Letsema actively seeks to share the burden of growing South Africa and relies on our values-driven investment model to help bring about positive societal change through sustainable and growing businesses.
We view any true partnership as fundamentally based on respectful human interactions. A well-functioning relationship will not only deliver on shared long-term ambitions but enable us to achieve far more than we could have on our own, and often, in much shorter time.
We find real purpose at Letsema in partnering with exceptional business owners and operational management to continue and accelerate the building of their businesses over the long term. Essential to the partnerships we form are common fundamental values, a shared vision, both parties contributing meaningfully to its success with each valuing the contribution of the other, a commitment to the long term in good times and bad.
We want to sincerely enjoy each other’s company.
What differentiates Letsema and the investments we make is our willingness, capacity and ability to add value to the businesses we form long term partnerships with.
We attempt to do this through the application of our five Centres of Excellence, being Market Development, Strategy, People, Business Enablement, and M&A and Partnering. These key Centres of Excellence have developed in response to the specific needs of the businesses we invest in and partner with. We are deliberate in building our institutional capability to best enable our operating partners to scale their businesses.
This allows our operating partners to focus on the operational aspects of their businesses where they have the most impact and value to add. We continue to actively deepen each of our Centres of Excellence through institutional investments in people.
An inseparable part of our ability to add value to those we partner with is Letsema Consulting.
Acting as the operational value creation team, Letsema Consulting allows us to maintain a much broader and deeper pool of talent, skills and experience than found elsewhere. Our partnerships have the opportunity to tap into proprietary IP and knowledge that helps them grow sustainably for the long term.
We are an active institutional shareholder that only forms partnerships where we have an ability to add value and operating partners and co-shareholders who demand this of us.
1. Market Development
2. Strategy
3. People
4. Business Enablement
5. M&A and Partnering
We want those who are going to lead, guide and operate underlying investments to share our values in and for the long term.
Create and maintain long term partnerships with people who are capable of growing their businesses and the people therein.
We are growth focused, targeting businesses that have the potential for rapid growth and can be built into one of Letsema’s platforms.
Unlock extraordinary value through our distinctive long-term buy, grow and hold investment model – a partner for building in the long term.
We conduct disciplined and analytical processes to validate the case using “top-down “ and “bottom -up” assessment of all factors.
As active, experienced investors, we seeks to add value through providing technical, strategic, and operational support to assist our partners
Founded in 1990, the Marlyn Group (Marlyn Vulindlela and Marlyn Chemicals) are distributors of speciality mining chemicals and water treatment chemicals, providing technical and laboratory services as well as export logistics into Southern Africa. Marlyn offers a range of chemicals applicable to metal and mineral extraction and is a leading supplier of activated carbon, sodium cyanide, and caustic soda to the mining industry.
Normandien Farms is a vertically integrated, 30% black owned business, operating primarily in the sawmilling and forestry sectors of South Africa. Founded in 1992 in South Africa’s Eastern Cape, Normandien Farms has grown over the last 25 years from a single sawmill into a large independently owned sawmilling group in South Africa.
Founded in 1923 as Volans Master Cleaners, ServWorx is a new generation services company offering a full spectrum of services focused on garment rental, uniforms and workwear apparel, laundry, hygiene and cleaning solutions and cleaning products.
Transnova, an independent logistics advisory, technology and managed services firm with extensive experience in the design, building and operating of Logistics Control Towers and the application of innovative supply chain solutions.
Letsema Brokerage Solutions (LBS) is an independent black-owned short-term insurance intermediary consolidation platform established and run by Letsema Holdings, a black-owned and managed long-term investment holding company.
Kaelo Energy is a 100% South African-owned clean energy company, with sustainable development and climate justice at its core. It is inspired to imagine a future South Africa with clean, reliable and low-cost energy, economic benefits going to local communities and a healthy environment. Kaelo Energy is an early-stage investment partnership between Letsema and Red Cap Energy looking to become the leading black-owned, South African Clean Energy business within 10 years
Keith, as Group Executive of M&A and Partnerships at Letsema, oversees Letsema’s investment and fund-raising activities and manages the relationships Letsema maintains with its different subsidiary and investment partners. Working with the executive team, he plays an active role in the strategy and operations of Letsema’s different businesses.
