TNS Buys in South Africa

TNS has announced its acquisition of a controlling interest in South African company, Research Surveys.

The MR group will take around 55% while Research Surveys' senior management will hold 20% and a new partner Kapela Investment Holdings Ltd takes the remainder. Kapela has the status of a BEE (Black Economic Empowerment) partner, under an RSA law encouraging businesses with black owners or senior managers.

The Cape Town-based firm, which was previously a subsidiary of Adcorp Holdings, has offices in Johannesburg and Durban. Turnover for the year ended 31 December 2005 was South African Rand 101.5 million (£7.4 million), and gross assets at that date were South African Rand 40.7 million (£2.9 million).

Margarita Putter, until recently MD of Research Surveys' Research Business Unit, will lead TNS Research Surveys as CEO. She began her career with five years at Taylor Nelson Sofres in London, and moved to Research Surveys as an SRE in 1983.

The announcement supports the strategy introduced by TNS Chief Executive David Lowden in 2006, which focuses on adding value for clients via stronger global partnerships. It also supports the group's plans for growth in the Middle East, Africa and India region.

Commenting on the acquisition, Lowden said: 'This move gives us a strong presence in South Africa and wider still into sub-Saharan Africa. It enables us to expand our local client base and give those South African clients access to the TNS global network and the extensive research expertise that represents. We are very happy that we are able to do this with Research Surveys, a company with which we have had a long association.'

Adcorp CEO Richard Pike said the deal was in line with the group's strategy to dispose of non-core assets to focus on its core staffing operations, which account for more than 90% of its profit.

TNS Middle East & Africa was established in 1980, employs 110+ full time researchers on staff, and has regional hubs in Dubai, Jeddah, Cairo, Casablanca and Beirut. The TNS group is online at www.tns-global.com , and Research Surveys is at www.researchsurveys.co.za .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

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