Fortress Rock Investments
Fortress Rock Investment is an agribusiness SME which started its operations in 2020 and has estimated market value of MK369,000,000. It is a wholly Malawian owned agribusiness that aims at contributing to the resilience of community members around the farm through the introduction of business development processes, infrastructure and people designed small businesses as well as provide employment on full time and part-time basis especially for women and youth. Fortress Rock Investment is involved in various value chains including: kilombero rice, groundnuts, soya beans, bananas and mangoes trees and a wide variety of vegetables including kidney and butter beans as a winter crop as well as water melons which do not require heavy use of pesticides and fertilizer and has minimal negative impact on the local environment.
Based on its expectation and experience, Fortress Rock Investment came up with a projection in terms of its financing needs to make it fully commercialised and mechanized. This drive is aimed at making Fortress Rock Investment an industrialised agribusiness SMEs capable of adding value to its products and sell it locally in Malawi and on international markets. Therefore, it anticipates a total investment outline of MK137,000,000.
A thorough desk study was undertaken to develop this strategy so that it is evidence based and data-driven. Out of this study and analysis of both internal and external variables, Fortress Rock Investment came up with four key strategy: governance and systems strengthening, guide the business to comply with internal systems and procedures using identifiable key performance indicators (KPI) and a robust business performance management system; business processes re-engineering, introduce strict cost reduction measures in order to enhance the business contribution margin and eliminate cost inefficiencies while minimizing normal losses to acceptable levels; marketing and visibility, to ensure that the business enhances its brand visibility in Malawi; and production expansion, to ensure that production matches demand on both local and international markets. These strategies will be adequately resourced and monitored in order to achieve value for money.
This strategy represents a huge undertaking for Fortress Rock Investment as such it will rely on digital transformation for process automation and partnerships for easy expansion as it leverages it resources while also tapping into other resources to satisfactorily implement the strategy.
Fortress Rock Investments
Fortress Rock Investment was established to promote wellbeing and good life for its customers. It fulfils this promise by contributing towards family’s food security, wealth creation for communities around the Fortress Rock Investment and to promotion of sustainable conservation agricultural practices which addresses climate change challenges in a manner that also improves soil fertility.
Fortress Rock Investments Farm was established to operate as a social enterprise that promotes the wellbeing and good life for its customers through organically grown crops and to show case new technologies and best practices to community members around the farm.
It fulfils this promise by contributing towards wealth creation for communities around the farm and through promotion of sustainable conservation agricultural practices which addresses climate change challenges in a manner that also improves soil fertility.
Fortress Rock Investments Farm envisions to be a supplier of first choice both in quality of its products and wellbeing of its workers; the surrounding community and customers as well as the farm ecosystem.
It will achieve this through its contribution to the promotion of the agro- ecological principles, food security, and rural entrepreneurship through capacity development and partnership building with community cooperatives and other likeminded entrepreneurs, improve lives of the marginalized groups especially women and youth through green business and sustainable livelihood creation.
The goal of Fortress Rock Investments Farm is to foster sustainable agricultural development through organic farming practices, promote environmental stewardship, and enhance the socio-economic well-being of marginalized communities by creating opportunities for wealth generation, skill development, and green entrepreneurship.Â
The farm aims to be a leader in climate-smart agriculture while ensuring food security and improving soil health for future generations.
promote wellbeing and good life for its customers
Fortress Rock Investment is a start-up and majority of its strengths manifest in the fact that it is a start-up and has all the unique advantages of a start-up: enthusiasm (driven by passion and vision), agility (innovative and keep improving their business models, processes, and portfolio), efficiency (lean and mean which entails cost advantages), team culture (a close-knit community that shares passion, beliefs and values), personalization (uniquely personal experience its customers), versatility and flexibility. Secondly, Fortress Rock Investment has partnered with Planetarium Institute, a local entrepreneurship think-tank which supports organizations to achieve competitive advantage and attain longevity in their business models. A strategic alliance was finalized and this will help Fortress Rock Investment to access top-notch business development services which are essential for Fortress Rock Investment being a start-up. The third strength about Fortress Rock Investment is run by an experienced smallholder farmer who is energetic, driven and with determination which has steered institutional growth over the years: she has a network of women farmers in Malawi and SADC region and she is a member of the African Women Economic Forum (AWEF). At community level, the founder closely works with women groups and local farmers on join production. Lastly, Fortress Rock Investment has a vast stretch of land which has huge water source for irrigation.