ECIAfrica

About ECIAfrica

ECIAfrica began in 1994 as a small South African firm led by US managers. Today it is a leading, black-empowered, international development consulting firm operating not only in South Africa, but also throughout southern and eastern Africa. ECIAfrica's transformation is evident at all levels, from the company's staff profile and day-to-day management, to its ownership and board composition, to preferential procurement, to skills development. At ECIAfrica, we are proud of being "empowered" not just because it is good business practice in South Africa, but because it makes us a stronger and better company.

Management

ECIAfrica's Managing Director Job Mokgoro joined the company in February 2006 after having worked for the Development Bank of South Africa as Northwest Province Director General, and as the Director General of the South African Management Development Institute. Two of ECIAfrica's four executive committee members are black South Africans. Seven out of ECIAfrica's 10 most senior managers are Historically Disadvantaged Individuals (HDIs).

ECIAfrica's Board comprises four black South African Directors (Job Mokgoro, Mutle Mogase, Soto Ndukwana, and Bethuel Setai), a Southern African Director (Golden Mahove) and two American Directors (Tony Barclay, CEO of DAI, and Benjamin Feit, Executive Director of ECIAfrica).

Staff Profile

ECIAfrica's staff profile reflects the diversity of South Africa and of the southern and eastern African markets that we serve. As an equal opportunity employer with a strong affirmative action policy, ECIAfrica is committed to promoting diversity among its staff. With approximately 85 (home office and project-based) staff working in eight countries in Africa, we employ an almost entirely African staff. Of our staff working in South Africa, more than two-thirds are HDIs and more than half are women.

staff

Ownership

ECIAfrica's ownership is split among DAI, South African HDIs, and permanent staff. In keeping with the company's outreach into the rest of Africa, our aim is an ownership structure that incorporates American, South African, other African and employee investors.

Procurement and Enterprise Development

As an economic development consulting firm, ECIAfrica knows preferential procurement and enterprise development. Given that our core business is in promoting economic growth and development through preferential procurement and building the capacity of emerging micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), we are in the unique position to apply the very same principles internally, just as we advise our clients.

In 2001, the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism contracted ECIAfrica to undertake a review of the department's affirmative procurement policies and performance in the four key areas of accommodation, travel, catering, and events/conferences. In 2000, ECIAfrica helped the Department of Land Affairs to develop, test, and implement a revised set of procurement guidelines and training aids. Beyond such project-related work, we seek to award our own service contracts to emerging firms with a view to helping to develop their offerings.

Under all our economic development projects, such as the Tourism Enterprise Programme, ECIAfrica has helped strengthen historically disadvantaged subcontractors. Through our guidance, such firms have transformed from small businesses with limited experience and market profiles into established companies, and have become full consortium partners in follow-on work.

ECIAfrica's flagship development projects have strengthened more than 5,000 SMEs, building capacity and facilitating transactions to increase their revenue by more than R5 billion. Many of these SMEs were small, home-based entities when we first engaged them, and are now thriving businesses exporting their products internationally.

Skills Development

ECIAfrica is proud to be a "learning organisation" in which we are continually expand our own capacity and staff learn from one another. Our commitment to professional and skills development starts from top management. Staff are encouraged to learn and rewarded for it as part of our performance appraisal process. Opportunities abound to share information, network extensively, and cross organisational boundaries to develop knowledge and expertise.

ECIAfrica's training and development plan extends beyond skills development. Like other companies that value skills development, we offer general and life skills development training, bursaries, and professional development from external providers. Yet we also build core consulting skills through peer-to-peer exchanges and training. This builds a sense of an "ECIAfrica Way" of doing things, and promotes both comaraderie and leadership.

ECIAfrica is registered with the Services Sector Education and Training Authority and we pride ourselves in meeting or exceeding all targets we establish in our annual workplace skills plan.

Corporate Social Investment

ECIAfrica is proud to contribute to the development of the communities in which we work. As part of our corporate social investment programme, ECIAfrica staff work, on a pro-bono basis, on community development initiatives to empower small enterprises. In one such initiative, ECIAfrica staff and board members serve as volunteer mentors on the Umsobomvu Youth Fund Enterprise Mentorship Programme. In addition, two of ECIAfrica's managers serve as volunteer judges on the Standard Bank/Technoserve, "Believe, Begin and Become" Business Plan Competition that seeks to unearth promising entrepreneurs and develop their talents.

Each year ECIAfrica staff choose an AIDS orphanage to lend their support to HIV/AIDS-affected and -infected children. Every staff member "adopts" a child and provides a festive gift.