JOHANNESBURG, December 14, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --
Pan African Tobacco Group (PTG) has reached a milestone this December, 2018, by celebrating 40 years of business. PTG grew from the dreams of its founder Tribert Rujugiro Ayabatwa, from a small trading shop into a company that manufactures and trades across Sub-Saharan Africa and the United Arab Emirates. PTG began manufacturing in Burundi in 1978. Next, the company set up a manufacturing plant in Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 1984, later expanding into the South African market in 1991. Between 1996 and 2011, PTG commenced manufacturing in Angola, Uganda, Tanzania, the United Arab Emirates, Nigeria and South Sudan. The company's latest addition is the processing plant in Arua, Northern Uganda, established in 2013.
To celebrate, PTG recognized the hard work and dedication of its employees and managers, especially those individuals that have been with the company since its founding.
"It gives me great pride in recognizing the commitment of PTG employees, our clients, and business partners in celebrating our company's 40th anniversary. We have come a long way since the business was started forty years ago. And are very excited about our future as PTG continues to thrive," said Ayabatwa when discussing the celebration.
Ayabatwa also thanked the communities as well as public officials in the countries where PTG operates. As he further explained, "Forty years ago, we took the first step of building a uniquely indigenous African company not driven only by the profit motive but in seeking to work with families and communities so that they can improve their own livelihoods. Public authorities also greatly facilitated our work for which we are most thankful."
When asked if he had achieved all his dreams in the past forty years, Ayabatwa responded that his most memorable accomplishment was working with families and communities in the various regions in which PTG does business. "Poverty has long been an endemic problem in Africa. It has been my lifelong goal to provide opportunities especially for African youth," Ayabatwa said. "Having been denied a formal education after the eighth grade, I had to work that much harder to prove myself. I do not want any child to experience that. This is why PTG works with communities to make it easier for young people to get the education they need to succeed. Education is the ticket from poverty."
Media Contact:
Tribert Rujugiro Ayabatwa
Chairman
Tel: +971-4327-2840
info_ptg@fastmail.fm
