Latest news with #Dalgleish
Scotsman
a day ago
- General
- Scotsman
Exams Scotland: Does surge in vocational subjects mark an end to Highers as the 'gold standard' of education?
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It has long been repeated the Scottish Government's 'gold standard' of educational achievement was securing five Highers. This year's Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) results were hailed as a 'landmark' year for Scotland's schools - but not for the number of pupils attaining this so-called gold standard. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Pupils pose after receiving exam results at Kings Park Secondary School in Glasgow. Picture: Jeff| Getty Images Instead, success in vocational subjects - such as National Progression Awards (NPA) - was one of the stand-out stories of results day. For the first time, more than 100,000 vocational awards were handed out to Scotland's school pupils, with one council area reporting an 'upsurge' in pupils opting for vocational courses. While this is being hailed as a success by education bosses, others raise concerns about the risk of a 'two-tier' system where less academically able pupils are pushed away from Highers and into practical courses. In Edinburgh, 70 NPA courses are offered across 23 secondary schools - and the council is emphatic these have parity of esteem with more traditional academic qualifications. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad City of Edinburgh's education convener James Dalgleish said pupils were increasingly looking towards what jobs they might do and the best way to get into the world of work. In 2023, the Scottish capital's schools had 941 NPA passes and this year that's up to 1700. 'It's also about supporting young people in their passion and not fitting them into boxes or pushing them down a certain path,' Mr Dalgleish said. Construction and stone masonry are of particular interest in Edinburgh, a city rapidly expanding and where building skills are going to be vital. Mr Dalgleish added: 'We're going to need a lot of new young people coming out of school moving into the construction sector. Otherwise, we're not going to get the homes that we want to build. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We live in a really beautiful, old, historic city. We were struggling to get talented, well-qualified young people to be able to maintain these beautiful buildings that people from across the world want to see.' A view of Victorian tenement housing in the West End of Edinburgh, Morningside. Picture: Getty Images Some young people look ahead to a barista qualification to help them gain a job working while they study at university. One example given is a pupil who wanted to take a construction course to give him practical experience of working a lathe before going to study engineering at university. Some schools have facilities for vocational courses while for others, pupils will travel to Edinburgh College. As part of the city's net zero ambitions, it wants to cut the number of young people commuting and so two new schools being built will have space to work with industry partners on training. The experiences on offer are described as 'life changing', but the council is keen to emphasise there is no 'two-tier system'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad While there are schemes, such as a roofing course offered by Castlebrae Secondary, to encourage disengaged young people back to school, the council is emphatically against any suggestion vocational courses are for pupils who aren't coping at school. The words 'dignity' and 'parity of esteem' are frequently used. Mr Dalgleish said: 'These qualifications are not nice to have - they are essential to have. They are a fundamental part of what we offer our young people and we have had a resulting dramatic increase in those choosing to take them.' In Glasgow, the council introduced vocational subjects 22 years ago. Nicola McKenzie is the EVIP development officer for the council. She joined EVIP, which stands for Enhanced Vocational Inclusion Programme, on a six-month secondment. That was 19 years ago and Mrs McKenzie is still passionate about her role. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'You're like a teacher, you're like a social worker, you're like an auntie - it's wonderful chaos every day of my life,' she said. 'Their stories can be really traumatic and when I started, I literally cried for about a month because I grew up in the east end of Glasgow and I thought I was gallus. 'I've unfortunately had young people that I work with who are no longer with us. But I've also worked with young people who are now [undergone a] 360 [degree] transformation and they're working in our children's house estate or they've went to university or they work for global hairdressing organisations. And their lives have changed.' At that time, the vocational options were construction or hospitality, prompted by skills shortages in those sectors. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mrs McKenzie said: 'Also there was a recognition that the 'chalk and talk' style of learning didn't suit the changes in society.' The city offers a wide range of senior phase programmes with three regional Glasgow colleges with courses from psychology to hairdressing to computer game development and barista skills. Young people stay at school, but have the chance to try college simultaneously for some courses. It is, Mrs McKenzie said, a 'real cross-section' of pupils who opt for vocational courses - some with an eye on the future world of work and some who struggle with traditional learning. There is a definite culture shift in how theses courses are viewed. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I've been in education for 25 years now and that's the first time they've had a non-academic young person celebrated on results day,' Mrs McKenzie said. 'And that was really remarkable for me.' The young person in question is also remarkable. Jason Singh was invited to King's Park High School in Glasgow on results day on Tuesday, alongside the Higher results success stories to meet Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth. The 16-year-old has been studying at Glasgow Clyde for SQA awards at National 4 level in automotive skills, as well as linking back in with the school to attain English and maths. He had support from an MCR Pathways mentor, Peter, who helped him to 'speak about things that I would never have spoken about - my feelings, my emotions, how to deal with my anger', Jason said. He felt college was a better place for him because they were treated as young adults. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'In school if you're having a bad day you get kept in as a punishment,' he said. 'College doesn't cage you up like animals. It's ten times better than school.' Jason is going to study painting and decorating after the summer holidays and has big ambitions. He wants to own his own business or, better yet, two. 'I've got more to learn,' he added. 'I'm happy I've got here in the end, but I'm moving on to do bigger and better things, earn money then retire and do what I want.' EVIP, which is unique to Glasgow and was originally led by social work, is designed for pupils who are not coping with mainstream education. It started as a scheme for young people in children's houses whose attainment was lower than the city average. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Now it's a project for children with multiple risk factors who, say, may be young carers or have been sexually exploited. Mrs McKenzie's young people are better suited to college where there are no ringing bells every 50 minutes, there are no multiple transitions in a day and a wide variety of changing faces to deal with. The teenager's EVIP worker will phone them to get them up for school or college in the morning and give them constant support. For some young people, they are the only person in their household getting up and keeping to a routine. Their EVIP worker may be the one good adult in their life. Mrs McKenzie said: 'From the backgrounds our young people come from, Highers are not achievable at this time in their life. 'It may be achievable at a later stage, but we are about supporting young people to achieve and celebrating those achievements.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mrs McKenzie was quick to push against any notion of a two-tier system. She said: 'It is not the case that it's 'oh, you're a bad boy so you'll go and do construction' or 'you're a girl who's not coping well so you can do hairdressing'.' The pandemic has also had an impact in terms of preventing young people from having experience of natural transitions through school. Literacy and numeracy levels have suffered and more teenagers need support. 'But that learning doesn't need to be in a classroom setting,' Mrs McKenzie said. In construction, she gives as an example, pupils are learning numeracy skills while measuring timber or looking up price sheets. Donna Stewart, the SQA's chief examiner, said: 'We have to look at the overall picture,. Seeing the number of learners increase within our technical and vocational courses, I think it's really important to think about that broad picture in terms of that landmark there. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Our national certificates, NPAs, skills for work - it's important that we recognise that totality of what we're celebrating this year as well.' Ms Gilruth was asked by The Scotsman about whether she sees a need to re-frame the concept of achievement away from purely Higher success. PA She said: 'One of the things I think is interesting is we still see extensive variation across local authorities in terms of performance. When we're talking about closing the poverty-related attainment gap, that is where we will see the biggest progress, working with local authorities who really need to move at pace to narrow that gap.' Other local authorities, she said, are consistently 'high attainers' year after year. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Part of that's linked to poverty, part of that's linked to affluence, but we need to reflect that in how we fund our schools and give them that support, and in terms of that wider offering, that's something that we're looking at in terms of our measurements,' she said. Officials are working on a model of funding that would reflect varying needs of schools in different socio-economic brackets. Ms Gilruth added: 'I'd like to talk about modern apprenticeships, about the variety of qualifications, about the fact we've got more poorer young people going on to university than ever before.
The Citizen
25-07-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
#MandelaDay: Sweet acts of kindness at Darnall Country Club
Kindness was on the menu at Darnall Country Club, where Tongaat Hulett served meals, warmth and goodwill to senior citizens in celebration of Mandela Day last Friday. The elderly were treated to breakfast, lunch, sugar packs, blankets and hats. Reflecting on this year's Mandela Day theme, 'It's still in our hands to combat poverty and inequity,' Tongaat Hulett CEO Gavin Dalgleish said the company had a long and consistent record of making positive contributions to society, the environment and its stakeholders. 'Tongaat Hulett will continue ensuring the sugarcane farming value chain helps rural communities to achieve meaningful social impact and economic participation,' said Dalgleish. Maidstone Mill Group Board chairperson Nathi Msweli expressed gratitude to Tongaat Hulett and the grower communities for honouring Madiba's legacy through acts of compassion and kindness. Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news. Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here, or if you're on desktop, scan the QR code below.
The Advertiser
24-07-2025
- Business
- The Advertiser
'Biosecurity is not a bargaining chip': industry reacts to US beef backflip
A leading Australian beef industry analyst has said the lifting of import restrictions on US beef imports will have a virtually imperceptible impact on the day-to-day running of the Australian meat sector. Matt Dalgleish, Episode 3, said that while the news of US re-entry into the market, in the wake of the Australian government lifting biosecurity restrictions, sounded significant, the reality was far more circumspect. "US beef prices are sitting far above Australian values, there is no way commercially US producers would commercially look to send large volumes of beef to Australia," Mr Dalgleish said. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) today published its final review for expanded markets for fresh beef imports from the US. It said while the US has been able to export US-origin beef to Australia since 2019, this expanded access will now include products sourced from cattle born in Canada or Mexico, which are legally imported and slaughtered in the US. A DAFF spokesperson said a key factor in allowing the changes to import rules was the US introduction of more robust movement controls over the past 12 months which means that all cattle, from Canada and Mexico, can be identified and traced to the farm and through the supply chain. Mr Dalgleish said given current global markets and currency exchange rates at present he expected US beef exports to Australia would likely be limited to specialist lines. "Something like buffalo, which is classed as beef for export purpose, or maybe a pre-processed product like a brisket or ribs that a particular restaurant wants to bring in for an authentic American experience, this could be where you see some product coming here, but it is not going to be a competitor in the volume market" he said. "It is not going to be economically viable to do anything like the volumes required to create competition for the local market for Australian growers." To put it in context, Mr Dalgleish said the record for US beef exports to Australia peaked at just 290 tonnes, back in 1994-1995. This is just 0.07 per cent of what can flow the other way, with over 400,000 tonnes heading from Australia to the US last year. And Mr Dalgleish said logistically, there had already been exports going through. US beef that producers guaranteed had not been exposed to Canadian or Mexican supply chains has been allowed into Australia since 2019. Mr Dalgleish said data showed 270 tonnes came from the US to Australia in the 2024-25 financial year. "That is pretty close to the record already, and we haven't seen a big impact." "For me biosecurity is far and away the biggest issue and if the government is confident that is under control then there will be no negative impact for the industry, it's largely symbolic." Others within the industry had a similar train of thought. Guyra livestock producer and vet, James Jackson, was relatively sanguine about the announcement. Mr Jackson pointed out the 2019 rule change and said he was confident AQIS (the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service) would have assessed all risks in making the decision to fully open access. He also said the exchange rate of the Aussie dollar compared to the US greenback would also stymie the progress of US beef here. "At the moment, there is a foot and mouth disease outbreak in Venezuela. We don't want that beef coming into the US by way of grey channels, being rebranded and then exported," Mr Jackson said. NSW Farmers biosecurity committee chair Tony Hegarty also said Australian farmers were happy to compete on an open global market, but was firm on biosecurity concerns needing to be factored in, saying he did not want to see it compromised in order to placate the Trump administration. "This deal must not comprise our agricultural industry or our nation's biosecurity, particularly with beef coming from Canada and Mexico," Mr Hegarty said. "Biosecurity is not a bargaining chip." Angus Australia's president Sinclair Munro also said he wanted assurance biosecurity would not be compromised. He said his organisation's expectations of the Australian government, on news of it lifting restrictions to US beef imports, were that the decision was backed with the utmost scientific studies and rigour. Cattle Australia branded the Albanese government's announcement that long-banned US beef will be allowed into Australia as a "little disappointing". A leading Australian beef industry analyst has said the lifting of import restrictions on US beef imports will have a virtually imperceptible impact on the day-to-day running of the Australian meat sector. Matt Dalgleish, Episode 3, said that while the news of US re-entry into the market, in the wake of the Australian government lifting biosecurity restrictions, sounded significant, the reality was far more circumspect. "US beef prices are sitting far above Australian values, there is no way commercially US producers would commercially look to send large volumes of beef to Australia," Mr Dalgleish said. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) today published its final review for expanded markets for fresh beef imports from the US. It said while the US has been able to export US-origin beef to Australia since 2019, this expanded access will now include products sourced from cattle born in Canada or Mexico, which are legally imported and slaughtered in the US. A DAFF spokesperson said a key factor in allowing the changes to import rules was the US introduction of more robust movement controls over the past 12 months which means that all cattle, from Canada and Mexico, can be identified and traced to the farm and through the supply chain. Mr Dalgleish said given current global markets and currency exchange rates at present he expected US beef exports to Australia would likely be limited to specialist lines. "Something like buffalo, which is classed as beef for export purpose, or maybe a pre-processed product like a brisket or ribs that a particular restaurant wants to bring in for an authentic American experience, this could be where you see some product coming here, but it is not going to be a competitor in the volume market" he said. "It is not going to be economically viable to do anything like the volumes required to create competition for the local market for Australian growers." To put it in context, Mr Dalgleish said the record for US beef exports to Australia peaked at just 290 tonnes, back in 1994-1995. This is just 0.07 per cent of what can flow the other way, with over 400,000 tonnes heading from Australia to the US last year. And Mr Dalgleish said logistically, there had already been exports going through. US beef that producers guaranteed had not been exposed to Canadian or Mexican supply chains has been allowed into Australia since 2019. Mr Dalgleish said data showed 270 tonnes came from the US to Australia in the 2024-25 financial year. "That is pretty close to the record already, and we haven't seen a big impact." "For me biosecurity is far and away the biggest issue and if the government is confident that is under control then there will be no negative impact for the industry, it's largely symbolic." Others within the industry had a similar train of thought. Guyra livestock producer and vet, James Jackson, was relatively sanguine about the announcement. Mr Jackson pointed out the 2019 rule change and said he was confident AQIS (the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service) would have assessed all risks in making the decision to fully open access. He also said the exchange rate of the Aussie dollar compared to the US greenback would also stymie the progress of US beef here. "At the moment, there is a foot and mouth disease outbreak in Venezuela. We don't want that beef coming into the US by way of grey channels, being rebranded and then exported," Mr Jackson said. NSW Farmers biosecurity committee chair Tony Hegarty also said Australian farmers were happy to compete on an open global market, but was firm on biosecurity concerns needing to be factored in, saying he did not want to see it compromised in order to placate the Trump administration. "This deal must not comprise our agricultural industry or our nation's biosecurity, particularly with beef coming from Canada and Mexico," Mr Hegarty said. "Biosecurity is not a bargaining chip." Angus Australia's president Sinclair Munro also said he wanted assurance biosecurity would not be compromised. He said his organisation's expectations of the Australian government, on news of it lifting restrictions to US beef imports, were that the decision was backed with the utmost scientific studies and rigour. Cattle Australia branded the Albanese government's announcement that long-banned US beef will be allowed into Australia as a "little disappointing". A leading Australian beef industry analyst has said the lifting of import restrictions on US beef imports will have a virtually imperceptible impact on the day-to-day running of the Australian meat sector. Matt Dalgleish, Episode 3, said that while the news of US re-entry into the market, in the wake of the Australian government lifting biosecurity restrictions, sounded significant, the reality was far more circumspect. "US beef prices are sitting far above Australian values, there is no way commercially US producers would commercially look to send large volumes of beef to Australia," Mr Dalgleish said. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) today published its final review for expanded markets for fresh beef imports from the US. It said while the US has been able to export US-origin beef to Australia since 2019, this expanded access will now include products sourced from cattle born in Canada or Mexico, which are legally imported and slaughtered in the US. A DAFF spokesperson said a key factor in allowing the changes to import rules was the US introduction of more robust movement controls over the past 12 months which means that all cattle, from Canada and Mexico, can be identified and traced to the farm and through the supply chain. Mr Dalgleish said given current global markets and currency exchange rates at present he expected US beef exports to Australia would likely be limited to specialist lines. "Something like buffalo, which is classed as beef for export purpose, or maybe a pre-processed product like a brisket or ribs that a particular restaurant wants to bring in for an authentic American experience, this could be where you see some product coming here, but it is not going to be a competitor in the volume market" he said. "It is not going to be economically viable to do anything like the volumes required to create competition for the local market for Australian growers." To put it in context, Mr Dalgleish said the record for US beef exports to Australia peaked at just 290 tonnes, back in 1994-1995. This is just 0.07 per cent of what can flow the other way, with over 400,000 tonnes heading from Australia to the US last year. And Mr Dalgleish said logistically, there had already been exports going through. US beef that producers guaranteed had not been exposed to Canadian or Mexican supply chains has been allowed into Australia since 2019. Mr Dalgleish said data showed 270 tonnes came from the US to Australia in the 2024-25 financial year. "That is pretty close to the record already, and we haven't seen a big impact." "For me biosecurity is far and away the biggest issue and if the government is confident that is under control then there will be no negative impact for the industry, it's largely symbolic." Others within the industry had a similar train of thought. Guyra livestock producer and vet, James Jackson, was relatively sanguine about the announcement. Mr Jackson pointed out the 2019 rule change and said he was confident AQIS (the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service) would have assessed all risks in making the decision to fully open access. He also said the exchange rate of the Aussie dollar compared to the US greenback would also stymie the progress of US beef here. "At the moment, there is a foot and mouth disease outbreak in Venezuela. We don't want that beef coming into the US by way of grey channels, being rebranded and then exported," Mr Jackson said. NSW Farmers biosecurity committee chair Tony Hegarty also said Australian farmers were happy to compete on an open global market, but was firm on biosecurity concerns needing to be factored in, saying he did not want to see it compromised in order to placate the Trump administration. "This deal must not comprise our agricultural industry or our nation's biosecurity, particularly with beef coming from Canada and Mexico," Mr Hegarty said. "Biosecurity is not a bargaining chip." Angus Australia's president Sinclair Munro also said he wanted assurance biosecurity would not be compromised. He said his organisation's expectations of the Australian government, on news of it lifting restrictions to US beef imports, were that the decision was backed with the utmost scientific studies and rigour. Cattle Australia branded the Albanese government's announcement that long-banned US beef will be allowed into Australia as a "little disappointing". A leading Australian beef industry analyst has said the lifting of import restrictions on US beef imports will have a virtually imperceptible impact on the day-to-day running of the Australian meat sector. Matt Dalgleish, Episode 3, said that while the news of US re-entry into the market, in the wake of the Australian government lifting biosecurity restrictions, sounded significant, the reality was far more circumspect. "US beef prices are sitting far above Australian values, there is no way commercially US producers would commercially look to send large volumes of beef to Australia," Mr Dalgleish said. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) today published its final review for expanded markets for fresh beef imports from the US. It said while the US has been able to export US-origin beef to Australia since 2019, this expanded access will now include products sourced from cattle born in Canada or Mexico, which are legally imported and slaughtered in the US. A DAFF spokesperson said a key factor in allowing the changes to import rules was the US introduction of more robust movement controls over the past 12 months which means that all cattle, from Canada and Mexico, can be identified and traced to the farm and through the supply chain. Mr Dalgleish said given current global markets and currency exchange rates at present he expected US beef exports to Australia would likely be limited to specialist lines. "Something like buffalo, which is classed as beef for export purpose, or maybe a pre-processed product like a brisket or ribs that a particular restaurant wants to bring in for an authentic American experience, this could be where you see some product coming here, but it is not going to be a competitor in the volume market" he said. "It is not going to be economically viable to do anything like the volumes required to create competition for the local market for Australian growers." To put it in context, Mr Dalgleish said the record for US beef exports to Australia peaked at just 290 tonnes, back in 1994-1995. This is just 0.07 per cent of what can flow the other way, with over 400,000 tonnes heading from Australia to the US last year. And Mr Dalgleish said logistically, there had already been exports going through. US beef that producers guaranteed had not been exposed to Canadian or Mexican supply chains has been allowed into Australia since 2019. Mr Dalgleish said data showed 270 tonnes came from the US to Australia in the 2024-25 financial year. "That is pretty close to the record already, and we haven't seen a big impact." "For me biosecurity is far and away the biggest issue and if the government is confident that is under control then there will be no negative impact for the industry, it's largely symbolic." Others within the industry had a similar train of thought. Guyra livestock producer and vet, James Jackson, was relatively sanguine about the announcement. Mr Jackson pointed out the 2019 rule change and said he was confident AQIS (the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service) would have assessed all risks in making the decision to fully open access. He also said the exchange rate of the Aussie dollar compared to the US greenback would also stymie the progress of US beef here. "At the moment, there is a foot and mouth disease outbreak in Venezuela. We don't want that beef coming into the US by way of grey channels, being rebranded and then exported," Mr Jackson said. NSW Farmers biosecurity committee chair Tony Hegarty also said Australian farmers were happy to compete on an open global market, but was firm on biosecurity concerns needing to be factored in, saying he did not want to see it compromised in order to placate the Trump administration. "This deal must not comprise our agricultural industry or our nation's biosecurity, particularly with beef coming from Canada and Mexico," Mr Hegarty said. "Biosecurity is not a bargaining chip." Angus Australia's president Sinclair Munro also said he wanted assurance biosecurity would not be compromised. He said his organisation's expectations of the Australian government, on news of it lifting restrictions to US beef imports, were that the decision was backed with the utmost scientific studies and rigour. Cattle Australia branded the Albanese government's announcement that long-banned US beef will be allowed into Australia as a "little disappointing".
IOL News
03-07-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Tongaat Hulett's sugar mills lead South Africa in recovery performance
Sugar cane on its way to be processed at Tongaat Hulett's Maidstone Mill. Tongaat's three South African sugar mills, Maidstone, Amatikulu and Felixton have benefited from substantial capital investment over the past three years, following years of disinvestment. Image: Karen Sandison/Independent Newspapers Tongaat Hulett's (THL) three South African sugar mills, Maidstone, Amatikulu and Felixton, which benefited from capital investment since the group went into business rescue, have ranked as the top three nationally for sugar recovery in the current sugar milling season. The recognition indicates the scale of THL's operational turnaround since entering business rescue in October 2022 - the group said in a statement Thursday its mills were now not only stable, but leading performance across the broader South African sugar sector. Tongaat Hulett CEO Gavin Dalgleish, together with the Business Rescue Practitioners (BRPs), recently met with grower representatives in a series of engagements. These meetings focused on sharing updates about the company's progress under business rescue, as well as the improvements seen across its milling and refining operations. The group's three mills, refinery and animal feed plant, which had previously suffered years of under-investment, benefited from a R1.45 billion capital injection over the past three years, secured through the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC). 'The result is a marked improvement in operational performance, with cane being crushed much more efficiently and reliably than before and a renewed sense of confidence among growers, staff, and industry partners,' Dalgleish said. The capital upgrades were accompanied by the recruitment of key technical staff and an investment in training and development of employees. 'The investments made were not just in machinery, but also in our people – and the results are clear. Our teams are now less focused on reactive maintenance and more focused on performance improvement. It's this shift in mindset that's powering real, sustainable change,' said Dalgleish. He said these efforts had translated into year-on-year improvements in key production and efficiency metrics for the current milling season. According to independent industry benchmarking, THL's performance in these metrics had placed its mills among the top in the country – exceeding the industry benchmark standards by a greater margin than anyone else, said Dalgleish. The benchmark standards include the recoverable value metric, which measures the value of molasses and sugar recovered from the sugarcane delivered by an individual grower, as well as the crystal recovery efficiency metric, which measures the percentage of sucrose extracted from the cane that is successfully crystallised into marketable sugar. During the meetings, it became clear that growers placed strong value on consistent, high-efficiency milling, and a reliable mill was worth more to them than any other short-term price incentives. 'Any grower would have noticed that the Maidstone mill is certainly performing better than it has in the past decade,' said Pratish Sharma, Senior Maidstone Grower and local SA Canegrowers representative. 'The investments in the mills give us great confidence that we're going to have a mill capable of crushing our crop. That is crucial, because a high-performing mill gives growers the confidence to invest in and expand their own farms,' said Sharma.
IOL News
27-06-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Tongaat Hulett's journey to recovery: new leadership and challenges ahead
Gavin Dalgleish was appointed as CEO with effect from 1 June 2025, marking a significant step in the final phase of implementing the approved Business Rescue Plan and setting the stage for a seamless transition of Tongaat Hulett's business, assets, and people to Vision, the consortium acquiring the group. Image: Supplied Tawanda Karombo Tongaat Hulett, the beleaguered South African agro-processing firm, is poised to emerge from the shadow of its tumultuous past, thanks to new leadership and a significant restructuring initiative. Gavin Dalgleish, the company's new CEO, has expressed optimism about the path towards stability following a protracted period marked by scandals and heavy debt that once threatened its existence. Dalgleish was appointed as CEO with effect from 1 June 2025, marking a significant step in the final phase of implementing the approved Business Rescue Plan and setting the stage for a seamless transition of Tongaat Hulett's business, assets, and people to Vision, the consortium acquiring the group. In a recent interview, Dalgleish detailed the pivotal changes occurring at Tongaat Hulett, which has been under business rescue since an accounting scandal left it with debts exceeding R8 billion. Following the acquisition by the Vision Group Consortium, led by seasoned African investors Robert Gumede and Rutenhuro Moyo, the company is now focusing on debt recovery, having recently settled its obligations with creditors. 'We need to restore the faith of our employees, we need to restore the faith of our creditors and all our stakeholders that we're now functioning as a business again, and we're a good place and a reliable partner to do business with,' Dalgleish told Business Report in an interview on Thursday. Tongaat Hulett, however, will still be up against headwinds buffeting the South African and regional economic landscape. For example, upon exiting business rescue, the company will be up against rising imports of cheap sugar and currency volatility. For Dalgleish, the company's recovery will not be quick paced. In fact, he expects the rest of this year to be tougher for Tongaat Hulett. 'Like any other business, we're facing headwinds of a strengthening rand, reduced world market prices of sugar, and imports that flow from that. So for South Africa we're expecting this year to be a slightly tougher year,' he said. Tongaat and the Vision Group principals recently went on a roadshow to meet stakeholders in KwaZulu Natal, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. During those trips, the company explained to stakeholders the new approach to doing business. Dalgleish said together with the Vision principals, the company had sought to 'win back their (stakeholders) trust' and confidence as investors and as a business. Tongaat employs 2 400 people and 25 000 others across the extended value chain. Dalgleish said he felt overwhelmed by the responsibility he carries on behalf of the employees, value chain stakeholders and others linked to the company. He said sustaining jobs for those employed and impacted by the company was a top priority under his leadership. 'I'm excited by the challenge and the opportunity, as I said, I'm pleased with the the resilience of the people and the business that we found. And because of the social economic impact of the business, I have a great sense of responsibility.' After fully settling outstanding obligations to the company's lenders as of 9 May 2025, the finalisation of the asset transfer to Vision Group 'is expected imminently,' the company said at the beginning of this month, underscoring 'Tongaat Hulett's progress toward financial and operational' recovery. Last year, creditors in Tongaat voted in favour of a business rescue plan put forward by Gumede's investment consortium, Vision. This was after an accounting scandal rocked Tongaat Hulett, with the company tail-spinning into a debt of R8.2 billion, prompting shareholders to adopt an amended business rescue plan. Tongaat Hulett is envisioned to continue playing critical roles in the economic fabric of Southern Africa under its new ownership. In South Africa, the business 'remains a cornerstone of the sugar industry, sourcing cane from 15 000 small-scale growers – thereby sustaining local farming communities, and underpinning numerous rural economies,' especially in the KwaZulu-Natal province. In Zimbabwe, Tongaat Hulett owns two operating businesses, Triangle and separately listed Hippo Valley Estates. Triangle said recently that it was facing operational challenges that had forced it to retrench employees after cost cutting measures failed to yield a respite. BUSINESS REPORT
