1 May 2021

 

Mr. Chabit Tahora
Societe De Distribution De Madagascar

Welcome to the PaperOne™ customer feature, where we interview our customers to find out more about them, their company, their thoughts about the industry, and their partnership with APRIL Group.

This month, we feature Mr. Chabit Tahora, owner of Societe De Distribution De Madagascar.

PaperOne™: Hi Mr. Tahora, it’s a pleasure to have you with us today. Let’s begin with a quick introduction! Could you tell us more about Societe De Distribution De Madagascar and your role within it?

Chabit Tahora: Hello, great to meet you too. To start off, we call ourselves SODIM for short! I am the owner and founder of the company. We’ve been around for 20 years and as of now, we are the largest distributor for paper, stationery, electronics and office furniture across Madagascar. We’re based out of Antananarivo, the capital city.

PaperOne™: Nice to learn more about the company! To add, we heard that SODIM started with a really small team. To hear that it’s now the largest distributor in Madagascar, that’s impressive!

Chabit Tahora: Yes that’s right! When we first began operations, we only had a team of 3. But we worked really hard and put in lots of sacrifices to get where we are today. We now have a total of about 200 employees!

PaperOne™: That’s amazing! So Mr. Tahora, with regards to all that success, how do you feel SODIM manages to set itself apart from its competitors in the market?

Chabit Tahora: At SODIM, we conduct global sourcing to identify the best suppliers and materials for our customers in Madagascar. We believe they deserve top quality products at competitive prices, and we do our utmost to make sure they get it.

PaperOne™: Yes indeed, customer satisfaction is so important! Moving on, do tell us more about your relationship with APRIL Group.

Chabit Tahora: We have been partners with APRIL Group for over 12 years, and it has been a very pleasant experience. They have been extremely supportive, and have clear distribution policies which has positively impacted our sales in Madagascar. They’ve also been a big help in providing us with marketing support for PaperOne™ products!

PaperOne™: That’s great to hear! Speaking of that Mr. Tahora, which PaperOne™ products do you carry and why?

Chabit Tahora: We distribute the PaperOne™ All Purpose, PaperOne™ Copier and PaperOne™ Offset ranges. We like them for their quality and versatility. Customers have also commented about how consistent the products are!

PaperOne™: Thank you for the compliments! We employ strict measures to ensure the quality of our products, and we’re glad to hear that your customers have enjoyed them. For the next question, we’d like to know your thoughts on digitalisation and how it has, or might affect the paper industry.

Chabit Tahora: Globally, we think that digitalisation will continue to cause a drop in demand for certain areas of the market. It’s unfortunate, but that’s the reality of the situation. We have experienced it firsthand, but surprisingly the photocopy paper segment here in Madagascar has hardly been affected. That’s some good news!

PaperOne™: So Mr. Tahora, with the current situation where do you see SODIM in the next 5 to 10 years?

Chabit Tahora: We do see lots of potential in the packaging paper segment, and as a company we think that’s where we’ll witness the most growth in the medium to long term.

PaperOne™: Thank you so much for sharing! We’re now down to our final question. To end off this interview, are there any interesting facts or information you’d like to mention?

Chabit Tahora: I think one interesting fact is that here in Madagascar, many small photocopy businesses usually source for the cheapest materials. But they make an exception when it comes to PaperOne™ products! They do admit that they can save some money thanks to the reduced ink consumption when using them *laughs* I guess that’s a testament to their quality!

To find the most suitable PaperOne™ products for your business, contact us at customer_service@aprilasia.com