| Exporting is frequently viewed as a means of boosting economic growth.For companies of all sizes,exporting can be profitable.Sales generally increase more quickly,more jobs are added,and employees make more money than in non-exporting businesses.The goal of this study is to identify internal elements that are strengths and weaknesses in the development of the export as well as external factors that present opportunities and threats.This research also tries to identify development strategies that are suitable for Lesotho Flour Mills(PTY)Ltd’s export.Africa is one of the regions where maize is processed and consumed in a variety of ways,with maize meal and flour being two of the most popular grains.The goal of this study is to comprehend how exporting might help domestic businesses grow internationally in order to boost their profitability,using Lesotho Flour Mills(PTY)Ltd as a case study.International activities have greater risks,uncertainty,cultural distance,institutional distance,etc.than domestic activities,but they also present more potential because of the diversity of knowledge,resources,and consumer preferences.Understanding the opportunities and constraints that exporters face will aid business managers in making sound decisions.Both qualitative data and quantitative data were used in this investigation,by creating an online survey for Lesotho Flour Mills(PTY)Ltd employees and using the literature related to this study.The research area’s internal factors,including strengths and weaknesses,were analyzed using the IFAS(Internal Factor Analysis Summary)matrix,while external variables were analyzed using the EFAS(External Factor Analysis Summary)matrix.The results revealed an IFAS score of 2.4839 and an EFAS score of 2.9103.When plotted on InternalExternal(IE)matrix,the results put Lesotho Flour Mills in quadrant V.Internal-External matrix assist in selecting the appropriate strategy from SWOT analysis by taking the strategy from the same quadrant with that in IE matrix.The study came to the conclusion that SO strategy is the appropriate strategy to be adopted by Lesotho Flour Mills(PTY)Ltd which is a strategy that encourages utilizing the available strength available to take advantage of opportunities.Based on the findings of internal research,the analysis of encouraging Lesotho Flour Mills(PTY)Ltd to export its products to Northern African countries,shows that the company has greater strengths than its weaknesses and this shows a good position of the company.It is suggested that Lesotho Flour Mills(PTY)Ltd consider buying more grains from local people for it to explore exporting goods to all of Africa because a significant volume of grains would be required.This will encourage everyone in the country to work hard in producing required grain in required standards.Though there are some of researches that discussed exporting Lesotho products to foreign countries,none of the studies examined exporting to the Northern Africa and none of them examined exporting maize meal and wheat flour which are the main staple food of the Lesotho and other African Countries.This paper tries to fill this gap by assessing the capability of Lesotho Flour Mills(PTY)Ltd by identifying its Strengths,Weaknesses,Opportunities and threats.The reason for choosing Northern Africa region is because it is one of the vulnerable regions in terms of food security as most areas are occupied by the deserts and forests thus limiting the countries to produce Maize and Wheat in large quantities.In addition,Northern Africa is one of the driest regions on Earth,home to the Sahara Desert,the largest hot desert in the world. |
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