We Believe In People
We believe that building a business sustainably, that operates in a safe and environmentally sound manner, and focuses on driving growth in tandem with positive social, economic and environmental outcomes for the countries and communities in which we operate, guarantees the success of our group.
Appreciating we have a moral responsibility and the ability to create change in Africa, we actively seek out opportunities in the regions in which we work, where we can improve lives and uplift communities.
Since first mobilising into Africa, it has been important to us to make a positive impact on the areas in which we operate. We therefore have a policy of employing people from the local communities, and our expatriate staff and local skilled employees are tasked with the transfer of skills as part of their day-to-day functions.
Whilst part of the Teichmann family, our employees are given the opportunity to further develop themselves and enjoy challenging and rewarding career paths.
The Teichmann Foundation was founded in 2013 to support the nutritional, educational, and medical needs of children living in an orphanage in the Tenke region of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Initially, there were 12 young children living in the home and over the years 25 children have been part of the family. Cared for by a “mother” and “father” figure, these children are given the opportunity to live in a family environment. Over the years some of the children have left due to maturity or adoption and currently, the home houses 15 children. Once the children finish secondary school, they are given the opportunity to study at a tertiary facility, funded by the foundation.
The foundation has purchased land in the area and plans to rebuild the orphanage with additional accommodation facilities, a central undercover area, and a sports field. The vision is to create a larger home for children who have lost their parents or guardians or who need to be rehomed due to other factors, to offer outreach programs in the form of feeding schemes and adult educational classes, and to offer sports programs to children and adults from surrounding communities.
The work we do often takes us to extremely remote parts of Africa, where we find communities that don’t have access to basic infrastructure. With the prerequisite skills and equipment readily available to us, we feel it’s our responsibility to look for opportunities where we can assist these communities through building or maintaining essential and non-essential infrastructure such as dirt roads, bridges, dams, sanitation and waste management solutions, sports fields, housing, electricity generation and communication networks.
Through our award winning maize farm and beef feedlot, in the Futuka region of the DRC, our brand Mashamba Enterprises practices a deep commitment to community. Our outgrowers programme teams up Mashamba employees and local, small-scale farmers who are keen for the opportunity to develop. Our teams guide these farmers on farming techniques and small business management, resulting in quality farming, higher yields and subsequent improved financial return.
Providing poultry farmers with day old chicks and feed to grow the chicks, we purchase the fully grown chickens for sale in our retail and butchery outlets. Additionally, we purchase quality produce from local farmers for sale in our retail outlets, selling a variety of produce ranging from maize, meat, fruit, vegetables, eggs and basic farming equipment.
Masomo, a non-profit school in the Futuka Village of the DRC, is the vision of the Mashamba Enterprises team. Set to open in 2022, our vision is to give the boys and girls attending Masomo, an opportunity to reach their full potential through a free and quality education in a safe environment. Additionally, we aim to uplift the lives of local families through outreach programs such as feeding schemes and educational classes.
Our hope is to impact future generations, create future leaders who can break the cycle of poverty, and provide a sustainable form of positive transformation to the surrounding communities.
Read more about our Mashamba Project