Read the Case Study Below and answer ALL the Questions that follow Mazibuko is building South Africas first electric bakkie Electrification In June, the first electric vehicle designed and built in South Africa will take to the roads. Mazibukos M1B is an excellent fit for South African tastes: its a pickup truck, a popular segment locally known as a bakkie.The M1B rolling out the doors of the Mazibuko Motor Company will be a prototype. Mass production is still a way off. But for Nhlanhla Mazibuko things cant go fast enough. Frustrated by the slow pace of South Africas EV adoption, the Johannesburg-based entrepreneur inaugurated MMC, which focuses solely on electric vehicles, in June last year. Popular segment Unlike most other EV-manufacturers, who launch their brand with a high-end supercar, Mazibuko wanted to start off with a bakkie, as this is the most popular vehicle segments in South Africa.For the company, this means lower margins per vehicle, but a much higher turnover. Much will depend on the M1Bs eventual price, which will be set once things like battery price and production location will be determined. In any case, the model is meant to be affordable to a large section of South African consumers. The M1B will be built on MMCs own EV platform, which the company calls a skateboard platform, for its high degree of flexibility and scalability. This will allow the company to bring a diversity of models including SUVs and minitaxis onto the market quickly and cheaply. Rough exterior The M1B will have a capacity of 500 kW, split in two motors, one at the front and one at the back. Battery power will be 120 kW/h, giving it a range of 400 km when fully charged. The cars heat management systems have been designed specifically for South Africas climate. The M1B will marry a rough exterior, suited for local road conditions, with a high-tech interior, featuring connectivity, self-driving capabilities and the option of over-the-air updates. MMC is a fully-funded start-ups that is actually a host of mini start-ups, explains its founder. Those mini start-ups each focus on one particular field: solar installations, battery storage, self-driving tech, charging stations, battery-electric vehicles. Apart from EVs, the company aims to offer services such as solar power and battery storage to the market. Speeding up The time might be right for a company like Mazibuko. Electrification is still in its infancy in South Africa, but things could be speeding up soon. Some examples: A pilot project in Johannesburg aims at electrifying public transport, first by converting local buses and minibuses to electric power. If successful, it could be a precursor to converting the citys entire Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system to EVs. Another pilot is working towards electrifying the municipal fleet in Nelson Mandela Bay, the metropolitan area that includes Port Elizabeth. Both these projects have received funding from the UK government. At the end of March, Cape Town inaugurated its second public charging station for EVs. Both stations are solarpowered, meaning drivers can use the chargers for free. EVs come with a 25% import tax in South Africa, while the import duty on fossil-fuel vehicles is just 18% - giving home-grown manufacturers of EVs an advantage as the market expands.

QUESTION 1 (20 Marks) Identify and discuss the operational risks connected with Mazibuko Motors' interaction with key stakeholders through poor vertical communication channels.

QUESTION 2 (20 Marks) Discuss some of the difficulties involved with developing a social policy that takes Mazibuko Motors' philosophy and culture into account.

Questions in this section. QUESTION 3 (20 Marks) Critically discuss the financial implications of Eskom hiring suppliers with limited capacity and expertise for dealing with high levels of waste and pollution.

QUESTION 4 (20 Marks) Analyse how employing low-cost provider strategy can lead to a fragmented supply chain and longer lead time.

QUESTION 5 (20 Marks) Report on how an improvement in the allocation of financial resources could lead to sustainable organisational performance. QUESTION 6 (20 Marks) Examine the role played by the board of directors in formulating a strategy that matches the brand vision. END OF PAPER