Dwangwa factory 
Illovo Sugar Malawi Limited
The Company
Illovo Sugar (Malawi) Limited (the group) was incorporated in Malawi as a public company on 15 September 1997. It is part of the Illovo Sugar group (Illovo Sugar Africa (Pty) Ltd), a leading, global, cost-competitive African sugar producer and a significant manufacturer of high-value downstream products. Illovo is Africa’s biggest sugar producer and has extensive agricultural and manufacturing operations in six countries across the continent.
The group is listed on the Malawi Stock Exchange (MSE) and Illovo holds 76% of the issued share capital with the balance of the shares being held by public and other institutional investors. Illovo Sugar Africa (Pty) Ltd is fully owned by Associated British Foods (ABF), based in the United Kingdom. ABF (Plc) is listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Career opportunities
Career opportunities at Illovo are in the fields of engineering, accounting and finance, human resources, agriculture, marketing and logistics. These opportunities are available within our operations at Dwangwa Estate, Nchalo Estate and Limbe office. Being a part of the Illovo Sugar Group offers employees opportunities for development and exposure to work in different markets either through secondment or direct collaboration in projects being implemented in other countries of operation such as South Africa, Mozambique, Eswatini, Tanzania and Zambia. Such opportunities also arise in the overall AB Sugar Group through exchange programs. An example of this is the International Experience Programme (IEP), whereby employees are selected to work at an AB Sugar operation for 6 months, thereby gaining exposure and international experience in their field of operating.
Graduate Development Programme
Our Graduate Development Programme is designed to set the platform for bright young graduates to embark on a challenging and fulfilling career, and to make a significant contribution to the on-going growth and success of our world-class business.
Most of our senior managers have benefitted from our Graduate Development Programme having launched their careers as Trainees in a variety of fields, such as Accounting, Human Resources and Marketing, with focus being on the Agricultural and Engineering disciplines. Employees across the group also have an opportunity to continue to develop their skills at the Illovo Technical Academy in Durban for further training initiatives.
Besides the Graduate Development Programme, the company invests in staff development by offering technical skill development solutions and leadership initiatives that are aimed at developing skills across various levels of the organisation. Recent development solutions include other areas of focus in the business including building commercial acumen, HR and Finance Capability.
Moral performance focus
We strive to be a moral, performance-focused organization that people are proud to work for and where employees are challenged to ‘go the extra mile’. Our employees feel they can make a difference and know that good performance is recognized.
We recruit people with enquiring minds and bright ideas, willing to be challenged and stretched, team players who demonstrate enthusiasm to go the extra mile in order to deliver results, and are committed to shaping and growing their own capabilities and careers.
Employees
Temweka Esther Nyangulu has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agriculture and is currently the Area Manager for the Nchalo Estate. Temweka has successfully completed the Illovo Graduate Development Programme in Malawi.
What do you like about your job?
"It gives an opportunity for career development as several training initiatives are done to develop incumbents in their jobs.
It is also challenging as there are lots of challenges experienced at Nchalo estate as far as cane production is concerned. Despite this, targets need to be met and this gives an opportunity for the manager to create an impact in the organisation.“
Why do you love working for Illovo?
“I personally love working for Illovo because it is a stable organisation and it ensures job security. Worthy mentioning is employees’ welfare which are well taken care off.
Illovo is an organisation that recognises and rewards employee’s performances. Performance indicators are clearly defined and measured and that motivates people to work towards achieving their personal and organisational goals. It is an organisation that gives everyone an equal chance irrespective of gender. As a woman, I have been given an opportunity to excel in a field that has been male dominated.”
Mclean Debwe is a Chemical Engineer by profession and is the Factory Manager for the Dwangwa Mill. Mclean has also successfully completed Illovo’s Graduate Development Programme.
What do you like about your job?
“I enjoy connecting and chatting with people. I am always fascinated by the uniqueness of every human being.
My job as Factory Manager gives me an opportunity to connect directly (and indirectly) with lots of people that I work with thereby fulfilling my natural urge to explore human behaviour. This helps me grow and where possible foster growth in my connections too.”
Why do you love working for Illovo
“The company values (VDL) are in harmony with my personal ones and that makes it easy for me to operate in the Illovo environment.”
Harvey Machinjiri is the Engineering Manager at the Dwangwa mill.
What do you like about your job?
“I have the freedom to think outside the box, allowed to grow and show my potential and able to use my skills and knowledge as well as push myself in areas that I am unsure of myself.
I enjoy the sincere appreciation and the trust my manager and team have in me and the wide variety of technology I get exposed to.”
Why do you love working for Illovo?
“The Senior Leadership set the example of commitment to my team, my leaders and myself. They truly believe that their greatest asset is their people and they are personally involved in developing talent and communicating with employees on the direction of the company. They ensure that they maintain visibility, provide clarity and focus by communicating clearly and frequently on the company’s direction, business strategy goals, progress and defining the role of each employee.”