The sugar company recently launched a five-year strategy which looks at enabling growth, efficiencies and sustainability. The strategy is known as ‘Simama 20-25’.

Part of the company strategy is the five year road map dubbed ‘The Big Picture’ and that is where the engagement of employees and management is well detailed.

RES Managing Director Nick Jackson said, “At the end of our financial year 2019/20 we launched another five year strategy which looks at keeping RES sustainable amid the challenging sugar industry markets. We know that a number of stakeholders benefit directly and rely on the company to earn a living.”

The key elements of the new strategy are namely, expansion of land under cane, modernization of the factories and upgrading the distillery capacity and the inculcation of a high performance culture. Possibilities in the future include diversification, which may include new products such as biofuel, branded alcohol, bio plastics, power generation and agricultural diversification.

He further said RES hired more than 4 000 EmaSwati annually, excluding those hired by subcontracting companies. He said the company spent more than E35 million in healthcare services which also benefit neighboring communities, a total of 4 091 EmaSwati in different communities now drink clean water and the company also spent E1.1 million in the past three years to support youth development programmes.”

“All those show the values of the company has to the thousands of EmaSwati and this strategy seeks to keep RES in business, thus continuing to add value to the citizens of Eswatini.”

Jackson added that one way in which RES used to get ideas was through engaging with employees.

“Employees in every organization are the ones with the most creative ideas because they work closely with the operational platform of the business. Over the past years, we have implemented various initiatives which were brainchildren of our employees and we want to continue with implementing the ideas we get from employees as per the business need and keep RES Corporation growing.”

‘The Big Picture’ shows where management and employees are in engagement forums discussing change conversation with each other and eternal stakeholders.

Simama 20-25 looks at continuing the effort for a lower unit cost of production by 20 per cent by 2025. Along the five year journey, the sugar company has possible new ventures or diversification of products that are in the pipeline.

“We have achieved a lot over the last five years, and we reached the summit of our Simama 20-20 journey. We deserve to celebrate this victory, well done to the entire RES family for hard work and ensuring that RES remains sustainable,” Jackson concluded.