CEO MONTHLY / C-suite Awards 2023 4 Leading Manufacturing Company Managing Director 2023 (Tanzania): Dr Jesca Mhoja Nkwabi KOM Group of Companies (KOM) is more than merely a leader within its field of specialism. As a diligent and caring organisation, the firm’s operations extend much further than simply manufacturing for profit. We speak to Dr Jesca Mhoja Nkwabi about her role within the company and her ambitions for its future as she is named in the C-Suite Awards 2023. s one of Tanzania’s leading manufacturers of agroprocessing products, as well as industrial goods, KOM Group of Companies was established in 2002 and has grown into a well-known brand that has greatly captured the Tanzanian market. Starting life as Kahama Oil Mills Limited, the firm’s success is one of few inspirational stories about a business that started from humble beginnings to scaling the heights of success through hard work, focus, and determination. The company deals with ginning cotton, processing cotton, and sunflower seeds to edible oil and its by-products are sold as animal feeds. As a known industry leader, KOM is used to working with all types of customers – local or global, large or small. Exceptional quality is the foundation of the company, and is the driving force behind all decisions; whether it’s which materials to purchase or the best way to serve customers. KOM currently operates a broad product portfolio comprising of edible oils from cotton and sunflower seeds, animal feeds, PVC and HDPE pipes and fittings, steel tubes, aluminium fabrication for production of galvanised and coloured iron sheets, plastic pails and jerry-cans, plastic furniture/utensils where a variety of goods are produced ranging from chairs, tables, kitchen ware used in homes and offices, or hospitality amenities in their various shapes and sizes. In addition, KOM owns a pharmacy, supermarket, bakery, and restaurant. The company’s extensive activities don’t stop there either. As a group, through its CSR initiatives, KOM also continues to contribute significantly to the development of local communities. Over the years, the group has been extensively involved in various community development works such as building hospitals and schools, as well as fundraising for numerous charities. Today, KOM Group is actively involved in funding several infrastructures across the region, as well being involved in initiatives that promote clean water, affordable healthcare, and entrepreneurship development. To date, the firm has impacted more than 100,000 people in Tanzania. Dr Jesca Mhoja Nkwabi is Group CEO of KOM as well as the Director of KOM Food Products. She tells us more about her areas of expertise and how she stays ahead of the curve to ensure that the same prestigious levels of service are consistently provided to clients. “We assess customer trends from time to time to ensure that we meet the demands of customers,” Jesca begins. “As one of the leading manufacturers in Tanzania we continuously invest in advanced technologies to make sure that our products are of a high quality and satisfy our customers.” Jesca comes from a very strong business background as her family had been in business for more than 20 years. She holds a Doctor of Business Administration with a specialisation in supply chain management and food processing. Having honed expertise in these areas, she is able to guide the team diligently to make timely decisions and improve the workflow whilst also maintaining sound relationships with all the parties involved in the entire value chain of the business. Always looking for innovative ways to meet its customers’ demands, Jesca tells us about emerging trends that are affecting the market of late, particularly the oil processing sector which is flourishing, with increases in the demand of oil. “We are pleased that our company is meeting the sustainable goals 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, and 9,” Jesca elaborates. “On the other hand, in the sunflower oil processing sector our government is now pushing for double refined oil. There is an increased demand for this product. This is pushing processors to invest in more sophisticated technologies to meet this requirement.” The firm is recovering well from the pandemic, especially since the launch of Agenda 10/30 in Tanzania which is seeing more efforts towards reviving the agro sector and, as major players within this sector, KOM is already taking advantage of the numerous agroprocessing opportunities. Digital business is also on the rise in Tanzania with KOM serving more customers online, possibly as a result of Covid-19 as more and more companies and consumers adopt digital as their go-to way to engage. “We approach new clients using various ways,” she elaborates, explaining how the firm approaches new business. “We make use of business networking events, Mar23333 A
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