Entrepreneurship Zone: 13 July 2023 :: Businesswoman builds company that thrives in Africa's tough and remote areas

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Entrepreneurship Zone: 13 July 2023 ::  Businesswoman builds company that
thrives in Africa's tough and remote areas

Bulls 'n Bears Investors Diary: Today's Events

Dairibord

AGM

Virtual

July 13 2023 | 11am

 <https://www.hyundai.co.zw/> From running a remote mining camp in the
middle of nowhere, to delivering expensive communications equipment to a
war-torn area, Soraya Narfeldt has made a living from working in Africa's
extreme locations. 

She is the CEO of RA International, a provider of construction, logistics,
life-support and maintenance services for clients operating in remote and
demanding environments.

How we made it in Africa asked Narfeldt about how she started the company,
and some of toughest projects she's been involved with. We also learnt that
there can be floods in the desert!

Tell us about how you founded RA International?

It all started when I went to Afghanistan to visit my husband, and got roped
into doing some volunteer work for the United Nations Development Programme.
Because I wasn't an official UN worker, I could come and go as I liked,
whereas many of the other expats weren't allowed to leave the base. People
started asking me to do things for them on the "outside". They would ask me,
"Soraya, do you know where I could find a tile?; Where can I get
vegetables?; Do you know if there is a butcher?"

As time went on I learnt more about the business side of things, and
discovered how difficult it was to get some tasks done. For example, if
someone from the Red Cross wanted a vehicle, you had a guy in Geneva
processing the order, another guy in New York or London doing the shipping,
while someone else was responsible for taking it down to Pakistan, and so
on. By the time the vehicle arrived, you had seven different parties
involved in one execution. And too many cooks spoil the broth. More and more
problems were occurring because people didn't know what they were doing.

So I started offering these services as a one-stop shop, operating from
Kabul. Instead of working with seven different parties, people could just
call me and I managed the entire process. Companies paid me directly to
manage a turnkey solution of what they wanted - anything, from finding
products and materials to human resources. So that is how RA International
started to develop.

Because I was born in Africa, I was always on the lookout for opportunities
to work in the continent. I'm from West Africa, and understood the continent
better than I understood Afghanistan, for instance. And so I decided it was
time to invest ahead of the curve, and started looking at key countries that
I thought would garner international support for stability. So I travelled
down to South Sudan about two years before it became independent, and after
having had a look around, I realised the establishment of a new country
would lead to an influx of international organisations, such as the World
Bank and the United Nations, which were our typical clients at the time. We
started in South Sudan and from there went on to do work in Darfur for the
UN and also in Chad, and slowly we evolved into a very Africa-centric
company.

RA International is headquartered in Dubai, with regional offices across
Africa. We have grown into a multifaceted firm, employing over 1,600 people
from 33 different countries. This blend of cultures has led to a deep
understanding of people from all sorts of backgrounds, and we believe that
this is what has allowed our organisation to flourish.

<https://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/businesswoman-builds-company-thrives-af
ricas-tough-remote-areas/59288/construction-machinery-bulldozer-build/> 

 What has been the most challenging project you've worked on in Africa?

Working in South Sudan was very challenging. We were mobilised to build
administrative buildings for the UN on the border to the north just when the
war broke out. We were stuck right in the middle of two factions, with heavy
equipment and 50 people. We had to negotiate between the two sides to get
our people and equipment out. It was agreed that we would drop a group of
soldiers off at the next village, but en route we got ambushed and two of
our team members, out of fear, jumped from the vehicle and ran away into
bush. It took us about two weeks to eventually get our people, including the
two who ran away, and equipment back to the base. From that experience, we
learnt how quickly things can deteriorate, and how prepared you need to be.

Working in  <https://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/category/countries/chad/>
Chad has also been challenging just because of its sheer size, together with
the extreme heat and the risk of being caught in a flash flood - yes, it
does rain in the desert! It can take 20 hours to drive from one location to
another in the middle of nowhere and not seeing any people. In most African
countries, it is not the actual projects that are hard, but it is the
politics and locations that they come with that are difficult.

These experiences, which have been many, have pushed the team to defy
obstacles, rise above challenges and find alternative solutions. No matter
how harsh the environment, how challenging the circumstances or how remote
the location, we always deliver regardless.

<https://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/businesswoman-builds-company-thrives-af
ricas-tough-remote-areas/59288/construction-truck-machinery/> 

Although you help companies to do business in Africa, RA International
itself is also an investor in the continent. Tell us about some of the
lessons you've learnt about successfully operating in the region.

For us the biggest lesson is to always have more than one backup plan. Plan
A has never worked for any project that we've undertaken or invested in. I
always look at plan M, N, O, P or Q.

The second lesson is to invest in people that work for you. You might have
10 bad staff members, but the one good guy will make up for the 10 bad ones.
By investing in people, you ensure that they hold you close to their heart
and that they want to deliver good work for you. And it makes them want to
stay with us. They are our security and protection, because it is their
country we are working in, not ours.

<https://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/businesswoman-builds-company-thrives-af
ricas-tough-remote-areas/59288/construction-wiring-electricity-2/> 

We also invest in our local suppliers and teach them the standards that we
need. We don't shout and yell at a person because something is not packed
properly, for instance. He doesn't know how we need it packed. So we must
give him the box, the tape and the measuring tools, and show him the way we
want it packed. If we need stones to be broken for a job, instead of
expecting someone to break them manually, I would rather buy a jackhammer,
give it to him to own, and request a reduced rate on the stones that I buy.
The modern equipment then helps that supplier to grow his business.

It is, and always has been, our objective to combine our business projects
with sustainable outcomes for the local environment and for the people we
employ. Staff are, wherever possible, recruited locally, which develops a
feeling among the local residents that change has indeed started to happen,
and that they are part of it. We believe that running a sustainable business
brings benefits for everyone, including our staff, customers and the
communities in which we operate, and this forms the foundation of all our
business strategies and daily operations. All of our partners have been made
aware through our webpage and other communication channels that we are
signatures to the UN Global Compact and what that entails.

On top of this, we have a social responsibility fund, to which we commit a
percentage of our profits each year. Over the last decade, this fund has
been used to carry out close to 30 initiatives in six countries. Our most
recent initiative is the support to an orphanage in Bangui (Central African
Republic) which started in January 2017 with the intention of forming a
long-term partnership.

RA International works closely with the mining and oil & gas industries. How
would you describe the impact of the generally lower commodity prices seen
over the past few years?

What we are seeing on the ground is that there are very few mine expansions.
Most mining companies are focusing on their existing operations, and looking
at minimising operational waste by streamlining their businesses. Many of
them are also considering full turnkey outsourcing to reduce management
costs.

We are also seeing more exploration for new mineral deposits, which could
then potentially be mined when the market turns up again. We've received a
lot of requests to supply small exploration outfits.

Your company also provides services to humanitarian operations. Has there
been a decline in these tragedies in recent years?

In terms of wars, things have definitely become more settled. People are
realising that a stable country with a stable government actually allows
them to get on with their lives. People want to send their children to
school and get their jobs done.

<https://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/businesswoman-builds-company-thrives-af
ricas-tough-remote-areas/59288/construction-foreman-building/> 

However, we are continuing to see natural disasters such as drought. For
instance, the drought in East Africa has now created a famine in South
Sudan, which in turn created instability. It sometimes seems to be this
vicious cycle - just as the politics gets settled, they get hit by a
weather-related incident.

So from a political perspective things are stabilising, but when it comes to
natural disasters, there are still a lot of issues out there.

<https://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/businesswoman-builds-company-thrives-af
ricas-tough-remote-areas/59288/soraya-ra-600x350/> 

Soraya Narfeldt

-Howwemadeitinafrica

INVESTORS DIARY 2023

Company

Event

Venue

Date & Time

Dairibord

AGM

Virtual

July 13 2023 | 11am

CBZ

AGM

Virtual

July 21 2023 | 4pm

POSB

AGM

Chapman Golf Club

July 25 2023 |10am

Afdis

AGM

Virtual | St Marnocks, Lomagundi Road, Stapleford

July 26 2023 | 12pm

RTG

AGM

Rainbow Towers Hotel

July 27 2023 |12pm

ZHL

AGM

206 Samora Machel Avenue

July 28 2023 | 10am

Delta

AGM

Virtual | Head Office, Northridge Close, Borrowdale

July 28 2023 | 12:30pm

Heroes' Day

Aug 14

Defence Forces Day

Aug 15

zIMBABWE

2023 harmonised elections

August 23

REST OF AFRICA

Counters Trading Under Cautionary

CBZH

GetBucks

EcoCash

Padenga

Econet

RTG

Fidelity

TSL

FMHL

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DISCLAIMER: This report has been prepared by Bulls 'n Bears, a division of
Faith Capital (Pvt) Ltd for general information purposes only and does not
constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or
subscribe for any securities. The information contained in this report has
been compiled from sources believed to be reliable, but no representation or
warranty is made or guarantee given as to its accuracy or completeness. All
opinions expressed and recommendations made are subject to change without
notice. Securities or financial instruments mentioned herein may not be
suitable for all investors. Securities of emerging and mid-size growth
companies typically involve a higher degree of risk and more volatility than
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for guideline purposes only and sourced from third parties.

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