Anda Maqanda, Founder and CEO of AM Group is Providing Engineering Solutions and Employment Opportunities in South Africa

Having been born and bred in a small town in Eastern Cape, Anda Maqanda witnessed first-hand, how unemployment bred poverty and he made it his lifelong dream to establish a lasting business that could provide jobs for as many as possible people he could provide for.

He is an electical engineer who decided to start his own engineering company despite opposing opinions from those around him.

When he was 24 years old, Anda launched AM Group, a multi-faceted provider of engineering solutions, focusing mainly on Engineering Consulting, Design and Construction of Electrical Overhead Power Lines, Renewable Energy, Automation and Research and Development in 2008.

For quite a number of times, he was unable to land a single contract, he was then forced to return to full-time paid employment. However, irrespective of the seemingly unfavorable situation, he did not give up.

After re-strategising, he opened the company again in 2010. As it stands, AM Group employs over 150 people and has expanded its operations across the continent, with offices in Port Elizabeth, Nairobi and Addis Ababa. The company’s client list includes Volkswagen, BMW, Eskom, Kumba Iron Ore, and several other blue-chip companies in South Africa.

He has also received a number of accolades in recognition of his work. In 2013, he was the national winner of the SAB KickStart entrepreneurship program and he was also listed in 2015 as one of Forbes magazine’s 30 promising young entrepreneurs in Africa.

In 2014, the group diversified the company into seven divisions within itself, such that each division operates as a separate entity with its own cash flow. This was a turning point for the company, as it helped them to focus more on the business’ development and keep on expanding their global reach on the other hand as they grow as a company.