By Neo Kolane
Global energy business, Puma Energy will be contributing to the development and economy of Lesotho in line with its global vision of energising communities in the country.
Puma Energy is a leading global energy business, safely providing energy across six continents. Its downstream business segments include fuels, aviation, lubricants, liquefied petroleum gas and bitumen.
It has 1,998 fuel retail sites and are present at 108 airports around the world.
The purpose of the business is to help drive growth and prosperity by sustainably serving its customers’ needs in high potential countries around the world. Across Africa, Puma Energy operates in 15 countries overall and has a retail network of 687 outlets in 13 countries.
In an interview with theReporter this week, the newly appointed general manager of Puma Energy Lesotho Stephane Nuetsha said initially the business will empower its dealers who will be given the technical and financial support to grow and increase their well-being.
He said it will lead to creation of more indirect jobs through the network of the company.
Again, the business will accelerate its localisation, starting from the transport while also considering maintenance and staff activities in the business and thus empower locals into the business and contributing more into the local economy.
Nuetsha added that the business will increase its investment to revamp its station so as to give customers a better and larger service offering to Puma Energy Lesotho.
He said people are going to see Puma Energy Lesotho more present and more willing to increase investment in the country.
“Yes, there is a budget, which is evolving as the company constantly learns about the new requirements of the country.
“The budget is not defined, we are in a position where we are looking for investment to put the budget to make it happen,” Nuetsha said.
He disclosed that Puma Energy Lesotho is planning to increase the capacity of its depots to make the country more reliable into supplying in case of disruption and logistics.
He added that the business is ready to work with the government into the biggest project for the country to make it possible.
“As of 2023, the business will focus more on revamping service stations in order to serve customers better customer. What will follow is filling stations that will open soon.
“The business aims to increase its footprint because there are regions in the country that are really underserved.
“We want to get closer to the underserved community in the country,” Nuetsha explained.
He indicated that the filling stations will be opened in the rural areas especially in remote areas of the country.
However, in the medium to long run Puma Energy Lesotho intends to fully play its role to support the energy transition in Lesotho through the fuel of the future programme.
“The plan is to continue with the objective to achieve 30 percent of our EBITD which is short for earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization in Africa from transition fuels and clean energy by the end of 2027.
“Puma Energy Lesotho used to depend on South Africa and now it is going to be an entity on its own reporting directly to the head of Africa as well as other countries in Africa,” Nuetsha said.
