Nestlé opens first Shared Service Centre in Africa

Nestlé today strengthened its presence in Africa with the official opening of its first Shared Service Centre on the continent.

Nestlé Business Services Africa, based in Accra, Ghana, is the fourth international centre Nestlé has set up to provide financial and human resources services to its operating companies globally.

Nestlé Chief Executive Officer Paul Bulcke led the opening ceremony with the Honourable Hanna Tetteh, Ghana’s Minister of Trade and Industry.

Nestlé Business Services Africa will follow the successful model of Shared Service Centres in Brazil, the Philippines and Ukraine.

It will support Nestlé in more than 40 African countries by completing activities such as employee payroll and invoice payments from one central location.

The centre is expected to employ 150 people by 2012. Nestlé hopes to attract young local graduates for such jobs in partnership with local universities. They will have the opportunity to work and develop their skills in an international environment.

This is the second significant investment Nestlé has recently made in Ghana, which is home to the company’s Central and West Africa regional office.

In September 2010, Nestlé announced it would invest CHF 36.2 million to double infant cereal production at its new factory in Tema.

Nestlé Shared Service Centres

Nestlé’s Shared Service Centres are international units that run Financial and HR services in a standard and cost-effective way.

In September 2010, Nestlé invested CHF 25 million over three years in a new centre in L’viv, Ukraine to support more than 20 countries in Central and Eastern Europe.

Nestlé’s Shared Service Centre in Brazil employs around 400 people to support 21 Latin American countries in financial and employee services.

While at the Philippines centre, 550 people support countries from Australia to Vietnam.