Operational Efficiency: Lessons from African Manufacturers

Case studies and lessons learned from manufacturers who achieved operational excellence in challenging African markets.

Manufacturing in African markets means operating with constraints that manufacturers elsewhere rarely face all at once: unreliable power, long and unpredictable supply chains, currency volatility, scarce technical skills and fragmented distribution. Yet many African manufacturers have built highly efficient operations in exactly these conditions. Their experience offers practical lessons for any manufacturer operating in a challenging environment. In 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted supply chains and demand across the world, those lessons became more relevant than ever.

Lesson 1: Measure what really happens on the shop floor

Efficient manufacturers know precisely where their time and output are lost. Many begin by measuring Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), which captures three types of loss:

When manufacturers measure OEE honestly, the result is often far lower than leaders expected, and the largest losses typically come from a few recurring causes. That insight alone redirects improvement effort to where it matters.

Lesson 2: Design operations around the power problem

Where grid power is unreliable, efficient manufacturers treat energy as a core operational issue, not a utility bill. Common approaches include scheduling energy-intensive processes for periods of more reliable supply, investing in backup generation sized to protect critical processes, improving energy efficiency to reduce the load that must be backed up, and evaluating captive solar or gas generation to reduce dependence on diesel.

Lesson 3: Make maintenance a discipline, not an emergency

In many plants, maintenance teams spend their days fixing breakdowns. The most efficient manufacturers shift the balance toward planned and preventive maintenance: daily operator checks, scheduled servicing, and a disciplined approach to critical spare parts. When imported spares take weeks to arrive, keeping the right critical spares in stock is one of the highest-return investments a plant can make.

Lesson 4: Standardise and simplify

Variation is the enemy of efficiency. Leading manufacturers document standard work for key processes, so every shift operates the same way, and they simplify product ranges and packaging where complexity adds cost without adding value. Visual management (clear boards showing targets, performance and problems) helps teams see and respond to issues in real time.

Lesson 5: Invest in people, especially supervisors

Technology and equipment matter, but people determine daily performance. Efficient manufacturers invest in:

• Operator training in their equipment, quality standards and safety.
• Multi-skilling, so teams can cover absences and shift between lines.
• Supervisor development, because front-line leaders translate strategy into daily results.
• Problem-solving skills, so teams fix root causes rather than symptoms.

Lesson 6: Manage the supply chain actively

Long lead times and currency volatility make inventory planning critical. Efficient manufacturers link sales forecasts to procurement, diversify suppliers for critical inputs, develop local suppliers where quality allows, and segment inventory so that critical, long-lead-time items are protected while slower-moving stock is kept lean.

Lesson 7: Improve continuously, not occasionally

One-off efficiency drives deliver short-term gains that fade. The most successful manufacturers build continuous improvement into their routines: daily performance meetings, regular problem-solving sessions, and a culture in which every employee is expected to suggest and implement improvements.

What should a manufacturer do first?

Start with measurement. Track OEE on your most important line for a few weeks, identify the biggest loss categories, and run focused improvement projects on the top two or three. Early, visible results build momentum and support for broader change.

Key takeaways

• Measure OEE to see where output is really lost.
• Treat energy as a core operational issue and design around it.
• Shift maintenance from reactive to planned, backed by critical spares.
• Standardise processes and invest in supervisors and front-line skills.
• Build continuous improvement into daily routines.

Our Operational Excellence team works with manufacturers to improve efficiency, reliability and capability in challenging operating environments.