South Africa’s leading packaged goods company, Tiger Brands Limited is set to invest in Nigeria despite pulling out of the country in 2015.
Tiger Brands sold off its 65.7 percent stake in Dangote Industries Limited to $1 after it failed to turn around the dwindling fortunes of the brand.
Tiger’s Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Noel Doyle, said that the move was part of the company’s expansion plan to build its presence in Nigeria and in other East African markets.
Doyle stressed that the group was pursuing bolt-on deals – “which we’ve generally executed quite well” – and larger opportunities at the right price.
According to him, “We’re starting to build a pipeline and we might have something to talk about at the half-year mark next year, but there’s no imminent transaction,”
He noted that Tiger saw East Africa as an attractive market, where it was selling its stationery and laundry-detergent operations in the region as they were noncore.
The Chief Financial Officer said that the group also planned to manufacture some of its South African “power brands” in other African states, partly in response to trade tariffs and a lack of foreign exchange liquidity in certain markets.
Doyle further said that while Tiger was still deciding which brands to manufacture abroad, it wanted to build its presence in East Africa and Nigeria.
“Notwithstanding the political challenges in the short term [in East Africa], we still see that as an attractive region … for baby, homecare, some of our personal care brands, and potentially some of our breakfast brands,” he added.
Also speaking, Investec analyst Anthony Geard said, “I’m sure there is scope to do more with South African brand icons in the rest of Africa, but caution seems to be the watchword for now and I can’t disagree with that.”
He did not expect “much anxiety about Tiger’s acquisition strategy – I think the company has learned from its mistakes and is terrified of repeating them”, Geard said.
“Plus, the company now seems to be in good hands: new CEO MacDougall comes across very well and has been very clear that any acquisition will be executed within strict parameters,” he said.
Earlier, CEO, Tiger Brands Mr. Lawrence MacDougall said that the company was looking for acquisitions outside SA and would place more emphasis on due diligence than in the past, management.
MacDougall said the consumer goods group had a “clearer” acquisition strategy that focused on core product categories. Tiger had also “weighted” due diligence considerations and would closely assess all aspects of target firms, including routes to market.
In 2012, former CEO Peter Matlare led the acquisition of a 65.7% stake in Nigeria’s Dangote Industries for R1.6bn, through successive losses prompted Tiger to sell the business back to tycoon Aliko Dangote for $1 in late 2015.
