The listeriosis outbreak has had far-reaching consequences for multiple businesses; not just Tiger Brands. JSE-listed RCL Foods predicts listeriosis-linked losses to equate to R75m, with a profit impact of R20m a month. By their very nature, crises are usually unforeseen and wield potentially devastating consequences for the businesses they directly – and indirectly – impact. Think of the Ford Kuga fires and Samsung Galaxy Seven’s flawed battery flames. When these catastrophes hit, businesses have to act fast to protect and rebuild their reputations. Kobus Engelbrecht, Marketing Head of Sanlam Business Market , believes there are many business lessons to be learned from the listeriosis crisis. While unforeseen disasters can rarely be avoided altogether, business owners can mitigate risk and limit fallout by having a plan in place. Engelbrecht says, “Every business needs to have a plan to deal with crises, even before any issue arises. A crisis needs prompt intervention so as t...