OUTSTANDING BEE TRACKRECORD IN THE FOOD SERVICES SECTOR

RoyalMnandi Duduza, a joint venture between RoyalMnandi and Duduza Events Management Services, is a 100% black female-owned business which is leading the empowerment stakes in the outsourced catering sector.

Founded 10 years ago by a dynamic young woman, Duduza Mahlalela, the business has grown from a small family entity into one of the biggest and most well respected companies in the Mpumalanga province.  Servicing both corporate and public sector clients, the company is recognised for its high level of professionalism and hands-on approach to business, with a core focus on VIP clients and events catering.

In 2009 Mahlalela realised that if she wanted to grow the business even further she would need a well respected larger partner in the sector and joined forces with the then RoyalSechaba (recently rebranded RoyalMnandi), the specialist catering arm of leading diversified outsourced business services group, Mvelaserve, to form a joint venture company RoyalMnandi Duduza. Mahlalela has retained a 40% shareholding and the new entity has three core clients, namely Eskom, CMC De Ravenna and Gijima, supplying over 10 000 meals and 500 meals to Eskom and  Gijima employees respectively on a daily basis.

The partnership has seen the company  grow in stature and size with Mahlalela’s expertise and passion helping to drive the growth and manage the client interaction.  Today RoyalMnandi Duduza is one of South Africa’s top empowerment companies primarily targeting parastatals, public schools, public universities and events and institutions in the Public Sector.

Commenting on the success of the venture, Mahlalela says that the two businesses complement one another very strongly, particularly in the public sector where one requires a unique set of attributes. “Flexibility is absolutely key. One requires a certain amount of nimbleness and agility to respond to short notice mandates,” says Mahlalela.

Timeliness and innovation are also two key factors. “As the diffusion of information and knowledge speeds up, product lifecycles become shorter and shorter, and competition is often based on getting a new, improved, or sometimes just different product onto the market faster than anyone else. Here one’s ability to innovate continuously, in both products and production processes can provide a distinct competitive edge. Finding new ways to add value to products and services is critical to success,” she says.

One of the biggest challenges the sector faces at the moment is the shortage of skilled labour. This is an industry where the motor is based on intellectual capital, ingenuity, creativity, and the technical capabilities of the labour force. “Knowledge transfer and skills development are thus critical for continued growth.”

“Our partnership with RoyalMnandi has really given us an edge not only in terms of our pricing but also in terms of the level of service we can provide. We can leverage off RoyalMnandi’s massive infrastructure in the value chain of the food industry as well as lower the actual cost of doing business. RoyalMnandi takes services to the client. In big contracts for example it develops specific centres on-site to eliminate costs of moving products and services over vast distances. The ability to set up workplaces on-site reduces costs drastically and assists clients in saving money.”

Networking remains one of the critical success factors of the partnership and together these networks have been successful in partnering with government institutions in delivering projects of national interest, such as power stations and ground breaking rail networks.

Mahlalela strongly believes hard work pays off and that in order to appreciate being at the top one needs to have worked his/her way up from the bottom. “Nothing substitutes experience in the catering or events industry,” she says.
Mahlalela is a strong believer of family business and thrives in creating growth opportunities or empowering women who run their own small businesses.