African Business Review - September 2017

September 2017

www.africanbusinessreview.co.za

Africa’s TOP 10 TECH START-UPS TRANSFORMERS: HOW PPPS ARE CHANGING UGANDA

A SUGAR -FUELLED

P WER SURGE INSIDE BIOCOM’S 80,000-HECTARE SUSTAINABLE SUGAR CANE AND BIOMASS OPERATION TAL K I NG

BIZ WITH

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FOREWORD WELCOME TO SEPTEMBER’S African Business Review. We start with a special focus on Angola, looking in depth at Biocom, an enormous sugar cane producer which is reversing a trend that has seen unsustainable amounts of sugar imported in the years since the country’s civil war.

Soon the project will pass the $1bn investment mark, allowing it to ramp up production and provide vital sugar supplies to the country, along with sizable amounts of electricity and ethanol byproducts. Find out more in our feature with Biocom Deputy General Manager Luís Bagorro Júnior and Mário Lourenço, CEO of Cochan, key financier and 40% stakeholder in the project.

Also talking energy is Songas Managing Director Nigel Whittaker, who tells us how the company is supplying much-needed power to Tanzania.

This issue also carries a mining focus, with exclusive insight from Kefi Minerals, Base Titanium and the Ministry of Mines in Kenya.

Finally, make sure you read our other exclusive interviews, which include iSON Group, East Africa Data Centre and FNB Namibia.

Enjoy the read, and as always, tweet your feedback @AfricaBizReview

Enjoy the issue!

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F E AT U R E S

08 PROFILE

POWERING ANGOLA’S SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

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TECHNOLOGY

TRANSFORMERS - HOW PPPs ARE CHANGING UGANDA

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TOP 10

African startups 5

C O M PA N Y PROFILES

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KEFI Minerals Ltd MINING

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Ministry of Mines in Kenya MINING

Base Titanium MINING

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iSON Group TECHNOLOGY

110 Songas ENERGY

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East Africa Data Centre TECHNOLOGY

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122

El Sewedy Electrometer ENERGY

FNB Namibia TECHNOLOGY

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POWERING ANGOLA’S SUSTAINABLE FUTURE W R I T T E N B Y: TO M WA D LOW

THE LARGEST PRIVATE INVESTMENT IN ANGOLA OUTSIDE THE OIL SECTOR, BIOCOM’S PROJECT IS CONVERTING HUGE SUGARCANE HARVESTS INTO VITAL ELECTRICITY, SUGAR AND ETHANOL

INSIGHT Biocom’s pre-sprouted seedling nursery in Cacuso, Malanje Province, Angola

ANGOLA IS HOME to an estimated 35mn hectares of arable land. An economy historically and still reliant on natural resources, agriculture represents an enormous opportunity for sustainable, diverse development.

“Angola’s potential has always been remarkable, however, more than half the food products consumed by the Angolan population are imported,” remarks Mário Lourenço, CEO of Cochan, key financier and 40% stakeholder in Biocom, a massive harvester of sugarcane and producer of electricity and ethanol byproducts.

The recent civil war and resultant mine-clearing operation caused a slowdown in agricultural investment in the country, meaning the sector only contributes just over 10% of Angola’s GDP. However, Biocom is a project already reversing this trend. Its 80,000-hectare site lies in the heart of the municipality of Cacuso, in the northern Malanje Province. Asides multi-industry investor Cochan, the group is formed of two other Angolan companies.

Odebrecht Angola, which operates in the fields of engineering, agribusiness, mining and civil construction, also holds a 40% stake, while state oil 9

INSIGHT

Part of Biocom’s huge 80,000-hectare site

firm Sonangol owns the remaining 20% share. So far investment has hit $750mn, with another $520mn to be spent on phase two of the project.

“Biocom is more successful than we could have ever imagined and is the first Angolan company after independence to produce and commercialise sugar,” says its Deputy General Manager Luís Bagorro Júnior.

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“Angola’s potential has always been remarkable, however, more than half the food products consumed by the Angolan population are imported” Mário Lourenço, CEO, Cochan

P O W E R I N G A N G O L A’ S S U S TA I N A B L E F U T U R E

“In 2016, we were able to save the country $25mn in sugar imports, which is equivalent to 52,000 tonnes.”

STEMMING A SUGAR SHORTAGE Both Bagorro and Lourenço fully recognise that more production is needed, for Africa remains a sugar deficit region. In 2015, Angola spent $450mn on sugar, the third largest

import of all foodstuffs and second only to wheat flour and rice.

“However, the prospects are optimistic,” Lourenço adds. “Sugar output in the continent is projected to increase by 49% by the end of 2025 as a result of production expansion in Sub-Saharan African countries.”

Cochan and Biocom are no doubt playing a considerable part 11

INSIGHT

80k

THE NUMBER OF HECTARES FARMED

BY BIOCOM

2k

THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES AT BIOCOM

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Biocom has invested heavily in sugarcane harvesting equipment and related staff skills

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INSIGHT in achieving this growth. Biocom forecasts production of 62,947 tonnes of sugar in the 2017/18 harvest, and a massive 256,000 tonnes in 2020/21 season, a fivefold increase on last year.

These are huge numbers and Biocom has room to maneuver regarding its acreage. At the moment, it only uses half of its 80,000 hectares of land, with around 11,000 to remain dedicated to environmental preservation.

Bagorro adds: “When we commence with phase two of the project, we will use the remaining 30,106 hectares of arable land. We continuously use technology to carry out tests in our seedling nursery to validate which variety of sugarcane adapts best to each of the areas of our farm, in order to maximise crop yields.

“The planting and harvesting of

Biocom lab 14

September 2017

sugarcane is already fully mechanised, and the facility is self-sufficient as it generates its own electricity. Our tractors are equipped with autopilot, which assist us in preparing the soil for planting, using modern technology to enable safer and more effective processes. Biocom is innovative as it is constantly analysing and using key learnings to continuously improve the quality of the soil and as a result the crops, and we have just announced a $ 12mn investment in new equipment to meet the demand of this year’s harvest. Bagorro goes on to detail Biocom’s impressive pedigree regarding agricultural research.

“In May 2017 the Agricultural Laboratory of Biocom was awarded an international certificate of quality

by Instituto Agronómico de Campinas (IAC), in Brazil, one of the world’s most renowned institutions in the field of agriculture. Biocom’s Agricultural Laboratory is equipped with the highest technology and precision equipment. It is able to analyse plant matter (foliar), organic fertiliser, mineral fertiliser and gypsum as well as provide agronomic advisory services, which supplies information on more accurate dosages of minerals and

Biocom’s processing plant

fertilisers to be added to the soil for the various crops to be planted. This is important as better soil quality will ultimately result in better crop quality.”

This clever use of technology and pooling of knowledge has allowed Biocom to harvest a much larger area this season, up from 9,272 hectares to 12,600.

BOUNTIFUL BYPRODUCTS Crucial though the sugar production may be, it is the ethanol and electricity byproducts from the biomass that

make the operation unique. In 2016 Biocom produced 58,000Mwh of electricity and 14,000 cubic metres of ethanol. By the 2020/21 season, it expects to produce four times more electricity and more than double the amount of ethanol.

“As Angola’s population increases, so does energy demand,” says Lourenço. “This is why increasing electric power availability is amongst the Angolan government’s highest priorities.

It is committed to introducing 15

INSIGHT

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INSIGHT new renewable energy aiming to increase energy capacity and by 2025 new renewables will constitute 7.5% of all energy produced.

“There is a huge demand for alternative energy solutions and we are happy to contribute to its supply and sustainability. both environmentally and financially. This is one of Cochan’s key priorities.”

Bagorro adds that Biocom has an enormous opportunity to become the go-to company in Angola for processed alcohol.

“Data indicates that the country imports about 80,000 cubic meters of alcohol per year, and we currently supply approximately 10 to 15% of the market demand,” he says. “Biocom produces hydrated ethanol and it is our ambition to start the production of neutral ethanol within the next couple of years.”

A SOCIAL VENTURE Asides the obvious economic focus, the venture is also one of sizable social value, with people at the heart of what Biocom plans to up sugar output by more than 500% by 2020/21

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P O W E R I N G A N G O L A’ S S U S TA I N A B L E F U T U R E

“Biocom aims to be amongst the five largest producers of sugar in Southern Africa by 2020/21” Luís Bagorro Júnior, Deputy General Manager, Biocom the project stands for. Indeed, one of the greatest challenges for Bagorro is the education of Biocom’s 2,500plus workforce, which it expects to grow to almost 3,000 by 2020/21. The vast majority (over 90%) are Angolan nationals, who can all benefit from Biocom’s Individual Development Programme, which hones key skills to develop the leadership team both now and in the future, with plans to replace the expatriate workforce over the next few years.

“Responsibility and sustainability are cornerstones of our project and drivers of our strategy,” says Bagorro. “Biocom invests thousands of dollars each month in corporate social responsibility projects and education of the local community is one of the key focus areas.

“We promote a literacy programme

for young people and adults which has already benefitted more than 700 people to date. We also support a family agriculture programme called ‘Kukula Ku Moxi’ (which means ‘grow together’), which is improving the lives of more than 700 families.” Biocom also supports sports groups aimed at young people in the community as well as the children of its employees.

BURNING BRIGHT Fast forward five to 10 years and Biocom will hope to see the legacy of its educational work in action with the future generation. But what about the business ambitions for the project? Bagorro certainly sets a high bar. “Biocom aims to be amongst the five largest producers of sugar in Southern Africa by 2020/21,” he says.

For Lourenço and Cochan, as with Bagorro, it is all about generating positivity for customers, suppliers, partners and communities. “Biocom shares this vision and its shareholders are totally focused on creating a benchmark project in Africa, where the potential for agriculture is enormous, but still undeveloped. At a national level, we want it to continue its remarkable growth trend.”

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TRANSFORMERS - HOW PPPs ARE CHANGING UGANDA African Business Review looks at the amazing progress that can be achieved through public-private partnerships… Written by: GORDON FELLER

A COUNTLESS NUMBER of academic and government policy papers have been flowing out of printers recently, concerning the need for PPPs (public-private partnerships).

However, there’s been slow and painful progress on that road, with only a handful of larger-scale success stories to show for all of the talk.

But there is some good news.

Micro-scale PPPs do make an impact. Succeeding in some tough environments, they help to show the way forward; lessons being learned in places where one might least expect to find them. The development of small-scale water PPPs in Uganda is a very good example.

The back-story is about reforms, implemented by the national Ministry of Water. These changes were aimed squarely at facilitating both change and growth in the local water marketplaces.

Spying some real opportunities to make a difference, the World Bank financed the development of smalltown water infrastructure, particularly in those types of towns where the national government began its programs. The effort was kickstarted by the introduction of one-year area 21

W AT E R performance contracts (APCs) which remunerated local managers, but only based on actual results. One key to that strategy: bonuses and penalties (of up to 25% of basic salary) were intrinsically tied to targets.

Under the APCs, the operational performance of the largest utility that implemented APCs in secondary towns rose strongly: non-revenue water decreased from 32% to 22% in fewer than three years, and bill collection dramatically improved.

The introduction of APCs in small towns attracted private operators to the operation and as a consequence, there was improved management of water supply, service quality and

‘Micro-scale PPPs do make an impact.

Succeeding in some tough environments, they help to show the way forward’

customer satisfaction.

In 2008, the Ugandan government started signing output-based aid contracts with these private operators to design, build and operate water systems. Under this scheme, 961 connections have been completed (out of 2,000 planned), along with 450 verified yard taps benefiting 8,100 people.

As of 2010, 18 private operators were running 95 water systems in small towns. The number of towns being serviced increased from 15 in 2001-2 to over 90 in 2010-11.

Since the launch of private sector participation sector reform, private operators in small towns improved tariff collection and achieved almost universal metering, while maintaining affordable tariffs.

One example is the town of Busembatia where the local PPP attracted the private sector in construction, operation and management of drinking water distribution networks in small towns and rural growth centres. The International Finance Corporation provided support for three program components: transaction advice, public sector capacity and access to finance. Due diligence identified contracts of short duration and varying performance. To address

these shortcomings and ensure ease of management and administration, a generic contract with a minimum term of five years was proposed to both private operators and lenders.

Following a prequalification process, three local companies were invited to submit a bid for a five-year management contract in Busembatia.

The contract was awarded to Trandint Ltd, one of the largest local private operators in Uganda, managing 12 small town water systems. Trandint satisfiedtechnicalrequirements,secured 23

W AT E R DEFINING PPPS A public-private partnership (PPP) is a contractual arrangement between a public agency (federal, state or local) and a private sector entity.

Through this agreement, the skills and assets of each sector (public and private) are shared in delivering a service or facility for the use of the general public.

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TRANSFORMERS - HOW PPPS ARE CHANGING UGANDA

a financing arrangement with lenders, and offered the lowest total bid price of $270,000. The new operator agreed to install 400 new connections during the first two years while avoiding increased tariffs for the duration of the five-year management contract.

The majority of the capital was invested by the ‘global partnership’ on output-based aid. However, the new operator needed to pre-finance the investment in order to access this output-based grant. The grant was released upon certification of commissioning and verification of output.

The tariff level and the tariff adjustment procedures were predefined and included in the contracts with the private operators. For pre-financing, DFCU Bank, a Ugandan commercial bank, loaned approximately $100,000 to the winning bidder for the Busembatia contract.

During the first year of the project, the residents of Busembatia have seen a dramatic improvement in the quality and level of water services. A total of 430 connections have been installed, water production has increased from eight to 21 cubic metres an hour and collection rates have increased from 70% to 85%.

A significant achievement of the project was the access-to-finance component. This was the first time that a local bank had provided finance against water supply operations. Previously, private operators in Uganda raised financing by using overdraft facilities provided by the banks or secured loans using other existing business. Following this example, other local banks have now begun to offer financing for water operations.

‘The effort was kickstarted by the introduction of oneyear area performance contracts (APCs) which remunerated local managers, but only based on actual results’

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TOP 10

TOP AFRICAN STARTUPS Edited by: ANDREW WOODS

AFRICAN STARTUPS, particularly those involved in tech industries, are on a roll. According to a recent study by Partech Ventures, 2016 was a recordsetting year for African technology startups, as they raised $366.8mn in venture capital funding. We expect that 2017 will bring more of the same, and so we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 African startups for 2017, for your investing consideration

TOP 10

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PRINTIVO Country: NIGERIA www.printivo.com

The first company up on our list sets the bar quite high, as Nigerian digital printing startup Printivo holds the title of 2016’s most investable startup in Nigeria. Printivo is looking to grow Nigeria’s $200mn print market by working with Nigerian startups, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and international companies to ease the printing process. The company’s website is second-to-none and its early successes are attracting the likes of Google, Samsung, Stanbic, Honda and Uber.

Print It Yourself with Printivo.com video

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A F R I C A N S TA R T U P S

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TRESS Country: GHANA www.tressapp.co

Tress, from Ghana, is a social haircare app for black women. The company allows black women from around the world to collaborate and share hairstyles specifically for black women and includes detailed information on stylists, products and techniques employed.

Given that the global black haircare market is estimated at more than $500bn, we think Tress is looking at the right space.

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TOP 10

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SPACEPOINTE Country: NIGERIA www.spacepointe.com

Spacepointe is a Nigerian software developer focused on SMEs, especially in the retail space. The company raised $1.2mn from investors in 2016 and is poised to take the African SME retail market by storm with its in-store management and point-of-sale (PoS) software applications. Its CommercePointe platform is specifically designed for management in the informal sector and is bound to find tremendous utility throughout the continent.

The SpacePointe corporate video

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A F R I C A N S TA R T U P S

Dr CADx Demo video

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DR. CADX Country: ZIMBABWE www.drcadx.com

Dr. CADx is one of the newest companies on our list, having been formed only in August 2016, but the company’s technology is very exciting. The team at Dr CADx is developing computer-aided medical diagnostic tools that will improve medical diagnoses even in remote areas. The platform is particularly good at radiology diagnoses without the aid of radiologists – a prototype achieved 82% accuracy in a test of chest X-rays of people with tuberculosis and lung cancer.

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TOP 10

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TUTORAMA Country: EGYPT www.tutorama.me

Egyptian startup Tutorama is another relatively new company, having been founded in January 2016. Tutorama is an educational technology firm that provides a platform for parents to connect with tutors in their nearby geographic area. The company won MIT’s Enterprise Forum Arab Startup Competition in 2016 and its platform has gone live with a clean, functional-looking customer interface.

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A F R I C A N S TA R T U P S

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CUSTOS MEDIA TECHNOLOGIES Country: SOUTH AFRICA www.custostech.com

South African tech startup Custos Media Technologies uses the Bitcoin blockchain to fight piracy of digital media. The company’s patented technology creates a sort of digital “watermark” to detect illegal sharing of videos, ebooks and other media. So while Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies may be experiencing a global crash, Custos Media Technologies might have created a new market that could revive an old one, as industries such as music and other creative industries have been screaming about the effect of digital piracy on their markets for years.

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TOP 10

04

SOUTH AFRICAN CAPE Country: SOUTH AFRICA www.capenetworks.com

South African Cape, rebranded from Asimmetric, was founded in February 2015. After becoming the first South African company to join San-Francisco-based accelerator Highway1, the company managed to raise a “seven-figure dollar funding round” from US investors. Cape’s innovative WiFi network monitoring product can help solve a stubborn, all-too-common problem across the African continent – poor WiFi connectivity. Cape describes their product as the simplest WiFi monitoring tool available and the company definitely seems to be on the upswing.

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A F R I C A N S TA R T U P S

03

FUZU Country: KENYA www.fuzu.com

Fuzu is an online career development platform launched from tech-savvy Kenya in 2015.

The company helps users to learn new skills, access career counselling and search for jobs at all educational levels.

Employers gain access to candidates who have been evaluated and ranked by Fuzu’s algorithm. We think they’re pretty great, but apparently we’re not the only ones – they raised a total of $1.88mn by December 2016.

How Fuzu works video

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TOP 10

02

FLARE Country: KENYA www.flare.capsule.co.ke

Another Kenyan entrant comes in at number two. Flare is looking to revolutionise emergency healthcare starting in Nairobi by connecting ambulances with patients or hospitals who need them.

Currently, Nairobi has up to a hundred idle ambulances at any given time, while needy patients can’t seem to find ambulances when they need them. If Flare is able to solve this problem, they’ll soon find a market in cities all across the continent.

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A F R I C A N S TA R T U P S

01

JAMII Country: TANZANIA www.jamiiafrica.com

Tanzania’s Jamii is our current champ. Jamii provides a mobile micro-health insurance product for low income and informal workers. The company has backing from none other than the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and won the Tanzanian leg of Seedstars World. While the US struggles with healthcare, Jamii is working to solve this problem through technology and the free market as the company looks to launch in Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Nigeria, and South Africa this year.

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KEFI MINERALS: STRIKING GOLD WITH ETHIOPIAN EXPERTISE Written by: Laura Mullan Produced by: Richard Deane

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As Ethiopia becomes the fastest growing economy in the world, KEFI Minerals looks set to lay the foundations for the country to become a major player in the mining market, all through its flagship Tulu Kapi Gold project

H

idden in the remote hills of Western Ethiopia lies the Tulu Kapi Gold Project - a lucrative mining operation owned

by KEFI Minerals. Thanks to the company’s hands-on business approach, Tulu Kapi Gold Project will not only generate an impressive gold yield once operational in 2019, it will also make a lasting contribution to the local community.

Executive Chairman of KEFI Minerals, Harry Anagnostaras-Adams, has an impressive portfolio of work - stretching from Europe to Africa, Australia, and the Middle East. But it is

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the company’s projects in the ArabianNubian shield, such as the Tulu Kapi project, which he believes are gamechanging. “Some of the team at KEFI Minerals are from Western Australia, an area which is geologically similar to the Arabian-Nubian shield, and so we feel we know what’s going to happen,” says Anagnostaras-Adams.

“The Arabian-Nubian shield including Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia - will go through a transformation over the next few decades to become one of the world’s major mining and metal production regions. Therefore, we feel that we are being focused enough, and

MINING

980,000oz

Open-pit gold output forecast at Tulu Kapi over 10 years

careful enough, and successful enough to establish a platform there and be a part of that from ground zero.”

Trenching work at the Tulu Kapi gold project

Gold sample from the surveying work

Ethiopia’s gold rush According to the World Bank, Ethiopia is now the fastest growing economy in the world, meaning that investment, particularly in gold, is high on the country’s agenda. “It’s a completely transforming country,” notes Anagnostaras-Adams. “It’s changing its education system, its infrastructure, it’s investing in energy, and industrialisation is booming.”

Spotting the opportunity to invest in 2015, the Ethiopian government backed the Tulu Kapi Gold Project by granting it a mining licence and in doing so, became entitled to a 5% free-carry interest in the mine. It’s an alliance that AnagnostarasAdams describes as “critical” to the success of the company and one which it strives to maintain.

However, it’s not just the government’s financial push which is crucial to the London-listed firm.

“Part of the relationship is about funding,” reflects Anagnostaras-Adams, “but another part of it is about dealing with social issues in the area.

“We want to ensure the community is a strong

w w w. k e f i - m i n e r a l s . c o m

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KEFI MINING

IAN PLIMER Non-Executive Director

FABIO GRANITZIO Group Exploration Manager

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“The ArabianNubian shield including Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia - will go through a transformation over the next few decades to become one of the world’s major mining and metal production regions” HARRY ANAGNOSTARAS ADAMS Executive Chairman

MINING

KEBEDE BELETE Country Manager Ethiopia

NORMAN LING Non-Executive Director

JEFF RAYNER Adviser Exploration and Corporate Development

w w w. k e f i - m i n e r a l s . c o m

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backer of the mine, not just tolerating it, but actually wholeheartedly supporting it and I think the government’s involvement as a partner is critical in that capacity.

“It’s important that the local community and population recognises that it’s important for the country and it’s a true partnership. It’s not just foreigners coming in to exploit minerals but it’s foreigners coming in to introduce training and other benefits to the community and country at large.”

Bringing about positive change KEFI Minerals and the Ethiopian government both strive to sustain this win-win relationship - however, ultimately, the key beneficiary from the partnership is the local community. Through workforce training, infrastructure development, and creating a local supply chain, KEFI Minerals has already begun to leave a lasting legacy in Ethiopia.

“The community undeniably has more infrastructure, more livelihood

Geologists taking structural measurements in the core yard

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K E F I M I N E R A L S LT D

opportunities, and more economic opportunities than ever,” says Anagnostaras-Adams, “but the really important thing that we provide is the supply chain and the employment because that provides a significant flow of money to the community.

“Clearly from a social value point of view, our business wants to bring benefits, training and skills to the country, rather than just importing labour and exporting materials. But even from a purely financial point of view, you can see that the stability, cost base, and commitment of the workforce is far greater if you can source work and embed it into the local

“For us, the key is to be hands on, embed ourselves in the country, and build relationships from the ground up” HARRY ANAGNOSTARAS-ADAMS, EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN, KEFI MINERALS 46

September 2017

community as much as possible, rather than employing foreign workers.”

A high grade and low cost project The emerging gold miner first acquired Tulu Kapi back in 2014; a significantly advanced project that had seen $50mn of investment from an English-based consortium. “We took the project back to square one,” notes AnagnostarasAdams, “and that transformed the economics of it on paper.”

From carefully tweaking the mining method to reviewing the data base, KEFI Minerals has significantly developed the mine plans further, aiming for a late 2019 production date.

K E F I M I N E R A L S LT D

This notably enhanced the efficiency of the mine, which AnagnostarasAdams says will establish Tulu Kapi as a high grade and low-cost project.

Open-pit gold production is forecast to hit 980,000oz over 10 years, however, this development would not have been possible without the help of contractors Ausdrill and Lycopodium, who are viewed more as partners for the firm.

The two heavyweights bring over

20 years of experience working in the mining industry in Africa. “They are a vital key to the ongoing development of the project and the wider company,” says Anagnostaras-Adams. “They have such a long record of success in different African mining countries and therefore they are well equipped to bring their training systems and experiences to a new Tulu Kapi.

“Their roles are very far-reaching

1.0mn

1.7mn

ounces Probable Tulu Kapi ore reserve 48

September 2017

ounces The total mineral resources at Tulu Kapi

MINING

In the remote hills of Western Ethiopia lies the Tulu Kapi Gold Project - a lucrative mining operation owned

by KEFI Minerals

for us - they are the foundations of our HR management, of our operational management, and our financial management - so our relationship couldn’t be any more important.”

Forging relationships on the ground With two operational mines and a cost-effective portfolio to explore, KEFI Minerals has big ambitions for the region. But in an industry that is constantly evolving, how can KEFI Minerals stay one step ahead?

“Our business style is that we run a very small head office in Cyprus, but everyone else is based at the sites where the action is. I spend more time myself in Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia than anywhere else,” says Anagnostaras-Adams.

“For us, the key is to be hands on, embed ourselves in the country, and build relationships from the ground up which is where the relationship with the government comes in - they see the commitment of the people on the ground. So that’s our philosophy, that’s our style, and as we grow it will be our challenge to grow and still maintain that. I like to think that it sets us apart.”

In the four years spent developing Tulu Kapi, working with local and national stakeholders, KEFI Minerals has developed the mine plans in a cost-effective manner and has done so whilst making an active, positive and long-lasting contribution to the locality.

Through Tulu Kapi, KEFI Minerals laid the foundations for Ethiopia to one day become a major player in the mining industry.

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AN INTRODUCTION FROM THE KENYA MINISTRY OF MINES Written by: Dale Benton Produced by: Richard Deane

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M I N I S T RY O F M I N E R A L R E S O U R C E S

Dan Kazungu, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Mining, Republic of Kenya, introduces our special focus on the growing mining sector in Kenya CAN YOU GIVE US A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE MINISTRY OF MINES IN KENYA? The ministry of mining was established in 2013 through a decision by president Uhuru Kenyatta to create a new ministry mandated solely to grow the mining sector after having been given prominence by vision 2030 pillar seven, which identified mining or the extractives sector as a key contributor to a diversified economy with the potential for jobs and wealth creation for Kenya.

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WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF THE MINING SECTOR IN KENYA? Traditionally, mining was not the primary focus for Environment and natural resources management - mining was largely ignored. Its therefore no wonder that Kenya never realized the full potential of mining until 2013 after President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration whose transformation agenda included bringing mining to the forefront.

With that, Kenya’s mining journey began in earnest and the country

MINING

kicked off on a reform agenda to transform mining to be more inclusive, modern, ensure the sector attracts responsible investors and to legitimize artisanal and small-scale miners while having community (Kenyans) benefits taken care of.

WHAT IS THE ROLE AND THE VISION OF THE MINISTRY IN TODAY’S INDUSTRY? The goal of the ministry is to transform mining to become a key contributor to the economic growth and transformation of the country. The aim is to see growth and GDP in the mining sector hit double digits. We see Kenya as a hub for mineral trading and value addition for east and central Africa, leading in technical expertise, logistics, funding for mineral projects and services. We have plans to consolidate leadership through the set-up of a regional mineral and metals exchange.

To achieve this, the ministry is tasked to promote Kenya as a minerals hub for players across the board by carrying out the right reforms and creating an environment that ensures that mining

investments thrive based on a win-win formula, i.e. for the investor, national government, county government and the communities. The ministry is making deliberate efforts in the spirit of inclusivity to Kenyans who have been excluded from the mining eco-system to now be a part of it. In addition, efforts are being made to attract large-scale mining in the country to bring in investment, technology transfer, technical expertise and highly specialised jobs and opportunities.

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE CHANGING FACE OF KENYA’S MINING INDUSTRY? As a country Kenya is proud to state that in the first year of its reform, efforts to create a robust mining climate have started to bear fruit. According to the global mining investment attractiveness index by the Fraser institute, Kenya has jumped 16 places up to position 86 in 2016 from position 102 in 2015 in a global mining attractiveness survey.

Today, Kenyans are more aware of the opportunities in the mining sector (especially artisanal miners) that are

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now claiming their space encouraged by the progressive mining law in place.

Small and Medium Scale miners are showing increased interest too.

Exploration and mining companies are in Kenya carrying out exploration leading to the announcement of what is considered the biggest gold discovery on the continent - 1.3mn ounces of inferred gold along the Liranda corridor in Ikolomani in Western Kenya.

Large-scale mining investments are coming to Kenya for example Base Resources (Base Titanium) that is the single largest mining company in the country, Acacia Mining, Gold Plat, Tata (Magadi soda), Lafarge limestone project.

WHY HAS IT TAKEN SO LONG, IN YOUR OPINION, FOR KENYA TO REALISE THE ENORMOUS ECONOMIC POTENTIAL OF ITS NATURAL RESOURCES? It all comes down to leadership and vision. Over the years industry players have been talking about mining opportunities. It takes leadership to transform this, to real worth. This

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is what formed the vision to grow Kenya’s into a medium sized economy.

The other reason is socio-economic socialisation as over the years, Kenya was presumed to be an agricultural economy and so little attention was paid to mineral exploitation.

YOUR MINISTRY’S WORK, LEGISLATION AND COLLABORATIVE APPROACH HAS BEEN PRAISED BY SOME OF THE MAJOR MINING OPERATIONS IN THE COUNTRY. HOW IMPORTANT IS TO MAINTAIN GOOD RELATIONSHIPS? As a country, we believe strongly that to create a robust investment environment, relationships are extremely key and not about shortterm gains. Mining projects are by nature long-term and therefore the relationships built should be longterm. This is the natural habit to adopt, not just to please investors but also to create a “win-win-win-win” in the sector. This is the only sustainable way; – win for the investor who takes the risk (sometimes massive

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“As a country, we believe strongly that to create a robust investment environment, relationships are extremely key and not about short-term gains” DAN KAZUNGU Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Mining, Republic of Kenya

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risks) and creates jobs, win for the national government that creates the enabling environment for investments to flourish and prosper, win county governments as that is where all mining projects are established and last win for the local community as Kenyans are the core beneficiaries of the mining activities in the country.

WHAT OTHER WORK IS THE MINISTRY DOING TO SEEK OUT NEW POTENTIAL AREAS FOR EXPLORATION? Private companies such as Base Titanium carry out geological surveys that share data with the ministry, which

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is encouraged practice. The country has put in effort to do a comprehensive nationwide airborne geophysical mapping survey in order to identify new potential areas for mineral discovery.

Both investors and government have been keen to have the latest data on minerals in the country. The finalisation of this survey will be a key milestone for Kenya’s mineral development, as it will drive key interest and attractiveness to Kenya as a modern mining jurisdiction.

YOU HAVE CREATED AN AMBITIOUS 20-YEAR STRATEGY FOR THE SECTOR WITHIN THE 2030 VISION. TELL US ABOUT

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IT AND WHETHER YOU FEEL YOU ARE ON COURSE? WITH ELECTIONS APPROACHING, HAVE YOU LAID A FIRM FOUNDATION? Kenya’s 20-year strategy is part of what we call the 6-pack initiative that was a realization that in order to promote an attractive and robust proper mining environment, six key components have to be achieved; the strategy itself that outlines how Kenya will leapfrog this mining journey to become a key player in the region and in the world, mining policy that aims at creating the right environment for reform, repealing old laws and building institutions while looking at issues of inclusivity and environmental concerns, Mining Act 2016, the most progressive mining law in Africa, the mining regulations to enable the implementation of the mining law, a fiscal Policy framework to ensure Kenya has both an attractive and competitive tax and royalty regime and finally availability of the latest data.

The idea here has been that for the country to get its basic right by laying the foundation for a successful sector.

Kenya has also learned lessons from

her peers in mining that if the basics are not in place, things can go wrong.

CAN YOU DETAIL THE IMPORTANCE OF EVENTS SUCH AS THE KENYA MINING FORUM TO HELP PROMOTE THE SECTOR NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY? The Kenya Mining Forum and other such like events are designed to bring investors into the country and the entire region for them to experience first-hand Kenya’s mining sector. The first edition of the KMF in 2016, attracted close to 400 investors from 15 nationalities.

The second edition is expected to be even bigger than the first.

TELL US HOW IMPORTANT YOU THINK THE UPCOMING MINING FORUM IS IN NOVEMBER. I welcome you all to Nairobi for the second edition of the Kenya Mining Forum in November. We are ready to network, share thoughts and experiences and above all we want to do business because Kenya is open for Mining Business.

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KENYAN MINING ON THE RISE Written by: Dale Benton Produced by: Richard Deane

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BASE TITANIUM, A CRUCIAL PLAYER IN KENYA’S EMERGING MINING MARKET, HAS BEEN FORMALLY ACCREDITED BY KENYA VISION 2030 AS ITS FLAGSHIP MINING PROJECT

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he Kenyan mining industry is on the rise. Historically, the country focused on agriculture, tourism, services and manufacturing as its main economic pillars, but in recent years, that focus has begun to shift towards extractives – both oil and mining.

“In the past mining was not seen as a significant sector of the economy – that is until Base Titanium’s Kwale Mine entered into production in early 2014,” says Joe Schwarz, General Manager – External Affairs and Development, Base Titanium. “The industry is now contributing around 1% to the GDP, but with increased interest in extractives and a friendly investment climate that will increase.”

FLYING THE FLAG FOR KENYA In 2013 the Government of Kenya created, for the first time, the stand-alone Ministry of Mining in recognition of the emergence of mining, led

by Base Titanium, as an increasingly important sector of the economy with real growth potential.

“Establishing the Ministry of Mining has really given the mining industry in Kenya a new focus and impetus,” Schwarz says. “With the Ministry and Base Titanium working collaboratively to promote further

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An aerial view of dozer mining in the Central Dune at Base Titanium’s Kwale Mine.

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“It’s absolutely vital that we play our part, we are guests in the community and must obtain a social license to ensure a harmonious and mutually beneficial operating environment” – Joe Schwarz, General Manager – External Affairs and Development

Magaoni Secondary school built by Base Titanium.

The company is investing heavily in local education.

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Sorghum – one of the crops supported under the livelihood programme.

investor interest in the sector, we stand as a benchmark for others to emulate.”

This relationship with the Ministry of Mining is important, not only for Base Titanium, but for any future mining projects in Kenya that will contribute to the achievement of country’s Vision 2030 objectives of establishing Kenya as a middle-income country by 2030.

For Schwarz, that relationship with the Ministry is crucial in jointly driving the mining agenda by attracting serious investment into exploration and development in

a mutually beneficial manner.

Collaboration is key and this has also allowed Base Titanium, through the Kenya Chamber of Mines, to work closely with the Ministry of Mining on formulating the Mining Regulations after the Mining Act 2016 took effect in May last year.

“We provided significant input to the public review process.

With this positive relationship we are able to exchange views in a constructive manner to achieve a balanced outcome,” Schwarz says.

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“As Kenya’s leading mining company, working with the Ministry, we have also had opportunities to jointly promote Kenya as an investment destination.” “Being the preeminent mining company in the country, we shall again be playing a leading role in supporting the November 2017 edition of the Kenya Mining Forum as its main sponsor,” Schwarz adds.

“We fully support Mining Cabinet Secretary Dan Kazungu’s philosophy

Building skills in mineral processing.

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of making Kenya a predictable, stable and attractive investment destination and work with the government to showcase the country at events such as this.” This forum is the premium annual mining investment event, showcasing Kenya’s potential and ‘open for business’ stance.

LEADING FROM THE FRONT Construction of the Kwale Mine was completed in 2013 and the first shipment of ilmenite left its port facility in February 2014. Since then a number of process optimisations have been successfully completed to improve efficiencies and debottleneck the plant. Hydraulic mining has been successfully introduced and will ultimately replace dozer mining and the wet concentrator will soon be uprated to fully utilise the minerals separation plant capacity as mining moves to lower grade areas.

In the fourth year of its 11-year mine life, 2017 proved to be a highly successful year for the project. Over 10mn tonnes of ore were mined leading to a combined 671,000 tonnes of ilmenite, rutile and zircon

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being exported as the market for all three products showed signs of significant improvement.

The importance of Kwale to the Kenyan mining industry is amply illustrated by the fact that it now contributes close to 60% of the total value of Kenya’s minerals output.

Regional exploration to extend the life of the mine is one of the company’s key future growth strategies. The initial phase has been successfully completed and plans are in hand for further exploration in the coming year.

But for Schwarz, the success of the Kwale Mine and Base Titanium extends well beyond its core mining operations. He also measures the success of the company through its role in building the mining economy and giving back to its host communities by improving their livelihoods in a sustainable manner.

“The cornerstone of our philosophy is the flow of mutual benefits,” he says.

“It has to be win-win for everyone, all the stakeholders must share in the benefits – Government, investors and the local communities.”

During the construction phase of

Spirals in the wet concentrator.

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the project Base Titanium spent one third of the $320mn capital cost with Kenyan suppliers and contractors.

THE COMMITMENT TO MAXIMISING LOCAL CONTENT DIDN’T END THERE In operation, the company continually aims to maximise local procurement, spending $37mn annually (or 84% of the total) on spares, consumables and services purchased from local suppliers. In all, Base Titanium expects to contribute close to $1bn to Kenya’s 66

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GDP through the period of 2015-2025.

“Viewing direct revenues from a mining operation of this scale in isolation is to see only a quarter of the picture” he says. “The indirect and induced economic stimulus generated beyond this through wider employment creation, the supply chain, consumer spending and taxation is enormous in comparison.”

ENHANCING A COMMUNITY For any mining operation, the role of the local community can never be

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Ship loading at the dedicated port facility. In 2016 the Kwale Mine accounted for close to 60% of Kenya’s mineral output.

underestimated. Base Titanium has proven that it is a key contributor to the Kenyan economy, but how is the local community benefitting?

To date, the company has invested $10mn in four pillars of community development; social infrastructure, livelihood enhancement, health programmes and education.

“It’s absolutely vital that we play our part, we are guests in the community and must obtain a social license to ensure a harmonious and mutually beneficial operating environment,”

Schwarz says. “Such benefits need to be tangible and sustainable.”

Base Titanium has built a number of schools and health facilities, sunk community boreholes and supports various medical campaigns such as immunisations and training community health workers. Provision of secondary and tertiary scholarships has so far benefitted close to 1,000 students from needy families.

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opportunities for sustainable livelihood enhancement,” Schwarz says.

This has seen the company work on multiple agricultural programmes, taking farmers, groups and communities from just subsistence towards sustainable commercial agriculture in cotton, potato and sorghum production. Base Titanium is working with governmental and non-governmental organisations, including international partners, to enhance these programmes and to connect the farmers with markets for their products.

programmes to address competency gaps and enhance skill levels of our existing employees; also, a range of external programmes are run, including apprenticeships, student attachments, a graduate training scheme and imparting artisan skills to neighbouring community members.”

Currently 970 people, including outsourced service contractors, are employed at the Kwale Mine.

Reflecting the company’s commitment to prioritise job opportunities for

THESE, SCHWARZ SAYS, ARE EXAMPLES OF THOSE REAL AND TANGIBLE BENEFITS Earlier this year, a report from the Zambia Chamber of Mines revealed that the global mining industry is facing its most significant skills shortage in decades, and Base Titanium is all too aware of the importance of providing employment and training opportunities.

“One of our key programmes is training and skills development,” he says. “This includes internal training

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Cotton harvesting in full swing

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locals, 65% of these employees are drawn from Kwale County. A clear barometer as to the effectiveness of its training programmes is the reduction by 50% of its expatriate complement over the last three and a half years.

“All this feeds into our succession planning. By empowering people with the right skills and experience, Kenyans are progressively taking over most technical and management roles from expats,” Schwarz says.

“It’s a clear illustration of the success

of our investment in training to empower the local community and Kenyans in general.”

Mining needs to be at the forefront of economic growth if Kenya is to achieve its Vision 2030 goal of becoming a middle-income country in the next 13 years. Schwarz says. “We fully support the endeavours of the government to transform the mining sector into an increasingly significant contributor to employment, exports and the socioeconomic growth of the country.”

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iSON GROUP:

Enhancing lives of a continent and building communities through technology Written by: Dale Benton Produced by: Vince Kielty

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iSON Group continues to innovate in the disruptive and volatile market of Nigeria to remain as a growing IT and IT enabled service provider. The company is continuously expanding its footprint and portfolio across all of Africa

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any companies achieve substantial growth and success but the real test is in their resilience during turbulence and how efficiently they face and adapt to it. For Ramesh Awtaney, Founder and Chairman of iSON Group, one of the largest IT and ITeS company’s in Africa, discovering the joy of resilient and proactive employees weathering through disruptive markets proved to be a cornerstone moment last year.

“It may not sound profound, but as the founder of the company, when you find your company can withstand these storms and has the resilience built into the system, it is extremely satisfying,” he says.

So, Ramesh mush be contented surely? “As satisfying as it was,” he adds, “there is so much more to do,”

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Market volatility iSON Group’s African headquarters is located in Lagos, Nigeria. For Awtaney; the market volatility of Nigeria presented the company with the biggest test of its fortitude. A large part of iSON Group’s business and profit is generated from Nigeria and over the last 12 months the company suffered headwinds with major currency devaluation across the country and wider Africa. “This also meant that our customers cut down on their budgets” points Awtaney. He adds devaluation and reduced customer budgets meant substantial operating profit challenge, nevertheless the company weathered the storm and continued to grow. iSON Group’s ability to adapt, change and continuously innovate in

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Ramesh Awtaney

Founder and Chairman, iSON Group Ramesh Awtaney, a dynamic entrepreneur, an Indo-African business magnate, investor and philanthropist has deep business interests across Africa and Middle East. He carries more than 28 years of rich experience in global technology, market development and business process outsourcing across Telecom Providers and other Verticals.

Since 2014, Awtaney has embarked on a journey to create ISON 2.0, an innovation driven enterprise that would employ 40,000 people by the year 2017 and acquire an expanded footprint across 35 Sub Saharan African countries.

Ramesh is married and lives in Dubai. His son has studied digital management and is currently working with 10 African Start Ups as an entrepreneur in residence for UX/design at Startupbootcamp, Cape Town, and his wife runs an up market boutique in New Delhi.

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these trying times with ears close to what customers want has enabled stronger relationships with key customers. iSON has also acquired a new base of operations in Durban, South Africa. This really broad bases the risk while representing a major step in expanding the company’s footprint throughout Africa.

Expansion As Awtaney oversees a major expansion of the company’s national footprint, iSON Group continues to be a fast-growing company. iSON has four verticals, iSON BPO, iSON Technologies, iSON Innovation & Investments (i3) and now iSON Foundation.

“Through our growth and resilience in that difficult period, we’ve really been able to diversify and expand our portfolio offerings for new IT solutions and customer services in different verticals,” says Awtaney. iSON Group has also embarked aggressively on iSON Innovations and Investments. i3 is a vertical through which the company seeks out and invests in small start-up companies, enabling them to grow and scale throughout Africa by providing infrastructure support, capital, mentorship and management support. Last year i3 invested in

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iSON GROUP IS BASED IN LAGOS, NIGERIA

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It may not sound profound, but as the founder of the company, when you find your company can withstand these storms and has the resilience built into the system, it is extremely satisfying Ramesh Awtaney Founder and Chairman

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Pravin Kumar

Global CEO, iSON BPO Pravin Kumar is an industry veteran with more than 35 years of experience during which he has been credited with the creation of three large business empires. He is a widely respected name in the Business Process Outsourcing space and is regarded as a pioneer in call center services. Kumar is a Board member of iSON BPO - the leading ITeS services company in Africa. Under his strong leadership, iSON BPO now has operations in 16 countries in Africa and ASEAN regions with about 10,000 employees within three years of iSON BPO’s establishment.

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a taxi hailing app business: Mondo Ride, 2016 also saw investment in a hyperlocal search and discovery platform -Oliza, and a platform aggregator for golfers – Golflan . Recently, i3 has been evaluating investments in speech recognition technology enabling companies to support in growing BPO business followed by collaboration in the field of chat bots; thus, leveraging the power of natural language processing and Artificial Intelligence.

The process of selecting these companies is no different to any large company investing in a start-up.

For Awtaney, the differentiator is in one simple question.

“How can we add value to this company, which in turn will add value to Africa?” he says. “We have a very significant presence in 25 African countries, so we look at how these companies can benefit from that significant platform.”

Smart investing One particular start-up that the company has invested in is a ride hailing service called Mondo Ride , in Kenya. With Uber already operating in Nairobi, Mondo will utilise the infrastructure and support of iSON Group as a platform on which it can build through its unique business model that aims at the corporate world of Kenya.

Mondo has signed around 40 transport rights contracts with several organisations, including The Kenya commercial bank. These corporate employees will also use Mondo for personal requirements.

This is the added value that iSON Group seeks out in start-ups. Through investment and infrastructure support, iSON can enable Mondo to scale and expand beyond Kenya.

“We feel that once Mondo is successful and gets its big business

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iSON BPO , the BPO business unit of iSON Group was awarded with 2016 West African Frost & Sullivan Award for Competitive Strategy, Innovation and Leadership during an awards ceremony at Growth Innovation and Leadership Event at The Table Bay Hotel, Capetown on 17th August 2017.

Ramesh Awtaney, Founder and Chairman, iSON Group receiving the award from Hendrik Malan, Operations Director for Africa, Frost and Sullivan.

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THE NUMBER OF STAFF WORKING AT iSON GROUP

break in Kenya, then you can lift that up and move into different countries where we [iSON Group] are already operating – because our core system and infrastructures are already place,” Awtaney says.

Having that national footprint spread across 25 countries allows iSON Group to play the role of a “trusted advisor” with the knowhow to tap into the African market and help emerging companies with innovative technologies succeed.

“We have supported global majors such as Huawei, Oracle, IBM, AVAYA as knowledge partners for doing business in Africa which is set to grow further with new partnerships to be announced with global technology majors and leading

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Akshay Grover

Chief Growth Officer, iSON Technologies Akshay Grover is the Chief Growth Officer, iSON Technologies. He is responsible for formulating and executing the go-to-market strategy of the company. This includes new customer acquisitions, customer retention strategies, building technology-led partnerships, new product roll outs and inorganic growth initiatives. Akshay has been focused on the TMT sector across Europe, India, Middle East and Africa. During his stint as an investment banker and a private equity professional he has closed transactions over ~USD 5 billion and led multiple strategic initiatives for several players in the sector.

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enterprise software vendors.”

“Not many companies can add the momentum that we do from our footprint from Nigeria to Ethiopia,” Awtaney continues. “If a start-up wants to think about solving a PanAfrican problem, it’s going to need a trusted confidant who can take it to 25 countries. Similarly if you’re a large company in America or elsewhere but do not have the know-how to tap into Africa, then you need a trusted advisor who is present in 25 countries and can execute for you.”

Platform of growth This presence is what provides iSON Group with a crucial advantage. A pan continent footprint becomes the unique selling point above all else as the company has the understanding of local regulation, local challenges and the ability to successfully operate in 25 different countries with 13 new clients last fiscal year.

“The real unique thing that iSON offers is the platform across those

countries and the ability to combine that presence with these start-ups and build and scale from that,” Awtaney says.

Throughout its four verticals iSON Group has made significant investments in order to grow as a smart technology company, but for Awtaney, one particular area of growth is something that is very close to his heart – iSON Foundation.

Through iSON Foundation, which hasn’t been officially formalised just yet, iSON Group has partnered with a number of non-for-profit charities to work with and support local communities. Spearheading this mission jointly with the foundation is an organisation called Girl Effect .

The Girls Connect pilot program, launched in July 2016 through an initial pilot phase, is a pioneering platform that allows girls to access information, conversations and oneto-one mentoring that is designed

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iSON Group wins ASSOCHAM India- Africa Champion in Biz Awards for "Disinguished Achievement in IT & ITeS category" during the Indo-Africa Summit in 2015 and consecutively in 2016 during India Africa Trade and Investment Forum

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If a start-up wants to think about solving a PanAfrican problem, it’s going to need a trusted confidant who can take it to 25 countries. Similarly if you’re a large company in America or elsewhere but do not have the know-how to tap into Africa, then you need a trusted advisor who is present in 25 countries and can execute for you.

Ramesh Awtaney Founder and Chairman

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to enrich their lives. The pilot phase saw over 50,000 girls sign up over a two-month period and as the second phase of testing takes place this year, the target is over a million.

Awtaney names this endeavour as “One Million Unheard Voices” iSON Foundation represents the company’s vision of adding value to Africa, not only through business foundations, but through programs and initiatives with Girl Effect.

“Trying to transform the lives of marginalised people, through Girl

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Effect is very close to my heart and special. This is what life is really about and keeps you going. Take time, every day from your work and think about giving back” Awtaney says.

Using digital innovation to go further faster and deliver change at scale, iSON Group and Girl Effect have come together to deliver Girls Connect: a breakthrough resource for vulnerable girls.

“We’re proud of our groundbreaking partnership with iSON Group,” says Farah Ramzan

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Rahul Srivastava

Chief Operating Officer, iSON Technologies Rahul Srivastava is the Chief Operating Officer of iSON Technologies and is responsible for key account management, project delivery, SLA based operations and support functions globally. His core expertise is managing large complex engagements and articulating a unique and compelling value proposition.

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With the iSON Foundation, the Group has partnered with a number of nonfor-profit charities to work with and support local communities.

Golant CBE, CEO of Girl Effect.

“Working with them has given us the technical expertise and infrastructure to make our pilot a real success.

Girls have already told us that they have applied their learning from Girls Connect to open a bank account, to stay in school or even to become a trade apprentice. We’re challenging conventional beliefs in how effective, with the right training and support, distance role modelling can be.”

As the company continues to grow and expand its footprint across Africa, Awtaney has ambitions for

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the company becoming synonymous with building local competence, local knowhow and bringing the efficiencies it has gained through other markets and locations and bringing them into emerging markets such as Africa.

“Our mission is to use our services competence onshore to smartly transform and benefit customers.

We’re not a company with billions of dollars at our disposal, we are a young company focused on our model, our training of people and adding true value to Africa and the countries we operate in.”

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We at iSON Group, are deeply committed in purposely enabling industries and societies with the help of technology. The upliftment agenda using smart technologies and customer centric theme is core to our principles and our hearts as we continuously evovle. Experience us and feel the difference.

Ramesh Awtaney Founder and Chairman

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East Africa Data Centre: critical connectivity Written by: Dale Benton Produced by: Richard Deane

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EAST AFRICA DATA CENTRE is the most connected data centre space in East Africa.

Its challenge is to continue to innovate and meet changing market demand

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DAN KWACH GM of EADC

s the first commercial and carrier neutral facility built in Eastern Africa, at 2,000sqm, East Africa Data Centre (EADC) remains the largest data centre in the region.

The data centre market in Africa is growing as IT becomes an enabler for businesses to improve efficiency and introduce automation across their operations.

This has seen major cloud and content players turn their attentions towards data centre providers in Africa. These include the likes of Microsoft, which has recently added data centre space in South Africa to host Microsoft Cloud as a direct response to market demand.

Watching over this trend is the General Manager of EADC, Dan Kwach, who believes EADC is strongly positioned to meet the growing demand for data centre space in Africa. “Currently, larger data service and cloud providers

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reach out to DC operators, like us, so This allows EADC to have the that they can meet more of their client widest possible reach. needs in Africa,” he says. “That’s why “You cannot build a data centre we must align what we do with the without networks,” Kwach says. “The expectations of these large players.” more network service providers you EADC is located at Sameer have, the better it is for customers.”

Industrial Park, Nairobi. This is described as the “perfect hosting The mystery of a data centre location” due to its access to Kwach comes from a carrier networks across background in network Kenya, including engineering and Mombasa, Uganda, core network Tanzania and Rwanda. configuration.

This location This brought him presented EADC into contact with with the opportunity various vendors and Size of East Africa to become the most OEMs and he gained Data Centre connected data centre hands-on experience site in Eastern Africa, and of critical network failures was recognised for being so and problem solving. with a GTB Innovation Award in 2014.

Confronted with the challenge “Connectivity and security are to design and build a data centre, critical components to hosting the first task for Kwach was to services. The EADC is carrier-neutral “identify and demystify” the very and having that open access model concept of a carrier grade or is also critical,” Kwach says. industry standard data centre.

EADC hosts all of the local “What are the features of a carrier providers and ISPs in Nairobi as grade data centre facility? Which well as 20 international networks. are the ideal industry standards and

2,000sqm

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Inside the East Africa Data Centre

what is meant by Tier I, II or even III? We had to really educate ourselves on what we were getting into,” he says.

Part of this process saw Kwach travel the world and explore data centres in the UK, South Africa and Dubai.

“My other challenge was to understand what the value in a commercial data centre was, not just from a technical aspect but to ensure

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alignment to a customer need.”

As product manager, Kwach was tasked with developing a business plan and commercial strategy for EADC. The first task? Settling on a colocation site, which could host multiple network service providers and offer primary or secondary hosting to enterprise customers.

EADC was the first carrier neutral

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“Currently, larger data service and cloud providers reach out to DC operators, like us, so that they can meet more of their client needs in Africa” DAN KWACH GM of EADC

facility built in the region, and it just hit another milestone having joined an elite list of independently certified data centre facilities by Uptime Institute – the leading data centre certification and accreditation body. “This is a stamp of approval for EADC having met Tier III requirements as a concurrently maintainable facility,” says Kwach The facility is currently in the process

of completing the requirements for ISO 27001 Certification – a globally acclaimed information security management standard that forms a basis of securing critical operations, functions and businesses against risk.

Evolution But the work is not over for EADC. As competition heats up in the data

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centre space, EADC must ensure connected facility in the region but it has a strategy to maintain its it also has a wealth of experience position as a regional market leader. in the data centre space, which “We are thinking more gives it an advantage in supporting and more about our product customers and continuously development,” says Kwach. upgrading its products and services.

To ensure it has a long term strategy, “It provides us with comfort EADC is finding ways to add value now and in the near future with added services, build and offer regards to our position in the enterprise grade IT services market,” says Kwach. and meet the demands of leading content A hot topic and cloud services.

As the data centre The company industry continues is also thinking of to grow so does The location of expanding into new the need for greater the East Africa geographies and energy efficiency.

Data Centre markets to remain at More than 90% of the cutting edge of hosting the energy output in a services regionally and globally. data centre is through heat Increasingly companies are starting and power generation. EADC sources to recognise the hosting opportunities its power from Kenya Power; a supplier in Kenya and the rest of East Africa. and operator of electricity distribution “We have the first mover systems throughout Kenya. advantage, which has presented us A large proportion of electricity with a number of opportunities and in Kenya is generated through helped us capture of a large chunk hydroelectric power generation. of the market share,” he says.

“The most critical element of Not only is EADC the most our commercial success evolves

Nairobi

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around cost management,” Kwach states. “The cost of that power is very high, so we are often thinking about alternative sources of energy.

It’s a really interesting space right now.”

EADC is already looking at introducing solar panels and how it can improve its energy efficiency and carbon emissions. But it won’t stop there.

EADC is also advising customers to use IT equipment that has been manufactured with biodegradable materials as part of a green initiative.

So where next for the EADC? Kwach aims to keep it simple.

“We go where there is opportunity and where there is demand,” he says. “Our connectivity and value-added services provide a one-stop shop to meet the already significant and growing demand that we see. Our challenge is to innovate and broaden our geographical reach so that we support all our customers, employees and governmental and non-governmental organisations in their digital journey. In doing this we are delivering our vision of “Building Africa’s digital future.”

EADC is the largest in the region

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“Our challenge is to innovate and broaden our geographical reach so that we support all our customers, employees and governmental and non-governmental organisations in their digital journey�

DAN KWACH GM of EADC

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FNB NAMIBIA

> Leading the

way in Namibia’s modern banking

Written by: Leila Hawkins Produced by: Vincent Kielty

>

Namibia’s biggest bank is transforming how the population does financial transactions thanks to a digital revolution

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amibia’s biggest bank is transforming how the population conducts financial transactions thanks to a digital revolution.

The First National Bank of Namibia (FNB) was founded in 1907 as Deutsche Afrika Bank, and over a hundred years and many takeovers and mergers later, today it is the country’s largest bank, transforming how the population transacts through digital technology.

The digitisation of banking One of FNB’s biggest innovations has been the introduction of the eWallet and, in fact, it was the first bank in Namibia to implement this. It makes transactions much easier for customers by enabling them to send and receive money instantly via their mobile phones. This payment method works on any mobile phone, at any time of the day or night, and means

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Part of the FNB team

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>

“With some systems you can only do so much, and then you have to hand it over to a vendor for support.

In our case, the support sits with us, so we can chop and change it as the business and the market landscape prescribes. That gives us the edge�

Reckliff Kandjiriomuini, Chief Technology Officer, FNB

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money is immediately available to the recipient. Customers can also check their bank balance, pay bills and buy electricity with it, and coupled with FNB’s extensive ATM network across the country that act as pay-out points eWallet has really moved the needle in driving inclusion of the unbanked and allowing access to money in a fast and efficient manner.

Reckliff Kandjiriomuini, FNB’s Chief Technology Officer, explains: “eWallet has been a revolutionary change in allowing our customers to transact from anywhere and do instant payments. The product uptake and usage has been phenomenal and in accordance the resultant transactional growth pushed us to accelerate infrastructure refreshes to ensure the business is well positioned for growth and future demand.”

The bank, as part of its digitalisation strategy, is introducing more selfservice outlets and enriching its offerings at self-service devices to allow customers the convenience of banking from anywhere and being empowered to do banking on their own, according to Kandjiriomuini

It has a continuous focus on improving its customer service, and to this extent looks at where it can improve on processes and raise efficiencies. In the branch space it recently adopted a new system that enhances and shortens the time it takes for customer account opening, loans and other products significantly. This is underpinned by digitalisation and system automation.

All of these products have been adopted and are in line with the bank’s approach of making banking easier, giving customers the ability to transact from anywhere and finally raising operational efficiencies.

FNB Namibia remains committed to expanding its digital offering to clients, and the successful acquisition of EBank is an opportunity to expand services and solutions to all corners of Namibia through an affordable and convenient digitised partnership model, thereby including all business and consumer customers in the formal world of banking.

Keeping banking local In the 1980’s the FNB Group acquired

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the rights to do its own development on its core banking system from Hogan, a company that creates high performance banking software.

This allows FNB to drive innovative solutions and deliver these solutions to the market quicker.

“In the past, our core banking system was hosted and run from our parent group in FNB South Africa,” says Garth Kleintjes CIO of FNB Namibia. “But in 2009 we localised this, which means we now host all infrastructure and run the day to day operations of this in country this has allowed for growth and new opportunities in the Technology space.

“Being part of a bigger Group that embraces innovation has allowed us to leverage this, and through strong partnerships we can ensure new products and technologies are quickly adopted or tailored for our in-country needs. This will, in turn, help us to be a market leader in delivering cutting edge solutions.”

Shifting away from challenges While FNB is Namibia’s biggest bank

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The Maltas Club at Namibia’s 7th Can Run, in support of cancer awareness. with the greatest market share, the industry is extremely competitive. With a population of just over 2.5mn, Kandjiriomuini cites three major rivals as Bank Windhoek, Standard Bank and NedBank Namibia, and there are also a number of smaller banks that are currently establishing their footprint.

“It’s an attractive market,” he says.

“We do have economic challenges like the rest of the world, but are

favoured with political stability. Considering the regulator’s perspective, they want to introduce competition and attract new players.

As a large bank in this competitive industry, there are naturally plenty of factors impacting its operations of which regulation and the economy are of the major ones. The political turmoil in South Africa has had a knock-on

effect on the Namibian economy – an economy which is very dependent on South Africa due to it being Namibia’s biggest import partner Cybersecurity and financial fraud is a global concern that has not left Namibia unscathed. “In this connected age and by virtue of having

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various digital banking offerings the cyber risk is real for any bank and as such it is an important focus for us,” Kandjiriomuini says.

To address the cyber risk, FNB Namibia has had to make certain changes to its security operations. “The bank has an extensive security programme that focuses on managing all the aspects of cyber security and hardening security on its internal systems, and included in this is driving awareness at all levels. The IT spend on security has significantly increased in the last years and these investments will continue,” says Kleintjes.

Its unique use of technology means FNB is leading the way in shifting Namibia’s banking from traditional to digital. As Kandjiriomuini explains, this is the bank’s biggest driver. “We are known as the technology bank that delivers lifestyle changing solutions,” he concludes.

FNB promotes products and services at the annual Rock n Run (used to raise awareness for Cancer)

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ELECTRIFYING

TANZANIA

Wr i t ten by: N el l Wal ker Produced by: G reg Churchil l

Nigel Whittaker, Managing Director of Songas, explains how the company is supplying much-needed energy to Tanzania

“

It’s very important for everybody to have access to reliable electricity, and I think that Africa generally suffers in comparison with the rest of the world.”

Nigel Whittaker, Managing Director of Songas, holds these beliefs that mirror those of his company and its parent company, Globeleq. Songas is a major player in the electricity sector for Tanzania, and has been since it became operational in 2004. The company uses natural gas from Songo Songo Island and processes it on location, before transporting it along a 225km pipeline to the Ubungo Power Plant in Dar es Salaam, owned and operated by Songas. The gas is then converted into electricity which is sold cheaply to TANESCO to sell on to its customers.

In a nation which relies heavily on

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hydroelectric power via precious water supplies which are subject to droughts, and expensive fuel oil must be imported, Songas’s presence is a necessity.

“Only around 30% of people in Tanzania have access to electricity, but the government has a plan to increase the industrialisation of the country,” says Whittaker. “In order for that to happen, reliable electricity needs to be available so that industry can thrive.

“Currently there’s about 1,100MW of electricity available in Tanzania, and the government wants to increase that to 5,000MW, to develop industrialisation and improve access to electricity. We support that. We want to be a part

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Industrial gas turbine SGT-800 Power generation: 47.5-54 MW(e) 47.5 MW Version Gross efficiency: 37.7% Heat rate: 9,547 kJ/kWh (9,084 btu/kWh) Turbine speed: 6,608 rpm Pressure ratio: 20.1:1 Exhaust mass flow: 132.8 kg/s (292.8 lb/s) Exhaust temperature: 541°C (1,007°F)

50.5 MW Version Gross efficiency: 38.3% Heat rate: 9,389 kJ/kWh (8,899 btu/kWh) Turbine speed: 6,608 rpm Pressure ratio: 21.0:1 Exhaust mass flow: 134.2 kg/s (295.8 lb/s) Exhaust temperature: 553°C (1,027°F)

54.0 MW Version Gross efficiency: 39.1% Heat rate: 9,206 kJ/kWh (8,725 btu/kWh) Turbine speed: 6,608 rpm Pressure ratio: 21.4:1 Exhaust mass flow: 135.5 kg/s (298.7 lb/s) Exhaust temperature: 563°C (1,045°F)

siemens.com/gasturbines

Siemens’ SGT-800, a proven distributed generation turbine for Africa!

Whatever the power generation requirements may be, Siemens, a global engineering powerhouse has the right combination of technology, solutions and skills to meet the requirements, and yes, often exceed.

Siemens gas turbines are precisely designed to master the dynamic African energy market environment. Low lifecycle costs and an excellent return on investment right from the start are just two of the benefits that Siemens gas turbine portfolio offers.

Mark Van Antwerp, Vice President of Power & Gas Sales for Southern and Eastern Africa at Siemens says: “Our gas turbines fulfil the high requirements of a wide spectrum of applications in terms of efficiency, reliability, flexibility and environmental compatibility. There has been a major shift in the market from centralised power generation to distributed generation. At Siemens we believe that this is a trend much to the benefit of Africa as the electrification levels are still low. One of our innovative products is the SGT-800. This machine is getting a lot of attention in the continent primarily because it offers broad flexibility in fuels, operating conditions, maintenance concepts, package solutions, and ratings.”

The excellent efficiency and steam-raising capability make it outstanding in cogeneration and combined cycle installations. The SGT-800-based power plant, designed for flexible operation, is perfectly suited as grid support. The SGT-800 combines a simple, robust design, for high reliability and easy maintenance, with high efficiency and low emissions. With more than 300 units sold and over 4 million equivalent operating hours, it is an excellent choice for the African markets.

Matthieu Cecillon, Vice President of Application Engineering for Sub-Saharan

Africa at Siemens says: “The Siemens SGT-800 gas turbine is available in three versions with power output of 47.5, 50.5 and 54.0 MW respectively. The gas turbine combines a robust, reliable design with high efficiency and low emissions. This makes it an ideal choice for municipal and industrial power generation, refineries, and the oil and gas industry. Its high exhaust energy content makes the Siemens SGT800 particularly well suited for combined heat and power and combined-cycle applications. Reliability, environmental compatibility, and low lifecycle costs are the key features of the Siemens SGT-800: With up to 60,000 operating hours (EOH) between major overhauls, low maintenance costs, and an excellent electrical efficiency, the Siemens machine achieves the lowest lifecycle costs and the best combinedcycle efficiency within its class.”

The Siemens SGT-800 is a single-shaft machine with 15 compressor stages. The first three stages have variable guide vanes.

To minimize leakage over the blade tips, abradable seals are applied to stages four to fifteen. The three-stage turbine is built as one module and is bolted to the compressor shaft to provide for easy maintenance. The turbine stator flanges are air-cooled to reduce running clearances and improve efficiency.

The overall design of the Siemens SGT-800 gas turbine ensures easy service access to the combustor and the burners. The cold end of the gas turbine is connected to the generator via a reduction gear unit; this reduces the turbine speed from 6,600 rpm down to 1,500/1,800 rpm. The Siemens SGT-800 gas turbines are equipped with Dry Low Emissions (DLE) combustion system to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions. The combustion system is designed to operate on both gas and liquid fuels and it’s capable of on-line switchover between fuels.

SONGAS LIMITED

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of that programme, because we’re we’re constantly generating,” part of the solution in Tanzania.” explains Whittaker. “We are Whittaker has 35 years of running 24/7, and our electricity experience in energy, including is the cheapest thermal generator 25 in power generation. Having in East Africa; we sell to TANESCO worked for big industry names like at about six cents a kilowatt.”

Powergen, E.ON, and Sumitomo, This not only benefits citizens Whittaker took on his current role wanting electricity from a clean, with Songas in 2015, and reliable, cost-effective has been applying source, but ensures his expertise to the that Songas remains well-established a top choice as a company ever supplier. Globeleq, since this time. one of Songas’ When Songas’ shareholders, is business began, dedicated to power Number of it was the only development employees at Songas gas fired generator in Africa in the country and it and works supplied between 30-50% hard to supply of the electricity in Tanzania. While electricity on the continent, it is more like 25%, the company a known driver for social and remains an extremely important economic development. part of the local electricity Using Tanzanian gas, Songas generation sector. This is due in can continue to provide electricity part to its very high availability more economically than the fuel (98%) and a load factor of 92%. oil generators which have to import “Songas is very important to the gas into the country; this has Tanzania because it’s reliable and saved Tanzania billions of US dollars

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since its operations began in 2004. Songas uses reliable infrastructure which means that there is no need to constantly update its technology.

“The company has not changed a lot since we went operational in 2004,” says Whittaker. “Prior to that there was a lot of time and effort involved in developing the gas process and the building of the pipeline, upgrading the old plant by converting it to gas, and adding new units. Since then the plant has been running in a stable operation.”

While stability is something to aspire to, it can never be quite enough when a business can do so much more and with its excellent service in a nation with low rates of electricity consumption. So how can Songas keep doing what it’s doing, but do more of it?

The challenges for Songas are external, and things which will take time to change. Both TANESCO and the Tanzanian government are dealing with struggles which affect Songas, but Whittaker is hopeful.

“The government is hoping to organise a financial package with the World Bank which will alleviate TANESCO’s financial issues, making it financially viable going forward,” he says.

“We’re anxious to see the outcome because it’s important not just for companies like Songas, but the whole financial electricity sector generally.”

Songas is developing a plan to upgrade two of

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“Songas is a thriving business, it runs very well, the plant performance is very good, and the electricity price is low. We think we’ve been a fantastic asset for Tanzania” Nigel Whittaker, Managing Director

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its six units which will enable it to produce more electricity. It’s simpler for the company to upgrade existing units, as the site contain all of the necessary infrastructure already, than to build entirely new facilities, and generation capacity could increase from 180MW to 240MW if the government grants approval.

“Songas is a thriving business, it runs very well, the plant performance is very good, and the electricity price is low. We think we’ve been a fantastic asset for Tanzania. Pan African Energy Tanzania (PAET) recently put some calculations in the newspaper saying that Songo Songo Island gas has saved the Tanzanian government $6.2bn since operations began – money that would otherwise have been spent on producing the same amount of energy with imported fuels. So Songas has been very successful, not just for the shareholders but for Tanzania as a whole.” 54% of Songas’ shares are held by Globeleq and 46% are held by the Government of Tanzania through holdings by

TANESCO, TDC and TDFL. Songas sees a future in which its generating capacity is expanded by about 30%, and its parent company, Globeleq, is extremely interested in pursuing other power development projects as soon as it gets the go-ahead. The gas at Songo Songo Island is sufficient to meet the needs of Songas’s future growth, and the infrastructure is not fully utilised. So while Songas does have to wait for precisely the right environment and the necessary approval, the future certainly looks bright.

“There are enough resources on Songo Songo Island for us to introduce, improve, and increase electricity generation,” Whittaker concludes. “Tanzania will be a very interesting market for us once we can see there’s some stability returned to the electricity sector here.”

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THE POWER OF EL SEWEDY ELECTROMETER GROUP Written by: Nell Walker Produced by: Vincent Kielty

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El Sewedy Electrometer is well established as one of the world’s leading metering companies

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ith 19mn meters running in 46 countries, and as one of the top 10 metering companies in the world, El Sewedy Electrometer Group (EMG) has come a long way from its wellestablished roots. Sixty years after parent company Zaki El Sewedy was formed, EMG emerged on the scene itself in 1998, and for nearly 20 years it has slowly but surely built its brand and thrived where similar businesses fell behind.

Zaki El Sewedy’s rise to prominence has been a lengthy process, with a rich timeline as follows: • 1938 – Zaki El Sewedy Holding (ZSG) was founded as a supplier of electrical materials in Egypt • 1962 – ZSG was appointed by the Egyptian government as the main supplier of all electrical materials for the largest hydro power plant in Egypt, the Aswan High Dam

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• 1980 – ZSG started investing in industry, starting with the manufacture of power cables, electricity distribution boards, electricity and gas meters, lighting fixtures, and energysaving lamps in addition to its turn-key electrification projects • 1998 – ZSG established El Sewedy Electrometer (EMG), the first private sector company specialising in the design and manufacture of electricity meters in the Middle East • 2004 – EMG founded Ghana Electrometer Ltd, the first metering factory in West Africa, followed by the successful implementation of the e-Cash pre-payment system • 2007 – EMG ventured with EEPCO in Ethiopia Electrometer to produce pre-paid meters in Ethiopia, as well as with ZESCO in Zambia Electrometer • 2008 – EMG partnered with

AFRICA

El Sewedy Electrometer has 19mn meters running in 46 countries

BMG bank in Electrometer do Brazil, in addition to Electrometer de Las Americas in Mexico with CICASA • 2009 – EMG established El Sewedy Electrometer India to supply Asia as well as the rest of the group with quality meters and modules • 2010 – EMG acquired an established meter manufacturer in the Czech Republic to supply Europe and the rest of the world with smart grid solutions EMG is fully-focused on production of

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IEC62055-31 UC3 Compliant • Latching Relay • Manganin Shunt • Current Transformer

Tel: +86 577 28877711 | Fax: +86 577 28877722 www.nicerelay.com | overseas@nicerelay.com nicerelay ncrindustrial

AFRICA

meters, network management services, large electrification projects, and product aftercare. The business expanded facilities in Africa to cover Ghana, Ethiopia, and Zambia respectively. As its success spread, EMG began to globalise, extending facilities to India, Brazil, and Mexico, before penetrating the European market by acquiring ZPA Smart Energies in the Czech Republic.

EMG has attained ISO 9001,

ISO 14001, and OHSAS 18001 certification during its lifetime, and has become a sought-after partner for many other large businesses.

Some of its major recent projects include the North Lebanon Project and the Ghana Ashanti BOT Project, both involving the design, manufacture, supply and installation of various metering systems.

With a portfolio that covers residential, commercial, and industrial

EMG is fully-focused on production of meters, network management services, large electrification projects, and product aftercare. w w w. a f r i c a n b u s i n e s s re v i e w. z a

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EMG remains one of the key meter suppliers in the region

AZAM FOOD LIMITED Manufacturing and selling chips in Bangladesh.

Intelligent Card Limtied Manufacturing and selling Scratch card and SIM card to global market.

Cardzglobal(Beijing) Limtied Manufacturing and selling RFID and smart card to global market.

www.cardzglobal.com.cn No. 57, Gausual Azam Avenue, Sector # 14, Uttara, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Tel: +88-02 8933331 | Mobile: +88 01867888888 Facebook: www.facebook.com/david.yu.7906 Email: david@cardzglobal.com.cn

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TONGLI POWER TECHNOLOGY(BD)LIMITED Manufacturing and selling motocycle battery and Car battery.

UPS/IPS battery to global market.

AFRICA

market needs, EMG provides all kinds of meters from pre-payment products to smart meters that communicate with utility companies via GPRS. Productivity is optimised by utilising the latest techniques in lean manufacturing and Six Sigma. Calibration and testing systems are automated, allowing simultaneous manufacture of multiple products without sacrificing accuracy, and the ability to respond to customer delivery demands without risk of human error.

The supply chain is strictly operated and El Sewedy Electrometer demands perfection at every step of the way. The company boasts a solid supplier management mechanism during which allows it to evaluate those suppliers and minimise wasted time along the way. Financial status, product quality, and costs are all analysed, and successful suppliers are invited into open dialogue with EMG to create engaged, powerful relationships.

All of EMG’s products are heavily tested by worldrenowned labs, including OFGEM in the UK, MET Lab in the US, INMETRO in Brazil, LAPEM in Mexico, ERDA in India, and many more to ensure all products are of the highest quality. There are prestigious R&D houses in Egypt, India, and the Czech Republic, among other nations. Five percent of the company’s annual revenue is poured into R&D, as it refuses to buy ready-made designs and place its logo on them – EMG prefers to develop the concept itself.

El Sewedy Electrometer smart meters come with a flexible design to communicate via GPRS, RF or PLC

The EMG production line

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EMG meters undergo thorough testing

‘EMG wants to enable its customers to manage their own utilities without difficulty, and offers comprehensive services to tackle that. The business consider itself a total solution provider with a focus on quality and customer service’ 130

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Mahmoud Shawky OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Mohamed Shawky is the Director of Operations and is a member of the management committee.

He is responsible for overseeing Elsewedy Electrometer’s daily operational activities including manufacturing, quality, supply chain, and performance reporting. He plays effective role in the top management committee regarding the firm’s performance, day-to-day operations and overall strategic planning.

El Sewedy Electrometer always keeps its eye out for growth opportunities, as despite being part of a specific market, it doesn’t have one single focus. Demand for meters is always there, meaning the business remains unaffected by the economic climate. Utilities and private companies alike require EMG’s services, and if anything, the requirements are growing due to the increasing connectedness of developing nations.

El Sewedy Electrometer’s slogan is ‘Manage Utilities Better’, which reflects its belief that its responsibilities lie beyond meters themselves and the aftercare thereof. EMG wants to

enable its customers to manage their own utilities without difficulty, and offers comprehensive services to tackle that. The business consider itself a total solution provider with a focus on quality and customer service.

What truly sets El Sewedy apart from other companies in the industry is experience. Its leaders have a great deal of experience in the industry, and EMG now has 10 factories across five continents, cementing that global leadership with a production capacity of more than five million meters a year.

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