What makes the Toyota (SA)-Tsebo partnership stand out?
Understanding that every one of our clients requires something different is what started Tsebo on our progressive development journey 50 years ago. It all comes down to this: we are in the business of developing people, to serve people, to uplift society.
Nigel Ward, Executive Vice President of Manufacturing and Support at Toyota South Africa, had a very similar story when he joined the Toyota group nearly 40 years ago. From humble beginnings to helping fine-tune most departments within the company, he shares our philosophy to grow, build and uplift people.
Fostering a transparent relationship
In 2004, Nigel headed up the procurement and purchasing division at Toyota, which is when, Fedics, the Tsebo Group’s contact catering pioneer, first partnered with the renowned company. Tsebo was contracted to provide meals to Toyota’s employees. And today, after working together for over 15 years, we provide in excess of 90 000 meals a month to around 7 500 team members.
We have consistently delivered seamless service and a diverse choice of meals to Toyota employees, even through challenging circumstances. This includes adapting to COVID-19 health and safety recommendations and working with Tsebo’s dietitians to enhance the nutritional value of meals served, ultimately to better support Toyota employees’ immune systems throughout the pandemic. By working predictably and proactively, Tsebo has been able to efficiently provide Toyota with the stability and consistency needed to allow the company to increase productivity and keep delivering on its work.
“No partnership is without its ups and downs, but what sets this relationship apart is Tsebo’s transparency with us and their willingness to adapt,” Nigel explains. “This is why our partnership with the company has lasted so long, and after all these years, we still turn to Tsebo to cater for our people – whether it’s for those in management, or team on the factory floor.”
A great example of what Tsebo’s stellar service helps enable is Toyota’s impressive production flow. Nigel shares that a brand-new Hilux bakkie is built every 90 seconds. And with such efficient production processes, time is of the essence. If the Tsebo team is late, this causes a loss to Toyota – which is why we work so hard to avoid this and do our part to keep the Toyota production lines running. A great example of this is how Tsebo is able to feed over 7 500 employees lunch within a 30 min window.
Going above and beyond
The Tsebo-Toyota partnership has grown since 2004. Tsebo’s Thorburn Security Solutions team has been assisting Toyota for the last five years by providing flexible, reliable security services. From settling unrest to performing routine checks, our employees are committed to serving the people at Toyota and putting a smile on customers’ faces.
“Technology also plays an important part in ensuring the safety of our team, our intellectual property and our physical assets,” Nigel continues. “With over 900 cameras on-site and airborne drones, the Thorburn Security team adds value to Toyota by proactively managing the company’s security and safety risks.”
The future of Toyota and Tsebo
As Tsebo celebrates its golden jubilee this year, Toyota also celebrates 50-years of manufacturing and 60-years of Sales in South Africa in 2022. “I think our shared passion for uplifting local communities, creating jobs, and empowering people is why Toyota and Tsebo have been around for over half a century,” Nigel shares.
Toyota’s priority is to stay competitive – and this is especially difficult in the global automotive industry. “What we need from our service providers is for them to also contribute to our competitiveness,” Nigel adds. “For you to be in business, you need to make a profit. Once we determine what a fair profit is, we can stay competitive. I know that Tsebo is always looking to provide a more efficient service to help keep us on a competitive level so we can continue to build our export operations and grow society by employing people.”
On celebrating Tsebo’s 50th anniversary, Nigel has this to say: “We really value our relationship with Tsebo and your contribution to our people and our business. Thank you for providing our people with food and keeping us safe. Although Toyota will always follow responsible procurement processes, we look forward to the next 50 years because we will be here, and we would like to take you on this journey with us.”
