1. Can you give us an overview of Inviso Group and its role as a key player in Madagascar’s economic development?
Inviso Group was founded 30 years ago here in Antananarivo, Madagascar. We actually started as a car parts distribution business. But the broader vision behind the group comes from my father, Danil Ismael, whose dream was always to go into industry.
From car parts distribution, he founded SMTP, Société Malgache de Transformation au Plastique, which played a crucial role in water infrastructure in Madagascar. SMTP focused heavily on water systems, making pipes, PVC products, anything related to water treatment and distribution. That work was significant for developing the entire water system in the country.
From there, the group began to diversify into many different sectors. Today, we’re active in agriculture, real estate, energy, construction, car dealerships, car rental, digitalization, and the distribution of digital products. We’ve expanded into poultry, feed mills, rice mills, corn mills, even baby food and cereals.
For instance, we’ve just launched our first 100% made-in-Madagascar cereal line, comparable to products you’d find anywhere else in the world. The key difference, and our main goal, is that we work exclusively with local producers whenever possible.
Today, we directly employ around 3,000 people and indirectly support between 15,000 and 20,000 people. Our ecosystem is entirely local. We avoid importing raw materials if we can source them domestically. We strongly believe everything is possible here in Madagascar.
One of our most significant projects at the moment is the Bovima project in the south of Madagascar, focused on exporting goat, sheep, and our local beef, the zebu, to GCC countries and other international markets.
2. How is Inviso Group contributing to the modernization and strengthening of Madagascar’s agricultural value chains?
At Inviso, our philosophy is always to keep up with the latest quality standards and technology. Whether it’s machinery, production methods, or even software, we want the best available.
Why? Because Inviso is focused not just on creating value chains but also on staying aligned with the technological advancements happening worldwide. The pace of technological progress today is incredibly rapid.
A few years ago, the transition was from manual labor to automated machinery. Now, we’re moving into an era of digitalization—and even artificial intelligence. For example, there are companies worldwide today operating with almost no human labor, using fully robotic systems.
At Inviso, we’re determined to keep pace with this global transition. In the past, machines were semi-automatic. Now, we’re using fully automated systems that don’t require any human handling. However, we still believe in maintaining a human presence because training and knowledge transfer are critical.
It’s similar to a university: you learn from books, but you also gain practical, hands-on experience. We want our people to see how machines work, understand what processes they replace, and learn how technology enhances our production chain.
This approach contributes not only to sustainable development but also to capacity-building and skills transfer. Everyone at Inviso is learning. I don’t like the term “employee”, we’re a family. Inviso is one big family, with people learning from one another and growing together under a shared vision.
3. With over 50 distributors and 100 retailers, how do you ensure nationwide access to quality agricultural inputs?
Our production process is entirely transparent and quality-driven. Every single product we produce is subject to rigorous quality checks right in front of our eyes.
We hold numerous certifications, including HACCP, Halal certification, and ISO standards. We’re certified from A to Z according to international norms. Quality is non-negotiable for Inviso.
We simply will not release a product if its quality is anything less than 100%. Once the final product passes inspection, only then does it go to our resellers, retailers, or directly to our customers.
4. What strategies are you implementing to support smallholder farmers and boost food security in Madagascar?
As I mentioned earlier, we prioritize sourcing locally whenever possible. We’ve built a value chain that’s deeply rooted in longstanding relationships with local farmers and producers. Some of the people we work with today have been partners since the very beginning, over 30 years ago.
Initially, it started through word-of-mouth connections. We’d source from one farmer, then his cousins and children joined in, and gradually a whole community grew around our operations.
We’ve deliberately expanded our presence into even the most remote cities and villages to strengthen these relationships. There’s enormous pride in being able to say that a product is 100% sourced and made in Madagascar. Nothing feels better than achieving that.
5. In addition to agriculture, how is Inviso Group participating across other sectors like construction, energy, automotive, and real estate? And what other projects are most relevant today?
I like to describe Inviso as a puzzle. When you buy a puzzle, you start fitting pieces together, right? Inviso operates on the same principle.
We started with one company and gradually realized that it connected naturally to others. Everything in Inviso is interconnected.
Take the example of our soap factory and our plastics company. The plastics division manufactures bottles and packaging for the soap factory. Or consider the feed mill and our plastics division, they produce the PP (polypropylene) bags needed for packaging animal feed.
We are an integrated conglomerate: every venture we launch is linked to another part of the group or supports the broader ecosystem of the holding company. It’s all part of an integrated puzzle where each piece reinforces the others.
6. Sustainability clearly matters to you. How important is sustainability across your operations, and what concrete steps are you taking in your diverse industries?
Sustainability is a fundamental part of our strategy. Globally, we’re in the midst of a major green transition. At Inviso, we’ve chosen to embed that transition into every aspect of our business.
For example, we’re exploring ways to solarize our operations, to switch as much of our energy consumption as possible to renewable sources.
Another crucial area is certification. In the past, some people would start companies focused solely on immediate profit, thinking only about cash flow or turnover. But we believe it’s essential to build companies that meet international norms and standards.
If you want to export your products internationally, you must comply with stringent requirements. That’s why we’ve invested heavily in certifications and quality control. It ensures that Inviso can expand into other African countries, or anywhere globally, without encountering regulatory barriers.
Sustainability is not just about the environment. It’s about creating businesses that last, that can grow, and that can compete on an international stage.
7. How are you leveraging innovation and digital tools to improve efficiency and impact across Inviso Group’s businesses?
As I said earlier, we consistently invest in the latest technology, whether that’s machinery or digital tools.
This approach isn’t simply about having the latest gadgets. It’s because we’re committed to a long-term vision. We’re not thinking in terms of quick profits; we’re thinking about how to build sustainable value over decades.
New technology is costly, yes, but it’s an investment in the future. It helps us improve efficiency, enhance product quality, and ultimately build resilience and competitiveness for the long term.
Our question is always: where did we start, where are we now, and where do we want to go? We’re constantly looking forward.
8. What types of partnerships or investment opportunities are you looking to explore with the UAE and GCC-based companies?
I’ve always been deeply impressed by the UAE, the pace at which they innovate, build infrastructure, and adopt new technology. They’ve become true giants in many fields.
What Inviso wants is to strengthen partnerships with the UAE. For example, through our Bovima project, we’re looking to export meat products, like zebu, goat, and sheep, to GCC countries.
The UAE serves as a powerful engine for progress, like a train pulling many cars behind it. We want to be on that train.
Our ambition is to become a pan-African company and ultimately go global. Over the next 10 years, I’m confident we’ll achieve that dream.
9. Talking about expansion, how do you see Inviso Group shaping Madagascar’s industrial future and regional integration in the Indian Ocean?
Inviso isn’t just a company, it’s a family, an entire ecosystem.
With around 3,000 employees today, we have an aggressive 10-year development plan. I’m sure we’ll double our workforce, diversify into new sectors, and expand existing operations.
We’re determined to extend our reach beyond Madagascar, into Africa and eventually the world. Our story is far from over, it’s a long-term vision that everyone in the Inviso family is ready to pursue together.
10. To wrap up the interview, what message would you like to share with readers considering Madagascar as a destination for trade, investment, or collaboration?
My message is simple: Never stop dreaming.
Madagascar is a country full of opportunities. It has everything, from natural resources to talented people. It’s truly a land of opportunity.
As a young entrepreneur myself, I’m part of a new generation that believes strongly in this country’s potential. We have confidence because there are people here who give us the assurance that we can continue chasing and realizing our dreams.
So I’d say to anyone considering investing or collaborating with Madagascar: never stop dreaming, because opportunities do exist here. Madagascar is a land of possibilities.
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