INDUSTRY FOCUS: SECURITY

international energy business who required a suite of services, all of which could be delivered locally while meeting global benchmarks.

“Clients speaking to us at the strategic level get access straight into Malawi, Kenya, Nigeria, and all of our other markets. From a multinational standpoint, a lot of clients want a single point of contact, with one team – a responsive organisation –that can help them to standardise delivery, best practice, and systems across different countries. That is where we see ourselves providing in a very deliberate way.

“At the same time, there are different market forces to contend with. There can be incredibly hostile dynamics in play across these different markets in terms of minimum wage increases on an almost annual basis, very high inflation and margin erosion, and much more. Keeping up with that and continuing to be profitable, while growing, is a constant effort and we are aligned with the rest of the industry,” Westmacott admits.

Longer-term, the goal for GardaWorld Africa in terms of group contribution is for multi-million-dollar annual statements. M&A activity is slow, laborious, and challenging; organic growth takes years, and so the team must remain patient. Optimism comes from the predicted lengthy economic growth in the region, which the World Bank expects to grow from 3.1% in 2023 to above 4% in 2024 with continued increase through the rest of the decade.

Appealing Africa

Current global economic conditions have naturally slowed growth in some sub-Saharan markets as investors wait for clarity on inflation and solutions around the conflict in Ukraine. But previous and expected performance in these inherently growing markets remains attractive. Kenya, Cote d’Ivoire, and the DRC grew at 5.2%, 6.7%, and 8.6% in 2022. The IMF has also agreed funding arrangements for 21 SSA countries, with further requests being considered.

“Africa appeals to us as it has a number of fundamentally attractive characteristics. There is underlying economic growth, a huge workforce, ever-increasing levels of education, a number of developing economies – all of that lends itself to expanding market opportunity,” highlights Westmacott. “We are a very aggressive business that wants to grow around the world, but previously Africa was a blank spot, so it made sense for us to commit to building a sizeable business here.”

The immediate challenge being addressed across all markets where GardaWorld is active (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Malawi,

Zambia, Mozambique, the DRC, Nigeria, and consultancy operations in other African countries) is bringing together a solutions mindset, reducing risk, and demonstrating a direct economic benefit by improving productivity and profitability. This requires innovation and brand enhancement.

“Across most of Africa, quality of life continues to improve in terms of electrification, running water, telecoms, and more. Nairobi is one of the most developed places in Africa and the challenge as a private sector employer is that there is a sense around multinationals having infinitely deep pockets and it is incredibly difficult to dispel that and try to change the culture to get people to feel a sense of ownership, correlating health of the business and their own longterm success,” says Westmacott.

Various CSR campaigns and a number of community-based educational initiatives have helped build brand-Garda. Often in partnership with clients, these initiatives are not only a clear demonstration of the company’s commitment to the areas in which it operates, but also an example of deliberate action around upskilling and opportunity creation.

“We do a lot of stakeholder engagement and CSR. We are actively involved with our clients in Malawi, putting in boreholes and creating infrastructure. We want to make people feel that there is a lot of investment that goes both ways and ensure they know there is long-term commitment. In Uganda, we are busy putting a scholarship programme in secondary schools, trying to invest into communities and convey that long-term sense of commitment,” confirms Westmacott, adding that the company’s work is often a welcome source of employment in rural areas, developing basic skills and giving people the experience of work in an international company. “We want to be a partner and I am committed to reputational development.”

As the company expands, this brand management will be key – clients must invest in trust, and that comes from expectations built by an impressive brand.

“I am very clear – our growth stems from building on our reputation,” Westmacott reiterates. “One of the biggest challenges in Africa is preserving the quality of service. You have hugely dispersed project delivery and big problems to solve.”

A Matter Of Time

A number of expansion strategies are being explored right now. GardaWorld is adamant it must build its presence in West Africa. Second, with major interest in the continent’s mining