Technology counter Celsys Limited’s printing subsidiary Celsys Print has commissioned a new re-charge card printing and labelling machine worth 250 000 euros that arrived from Ireland in April.

Celsys Print is in negotiations with Econet for recharge card production using the new equipment and has already started producing scratch cards for both Net*One and Telecel. There are also some very promising export leads in the region.
General manager for Celsys Print Mr Dhiru Raja told The Sunday Mail Business that the Atlantic Zeiser will be used for printing, labelling, bagging and wrapping.

“We recently purchased a new machine from Ireland, which has the capacity to print and pack pre-paid scratch cards at a high speed and has the capacity to produce 30 000 cards an hour,” said Mr Raja.

He added that the new machine would go a long way in presenting the print division with the ability to explore new markets by exporting re-charge cards in the region.

However, the company’s marketing department has already started due diligence on prospecting new markets that they hope will increase the company’s turnover from the subsidiary company and boost profitability.

Recently the local market has been starved of recharge cards.

However, authorities at Celsys believe that they have the capacity, through the new technology, to supply the local mobile telecommunication networks — Econet Wireless, Telecel and NetOne — with sufficient re-charge cards on monthly basis.

The company also notes that there will be a marked improvement in the quality of the cards that will be minted from the new equipment.

According to Mr Raja, the new development will boost the network’s capacity to increase sales and their customer base.

Celsys Limited, which listed on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE) in 2003, is the holding company of Celsys Comms, Celsys IT, Celsys Marketing and Celsys Print.

It was formed in 2002 to facilitate the further expansion of communication in the technology group, which initially started as Cellular System in 1996.

It has a policy aimed at being the world leading technology corporation in all its business sectors and develop life-improving technology.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the company, Mr Andrew Lawson, said they are still making efforts to secure export orders for cheque books and believe that they will be able to achieve that before the end of this year.

“From this perspective significant growth is expected in the print division and the strategy remains on focusing on securing export business and growing volumes locally,” he said.

Mr Lawson said the renewals of licences in the Security Software Solutions (Sophos) are on target and are expected to remain so.

“We are implementing a business development programme for this division with a view to intensifying marketing efforts and securing more of this recurring revenue stream,” he said.

The company is involved in software security products and services recharge cards, handsets and airtime distribution, telecom info technology and automated teller machines (ATM) supply and support services.

The company has also grown through the acquisition of related concerns. In 2006 it acquired Hillside Technologies, which became the software division of Celsys IT, and then last year went on to acquire Venekera Works which became Celsys Marketing.

Edited from: Active Thought and The Sunday Mail, Sunday 6 April 2008 (By Kudakwashe Mutandi)