The Company

Zimele Broadcasting Services (Pty) Ltd is a privately owned South African company. “Zimele”, as known by all our clients, was founded in 1996. Zimele comes from a Zulu word which means, “ to stand on your own, and be independent”. This culture is actively promoted in Zimele to encourage responsibility and accountability. At Zimele, we draw on the extensive experience of our staff gained in the advanced technologies employed within the Broadcasting, Entertainment and IT industries. What makes Zimele a leader in our field is our innate ability to provide a one-stop integrated turnkey service, tailored to meet the exact needs of our clients. Zimele is very adamant that it provides the correct solutions to clients at the most effective cost but never compromise on quality. Through the outstanding quality of our product ranges and strategic alliances with our local and international suppliers, we are able to provide a full range of services such as, system design, project management, turn-key solutions, maintenance contracts and consultation to the analogue and digital television, radio, satellite and audio visual worlds.

 
  Mission

  Business Description

Zimele Broadcasting Services is primarily engaged in cementing current and evolving ethnologies in the South African and African industries. Zimele will not only focus on our core business, we will also endeavour to satisfy our, aim and slogan, to have “the answers to every question”. Zimele represents several top international companies such as “Snell & Wilcox”, “IBIS”, “Pixel Power”, “Doremi-Labs”, “DNF Controls”, “SweDish”, “Ai-Pixel”, “Leader”, “Marshall”, to mention but a few. In addition to the above, our local alliances are with distinguished companies such as “Dimension Data”, ”Wild & Marr”, ”Brahler”, “Philips SA” and “Electrosonic SA”. This gives us access to creating total solutions employing the cutting edge of internationally accepted technology.

Zimele has the capability, the expertise and the professional equipment, and international backup, to apply appropriate, long term, cost effective, engineered and holistic solutions to any project. The company is structured to offer a range of specialised products and services, which would provide the client with easy access and service.

The intention of the AV division is to provide projector rentals, sales, and service in a professional and personal manner, thus a total solution of high quality, presentation LCD products and associated equipment to institutions in Gauteng Province. Being based in Linden, centre of Johannesburg Gauteng, and a new branch in Tshwane, gives us easy access to the most active parts of the business community. Reaching any major city in South Africa won’t take longer than two hours by plane.




Marketing Plan

Zimele has fully embraced our President Thabo Mbeki’s NEPAD plan for South Africa and the African continent.

In the spirit thereof Zimele is a “black” owned company. Previously disadvantaged people have 51% of Zimele’s shareholding. That does not only satisfy the BEE (Black Economic Empowerment) requirements bill recently passed through government, but also means a first in South Africa, if not in the world.

Zimele is embarking on a new e-commerce strategy to get the message to our prospective and existing clients. This would be done via electronic newsletters and web shopping, to free key personnel from mundane and time consuming tasks of looking for the correct answer. The newsletter would be issued regularly and contain new developments and products as well as a short version of our rental pricing and any special offers.

The intention is to maintain our role as one of the major players without huge overheads and dismal service. Our marketing therefore would be directed at personal contact with the relevant people and decision makers.


Key Personnel

Director: Ken Herold, born in Nelspruit South Africa, was formally trained in the United Kingdom at London University, completing a B.Sc Electrical Engineering degree, followed by Marconi Collage in Chelmsford where he did radio and television. He was Chief Engineer at Zambia Broadcasting Corporation, Assistant Director: Engineering at Zimbabwean National Broadcasting Corporation and Technical Manager, Transkei Broadcasting Corporation, before returning to South Africa. He held various positions within the SABC and later Sentech. He left the position of Group Executive: Terrestrial services to take up a position with the then Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA), also acting as Chief Executive Officer.

Director: Leon Labuschagne held many managerial positions within the SABC Television business unit. He has been in the broadcasting industry for the past 21 years. He attended numerous international broadcast exhibitions and training courses. Leon is a self-starter and has huge aptitude for new business.

Managing Director: Casper Klopper has a formal B.Com (Unisa) degree and takes care of the commercial side of Zimele. He was formally trained in the Netherlands on LCD projectors. He spent most of his working career in the audio-visual industry and also heads up that division of Zimele.
   

Manager Johannesburg: Lizelle Starck has many years experience in broadcast engineering sales. Ms Starck is a prime example of what can be achieved with “in house” on the job training.



Ownership

Kenneth Herold - Black Male - 51 %

Makhulu Trust - Trust - 39,5 %

L J  Labuschagne - White Male - 9,5 %


Management

Casper Klopper - Managing Director & Business Development

Ken Herold - Director: Technical Matters

Leon Labuschagne - Director: Sales

Lizelle Starck - General Manager: Johannesburg

Vacant - General Manager: Tshwane



Position

Zimele is based in the centre of Gauteng, having easy access to all major centres within South Africa and Africa via various international airports. Zimele has also just started a branch in Tshwane.



Recent major contracts concluded by Zimele