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GUMA History
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- In 1995, Robert Gumede founded the Gijima Group (now Guma Group). Services offered included: Business consultancy, security and guarding services and the provision of scholastic stationery.
- Guma Investment Holdings (formerly known as Gijima Info Technologies Afrika (Pty) Ltd) was formed in 1997. The company focused on the provision of services in the ICT industry, with Robert driving marketing and sales through sophisticated growth strategies.
- With the abolition of apartheid in South Africa, concern was expressed regarding the lack of black involvement in the IT sector at both shareholder and managerial levels. Gijima seized this opportunity to demonstrate its considerable talents and clear strategic focus. By concentrating its efforts on services and consulting, Gijima has grown to become a significant service provider in the ICT industry and a noteworthy black-owned role model for the technology industry
- Gijima has graduated from being simply an IT company to a technology group focusing on IT, Infrastructure, Networking, Smart Card and Electronic Transactional Switching sectors, etc
- Between 2000 and 2002, Guma invested over R30m in a company called Applied Card Technologies (ACT), then owned by British national, Dr John Sterenborg. ACT, unbeknownst to Guma, had been mismanaged and rendered insolvent. Like a phoenix from the ashes, Guma managed to resurrect the business, creating the only black owned smart card company that continues to grow and prosper without constraint.
- In 2005, Gijima executed a reverse takeover by merging certain Gijima businesses (comprising solutions, infrastructure and networks) with AST Group Limited, a South African public, listed company.
- AST has since been renamed GijimaAst and employs approximately 4 000 staff. All entities within the group utilising the ‘Gijima’ name were changed to ‘Guma’.
- In return for injecting these business units and subsequent to a rights issue, Guma received a 32% unencumbered shareholding in the enlarged Gijima. A first for a black owned company to add value without borrowing from a bank.
- Since the merger, Guma has acquired a further 4,6% in Gijima from Kumba, thus controlling 36,6% unencumbered shares in Gijima.
- Gijima remains the single largest ICT deal, by black people, in South Africa unburdened by debt or direct or indirect institutional shareholding. Gijima website link
- In 2006, Guma, as part of the ABSA Bank outsource project, acquired Sechaba Valuation. Today Guma jointly controls 50% of the property and asset valuation company.
- In 2008, Guma successfully bid R2 billion for 51% of Tourvest, the largest African integrated tourism group with operators in five continents. Tourvest website link
- The same year saw Guma partnering with ABSA Bank to form a new property and asset valuation company. Spectrum Valuation Services focuses specifically on the valuation of farms and commercial buildings. ABSA Bank owns 48% and Guma and Management equally share the remaining 52%. Spectrum Valuation Services website link
- Today Guma Group comprises three divisions:
- Guma Investment Holdings (which consists of some of its ICT holdings):
- Gijima Limited (Public listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange - JSE)
- Guma Smart Card, Guma Prepaid Services
- Guma Gen Technologies
- Guma Info Systems
- Themba Media
- Guma Industrial Division – consisting of:
- Guma Resources (Mining)
- Guma Property Holdings
- Guma Valuations (Sechaba Valuations)
- Guma Infrastructure and Constructions
- Guma Project Management Consulting
- Guma Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Division – consisting of:
- Tourvest (formerly public listed until August 2008)
- Guma Tourism Holding
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