Established in 1999, Calulo Investments is a proudly African investment house with meaningful and complementary interests in a range of sound business entities, focused primarily in the energy, petroleum, and related service sectors.
“Calulo” a Xhosa word meaning “to discern” or “separate the chaff”, has laid the foundation of our business methodology. We endevour to apply good judgment and a high set of values to every aspect of our business dealings and decisions. Our aim is to develop a cultural and economic evolution on a continent that requires responsible and developmental business practices. The “Calulo Way” is a principle that we apply to our business relationships as well as our internal practices, finding the balance between economic growth and social upliftment.
Hybrid Investment Policy
Calulo Investments has adopted a hybrid investment model which involves not only the investment in companies where we add benefit through our Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) Profile, but also operates actively within the sectors we invest in. We do this through the implementation of services and companies which become complimentary to our investments. This not only enhances our investments, but gives us a working real-time knowledge of the business environment, allowing us to participate in the decision-making required to be responsible and value-adding partners.
Primarily we have enhanced our portfolio through the inclusion of brokerage services, trading entities, logistics, purchasing and service infrastructure, renewable energy initiatives as well as unique petrochemical technologies.
We look for “Join the Dots” opportunities in all our relationships where each operation is able to add value to the next. We promote entrepreneurial thinking in all aspects throughout our investments as well as promoting social responsibility to all involved.
Evolution of BEE
Calulo Investments has become one of the leading BBBEE partners in the petrochemical industry due not only to its interests in furthering enterprise development throughout South Africa and the sector, involvement in the operational aspects within the sector. Our ability to add tangible but in large due to its active experience and expertise in many facets of the industry, from fuel logistics to technologies, ensures that everyone benefits in a symbiotic environment.
We have focused on the core aspects required in the industries we operate in, creating businesses that fill legitimate and critical functions in the arena. Calulo Services, which comprises a host of logistical services and subsidiaries, has expanded into many aspects of the petrochemical sector, building not only a sustainable South African Footprint, but also a strong African Continental Platform and Global Pipeline.
Strategic Relationships
Our core values, discernment and integrity have attracted many strategic local and international relationships. These relationships have developed into strong partnerships in new ventures, adding services into our already extensive operations, while developing new skills and services in the African Petrochemical Arena. These strategic relationships have allowed us to develop a “Best of Breed” solution to our investee companies’ customers, and have introduced a vast knowledge base of experience from other continents where technologies and methodologies have far outstripped our own.
“Calulo comes from the Xhosa traditional beer-making process and is the process of “filtration” or seperating the good from the chaff. This is the Calulo process, to always make sure that discernment is used in all of our strategic decisions”