Imran Esmael, BAT Mozambique; Francis Mwale, Southern Africa Markets; Razeeah Belath, East and Central Africa; Soraya Benchikh, Southern Africa Area; Kudzai Chamba, Zimbabwe and Catia Patricia Mariz Taxeira, Angola. (Photo Simphiwe Nkwali)
BAT Southern Africa has once again been certified as a Top Employer in South Africa and in Africa — testimony to the fact that we are one of the best companies to work for on the continent.
As a truly global company that operates in more than 150 markets, we prize people with talent, an international mindset and strong leadership skills.
Joining BAT is a gateway to a global careers and provides exposure to international best practice in many disciplines.
BAT’s industry-leading position means that our employees are involved in cross-functional and international projects that are at the forefront of the newest thinking, not only in our industry, but in FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) more broadly too.
Being certified as a Top Employer — for the 11th year in a row in South Africa and the second consecutive year in Africa — confirms our strong commitment to talent development and management, excellent on-boarding processes, competitive compensation and benefits, and a focus on leadership development.
We have a strong culture of personal growth within BAT, which means that many of our staff find fulfilment in their careers during their time with us and are respected for the personal traits and abilities they bring to our business. We call this “bringing our diversity” to work.
We work hard to create a challenging, interesting and diverse work environment in which our employees can develop and thrive. The Top Employer certification is a recognition of these efforts, which we believe are crucial to building a sustainable business on the continent.
BAT is an exciting, challenging, dynamic and collegial company to be part of. Our ambition is to lead the transformation of the tobacco industry and we need the right people, with the requisite energy, passion and determination to drive our success.
Attracting and retaining the right talent is a priority. Skills development and talent management ensure we have a well-trained, highly motivated and agile workforce. Our staff diversity contributes not only to our success, but to their wellbeing. This, taken together with our best practice policies and initiatives, means BAT offers an excellent working environment that encourages employees to perform at their best.
Through continuous training we develop staff who are equipped to compete with the best and are fit for the future, with the resilience and agility to thrive at the top.
BAT looks for two dimensions in potential employees: a business aspect, and a people aspect. We refer to this as looking for “the BAT leader” – a person who will demonstrate both empathy and leadership at any level of the business, no matter what their role.
The company also looks for people with self-determination, who are keen to grow and develop both personally and professionally in their careers. We see such people as a great asset to BAT, enhancing our business and contributing to its overall growth.
BAT emphasises development in two broad areas throughout everyone’s career at the company — the business and the people areas. This laser-like focus on development and growth is what sets us apart from other employers.
Our employees have a keenly developed business sense and ability to navigate challenges collaboratively and respectfully, building the high-performance team culture that drives our success.
This is the rewarding environment that has marked us out as a Top Employer for the past 10 years.