For a year now, RAAD (Inter-)national has been operating with its own office in South Africa. "We came up with this structure two years ago, started it more than a year ago, and it has turned out to be a success," says John van Wijk, who has been supporting entrepreneurs with international financial advice for more than 35 years. "Our aim with RAAD (Inter-)national South Africa PTY is twofold. We help exporters from South Africa who want to set up a sales BV in the Netherlands, for example, or for whom we act as a fiscal representative. At the same time, the team in South Africa serves as an administrative hub for international clients working in the same language and time zone."
© RAAD International bv
John with his South African colleagues
"This is proving to meet a major need. Everything is digital. The client provides the administration digitally, and our people take care of the final processing and tax returns. We can offer all this at an attractive rate because we can use the people in South Africa cost-effectively. They process the administration every day and make sure everything stays under control," John continues.
The South African team now consists of four people, including one accountant and three support colleagues. "Think of the office in South Africa as a processing hub. From the Netherlands, we then handle the audit, year-end closing, and tax advice with highly trained advisers, while the basic processing can be done from South Africa. Given the language, costs, and time zone, the South African office offers clear advantages. In addition, the South Africans are very motivated," John says.
External accounting services
"There are customers for whom we process the complete administration for a few hundred euros a month. For many companies, it requires a change in mindset, but companies with a turnover of, say, 5 to 15 million euros really do not need an internal bookkeeper. They are either impossible to find or not affordable in the Netherlands anyway, and these accounting services can be handled externally without any problems."
"We now support companies from China to northern Canada. More than 60% of our 550 customers are active in the fresh produce sector or in related sectors such as logistics, quality control, packaging, or certification. We are not a local administration office on the corner of the street, but an internationally active consultant with an office in Europe's largest fresh produce hub. We think practically and come up with solutions, not words or empty promises, but actions. We can offer all those customers a complete overview so that they can maintain control over their costs and financial processes. In the end, our customers simply want to do good business without surprises afterwards, and they do not really care where the back office is located."
For more information:
RAAD (Inter-)national South Africa PTY
16 Elektron Road, Techno Park
Stellenbosch, South Africa
Tel: +31 (0) 88 2702700
[email protected]
www.raadinternational.com
