The South African telecoms industry is one of the most developed in the world from a technology and skills perspective. This is the opinion of Hartmut Gärtner, managing director of one of the world’s leading telecoms companies, Telegärtner. “During the years when South Africa was isolated through sanctions, everything had to be produced locally and this industry learnt to produce excellent products and ultimately built a world class industry on the same level as America and Europe,” Gärtner says.
German-based Telegärtner, an internationally operating group of companies specialising in preliminary and end-products for tele- and data-communications, has factories and/or sales offices in Germany, France, United States, United Kingdom, Slovenia, Japan, Taiwan and soon Russia, and is represented in South Africa by Webb Industries, part of the listed Jasco group of companies.
“Webb has become a very strong brand in the South African industry and we are pleased to have a strong relationship with them as we move into the future,” Gärtner says. “There is no doubt that Africa is going to be a significant economic growth area and already we are seeing major telecommunication developments across the length and breadth of the continent. Currently, however, South Africa is the most technologically advanced country in Africa and representation here is part of our strategy indefinitely.”
Gärtner adds that although the Telegärtner group does business in other parts of Africa via Europe, he sees its strong South African base as a stepping stone into the rest of Africa, especially the sub-Saharan region. “Many global companies understand the necessity of having a strong presence in South Africa as a prerequisite to conducting successful business in the rest of Africa.”
On the question of business elsewhere, Gärtner says that the uncertain times in Europe are cause for concern. “Many European countries have created too much debt. They have simply spent money over the years that they have not had. This is not a good situation at all as it threatens those European countries that have had a careful and disciplined fiscal policy and that have, above all, been productive.
“Since 1945, Telegärtner has conducted business according to this principle. We were careful when we needed to be and we continuously re-invested back into the company in order to increase our productivity. If we were able to manage this and so many other companies were able to do so all over the world, then why can some countries not do it? The economic principles are the same,” Gärtner says.
But overall Gärtner is certainly not pessimistic about the future in Europe or the rest of the world. “Europe has been through troubles before and not only survived but built the region into a dominant economic powerhouse. It is all in the cyclical nature of world economics and the wheel will turn.”
From a global perspective, Telegärtner is sufficiently diversified to maintain its strong growth patterns into the future. “Our business with China and other fast-growing economies will easily offset the challenges of the temporarily troubled regions,” says Gärtner.
Paul Richards, Webb MD, says that the Telegärtner range of cables and connectors is a critical component to Webb’s total offering. “The quality of their products and service is simply outstanding and has been integral to Webb building the name it has in the local market. It is also their ability to innovate that is so impressive. They are constantly investing in R&D, especially in times when business is slow, and their global leadership in this regard is the result,” he concluded.
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