Bühler Southern Africa successfully hosted its first-ever customer day in Madagascar at the Radisson Blu Hotel at the Waterfront in Antananarivo in early September. The event brought together stakeholders from the rice, pulses, and spice sectors, alongside representatives from government initiatives focused on food security and industrialisation.
“From our Johannesburg office, we focus on the entire Southern Africa region. Each country has specific strategies and initiatives based on its market potential and requirements,” explains Nombulelo Mzizi, Channel Partner Manager, Bühler Southern Africa.
“This was our first event in Madagascar, and it allowed us to engage directly with customers, understand their challenges, and introduce our solutions in the region,” she adds. “Madagascar is a key focus country for us, particularly in rice, spices, and pulses, which are central to our expansion strategy.”
The event highlighted Bühler’s cleaning and packaging solutions. For rice, Bühler supports cleaning, hulling, polishing, and sorting processes. For spices and pulses, its cleaning solutions are suitable for seed spices such as black pepper, pink pepper, and Madagascar wild pepper, while its grinding solutions work with root spices such as ginger, turmeric, and red chilli.
Beyond these segments, Bühler already has an established footprint in Madagascar in the wheat milling, animal feed, and chocolate processing industries, offering proven technologies that support processing needs from harvest through to packaging.
Bühler maintains a local presence through dedicated sales and service managers in South Africa and a partnership with a Madagascar-based agent. “This approach enhances visibility and customer reach while leveraging our global expertise. Remote support technologies, including augmented reality (BühlerVision), allow customers to access our services without on-site visits,” says Mzizi.
Engagement with Madagascar’s policymakers is also a priority. “Understanding regulations, export restrictions, and development goals is crucial. For example, while rice is not currently open for export, potential government changes could create major new opportunities for our customers,” she explains.
“Participants appreciated seeing the team behind our solutions and understanding that advanced technology is both accessible and practical. We collected valuable leads, many involving significant projects that will develop over time. Participants expressed interest in future events, which will be part of our ongoing engagement strategy in the region,” concludes Mzizi.
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Author: RACHEL MEKGWE from NGAGE on behalf of Bühler.
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