This preliminary study aimed to carry out Training Needs Analyses (TNA) in sugar companies in Africa that are under Mauritian management, namely: TPC Ltd, Tanzania; Mtibwa Sugar Estates Ltd, Tanzania; Companhia de Sena, Mozambique; and Sucrivoire, the Ivory Coast. All the companies involved in this study were newly privatised, were undergoing rehabilitation, and were suffering from lengthy absences from competitive business environments. The major challenges facing the new management teams were to increase efficiency and profitability. All the management teams expressed the need to develop high-class teams to increase the overall productivity of their companies. Each company was embarking upon new working practices that required high-performance work. A sense of loyalty, commitment and responsibility in all employees was thought to be a pre-requisite to success. The project was divided into three distinct phases. Phase I concerned the background data collection period, Phase II was the in-country preliminary study of training needs and Phase III involved the design, production and delivery of a tailor-made Business Awareness Programmes (BAPs) and targeted capacity-building programmes. These BAPs have been shown to play a significant role in the development of High Performance Work Organizations (HPWO). Two of the companies, namely, TPC Ltd, Tanzania and Companhia de Sena, Mozambique were able to implement BAPs and targeted capacity-building programmes. The impact of these programmes has been very positive as measured by evaluation questionnaires and by direct feedback from the management teams. Training initiatives are continuing to receive full support in these companies. Unfortunately civil war in the Ivory Coast has halted all progress in Sucrivoire whilst Mtibwa Sugar Estates Ltd. in Tanzania indicated that capacity building was not their priority at the present time.
