African Review Dec Jan 2014

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December/January 2014

African Review of Business and Technology

P44

FG Wilson powers Egyptian resort

December/January 2014

P45 Volume 47 Number 30

Building

energy

plants www.africanreview.com

Construction: Engineering for East Africans P57

Driving truck sales in Southern Africa P52

Power:

Using biomass for new cogeneration P41

Business:

Analysis of investment environments P35

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UP FRONT

Editor’s Note

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December/January 2014

P44

FG Wilson powers Egyptian resort

T

he principal themes in this issue of African Review of Business and Technology are economy, environment, energy and infrastructure. So, following the regular round-up of commercial developments across the continent, there are economic analyses from page 24 to page 28, focusing particularly on technology, minerals and investment opportunities. On pages 29 and 30, there are stories addressing agricultural development and the management of water supply.

Analysis of business prospects across African markets is offered by Control Risks across pages 35 to 38.

Power is covered by profiles of key corporate entities and their commitments to African energy infrastructure and service - including FG Wilson and Cummins - prefaced by a preview of ELECRAMA-2014, between pages 39 and 47. Coverage of the continent’s construction sector includes equipment offered and work undertaken by Doosan Infracore, SIS Industry and JCB. Mining matters covered in this issue include the retrofitting of legacy chillers in a South African mine to improve performance, and a brief on the use of different forms of communications technologies to serve data connections for mineral extraction and processing.

P45

Building

energy

plants Construction:

Driving truck sales in Southern Africa P52

Engineering for East Africans P57

Power:

Using biomass for new cogeneration P41

Business:

Analysis of investment environments P35

Cover picture: Raubex Infra Inset, top: FG Wilson Inset, bottom left: Volvo CE

Andrew Croft, Managing Editor

Contents

REGULARS 04 Agenda:

14 Bulletin:

Commercial growth and corporate initiatives

60 Solutions:

Tech for the environment, health and education

Vehicles for industrial purposes

P25 FEATURES 24 Economy Prospects for growth through multi-lateral operations; Sudanese oil leads hopes for economic revival; trading stocks in Swaziland; and how demographics influences inward investment

24 Environment Technology to serve an agricultural revolution; and municipal water management

32 Logistics Notes on which types of forklift truck can do which jobs

P57

38 Power Looking ahead to ELECRAMA-2014; Cummins’ commitment to African biomass cogeneration; FG Wilson’s work with Triangle Heavy Equipment in Egypt; solar power in South Africa; and improving private sector energy efficiency

50 Construction Doosan Infracore targets renewed growth across Africa; SISA Industry’s technological edge in materials handling; how construction and commodities influences truck sales; and a celebration of JCB’s iconic backhoe loader

59 Mining Retrofitting legacy chillers to boost mine productivity; and communications infrastructure to support extraction and processing

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NEWS

Agenda / North Enhancing Facebook for Moroccans

New airline for Airbus jetliners

A

Telecommunications security solutions firm Gemalto has worked with Moroccan mobile telecoms company Inwi on the deployment of the latest version of Gemalto’s LinqUs Facebook-for-SIM mobile application, which now includes a popular Facebook Messenger feature. Inwi’s 12mn Moroccan subscribers will have the opportunity to enjoy seamless and intuitive mobile access to the world’s leading social network site. In a country where smartphone penetration is only at 16 per cent, the solution provides an opportunity for the many users to enjoy Facebook’s services from any type of mobile phone, and without having to incur additional Internet connection charges.

Gemalto’s turnkey social media package

offers a gateway to all of Facebook’s core functions and services such as friend requests, status updates, notifications and news feed, via a user-friendly interface on the handset. No data subscription is required and, with the addition of Facebook Messenger, people can now directly chat with their friends or send private messages anytime and anywhere.

“Inwi’s business philosophy is to deliver truly innovative services within easy reach to enhance our customers’ experience,” said Frédéric Debord, CEO at Inwi. “With Gemalto’s LinqUs Facebook for SIM application we can further build on this strategy, bridge the gap for users with all types of mobile phone and respond to Morocco’s growing love affair with social media.”

Etisalat partners with GlobeX Data Telecommunications company Etisalat has formed a partnership with cloud storage technology provider GlobeX Data, in order to offer enterprises and individuals secure data storage and back-up services for critical business data and applications. The partnership enables Etisalat to introduce GlobeX Data’s DigitalSafe and SecurusVault technologies in the Middle East.

The new services are designed with Swiss high encryption and privacy technology architecture and ensure that there is 100 per cent assured safety and confidentiality of critical information.

Abdulla Hashim, senior vice president ICT for Etisalat UAE, said, "Data is at the heart of any organisational activity, therefore it is crucial for organisations to protect their data and back it up regularly. With business continuity gaining popularity in the region, an increasing number of individuals and corporations are faced with the burden of handling confidential digital data."

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African Review of Business and Technology - Dec 2013/Jan 14

irbus aircraft will once again play an important role for a new airline’s launch in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with Libyan Wings’ selection of the next-generation A350 XWB and A320 to build up its operations – beginning with the lease of two A320s.

This nascent carrier has signed a memorandum of understanding for future deliveries of three A350-900 versions from the A350 XWB family, along with four A320neo (new engine option) aircraft. Two leased A320ceo (current engine option) jetliners will be used in its service start-up at the beginning of 2014.

Libyan Wings is a fully privately-funded airline backed by Libyan businessmen, according to chairman Wisam Al Masri. It will function as a full-service operator, with the aircraft configured in both business and economy class seating.

Established in 2012, the Tripoli-based carrier plans to serve primarily the MENA region at the start, explained Haret Alfasi, the carrier’s applications manager. The current strategy is to debut with domestic routes and flights to such countries as Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco, along with Turkey. Future expansion is anticipated to northern Europe, with service to Persian Gulf countries also envisioned, he explained “This contract signing with Airbus today serves to demonstrate in true terms our dedication to establishing a world-class airline, which we are confident will set a new benchmark for quality of service and customer satisfaction,” Alfasi told reporters at the Dubai Airshow announcement press conference. “Our aircraft choice today also demonstrates a commitment to innovation, technology and matching customer expectations in terms of comfort and safety, while also addressing the growing environmental concerns of the aviation market.” www.africanreview.com

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coming through Of course, nothing’s unstoppable. But the Volvo A40F will conquer more terrain than practically any other hauler on the market. A combination of powerful Volvo engine, “dog clutch” differential locks, rotating hitch, automatic traction control and the unique Volvo steering system means that if any vehicle can get through – at speed – it will be the Volvo A40F. See it in unstoppable action. Discover a new way.

Albarajoub Engineering Co. SUDAN +249 183 77 84 13 info@albarajoub.com Auto Maquinaria Lda Auto Sueco (Angola) SARL ANGOLA +244 9 1250 7464 adavid@autosueco.co.ao Auto Sueco Ltd KENYA, UGANDA +254 713 974 808 elvis.duran@auto-sueco.co.ke TANZANIA +255 753 631 442 rui.pires@autosueco.co.tz A. Yazbeck and Sons Ltd SIERRA LEONE + 232 22 232 324 joe@ayazbeckandsons.com Babcock International Group MOZAMBIQUE +258 21 321 824/25 cyril.ramsay@babcock.co.za

SOUTH AFRICA +27 (0)11 230 7300 enquiries@babcock.co.za ZAMBIA +260 2 611 693 garthr@babcock.co.zm COGETP ALGERIA +213 555 994 893 naceur.djebbab@cogetp.com Conquip ZIMBABWE +263 448 5543 garym@conquip.co.zw Equatorial Business Group Pvt Ltd Co ETHIOPIA +251 911 457758 ebg-eab.msm@ethionet.et Ghabbour Egypt EGYPT +2 02 42155314 aelgammal@ghabbour.com

Leal Equipements Compagnie LTEE MAURITIUS, MADAGASCAR, SEYCHELLES +230 207 2100 djauffret@lec.lealgroup.com Nordic Machinery TUNISIA +216 71 409 260 khaled.haddad@nordic.tn Sera SENEGAL, MALI, MAURITANIA +221 33 859 07 70 contact.volvo@sera.sn Pupkewitz NAMIBIA +264 613 10900 equip@pupkewitz.com Rola BOTSWANA +267 316 3200 markides@rolabotswana.co.bw

SMT GROUP BENIN, TOGO +229 21 35 14 02 info@smt-benin.com BURKINA FASO +226 66 77 01 01 info@smt-bf.com BURUNDI +32 10 47 61 20 info@smt-group.be CAMEROON +237 99 41 40 30 info@smt-cameroun.com CONGO +242 05 754 95 38 info@smt-congo.com CÔTE D’IVOIRE +225 21 75 16 27 info@smt-ci.com GABON +241 07 515 008 info@smt-gabon.com GHANA +233 (0) 302 683350-60 info@smt-ghana.com

LIBERIA +231 (0) 888 071 000 info@smt-liberia.com DEM. REP. OF CONGO +243 820 666 964 info@smt-rdc.com NIGERIA +234 807 109 02 51 info@smt-nigeria.com RWANDA +32 10 47 61 20 info@smt-group.be SMT GROUP HQ +32 10 47 61 20 info@smt-group.be United Group LIBYA +218 (21) 7313310 i.swayah@uglibya.com Volvo Maroc S.A. MOROCCO +212 522 764 800 ilyas.essaadi@volvo.com

www.volvoce.com

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NEWS

Agenda / East Microsoft invests in youth An innovative partnership formed by Microsoft YouthSpark and a non-governmental organisation (NGO) called Right To Play is helping bring play to more than 77,000 children in East Africa and is strengthening the NGO’s core technological capacity. Microsoft YouthSpark is a three-year global initiative to create education, employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for 300mn youths. Through more than 30 programmes and partnerships with 186 youth-serving nonprofits, in its first year alone Microsoft YouthSpark has created new opportunities for more than 103mn young people in more than 100 countries worldwide.

In line with Microsoft YouthSpark and the company’s 4Afrika initiative, which aims to ignite African innovation by investing in youth education, workforce development and small and medium enterprises, the Microsoft investment will allow Right To Play to create an interactive digital portal of its activities so staff and coaches have easier access to the resources.

To ensure the more than 13,500 local volunteer coaches who lead Right To Play activities can fully benefit from the partnership, a pilot programme will also be launched to train 3,000 coaches in basic computer skills and digital literacy.

Tigo seeks social entrepreneurs Tanzanian cellular network Tigo has formed a partnership with Swedish non-profit organisation Reach for Change in order to identify and support local social entrepreneurs with solid ideas on improving the lives of Tanzanian children.

Tigo Tanzania general manager Diego Gutierrez said, “Statistics show that children less than 18 years of age constitute almost half of Tanzania’s population. But, to date, the investment in addressing their needs is not proportionate with their share of the population or their role as tomorrow’s leaders and human capital. Investing in children is the single most important investment in national development”.

Mr. Gutierrez added, “Tigo has for many years been deeply involved in addressing challenges concerning children and youth in Tanzania. We believe the most effective way to bring about sustainable change is to empower motivated individuals with the right tools to bring to life innovative ideas that can change their society. Tigo Reach for Change initiative allows us to do just that!”

For the duration of the three-year programme the social entrepreneur’s business idea will undergo evaluation to ensure that they attain required key performance indicators until their project is fully developed and self-sustainable.

Building on value in service On average, 40-60 per cent of public expenditure goes to education, health and other types of social spending in Africa, which calls for improved governance, voice and accountability in social service delivery. Large inefficiencies in the use of resources in education and health have a negative impact on human capital, with drastic consequences for inclusive economic growth. In an environment of declining aid, achieving greater value for each dollar invested is critical.

In line with its Strategy for 2013-2022 and its agenda on Skills and Technology, the African Development Bank (AfDB) has developed a Value for Money programme to build the skills of key stakeholders to address inefficiencies in social spending in African countries. The first capacity building training session on value for money, sustainability and accountability was held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, early in November 2013. Some 65 participants were exposed to various strategies and tools to improve value for money in social sectors.

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African Review of Business and Technology - Dec 2013/Jan 14

Fresh financing for Nairobi’s outer ring road

T

he Board of the African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved US$120mn financing for Kenya’s Nairobi Outer Ring road project, which involves the improvement of an existing single carriageway road to a two-lane dual carriageway complete with service roads, grade separated intersections, pedestrians–foot-over bridges, walkways and cycle tracks over the entire length of the road.

The 13-km project, on completion, is expected to enhance traffic circulation and eliminate traffic bottlenecks to various economic activity centres including the industrial zone and the vast, populous residential areas of Eastlands.

AfDB regional director for Eastern Africa Gabriel Negatu confirmed the financing as a mix of grant and loan from the Africa Development Fund (ADF), with the Government of Kenya as the counterpart financier of the project, which in total is expected to cost US$130mn.

“The Africa Development Bank Group will provide 89.8 per cent financing for the total project through Africa Development Fund loan of US$115.9mn and a grant of US$5mn.

We believe that this road will not only reduce the travel time from the current 45 minutes to 15 minutes, but will also transform the socio-economic welfare of the people living along the transport corridor,” Mr Negatu said.

The road traverses Nairobi’s East and North districts serving an estimated population of at least 2.2mn representing some 70 per cent of the Nairobi County population. Other beneficiaries include users of major city connecting arterial roads of: Nairobi-Thika highway, Eastern Bypass, Northern Bypass, Mombasa Road, and onto the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA). www.africanreview.com

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NEWS

Agenda / East East African oil set for London African oil & gas decision makers are set to engage with international, regional and local investors and showcase the abundant opportunities available in East Africa in London, in the United Kingdom, in June 2014.

The East Africa Oil & Gas Summit 2014 programme will look at the developments, challenges and opportunities in East Africa’s oil and gas sector, upcoming licencing rounds, gas monetisation options across the region, regional infrastructure cooperation and new frontier countries.

Finland supports Juja Road substation upgrade The governments of Kenya and Finland have signed an agreement on the cooperation to renew the Juja Road electricity transmission substation. The upgrading of the Juja Road substation will increase the station’s reliability, security, operational flexibility and transformational capacity to connect more customers into the grid as well as to improve general quality of the power. The current technology at the station dates from 1952. The new technology will be provided for the Kenya Power by ABB Power Systems.

The improvements of the Juja Road substation will have a positive impact on the development of the greater Nairobi area as well as on poverty reduction. The upgrading will improve the lives of approximately

800,000 Nairobians living in areas such as Mathare Valley, Kibera and Mukuru. The upgraded substation will provide more stable and more reliable power not only for the industrial areas of Nairobi but also for many hospitals and schools.

The commercial contract is between the Kenya Power and ABB Power Systems. The loan agreement is between the National Treasury of Kenya and the Nordea Bank Finland. The total financing of the government of Finland – approximately 14.6mn Euros – is divided between interest payments on the concessional credit, amounting to a maximum of approximately 9.7mn Euros, and a grant portion of the commercial contract amounting to approximately 4.9mn Euros.

Asoka awards eleven entrepreneurs 2013 proved to be a record-setting year for Ashoka East Africa with the election of 11 leading social entrepreneurs into the global Fellowship. Rejecting mere incremental improvements for more comprehensive fixes, each solution invites a new conversation for how that sector goes about doing its work in the future. Awards were given for the agricultural efforts of Jason Aramburu, Joseph Nkandu, Jamila Abass, David Mupenzi, Edward Mukiibi, and Nicholas Hitimana. In sanitation, David Auerbach’s team at Sanergy created the first high-quality toilet that can fit in the small spaces of dense slum communities and reduced the cost and time of toilet construction to a fraction of what traditional toilets require. Paige Ellenson is equipping unemployed young people in Africa to develop as professionals Ella Peinovich is making it possible for Kenya’s local artisans to cultivate a steady, webbased clientele. Vickie Wambura is unlocking the potential of ex-prisoners in society and reducing their rate of recidivism by redefining the role of prisons as safe spaces for reformation and professional and personal development, while Ian Craig has dedicated the last 30 years of his life to making sure that community-based conservation takes hold in East Africa. And it seems to be working.

“We couldn’t be more encouraged by this class of Fellows. Their game-changing solutions truly showcase what can be achieved when one decides to put changemaking at the core of his or her identity,” said Simon Stumpf, Ashoka’s representative for East Africa. www.africanreview.com

Emirates now flies the A380 to Mauritius

A

rabic airline Emirates recently launched its 24th A380 route, working with its partners in Mauritius to say “Hello A380” in style. At an airport ceremony to welcome the first daily A380 service, held 16 December 2013, Emirates signed a new and enhanced 10 year commercial cooperation agreement with Air Mauritius, and a renewed Memorandum of Understanding with the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority.

The A380 allows Emirates to bring an extra 153 passengers each day to the beautiful island set in middle of the Indian Ocean. It is the first airline in the world to operate an A380 service to a destination in the Indian Ocean. Travel demand to the island is growing, and Emirates in 2012 carried over 350,000 passengers and 6,000 tonnes of cargo between Mauritius and its global network of 130-plus destinations spanning 78 countries.

“Since August 2008 Emirates has served over 18mn passengers on our A380s.

Our customers love it, and we continue to see a big demand to fly on the aircraft,” said Thierry Antinori, executive vice president and chief commercial officer, Emirates Airline. “Our A380 service to Mauritius means passengers from key markets such as London, Paris, Moscow and Shanghai, flying via our hub in Dubai, now have the chance to experience a seamless Emirates A380 experience including the world-class service and product across First Class, Business Class and Economy Class for which the airline is renowned. The larger aircraft also means we will be able to bring 153 more passengers each day to this beautiful island destination, thus further strengthening our support for the country’s tourism industry and trade sectors.”

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NEWS

Agenda / South Insurance firm responds swiftly to Western Cape flooding There was extensive damage and personal trauma experienced in South Africa’s Western Cape recently, after heavy rains were carried by the Black South-Easter, devastating Laingsburg in the Karoo, battering the area, causing flooding that left at least 20,000 people without homes.

The worst affected areas included Somerset West and the Strand, but there were responsive Disaster Risk Management teams available to rally in support of the public, plucking people off roofs, relocating hospital staff and patients, and rescuing others.

In addition to the severe damage caused to houses, roads and businesses across affected areas, farmers are also facing heavy crop losses. While it is too early to estimate the total cost of the damage, Santam, South Africa's largest short-term insurer, expects claims to run into several millions of Rands - but the firm is, as Santam head of personal lines Attie Blaauw said, "committed to promptly assessing claims” and ready to assist all its affected policyholders as quickly as possible.

"The last thing anyone wants in a situation like this is to have to deal with paperwork and processes that an intermediary knows best and manages expertly," Mr Blaauw said - before talking through Santam's available SOS services, such as its Road and Home Assist services which provide much needed support in emergency situations.

African Review’s editor was caught in the Western Cape flooding, whilst visiting a friend, and personally witnessed Santam’s rapid and responsible handling of policyholders’ issues and concerns. Within 24 hours, the insurer’s assessors were out and about, assuring policyholders that they would be looked after. And, within 24 hours, policyholders were being looked after, with teams being sent to affected homes to prepare them for forthcoming repairs. It was a truly impressive response, and a model for other insurers to follow.

Leadership and sustainability African author and entrepreneur, Siya Mapoko

8

Consulting Engineers South Africa recently hosted a conference in Cape Town, under the theme ‘Leadership the Key to Sustainability’. It was attended by over 200 delegates featuring 20 industry speakers, including the entrepreneur Siya Mapoko. At the conference, CESA CEO Lefadi Makibinyane commented that South Africa’s National Development Plan was key to addressing challenges such as the alleviation of poverty and inequality.

He maintained that much work still needs to be done to resolve the lack of capacity in the public sector.

Procurement is another burning industry issue and he contended that quality should be the basis underpinning sustainable development - observing that what is called for is visionary selfless leadership.

African Review of Business and Technology - Dec 2013/Jan 14

Supporting Zimbabwe's economic recovery

T

he Zimbabwe Multi-Donor Trust Fund (ZimFund) is a short to medium term infrastructure development programme which supports Zimbabwe’s economic recovery by improving the quality of life of ordinary citizens. It is a major collaborative effort between members of the international donor community (Australia, Denmark, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom), the Government of Zimbabwe, and the African Development Bank Group designed to rehabilitate infrastructure and restore basic services in water and sanitation initially in six municipalities (Harare, Chitungwiza, Chegutu, Kwekwe, Masvingo and Mutare) and energy throughout the country. The US$125mn fund is administered by the African Development Bank, while Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Finance and Economic Development is the nominal recipient of ZimFund grants.

Since the grants were approved, the Government of Zimbabwe has procured the services of two implementing entities, Lahmeyer of Germany and PB Power of South Africa, to oversee the management of these programmes in water and sanitation as well as energy sectors, respectively. Works, goods and supply contracts for the water and sanitation project were signed with an Indian firm Technofab-Gammon JV and Com.Int.SpA, from Italy. Two sludge removal works were awarded to local contractors, R Davis and Drawcard. Meanwhile, two smaller procurement contracts for the supply of computer hardware and software as well as capacity building tools will be tendered out soon. Contracts for the energy project have been signed with CHINT Electric Company Ltd of China, Angelique International Limited and The Indure (Pvt) Ltd of India. Four consultancy services contracts have also been concluded with various consulting firms from Germany, Denmark, USA, Australia and Zimbabwe. www.africanreview.com

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NEWS

Agenda / West Chicago Pneumatic gains Angolan order for 46 generators Construction equipment manufacturer Chicago Pneumatic has secured an order from Facar (Angola) Lda for 46 diesel generator sets from its CPDG range. As part of the agreement Facar Lda has been appointed as the principal distributor of Chicago Pneumatic diesel generators for Angola. Commenting on the agreement, Facar Lda general manager Nagib Farouk Farhat said, “This is an exciting opportunity for our company and it is our aim to establish the CPDG generator brand in Angola and position Chicago Pneumatic as a leader in the market. We see this as an opportunity to expand and consolidate our business, and believe we can achieve good results as the CPDG generator represents a high quality product at a competitive price.”

Facar Lda, part of the Belgian Facar Group, has almost 20 years’ experience operating in Angola, having been established in the country since 1994. The company is involved in a diverse range of business areas, including selling and servicing motor vehicles, road, air and sea transport operations, warehousing and logistics. In addition to operating in Angola, Facar Lda also provides products and services to a number of neighbouring African countries including Congo and Gabon.

Angola is Africa’s second largest producer of oil and which has substantial mineral resources, there is a large and growing demand for mechanical generators. For this reason, Facar had been seeking a suitable range of diesel generators to add to its portfolio, and found that the new CPDG products from Chicago Pneumatic were well-suited to the needs of its customers.

“Placing an initial order for 46 generators may seem like a bold move,” said Nagib Farouk Farhat. “However, we are completely confident that the versatile CPDG generator range is fully adapted to market conditions in Angola, where customers demand robust products that are mechanically well-designed and easy to maintain.”

The CPDG generators are available in 50 Hz and 60 Hz versions, with rated prime power outputs of 13 kVA to 245 kVA prp. for 50 Hz models and 15 kVA to 251 kVA for 60 Hz models.

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African Review of Business and Technology - Dec 2013/Jan 14

Bolloré Africa secures Dakar terminal contract

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he Dakar Port Authority (DPA) Board of Directors has awarded Bolloré Africa Logistics the operations contract for Dakar Port's Ro-Ro (rollon/roll-off ) terminal. This 25-year concessionary contract - signed late in November 2013 - pertains to logistics operations involving these so-called "Ro-Ro" ships, dedicated in large part to vehicle transport.

Bolloré Africa Logistics is a leading private operator of public-private partnerships at African ports overseeing some 30 concessions, half of which in the port sector. To enhance the appeal of Dakar Port Authority facilities, Bolloré Africa Logistics will invest €97mn or 64bn West African CFA francs (US$132mn) over the 25-year contract term. The full scope of this project will associate a number of Senegalese partnerships.

DPA will be in a position to accommodate larger capacity ships thanks to a dredging of the quay (from 8.5 to 10.5 metres) and a 165-metre length extension. To optimise vehicle parking amenities, construction of an 30,000-square metre on-site lot has been included in the planned concessionary programme. The capital investments allocated to handling equipment and information systems will serve to optimise productivity.

“This bold commitment on the part of Bolloré Africa Logistics at the Dakar Port reflects our belief in making Dakar's roro terminal one of the most efficient in all of Western Africa,” asserted company president Mr Dominique Lafont.

Mr Mohamed Diop, Bolloré Africa Logistics’ regional director in Dakar, noted that “the socioeconomic impact of this public-private partnership will result in the creation of several hundred jobs and the deployment of a program specifically dedicated to building port capacity.” www.africanreview.com

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NEWS

Events / 2014 February 3-6

11-13

Middle East Electricity Dubai, UAE www.middleeastelectricity.com

March 2-3

Investing in African Mining

17-20

Cape Town, South Africa www.miningindaba.com

African Water Association

The African High-Growth Markets Summit

Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire www.afwacongress2014.org

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia www.cemea.economistconferences.com

Middle East Rail

24

3-5

Dubai, UAE www.terrapinn.com

Nigeria Power

agrofood West Africa

Abuja, Nigeria www.nigeria-power.com

Accra, Ghana www.agrofood-westafrica.com

Build Africa

24-27

3-5

Brazzaville, Congo www.buildafricaforum.com

Nigeria Oil & Gas

plastprintpack West Africa

Abuja, Nigeria www.cwcnog.com

Accra, Ghana www.ppp-westafrica.com

CIBEX East Africa

26-28

9-12

Nairobi, Kenya www.cibexeastafrica.com

Mozambuild

MS & Africa Middle East

Maputo, Mozambique www.mozambuild.com

Cairo, Egypt www.msafrica.net

4-5

5-7

11-13

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African Review of Business and Technology - Dec 2013/Jan 14

www.africanreview.com

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NEWS

Bulletin / Environment Côte d'Ivoire commits to law on watercourses

has produced a report that spells out the

The government of the Republic of Côte

fail to close the "emissions gap" to keep

d'Ivoire has taken a key step to becoming the

warming below 2°C; adaptation costs for

32nd country to ratify the United Nations

Africa could reach approximately US$350bn

Watercourses Convention - following

annually by 2070 should the two-degree

ECOWAS Member States Guinea-Bissau,

target be exceeded significantly, while the

Nigeria, Niger, Burkina Faso and Benin,

cost would be around US$150bn lower per

confirming West Africa’s leadership in

year if the target was to be met.

costs faced by the continent if governments

Eskom partners with African Utility Week for five years

realising this ambitious legal framework on international watercourses; just three more

Billions of dollars pledged for the Sahel

nations need to follow suit for the treaty to

Signaling a renewed focus on boosting

enter into force, in turn ushering in the first

economic growth and lifting people out of

global framework to share the world’s cross-

devastating poverty in Africa’s hard-hit Sahel

border watercourses and connected

region, two international development

underground reservoirs.

agencies have committed to major financial

The official host utility over the next five

the use, management and protection of

support - US$1.5bn from the World Bank

years, for the annual African Utility Week &

Funding for Rwanda’s regional power project

Group in new regional investments over the

Clean Power Africa conference and exhibition

next two years, in addition to significant

in Cape Town, South Africa, is Eskom; African

The African Development Bank Group’s (AfDB)

country programmes, and US$6.75bn from

Utility Week event director Russell Hughes

efforts to improve sustainable energy supply

the European Union to six countries in the

said, “It is encouraging to have Eskom's

and access in Africa took a leap forward with

region over the next seven years; “The people

support for our outreach into the utility, large

approval of the Regional Rusumo Falls

of the Sahel region desperately need more

scale power and water user industries, and we

Hydropower Project, on Rwanda's international

secure living standards, and our hope is this

intend to work closely with them in order to

border with the Republic of Tanzania, by the

funding helps build a new path for economic

achieve greater levels of collaboration

AfDB’s Board of Directors, leading to an

growth in the region,” said World Bank Group

between African utilities and industry.”

allocation of US$97.3mn from the African

President Jim Yong Kim.

Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust

USAID to support fuel-efficient cookstove distribution in Kenya

Falls is one of many projects financed by the

ECOWAS moves to strengthen trade and environment policies

AfDB in response to a crisis in low-energy

A capacity building workshop for experts

States Agency for International Development

access rates, limited infrastructure

from the ECOWAS Commission, its Member

(USAID) through the US$1mn Fuel-efficient

development in the region and regional

States and other stakeholders was held - late

Cookstove Distribution in Kenya Grants

projects that enhance regional stability

in November 2013 in Abuja, Nigeria - on the

Competition, a component of USAID’s

through increased cooperation and integration

Establishment of a Trade and Environment

Developing a Sustainable Cookstove Sector

among countries. Africa has incredible

Knowledge Management Platform; at the

project, which supports the development of

untapped hydropower potential: only four per

workshop, ECOWAS acting Director for Trade

private sector-driven markets to promote the

cent of which has been exploited,” explained

Dr Gbenga Obedeyi highlighted the potential

adoption of clean, efficient cooking

Alex Rugamba, director of the AfDB’s Energy,

for increased volumes of tradable goods and

solutions; "Creating commercially viable

Environment and Climate Change Department.

services through sustainable exploitation and

supply chains for fuel-efficient stoves is key

development of natural resources as well as

to resolving distribution challenges and

Why Africa’s climate adaptation costs could soar

ecological goods and services, saying, “The

encouraging large-scale uptake of these

benefits of trade can only be maximized by

devices,” said USAID Assistant Administrator

Africa faces huge financial challenges in

effectively addressing and harnessing the

for Economic Growth, Education and

adapting to climate change, according to the

linkages between trade and environment.”

Environment Eric Postel.

Fund for the multinational project; “Rusumo

Three awards have been made by the United

UN Environment Programme (UNEP), which

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African Review of Business and Technology - Dec 2013/Jan 14

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S04 ATR DecJan 2014 Bulletin B C_Layout 1 12/18/2013 12:04 PM Page 15

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S04 ATR DecJan 2014 Bulletin B C_Layout 1 12/18/2013 12:04 PM Page 16

NEWS

Bulletin / Agribusiness Growing population threat to food security

and to build a self-sustaining network of

Agriculture (YiA) Workshop, Technical

farmers who can supply high-value fruit crops -

Symposium, a High Level Executive

The world’s 49 least developed countries (LDCs)

and expects this expansion to double its

Roundtable, Exhibitions, and Special Seminars.

face “a stark demographic challenge” as their

current labour force to about 3,000 employees,

population is expected to double to 1.7bn by

over half of whom are expected to be women,

2050, according to The Least Developed

and increase the number of smallholder

Renewable energy solutions plan for agricultural industry

Countries Report 2013, published by the United

farmers who supply the company from 70 to

African Agribusiness Knowledge Centers

Nations Conference on Trade and Development

about 1,000, with IFC Advisory Services

(AAKC) is now working in collaboration with

(UNCTAD); for most LDPs, their most valuable

supporting the inclusion of small farmers into

the Masdar Institute of Science and

asset is their people, in particular the young, so

the company’s supplier base.

Technology of Abu Dhabi, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the Harvard

their economies need to create enough “quality jobs” to absorb the growing populations.

Millions committed to transformation of land use

Kennedy School’s Science, Technology, and

Business-focused investment in agro-industries

The Board of Directors of the African

Franchise Farms - a farm development

Development Bank has approved an African

business pioneering commercial farming on

Businesses in Africa’s agro-processing sector

Development Fund (ADF) loan of

25,927 acres (10,497 hectares) on Lake Volta

received R738mn (US$72.3mn) in the past

US$152.12mn and an ADF grant of

in Ghana, West Africa - to apply the Masdar

financial year, meaning almost 4 000 jobs

US$0.38mn to finance Phase 1 of Nigeria’s

Institute’s expertise in renewable energy

were either created or saved, according to the

Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support

technology and innovative solutions to

Industrial Development Corproation (IDC);

Programme (ATASP-1); according to AfDB

improve the skills and competitiveness of the

particular emphasis has been made on

estimates, Nigeria has a huge potential in

African agricultural industry and its farmers;

cutting food imports, developing land, and

agriculture with 84mn hectares of arable land,

Issa Baluch, chairman of AAKC and Africa

new industries and products.

abundant labour, untapped water resources

Atlantic Holdings, and alumni senior fellow of

and a market of 167mn people - but less than

the Advanced Leadership Initiative of Harvard

Women are the key to growth through agricultural trade

40 per cent of the arable land is cultivated and

University, said, “The future of agribusiness in

the country has become a net importer of

Africa requires rural energy solutions.”

A new World Bank publication - Women and

food, spending over US$10bn per annum in

Trade in Africa: Realizing the Potential -

the importation of wheat, rice, sugar and fish.

Congolese farm trials advanced techniques for fresh produce Dozens of Congolese farmers who recently

success in exploiting its trade potential. In

Uganda hosts summit on agricultural development

many countries in Africa; the majority of

A five-day International Symposium and

harvest at the Kitoko Food Farm, a joint

small farmers are women, and they produce

Exhibition on Agricultural Development in the

project of the Gertler Family Foundation (GFF)

crops such as maize, cassava, cotton, and

East African Community was held early in

and the Fleurette Group, have been using

rice that have enormous trade potential.

November 2013 in Kampala, Uganda - by the

advanced farming techniques to yield an array

demonstrates how women play a key role in trade in Africa and will be essential to Africa’s

Globalisation Project, and Africa Atlantic

completed a four-hectare (10-acre) vegetable

EAC Secretariat, Kilimo Trust, Association for

of produce for sale at nearby markets, helping

Millions invested inexpansion of Ethiopia-based africaJUICE

Strengthening Agricultural Research in

boost local food security, employment and

Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA),

incomes - including tomatoes, eggplants,

World Bank Group member IFC and the private

Uganda’s Ministries of East African Community

Israeli cucumbers, green peppers, watermelon

sector window of the Global Agriculture and

Affairs (MEACA- Uganda), and that of

and sweet corn; another 60 hectares (148

Food Security Programme are each investing

Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries

acres) will be planted in January 2014 - and

US$3mn to support growth and expansion of

(MAAIF- Uganda) - to discuss lessons from the

there are further development plans for an

africaJUICE, sub-Saharan Africa’s first Fairtrade-

past 50 years and prospects for the future of

additional 283 hectares (700 acres) of

certified company that both grows and

East African agriculture; participants were

intensive fruit and vegetable production, 243

processes tropical fruit; the company is

engaged in dialogue designed to enhance

hectares (600 acres) of goat grazing and 28

embarking on a US$15mn investment

EAC regional integration in the agricultural

hectares (70 acres) for fish production.

programme to triple fruit-processing capacity,

sector through five major events: Youth in

16

African Review of Business and Technology - Dec 2013/Jan 14

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S04 ATR DecJan 2014 Bulletin B C_Layout 1 12/18/2013 12:04 PM Page 17

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S04 ATR DecJan 2014 Bulletin B C_Layout 1 12/18/2013 12:04 PM Page 18

NEWS

Bulletin / Health Using biometrics to track vaccination histories

patients can pull up their vaccination records

health expenditures are an investment in

with the touch of a finger, allowing the

economic property and individual well-being

Biometrics and imaging fingerprint sensors

healthcare worker to deliver appropriate care.

rather than a drain on the economy.

Shermetaro, CEO of Lumidigm – which

Investing in health and health financing

Jasco wins South African IT support contract

specialises in authentication solutions, has

A report entitled Global Health 2035: A World

Technology firm Jasco has entered into a

developed multispectral imaging technology,

Converging within a Generation“suggests

three-year agreement to provide IT support

innovative software and biometric fingerprint

investment framework to achieve dramatic

to Helios IT Solutions (Pty) Limited, which

sensors to allow its customers to know “who”

health gains by 2035,” according to its author,

provides IT services to one of South Africa’s

or “what” to a high degree of certainty, to

Agnes Soucat, director of human development

largest health administration and managed

introduce biometric vaccination registries that

at the African Development Bank and member

care service providers, Medscheme;

can be operated and managed in the field

of the Commission on Investing in Health; the

Medscheme currently manages the medical

with low-cost mobile devices where adult and

report argues that healthier populations have

scheme benefits of 3.4mn people and

child patients are identified in the registry

better education outcomes and are more

employs over 3,000 people across its 16

with fingerprint sensors, while returning

economically productive, and that well-chosen

branches in South Africa.

are helping to stop vaccine waste for the millions of Africans not yet vaccinated; Mark

Ugandan mobile application to compete for mobile award

M

adding to it until we came to Ffumba,” he said.

developers and influencers - has selected a

adviser called Dominic Walusimbi, was

telling you the food nutritional components,

social networking mobile phone app based

actually interested in cooking and had

their disadvantages and advantages to your

on cultural cuisines for submission to the

studied food and nutrition as a subject in

health,” Lubega explained, adding that the

Global Mobile Premier World awards, taking

high school - so, together with fellow

app will also incorporate diet planning and

place at Mobile World Congress in

member Kenneth Otto, he was charged with

entertainment planning services.

Barcelona, Spain, in February 2014. The app,

doing research amongst different tribes in

selected from a shortlist of 10 Ugandan-built

Uganda to establish the different foods and

working as chefs in restaurants so we got a

apps submitted for the recent AppCircus

cooking styles available.

lot of guidance from them as we continued

obile Monday Kampala - a community of mobile industry visionaries,

Kampala event, is named Ffumba, after the

Curiously, only one group member, an

The five-man Ffumba team are all in their

“Ffumba will automatically select for you the healthiest combination of food while

“Dominic had friends who were now

with the project. It started off as a recess

Luganda word for “cook”. Developed by a

third year at Makerere University, where they

project but we took it seriously and found

group of university students as a “recess

are studying software engineering, and

ourselves adding more and more features as

project”, Ffumba provides a forum for food

include developer and co-team leader

time went along,” Kyeswa said.

enthusiasts and amateur cooks to upload,

Timothy Mugabi Lubega, who presented at

share and develop traditional African recipes

the AppCircus in Kampala, and team

Congress in Barcelona, where they will

and fuse them with modern styles and

designer Israel Besigye.

present their app to a global jury alongside

ingredients.

Speaking for the group of five students,

Mr Lubega explained that the app “will be used across Africa where we expect people

The team will be sent to the Mobile World

other shortlisted apps from various countries worldwide.

developer and co-team leader Victor Kyeswa

to contribute information about their

“We are looking forward to Barcelona. Of

said their interest was piqued because every

traditional foods and cooking styles”.

course, we all want to go - but that will depend

time people talked about food around them,

Ffumba, he added, would enable a focus on

on the funding we get,” Kyeswa added.

it was Italian, Mexican and all cuisines

preserving different cultures and cuisines

besides African.

Ffumba is available on Android only, but

from all over the continent, allowing users to

the developers say they will eventually roll it

“So, we started talking about a recipe-

submit food ingredients that the app will use

out to other platforms.

sharing app so that people could talk about

to create recommended African recipes from

our traditional, cultural food, and then we kept

among those submitted by users.

18

African Review of Business and Technology - Dec 2013/Jan 14

Simon Kaheru

www.africanreview.com

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NEWS

Bulletin / Education Education for economic change at New York Forum Africa

New and sustained dialogue in field of education

Biometrics brings smiles, nutrition and cost savings

Held in Gabon's capital Libreville in 2014,

Ideco, an established firm providing biometric

over 23-25 May, New York Forum Africa will

technology, which is also Southern Africa’s

be themed on the ‘Transformation of a

primary distributor of Morpho fingerprint

Continent’, on unlocking the

biometric solutions, has been working in

competitiveness of the African economy

partnership with education software provider

through building value chains around the

EduAdmin and access control manufacturer

transformation of the continent's natural

Controlsoft on the rollout of infrastructure to

resources, including its human capital; in

make life easier for learners; an advanced

knowledge economies, education is the

International organisations unite at the KAICIID Global Forum in Vienna, Austria

biometric identification systems has been

and global prosperity - and is inseparable

The King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International

Natal, which accommodates 1,200 students,

from the development of human capital - as

Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural

and which required a system to help regulate

indicated by the World Bank, which revealed

Dialogue (KAICIID) Global Forum, on the Image

and manage its tuck-shop facility –

recently that human capital contributes

of the Other in Interreligious and Intercultural

particularly at point of sale (PoS).

more than 60 per cent towards economic

Education, resulted in cooperation agreements

development, as compared to physical

between KAICIID and several international

infrastructure (around 15 per cent) and

partners - including the African Union (AU), the

Microsoft empowers youth in East Africa with Right to Play

natural resources (around 20 per cent).

Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural

The non-profit organisation Right To Play

foundation of economic competitiveness

implemented at a school in Durban, KwaZulu

Organization (ISESCO), the World Scouts

has gained new direct investment from

AfDB and AVU discuss the benefits of e-learning

Foundation, and the United Nations

Microsoft to help expand its successful

Educational, Scientific and Cultural

‘Raising Her Voice’ programme in East

“We consider the African Virtual University

Organization (UNESCO) - to enhance

Africa and strengthen the organisation’s

project very critical to the effort to improve

cooperation in the field of dialogue and other

core technology capacity and digital

access to higher education in Africa and are

areas of joint interest; KAICIID Secretary

resources; Microsoft’s investment will

pleased to learn that the deliberations on

General Faisal Bin Muaammar said, "Young

support youth development in Ethiopia,

the integration of e-learning and open

people and education is a core area we have to

Uganda, Tanzania and Mozambique, fund

education into mainstream education

tackle if we are to improve understanding and

the creation of an interactive digital portal,

programmes was fruitful,” concluded Stefan

build better relationships to lessen the

and help launch a pilot programme in

Muller, lead economist of the African

temptations of extremism…we have listened,

computer skills and digital literacy.

Development Bank’s East Africa Regional

learned, and acted as a hub where knowledge

Resource Center, during the first

and best practice from around the world can

international conference held by the African

come together and be shared."

Policies, decisions and practice at eLearning Africa Uganda’s mobile phone market has seen an

Virtual University in November 2013 in

iLearn delivers on skills empowerment

extraordinary upsurge over the last 15 years,

eLearning and Open Education to Increase Access to Quality Education and Training’,

Specialist provider of on-site instructor-led and

population that live outside of urban areas,

the conference brought together more than

online elearning training methodologies, iLearn

with well-connected Kampala being well-

100 participants including Ministries of

has taken note of South Africa’s revised B-BBEE

known for its Internet café culture; it is,

Education and 22 universities from the

Codes of Good Practice, scheduled for inception

hence, an ideal host nation for the

Multinational AVU support project, as well as

in October 2014, and the importance attached

eLearning Africa conference taking place in

the private sector, to discuss the future of e-

to skills development; skills development is one

May 2014, which is set to explore creative

learning in Africa and the role of open

of the three priority elements that form part of

ways in which eLearning can support

education resources (OERs) such as massive

the Code, alongside ownership, and enterprise

development and help to build a

open online courses (MOOCs).

and supplier development.

sustainable future.

Nairobi; under the topic ‘Integrating

20

African Review of Business and Technology - Dec 2013/Jan 14

led mostly by the 88 per cent of the

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WEB SELECTION

African Review/On the Web A selection of product innovations and recent service developments for African business Full information can be found on www.africanreview.com

Kenya launches US$13.8 billion railway project The Kenyan government has started work on a US$13.8bn railway project which will link the nation with Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan, and enhance trade between the countries.

The first 450km section of the railway The first 450km section of the connecting Mombasa with Nairobi will be railway connecting Mombasa constructed by state-owned CRBC (Photo: US Army Africa) with Nairobi, will be constructed by state-owned China Road and Bridge Corporation.

The project has been scheduled for completion in 2017. http://www.africanreview.com/transport-a-logistics/rail/

AfDB awards US$113 million grant for Rusumo Falls Hydropower Project The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has awarded a US$113mn grant for the 80MW Rusumo Falls Hydropower Project coming up on the Kagera River, along the Rwanda-Tanzania border.

AfDB has agreed to finance the development of transmission

lines for this project. The latest grant will go towards the construction of a section of the Burundi transmission line from the Rusumo Falls power plant. http://www.africanreview.com/ene rgy-a-power/power-generation/

SABMiller to open brewery in Namibia in 2014 UK-based SABMiller has announced that its upcoming brewery in Namibia has been scheduled to commence production during the first half of 2014.

According to The Namibian, the SABMiller has operated in Namibia for US$41.23mn facility coming up in two decades and has introduced brands Castle Lager, Carling Black Okahandja is expected to have an including Label and Castle Lite to the country (Photo: One Red Eye/Philip Meech) initial production capacity of 260,000 hectolitres. Earlier this year, SABMiller had announced that the facility would become operational only by the middle of 2015. http://www.africanreview.com/manufacturing/industry/

22

African Review of Business and Technology - Dec 2013/Jan 14

Nampak buys Nigerian beverage can maker South Africa’s Nampak has agreed to buy Nigerian beverage can manufacturer Alucan Investments for US$301mn as part of its plan to expand its reach outside its home market.

Alucan Investments, which is situated in the Agbara

industrial area near Lagos, makes cans for the beer, malt and the soft drink industry with a capacity to produce 1.1 billion cans per year. http://www.africanreview.com/ma nufacturing/industry/

Nigeria's air ambulance pioneer While the idea of flying doctors and air ambulances in East Africa is almost taken for granted, in West Africa the concept has only just taken off thanks to the work of the African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) and Dr Ola Orekunrin, who Stephen Williams met with recently to find out more about her life in the air.

"When I arrived in Nigeria, I Dr Ola Orekunrin gets ready to take to decided to start an air the skies (Photo: Stephen Williams) ambulance, not just a specialist pediatric air ambulance, that would cover Nigeria and West Africa. It took a huge amount of work to get started with a lot of mistakes and a lot of completely dead ends," said Orekunrin. Persistence and dogged determination paid off, however, and today Orekunrin's company is well-established. http://www.africanreview.com/transport-a-logistics/aviation/

Mubadala signs US$5 billion deal with Guinea to develop aluminium industry Investment firm Mubadala has signed a US$5bn agreement with the government of Guinea to develop a bauxite mine and an alumina refinery in the country, which would help it secure raw material for its UAE aluminium plants.

Guinea’s minister for mines and geology, Mohamed Lamine Fofana, said the deal included a US$4bn contract for building an alumina refinery and port and a US$1bn agreement to extract and export bauxite to the UAE. http://www.africanreview.com/manufacturing/metals/ www.africanreview.com

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ECONOMY

Kenya

Multi-nationals eye invstment opportunities The evolving African business landscape, and why Sub-Saharan Africa should be on the radar of every savvy investor

W

e are predicting GDP growth in Sub-Saharan Africa, excluding South Africa, of seven to eight per cent for at least the next few years and this opportunity has not escaped the eyes of big business. In the past year, we have witnessed a high number of global companies buying or increasing their stake in local Sub-Saharan African entities. From the creative sector to pharmaceuticals, multinationals are capitalising on the emerging economies, a young workforce and a stable currency.

Although China has historically led business relationships in Africa, American, European and South African businesses have also made significant investments in the past 12 months. In August, the global advertising agency, WPP, acquired the majority stake in Scangroup, Africa’s leading marketing services group which is publicly listed in Nairobi.

The global powerhouse GlaxoSmithKline has also further expanded

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African Review of Business and Technology - Dec 2013/Jan 14

its operations across the continent this year focusing on patented drugs and consumer healthcare products. These are just two examples which demonstrate that global companies are ploughing finances into the region due to its huge growth potential.

This investment is a pan Sub-Saharan African phenomenon, but different regions are experiencing growth in specific industries. By reviewing East and West Africa more closely, we can see the development of technology in the East and the impact of banking reforms in the West.

Looking at East Africa, we can see this region has benefitted from IT investment, particularly in Kenya. This region’s rapid rise in telecommunications capacity is due to the exponential take-up of mobile services. Enthusiasm for the sector is evident from this year’s news that Bharti has sold a stake to a Qatar investment group to finance further investment in its African operations.

In Kenya, where Airtel is the second largest operator, the number of internet subscribers rose 75 per cent in 2012 alone, with mobile subscriptions accounting for 99 per cent of the market.

Investors should take note of the strong outward investment in East African technology as the roll-out of next generation data services in particular will be an important driver of growth, as voice services trend to maturity.

In addition, these developments make the region much easier to work in and conduct business.

Across in West Africa, the banking sector is a particular hub of opportunity, centred in Nigeria. In July, research conducted by Ernst & Young Global rated Nigeria’s banking market as the second most profitable in Africa. The report also rated Sub-Saharan Africa as the world’s most profitable banking market, as measured by returns on assets. This is confirmed by the actions we are seeing from global and South African banks looking to acquire stakes in Nigerian banks.

In 2012, South Africa’s Ned Bank acquired a 20 per cent stake in Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI). Asset sales and expansion plans are buoying demand for Nigerian banks. This along with cheaper credit being offered to lenders demonstrates the value in Nigeria’s top tier banks for investors.

Africa is home to some of the fastest-growing economies in the world, including a dozen countries that are expected to grow at least six per cent annually during the next six years. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicts that African nations will represent seven of the top 10 fastestgrowing economies, with a population in excess of 10mn, in 2011-2015.

In addition, Africa will shortly be the only region in the world where the working age population is still rising as a percentage of the total population. Clearly global companies are taking notice of this huge growth. If they are putting their stake into Africa, this should give investors the confidence they need to invest. ■ Jamie Allsopp, fund manager at Insparo Asset Management www.africanreview.com

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Sudan

ECONOMY

Looking to the future The agreement resuming exports of South Sudanese oil through Sudan’s ports clears the way for Juba and Khartoum to make up for lost profits

A

t independence in 2011, the South Sudanese government in Juba took possession of more than three-quarters of Sudanese oil reserves, a loss of more than 85 per cent of Khartoum’s export earnings, which the World Bank said reached US$7.5bn in the first half of 2011. But Khartoum retained control of most of the processing and export facilities on which landlocked South Sudan depends to get its crude to market.

What followed was an increasingly bitter exchange over reparations, revenue sharing, and usage fees for ports and pipelines. Khartoum confiscated US$815mn worth of South Sudanese crude in lieu of what it said were unpaid fees. Juba responded by shutting down all oil production in January 2012. That led to renewed fighting across the stillundefined 1,800km border that included South Sudan’s brief occupation of the key Sudanese oil town of Heglig. Under threat of sanctions, the UN demanded an end to fighting, the withdrawal of forces from the disputed Abyei region, and agreement on oil fees.

The deal, brokered by former South African president Thabo Mbeki, has South Sudan paying the equivalent of US$9.48 per barrel for the use of Sudanese oil export infrastructure, including Port Sudan, as well as more than US$3bn in a one-time payment to cover the financing gap caused by Khartoum’s loss of southern oil fields.

The international community is matching that with another US$3bn in compensation over three years. As part of the deal, the Obama administration has agreed to not enforce existing sanctions on dollar transfers to Khartoum that satisfy those transfer payments.

China is lending South Sudan US$8bn to build new hydroelectric plants and roads and to improve telecommunications and agriculture but passed on helping finance a new oil pipeline through Kenya that would cut Khartoum out of the loop.

China is the biggest investor in oil fields, pipelines, and related infrastructure on both sides of the border, with the China National Petroleum Corporation holding a 40 per cent stake in the Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Company.

Khartoum is looking for improved border security before the full restoration of South Sudanese exports (Photo: Tim Freccia/Center for American Progress)

Washington is therefore looking to Beijing to help fund the US$3bn international share of the oil accord.

“Now was the time to bring [the oil] impasse to a close, for the good of the people of South Sudan and their aspirations for a better future in the face of ongoing challenges,” former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton said following a visit to Juba.

Khartoum is still looking for a broader agreement on border security before the complete restoration of South Sudanese oil exports through its territory.

“Since the two parties now have fewer pieces of leverage to negotiate with, sustained and co-ordinated international pressure will be critical to push Juba and Khartoum toward a comprehensive deal,” said Center for American Progress Enough Project field researcher Amanda Hsiao. ■ Scott Stearns

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BUSINESS

Economy

Sub-Saharan Africa gearing up for a business boom The region is a preferred market in the global map for its steady growth. Although slow, it is surely showing promises for better investment returns

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frica, endowed with abundant resources, is now the world’s fastestgrowing continent. After a decade of political stability, multinationals increasingly see this diverse region as the next ‘big’ destination for global investment. Although still under-developed, Sub-Saharan Africa offers lucrative opportunities in many sectors – besides extractive industries.

Despite global slowdown since 2009, Africa’s growth remained robust. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicts regional GDP growth at five per cent for year ending, before reaching six per cent in 2014, surpassing the Middle East, South America and Central Eastern Europe.

The key reasons behind growth surge include sound economic policies, microbusiness reforms, and fast-rising incomes, along with export diversification into higher value-added production and towards new emerging partners in Asia. Moreover, the African governments undertook measures to liberalise their markets by privatisations, opening up external trade, reducing corporate taxes, strengthening legal systems, and providing more resources for infrastructure investments.

Demographics dividends Robust demographics, coupled with vibrant economies, are attracting more private equity firms, including major US and European heavyweights likes of Carlyle Group LP and Actis. They are primarily interested in infrastructure, consumer goods and financial services, all sectors that benefit from growing urbanisation and the rise of middle-class consumers. The World Bank expects most African economies to achieve middle income status by 2025.

According to the Geneva-based United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, although modest and geographically concentrated (mainly Nigeria, Angola, Kenya and South Africa), the share of consumer-related foreign direct investment (FDI) greenfield projects rose from seven per cent in 2008 to 23 per cent in 2012. The growing middle-class of

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Most of the African markets are unusually open to foreign banking

Africans is largely behind the ongoing economic renaissance across the region.

Hence, it’s domestic demand that is driving much of regional growth. The financial services are expected to contribute about one-fifth to Africa’s total output by 2020.

Lucrative opportunities remain — be it trade financing, expanding current product offerings (basic savings and loan products), developing innovative services — such as leasing, micro-finance, credit/debit cards and home mortgages and bringing the ‘unbanked’ into the mainstream financial system. Most of the African markets are open to foreign banking. Standard Chartered aims to double its African revenues to US$2.5bn in the next five years.

Russia’s Renaissance Capital projects a swelling of Africa’s GDP from US$2 trillion to US$29 trillion in today’s money by 2050.

The infrastructure backlog, however, needs US$22bn to keep pace with annual GDP growth of seven per cent, African Development Bank (AfDB) said.

Rising inward investment FDI flows to Africa have expanded rapidly — US$415bn over 2001-10, five times the amount of the previous decade.

African Review of Business and Technology - Dec 2013/Jan 14

Significantly, FDI to Africa has outstripped official aid since 2005. The largest flows were reported in 2011 at US$80bn and projected to reach US$150bn by 2015, according to an Ernst & Young survey. What is revealing is that 30 per cent of new investment has gone into manufacturing, 38 per cent towards infrastructure building and only 28 per cent into extractive sectors.

London remains a prime centre for channeling FDI into Africa mainly from large and medium-sized corporations. The London Stock Exchange (LSE) is popular across Africa. There are 85 African companies (mostly mining and oil/gas) quoted on the LSE. In 2011, African companies raised a total of US$1.97bn from share offerings, underscoring the city’s pivotal role for African firms to tap “risk capital” for business expansion. Also, the continued dominance of traditional partners is striking, despite the influx of Chinese and Indian investments.

Unlike previous decades, Africa now has stronger foundations to support future prosperity. In fact, seven of globe’s top 10 fastest-growing economies over the medium-term will be in Africa.

Moin Siddiqi, economist www.africanreview.com

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ECONOMY

Investment

Swazi stocks, prices and equity exchanges There are calls for the Swaziland Stock Exchange to improve its operations and processes, to meet increasingly dynamic real-world scenarios

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ays go by without a change in the All Share Price Index of the Swaziland Stock Exchange (SSX). In fact, days can go by without a trading session. Time stands as still as the rarely moving All Shares Index.

“The stock brokerage houses call us if they have a transaction. If we don’t get a call we don’t open up the trading floor,” said Peace Mabuza, research and development officer for the SSX. As a result, the All Shares Index has hovered around 280 for most of 2013. The trading floor – a conference room actually in one of the low-rise office buildings of Swaziland’s somnolent capital Mbabane – features a white board where six listed companies are traded.

Trades, when they happen, are recorded on the board with a marker pen by anyone present who has legible handwriting. The number of listed companies is down from the seven firms that traded when the exchange began operations in 2000. That opening was risky for investors because legislation to formally establish and regulate a place where bonds and equities might be traded did not emerge from the Swazi Parliament until 2010.

No one can explain government’s dawdling on this issue, beyond citing the local folk wisdom “There’s no hurry in Swaziland.”

Another reason could be that there is no capital in Swaziland. Metaphorically speaking, the little SSX has all the liquidity of a dry riverbed baking in a summer drought.

Looking forward to new trades Investors cling to the few stocks available seemingly for dear life. During the first quarter of 2013, a total of US$6,900 worth of stock was traded. Altogether, 4,000 shares were moved in the first quarter. There was usually no reason for traders to convene for the daily noon opening of the market until April, when 50,000 shares of Swaziland Empowerment traded hands in a transaction worth US$120,000.

That was likely to be this year’s big trade in Swaziland. The picture is livelier in the rest of Africa. Amongst Africa’s 29 stock exchanges

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Michael Matimela, a stockbroker with Swaziland Stockbrokers Limited, stands beside the Big Board during a test run of the Swaziland Stock Exchange in May 2000. 13 years later, trades are still recorded manually

representing companies in 38 African countries, business is generally surging in 2013. The exchanges in Lagos, Nigeria and Nairobi, Kenya were both up 35 per cent by mid-year. Ghana’s flashy stock exchange in Accra increased its overall value by 50 per cent during the same two quarters. The boom is fueled by the new reality amongst foreign investors that Africa is now more than a location for mineral extraction and the exploitation of other natural resources. There are now sound investments to be made in African companies for the long-term.

Southern African exchanges are boosted by the region’s strong economic performance. GDP growth averaging 5.4 per cent in 2013 is expected to rise to 5.7 per cent in 2014. The erratic performance of the South African economy has led to a precipitous fall in the value of the rand in 2013, but has not affected the performance of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), thanks to the value of major listings whose profits are largely generated overseas.

Values in equities By contrast, Swaziland’s equities offerings are in companies whose sources of profit are strictly local. The most profitable company in the country, the mobile phone firm Swaziland MTN, which possesses a monopoly on cellular telephone service in the country, is not listed on the SSX at all. Shares are traded at the JSE

African Review of Business and Technology - Dec 2013/Jan 14

in Johannesburg, a four-hour drive from little landlocked Swaziland.

Total capitalisation of the SSX is about US$20mn. Trade is conducted by Swaziland’s two brokerage firms, African Alliance Swaziland Securities Ltd (AASSL) and Swaziland Stockbrokers Ltd (SSL).

Swaziland’s small and unfortunately contracting economy is reflected in its stock exchange, just as any country’s economy is mirrored in local equity and bond trading. With little industry and a services sector hobbled by the country’s poverty, few firms are large enough to warrant listing on an exchange.

It was a lonely and listless opening of the bourse on 1 September 2000 when the author of this article was the only visitor to join the two brokers from the country’s two brokerage houses and a representative from the Central Bank of Swaziland, who oversaw trading. In the absence of anyone else I was given the marker pen to record transactions on the white board. However, the only writing to do was to change the date on the board.

Lest the SSX came into the world on such an inauspicious note, I asked one of the brokers to accompany me outside the trading room. I placed with him an order for 500 shares of any listed companies. It didn’t matter to me which one. Filling the order proved a challenge, and in an era of instantaneous transactions when billions of shares are exchanged in a blink of an eye, five trading sessions interrupted by a weekend came and went before 500 shares could be located and purchased by this correspondent.

The shares eventually secured were with Nedbank Swaziland. They were unloaded a couple of years later after the value they accrued was less than interest to be had from an ordinary savings account.

However, the lengthy acquisition that recalled an earlier era in stocks trading made for an interesting story. ■ James Hall www.africanreview.com

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Agriculture ENVIRONMENT

Revolutionary Mobile Agri Lab launched South Africa’s first mobile agricultural laboratory is set to spark a high-tech renaissance in its emerging farmer development strategy

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he fruit of efforts by developmental organisation Mobile Agri Skills Development and Training (MASTD), the Mobile Agri Lab in Mbombela will allow rural farmers to receive real-time lab results for soil, water and disease tests.

Developed with the help of a ZAR 3mn (US$300,000) donation from the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA), the 20metre Scania truck unit will act as a comprehensive one-stop support centre for agricultural enterprises struggling with a lack of resources and expertise.

“The benefits of the lab are numerous and include bringing conformity assessment support closer to emerging farmers, giving them access to a testing facility that will help them in their farm planning and crop production,” said SEDA spokesperson Beverley Kgame.

Services offered by the laboratory are currently only available at South Africa’s large urban centres far removed from rural farming ventures and normally impossible for emerging farmers to reach. The Mobile Agri Lab has sought to address this obstacle to farmer development.

In addition to laboratory equipment, which includes microscopes and incubators, the truck has on board a fully equipped interactive training room complete with a digital projector.

“The plan is to support rural schools by taking the laboratory unit to them and demonstrating experiments by using the television screens.

This will make students aware of basic agri-science and show them that agriculture is a worthwhile profession,” said MASTD managing director Lynette Bezuidenhout.

The lab is environmentally-friendly too, with most electronic equipment on board powered by solar panels.

“With the assistance of new technologies one can increase agricultural income and productivity. MASDT intends rolling out some of these technological innovations that will add value to the efforts of the emerging farmers,” Bezuidenhout said.

In addition to the lab, innovations such as electronic payment systems, farmer help-lines, mobile management and supplier networks, vehicle tracking systems and tendering platforms are available on the truck.

MASTD chairperson Mathews Phosa, former general security of the ruling ANC government, believes that such developments are vital to South Africa’s economy due to the dwindling number of commercial farmers in the country.

“Many African and East European countries continue to lure farmers with extremely lucrative contracts. More worrying is the fact that the average age of our commercial farmers is 62. It is clear that the future of food production and rural job creation lie with South Africa’s 2.5mn emerging farmers,” Phosa said.

Currently, more than 130 emerging agribusinesses in South Africa are supported by the programme, and small, medium and micro

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enterprise businesses (SMMEs) assisted by MASDT have accounted for a collective total turnover of approximately US$1.8mn and have secured around US$2.3mn in grants.

The new truck will add to MASTD’s fleet of vehicles which already visit projects and deliver seedlings and mechanisation to locations in Mpumalanga.

The organisation’s long-term goal is to establish a network of Mobile Agri Labs across South Africa.

“MASDT exists to change lives for the better, add value through nationally recognised training and nurture emerging farmers to become successful small and commercial farmers in rural areas. This is what we have done here and this is where the future lies,” Bezuidenhout concluded. ■

LIFTUBE ®

SEALING & SAFETY Optimization of conveyor belts

Innovative processes for bulk handling www.sisa-industry.com

African Review of Business and Technology - Dec 2013/Jan 14

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ENVIRONMENT Water

Making the most of municipal water Hatch Goba has successfully assisted municipalities across South Africa in streamlining their water management strategies

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he consulting engineering and project implementation company provides expertise and assistance through its Water Business Unit, which has more than 100 water engineering staff nationwide.

Hatch Goba Water Business Unit regional director Andrew Officer points out that the division specialises in the planning, designing, commissioning and operation of numerous types of water projects, including: bulk water infrastructure; dams; tunnels and hydropower; mining and industrial water services; water and wastewater treatment; and trenchless technology.

“We offer a full spectrum of services to municipal clients. This includes water demand and water loss management, in addition to bulk water supply and wet services infrastructure design. Our understanding of local water conditions, combined with project experience and technical knowledge enables us to develop strategic and integrated plans for short and long term water resource management, while using practical approaches to minimise capital and operational costs,” he says.

Hatch Goba has played an instrumental role in assisting KwaZulu Natal water authority Umgeni Water in the Durban Heights booster pump station and water treatment works upgrade. The Durban Heights booster pump station is a 1.5MW, five cubic metres per second capacity potable water pump station fed from the Durban Heights Reservoir 3. Hatch Goba provided services for design and tender, detailed design and construction monitoring and commissioning for the project.

Officer notes that Hatch Goba also provided Umgeni Water with project administration, documentation and construction monitoring of a valve replacement programme at the Durban Heights Water Treatment Works, which has a capacity of around 600ml per day.

EThekwini Water and Sanitation is another

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Hatch Goba Water Business Unit regional director Andrew Officer

municipal authority that has commissioned Hatch Goba to undertake work for the Durban Harbour services tunnel replacement project and the Mahatma Gandhi Road sewer pump station relocation.

“Micro-tunnelling was identified as the most effective method for this project, due to the fact that the project had to be undertaken with minimal disruption to traffic, surrounding businesses, protected historical buildings and essential underground services that were in close proximity to the construction site,” Officer comments.

As part of the Durban Harbour Services Tunnel Replacement Project, the planned widening and deepening of the harbour

African Review of Business and Technology - Dec 2013/Jan 14

entrance necessitated the replacement of the existing tunnel with a longer and deeper tunnel designed to carry various sewer, water, electrical and communication services across the harbour entrance.

According to Officer, this was the first sub-aqueous soft ground tunnel in South Africa, designed with some of the steepest grades and tightest vertical curves due to space constraints.

Hatch Goba also has experience in storm water projects, following its successful completion of the Majaneng storm water management project for the City of Tshwane.

The Kudube Extension 10 and Majaneng tribal area had been subjected to regular flooding during the rainy season, due to a poorly defined watercourse. As a result, the company was appointed to determine options for the control and safe discharge of storm flows through this area, including rehabilitation of the Majaneng dam spillway, as well as the design and construction of a separate retention dam and canal.

Looking to the future, Officer believes that water and wastewater treatment holds the potential for considerable growth within the Hatch Goba Water Business Unit.

“A large number of treatment plants across South Africa are deteriorating, and local authorities are seeking to upgrade the existing infrastructure. Having established a proven track record in this area of expertise, I am confident that the Hatch Goba Water Business Unit will experience measurable long term growth in this sector,” he says.

Beyond South Africa's borders, Officer points out that the company will focus on small- to medium-sized dam projects, as well as rural bulk water supply.

“We are actively involved in projects in Botswana and Mozambique, and are looking at expanding our footprint into Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania – where we plan to focus on the larger scale bulk water supply projects,” he concludes. ■ www.africanreview.com

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LOGISTICS

Forklifts

Balancing, reaching, and carrying M

any within the industry take the forklift truck for granted.

These machines do a job, and generally do it well. But it pays to take time to think about the different types of forklift truck there are, and what jobs they are designed to do. Here are the major forklift truck types, and summaries of their primary applications.

Weight and counterweight Counterbalance forklift trucks are the most common type of forklift truck, and the type most people think of when considering forklifts.

On such trucks, the forks protrude from the front of the machine, with no outrigging legs or arms, meaning the truck can be driven up to the exact location of the load or racking. This means that no reach facility is required, and lends itself to straightforward operation.

Counterbalance machines are available as electric, gas or diesel powered. Many have sideshifts, a mast tilt facility, and often driver cabs. As the name suggests, counterbalance trucks operate a counterbalance weight design, with a weight at the rear of the truck off-setting the load to be lifted at the front. Electric counterbalance machines are able to operate with a smaller counterweight as the battery serves as ballast as well as a source of power.

Three-wheel counterbalance forklifts work to the same premise as regular counterbalance machines however the inclusion of a single drive wheel in the centre of the rear of the machine ensures maximum manoeuvrability. Three-wheel counterbalance machines are perfect for use in applications where space is limited due to their tight turning circles and excellent manoeuvrability. They are also ideally-suited to applications that require inside and outside use and racking loading. The combination of counterbalance underclearance and tight manoeuvrability ensures maximum productivity.

Reaching out, across, and back Reach trucks are designed predominantly for warehouse operation.

They offer maximum lift height with excellent manoeuvrability. The name refers to the ability of the fork carriage to ‘reach’ out beyond the stabilising legs and therefore ‘reach’ into racking. The combination of this reach capability and the stabilising legs means reach trucks can lift to great heights (in excess of 10 metres) while still operating in very tight working environments. The stabilising legs and batteries within a reach truck negate the need for any counterbalance weight within the truck construct.

Some reach truck manufacturers design their trucks with a tilting cab mechanism to make for a more comfortable viewing position for

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African Review of Business and Technology - Dec 2013/Jan 14

www.africanreview.com

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Forklifts the operator. For other manufacturers, a very open overhead guard means this is not required. For further visibility, reach trucks can be fitted with cameras on the fork carriage that transmit a signal down to a LCD screen in the cab to aid navigation. These systems can be either wired or wireless, however in our experience wired systems are more reliable as they are not susceptible to interference from outside sources such as broadband routers.

While excellent for use indoors, reach trucks are not ideally suited to work outside. Their low under-carriage clearance can cause problems on uneven working surfaces, and their electric power systems can be prone to contact trouble if regularly shaken due to undulating working surfaces.

Picking up a pallet Hand pallet trucks (also know as pump trucks) are non-powered tools designed for the moving of palletised loads; typically, up to 3,500kg in weight. They are simple in their operation with the operator sliding the forks into the pallet, ‘pumping’ the handle to raise the forks off the ground, and moving the load via the handle. The front wheels are mounted inside the end of the forks, and as the hydraulic jack is raised, the forks are separated vertically from the front wheels, forcing the load upward until it clears the floor. The pallet is only lifted enough to clear the floor for subsequent travel.

Powered pallet trucks operate to a very similar principle as hand pallet trucks. The operator slides the forks into the pallet to allow for load bearing. On a powered pallet truck however, the lifting of the load, and truck movement, is powered by the

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LOGISTICS

electric motor within the machine. Typically, there is a ‘paddle’ control to select forward or reverse direction, and button control to raise or lower the forks.

As with all electric-powered trucks, the batteries contained within need to be charged. Often, with a powered pallet truck, the truck has an integral charger meaning that it can be plugged straight into the mains without the need for a stand-alone charger. Powered pallet trucks operate best on flat and smooth surfaces.

Loading up, and out Sideloaders are, as their name suggests, trucks that operate by picking up their load from the side, from the perspective of the operator. They are very good at handling wide (or long) loads that would otherwise be unstable on a conventional counterbalance machine. Sideloaders are excellent for handling lengthy materials such as timber, piping and sheets. This strength is also a weakness however, as they offer limited flexibility for handling more conventional loads.

Teletrucks are relatively specialist machines. They have an extending mast operating on a boom, rather than a standard straight mast that is found on counterbalance or reach trucks. The main benefit of teletrucks is the excellent access they offer, with most machines offering the ability to access both sides of a delivery wagon from one side only; this can lead to strong efficiencies. The drawbacks to teletrucks are the cost (they are significantly more expensive than counterbalance machines) and some reliability issues due to the increased complexity of their design and structure. ■

African Review of Business and Technology - Dec 2013/Jan 14

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Business

ANALYSIS

Control risks in business

Venturing out into a new market is fraught with uncertainty - especially if it is Africa, given its current political situation. Consultancy Control Risks recommends a risk assessment before investing.

D

rawn by the prospects of healthy economic growth and expanding consumption, more and more companies are looking for an increased presence in Africa. However, there is a lot of pessimism about the region due to instability in the continent. Our advice in navigating frontier markets such as Africa centres on a pragmatic approach to identifying and managing operational risks. In Africa, this enables our clients to capitalise on the wide array of market opportunities in everything from agriculture to pharmaceuticals. Whether it’s a matter of choosing the right partner, securing the supply chain or understanding how policy decisions will affect a business, managing risks before they disrupt operations is increasingly critical to success.

Problem 1: Being caught off-guard Solution 1: Concise understanding of risk environment to inform decision makers One of the oldest but most common problems companies face is having to make large cost outlays to fix problems that could have been prevented. Most managers, at some point, have had to report to their board or senior executives on why the business was not adequately prepared to

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deal with a risk when it materialised. Our experience in Africa tells us this can be anything from why a politician is blocking a project when formal approvals have gone through, to physical harm to employees who have been caught up in violent unrest or fallen victim to violent crime.

The first lesson for business leaders, when venturing into a new market, is not to assume it is familiar with the territory. A simple and effective tool to ensure decision makers are well-informed about the risk environment ahead is to conduct a country risk assessment. These range from the stability of the political environment, to the prevalence and nature of corruption in a given sector in the country, to the extent of security challenges in the areas of relevance for the business.

A tragic example of how quickly things can go wrong comes from a client working in the agro-chemicals sector. Having operated a thriving joint venture in Côte d’Ivoire for 10 years, the company was caught off-guard by how swiftly the security situation deteriorated during the 2011 post-election crisis.

Headquarters initially relied on the local management team’s advice that violence would be contained, and decided against

evacuating staff in the first month. However, with law and order having effectively broken down, travelling around the country became increasingly dangerous, and a member of the local management team was killed when fighting broke out around a checkpoint.This led the company to change its plans and remove all staff.

The incident prompted the company to conduct detailed security risk assessments of all its high risk locations, as well as when entering less familiar terrain. With this understanding of the risks involved and mitigation options available, management is more confident in recommending a strategy that ensures the company’s people, operations and reputation are well-protected.

Problem 2: Regulatory uncertainty stemming from political environment Solution 2: Scenario planning with key ‘triggers’ Entering a regulated sector always presents unique challenges in an environment where political and business interests overlap, and this requires a special type of preparation. In a recent case, our client was considering an investment in the newly privatised energy sector of a developing country facing a looming political transition. While the

African Review of Business and Technology - Dec 2013/Jan 14

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RiskMap 2014 is Control Risks’ authoritative guide to business risk in the year ahead. Drawing upon years of experience and knowledge from our experts worldwide, RiskMap provides a critical assessment of the global and regional risks that organisations are likely to face in 2014.

SECURITY RISK FORECAST INSIGNIFICANT

PIRACY RISK

LOW

POLITICAL RISK FORECAST MEDIUM

HIGH

EXTREME

Areas at heightened risk of piracy or other maritime insecurity.

Go to www.controlrisks.com for our Maritime RiskMap 2014.

INTERESTED IN THIS ANALYSIS? Scan QR code or visit our website to download your complimentary edition of the RiskMap 2014 map and report.

INSIGNIFICANT

LOW

MEDIUM

HIGH

EXTREME

F R E E D O W N LOA D

S08 ATR DecJan 2014 Advertorial CII - Control Risk_Layout 1 12/18/2013 3:11 PM Page 37

50%

of those companies surveyed in our International Business Attitudes to Corruption Survey 2013 had procedures in place for integrity due diligence on new business partners

TODAY,

ONLY

2014

22

sub-Saharan African countries are assessed as presenting persistent and serious challenges for business in terms of political instability and operational challenges compared to only 10 in 2003.

17

Number of sub-Saharan African countries which have implemented major port reforms since 2000

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ANALYSIS

Business

fundamentals looked attractive, the client was concerned about the impact of the transition on its non-payment risks. The company had sizeable contracts with several state-owned companies, as well as companies affiliated with well-connected political personalities. A long history of largesse and favours doled out to such actors fed into a culture of non-payment, and despite several years of reforms, continued momentum relied on a stable transition to a new government from a long-serving ruler.

By assessing the likely and worst-case scenarios for the political transition, we helped our client to understand how it would be likely to be affected, and identify triggers to monitor which scenario was most relevant.On that basis, it took an informed view on the risk profile of the investment and was able to get the board’s backing to proceed.

Problem 3: Relying on a business partner who can’t deliver or brings more risks than benefits Solution 3: Do due diligence on new business partners! And where they are central to your success, do more!

Today, most companies work with networks of ‘third parties’ — from business partners and suppliers to agents and contractors. When entering a new market, these relationships play a pivotal role in a successful investment, but also have the potential to act as a spoiler, in unpredictable ways.

We recently supported a mining

Doing some homework on the local context leading to a risk management approach tailored to the country, before committing to a decision, will enable your company to realising the rewards of Africa’s lucrative markets engineering company as it navigated the various pitfalls presented by potential business partners during its bid for a contract to rehabilitate a mine in DR Congo.

The company was part of a consortium that included an international bank, providing the majority of the finance. Early in the bidding process the company engaged Control Risks to carry out a profile and reputational assessment of the company that held the underlying mining licence.

After conducting thorough public record research and speaking to many wellinformed sources, our due diligence revealed that the company had been awarded its licence in a highly controversial tender process, and that its financial backing was little more than an overseas shell company with no visible footprint.

Avoiding third party ‘spoilers’ can be a challenge. Individuals touting high-level political connections who conceal a patchy track record, litigation, corruption or even inflate their professional profile are tell-tale red flags the companies must look out for when planning investments.

One of our clients, new to Kenya, was

relying on a local industry consultant to negotiate a local supply contract in the country’s well-established power sector. It was critical that the local agent’s track record and reputation were reliable, and that he was not acting on behalf of hidden political or vested interests. Our investigation revealed that much of his claimed experience was exaggerated. He appeared to depend largely on one government sponsor and had recently fallen out with one former business partner, who had accused him of gross mismanagement. In this case, our client managed to get the full picture early on and avoid getting involved with a business partner from whom it might have had difficulty extricating itself. It successfully found another agent and was able to continue with its bid.

In sum, doing some homework on the local context leading to a risk management approach tailored to the country, before committing to a decision, will enable your company to realising the rewards of Africa’s lucrative markets. ■

By Jean Devlin and Maria Knapp, Control Risks

The first lesson for business leaders, when venturing into a new market, is not to assume it is familiar with the territory

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ELECRAMA

POWER

India’s electrical sector goes global Looking ahead to ELECRAMA-2014, the 11th edition of the world’s largest power transmission and distribution event, taking place in Bangalore, at the heart of India’s technology nucleus

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LECRAMA, the flagship event of the Indian Electrical and Electronics Manufacturers' Association (IEEMA), is the largest focussed exhibition in the world of electrical transmission and distribution equipment industry, with the objective of promoting the “Made-in-India” brand to a global audience. Held biennially in India since 1990, it has grown to be the world's largest one-stop-shop for electrical equipment and industrial electronics. The wholesome experience of ELECRAMA makes it the must attend event for the global electrical industry.

The next edition, ELECRAMA-2014, is scheduled to be held at the world-class exhibition venue, the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC), from 8th to 12th January 2014. The exhibition will be spread over six halls, having a gross area of more than 65,000 sq. metres, with about 1,000 exhibitors, and more than 125,000 visitors from India and over 130 countries. As in the past, ELECRAMA2014 has received overwhelming response from exhibitors and active expressions of interest in visiting the exhibition from power utilities, technical consultants and engineering project contractors from India and abroad.

Governmental support to ‘Go Global’ ELECRAMA-2014 is supported by the Ministry of Power, Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises and Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India.

The exhibition is also supported by the State Government of Karnataka, with Karnataka being the Host State. BESCOM is the Distribution Utility Partner and KPTCL is the Transmission Utility Partner.

ELECRAMA-2014 has a unique theme, ‘Go Global’ , and the objective is to showcase to the world the strengths and capabilities of Indian manufacturers and the global

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competitiveness of electrical equipment manufactured in India – the right technology at the right price. As the world’s largest confluence of the power transmission and distribution community, ELECRAMA-2014 will showcase products and technology through the entire voltage spectrum, from 220 V to 1,200 kV, conforming to global standards and specifications.

Technologies and opportunities ELECRAMA-2014 will showcase products based on the latest technologies, with opportunities for comparing vendors, competitors, products and services, besides networking opportunities, all at one venue. It will benefit Indian manufacturers - the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector in particular - on raising awareness and brandimaging, finding leads from new domestic and foreign buyers and prospects, creating industry relationships and partnerships.

Global CEOs like Mr. Gregoire PouxGuillaume, President of Alstom Grid; Mr. Jean Pascal Tricoire, Chairman & CEO, Schneider Electric SA; Mr. Tony M. Gatt, President, Energy Division, TE Connectivity; who have found merit and value in the proposition, have accepted to be the Global Brand Ambassadors of ELECRAMA-2014. Mr. R N Nayak, CMD of Powergrid Corporation of India, is the Indian Brand Ambassador of ELECRAMA-2014.

Taking a quantum leap ELECRAMA-2014 is poised for a quantum leap in terms of event experience, ambience, context, commerce and is moving to the newest and world-class exhibition location in the country – BIEC, Bangalore. ELECRAMA’s philosophy of evolution based on continuous innovation, improvisation based on participant feedback, has driven this radical

transformation. ELECRAMA-2014 will be a generation ahead, in terms of core services, features and amenities - highest quality on par with international standards. The exhibition and the slew of concurrent events will broaden the perspectives for a modern business person and will offer a strong interface with the key decision makers like governments, electrical utilities, funding agencies, technical specialists, EPC contractors, electrical consultants and academic communities. ELECRAMA-2014 is envisaged to be an experience beyond compare from its previous ten editions. It has been duly certified by UFI, the international rating agency.

Apart from being a world class exhibition, ELECRAMA also plays host to a number of technical and commercial interactions through its finely planned portfolio of concurrent events. Each edition sees top notch quality of global technical conferences.

CEO Summit ELECRAMA involves itself in hosting some interesting high power dialogues that involve the think tanks and captains of the industry who indulge in some clairvoyance and visioneering for the sector. Every edition, the CEO Summit is an eagerly awaited event. An exclusive ‘By Invitation Only’ business leaders networking platform, the CEO Summit is being organised in partnership with Bloomberg TV, a leading television channel, alongside ELECRAMA-2014, on 8th January.

This event will feature ‘live’ panel discussions with eminent experts, on challenges and opportunities offered by the electrical sector, which packs a powerful evening of discussions, networking amongst who’s who of the electrical equipment industry along with leading policy makers and members of the government.

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POWER

ELECRAMA

The topics of discussion will be touching upon macro-economic factors which impact the industry from a global perspective. It will also introduce the various investment opportunities available in the host state of Karnataka and in other parts of the country.

The Global Brand Ambassadors of ELECRAMA-2014, top government functionaries and senior industry leaders are expected to grace this tremendous networking opportunity.

International T&D Conclave ELECRAMA-2014 will also host the International T&D Conclave on 9th January, a half day conclave structured for experience sharing between the global power transmission & distribution utilities and industry stakeholders.

The session will focus on the business contours and opportunities in the global T&D sector like practices, policies, finance, trade, skill development and government regulations. Heads of Power Utilities in Nigeria, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Libya and Zambia, in addition to Director, Sustainable Energy, The World Bank, Washington will be addressing the Conclave on investment opportunities in the power sector in their respective countries. ELECRAMA reinforces its commitment to promoting technical excellence and bringing world class technology discussions alive.

CIGRE Tutorials The previous edition saw the hosting of the Indian chapter of CIGRE tutorials which were well attended and papers presented by renowned authorities in the field of power engineering. CIGRE accounts for more than 2,500 experts from all around the world working actively together in structured work programmes coordinated by the CIGRE 16 Studies Committees, overseen by the Technical Committee. Their main objectives are to design and deploy the power system for the future, optimise existing equipment and power systems, respect the environment and facilitate access to information.

In ELECRAMA-2014, on 9th January, CIGRE Tutorials on High Voltage Equipment, Overhead Lines, Substations, HVDC and Power Electronics, and Distribution Systems and Dispersed Generation, would be held by renowned global experts.

ChangeXchange 2014 – 2nd Reverse BuyerSeller Meet (RBSM) Once again, IEEMA is organising ChangeXchange 2014 – 2nd Reverse BuyerSeller Meet (RBSM) concurrently with ELECRAMA-2014 at Bangalore, with support

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from the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, under the Market Access Initiative (MAI) Scheme. ChangeXchange 2014, much bigger and power-packed than the first edition, will be the biggest meeting place of foreign buyers who plan to source electrical products and equipment from India. It has special hosted buyer packages for buyers from countries of Africa, ASEAN, CIS, Latin American and SAARC, along with Iran.

Around 450 buyers from these regions would be taking part in the RBSM. The RBSM will open new vistas for Indian industry in the global market, offering components, finished products, product redesign and re-engineering expertise that match or exceed global standards.

participation from colleges and attention from the industry and policy makers.

Engineer Infinite 2014 will include recent trends in the subjects related to electrical energy sector, IT and computer science branches along with the traditional ‘electro technology’ branches. It aims to channelise the creative potential of the Indian youth for the benefit of the electrical energy sector in India. It has received an overwhelming response and compared to 2012, in the 2014 edition, the number of online registrations is almost three times and project entries are more than double. The project proposals cover 13 technology areas. There is a widespread participation from all over the country with more than 8,000 registrations and over 1,500 entries.

Conductor Seminar New generation conductors or High Performance Conductors (HPC) have been developed to uprate transmission & distribution corridors. In order to understand in detail about the types of high performance conductors, their benefits, how they are strung, what are the hardware used, etc., an experience sharing Seminar on Conductors is being organised on 10th January. Eminent speakers from India and abroad will be presenting different aspects of this topic, as well as sharing case studies and experiences.

Innovation Day Innovation Day on 10th January will be a half-day session with international and Indian technical community engaged in serious discussions on a topic that will enlighten, inspire and elevate the participants. This highly charged session will set the pace for new beginnings and defining the future innovations in the world of electricity.

The theme is ‘ElectriCITY and Digital Societies’, dealing with the changing role of electricity in the new age digitised society, smart grids, mass transport, rural empowerment with ICT, intelligent and automated infrastructure. India’s Best Young talent will be recognised and rewarded by world renowned experts. There will also be announcements of key futuristic initiatives of IEEMA in collaboration with global technical bodies/organisations of highest repute and respect.

To conclude, ELECRAMA-2014 will be a very important platform to promote the “Made in India” brand and to enhance exports globally and promote strategic business partnerships. It will be a very valuable experience for the international visitors from various countries, Indian industries, utilities as well as other stakeholders as this exhibition showcases the best of products and technology of the Indian electrical equipment industry.

ELECRAMA-2014 will provide a great and enriching experience to all as they will be able to meet the entire Indian power generation, transmission and distribution equipment industry and all stakeholders at one place over power packed five days. We invite you to be at ELECRAMA-2014, where business meets technology. ■

TRAFOTECH 2014 ELECRAMA-2014 will play host to TRAFOTECH, the prestigious international conference that has gained worldwide recognition for the state-of the-art information on transformer engineering and technology insights it provides to participants.

TRAFOTECH 2014; the 9th in the series, will be held on 10th and 11th January. The Conference will provide transformer designers, manufacturers, users and consultants with a common platform to review the latest advances and futuristic trends, share operational experiences and discuss the requirements of transformers for smart grid systems.

Engineer Infinite 2014 ELECRAMA believes in the power of the future, more so in the power of the youth and the student and also reckons with the fact that India is going to remain the largest `young’ country for decades to come and wants to unleash the creative potential of this powerful youth, for the benefit of this country, and for the world itself. Thus was born “Engineer Infinite” and with each edition of ELECRAMA, it has been growing in stature,

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www.elecrama.com

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Cummins Power Generation

POWER

Pioneering

Biomass Based Cogeneration

in Africa

Cummins is initiating a trail in Africa’s nascent biomass cogeneration sector with far-reaching positive impact on the developing continent

HESE ARE DIFFICULT times for power planners in Africa. The demand for electricity is certainly there - and growing - but capacity typically falls short, for a great variety of reasons, from lack of investment funds to lack of robust infrastructure.

The result, tragically, has long constrained the continent’s economic potential. And, of course, in ordinary homes, especially those in rural areas, it means there is no light to switch on at the end of the day when night falls.

Though each country is handling their energy policy in its own way, the uniqueness of Africa’s plight, and the continent’s sheer diversity, calls for multiple, and often innovative, solutions.

These include a focus on cogeneration, an area in which big international players such as Cummins are investing their time and effort.

Cummins is now championing a series of projects that could potentially have a big impact on how Africa provides electricity to often isolated locations, drawing on locally available and abundant biomass.

Cummins Cogeneration Kenya Limited (Cummins CK), for example, plans to develop significant megawatts of new capacity over the next three years using different types of biomass, an approach that has captured interest from development funds and financial institutions.

“Due to the lack of grid infrastructure, we typically see power generated through the use of diesel and solar installations for rural electrification in Africa,” says Cummins CK managing director Yash Krishna, “but it’s expensive and provides little employment to local populations living in the area.”

In a rural setting, biomass cogeneration makes perfect sense, he reckons. The local economy is generally agro-based, the primary source of energy is biomass and there is a surplus of agro-waste which is burnt or discarded. The

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power solution developed by Cummins is tailor-made, modular and highly portable. “We can set-up a plant where we can align availability of biomass with power consumption” says Krishna.

Kenya calling While Kenya has one of the most well-established power sectors in Sub-Saharan Africa, it has long struggled with energy shortages. And there are no easy answers.

Traditional hydro power, plus thermal sources, have provided the bulk of the nation’s electricity supply in the past. The country is also a pioneer in the development of geothermal energy, while, more recently, drillers have unearthed significant quantities of crude oil.

But other new generation projects, including biomass-based cogeneration, could play a notable role in the country’s energy future.

Here, Cummins CK is leading the way with a ground-breaking project to test its technology in the local market.

The Marigat project in Baringo County will eventually generate 12 MW of electricity, and export approximately 10 MW, using the invasive specie, Prosopis Juliflora (also known as Mathenge) as feedstock. Here, the company expects to start exporting power by May 2014.

It’s a win-win scenario turning this plant menace into an income generator for local communities.

“Besides jump-starting the local economy through employment to a marginalized population through utilization of an invasive weed, the Baringo project will also showcase the producer-gas engines developed by our parent company, Cummins Power Generation,” says Krishna.

While Prosopis Juliflora is the design fuel, Biomass integrated Gasification Combine Cycle (BiGCC) is the power generation African Review of Business and Technology - Dec 2013/Jan 14

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POWER

Cummins Power Generation

technology being deployed. “There is ample supply of Prosopis in the area and we have already purchased the right site as well as formed alliances with locally registered Community Based Organizations (CBOs). These CBOs will become our biomass partners for the life of the project where Cummins CK will train, assist, empower and tool the farmers to harvest and transport the biomass to the plant site. This will ensure that the right quality and quantity of biomass required is delivered on a daily basis.”

A follow-up project in Kenya, at Mariakani, will use a combination of agro residues to generate power.

Cummins CK leadership Cummins CK’s primary objective is to provide a combined-heat-andpower (CHP) solution based on producer-gas technology, where suitable biomass is available, in the right volume, of the right quality, and at the right price.

Established in 2011, the Kenya-based unit of Cummins Cogeneration Limited (UK) - a joint venture of Cummins Power Generation and Gentec Energy Plc. - was set up to establish sustainable renewable energy plants in Kenya and across Sub-Saharan Africa.

From its Kenyan hub, Cummins CK is building a portfolio of projects across the eastern and southern African region, and working with some very reputable partners. “We also have a smaller project in Zambia to develop a 1.2 MW plant,” says Krishna. One of Cummins CK’s unique advantages is its reputation and service offering.

“Cummins is a well-known brand,” says Krishna. “We won’t install something that won’t work. Everything we are doing uses the very latest in technology which has been tested. It’s the best there is.”

The company is also alone in its ability to offer a complete turnkey solution through various mechanisms such as PPA (Power Purchase Agreement) and turnkey sales. The company also provides O&M support.

Moreover, the modular cogeneration plants are quick and easy to install, an important quality given that construction costs in Africa remain high.

State-of-the-art technology The Cummins CK gasification technology can use any form of combustible biomass (agro-waste, agro-residue, woody biomass, invasive species and/or household waste) along with rubber and coal.

“The biomass has to have the right amount of moisture and has to be of the right size,” says Krishna. “And the quantity required to generate 1 unit of power varies based on its calorific value and other characteristics.”

He says biomass cogeneration technology has come a long way in recent years with improvements in gas purification (for both particulate matter and tar), which means lower maintenance requirements.

“Like any other form of power generation, we expect capital costs to come down and efficiency to further improve,” says Krishna. Cummins and its partners are taking a lead to make this a reality.

Cummins' competitiveness depends on the site location and a host of other factors such as cost of fuel, accessibility to a grid network, infrastructure, biomass quality, labour, tariff, political environment and land prices.

There are, however, several clear cost benefits: gasification can capture up to 70 per cent of the efficiency of biomass when the two bi-products are captured and utilised. Biochar can be sold as fertilizer, water-purifier and/or as charcoal. Heat can be captured and used for hot water, heating, drying, cooling or producing additional power using Steam-Turbine Technology.

It is also possible to set-up a hybrid plant, in conjunction with solar, hydro and/or wind power generation. Unlike, hydro, solar and wind though, BiGCC has limited dependence on climatic conditions. The energy unit produced can be predicted, and other fuels can be used to substitute when a particular biomass is not available.

Perhaps even more significant is the impact on the communities or area it serves, which can prompt even a change of mindset amongst locals while providing essential jobs and income. “Biomass based power generation is the only form of power generation which creates a large socio-economic impact as the fuel is harvested and procured from close vicinity,” says Krishna.

Rural electrification and captive power Rural electrification - arguably one of the greatest challenges SubSaharan Africa still faces - may well be the best application for

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Cummins Power Generation biomass cogeneration. This is why it is attracting interest from development funds. “Cummins CK will not only aid in rural electrification across the region but it will also empower local people through business opportunities and significant job creation,” says Krishna.

For starters, there’s the cost issue. BiGCC works out to be a much cheaper technology since most off-grid sites are being run by expensive diesel at a cost of US$0.26+ per kWh. There are other factors that could see biomass cogeneration take off too.The technology provides employment, of course, which is required in most rural settings, while on the financial front, there is now greater interest by grant funds to subsidise power plant projects.

Biomass-based generation can also stimulate socio-economic activity in these deprived areas while utilising waste crops and creating jobs and by-products such as biochar which can be readily used for cooking, water purification and as fertiliser.

“Biomass-based power generation using our BiGCC technology provides a perfect solution for off-grid and captive installations where there is an existing or proposed mini-grid,” says Krishna. “Our product is completely modular and can be scaled up or down based on the requirement. Additionally, we can install the modular plants from as small as 100 KW to 30 MW.” Importantly the biomass power generation can very easily be integrated with other renewable energy sources such as solar and wind to create entirely green decentralised electricity mini-grids.

As Kenya, like the rest of Africa, continues to invest in transmission, power generation and distribution, the cost burden of building this infrastructure ultimately falls on power consumers through increased tariffs.

Large industries, manufacturing plants and power consumers feel the most impact when this investment is made.

Sub-Saharan Africa continues to struggle in setting up industries due to this high capital cost, and further falls prey to high and increasing fuel costs.

These high variable costs can often make manufacturers less competitive against the larger counterparts based in the more industrialized economies.

Cummins is able to provide a robust, reliable and lower cost solution to industries by setting up captive plants through power purchase agreements or equipment sale, thereby boosting competitiveness and ensuring the all important security of electricity supply.

POWER

power they need, “they are coming around to smaller installations spread across the country”, says Krishna.

What excites Cummins, is that this venture to produce power is entirely Carbon Neutral as the CO2 the Mathenge plant absorbs whilst growing equals the CO2 emitted in the gasification process to produce the electricity.

As well as agreeing terms with Kenya Power & Lighting Company (KPLC) to proceed with the Baringo project, Cummins CK also boasts good working relations with Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO). However, while biomass based power will assist in meeting any country’s energy goal, it is better suited for small-scale power generation, up to around 30 MW. “Due to the modular product, limited economies of scale and logistics of securing large quantities of biomass, hybrid systems along with BiGCC ensures better return on investment.” says Krishna. “But it is important to add that small scale power generation is often better for Africa as it reduces transmission losses, limits transmission grid requirements and helps make transmission and distribution networks more robust.” The challenges are immense, however. Electrification in most countries in SubSaharan Africa remains less than 20%, with approximately 80% of the population using biomass (wood fuel and charcoal) as their main source of energy.

There is a huge deficit in rural electrification throughout Africa; for instance, only 19% of Kenya is electrified. “Furthermore, the demand growth for power in Kenya is driven by an accelerated consumer connection policy and anticipated robust economic growth,” says Krishna.

He sees strong growth potential ahead. “With projected electricity demand growth, increase in consumer tariff and availability of biomass, Cummins CK will become a significant player in the renewable energy sector in Sub-Saharan Africa through development of several biomass based energy plants in strategic locations.” For now, all eyes are on the launch of Cummins’ first producer-gas based Baringo project in Africa. With first production from Kenya anticipated in May 2014, it is a decisive time for Cummins CK and all involved. ■ E-mail: shaun.broodryk@cummins.com Phone: +27823379685

Next steps Although most of the big national electric utilities are typically focused on larger scale generation in order to provide the bulk

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POWER

Generators

Triangle delivers power to Cairo Festival City FG Wilson dealer supplies generators for key community development project in the Egyptian capital

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G Wilson has teamed up with its authorised Egyptian Dealer, Triangle Heavy Equipment, to successfully deliver a power generation and backup power solution for the most exciting mixed-use development project in Egypt.

Cairo Festival City is Egypt’s premier urban community, a three million square metre (sq m) development which offers indoor and outdoor shopping, dining and entertainment alongside luxury residential and office space. The resort features 700,000 sq m of prime office space, 217,796 sq m of retail and leisure space, luxury living in gated communities, internationally renowned hotels, schools, children’s educational theme park, dedicated automotive park, internal roads network and landscaped environments. Upon completion in 2018, Cairo Festival City will be home to over 13,000 residents and a place of work for 50,000 people.

A successful solution Strategically located just 15 minutes from Cairo International Airport, the rapidly expanding facility is owned by Al-Futtaim Group Real Estate (AFGRE) and built by Al-Futtaim Carillion, one of the premier construction contractors in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and Egyptian construction company Orascom.

Triangle Heavy Equipment, one of the leading generator set specialists in Egypt and an authorised FG Wilson Dealer since 2008, successfully delivered the power generation and backup power solution for Cairo Festival City, completing the one-year installation process in March 2013 on schedule, to specification and on budget.

The renowned stellar performance of the wide range of FG Wilson generator sets was instrumental in Triangle securing the power generation contract, with FG Wilson’s rigorous product validation process being particularly important to contractors Al-Futtaim Carillion.

Carried out at one of its world-class manufacturing facilities in Northern Ireland and

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at Triangle’s service centre in Cairo, FG Wilson facilitated witness testing which demonstrated the quality of its generator sets across a range of aspects such as cooling, load acceptance, exhaust emissions, noise and vibration.

The installation involved 15 FG Wilson generator sets, ranging from 44 kVA right up to 550 kVA, which are located at, and providing power for, the water and sewage plants, four office blocks and the children’s educational theme park – KidZania – as well as the construction of various buildings throughout the site. All of the generator sets are providing back-up power, apart from those at the construction sites which are providing prime power. Triangle is also managing the servicing and maintenance of the FG Wilson generator sets throughout the site on behalf of the contractor.

Costing a total of EGP 1,300,000,000 (US$188.7mn), the installation project included the introduction of new fibre network technology which had never been implemented in Egypt before. This Air Pallone Fibre sees optical cables transfer data at the speed of light in glass, ensuring a high-speed communication first for the country.

Tried and tested Ashraf Kamal, of Triangle Heavy Equipment, said, “Cairo Festival City is a truly world-class project which is rapidly changing the cityscape of Cairo and placing the city at the forefront of global mixed-use urban

African Review of Business and Technology - Dec 2013/Jan 14

communities. It was a great honour for Triangle and FG Wilson to be awarded the power generation contract and we are extremely proud to have delivered a power solution befitting of this international project.

“The FG Wilson generator sets have a proven pedigree across the globe and will provide immediate back-up power during any shortage, meaning no disruption to the tens of thousands of people living and working in the development. The generator sets have been installed to ensure optimum cooling condition and, particularly in the office blocks, to ensure that noise levels are to the satisfaction of the client.

“We received a huge endorsement of our work from the developer when we were recommended to manage all future generator set installations and maintenance throughout the Cairo Festival City site – which, we believe, could see us managing the installation of up to 16 additional FG Wilson 400 kVA units between now and 2018. This is thanks largely to the Power Wizard 2 control panel on our units which provides the development owners with the ability to monitor the generator sets’ performances online from its headquarters in Dubai.”

Maged Fawzy, of construction contractors Al-Futtaim Carillion, said, “This is one of the most significant construction projects Cairo has seen in recent years and we co-ordinated a very competitive tender process to ensure we secured the best power solution for the overall development. Having the opportunity to visit the FG Wilson production facility in Northern Ireland and witness in person how the generator sets stand up to an extremely intense testing process was extremely reassuring. We felt confident that the combination of Triangle and FG Wilson would deliver and they certainly have.” ■ For more information, visit www.triangle-fgwilson.com.eg

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Renewables

POWER

Solar energy provision in South Africa Raubex Infra is at work as Scatec Solar develops a new photovoltaic solar power plant in the Northern Cape and another in the Eastern Cape

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aubex Infra is committed to fulfilling two contracts by Norwegian solar energy provider, Scatec Solar, to provide civils and electrical work for its two new photovoltaic (PV) solar power plants. The contracts are being implemented by Raubex Infra’s dedicated Power and Energy Infrastructure Projects unit.

The two plants, Linde near Hanover in the Northern Cape and Dreunberg near Burgersdorp in the Eastern Cape, will generate a combined 115 MW under the second round of the South African Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme. This translates to more than 225mn kilowatt hours (kWh) a year - enough to power 53,000 households - that will be fed into the local grid and sold through a 20-year power purchase agreement with Eskom.

“We were very satisfied when we learnt we were awarded both projects,” Charles Deacon, business unit manager - energy at Raubex Infra, says. “The competition was tough, but I believe that we attracted these contracts based on a combination of pricing and capability, as we’ve built a solid track record of successfully completed energy projects.

“What differentiates us in this arena is our dedicated renewable energy division, supported by two electrical sub-contracting teams with the skills to handle all the different requirements of a typical PV plant. We’re rapidly positioning ourselves to offer a complete scope of energy project services in-house, from civil and electrical to mechanical work. This has been accelerated by the acquisition of a significant shareholding in a company that specialises in the design, manufacture and erection of sub-structure supports for both fixed-tilt and tracking solar plants. And, being able to tap into the resources of the greater Raubex Group makes our offering highly price competitive.”

Work on the two projects is now underway, with the plants scheduled for completion mid-2014. As the sub-EPC contractor, Raubex Infra is responsible for civil works including establishing borrow pits for gravel, bulk earthworks, fencing, security systems, electrification and monitoring of intrusion protection, civil excavation of electrical cable trenches, electrical cabling and connections as well as the installation

of a medium voltage cabling system from the transformer stations to the substation that feeds to the Eskom network.

Raubex Infra is also responsible for overall site management which includes overseeing the training and logistics for labourers to and from site for Raubex and the other contractors as well as provision of ablutions and water and construction of a control room building and facilities.

“This is the first time we’re involved in the installation of solar tracker systems,” Deacon comments. “Most South African PV plants make use of fixed tilt systems, in which solar panels are mounted at a fixed inclination calculated to provide the optimum annual output profile. However Scatec Solar has specified the more efficient tracker systems for the Linde and Dreunberg plants, optimising the system and allowing a more efficient use of the modules.“ ■

Yellogen Diesel Generators Specialist supplier of Power Generation Products

FG WILSON 2000 KVA Perkins Brand New Unit Manufactured 2011

***SPECIAL OFFER £125,000.00*** Many more machines both New and Used in stock Road construction activities at the Linde site

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Web: www.yellogen.com Email: mail@yellogen.com

Tel: 00 44 (0)1430 850 001 Fax: 00 44 (0)1430 850 002

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Renewables

Agro-industries and clean energy in Africa R

esearchers at the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom, along with collaborators both in the UK and Africa, are investigating how agro-industries in subSaharan Africa can position themselves to become important players in the delivery of clean energy services. The project, entitled Agro-industries and Clean Energy in Africa (AGRICEN), combines new approaches to political economy analysis with business development, innovation systems, financial engineering and participatory approaches to understand the potential role that agro industries can play in widening access to cleaner energy options for rural communities.

The project team will work with country policy makers, agro-industries and financial

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institutions to develop bankable projects that meet the demands of potential investors.

Agro industries represent a major source of rural employment and are significant contributors to the economy of many SubSaharan African countries, and constitute a major source of income for millions of small scale farming out-growers. In this region, tea, coffee and sugar estates already utilise energy for their processing and, on occasions, supply energy to their employees within their estates. Scaling up this service would have direct economic and social benefits to rural communities in the vicinity of these estates , while it offers the agro-businesses a potentially attractive commercial opportunity for diversifying into the energy market.

African Review of Business and Technology - Dec 2013/Jan 14

The evidence, the enterprise, the innovation There is evidence that African agro-industries are well-placed to overcome common problems that bedevil small and medium scale mini-grid enterprises - such as limited access to investment finance, difficulty in mobilising and maintaining the required skilled staff, as well as an inability to generate the revenues required to meet short-term and medium-term costs of electricity supply.

However, further evidence needs to be assembled in order to demonstrate the potential value that this sector can bring as providers of cleaner energy services in rural areas in Sub-Saharan Africa, and why improving the political economy landscape can help realise this promise. â–

www.africanreview.com

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Renewables

POWER

Encouraging energy efficiency

STRATEGIC PARTNERS

The Private Sector Energy Efficiency (PSEE) project was recently launched by South Africa's National Business Initiative (NBI)

www.africanreview.com

The new Private Sector Energy Efficiency project aims to engage more than 3,500 businesses and is expected to generate lifetime energy and carbon savings of 4,000 GWh and 3.6mn tonnes of carbon – equivalent to roughly R3.5bn (US$339mn) and one per cent of South Africa’s emissions in 2008 respectively” Strategies for service The PSEE’s three levels of service: advice for small businesses, technical face-to-face support for medium-sized companies, and support of energy management and strategy for large companies.

“The management of energy is often neglected by business, however, there is potential to reduce costs through energy savings. While this does make absolute business sense, without an effective energy management policy in place, many of these opportunities tend to be overlooked,” said Yawitch. She observed, also, that companies that do implement effective energy efficiency improvements in their business can improve business productivity, competitiveness and innovation as well as gain access to energy efficiency financial subsidies and tax incentives. ■

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he Private Sector Energy Efficiency (PSEE) project recently launched by South Africa's National Business Initiative (NBI) is aimed at encouraging all South African businesses to understand their impact on the environment and to participate in energy efficient initiatives.

The new project has been set up with support from the Carbon Trust, which will be leveraging its experience of similar programmes in the United Kingdom in order to provide technical support to the PSEE team. The NBI was awarded £8.6mn (US$14.1mn) by the UK Government through its Department for International Development (DFID) to implement a countrywide programme of support for energy efficiency improvement to the private sector.

According to Joanne Yawitch, CEO at the NBI, the main aim of the PSEE is to improve levels of energy efficiency among commercial and industrial companies in South Africa.

“The PSEE is targeted to work with about 60 large companies and just over 1,000 medium sized companies to support the awareness and uptake of best practice in energy management and energy efficiency

by South African industry,” she said.

Carbon Trust CEO Tom Delay said, “Supporting business to implement energy efficiency is a win win for the economy and for the environment. It takes costs off the bottom line of business, making them more competitive, and also plays an important role in reducing carbon emissions.

“We are delighted to support NBI in the development of this ground-breaking project and are pleased that our 10 years of experience implementing business energy efficiency in the UK is being put to good use in South Africa.”

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CONSTRUCTION

Profile

Doosan Infracore targets African growth The increasing expenditure on infrastructure projects across Africa, combined with a growing demand for quality equipment, has led a host of global construction machinery manufacturers to shift their attention towards the continent

The market-leading Bobcat S130 skid-steer loader

A

mong those competitors looking to increase their African presence is Doosan Infracore Construction Equipment EMEA, who is looking to increase the size of its continent-wide network due to the upward demand for construction machinery.

Giuliano Parodi, vice-president for sales and customer solutions at Doosan Infracore Construction Equipment EMEA, told African Review, “[Parent company] Doosan Corporation makes periodical researches on key markets and Africa features at the top of the countries with highest growth potential over the next 10 years. For this reason Doosan is increasing the focus in the region, starting with an increase of dedicated resources.”

Doosan Infracore is giving priority to developing its dealer network across the continent, with the company carefully selecting a number of target industries in which it hopes to attract the attention of future buyers. Regional director ME and Africa Gaby Rhayem notes, “We are not seeing Europe growing as fast as it once was and we already have an established network there. In Africa, however, we are actively looking for partners and dealers, and therefore we need to put the effort into this market.”

Much of Africa's growth is coming out of mineral extraction, but the lack of equipment available to mining firms – and more specifically the lack of high-quality and reliable machinery – has acted as a barrier to the economic nirvana craved by large swathes of the continent’s population. Rhayem says that the main bulk of the African construction machinery market revolves around the sale of used equipment – a trend, however, that has witnessed a reversal in recent years as the demand for more reliable and effective tools grows.

“Many Bobcat and Doosan Portable Power

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machines are sold after five years of usage for half the price and people still buy them, such is the reliability of our products,” states Rhayem.

“Even in the Middle East, where there is a lot of demand for skid steer machines, you do not find older Bobcat machines as they are rapidly being sold to customers across Africa.

“In Africa, since many cannot afford highlypriced machines and mostly rely on a variety of different tools to assemble or maintain a machine, a Bobcat loader can be used without the need to depend on other machines.”

Parodi adds that Doosan is looking for more wide-scale exposure in a number of countries across Sub-Saharan Africa.

“We have good coverage in countries such as Ghana, Senegal and Sierra Leone, but we have gaps in the middle of Africa,” he remarks. “But we are working hard to develop new relationships with good partners in this area.”

Parodi is keen to stress, however, that Doosan's mission statement is to ensure it has the best possible dealers in these markets, rather than to rush into new markets with the first potential partners.

“We are looking for businesses involved in mining and distribution, with the financial capability and knowledge to conduct our business – that is of most importance to us,” he notes. “We are looking for pioneers to introduce business concepts which will become popular in the near future following the example of Europe, Russia and the Middle East. For example, the tool carrier concept is one we are keen to promote for Bobcat.”

The company is keen to treat Africa as a separate entity to the other markets covered in its geographical reach and is keen to avoid the type of market saturation witnessed in the previously fast-growing markets of the Middle East and Europe.

“Each country in Africa is competitive with its

African Review of Business and Technology - Dec 2013/Jan 14

neighbour and there remain a lot of security and political issues, which can make it very difficult to conduct business,” says Rhayem. “As Giuliano [Parodi] said, Europe is saturated and declining, and the Middle East has opportunities, but it’s been growing for years now. Africa is new and we hope business there will be incremental as it’s very diverse in terms of mining and resource opportunities – it’s where everybody is looking to at the moment.”

Rhayem, who is based in Dubai, says that among the countries top of Doosan Infracore's target list in Africa are South Sudan and Ethiopia.

“In Dubai we have a lot of people from South Sudan visiting for business purposes, so we have been in contact with them,” he explains.

“But we have to go to the country and that’s not always easy.”

The company believes it is well placed to serve the African market. Rhayem explains, however, that selling Bobcat and Doosan Portable Power machines is not a simple process due to the training required for the application of the machinery.

“For most of our rivals, all you need to know is how to assemble parts of a machine together.

We, on the other hand, have dedicated institutions for training technicians,” he states.

While a key challenge lies in servicing both the machines and the skills of operators, Doosan Infracore is more than aware of the challenges posed by the sheer vastness of the African continent and the struggle involved with penetrating markets relatively new to the company. As Parodi concludes, “It’s more about creating a bigger industry than winning market share.

“Africa is a region that really is growing quickly – the direction is set and we believe that we need to start ramping up our investment there.” ■ www.africanreview.com

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CONSTRUCTION

Profile

Materials handling at the edge of technology Profiling SISA Industry, which supplies equipment to facilitate the storage, flowing, conveying and cleaning of bulk and powdery products

C

onstant innovation is SISA Industry’s motto. The company offers equipment at the forefront of technological development and efficiency. Through its four ranges of products and services, this French company meets the needs of Africa’s bulk manufacturers: First of all, the company is positioned as leader in the declogging of silos and hoppers with its flagship product: the air cannon Airchoc® - for which a patent was delivered more than 30 years ago. The company has since developed Macsys®, an air cannon with several heads. Committed to innovation, these air cannons are now available in a wireless version, called Wireless - avoiding, as its name suggests, the installation of cable trays.

The company has also developed Liftube® - a solution to optimise conveyors’ sealing and safety. This system ensures a reduction in dust emissions, loss of products, and maintenance time and ensures the safety of operators as well.

SISA Industry is also the designer and manufacturer of industrial vacuum cleaning equipment, adapted to any customer’s needs - these are portable units or vacuum trucks ranging from 5 to 300HP, electric or diesel, held on a container or in a silo.

The company also offers industrial vacuum cleaning services and cleaning of silos and hoppers with Gironet®. This mechanized solution enables efficient cleaning on any type of clogging, any product or any type of storage unit, without human intervention and even without stopping production. Thus, the customer can quickly recover full storage capacity while ensuring maximum safety for operators.

SISA Industry has emerged as a leader in bulk handling solutions worldwide, and operates in many industries - including cement, power stations, steel, mining, and quarrying - to provide all necessary solutions regarding handling, recovery of production capacity, work environment or safety.

The principle of Liftube® Launched in 2004, Liftube® is a patented system for sealing all conveyor belts, new or used. This is standard and scalable equipment, allowing movement speeds of products from 0.05m/s to 5 m/s, a flow rate carrying up to 1,500 tons of product per hour and a particle size up to 600 mm.

Instead of being supported by side rollers, the belt runs on a single center roller and two lateral curtains. The conveyor belt and the rollers are easily accessible thanks to innovating tilting supports. A removable cover fits on the installation to ensure the reduction of dust emissions. With no more pinch points, Liftube® contributes to the safety of the staff.

Committed to meeting the needs of its customers perfectly, and with a strong ability to innovate, SISA Industry has developed, in addition to the Standard version of Liftube®: ● The Large Width version with a belt from 1,000 to 1,600 mm delivered with reinforced cross beams and lateral curtains to increase the amount of product transported. ● The High Temperature version for the conveying of products reaching up to 220 degrees.

If necessary, and optionally, Liftube® can be adapted to other environments such as: ATEX zone 21 or food or even self-extinguishing (fire resistant).

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African Review of Business and Technology - Dec 2013/Jan 14

Liftube® significantly reduces dust emissions

Concrete case studies 166 (51+115) meters of Liftube have recently been installed in the region of KwaZulu Natal and the Western Cape, in South Africa.

A company specialized in the production and extraction of sugar needed equipment that could easily hold and maintain sugar dust: an explosive product.

Instead of changing the system in its totality, SISA Industry offered the customer to improve the conveyor without major modifications thanks to Liftube®: the sugar producer was attracted by the time and money-saving aspect. Thus, 51 metres of Liftube® were installed and adapted with lateral curtains compliant to food norms to accurately meet the customer’s requirements.

The customer was also convinced by the concept of Liftube® - which significantly reduces dust emissions, the price/quality ratio as well as the spare parts availability.

At present, Liftube® is installed at 95 per cent - and the customer is so far completely satisfied, and is thinking about requesting SISA Industry’s services again.

In the South of the country, in July 2013, 115 metres of Liftube® were installed at the largest cement producer of South Africa.

Located in a wine-producing region, the cement producer was facing several environmental constraints. It therefore had to reduce dust emissions and spillage of material, which also permitted to reduce the costs and the constraints associated with cleaning and maintenance.

In 2012, he opted for a first installation of 25 metres of Liftube®.

Having enjoyed the benefits of this first project, the cement manufacturer has renewed the experience with 115 metres of Liftube®.

After three months of use, the results are positive: the customer has seen a significant improvement in material losses and overflows, as well as a reduction of dust emissions. The company is now considering Liftube® for a third conveyor in 2015.

In an increasingly stricter industrial environment, Liftube stands out as the solution to approach the most stringent requirements in terms of safety and productivity on conveyor belts while meeting environment standards such as ISO9001 and ISO14001. ■ www.africanreview.com

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CONSTRUCTION

Vehicles

The sector that drives truck sales Growth in construction and commodities, along with increased consumer demand, have contributed to greater revenues for truck manufacturers

A

t the end of the third quarter of 2013, it has become clear that an increase in consumer spending on daily commodities and fast moving goods are some of the key factors driving the growth in the South African truck market.

According to a market analysis done by UD Trucks Southern Africa, sales in this segment of the market have grown an average of 37.5 per cent on a year-on-year basis.

As part of its analysis, UD Trucks divided the industry into around 40 segments, and of these, 29 have shown growth ranging from 11 to 91 per cent year-on-year, while the declining segments logged a decline of between 12 and 96 per cent.

“The construction industry constitutes four of these growth segments and together they have grown on average 40.2 per cent, which to us is a clear indication that a number of infrastructural developments are happening perhaps quite unnoticed,” said Jacques Carelse, managing director of UD Trucks Southern Africa. “With the country’s gross domestic product growth prediction reduced to around two per cent just earlier this week, the truck industry is certainly bucking the trend.”

Digging deeper When looking at the latest figures released by the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA) and Associated Motor Holdings (AMH) at the end of September 2013, the local truck market has grown by 9.91 per cent on a year-to-date basis, totalling 22,607 units.

Digging a little deeper into the market segments, commodities from such sectors as mining are showing moderate growth, which affects sales of the typical product used for transport in these sectors, at an average growth rate of around 27 per cent. Manufacturing-related transport is also showing similar growth.

“It is clear that niche and specialist products are declining, with public transport down approximately 8.61 per cent,” said Carelse.

Breaking down the performance of the new truck market even further, September YTD year-on-year sales in the Medium Commercial Vehicle segment increased by 13.10 per cent to 8,549 units, while sales

Market analysis by UD Trucks Southern Africa reveals significant truck sales growth in the region

in the Heavy Commercial Vehicle segment grew by 8.00 per cent units to 3943 units. The Extra Heavy Commercial Vehicle segment increased sales by 9.80 per cent to 9,706 units, while Bus sales were 8.61 per cent down to 785 units.

Looking ahead Looking at the industry forecast for the remainder of the year, Rory Schulz, UD Trucks’ general manager of corporate planning and marketing, said that if the current growth continues, the South African truck market should end the year at around 29,000 units.

“However, we believe the first signs of a correction are becoming evident,” said Schulz. “On a month-to-month basis, September sales were 13.51 per cent down on August 2013’s figures, to 2,426 units, and the year-to-date growth rate during this time came down from 10.3 per cent to 9.1 per cent.

Although we believe it is also due to the cyclical nature of the industry, we anticipate that the impact of the industry-wide industrial action could also start affecting the market during the next couple of months.”

If this happens, Schulz said that UD Trucks believes that despite the industry’s creditable performance so far this year, a final figure of around 28,000 units is more likely. ■

Cat 725C/730C articulated truck bare-chassis models expand customer capability The Cat 725C and 730C articulated truck bare-chassis models combine the proven durability, reliability and superior performance of Cat C Series articulated dump trucks with the capacity to mount specialty equipment - including application-specific bodies

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African Review of Business and Technology - Dec 2013/Jan 14

The Cat 725C articulated truck bare-chassis model

(coal and trash, for example), water tanks and spray systems, fuel- and lubeservice components, hook-lift systems, containertransport systems, and flat-bed dump platforms. www.africanreview.com

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CONSTRUCTION

Equipment

A diamond year for JCB J

CB’s iconic backhoe loader has been in production for 60 years literally, helping to shape the world - and still it continues to lead the market, with the promise of innovations to come.

Company founder Joseph Cyril Bamford invented the concept of the backhoe and the first JCB model was manufactured in 1953 after he combined a lightweight backhoe with a Major Loadall tractor loader. It created, for the first time, a single machine which combined a front shovel and rear excavator arm. From that early JCB Mk1 backhoe, the concept developed rapidly, with the launch of the Hydra-Digger in 1956 and the heavier, more powerful JCB 4 in 1960. Today, backhoe loaders are the fourth most popular machine in terms of global plant equipment sales – despite the evolution of new and competitive products over the past 60 years. And JCB’s iconic backhoe is the biggest selling in the world – and has been for 13 consecutive years, dominating the market it created.

Lord Bamford said, “It is staggering to think that it’s 60 years since we produced the first JCB backhoe. The increasing versatility and innovation associated with this machine has been unrelenting and that is something that will continue apace in the future.�

Tim Burnhope, JCB’s chief innovation and growth officer, said, “The backhoe loader is not 60 years old, it’s 60 years young and this iconic machine has only just started its journey. The JCB backhoe will continue

Celebrating six decades, Lord Bamford said, “The increasing versatility and innovation associated with this machine has been unrelenting and that is something that will continue apace in the future.�

to develop and grow. It is a concept that has much to offer going forwards. It is a hugely important machine and in the next few years we will see the backhoe loader develop rapidly as a powerful and versatile tool carrier. Because of this versatility, it is far more than just a digging machine and our customers are starting to reinvent the backhoe loader for themselves, based on what it can offer as a tool carrying machine.â€? â–

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Equipment

CONSTRUCTION

New dump trucks feature increased safety oosan Construction Equipment has further developed its DA30 and DA40 articulated dump trucks (ADTs) aimed at increasing safety and productivity for quarrying, mining, construction and other hauling applications.

The ADTs features an articulation hinge positioned behind the turning ring to provide equal weight distribution even during maximum turning and ensure full contact between the tyres and the road surface. The trucks also have a flexible and agile undercarriage that incorporates a free-swinging rear tandem bogie, further guaranteeing permanent six-wheel drive for equal power distribution and excellent driving performance in difficult terrain. The sloping body design also enhances the stability of the trucks due to its low centre of gravity and allows fast and easy tipping.

continuous stream of data which is converted into clear graphical readouts on the control panel giving the status to the driver, telling them whether or not it is safe to drive the truck forward and to stop if there is a danger of turning the truck over. Other safety features include Lexan headlight guards to work in poor light or at night.

Safety features The new Levelling Meter utilises rotation sensors installed on the front and body of the truck, which provide a

New fuel saving Economy mode The new Economy mode controls the engine rated speed on the company’s DA range ADTs automatically when activated. It is ideal for fuel saving on long distance haul roads. The new improved powertrain and electronics allows Doosan to decrease the rated speed for the engine, and work with optimal power and torque to further improve fuel efficiency.

D

Payload and Cycle Count Meter The new Payload and Cycle Count Meter for the DA30 and DA40 ADTs. utilises load sensors on the front and body sections of the machine which provide an immediate readout on the cab’s control monitor of the payload with an accuracy of +/- 5 per cent. The load is registered and counted in the vehicle control unit, if the weighing value is at least three tonne.

Operator comfort and convenience Both ADTs have a completely new cab providing more space and improved visibility for the operator, ‘ best-in-class’ noise levels and a fully automatic climate control system. For easier operation, Doosan has introduced new electronic systems and simplified fingertip controls with a digital display of all desired machine functions. ■

Al Mahroos exhibits at The Big 5 Dubai H Al Mahroos Company, a Bahrain-based technology products & services in the Middle East, showcased its construction and access machines at The Big 5 2013 held from 25 to 28 November at Dubai World Trade Centre in the UAE. The company highlighted handling equipment from Genie, US; compact excavators from Yanmar, Japan; compaction machinery from Mikasa, Japan; and concrete mixers and construction hoists from Imer, Italy.

At The Big 5, the company also launched its Dubai and Saudi Arabia offices, and its Jebel Ali Free Zone facility has upgraded to a re-export centre especially for the GCC, the wider Middle East and Africa regions.

Talal Hassan Al Mahroos, GCC’s marketing manager said, “We will be having all the facilities to meet the needs of our clients including machines, spare parts and workshops backed by account

M

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managers. These facilities will be replicated in the other GCC countries in the upcoming year,” adding that the company has offices in Dubai, UAE, Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam in Saudi Arabia employing more than 300 people in the GCC. Additionally, the company introduced its new online spare parts outlet, for all its customers.

On the company’s participation at the show, Al Mahroos added, “This

MH Al Mahroos Company is currently working on • Four Seasons hotel in Bahrain • Al Marina project in Al Khobar Saudi Arabia • Hamad International Airport in Qatar • Projects in the UAE and Oman through its rental customers

participation reflects our commitment to investment in the region and showcasing our products alongside international leading brands as the company strengthens its presence in the GCC. “We have already attracted the attention of many leading international manufacturers through its proactive approach and have seen potential opportunities in acquiring further agencies to new and related departments in different countries. This motivates us to expand our showrooms, warehouses, spare parts and workshops to best serve our customers.”

He added that they were witnessing increasing volumes of sales as the number and value of projects have increased in the region.

MH Al Mahroos Company has been in operation since 1930, serving as a retail and wholesale company that provides spare parts and maintenance for the products it supplies and markets around the GCC. ■

African Review of Business and Technology - Dec 2013/Jan 14

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CONSTRUCTION

Equipment

Bobcat launches new compact excavators

B

obcat has launched two new compact excavators in the six-eight tonne weight range. The new E62 6-tonne and E85 8tonne reduced tail swing (RTS) models replace the previous E60 and E80 models, respectively. The new excavators share many features and advances to maximise performance, versatility, operator comfort, durability, ease of maintenance and serviceability.

The E62 compact excavator is powered by the Stage IIIA compliant 36.2kW liquid-cooled Yanmar 4TNV94L diesel engine running at a maximum speed of 2,200 rpm, providing abundant power and reliability for a machine of this size.

The E85 model is powered by the Yanmar 4TNV98C-VDB8 Stage IIIB compliant diesel engine providing 44.3kW of power at 2100 RPM and meeting Stage IIIB emission requirements through the use of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and diesel particulate filter (DPF) aftertreatment technologies.

Increased Hydraulic performance Both excavators have upgraded hydraulic systems resulting in higher pressures and flows, generating smoother and greater digging and lifting performances.

The new E62 compact excavator offers a 10 per cent increase in the arm digging force to 28.7kN and an eight per cent increase in the bucket digging force to 43.1kN in the short arm version. In the E85 model, the bucket digging force has been significantly increased to 61.8kN, a 13 per cent increase over the previous model.

The E62 and E85 models are equipped with primary and secondary auxiliary hydraulic lines offering both dual directional and proportional flow for increased versatility. A thumb control is integrated in the joysticks for better metering of the boom swing and the proportional auxiliary hydraulics.

Selectable auxiliary hydraulic flow settings for attachments can be chosen on auxiliary screen on the 5.7-inch colour LCD monitor in the cab. There is

also an anti-theft protection via a password lock-out system. Travel speeds have been increased in E62 to 2.6 km/h and E85 to 2.7 km/h.

Low noise and better comfort The low emissions and external noise levels are 97 and 98 dBA in the E62 and E85 respectively to ensure these excavators are suitable for operation in noise-sensitive areas and at night. The cab offers low operator noise levels of 73 and 71 dBA, respectively, in the E62 and E85 models.

The interior of the cab has been ergonomically designed to optimise operator comfort and features an increased foot rest area and an additional cup holder, and the openness of the cab provides a wide field of view and excellent all-round visibility.

Increased Serviceability Convenient check points make it easy to do routine maintenance, while a tilting cab simplifies service work. â–

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Training

CONSTRUCTION

Training for change How a vocational construction programme run in Addis Ababa has led to the transformation of East African engineering

W

ith a cultural heritage that can be traced back over 4,000 years, Ethiopia boasts a rich history. Now, that richness is being seen in economic and social improvements that mean its people are facing an increasingly prosperous future.

A combination of rising incomes, improving infrastructure and a stable political environment have meant that Ethiopia, the second most populated country in Africa, is also one of the continent’s fastest growing economies.

This rapid growth brings with it a demand for a skilled workforce - and Volvo Construction Equipment has been helping to meet this demand by training a new generation of technicians, through a technician training programme at a college in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, in a unique collaboration with the Swedish International Development Co-operation Agency (Sida) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).

Sustainable growth 30 pupils enrolled in the Heavy Duty Equipment and Commercial Vehicle vocational training programme at Selam Technical College in February 2013, committing themselves to a three-year course.

Volvo CE has provided equipment, teacher training and curriculum development. Each year, every student serves a total of four weeks of apprenticeship at a workshop for heavy equipment and commercial vehicles.

The first year of study has focused on workplace ethics, how to identify parts and read instructions, and the basic principles of engines, hydraulics and electrics. During the second year, students start to look at components and learn how to use tools, as well as read and understand instructions. In their third year, the students will be expected to disassemble and reassemble the main components of a machine. Over the long term, it is hoped that the college will provide a stream of skilled technicians to address the shortage in Ethiopia, as well as offering children a brighter future, encourage sustainable growth and boost the local economy.

It is also expected to provide a model for other similar colleges and courses in the country.

The majority of pupils on the course are from Addis Ababa, but some have been recruited from the college’s sister organisation, the Selam Children’s Village, a combined orphanage and school.

Zenebe Tesfaye, the general manager of the Selam Children’s Village, put the value fo this programme into context, when she said, “The lack of jobs for our young people is an enormous challenge to developing nations and African countries in particular.”

The class includes Hana Nigussie Belete, 19, who entered the orphanage in 2004 with her younger brother after her mother died from illness. She aims to use the skills she learns at the training centre to start her own business one day. Volvo may expect to benefit from a wider pool of skilled workers like Hana and will have the chance to build relationships with potential employees, but it should be stressed that none of the pupils who

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Volvo CE is giving young people like Hana Nigussie Belete the chance to develop engineering skills

graduate from the course are obligated to take a position with the company. There is a wider socio-economic agenda at work, which may be expected to serve other businesses in Africa. ■

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Price* 11 390 € 18 950 € 13 250 € 25 890 € 23 890 € 26 890 € * Ex Works prices ex VAT on Galvastandard and Industry’L ranges within the limit of available stocks

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281, route d’ Arlon L-8011 STRASSEN (LUXEMBOURG) Tel: 00352.26.311.898 - Fax: 00352.26.311.914 Email: sales@easyhalls.com African Review of Business and Technology - Dec 2013/Jan 14

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MINING

Maintenance

Making a gold mine more efficient The recent retrofitting of legacy chillers at Tshepong mine, set to increase cooling capacity, boost productivity, and deliver greater energy efficiencies

H

armony Gold Mining Company Limited has been working with Johnson Controls to retrofit its 25-year old chillers at Tshepong mine in South Africa’s Free State - using York equipment. The initiative, which saw the replacement of major components and a switch to the use of an ozone friendly refrigerant, has improved performance of the chillers significantly. This has increased energy efficiencies and assisted the mine to reliably reach the needed cooling capacity, which has delivered improved working conditions and increased productivity.

Harmony has operations throughout South Africa and also in Papua New Guinea. Tshepong is one of Harmony’s largest operations. It has a single vertical shaft extending to a depth of 2,161 metres. The mine undertakes conventional undercut mining, where ore is transported to the Harmony 1 plant, 23km away. The mine employs approximately 5,000 people. The three chillers at the Tshepong surface plant deliver 10.2MW of cooling each, supplying 300 litres per second of water at three degrees Celsius to cool the underground workings of the shaft.

Planning to improve production Tom Smith, chief operating officer at Harmony Gold South Africa, said, “Our 25-year old chillers were nearing end of life and we faced a number of challenges. The equipment was not functioning efficiently, parts were hard to get, and we were experiencing a lot of breakdowns. With insufficient cooling in the mine, working conditions are not optimal, affecting workers’ outputs and impacting production schedules.”

Johnson Controls proposed overhauling the existing chillers, stripping out the failing components and replacing them with newer technology that would improve performance and help the mining operation achieve specified cooling requirements. As the chillers

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were running on refrigerant R22, and a hydro chlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) refrigerant that is in the process of being phased out due to its ozone depletion potential, Johnson Controls also proposed the use of the more ecofriendly R134a refrigerant.

Neil Cameron, general manager of Johnson Controls Building Efficiency Africa, explained, “It was imperative that the mine not only get the needed cooling capacity, but that the solution selected be reliable and well supported to minimise risk going forward.

With a well-established presence in South Africa, a good track record in the mining industry, experienced and highly skilled resources, and proven solutions, Johnson Controls’ proposal to retrofit the chillers with York equipment was selected.”

Restoring functionality The job entailed the removal of the existing drivetrain (compressor, speed increaser and motor) on each chiller. These were replaced with a new compressor with an integral speed increaser and a two-pole motor designed for the new R134a refrigerant.

Refrigerant pipe work had to be altered to accommodate the new compressor and the

African Review of Business and Technology - Dec 2013/Jan 14

system had to be cleaned and all traces of mineral oil removed.

A York K7 single-stage centrifugal compressor that incorporates the latest state of the art technology for better efficiency and cost savings was selected for the job.

The project was completed over a period of six months. A phased approach was taken to ensure cooling requirements for ongoing production work could be met.

“The retrofit has improved cooling performance measurably – and it has made a major difference to the teams working underground, improving working conditions and productivity. In addition, with more efficient motors we are achieving energy savings. Due to some of the plants being switched off during winter the actual impact will only be realised in summer. Calculated savings are 8884MWh and calculated saving per plant 336.2MWh per month” said Smith.

“Chillers are mission critical components that can directly affect the health and safety of workers and impact the profitability of operations. As chiller technology continues to advance and become more efficient, refurbishing or retrofitting existing solutions makes business sense,” said Cameron. ■ www.africanreview.com

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Communications

MINING

Enterprise data across wide-area-networks H

istorically, high capacity links typically drove international communications, with national and regional networks implemented using satellite circuits, known as trunk access circuits. These satellite earth stations were visually impressive and used very large antenna installation of typically 9.3 metres. For the most part, however, these have been discontinued. The reason why the majority of such access circuits are no longer operating over satellite technology is because high capacity, point-to-point connectivity circuits are now far less effective to implement than fibre circuits. As the rollout of international and national fibre networks is growing in Africa, these satellite trunk circuits are being replaced with faster, more efficient and cheaper fibre circuits.

Advanced enterprise networking for mines These technologies - satellite, and then fibre - serve enterprise widearea-networks such as financial, enterprise, mining and industrial

www.africanreview.com

operations - corporate data networks, which typically include a number of operational locations all integrated into a single wide-area-network, often with data centre services as part of the network.

The technology of choice is also relatively simple, if you can get access to fibre then it is preferable to use fibre networks. If the mining operation is too remote, or the industrial plant too far from the nearest fibre node, then satellite can be effectively used to implement these networks. In fact the very high reliability of satellite services leads to satellite services often deployed to implement secondary or redundant service to ensure stringent network availability requirements are met.

It should be noted, lastly, that most operations use C-band satellite access technologies. These services are less susceptible to weather conditions, use relatively large antennas (2.4 or 3.6 metres) with good transmission efficiencies, resulting in more cost-effective rates for use. â– Dr Dawie de Wet, CEO at Q-KON

African Review of Business and Technology - Dec 2013/Jan 14

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SOLUTIONS

Vehicles Mantrac moves on with its rental business

N

igeria has always been an attractive destination for investments, foreign and local - and Mantrac has invested in the country and had been in through thick and thin. Mantrac Nigeria Ltd, is the sole authorised dealer for Caterpillar, one of the most recognised brands in the world distributing and supporting the full range of Cat construction equipment through an extensive branch network, which includes a head office in Lagos and branches in all the regions of the country.

Mantrac Nigeria has just introduced a rental business and is receiving many customer enquiries. With the high interest rate in Nigeria and the challenges in procuring loans, there are various advantages for the rental business solution in Nigeria - including freeing up business capital as expense is only incurred for the equipment that is needed for a particular job, freeing the extra capital to be applied to other demands. Moreover, the equipment rented out is new and maintained prior to each rental to ensure that the machines are in top shape. It also helps with lead time for the customers as the machines are readily available.

Nigeria has an infrastructural deficit and the rental operation will help meet sector requirements affordably. Construction accounts for 60 per cent of Mantrac's business in Nigeria - and, with the business expected to be brought with the rental solution, that ratio is expected to inch up.

Rentals occupies a growing portion of Mantrac Nigeria’s business,and is exepected to keep expanding. Mantrac had just signed a landmark agreement with Setraco, a Nigerian engineering company with a presence in 20 states, building roads, bridges and other infrastructural works. The agreement is in the early stages, but there is potential.

Mantrac is supplying Setraco with articulated dump trucks. It expects many more opportunities in the rental business.

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BOMAG’s new generation of articulated tandem rollers With the introduction to market of its new fifth generation of articulated tandem rollers in the 10-11 t class - the BW 161 ADO, BW 161 AD-5 and BW 190 models - BOMAG became the only manufacturer on the market offering machines that use all three compaction systems: double vibration, oscillation and Asphalt Manager 2.

Double vibration is the classic technical solution with two amplitudes for compacting thick or thin layers. The second exciter system featuring TanGO BOMAG-oscillation is particularly suited for use on bridge structures and close to buildings, as it produces less vibration, and yet compacts efficiently. Asphalt Manager 2 is also available as a third choice for the latest generation of articulated tandem rollers. The system is the ultimate combination of measuring technology and compaction control. The measuring technology determines the Evib value which acts both as a guide to the driver as well as automatically controlling the machine. Unnecessary passes which tend to offer a false sense of security are thus prevented - only the compaction needed is applied. The result is top quality in terms of texture and evenness, and savings in time and money due to the optimum number of passes.

Ecomode for reduced fuel consumption "Economy" was at the top of BOMAG engineers' specifications during the development of these fifth generation articulated tandem rollers and the proven Ecomode power control system provides for minimum fuel consumption. The entire hydraulic system is demand-led; for example, the fan automatically adjusts the cooling capacity to demand, achieving 30 per cent less diesel consumption than conventional machines in the same performance class without Ecomode.

African Review of Business and Technology - Dec 2013/Jan 14

The fifth generation BOMAG tandem rollers with TanGO BOMAG-Oscillation BOMAG Asphalt Manager (Left: BW 161 ADO-5. Right: BW 161 AD-5)

Proven Kubota engines mean the machines are both economical and powerful. Thanks to the exhaust gas standard stage 3 B /EPA Tier 4i, the engines meet stricter tendering rules and emission limits; this makes the latest generation the perfect choice for construction projects where diesel particle filters are required - eg, in tunnel construction or inner-city areas.

Easy to maintain and service The new generation of tandem rollers is also especially impressive when it comes to maintenance. All service points are easy to access thanks to the large engine bonnet at the back of the machine. Lubricating points are eliminated on the new machines - if they do not exist, they cannot be forgotten and damage will be prevented.

Comfort and overview for the driver BOMAG has also optimised the fifth generation for the driver. The roomy, spacious high-comfort cab with clearly arranged dashboard will quickly impress any operator. Not only does it offer the roller operator ample room and storage space, but also an excellent all-round view of what is happening on any busy site - a key factor in terms of safety. The machine is operated intuitively, regardless of local language, which means the roller operator can operate the machine easily after just a short induction. www.africanreview.com

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SOLUTIONS/ CLASSIFIED

MAN’s machines for Arabic markets At the Big 5 Expo, the building and construction show held in in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, MAN Truck & Bus presented an array of innovative new products, services and programmes aimed at reducing the total cost of ownership (TCO) for companies in the construction and building industry, to help them become consistently efficient with their transport fleets.

A key exhibit was the new MAN TGS WW 6x4 tractor head, which has been exclusively designed for the region, which combines traction and long haul operation with the dynamic MAN Aero Package and MAN TipMatic for more efficiency.

MAN combines these features with its strong traction chassis for off-

MAN’s new MAN TGS WW 6x4 tractor head is exclusively designed for the Middle East

road applications to cater to the tough road conditions across the Middle East.

The MAN Aero Package leads to optimised air flow through improved aero dynamics to reduce

fuel consumption by approximately three per cent. The MAN TipMatic system also leads to reduced fuel consumption by up to five per cent and reduced operator costs through optimized gear shifting.

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