2018 | First Magazine
Haggar’s roots run deep in Sudan. Established in what is now South Sudan at the turn of the 20th century, today Haggar operates in eight sectors across six countries in Africa and continues to look for opportunities to invest and develop the private sector across Africa.
The company’s founder, Mikhail Haggar, set the company up in 1904, in Juba, South Sudan, and within two decades, the family had established tea and coffee plantations, as well as diversifying into tobacco cultivation and cigarette manufacturing, along with gold mining. By the 1960s, the family-run business had moved into plastics and Styrofoam production. As Sudan’s economy developed in the 1970s, Haggar created an advertising agency as well. Haggar continued to develop its tobacco business in the 1980s, and in the 1990s, when George A. Haggar and Anthony A. Haggar joined the firm. This led to a period of acquisitions and greenfield operations and the expansion of the company into new fields.
Today, thanks to an ambitious and diverse team and a caring, professional and high-performance culture, Haggar has expanded its operations from Sudan to South Sudan, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal. The group focuses on building long-term positions across Agriculture (Value Add), energy and ICT, the sectors we believe will provide the architecture and foundations for sustainable development across the continent. Our focus will continue to be on opportunities that enable multiple stakeholders in an equitable manner, not only satisfying our shareholders but also supporting the achievement of SDGs within the countries we invest in and across the continent at large. based on transparency and mutual trust, with the goal of making our success equitable across the communities, environment, partners and employees we work with.
Haggar operates in six key areas:
Agriculture: FIDES International DMCC is HAGGAR group trading arm, strategically located in Dubai – U.A.E with a vision to build ‘A Trusted African Commodity Trader’. Started operation in 2017 under the group headquarter license and succeeded to build a steady growth, expand presence across the MENA region, and build sustainable and scalable trade opportunities.
We stay focused on scaling trading volumes to leverage value-add opportunities at African origins and Foster Inter-Africa trade, work to expand our established food & feed Agri-commodity basket, and pursue diversification into petrochemical products and precious metals.
Energy: Dynamic International Oil Well Services is Sudan’s leading national oilfield services company, supplying solutions and integrated project management that optimize drilling and production performance for customers working in the oil and gas industry. Founded in 2006, Dynamic offers multiple services and solutions by specifically catering to the needs of the ever-demanding oil and gas exploration and production industry. Renewable energy is increasingly becoming a recognized solution for Africa’s energy needs. Decentralized energy solutions are identified as one of the most important ways to achieve the UN Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs). Recognizing its potential for impact, renewable energy is becoming an integral component of Haggar’s energy strategy.
ICT: SUDASAT is the largest provider of VSAT services in Sudan, providing voice and data connectivity to institutions, companies, and individuals. SUDASAT has 8 transponders on ARABSAT, Badr 6 providing C-band coverage across Sudan and a customer base that spans multinationals, telecom operators, government organizations and development agencies. Next year Sudasat will be launching dedicated Ka coverage across Sudan to help meet the ever-growing data needs of its customers.
Dolphin was established in 2013 in Dubai as an African communications carrier and specializes in wholesale capacity and internet bandwidth for carriers, ISPs and enterprise customers. Dolphin aims to be a driving force for the business community of West Africa functioning as a catalyst in extending global reach, high-quality connectivity and reliable levels of connectivity. With its investment in the ACE Submarine cable, Dolphin offers a full right of landing in Dakar, Accra and Lagos covering 80 percent of West Africa’s population.
Industry: Established in the 1920s, Pasgianos Food and Beverages introduced the first bottled soft drinks to the Sudanese market. In 1961, the Company production plant was registered as a production facility with the ministry of industry. In 1999, the company was acquired by Haggar Group. Since its acquisition, the Company has invested in capacity and continues to provide unique national flavors to the carbonated soft drink market. Coldair Engineering Company has been operating since 1960. Coldair leads in refrigeration and its products have become a symbol of trust in the hearts and minds of Sudanese consumers, continuing to broaden its product range to better serve the household needs of every Sudanese family.
Financial Services: Juba Insurance Company Ltd. was established in July 1984. Haggar bought a controlling stake in the company in 2010. Haggar has a small stake in Ivory Bank, founded in South Sudan where it is working to build its competencies and capabilities to secure a leading role in the sector.
Real Estate: SEDCO (Sanctuary Estate Development Company) is a real estate company founded in 2014, owning and managing residential buildings with furnished flats to rent, that range from studios to larger apartments.
CSI: Commitment to sustainable development is an integral part of Haggar Group’s investment philosophy: we believe businesses have responsibilities to society that extend beyond their obligations to stockholders and making a profit. To this end, 2.5 percent of each operating company’s net profit is spent on CSI initiatives and 16 percent of Haggar dividends are allocated to the Haggar Foundation, which focuses on clean water and education initiatives. The Group strives to fully integrate social, environmental and governance issues into its strategic plans and core business activities. The adopted CSI values and standards across all business processes and practices aim to mitigate any negative environmental impact while enhancing social impact.
Looking to the future: Beyond its strategic focus, Haggar continues to develop its legacy industry investments in Sudan while building a trading platform to support and develop Africa facing trade opportunities. Our senior management continues to seek out new projects, in defined areas and several potentially interesting opportunities are under review. Africa is a continent where growth, new technologies and business models are merging to transform the business environment. The private sector is a key catalyst in this and in Sudan this is no different.
At Haggar, we are focused on contributing to Sudan’s growth and development in the hope of more equitable and sustainable benefit across a wider stakeholder base.
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