,Examination
May/June 2024
MNE3702
Corporate Entrepreneurship
70 Marks
First examiner: Mr W Sambo
Secondary examiner: Mrs NS Radebe
External examiner: Dr P Sifolo
, Italtile (Pty) Ltd
In the late 1960s, Giovanni Ravazzotti, an immigrant from Italy, identified the need for
affordable tiles and ceramic products in South Africa. He began importing and retailing them
through a company he founded, Italtile. In the wake of the 1976 Soweto uprising when the
first hints of trade sanctions against South Africa were surfacing, Mr Ravazzotti began
manufacturing ceramic tiles domestically. In 1992,
Italtile and manufacturer Ceramic Industries were listed on the Johannesburg Stock
Exchange. Today the group’s retail operation comprises a total network of
126 stores in Southern and East Africa which is strategically supported by a vertically
integrated supply chain, investments in key suppliers and a property investment portfolio.
From the founding of Italtile to the launching of various brands, support divisions and
products over the years, Italtile expanded enormously. While Italtile was aimed at the high-
end markets, the next step was to penetrate all other market segments, hence in 1983 the first
CTM store was launched and from that the franchising of CTMs began in 1992. CTMs were
established with the middle-to-upper market in mind. Such accelerated advancements in the
market propelled the group to broaden their expansion internationally, which led to trading
in Australia in 1998. Within three years of their decision, Italtile had rooted themselves in
multiple states in Australia. In 2008 TopT was launched, the brand that was designed to cater
for the entry-level markets. In 2004, Italtile had acquired controlling interest in two of its key
suppliers, ITD (International Tap Distributors) – a tap importer and distributor and
Earlyworks (Pty) Ltd – an importer and distributor of tiling tools and hardware. With such
, constant aggressive progress and growth, the group launched a tiling and plumbing academy
in Gauteng in 2009.
The property investment portfolio reinforces retail operation by locating stores in high-
profile, easily accessible sites, and maintaining and upgrading premises ensures an optimum
shopping environment. Stores are located in high-visibility sites and, together with their
comprehensive offerings, this positions them as one-
