C O M P A N Y P R O F I L E
Likusasa’s
innovation and diversity is connecting Africa Adaptability and R&D investment has seen the company transform from a general contractor to one that offers a comprehensive range of specialist services across several sectors to key clients continent-wide Written by: Joel Levy Produced by: Oliver Bishop
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LIKUSASA
Our Zambia office and our headquarters in Mauritius
“We work with the bigger operators because we can offer them significant capacity to deploy highclass networks” – Gary Staunton, Group CEO
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ikusasa has both leveraged and helped enable the huge growth in Africa’s infrastructure and connectivity over the last two decades, thereby developing into a diversified and respected specialist. The company offers a comprehensive range of services and products within the telecommunications, energy and infrastructure sectors to diverse clients in infrastructure, mining, ICT, transport and telecommunications. Group CEO Gary Staunton said: “We are effectively divided into three focus areas. Our projects group implements projects throughout Africa, our solutions group engineers and designs solution and has a very wide partner network, we also have our services group which provides expertise such as consultancy and audits for clients.”
TECHNOLOGY
Likusasa, which translated means “the future is now”, was established in 1995 in South Africa as a general contracting division of Kentz. Over the remainder of the decade it focused on infrastructure before becoming primarily involved in telecommunications and power. The Mauritius-based company has since evolved rapidly in telecommunications, expanding into West Africa in the early 2000s, particularly Nigeria, where it grew substantially alongside the evolving GSM market. In 2007, the management team bought out of Kentz, and broadened Likusasa’s reach into the SADC region. Today it is a diverse, independent project management, engineering and contracting group with the ability to undertake projects in Africa’s most challenging locations. Connecting Africa With an exceptional track record in telecommunications project execution, Likusasa offers a wide range of project management, technical and construction services to GSM and fixed line network operators. During the company’s time in Africa, connectivity has grown immensely, Staunton knows Likusasa has an important role to play by finding innovative ways to address the current gaps. In addition to business and data, much of the company’s communications growth in the coming years will come from the connection of “the last billion” in remote rural areas to GSM
Key Personnel
Gary Staunton Group CEO Born in Northern Ireland, he graduated from the University of Manchester (UMIST) in 1988 with a Mechanical Engineering BSc. Hons. In 1990 Gary emigrated to South Africa and has enjoyed an exciting career that has taken him to Africa, the Middle East, South America, China and Russia. In 1998 he became a chartered mechanical engineer (UK) and in 2001 successfully completed his MBA. He has worked for KBR, Kentz Group, Rasgas and Likusasa.
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LIKUSASA
For existing facilities in need of an upgrade, Likusasa offers a comprehensive audit
networks. “About 14 years ago there was no GSM in Africa, in the last 10 years we’ve gone from being unable to make a call to having 600 million plus subscribers. GSM technology has developed considerably in recent years and as a result there’s been an interesting focus on data and media services, LTE, 3G and the like. That will continue to grow,” he said. The backhaul side of Likusasa’s business is also developing alongside the continent’s fibreoptic connectivity drive. New sea cables installed along the East and West-African coasts enable higher-speed and higher-capacity data links with
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TECHNOLOGY
the rest of the world. “We’ve have been primarily focused on rural solutions which are dependent on satellite backhaul and for the next few years we will see a lot of the focus shifting to developing solutions for rural communications - less about the business, more about the coverage,” Staunton said. In a competitor-driven industry, Likusasa’s solutions must make attractive investments for operators. Therefore it focuses on developing low-cost methods, both in construction and ongoing operations, appropriate to serving small communities. In the coming months, the company will be involved in data centre projects in West Africa, and rural communications in the DRC and Madagascar. In attracting high-profile clients, including the likes of Vodacom, Likusasa’s size and geographical reach has been advantageous, with customers recognising its ability to deliver projects quickly and reliably in all locations. They also appreciate the turnkey, one-stop-shop interface the company provides, not having to deal with several smaller contractors. Staunton said: “We work with the bigger operators because we can offer them significant capacity to deploy high-class networks. We are competitive in cost terms because we tend to do all work in-house and have a very good supply chain out of Asia, so overall we have a very competitive service offering. We have the
Key Personnel
Jan Muller Group COO
Desmond Lange Group CFO Likusasa accepts their responsibility to their stakeholders and has appointed a competent management team supported by documented operational and financial policies and procedures that promote consistency and containment of risk.
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LIKUSASA
“We’re currently busy developing in-house a range of modular equipment rooms which would typically be used for data centres and cable landing stations. [...] We see a lot of opportunities to deploy these solutions” – Gerry Shields, MD
Telecoms site with a Solar Powered system we designed & built for Vodacom Lesotho 8
capacity to reduce interfaces and meet some demanding delivery schedules.” Innovation Meeting demand and minimising costs in a fastmoving industry requires innovation, and so Likusasa invests significantly in Research and Development to respond to the market’s changing requirements. Managing Director Gerry Shields said: “We’re currently busy developing a range of innovative modular equipment rooms. These would typically be used for data centres and cable landing stations. The units are designed for rapid deployment and provide a high level of quality at an affordable price. We see a lot of opportunities to deploy these solutions.” Staunton added: “Eight or nine years ago an average site would have cost between $300,000 and $500,000. Today, we’re rolling out sites in very remote areas for less than $70,000. Product development is a response to what our clients are looking for: they want us to design, develop, manufacture and put into commercial operation innovative solutions that serve very specific needs. “This year we are focusing on modular data centres, camp solutions for accommodation, pioneering works on oil and gas facilities, power solutions and these rural sites that allow very lowcost communications coverage.”
TECHNOLOGY
Likusasa offers design and build services for network core switches, data centres and server rooms
Energy and infrastructure Elsewhere in the business, in the energy sector, Likusasa through it’s subsidiary “Lead EPC”, is extensively involved in renewables, providing engineering and construction services for solar PV and hybrid energy systems, power distribution networks, and electrical and instrumentation installations. In South Africa, the company is working on a collaborative solar concentration plant project in the Northern Cape, while another projects division is focusing on Photovoltaic solar projects in Free State and Northern Cape regions. In infrastructure, Likusasa offers project and construction management services as well as affordable turnkey project execution capabilities. Its services in this sector include design and build for IT facilities including network core switches, cable landing stations, data centres, and equipment rooms.
Key Personnel
Gerry Shields Managing Director, South Africa Gerry graduated from the University of Dublin. He is registered as a professional engineer in South Africa and a Chartered Engineer in the UK.
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LIKUSASA
Left to right: Gary Staunton, Jan Muller, Desmond Lange, Gerard Shields
“Our focus for the next five years will be multi-sectoral diversification[…] We will take a lot of the things we do, technologies we have developed and move them across sectors” – Gary Staunton
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Alongside the modular offering, it also excels at constructed buildings and all related mechanical, electrical and specialised services. This year, attentions turn to rail projects and automation, as well as large oil and gas developments in northern Mozambique. Staff Staff levels rise and fall alongside such construction projects with the team currently standing at about 550. These projects offer employment opportunities for locals, as well as comprehensive training programmes to get them up to speed with its high standards, particularly in health and safety. Talented individuals who have received the training are given opportunities to work on further Likusasa projects regionally and internationally.
TECHNOLOGY
Future growth As the company looks to the future, and the chance to build on its success, it will further invest in value-adding partnerships, using its extensive African business platform to promote the partnership. It also anticipates opportunities in mining, in the North-Western Copperbelt in Zambia, oil and gas opportunities in southern Tanzania and northern Mozambique and the associated infrastructure projects from the west and east coasts connecting landlocked countries in SubSaharan Africa. It expects infrastructure demand to increase in Nigeria, Mozmabique and Zambia, with the investment that comes to these booming nations. “These are all areas of considerable economic activity for us,” said Staunton. Our focus for the next five years will be multi-sectoral diversification, including maintenance services. We will take a lot of the services we offer, technologies we have developed and integrate them across sectors. “Recently we have focused on telecoms and power; but there is still much work to done in the power sector as well as the transport and infrastructure sectors, in order to provide solutions for the Liquefied Natural Gas and Copperbelt projects. “If we can look back in five years’ time and say we have succeeded in penetrating those markets, we will consider that to be quite a success story.”
Company Information INDUSTRY
Energy, communication, infrastructure HEADQUARTERS
Black River, Mauritius FOUNDED
1995 EMPLOYEES
550 REVENUE
Not disclosed PRODUCTS/ SERVICES
Project management, technical and construction services
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Likusasa Holdings Limited, 2C Nautica, Coastal Road, Black River, Mauritius Tel. +230 483 6105 Fax. +230 483 6416 www.likusasa.com