Bringing reliable medical supplies to Angola

Angola

Zaira de Gouveia, CEO of Mikamedical, talks to The Energy Year about the role the company plays in Angola’s oil and gas sector, the importance of logistics in its business model and the key trends shaping the current uptick in upstream activity in Angola. Mikamedical provides medical supplies and healthcare products.

What role does Mikamedical play in Angola’s oil and gas sector?
Mikamedical is an Angolan pharmaceutical wholesaler registered in 2007, with 16 years’ experience. Hence, we have an extensive understanding of the local market, its challenges and how to mitigate them.
Mikamedical is dedicated to the commercialising and distribution of safe and effective healthcare products, which include, pharmaceuticals, vaccines, sport and nutritional supplements, hospital consumables, medical devices, laboratory reagents, and trauma and emergency equipment.
Our aim is to be a one-stop distributor within the healthcare sector. For this reason, we hold two licences with the Ministry of Health, which facilitates this objective.
Our commitment to excellence and high service levels has gained us our reputation as a leading partner for the industry and healthcare sector. With a keen understanding of the critical elements of the local and international health care marketplace, we can assist clients in providing tailored solutions and strategies when it comes to pharmaceutical stock management and procurement.
Integrity and honesty come first in our relationships with our client’s and suppliers. These guarantee customer satisfaction. For us, customer satisfaction is of the utmost importance. We are flexible enough to go out of our way to fulfil our client’s needs. Our large number of referrals proves that our customer satisfaction and service delivery is the best in the industry, earning us the ultimate level of trust with our satisfied clients.
The advantage we have is we have a sister company in Johannesburg South Africa that purely does the procurement, sourcing, checking and consolidating of our shipments. We constantly strive towards effective supply chain management, and the business benefits from this competitive advantage.
We benefit from higher efficiency rates, as we are able to incorporate the supply chain with integrated logistics. This allows us to act in a dynamic manner towards fluctuations in the economy and market while still knowing what resources must be utilised to keep us in a good state. Integrated logistics also allow us to reduce costs in terms of inventory and storage space, improve responsiveness to customers’ requirements and improve relations with distributors and vendors.
Mikamedical represents key international companies in Angola. Our strategy is to continue increasing the representation of international brands within Angola. We will continue to analyse the market and our customers’ needs. Where there is a potential market for a service or product and it complements our current business model, we will look at partners with whom we can form joint ventures and combine our respective expertise.

How central are logistics in Mikamedical’ s business model?
Logistics play a crucial role in the business model for Mikamedical. The pharmaceutical industry is highly regulated and requires strict adherence to quality, safety and compliance standards. Efficient and reliable logistics are essential for the successful distribution of pharmaceutical products from manufacturers to wholesalers, pharmacies, hospitals and ultimately to end-users.
Pharmaceuticals are often temperature sensitive and have strict storage requirements. At Mikamedical we ensure proper handling and transportation to maintain the integrity and safety of products. A well-organised logistics system ensures that pharmaceuticals are stored and transported under the right conditions, preventing any compromise in product quality.
Timely delivery of pharmaceutical products is critical, especially for medications with short shelf lives or those needed urgently by patients. Efficient logistics help minimise delays, ensuring that medications reach their destination in a timely manner. For this we use sophisticated logistics systems to track our inventory and monitor product availability.
Distributors need to balance the supply and demand for various pharmaceutical products, and accurate inventory information is crucial for preventing stockouts or overstock situations. We maintain a large inventory of pharmaceuticals, laboratory supplies, consumables, etc. at our warehouses in Viana. These are critical pharmaceutical products that we know our clients will require. We ensure we have stock in-country, so we can supply within 24 hours.
Furthermore, we consolidate quite extensively. Mikamedical operates within complex distribution networks that involve our warehouses in South Africa and Portugal. Optimising this network is essential to minimise costs, reduce lead times and enhance overall efficiency.
The pharmaceutical supply chain is vulnerable to various risks, including natural disasters, geopolitical issues and supply chain disruptions. Effective logistics planning includes risk mitigation strategies to ensure a resilient and reliable supply chain. Extensive communication with our clients is essential. Where a product is unavailable, we will always propose an alternative so the client is never without a solution.

What are the key trends shaping the current uptick in upstream activity in Angola?
The key trends influencing the upstream activities in the oil and gas sector in Angola are global oil and gas market dynamics, including fluctuations in oil prices, geopolitical factors and changing demand patterns.
The Angolan government has been working on regulatory reforms to make the business environment more attractive for international oil companies. They have been streamlining bureaucratic processes and providing clearer and more favourable regulations, such as production-sharing agreements. International oil companies entering into partnerships with local entities and government agencies also contribute to increased upstream activities.
There has been a growing emphasis on natural gas exploration and production. As the global demand for cleaner energy sources increases, Angola is positioning itself to take advantage of its natural gas reserves, leading to an increase in upstream activities related to gas exploration and development.
Ongoing infrastructure development projects, such as the construction of pipelines and other facilities, are essential for the transportation and processing of oil and gas. These projects can stimulate upstream activities by improving the overall industry infrastructure.
All these are positive trends in the global market, which can encourage increased investment and exploration in Angola’s upstream sector.

What are your key goals for 2024?
Mikamedical will always put our customers first. Consequently, one of our goals is customer service excellence. We will continue to prioritise customer satisfaction by providing excellent service, accurate order fulfilment and responsive communication. Meeting the healthcare needs of our customers is essential for building and maintaining strong business relationships.
We will continue to explore opportunities for diversifying our product offerings. We will do this by elaborating partnerships with manufacturers and increasing our product representation in Angola. An example is our finalisation of an exclusive distributorship agreement for USN [Ultimate Sports Nutrition] products in Angola five months ago. We will endeavour to further expand on these partnerships.
Another area of expansion for us in 2024 is in collaboration and strategic partnerships. We look forward to entering into joint ventures. These, we believe, will bring different sets of resources, skills and expertise to the table.
Synergies can result in a more comprehensive and well-rounded approach to business activities, driving innovation and competitiveness. Joint ventures can also enhance the competitiveness of participating companies by combining their strengths. This collaborative approach allows businesses to differentiate themselves in the market and respond more effectively to industry challenges.
We will continue to focus on excellence in customer service, compliance and product quality to solidify our position as a leading pharmaceutical distributor in Angola. Mikamedical is poised for continued success. We look forward to serving our customers’ needs while contributing positively to the healthcare ecosystem.

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