NBL’s partnerships with its stakeholders are a key component and a driver of breakthrough results. Some of these partnerships, for example with European raw material suppliers and certain corporate social investment (CSI) organisations, have lifespans that stretch back well beyond the longest serving employees that currently work for NBL.
Partnerships are built on common purpose and aligned values. From its experience on partnerships, NBL believes that success is an outcome of mutual and shared objectives, two-way communication, complementary strengths and a good understanding of each other’s business.
A 12-year partnership between Diageo, Heineken and NBL (DHN Drinks (Proprietary) Limited (DHN)) was terminated during the current year. DHN in South Africa carried on the business of marketing, sale and distribution of international beer and cider brands.
Read more about the transaction and future partnership with Heineken.
As partners, NBL and Heineken have been and will continue to consolidate efforts to capture further market share in South Africa based on a shared understanding of the beer business, brands and quality products – with a further opportunity
to expand the combined portfolio with complementary beverages.
NBL’s strategic partnerships take several other forms:
1
as a partner of Government departments and bodies, for example with the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry on developing a local barley industry
2
with service providers such as Imperial Managed Logistics Namibia (Proprietary) Limited (IML) who acts as a primary distributor with a model that supports local and previously disadvantaged truck ownership
3
with farmers as newly established suppliers of Namibian barley for the recently launched King Lager beer
4
as an active participant in industry bodies such as the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) and as a leader in the Self-Regulatory Alcohol Industry Forum (SAIF) – a body comprising alcohol manufacturers and distributors working together since 2007 to promote and advocate for the responsible use of alcohol
5
as a sponsor, for example of the annual Dr Hage Geingob Soccer Cup tournament where two local clubs compete against two visiting clubs, in an effort to expose our local players to international football
6
with community organisations such as the Recycle Namibia Forum to promote sustainability
7
with individuals such as Ivory Coast soccer player, Didier Drogba and Dr Helena Ndume, Namibia’s renowned eye specialist, who both acted as Windhoek Lager ambassadors and joined NBL in supporting and facilitating specialist eye treatment
8
with parent Group O&L, which provides strategic direction and centralised services such as risk management, SAP support, information technology management, human resources, corporate relations, Group employee engagement, group secretarial services, corporate finance, CSI and stakeholder engagement
Many partnerships support common and national goals such as job creation and economic empowerment. NBL has, for example, been partnering with smaller redistributors for many years, assisting them in formalising and growing their businesses through quarterly incentive schemes. In the informal market NBL also facilitates outlet licensing, and it supports shebeen owners with point of sale material and advertising. These initiatives work both ways – NBL increases its market footprint and awareness of its brands while traders grow their business and customers.
