asset management | pragma | ADVERTORIAL
Transformation at Pragma
A strategic imperative and not a compliance nuisance.
Pragma is a change agent that drives organisational growth and profit maximisation through asset efficiency management. Pragma Africa, like most emergent enterprises in South Africa, faces the
challenge of balancing market entrenchment with growth and compliance challenges. Over the years,
Pragma’s founders battled to find suitable empowerment partners in support of statutory compliance. It
took a strategic genius in the form of Managing Director Attie Nieuwoudt to initiate a completely different
approach to compliance. Instead of focusing on employment equity as a compliance nuisance, he viewed
transformation as a strategic imperative. This approach took Pragma from a Level-5 B-BBEE company to a Level 2 B-BBEE.
This remarkable achievement was accomplished by changing the Employment Equity Committee to a
Transformation Committee, meaning that the mandate of the new committee was to lead the organisation through evolutionary change through black inclusivity. Nieuwoudt decentralised this responsibility from the executive and distributed it throughout the business units. This action brought structure to the
otherwise fragmented strategy and exposed some company champions, such as Johannes Coetzee,
Regional Manager: North. Coetzee has a 100 percent black management team and 60 percent of his staff component is black.
“For me, it is not about BEE, it is about transforming into the best possible team to satisfy current and
future market needs. This is not something that is done by merely appointing people of colour to meet
BEE scorecards; it is done by recruiting and developing the best possible talent over a period of time that
will be representative of the demographics best suited for the marketplace you operate in," says Coetzee.
"Being able to communicate in your client’s mother tongue and relate to his or her culture first-hand makes absolute business sense. This business case behind transformation is much stronger than the need to satisfy a scorecard and is of particular relevance in the service industry where client relationship is of paramount importance.”
Pragma’s transformation plan is not about skin colour, but is about getting fit for purpose and nurturing
strategically aligned individuals who love what they do and are passionate about their country. Regional Manager: Cape Kolosa Madikizela says, “As a female executive, I can see there is a broad woman-
inclusive drive to grow the organisation, not just to add numbers, and it is pleasing to observe that this is not limited to myself.”
One of Nieuwoudt’s drives is to employ people with disabilities. “The company strives for equality and
Attie Nieuwoudt, MD of Pragma Africa
"The company strives for equality and this is one area in our business that we want to improve."
this is one area in our business that we want to improve,” he says. “Pragma has 13 disabled employees. Apart from special software for the sight impaired individuals, the company made some alterations in
their buildings for the safety and accessibility of all these employees. A range of information sessions and continuous communication helps fellow employees to engage with disabled persons and know how and when to assist. We found that knowledge has broken down all the barriers that existed in terms of the
perceptions around people with disabilities and the fear of engaging with them. Our experience has taught
us that no distinction should be made between abled and disabled persons. I would like to encourage other companies to follow our lead and make more workplaces accessible for people with disabilities.”
Pragma runs an internship programme to give young engineers an opportunity to hone their skills. One of the beneficiaries of this is Myreece Joubert who, having gone through the ranks, is now an Asset
Care Centre Manager in KwaZulu-Natal. “Pragma’s programme is exceptional and holistic; a balance of technical and on-the-job training, with a strong focus on personal development. The intern is given unlimited exposure that serves as a basis for rapid growth,” says Joubert.
The greatest achievement however, still remains that of Claude Pillay who started with Pragma as a young data capturer. Driven by a passion to succeed, he went on to study mechanical engineering and today he is an Asset Care Centre manager. Prof Francis Petersen, Pragma Africa Board Chairman, says, “Pragma Africa is approaching transformation as a strategic business imperative and not as a compliance focus.
Therefore, the way we do business is driven by the culture of the organisation, which is founded on a value
framework where respect, equal opportunities and a welcoming and enabling environment are fundamental building blocks. We believe that diversity is not only a strength, but an opportunity to make our business
stronger and more sustainable. Although we have progressed in terms of our targets and approach to the overall transformation agenda, we do understand our challenges specifically in relation to employment equity, disability, and enterprise development, and we will intensify our efforts in this regard.”
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