes fully integrated into the 

business. This roll out is so significant – 

Revolutionary if you will – because it is 

going to help us simplify our business, 

become more competitive and start 

operating as a truly global business. 

SAM has had a good start to the year. 

At InDaba, I alluded to the fact that 2014 

was a year of consolidation in SAM, with 

pricing playing a big part of our strategy. 

In 2015, and with our pricing exercises 

complete, SAM is perfectly poised to 

deliver organic growth. This is growth 

that will be built on simplicity, doing the 

basics right, and doing them better than 

our competitors. Distribution, Display and 

Dialogue, our three “D’s” should be our 

foremost priorities this year. 

In Angola, we are expecting to grow 

our market share to over 50% this year, 

with even more effort and focus on getting 

our distribution right in order to ensure 

that our excellent brands are always 

available in the right places. The Route-to- 

Market expansion project we started last 

year in Mozambique has already started 

to show great results, and we expect 

further growth underpinned by a focus on 

optimisation this year. 

Zimbabwe is in an excellent position 

in terms of pricing. The team has already 

recorded their highest market share at 

83% since it’s been tracked. This is a 

phenomenal growth of 10% in just two 

years! With a legendary portfolio of brands 

and the distribution capability to match, 

we are confident that Zimbabwe will 

sustain this growth. 

Illicit trade continues be our greatest 

challenge in Zambia. However, team 

Zambia is certainly up to the challenge of 

collaborating with government and other 

stakeholders to tackle illicit trade and 

unlock the growth potential in Zambia. 

Since the excise rate for importers and 

exporters was leveled in Malawi last 

year, we are able to effectively compete 

and are gunning for significant growth 

this year. Meanwhile, in BLNS, we are 

defending our market leadership in an 

increasingly competitive and regulated 

environment. Watch this space for more 

developments. 

2015 has certainly kicked off with a 

bang and the rest of the year promises to 

be quite eventful for SAM. My challenge 

to you, team SAM, is to continue to 

focus on our growth ambition and make 

everything you do Revolutionary! 

In 2015, and with 

our pricing exercises 

complete, SAM is 

perfectly poised to deliver 

organic growth. This is 

growth that will be built 

on simplicity, doing the 

basics right, and doing 

them better than our 

competitors. Distribution, 

Display and Dialogue, our 

three “D’s” should be our 

foremost priorities 

this year. 




The Operations team 

at BAT Zimbabwe 

recently celebrated 

a major milestone, 

achieving: 

3 

CONSECUTIVE LOST 

WORKDAY CASE (LWC) FREE 

YEARS IN OPERATIONS 

6 

CONSECUTIVE 

LWC FREE YEARS 

AT COMMERCIAL 

THIS MEANS THAT THE 

FACTORY HAS ACHIEVED 

THREE INCIDENT / 

ACCIDENT FREE YEARS 

WHILE THE COMMERCIAL 

BUSINESS HAS MANAGED 

TO ACHIEVE 

SIX INCIDENT FREE 

YEARS 

“This achievement is recognition of your team’s 

leadership, discipline and commitment. A result 

like this doesn’t come by coincidence, but through 

those behaviours and very hard work. So, all-in-all, 

outstanding work and motivation to go for the fourth 

year. My regards to the whole team on the ground 

and keep it up!” 

Arturo Rodriguez – Head of Operations SAA 

From L-R: 

David Jongwe (Engineering & EHS Manager), 

Angelica Ganya (Wellness Coordinator / Nurse), 

Walter Gonye (EHS Coordinator) and 

Moses Musarugwa (Head of Operations) 

So, why is this significant? 

Team Zimbabwe is one of the only 

end-markets in the BAT world to ever 

have achieved such a feat. What’s more 

is that this achievement has enabled 

the business to operate uninterrupted 

over this period, contributing towards 

productivity and growth. 

How did the team do it? 

Behind the scenes, the entire 

Operations team has been doing their 

part to ensure strict adherence to BAT’s 

Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) 

programmes. The team implemented 

a methodology called ‘5S’ – a universal 

philosophy that focuses on safety and 

good housekeeping practices. 5S refers 

to five steps – sort, set in order, shine, 

standardize and sustain. The team also 

focused their energies on constantly 

raising awareness of EHS issues both 

in the factory and in the commercial 

business. They did this by holding EHS 

refresher courses and training, ensuring 

that issues raised were dealt with timeously, sharing and implementing key 

learning’s from Global EHS bulletins, and engaging with all contractors to 

ensure that everyone was aligned to the EHS policies and procedures. 

Celebrations 

All that hard work paid off when Team Zimbabwe celebrated both of these 

fantastic achievements on 31 March 2015. The excitement was mirrored 

throughout the business, with encouraging messages of support being sent to 

the team: 

“This is an outstanding 

achievement! Please 

extend my greatest 

recognition to your 

team and all involved. 

It is remarkable and an 

example to be followed!” 

Luis Barros - 

Regional Operations Manager (EEMEA) 

“Let me add my name to 

the list of congratulatees, 

very well done to you and 

the team, all the best.” 

Alan Davy - 

Group Operations Director 

“This is an outstanding 

achievement; I look 

forward to the next 

three years!” 

Gary Fagan – 

General Manager SAM 

Congratulations Team Zimbabwe. Not 

only have you made us proud of the 

achievement, but you have inspired us to 

go the extra mile in achieving World Class 

Performance. 

Every One Counts. 

Every Day Counts! 




HOW WILL YOU 


ONE-ON-ONE 

Regina Mwiyeriwa 

Trade Marketing and Distribution Manager - Malawi 

ONE-ON-ONE 

John Masala 

Trade Marketing Representative in Botswana 

How will you play your part in the 

‘2015 BAT revolution’? 

I am raring to go and make a difference 

in 2015 by ensuring that within me I trigger 

a 2015 renaissance to add to the total 2015 

BAT Revolution. Unless we are committed 

to a rebirth of energies and a quest for 

results, we won’t be able to make the 2015 

Revolution come alive. 

What inspirational message do 

you have for your BAT colleagues 

for making 2015 a success? 

In the markets that we operate, 

challenges abound and change continues 

to be the only constant. We therefore need 

to be strong, steadfast and keep innovating, 

always being the first to do things 

differently. I draw a lot of encouragement in 

the brainy quote of Douglas Malloch, 

“Good timber does not grow with ease. The 

stronger the winds the stronger the timber”. 


before BAT 

I joined BAT Malawi fresh from The 

Catholic University of Eastern Africa in 

Nairobi Kenya as a Management Trainee 

in December 2004. Back then I harbored 

ambitions of joining the financial sector 

but was privileged to join British American 

Tobacco which changed my life. After 

rigorous training on the job as well as 

formal training I was delighted to be moved 

to the position of Supply Chain and Brands 

Executive in June 2006. 


every day? 

My daughter, Israela, is my first and 

biggest motivation to wake up and go out 

there, make a difference, put myself in a 

positive work, operation, leadership mode 

and to deliver. My ultimate goal is to ensure 

I am able to give her the best education (as 

that was the greatest gift my parents ever 

gave me). 



I have come to realize the role that I 

perform requires a lot of sacrifice, focus, 

open mindedness, networking, a zeal for 

results and getting things done in full 

and on time. It also requires doing things 

through others as well as in teams. The 

role also involves a lot of multitasking 

where responsibilities are cross cutting and 

the winner becomes the organization as 

a whole. The qualities of an individual in 

that role can be summed up as follows; a 

business minded individual (commercial 

acumen), analytical to be able to digest a 

lot of information, focused but patient and 

able to persevere, a goal getter, strategic 

and motivated, able to inspire others and 

lead. You have to be approachable and 

reproachable otherwise you will become a 

stumbling block to others. 




That makes me laugh a bit because, 

yes, you may not know that I am 

so passionate about Gods work, I 

am a devout Catholic and proudly 

so. I completed a pilgrimage to 

Jerusalem in 2012, and I plan on 

going to Namugongo Martyrs’ Shrine 

in Uganda as well as the Vatican in 

Rome to see the Pope. I am currently 

the Diocesan Promotion Officer 

for Radio Maria Malawi, a Catholic 

church radio. 

Secondly, I like farming and 

gardening, every year I produce no 

less than 40 (50 kg) bags of maize 

not for my own consumption but for 

family, my house help, relatives and 

those in need. I intend to increase 

this capacity so that in future I can 

turn it into a business venture. 

And lastly, I am a philanthropist in 

my own right as I serve my home 

village community by organizing 

educational and motivational talks to 

kids in schools. Last year I facilitated 

the planting of 500 trees, this year we 

are building the community church. 

I was honoured to recently be asked 

to join Rotary and I’m excited at the 

opportunity of doing more good work 

in Malawi going forward. 


before BAT 

Well I was more of a fresher! Straight 

out of univeristy I had an opportunity 

to work as a call center supervisor for an 

outbound sales call center for roughly a 

year. We sold stationery and the Quran in 

the USA from the call center in Botswana. 

It was a whole lot of fun and games - trust 

me. I was presented with the opportunity 

to join BAT in the back end of 2011 and 

it’s been BAT since then. 


every day? 

Gaining knowledge, growth and 

success. Eagerness to learn more, 

eagerness to grow as an individual 

and from a career perspective, and the 

hunger for success motivate me everyday. 

In both BAT and the tobacco industry 

today is never like tomorrow, we learn 

and experience new things often, which 

I really enjoy and value. With all the 

experience gained and learnings grasped 

my growth is fuelled which I strongly 

believe will subsequently result in more 

success. 



I commit to working by our 10 must 

do’s, bringing attention to the “act 

like owners” must do which I think is 

particularly important. I will embrace this 

and keep British American Tobacco’s best 

interests at heart. I will also commit to 

working by our guiding principles again 

with particular attention on the “freedom 

through responsibility” principle. 

With discipline and ownership I believe 

I will be able to contribute positively to the 

BAT REVOLUTION in 2015. 




success? 

I urge all my colleagues to believe in 

the BAT REVOLUTION, to live by the 10 

must do’s and our guiding principles. The 

responsibility does not lie anywhere but 

in our hands, BAT is not a machine or a 

person but rather BAT is US - its people! 

Let’s take responsibility and start the 

revolution. 

“If you could kick the person in the pants 

responsible for most of your trouble, you 

wouldn’t sit for a month.” 

- Theodore Roosevelt 



• Discipline 

• Interpersonal skills 

• Persistence 

• Determination 

• Open mindedness 

As a trade marketing representative 

one has to be extremely disciplined to 

ensure all duties are performed fully 

every day. You need a certain level of 

interpersonal skills to communicate 

effectively with all stakeholders. 

Persistence and determination will enable 

you to achieve all objectives and to attain 

that one extra “YES”. 




I collect stamps as one of my hobbies. 

In my spare time I enjoy cooking 

meat dishes. 




ANGOLA 

MALAWI 

ZAMBIA 

HEAD OFFICE 

MOZAMBIQUE 

SAM IS 

PART OF IT! 

TaO Go Live in SAM – 4 May 2015 

ZIMBABWE

LIVING REVOLUTION

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