A diversity of professional consultancy and training services is available in Swaziland where there is strong awareness of the vital role this sector plays in the efficiency and success of organisations. Firms providing these services install effective, productive management systems and develop skilled, qualified and motivated people at all levels. The specialised consultancy services cover such areas as human resources development, industrial relations, performance appraisal, organisational structure and information technology. Training is available in a wide diversity of subjects. These services may be financed by donor agencies and implemented through local institutions specialising in various fields, sometimes in cooperation with international consulting firms. The need for such services is ongoing as new techniques and methods come on line and the readily available expertise within the country facilitates time and cost effectiveness. Firms may pool their resources and expertise for specific projects in order to give their clients optimum consultancy packages. There is the possibility of forming an Association of Trainers and Consultants comprising qualifying and accredited concerns to protect genuine practitioners and to ensure that clients receive excellent service, coupled with the highest professional ethics.
BOSTON BUSINESS COLLEGE
This Mbabane-based educational institute specialises in career development programs at certificate, diploma and degree levels. These programs are self-driven as there are no lecturers and students learn using DVDs and computer-based education, which are accompanied by relevant workbooks. Exams are taken in conjunction with the Boston Business College examining bodies. Education for Life is the Boston maxim Cilo Consulting
This consultancy firm delivers customised professional services to clients in the areas of people and enterprise development, organisational alignment and institutional reform in the region. As process facilitators and content advisors, it packages solutions that enhance the value of client organisations. Established in 2006, Cilo Consulting comprises a capable team of in-house and part-time business management, and specialists with experience in communications, strategic planning, institutional reform, organisational development and process facilitation. The consultancy has links with local and international expertise and is therefore able to provide a comprehensive service and a lasting solution using specialised consultants. The organisation is a member of the Federation of Swaziland Employers and Chamber of Commerce.
KPMG Swaziland
KPMG provides relevant and appropriate professional advice using experienced professionals comprising four partners and some 50 members of staff. The firm has been in Swaziland since 1962 and has an excellent understanding of the requirements and problems of organisations operating in the country. The audit department is managed by Chartered Accountants (Swaziland) and follows international and local accounting
and auditing standards. KPMG specialises in the provision of tax and advisory services and has consultants, resident in Swaziland, able to fulfil the requirements of clients. Should resources not be available locally, specialists can be drawn from other regional or international KPMG offices. The client portfolio covers the spectrum of business, from small owner-managed concerns to Government, parastatals and large public companies. KPMG achieves outstanding service through dedication to clients’ needs, access to considerable resources, investment in new technologies, research, recruitment and training, and specialist industry groupings. The principal services are audit, tax and advisory with expertise in accounting, payroll administration and support, business planning and company secretarial work,
Lwati Management Services & Kutfola
Investments
During 2007 Lwati Management Services, which was established in 1989, and Kutfola Investments formed the Swaziland Consortium of Chartered Human Resources Practitioners, which comprises chartered members of the South African Board of Personnel Practitioners. This development enables them to provide even greater expertise to an extensive client base in the public and private sectors. The Managing Directors of the two firms between them have over 60 years of experience in their fields in Swaziland and the southern Africa region, and are able to complement this by drawing on additional expertise as necessary to give clients optimum consultancy packages tailored to their specific needs. They also have long-established links with proven international consultants and are able to provide customised professional services in the areas of human resources, industrial relations, training and development, change management, mentoring and coaching, strategy, institutional reform, consultancy and advisory services and executive placement. Lwati is an accredited examinations and training centre for the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry Examinations Board an a member of the Federation of Swaziland Employers and Chamber of Commerce (see page 148.)
Mananga Centre of Integration &
Management Development
Established by the Commonwealth Development Corporation as an international management development centre in 1972, Mananga has a sound reputation in its field. Today it is privately owned and the high standard of training and service is maintained at the Ezulwini campus. Over the years, more than 5,000 managers from 56 countries in Africa and beyond have shared the “Mananga Experience” within the tranquil learning environment, where there is an interactive, hands-on approach to training. The highly qualified staff, who come from various African countries, ensure an unforgettable experience for each participant which becomes a major influence in their careers. The training comprises open program, postexperience management development residential courses of two to six duration. Mananga also undertakes tailored training for specific clients, both on and off campus, within Swaziland and other countries. The training broadly embraces the themes of General Management, Poverty and Sustainable Development, Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resource Management, and Public Health Management. Globalisation and Regional Integration, Governance and Institutional Development, and Technology Transfer feature prominently in the programs. The consultancy arm provides short-term consulting of up to three months and project management of one to three years. The facilities comprise modern training rooms, an Internet-linked information resource centre, a residential complex of 20 double bedrooms and dining and catering facilities for use by the course participants. There is also a bar and recreation area next to the swimming pool.
Samkho Corporate
This professional consulting firm began operating in July 2006. It was formed by Sabelo Mkhonta, a qualified chartered accountant who is well-known in local business circles and who has over 16 years experience in his field. He is supported and assisted by a staff of six qualified people with many years of accounting and auditing experience and who have been engaged in a number of internal and external audit contracts. Operating from offices in Mbabane and specialising mainly in financial and statutory issues, Samkho provides the full range of accounting services, together with business start-up and training. There is also a management consulting arm specialising in recruitment and selection, performance appraisal, organisational restructuring, salary review and job evaluation, and strategic planning. pic