CFAO South Africa

01/09/2026

A Day of Connection, Celebration and Togetherness at
On 29 August 2026, we were proud to host our CFAO South Africa Family Day 2026; a special occasion dedicated to celebrating our people and the families who support them.

Family Day gave us the opportunity to step away from our day-to-day roles, spend time with loved ones, reconnect with colleagues and celebrate the sense of community that brings us together across CFAO South Africa.
From laughter and entertainment to games, activities and shared moments, the day was filled with energy, joy and memorable experiences for colleagues and their families alike.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make the day such a success. Moments like these remind us that CFAO South Africa is more than a workplace; it is a community built on connection, belonging and togetherness.

26/08/2026

Did You Know?!

13/08/2026

In the age of AI, leadership credibility matters more than ever
By Andrew Velleman, Chief Executive Officer, CFAO South Africa
AI can automate workflows, generate insights and accelerate productivity. But there is one thing it cannot automate:
Trust.

As organisations invest heavily in artificial intelligence and digital transformation, a critical question remains: Are we investing just as intentionally in leadership credibility?

Technology can streamline processes, personalise experiences and generate insights in seconds. What it cannot do is replace the confidence people place in leaders who communicate honestly, act with integrity and remain visible during periods of uncertainty.
Across industries, organisations continue investing heavily in digital transformation, workforce commitment, and workplace technologies. Yet many still struggle with declining trust, disengagement, and talent retention.

In South Africa's dynamic and often uncertain business environment, trust has become one of the most valuable assets a leader can build.
The missing ingredient is often not another platform, programme or technology investment. It is credible leadership.

People do not experience an organisation’s culture through dashboards, strategy presentations or AI-generated messages. They experience it through the quality of conversations they have with their managers every day. People rarely stay because of technology alone. They stay because they trust the people leading them, believe in the organisation’s purpose and know their voices are heard.

One of the great ironies of the AI era is that as technology becomes more sophisticated, the value of human leadership increases. The ability to build trust, navigate uncertainty, communicate with empathy and unite people around a common purpose is becoming one of the most valuable competitive advantages any organisation can possess.

In my experience, organisations rarely struggle because they lack technology. More often, they struggle when trust breaks down between leaders and their people.
Technology should amplify leadership, not compensate for its absence.

At CFAO South Africa, we believe sustainable performance is built on both innovation and trust. Technology enables progress, but leadership creates alignment, confidence and commitment. Together, they strengthen culture, inspire discretionary effort and build resilient organisations capable of thriving through constant change.

As AI continues to evolve, I believe the organisations that will stand apart will not necessarily be those with the most advanced technology. They will be those with leaders who earn trust every day through consistency, transparency and integrity.
The real question for business leaders is this: Are we investing in leadership capability as aggressively as we are investing in technology?

Adapted from my latest leadership opinion article. Read more on https://cfao.co.za/blog-post/credible-leadership-is-the-new-retention-strategy/

09/08/2026

When women rise, communities thrive. When women lead, nations move forward.

This Women's Day, we celebrate the incredible women who make a difference every day - in our workplaces, our homes, our industries and our communities.
Across South Africa, women continue to break barriers, build businesses, nurture future generations and create opportunities where they are needed most. Their strength, determination and vision help drive the progress of our country.

At CFAO South Africa, we are proud to work alongside women who embody resilience, leadership and purpose. Their contributions help keep people connected, businesses moving and communities growing.
Today, we honour every woman making a difference, challenging the status quo and inspiring the next generation to dream bigger.

To the women moving South Africa forward - today and every day, we celebrate you.
Happy Women's Day.

03/08/2026

We’re proud to announce that CFAO Healthcare Southern Africa has officially achieved ISO 13485 certification - a globally recognised standard for quality management in medical devices.

This milestone showcases our colleagues’ dedication to providing safe, reliable, and high-quality healthcare solutions. It signifies more than a certificate - it's a symbol of solid systems, effective processes, and a collective commitment to patient safety.

Well done to all colleagues who made this possible through collaboration, dedication, and continuous improvement.

CFAO Healthcare Southern Africa remains committed to maintaining these high standards and keeping quality at the heart of everything they do.

29/07/2026

A Culture of Safety
We’re proud to share that CFAO Mobility South Africa, a division of CFAO South Africa - has been recognised at the RMA Prevention Programme Awards 2026 for excellence in workplace safety and innovation:

Best Prevention Innovation Award: An innovative safety solution developed and successfully implemented across CFAO South Africa - and showcased globally at the 2025 Global Safety Meeting in the Czech Republic.

Best Prevention Champion (Tier 3): A huge congratulations to Kelvin Ankiah, Head of Safety at CFAO South Africa, for his outstanding leadership in rolling out impactful safety programmes across more than 120 sites nationwide.

These achievements reflect our ongoing commitment to creating safer, healthier workplaces for all and to driving meaningful innovation in safety practices.
Rand Mutual - RMA

22/07/2026

Communication isn’t a support function. It is a competitive advantage.
By Viviana Koshiaris, Head of Communication, CFAO South Africa

Most business strategies don't fail because they're flawed. They fail because people never fully understand them.

Leadership teams invest significant time refining strategy, analysing markets, and setting priorities. Yet somewhere between the boardroom and the frontline, momentum is often lost. Objectives are interpreted differently, silos emerge, customer experiences become inconsistent, and ex*****on slows.

The problem is rarely the strategy itself. More often, it's communication.
For too long, communication has been viewed as the final step in ex*****on: something that happens after decisions are made. In reality, communication should help shape those decisions from the start. After all, businesses don't execute strategy. People do.
This is something I've observed firsthand in a business as diverse as CFAO South Africa. When people operate across different industries, locations and customer environments, communication becomes far more than information sharing. Consistent communication becomes the mechanism that creates alignment, reinforces culture and connects daily decisions to broader business goals.

Every day, businesses rely on thousands of decisions being made correctly. Those decisions are influenced not only by processes and policies, but by what people understand, believe, and trust.

In today's increasingly complex environment, where organisations operate across multiple geographies, cultures, generations and digital platforms, information has never travelled faster. Yet understanding has never been harder to achieve.
Technology creates connectivity. Communication creates alignment. That distinction matters.

The organisations that consistently outperform their competitors don't necessarily communicate more. They communicate with greater clarity, consistency, and purpose. They use communication to create alignment, strengthen trust, reduce uncertainty, and turn strategy into action.

They also recognise communication as a driver of resilience and a critical component of risk management. Poor communication fuels misinformation, erodes confidence, and damages reputation long before a crisis emerges. Strong communication builds credibility, trust and stakeholder confidence before they are ever tested.

So as leaders navigate growing complexity, perhaps the real question is:
Can any organisation afford to treat communication as anything less than a strategic business discipline?

I'd be interested to hear your perspective. Has communication become a strategic capability in your organisation, or is it still primarily viewed as a support function?



Read more here: https://cfao.co.za/blog-post/communication-is-not-a-support-function-it-is-an-executive-business-discipline/

20/07/2026

Celebrating Mandela Day Through Action
CFAO South Africa joined CFAO Mobility South Africa's Mandela Day initiative, alongside CFAO Healthcare South Africa and Africa Mobility Solutions, to support Meals on Wheels Community Services South Africa – Hope Park Children's Centre through a Clothing, Blanket, Toy and Dignity Pack Drive.

Thanks to the incredible generosity of our colleagues, we were able to donate essential items, including 250 dignity packs, as well as clothing, blankets and toys, helping to bring comfort, warmth, care and hope to children, families and elders within the community.

Mandela Day reminds us that even small acts of kindness can make a meaningful difference. We are proud of our colleagues for embracing this spirit and working together to create a positive impact where it matters most.

Thank you to everyone who donated, volunteered and supported the initiative.

Together, we can make a difference.

15/07/2026

We are pleased to see CFAO Healthcare expand its presence in Southern Africa by acquiring Medswana Laborex in Botswana.

This milestone reinforces CFAO Healthcare’s commitment to strengthening pharmaceutical distribution and improving access to healthcare across the region.

Congratulations to all our colleagues involved.

𝗖𝗙𝗔𝗢 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 accelerates its expansion in Southern Africa with the acquisition of Medswana in Botswana

We are proud to announce the acquisition of a 75% stake in Medswana, one of Botswana’s leading pharmaceutical wholesalers, which will now operate as 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝘀𝘄𝗮𝗻𝗮 𝗟𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘅 and join CFAO Healthcare’s pan-African network.

“This acquisition is fully in line with our strategy to develop an integrated pharmaceutical distribution platform across the Continent. In markets where access to medicines depends heavily on the quality of supply chains, our role is to provide high standards, continuity of service, and sustainable solutions for the benefit of healthcare professionals and patients.” - Jean-Marc Leccia, Chief Executive Officer of CFAO Healthcare.

📰 Read the press release: https://www.cfaogroup.com/en/cfao-healthcare-accelerates-its-expansion-in-southern-africa-with-the-acquisition-of-medswana-in-botswana/

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𝗖𝗙𝗔𝗢 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 accélère son développement en Afrique australe avec l'acquisition de Medswana au Botswana

Nous sommes fiers d'annoncer l'acquisition de 75 % de Medswana, l’un des principaux grossistes pharmaceutiques du Botswana. Medswana opérera désormais sous le nom de 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝘀𝘄𝗮𝗻𝗮 𝗟𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘅 et rejoint ainsi le réseau panafricain de CFAO Healthcare.

« Cette acquisition s'inscrit pleinement dans notre stratégie de développement d'une plateforme de distribution pharmaceutique intégrée à l'échelle du Continent. Dans des marchés où l'accès aux médicaments dépend fortement de la qualité des chaînes d'approvisionnement, notre rôle est d'apporter des standards élevés, une continuité de service et des solutions durables au bénéfice des professionnels de santé et des patients. » - Jean-Marc Leccia, président-directeur général de CFAO Healthcare.

📰 Lire le communiqué de presse : https://www.cfaogroup.com/fr/cfao-healthcare-accelere-son-developpement-en-afrique-australe-avec-lacquisition-de-medswana-au-botswana/