F ormer Altron CEO and prominent businessperson Mteto Nyati has invested in South African business and technology consulting firm Business Systems Group (BSG), taking a significant 40% ownership, with plans to work closely with the executive team to scale BSG’s impact and value and grow its market share.

Announced as the company’s new executive chairperson in November, taking over from founder Greg Reis, Nyati aims to help scale the impact the 25-year-old South African company is making locally and abroad.

Nyati, who says that he is at a stage in his life where he wants to leave a legacy and pursue impactful opportunities that will help South Africa grow, is working with CEO Jurie Schoeman and the executive team to propel the already successful BSG forward and increase its market share across territories and industries.

Schoeman says that the company helps leading brands in the financial services and healthcare sectors solve business problems and drive lasting change by transforming business operations through an insights-led approach.

“BSG has a proud history in making a difference in South Africa over the past 25 years, and has built a formidable business across financial services, energy, healthcare, retail and consumer goods sectors,” adds Reis.

“While we have steadily grown year-on-year, now is the time to take BSG to the next level.”

Nyati will strategically guide BSG, with a solid foundation in the local market as well as in the UK, to scale locally and internationally to increase its presence.

This move emerges shortly after Nyati stepped down from his role, effective June 2022, as Altron group CEO following the completion of his five-year term, in pursuit of a new challenge.

He led the group’s successful five-year One Altron growth strategy – laying the foundation for the next five-year strategy to deliver Altron 2.0 – which delivered a doubling of the group’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation prior to the demerger and unbundling of Bytes UK.

According to an Altron statement in January this year, announcing the resignation, shareholder value increased by about six times during Nyati’s tenure as he led the company’s transition from a family-controlled and managed business to an independent corporate entity and transforming it from a diversified technology group into an information technology services company.

“He was responsible for the establishment of a values-based culture centred on customers, employees and good governance, which also improved Altron’s societal impact,” the company said at the time.

The former MTN South Africa CEO, Microsoft South Africa MD and IBM executive will lean on his significant multinational experience, and transfer the knowledge gained from his various roles to scale BSG while mitigating the growing pains many smaller firms face.

Nyati believes BSG, with its insights-led approach, can have a significant impact, in particular, in the telecommunications and the oil and gas sectors, as well as many others.

BSG’s strong business values resonated with Nyati, who has extensive experience having held leadership positions in both local and global multinational companies.

Key for Nyati, is a strong people-based organisation that has significant potential to scale, locally and globally, where he can positively impart his extensive experience and knowledge.

“I wanted to invest in a business that is concerned with more than just profits, a business that cares, a business that is making a difference and a business that is bringing about positive change in society. BSG ticks all of these boxes.”

With the intention of having “significant skin in the game”, Nyati reviewed the values, the people and the founder of the business.

“I felt comfortable. I felt, here is an organisation that has the same view as I have about making a difference in this country. Instead of complaining, let us figure out how we can make a difference in our little corner. How can we help this country to grow? And that resonated very well with me.”