Despite being one of South Africa’s oldest companies – it was founded in 1888 and listed on the JSE in 1948 – Reunert is a picture of health.

The group, which owns assets in engineering, electronics, IT and defence, last month reported a 16% improvement in full-year revenue to 30 September 2022 and a 17% improvement in operating profit – not bad for a company operating in an economy that’s going nowhere slowly.

Reunert CEO Alan Dickson joins TechCentral editor Duncan McLeod in the TC|Daily studio to chat about the group, its origins – it was founded by two immigrants, Theodore Reunert and Otto Lenz – and its storied history. Only two years older than the City of Johannesburg, Reunert was created to serve the needs of the early mining companies on the Reef.

But it has transformed itself many times over in the past 134 years, and it is this innate cultural ability to adapt to change, Dickson says, that has given Reunert its longevity.

The business, which had always had a purely industrial focus, later branched into new business areas, including office automation and telecommunications through brands such as Nashua, Nashua Mobile and, more recently, ECN and SkyWire.

In addition to chatting about Reunert’s history, Dickson also unpacks the group’s strategy under his leadership; why the business is outperforming the rest of the economy; and why he’s bullish about renewable energy and “new-age” IT systems integration.

Lastly, he talks about Reunert’s acquisition strategy, and why the group, which has always had an acquisitive streak, is on the hunt for deals.

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