Madagascar

Created in 2017, HaiRun Technology, is a DSC (Digital Services Company) based in Madagascar, specialized in the conception and development of specific high-level projects, and currently operating on the international market.

The digital company today has a solid foundation with more than 60 employees (Management, Technical, Sales and Marketing) and more than 20 projects carried out for large companies such as Share.Place, Ewattch, Laza-Adina, Super U. In addition, HaiRun has set up an artificial intelligence platform « SmartPredict » which will be accessible to the general public in 2020. Moreover, HaiRun was a winner of the « AI for Good 2018 » Artificial Intelligence Competition organized by France AI and the French Red Cross.

THE ENTREPRENEUR

Ranto ANDRIAMBOLOLONA studied in Madagascar. First at the EPP (Public Primary School) of Antsiranana, then at the Zafy Albert High School of Diégo-Suarez before obtaining his BACC in 1997 and starting his engineering cycle in 1998 at the ISPM (Institut Supérieur Polytechnique de Madagascar). After immigrating to France, where he finished his studies, he worked in IT for 15 years (Priceminister, Boursorama, etc.), notably in the ideation and design of innovative products for French software publishers. In 2017, he created HaiRun Technology with only 5 employees at the start.

Interview with Ranto ANDRIAMBOLOLONA and Chantal RAZAFIMAHATRATRA

PARTNERSHIP WITH MIARAKAP

Miarakap's investment in HaiRun Technology aims to:

• Provide strategic and operational support

•  Support HaiRun in its hyper-growth at the international level

•  Finalize and market the SmartPredict platform

EXPECTED IMPACTS 

• Creation of well-paying jobs for qualified Malagasy IT developers, whose retention in the country is an issue

• Increasing the competence of the development teams

• Madagascar's visibility on the global IT development scene

• Strengthening the supply of quality digital services in Madagascar (an opening to the local market is planned)

• Full formalization of the company, both at the tax level and in terms of company management (organization of steering communities, board of directors, implementation of reporting to manage the company

• Integration of ecological considerations (CO2 cost control) into product design

APEM PAIQ is a microfinance institution for small urban entrepreneurs, mainly located in Antananarivo and the surrounding area. It offers loans, with an average amount of MGA 1.2 million (EUR 300), as well as complementary non-financial services such as health insurance and training.

With Miarakap's funding and support, APEM PAIQ aims to triple its level of activity between 2019 and 2023 by opening a dozen additional offices in Antananarivo and adjacent municipalities.

THE ENTREPRENEUR

The Projet d'Appui aux Initiatives de Quartier (PAIQ - Neighbourhood Initiatives Support Project) is a project initiated by the French Cooperation in 1998. The project was carried out in Antananarivo by the Association pour la Promotion de l'Entreprise à Madagascar (APEM - Association for Entreprise Promotion in Madagascar) as a project manager. At the end of the French Cooperation funding, the APEM continued the project by financing it from its own funds and transforming it into a public limited company in 2010.

The institution is now directed by Rihatiana Rasonarivo, a 40-year-old Malagasy woman. The Executive Director of APEM PAIQ is a graduate of INSCAE in Accounting and Control and holds a Master's degree in Management from the University of Antananarivo. She held positions as internal controller and then administrative and financial manager before joining APEM PAIQ in 2011.

PARTNERSHIP WITH MIARAKAP

Miarakap has committed to APEM PAIQ to:

• Enable the opening of new neighbourhood offices and their computerization

• Strengthen corporate governance by actively participating in strategic decisions

• Strengthen the capacities of managerial and operational staff through technical assistance missions

MAIN IMPACTS

The development plan includes:

• More than 50 formal jobs created or maintained

• Access to financial services for more than 5,000 small urban entrepreneurs in Antananarivo by 2023

• The training of more than 100 entrepreneurs per year

• The development of a social performance policy

VATEL is a higher education school of Tourism and Hotel Management, a subsidiary of the Vatel group, created in 2014 by Falihery Ramakavelo and his wife Hanitra Ramakavelo. Vatel provides a Bachelor's level training in 3 years, and since 2018 a Master's level training (Bac+5) in 2 years, including a final year of specialization in Ecotourism, which will be launched in October 2019. Today, it counts 67 graduates (from the 2014 and 2015 classes) and 167 students in training. The main site is located in Ambatoroka, Antananarivo, and a new campus will be opened in October 2019 in Morondava to welcome the students of the Master Ecotourism.

With Miarakap funding, the promoters want to make Vatel a leading higher education group in the field of hotel and tourism in Madagascar, through:

- The strengthening and consolidation of the existing structure,

- The opening of a campus in Morondava to welcome students in the Ecotourism Master's degree, students from the local population in vocational training (partnership with UNESCO), and eventually an application ecolodge.

THE ENTREPRENEUR

Vatel is run by a couple: Falihery Ramakavelo, a graduate of ENA and the Special Military School of Saint-Cyr (France), he has several years of experience in Malagasy and French civil administration and as a senior manager of several Malagasy companies (BFV-SG, MAERSK, SIPROMAD); and his wife Hanitra Ramakavelo, graduate from the University of Angers (France) in Economic and Social Administration.

PARTNERSHIP WITH MIARAKAP

Miarakap's support mainly concerns:

• Funding for the renovation of the site in Morondava to accommodate the Master's degree in ecotourism,

• The financing of a technical assistance mission on project management for the construction works

• Support for the establishment of partnerships with NGOs specialized in Tourism and biodiversity conservation

MAIN IMPACTS

• Awareness and education on environmental issues, particularly biodiversity conservation,

• Strengthening the training offer on a priority sector in Madagascar

• Access to quality training for isolated rural populations (Morondava) through partnerships with international organizations such as UNESCO

• Environmental footprint management: solar installation on site

• Establishment of partnerships with professionals in tourism, education, crafts, etc.

• Establishment of socio-educational partnerships with funders

Chicky is a fast food company specializing in chicken. It aims to become a major player in the sector in Madagascar. Chicky was launched in 2017 by Yohann Cattiau, a French entrepreneur based in Madagascar, who is now in charge of its management. The company now has 3 restaurants: the first restaurant opened in June 2017 in the busy Behoririka district, the second in January 2018 in the heart of the city in Analakely, and the third in October 2018 in the Urbania Gallery in Analakely.

With Miarakap's financing and support, Chicky aims to become a reference in the field of fast food, meeting international quality standards, while remaining accessible to the greatest number of people.

THE ENTREPRENEUR

Chicky is led by Yohann Cattiau, who graduated in 2004 from Kedge Business School. He moves to Madagascar in 2016. Yohann worked for 10 years in investment fund management companies in Luxembourg and then held a position as a financial analyst in the Finance Department of the Axian Group in Madagascar from July 2017 to June 2018, in parallel with Chicky's management.

PARTNERSHIP WITH MIARAKAP

Miarakap's support for Chicky is materialized by:

• The financing of technical assistance missions allowing the skills development of the operational teams

• The structuring and formalization of the company: declared employees and company subject to VAT

• Assistance in setting up accounting and control procedures

MAIN IMPACTS

• Complete formalization of the company and all jobs

• Support for the formalization of small chicken suppliers

The group Pêcheries du Sud gathers key actors of the seafood sector in Madagascar. Its activities are mainly based in Madagascar, but the Group is also a partner and reference shareholder of Groupe Réunimer, based in La Réunion.

Pêcheries du Sud is present in the main links of the seafood value chain through its various subsidiaries, from production (fishing, aquaculture) to processing and packaging in factories and marketing on local and international markets.

The group notably includes:

• Indian Ocean Trepang (IOT), a company specialized in the breeding and export of sea cucumbers that I&P has been supporting since 2012. IOT associates isolated fishing villages with its activity, generating additional income and thus fighting against overfishing and the extinction of marine fauna.

• COPEFRITO: Established in Tuléar since 1995, the COmpagnie de PEche FRIgorifique de TUléar, or COPEFRITO, is a Malagasy limited company specialising in the collection and processing of cephalopods (octopus, squid) and other products such as lobster, crabs and certain fish.

• SPSM: The Société de Pêche de Sainte-Marie (SPSM) was created in 1999 around a triple activity: fishing, collection and processing

• Madagascar Alive Seafood (MAS) was formally created in October 2015 and specializes in mangrove crab aquaculture

Entrepreneurs

Olivier Méraud has worked with Copefrito since 2004, where he has held several operational positions. He is a Merchant Navy Captain by training and has worked in the fishing and seafood trade for 12 years. In parallel to his duties at Copefrito, he co-founded Madagascar Seafood (MSF) in 2005 and is now one of its main shareholders and Chairman.

Jaco Chan Kit Waye is the current Managing Director of IOT, and and experienced entrepreneur. After having created and directed Copefrito, he founded in 2008 the company Madagascar Holothurie, now IOT, in association with a local partner and a team of university researchers. His environmental and social commitment led him to work as early as 2003 for the first natural resource management site with a fishing community and several NGOs to develop a protected marine area while improving the living conditions of fishermen. In 2006, Jaco was named "Malagasy SME Manager of the Year" (prize awarded by the BNI Madagascar of the Crédit Agricole group).

Partnership with I&P

I&P is committed alongside Pêcheries du Sud to:

• Support the launch of a new seafood processing plant in Diego

• Expand the group's activities in other regions of Madagascar, particularly in the north of the island

• Supporting the group at managerial and financial levels

Impacts

• The group strongly contributes to the development of the seafood sector in Madagascar

• Implementation of a rational management of marine resources

• Involvement in several rural development projects in Madagascar, in partnership with NGOs directly linked to the group's aquaculture activities.

• Implementation of a CSR policy at group level

Created in 1998, Ultramaille is a textile factory specialized in mid- and high-end fashion knit wear.

The factory produces on average 400 000 sweaters per year. Its customers include brands such as Sandro, Ekyog, Woolworth, Armor Lux…

THE ENTREPRENEUR

ULTRAMAILLE was created by Frédéric Wybo, Managing Director of the company. Frederic lives in Madagascar for more than 20 years and benefits from an extensive experience in the textile industry.

Frédéric Wybo is also Chairman of the board of Solidis Garantie, a surety company based in Madagascar, and associate member of Malagasy Association of Private-Equity Investors.

Frederic is deeply involved on environmental and social issues, which is reflected in the management of the company.

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PARTNERSHIP WITH I&P 

I&P committed alongside with Ultramaille to:  

• Reinforce the working capital of the company to finance the purchase of raw materials

• Support the company to expand its range of products

• Work on the launch of a new brand of tailor-made cashmere sweaters sold online

IMPACTS 

• Creation of many qualified jobs, mostly for women

• Develop the work with local producers

Founded in 1993 and managed by Simon Rakotondrahova, SCRIMAD specializes in the collect and export of litchi production, among other fruits and spices (vanilla, black pepper, cinnamon, etc.).

SCRIMAD is certified "Fair Trade" and notably works with ETHIQUABLE, a french co-op specialized in organic agriculture and fair trade. The partnership with I&P aims to help the company diversify its activities and ensure stable income to the partner farmer organisations.

The entrepreneur

Founder and manager of SCRIMAD, Simon Rakotondrahova has notably chaired the Madagascar Chamber of Commerce and Industry and “Gelmada”, a gathering of Litichi exporters in Madagascar.

Partnership with I&P

I&P committed alongside Scrimad to:

• Settle a production unit specialized in the production of fruit puree and frozen fruits

• Take energy efficiency measures in this new production unit

• Train the producers so that they meet the requirements established by BIO-GLOBALCAP and ETHIQUABLE

• Strengthen the capacities of the operational management team

Indian Ocean Trepang (IOT) is a Malagasy company specialized in the breeding and export of sea cucumbers. Local fishermen are associated with its activities, allowing them to generate additional income. The company actively contributes to preserving marine wildlife & fighting against overfishing.

IOT breeds sea cucumbers in the South of Madagascar. This specie’s reproduction remains scarcely human-engineered because of a high mortality rate during the early life stages. IOT’s growing technique was developed by a team of Malagasy scientists, being the only company in Madagascar to control the process. Sufficiently mature, larvae are ceased to neighboring fishermen who raise them to maturity before re-selling them to IOT to be dried, packed and exported.

This specie does not require any additional food but the natural waste found in the sand. Thus, their breeding does not have any other incident on their natural environment apart from clearing the water.

Indian Ocean Trepang is one of the company featured by the project Small is Powerful

The Team

Jaco Chan Kit Waye is Manager of Copefrito SA and Chairman of the Seafood Export Companies Association. In 1995 he founded Copefrito which exports squids and calamari to Europe.

Olivier Méraud works since 2004 with Copefrito as an operational officer. He has been a Merchant Navy captain and worked in fishing and seafood business for 12 years. He created Madagascar Seafood in 2005, a crab, squid and lobster export company.

Partnership with I&P

I&P committed alongside with IOT

• To help the company improve its GIS

• To finance the farm site construction

Impacts

• 152 jobs created or maintained over 6 years, including 77 permanent positions and 11 as technicians or managers

• Pilot project in the sea cucumbers breeding with good prospects to be reproduced

• Steady revenue-generating activity for the local fishermen and neighboring villages

• Awareness raised on the wild specie over-exploitation and repopulation of the natural stocks

Nutrizaza is a social business fighting against children malnutrition. The company has developed a network of baby restaurants (hotelin’jazakely) alongside with the commercial selling of “Koba Aina”, a range of enhanced baby food. The company seeks for the largest distribution of a good quality aliment for infants, and especially among the poorest while sticking to an enterprise-based approach as a financially sustainable business. Nutrizaza has also undertaken a campaign against malnutrition through information campaigns and a watch over the babies’ weight.

"Koba Aina" is a baby flour complementary with breast-feeding. It is produced and packed with local raw material based on a nutritional formula elaborated by Taf, a Malagasy agribusiness partner. The production is controlled and in compliance with international standards. It is distributed in individual packs or ready-made by Nutrizaza field animators during neighborhood tours. As to now, it gives the best quality/price ratio on the market.

Presentation of Nutri'Zaza - 2015

THE ENTREPRENEUR

Mieja Vola RAKOTONARIVO est responsable du projet Nutri’zaza depuis Octobre 2004. Ingénieur en industries agroalimentaires et diplômée d’un Master en technologies agroalimentaires elle  est responsable du projet de création de  Nutri’zaza pour le compte du GRET. Elle gère l’équipe de Nutri’zaza et met en œuvre avec l’équipe les activités prévues pour atteindre les objectifs définis. Elle s’occupe plus particulièrement des relations entre Nutri’zaza et les institutions extérieures.

PARTNERSHIP WITH I&P

I&P committed alongside with Nutrizaza

• As a strategic and financial partner, chairing at the board

• Undertaking technical assistance missions, with a view to empower the leading team

KEY IMPACTS

• About 100 jobs created, including 70% women 

• 34 Hotelin-Jazakely ("restaurants for babies") and more than 9 million units of KobaAina distributed in 2015 

• Intervention area : 33 municipalities and 112 fokontany (villages, neighbourhoods, etc) 

• 116 local suppliers

• Information campaigns towards young mothers

• Sanitary issues : Decrease of child mortality and improvement in the anthropometric criteria of young Malagasy children (weight and size)

• In the medium-run, increase of education enrolment rate due tie the decrease of illness risks

ACEP Madagascar is a financial institution for micro companies financing and SMEs. ACEP Madagascar was created in 2009 and positions as a major actor in microfinance industry in Madagascar. Its aim is to bring financial services (credit, saving, insurance) to populations traditionally excluded from the financial circuit because of their non-solvability.

ACEP Madagascar is one of Madagascar’s oldest MFIs. Thanks to its network of 6 regional branches and 42 agencies, it makes its financial products available to a wide range of customers.

PARTNERSHIP WITH I&P

I&P is committed alongside ACEP Madagascar to:

• The standardization of management tools in the domain of computing, new technologies, and use of plastic money. 

• To think about environmental responsibility and social performance.

IMPACTS

• More than 350 jobs created

• Incomes have known a growth of +24% from 2010 to 2011

• Since its creation in 2009, ACEP has allowed credits to more than 19500 urban and suburb entrepreneurs