Journey of Transformation at Safintra Zambia

When I first stepped into the Safintra Zambia office in December 2023, the situation was dire. The facility had seen little to no significant activity for the past eight years. At the time, we had just two machines, the Tufdek 686® and Widedek 760®, which had been sent from South Africa in October 2023. The team was minimal, consisting of only one salesperson, one machine operator, and a security officer.

Our immediate priority was to build a strong team. We recruited a Finance Officer and two outdoor Sales Representatives, purchased a vehicle, branded it, and rented two additional vehicles to support our sales efforts. With this, the team was well-equipped to penetrate the market and drive sales.

The office itself needed serious attention. The sales office façade was in poor condition, so we repainted and branded it, giving it a fresh new look. We also repaired and branded the damaged warehouse gates to enhance the company’s professional image.

Once our Sales Representatives joined, we launched an aggressive outreach program. Our primary focus was to reconnect with old contractor customers while also engaging new contractors who had emerged over the years. To aid this effort, we printed and distributed locally produced brochures with the headline: “Safintra Zambia Now Open.” These brochures included a detailed office map, an overview of our roofing profiles, and an informative piece highlighting the advantages of Zincal material over Galvanised Steel from our main competitor’s product from AMSA.

Our efforts quickly bore fruit. We secured a Saflok700® warehouse project and supplied Zincal 0.35 Widedek® roofing for a church project. Additionally, we established a strategic partnership with Builders Warehouse, a South African Do-it-Yourself (DIY) retail chain. To date, we have supplied them with 60 metric tons of roofing material, with more projects in the pipeline.

Beyond sales, we have also made significant improvements to our infrastructure. Over the past few months, we have repaired the parking lot, purchased a generator to ensure operations continue during load shedding (which can last up to 20 hours a day), painted the office interior, upgraded furniture, and continued with the branding process. Looking ahead, we are gearing up for an official relaunch event in May. Plans include updating the outer glass façade artwork and intensifying our sales drive to achieve a monthly target of 60 metric tons. With a motivated team and a clear roadmap, we are confident in reaching our goals and solidifying Safintra Zambia’s position in the market.