BRIZA Bookshop, plants of South Africa, animals, species, botany

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Company Profile
of
BRIZA PUBLICATIONS

Business Address:	121 Soutpansberg Road Riviera 0084
Postal Adress:	PO Box 11050 Queenswood 0121
Tel:	012 329 3896
Fax:	012 329 4525
Email:	books@briza.co.za
Website:	www.briza.co.za
Vat Registration no:	487 010 4926
Company registration no:	CK / 1990 / 011690 / 23

1. BACKGROUND

a. Company History
Briza Publications is a small, independent publishing house based in Gauteng, South Africa. It was started in 1990 with the sole purpose of publishing an identification guide to grasses of South Africa. Now in it's third edition, Guide to Grasses of southern Africa is still a perennial bestseller! From these humble beginnings Briza has grown into a leading publisher of books on botany in South Africa.

b. Our business
We specialise in publishing titles on botany and natural history for the local and international market. All our titles are of high quality, have a practical approach and the content is highly informative.

2. STRATEGY AND VISION

a. Vision statement
To be the major publisher of titles on botany and natural history in South Africa, and to export our books and expertise globally.

b. Mission Statement

To provide our authors with excellent service by creating outstanding products, and develop and promote their profiles.
To provide excellent service by accurate and timely delivery of our clients' orders.
To run a sustainable, financially viable and inspiring company to the satisfaction of its owners.
To promote awareness for conservation, and appreciation of our wonderful natural heritage.

c. Values

To achieve our goals with uncompromised honesty and integrity.
To cherish our rich natural diversity, and promote responsible use of our natural resources.

d. Business goals and objectives

We strive to publish (and keep in print) the best available title on a given topic, and at a reasonable price. A marked distinction must exist between a Briza title and that of any other publisher's attempt to cover the same topic.
To employ the most appropriate and up-to-date technology available to achieve the above,.applicable also to electronic and digital publications.
To develop and sustain a reliable delivery service with the objective to deliver orders to all major centers in South Africa within 5 to 7 working days and to individual customers within 10 days.
To increase annual sales substantially nationally and internationally.
To increase market share annually.
To expand our online bookshop in order to increase direct sales of Briza books.
Commitment to document the rich diversity and cultural importance of South Africa's fauna and flora.

3. PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

a. Products
Briza Publications strive to serve a niche market with non-fictional titles in full colour, treating the subject matter in great depth but without sacrificing accessibility and readability. Briza specialises in titles on botany and natural history, and as such achieved a reputation for high quality production, practical approach and informative content. As a result, our books appeal to both the layman and the more specialist or academic reader.

Due to comprehensive content and high quality production, our publications also enjoy international appeal, and Briza established a loyal following among overseas readers interested in South African flora.

At present, the publications list comprises more than 100 titles that includes definitive identification guides on medicinal plants, food plants, poisonous plants, indigenous trees, indigenous garden plants, problem plants, wildflowers and plant groups such as the aloes, acacias and mesembs. Briza also publishes books on gardening, ecology, tourism and natural history, including books on mammals, reptiles and birds.

Marula Books is an imprint of Briza Publications since 2005. Titles of a more general or popular nature, such as Muthi & Myths from the African Bush by Heather Dugmore and Ben-Erik van Wyk, Natuur-lik! by Erik Holm and Knowledge Beats Cancer by Albert Alberts, are published under the Marula Books imprint.

Briza Academic Books is the latest imprint of Briza Publications. It was established in 2007 as a vehicle to publish scientific material that would normally not be commercially viable, but would contribute significantly to the body of published work in the field of Natural Sciences. This is realised through generous contributions and sponsorships. The high standard of the content, coupled with the fine reputation of Briza Publications driving this initiative, is proving to be a winning combination, as showcased by the recent publication of Bacterial Diseases of Plants in South Africa. The Dictionary of names for southern African trees is a flagship title under this imprint.

b. Services

We have a permanent publishing team to develop and conceptualise the ideas of our authors into a successful product.
We have a permanent marketing team to assist our authors in promoting their books.
Briza has its own warehouse and distribution department, and we supply Exclusive Books, CNA and other leading bookshops and distributors.
Our online bookshop offers a secure, reliable and safe ordering facility where bookshops and private clients can order any Briza titles.

c. Business Competitiveness
Our three biggest strengths are our specialist authors, high quality products, and quick and efficient service delivery. Over the last few years we have had great success in establishing co-publishing partnerships with leading overseas publishers.

4. MANAGEMENT AND OWNERSHIP

a. Members

Eben van Wyk

Stephanus Smal

Ben-Erik van Wyk

Christo Reitz

b. Office Personnel

* Head Office
Christo Reitz General Manager Annemarie Coertzen Finance Officer Lucille Forbes Orders Official Elsa Hendry Marketing Official Johan Steenkamp Production Manager Suzanne Gradwell Reception / Admin Jamie Senekal Warehouse / Despatch Francina Molomo Packer / Cleaner Solly Maswanganyi Packer / Gardener

* Foreign Rights Office
Eben van Wyk Foreign Rights Manager Heleen du Toit Assistant to the Foreign Rights Manager

* Marketing Representative
Martie Castle (Gauteng, North West, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and Northern Cape) No Image Gwen Reinecke (Eastern Cape, KZN, Free state and Namibia) Caroline Konstant (Western Cape) Mariana van Wyk (selected shops in Gauteng)

* Consultants
Design and Layout
Marketing
Website and online bookshop

5. PORTFOLIO

a. Customer List in South Africa

Exclusive Books
CNA
Bargain Books
Wordsworth
PNA
Forum
Kalahari.net
Loot.co.za
Protea Bookshops
Van Schaiks
Topline Distributors
Botanical Garden Bookshops
Leisure Books / Leserskring
Readers Digest
Various smaller bookshops and booksellers

b. List of International customers and co-production partners

Timber Press (USA)
Medpharm Publishers (Germany)
Medpharm Publishers (Poland)
Florilegium (Australia)
Marshall Cavendish (Singapore)
Shinilbooks (South Korea)
Global Book Marketing (UK)
International Publishers Marketing (USA)

c. Projects

South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI):

Trees of the Year poster
Book Festival

d. International Book Fairs
Briza Publications has been represented at the annual Frankfurt Book Fair since 2000, and at the Cape Town Book Fair since its inception in 2006.

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