In a market that was once heavily dependent on imports for even basic packaging requirements, Star Labels Africa SARL has steadily built a strong, integrated manufacturing base in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Incorporated in 2017 and headquartered in Kinshasa, the company has emerged as one of the leading manufacturers of primary and secondary packaging solutions in the country, combining advanced machinery, a diversified product portfolio, and a forward-looking approach to digital transformation.
Speaking about the company’s journey, the management explains that Star Labels was established with a clear objective – to localise high-quality packaging manufacturing in the DRC and reduce reliance on imported materials. “Congo is a landlocked country, and for a long time, packaging materials were entirely import-driven,” says Nirav Thakkar, director, Star Labels. “To compete with global suppliers and offer consistent quality with faster turnaround times, we knew we had to invest in world-class infrastructure from the outset.”
Today, Star Labels produces a wide range of packaging products, including self-adhesive labels, shrink sleeve labels, wrap-around labels, laminates, bread bags, pouches, printed thermal rolls, LD shrink, PVC films, and poly films. The company caters to multiple industry segments such as FMCG, beverages, pharmaceuticals, supermarkets, and detergent and soap manufacturers, positioning itself as a one-stop packaging partner for brand owners operating in the region.
Investing in capability and capacity
A key differentiator for Star Labels has been its sustained investment in advanced machinery. The company’s shop floor houses high-end equipment from globally renowned manufacturers, including a W&H Miraflex CI press for flexible packaging printing, a W&H Optimex three-layer extruder, and a Nordmeccanica Supercombi lamination line. For narrow-web label printing and converting, the company operates a complete suite of Lombardi machines along with their ancillary systems.
“These investments were strategic,” Thakkar explains. “They allow us to match international quality standards while serving the local market efficiently. Having these capabilities in-house gives us a clear edge.”
Looking ahead, the company is optimistic about the growth trajectory of the printing and packaging industry in the region. According to the management, the market is expected to grow at around 20% year-on-year, and Star Labels is already planning its next phase of expansion, including entry into mono carton packaging.
ERP as a growth enabler
As operations expanded and product lines diversified, Star Labels recognised the need for a robust digital backbone to manage complexity and scale efficiently. This led to the implementation of the Flexibiz ERP system tailored to the printing and packaging industry.
“The primary objective was to streamline and standardise all our core business processes,” says Kabir Adatia, CFO, Star Labels. “We wanted real-time visibility across departments, better data accuracy, and a significant reduction in manual work and duplication.”
Implemented over a period of three months, the FlexibizERP system now integrates key functions such as finance and accounts, inventory and stores management, procurement, sales and distribution, and production. The solution supports role-based access control, secure logins, audit trails, regular backups, and disaster recovery mechanisms, ensuring both operational efficiency and data security.
During the implementation phase, the organisation went through a period of process documentation, data validation, and extensive employee training. “There was a lot of involvement from different departments,” Adatia notes. “But that effort paid off.”
Post-implementation of the Flexibiz ERP, the benefits became evident. The company now enjoys improved visibility across functions, streamlined workflows, faster decision-making based on real-time data, and higher accountability driven by system-based approvals and tracking.
Among the features the team values most are integrated modules with seamless data flow, real-time dashboards and MIS reports, automated approval workflows, and inventory tracking with alerts and analytics. The FlexibizERP’s flexibility also allows customised reports aligned with management requirements, while keeping overall customisation to a minimum.
Lessons for the industry
Drawing from their experience, the Star Labels leadership offers clear guidance to fellow packaging converters considering ERP adoption. According to them, ERP implementation should be seriously considered when operations become complex, stock issues become frequent, customer commitments start slipping, or when the business relies heavily on spreadsheets, messaging apps, and manual registers. “If you want to scale and the management needs better control and transparent reporting, ERP is no longer optional,” Adatia emphasises.
When evaluating ERP solutions, the company advises looking closely at industry-specific features, ease of use, flexibility, integration capability, reporting accuracy, vendor reputation, and total cost of ownership. Equally important is internal preparedness. “ERP success depends more on your internal readiness than on the software itself,” the management notes. Standardising processes, cleaning data, identifying a core team, allocating sufficient time for training, and avoiding excessive customisation at the beginning are critical steps.
Flexibiz ERP – taking Indian software global
Star Labels’ ERP journey has been supported by Flexibiz ERP, developed by Kiran Consultants. Commenting on the collaboration, Gaurav Bansal, director, Kiran Consultants, says, “We are happy that our Make in India Flexibiz ERP software for the printing and packaging industry is gaining international recognition. We currently have ongoing implementations in West Africa and the Middle East, cementing the product’s place in the international arena.”
Bansal adds that Flexibiz has recently revamped its user interface and introduced artificial intelligence features that enable month-on-month departmental performance reviews, guiding teams on areas that need improvement.
