Risk solutions provider Inoxico’s acquisition of credit bureau Robertsons Reports last month is expected to improve the provision of thoroughly researched credit information in South Africa and in the rest of Africa, says Inoxico CEO André Stürmer.

Inoxico’s significant growth in the past six months prompted the company to acquire additional capacity.

Stürmer says that Robertsons Reports provided an ideal platform for growing capacity, owing to its expertise in generating high-quality content using thorough and proven research methods.

“Many synergies exist in this deal. Robertsons Reports has the history and legacy, as well as an extensive database of historical reports. Inoxico has accumulated extensive Africa expertise for research outside South Africa, which will now be incorporated into the existing Robertsons Reports client base,” he says.

Inoxico has full and exclusive rights to Robertsons Reports’ intellectual property and there will be no change to its research methods or the quality of content.

Operations will continue to run from Robertsons Reports’ offices in Randburg and Inoxico has retained Robertsons Reports’ full staff complement.

Stürmer adds that existing clients will benefit from the Inoxico Research wizard functionality – a user-friendly report request engine available to the market.

“The founder and management team of Robertsons Reports, Emlyn and Diane Robertson, remain fully committed to the merged operations and will support the operations for the foreseeable future. “Jointly, we are raising the bar for the provision of thoroughly researched credit information in South Africa and on the continent.

“Companies with African operations or expansion plans will now have easy access to consistent, relevant and actionable information to help make better decisions when dealing with counterparties,” Stürmer says.

The increased efficiencies in the research methods and increased capacity will ensure that the reports remain competitively priced, which means that even the price-sensitive section of the market can acquire high-quality research, he states.

Stürmer notes that the credit management industry is evolving and clients’ needs have become more dynamic, especially with regard to more integrated technology solutions.

The acquisition of Robertsons Reports will increase Inoxico’s market reach and capacity to serve its growing base of blue-chip clients.