DP World-owned Imperial increased its stake in Botswana firm PST Sales & Distribution to 72 per cent, up from 38 per cent, as part of the port operator's strategy to create an integrated global supply chain.
The deal was completed on July 1, Dubai-based DP World, said in a statement on Monday.
PST specialises in supply chain management, sales, branding and financial and administrative management. It works with multinationals in the food and non-food fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector.
The Gaborone-based firm, formed in 2012, distributes and markets products from baby care and pet food to stationery and medicine, according to its website.
“PST’s sound knowledge of the consumer landscape in Botswana, coupled with its comprehensive distribution and sales solutions, aligns well with DP World’s strategic objective of leveraging assets and logistics to create an integrated global supply chain — from factory floor to customer door,” Mohammed Akoojee, chief operating officer of DP World Logistics and group chief executive at Imperial, said.
“PST further entrenches Imperial as the leading distributor of consumer goods in southern Africa, providing brand owners with informed and unparalleled access to their end consumers by leveraging our in-market networks and in-country infrastructure.”
DP World is one of the world’s biggest operators of marine ports and inland cargo terminals, with operations in African countries including Senegal, Egypt, Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The port operator has been on an acquisition spree in an effort to become a more diversified and integrated logistics company.
It has been building its presence across Africa and, in February, concluded its acquisition of South Africa’s Imperial Logistics.
“PST is a renowned Botswana business known for the delivery of well-known brands in the country and further enhances our position as the leading distributor in southern Africa”, Johan Truter, chief executive of Imperial’s Market Access business, said.
“The business has robust infrastructure and is run by a team of mainly local employees."
This month, Imperial said it received approval to acquire a 100 per cent stake in Mozambique-based logistics company J&J Group, boosting its position in the lucrative African market.
The acquisition of the first tranche of shares amounting to 51 per cent of the J&J Group, which was first announced in July 2021, closed on July 18, DP World said.
This will be followed by the acquisition of second and third tranches of 46.5 per cent and 2.5 per cent respectively, the port operator said.
Also in July, Imperial said it acquired a controlling stake in Africa FMCG Distribution in Nigeria.
Part of the Chanrai Group of Companies, AFMCG represents multinational companies and their brands and distributes products across Africa.
Its services extend to co-manufacturing, co-packing, sourcing and value-added services in the FMCG sector.
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Plan to boost public schools
A major shake-up of government-run schools was rolled out across the country in 2017. Known as the Emirati School Model, it placed more emphasis on maths and science while also adding practical skills to the curriculum.
It was accompanied by the promise of a Dh5 billion investment, over six years, to pay for state-of-the-art infrastructure improvements.
Aspects of the school model will be extended to international private schools, the education minister has previously suggested.
Recent developments have also included the introduction of moral education - which public and private schools both must teach - along with reform of the exams system and tougher teacher licensing requirements.
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Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.
The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
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Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
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