He describes himself as a strategic thinker. He always has a plan about almost anything in his life. However, he did not plan for what would soon befall him at work.
One day, Siandele Matantilo arrived in his office at Zambian Breweries, where he was Country Procurement Manager, thinking it was business as usual. He made a cup of coffee, as usual, and checked his to-do list to see how he would ensure the brewing company had steady supply of raw materials that day.
Shortly, human resources summoned him. His heart beat fast. His mind wondered why. Quite frankly, no body wishes to be summoned by the HR department. It’s either you are in good books or not. Its either you go or stay. Nonetheless, Matantilo was bold enough and went to the HR office.
Behold, the head of procurement was handed a brown envelope. He looked at the envelope briefly and opened it. Behold, it was a letter of promotion to “the Continental Office at the Africa Zone” in South Africa – the Africa regional office of Zambian Breweries’ parent company, AB InBev, the world’s largest brewing company. A flash excitement stroke his face.
“I felt righteous,” the 33-year-old describes how he felt about the promotion to Procurement Manager of maize, cassava, sugar, ethanol and hops throughout the African Zone.
“I felt I had done my part in the country and contributed positively in the business unit to deserve an opportunity to showcase my skills in the zone,” he says.
The Africa Zone procurement executive is a shining example of the famous adage – “hard work pays”. He did not ascend to his new position by knocking off before time or merely chatting on social media instead of adding value to the company. Not even his forward-thinking nature alone was enough to elevate him. It took years of sacrifice, sweat, dedication, and self-belief.
“Hard work, determination, and believing in my potential to lead and contribute positively to the business at all levels has been critical to my growth,” he notes.
Matantilo joined Zambian Breweries as an Assistant Financial Accountant in January 2014, when he was only 28. After four years of hard work and strategic thinking, the chartered accountant was appointed to the Management Committee (Mancom), where he would represent the procurement department at regional level, focusing on Zambia and Botswana.
“I never thought I would find myself in the procurement space. I got into this space because I wanted to be involved at the front end of the supply chain and contribute positively in ensuring we get best value as a business, using my strength (numbers) to achieve this,” the accountant-turned-procurement manager explains.
Matantilo describes his early days at ZB as great, mainly thanks to the supportive team and management he found at the brewing company.
“My first days were great. I had great support from both management and colleagues: from then Finance Manager, Moono Simatyaba, and my boss, Claire Chibesakunda, to my college buddy, Mulwanda Sichula, who was already in the business,” he recalls.
The Africa Zone procurement executive scored several successes while at ZB. One of them was increased local sourcing of raw materials, which saw the birth of the company’s famous cassava project, buying the root from small-scale farmers in Luapula.
“Developing a cassava end-to-end process over the years is one of the projects that I’m most proud of. This is due to the positive impact it has on various communities in Luapula and Northern provinces,” he says.
Despite all these achievements in Zambia’s capital – Lusaka – Matantilo is originally from the Copperbelt Province. He was born on October 14,1986 and raised in Chingola. He is the third born of Margaret and Obed Matantilo, who bore five children together.
The brainy Matantilo successfully completed secondary education at Mpelembe Secondary School in 2004. Responding to his passion for numbers, Matantilo enrolled at Zambia Centre for Accountancy Studies – ZCAS – where he pursued an Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) qualification. He graduated in 2009 from ZCAS University (then college). Thereafter, his exposure to the mines as a child paid off.
Matantilo started his career at Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) shortly after graduation. He did not start out as manager or head of department at the mining firm, but as a Project Accountant for Konkola Deep Mining Project (KDMP). It is against this background that the accountant-turned-procurement specialist counsels fresh graduates in Zambia to exercise forbearance as they transition into the industry.
“Be patient, believe in your ability, and network to ensure the right people see your contribution to the business,” the married man urges college and university graduates.
Matantilo is married to Chileshe Kapaya Matantilo. They wedded on September 26, 2015, a year after he switched from mining to brewing. In his spare time, Chileshe’s husband enjoys travelling and watching sports. He is a diehard fun of European football club, Manchester United, and Formula 1 auto racing (Ferrari Fun).
Although Matantilo will be some 2,000 kilometers from home, his heart still beats gratitude to the super thunderous team he lives at Zambian Breweries.
He credits the dream-big squad for supporting him while in Zambia, and more so, for allowing him to spread his wings in the business of brewing the world’s finest beverages.
“I want to thank the Zambia Country Director Jose D Moran, who continues to play a massive role in my development and growth,” he says.
He further acknowledges former colleagues in the ZB Mancom: “Not forgetting Lezanne, Ezekiel, Franz, Mulwanda, Shula and Sibajene,” he adds.
The Africa Zone procurement executive likes everything about AB InBev, especially the great opportunities for growth that the world’s largest brewing company offers.
“Growth opportunities in this business are evident. I have not spent more than 12 months in one role. AB-InBev has an eye for talent and recognition. This is what I like about working for this business,” Matantilo notes.
The chartered accountant hopes to represent Zambia well at continental level in his new role.
“I will represent my home country with the thunderous spirit of better, stronger and faster always,” the strategic thinker stresses.
