Inspire South Africa spring 2014

inspire TRADE • INVESTMENT • TOURISM

SOUTH AFRICA

BIG BOYS BILLIONS RACE TO ESTABLISH

GAUTENG’S NEW CBD

ON THE FAST TRACK

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH MINISTER LINDIWE ZULU

ISSUE 4/2014

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contents

Ed’s letter

9

Property The Big Boys and their Billions

10

Education: Knowledge is Power

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Front Cover Interview Small Ministry: Big Impact

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Publisher: All Media Africa International The Avenues Office Park Media House,unit 3b2/3b1 1 Village Walk, Parklands Cape Town, 7441 Tel: + 27 21 0100 936 Website: www.amafrica.net

All MediA Afr icA international EDITOR Grivin Ngongula editor@amafrica.net COPY EDITOR Tanya Waterworths waterworth@telkomsa.net CONTRIBUTORS Sibonelo Radebe, Cathy Dippnall, Chantel Venter, Evans Manyonga, Kerry Dimmer design and layout Indio Design indiodesign@mweb.co.za

20 Years of Democracy and Achievement A freedom timeline

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Compuscan celebrates 20 Years of change

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Oil Oil – is there alternative energy to black gold?

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Company Profile: SASRIA

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In Focus

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Eastern Cape: The Province of Possibilities

Mining South African Women embraces Mining

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CSIR system helps deep-level mines talk to the surface

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Company Profile: Broll Real Estate

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Inspire South Africa Issue 5

Project Manager Liberty Sibusiso Khumalo Advertising Sales: Nicky Ndaba, Bulelani Dyonase, Maureen Daka Sakala Managing Director Graeme Mather graeme@amafrica.net associate publisher Mark Poonan DISCLAIMER: INSPIRE SOUTH AFRICA is published by ALL MEDIA AFRICA INTERNATIONAL. All work published herein is protected by copyright.

No part, editorial or images may be reproduced or adapted in whatever format without the express permission of the publishers and / or their contributors. Information and opinions expressed and published in INSPIRE SOUTH AFRICA, do not necessarily express opinions of this magazine. The magazine, publisher or editor cannot be held liable for damages of any nature, directly or indirectly from any facts or information that has been provided or omitted in these pages. The same applies to any statements made or withheld by this magazine.

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from the editor

R

eflecting on the current economic environment prevailing in the country, an acquaintance working in the construction industry mentioned something very interesting. He asked the same question that was the headline in a local paper last week, “How did South Africa avoid getting into recession”? Figures released

by Stats SA showed that the country narrowly missed sliding into a recession by about 0.6% economic growth in the second quarter of the year. The country is not out of the woods yet, but avoiding a technical recession did it for South Africa.

Let’s not forget the strikes in the mining sector and the weakening prices of resources, especially platinum. Economists have predicted an uphill battle to get the numbers that will propel the country forward. So it’s heartening to note the rand is gaining lost ground and is slowly clawing its way back up against major currencies.

Cranes above the skies around South Africa tell of a hive of activity in the construction industry. Century City in the Western Cape is one such venture among many across the country.

Economic activity such as this, will indeed carry the country through.

On Spring day, it was refreshing to note that Khanyi Dhlomo had paid back all of the R34.1m loan she received from the National Empowerment Fund last year. This happening during Women’s Month, August. I mention this simply because of the way the whole process was handled in the mainstream media. This is good for her and the team she is working with, I believe it is an all ladies team, including entrepreneur Dr Judy Dlamini. Well done ladies.

Look out for the next edition of Inspire South Africa.

Until next time, stay inspired!

Grivin

Inspire South Africa Issue 5

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property

the big boys and their

billions The race is on to establish Gauteng’s new CBD: South African property developers, along with international counterparts, are pumping billions of rands into the country’s economy. Sibonelo Radebe takes a look at these hot property developments and who’s behind them.

By Sibonelo Radebe

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property

w

ho are these guys? What are they smoking? Whose money are they gambling?

This captures the general reaction to a link posted on social network platforms announcing plans by the Atterbury Group to erect a new R4.1bn shopping centre, Mall of Africa.

The mall is set inside Waterfall Business Estate, a R25bn mixed use development in Midrand, north of Johannesburg.

A 330ha piece of land bordering Midrand, Sunninghill and Buccleuch, the Waterfall development has been described as one of the bravest private sector ventures in the post 1994 South Africa. It is a whole “new city”.

So far, developments covering about 1.75 million m² have been approved for the Waterfall Business Estate. The plan features retail, residential, commercial, office and leisure property developments. The R4.1 billion Mall of Africa, scheduled to open trading doors in 2016, is for now positioned as a nucleus.

Atterbury was established in 1994 under the leadership of Francois van Niekerk and Louis van der Watt. It had grown to boast a portfolio valued around R5bn just before it scooped the Waterfall deal from the Mia Family and the Islamic Institute.

The family had held the land since the 1930’s and sold the development rights to Atterbury in 2008.

Before then Atterbury has since broadened its investor base and formed Atterbury Investment Holdings, which features the Islamic Institute, other institutional investors and public investors, as shareholders. This institutionalisation has reached

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maturity with the formation of Attacq, an entity spun out of Atterbury Investment Holdings and listed on the JSE last year.

Green parks and major players With a broadened investor base, Attacq is now the controlling shareholder of the Waterfall development. The development trail that led to all this includes the Garden Route Mall in George, Clearwater Mall in Johannesburg, Brooklyn Mall in Pretoria and Mill Square in Stellenbosch. Suffice to say, these people know what they are doing.

Attacq’s Chief Executive Officer, Morne Wilken said, “While there are several developments on the go in Waterfall, all eyes are on the Mall of Africa development, one of the biggest private sector property projects underway in South Africa currently.”

Attacq has already launched its first retail developments within the Waterfall node. This is the 9000sqm Waterfall Corner and 7500sqm Waterfall Lifestyle.

Attacq added that its first hotel in Waterfall City – the 6000sqm, 149-room City Lodge hotel, is due to open in December 2014. The five-storey, 3-star hotel has an expected value on completion of R105 million.

Also “progressing well” is the development of the Maxwell Office Park. Described as “an environmentally innovative and designed as a 4-Star Green Star rated park”, it now hosts Premier Foods, Golder & Associates, Cipla, Bakgatla Tshipi, Atterbury and Attacq. Honda is taking up premises later this year.

Another blue-chip corporate secured within Waterfall City is Swiss pharmaceutical giant, Novartis. A 7,000sqm office building is currently under development and has an expected

Inspire South Africa Issue 5

property

completion value of R182 million.

The group added that commercial space throughout greater Waterfall precinct is being snapped up by national and international corporations, such as Group 5, Cell C and Novartis, looking to consolidate their offices, while others align themselves with the essence of Waterfall: convenience, security, green living and quality urban spaces.

“Waterfall is not just a bustling construction site, it’s a buzz of exciting energy as a new commercial node with the potential of becoming Gauteng’s new CBD. “Some 22 property developments have been secured thus far, 11 of which are already completed and the balance scheduled to be completed over the next 20 months,” said Wilken.

Cosmopolitan asset with culture It’s not only the Atterbury Group which seems to be riding high.

The South African commercial property developing community and foreign companies are also clamoring for their share. New sizeable retail centres and mega mixed used developments are popping up all over the country, seemingly oblivious to the economic gloom that is blanketing the rest of us.

Topping the crest of the wave are the Chinese who have

invested a whopping R84bn in another ‘new city’ development about 20km from the Waterfall development.

Chinese property development firm, Shanghai Zendai, bought a 1600ha piece of land in Modderfontein, north of Johannesburg, from AECI for R1bn. The Hong Kong listed company is now rolling out what is set to be a mixed use property development, titled the Modderfontein New City Project and valued closer to R100bn.

It will include nine functional zones, a central business district, international conference and exhibition centre, an entertainment centre, silver industry and retirement industry, international residential community, education and training centre, sports centre, trade and logistic park and light industry park.

Zikhang Dai, founder and chairman, Shanghai Zendai, said “We are excited about the opportunity to develop a new Gauteng CBD, strategically located and linking integral parts of the province, providing a platform for further social and economic growth. Our long standing and reputable developments stand us in good stead to bring to life this inspired initiative.”

Shanghai Zendai’s short to mid-term plan include an educational district, which will feature pre and primary

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property

schooling developments and in the medium term a high school and tertiary institutions. These will take off alongside a trade and logistic park, residential projects, as well as key infrastructure projects.

“Our vision for the Modderfontein New City is that it will become a unique landmark that will transform Modderfontein into an international cosmopolitan asset with a cultural and art element.” said Zhikang Dai.

Sluggish outlook

Yet the South African economy is not inspiring confidence. Last year’s GDP growth came in at a paltry 1.9% and was tipped into a marginal contraction during the first quarter of 2014. The economy has been struggling to recover from the 2007/08 global economic crisis. There was a sign of a bounce back early on, but the economy has since lost steam. GDP is projected to register nothing more than 2% this year and forecasted to clock 2.9% in 2015 and 3.2% in 2016.

South Africa’s unemployment remains stubbornly high Mega malls mushroom around the 25% mark and around 35% if you use the expanded Smaller developers are spreading into an ever growing number definition of unemployment. General consensus is that the of property developments across the country. These include the South African economy needs to register much higher growth, recently announced plan of a R900 million new shopping centre at least 6%, to make a serious dent on unemployment. in Springs, about 50km east of Johannesburg. The 52000sqm Recent messages from SA Reserve bank governor Gill Marcus Springs Mall features a seasoned property developer Flanagan are at best cautious. In her latest (July) Monetary Policy & Gerard Developments, which has partnered with Blue Crane Statement, Marcus noted that “the economic growth outlook has EcoMall, Giuricich Brothers and the D’Arrigo family. deteriorated against the backdrop of protracted strike action in Flanagan & Gerard Developments has rolled out a number the mining and manufacturing sectors”, adding that the growth of interesting retail developments in the past few years. These outlook for the rest of the year include the Paarl Mall, Vaal remains subdued amid low Mall, Highveld Mall, Mall of business confidence. the North and Middelburg “Compounding the Mall. It also developed New “We are excited about Monetary Policy Committee’s Redruth Village, Morningside the opportunity to policy dilemma, inflation has Shopping Centre, Bedworth breached the upper end of Centre, Makro Vanderbijlpark develop a new Gauteng the target range, driven and Nicolway Bryanston.

CBD” Zikhang Dai, primarily by the exchange rate And the Billion Group, under depreciation and rising food the leadership of new property founder and chairman, prices, while a possible mogul Sisa Ngebulana, has also Shanghai Zendai wage-price spiral resulting taken the market by storm. The from recent wage settlements group burst onto the commercial and wage demands property investment space about considerably in excess of 10 years ago through the inflation and productivity development of two Eastern growth have added to the upside risk to the inflation outlook,” Cape shopping centers, Hemingways Mall and Mdantsane City. said Marcus.

The Billion Group has just launched the first phase of its R1.5bn And with ever rising petrol, electricity and food hikes, the man development, the 75 000sqm shopping centre in Centurion, on the street is struggling to make ends meet, let alone being able Pretoria, called Forest Hill. The group is also rolling out two other to splurge out at shopping malls. So what are we missing that the mega shopping centers in the Eastern Cape, the R1.3bn BT property developers and their bankers are seeing?

Ngebs Mall in Mthatha and the R1.75bn development called Bay It can’t just be patriotism as some developers explain in their West City in Port Elizabeth. It is important to note that all these narrations. The money they deploy must return gain on developments are not speculative in nature, as they are backed by investment. The answer partly lies on the old dictum: Property is high initial occupancy rate and from reputable retailers, including a long term game. As such, short term blips on economic radar Shoprite, Woolworths, Pick n’ Pay. As such it is not only property screens will not dissuade an educated and determined investor. developers who seem to be looking into the future. It seems There is no doubt property developers are taking a positive retailers are also smoking from the same pot of super confidence. view on the future of South Africa. Is this is a long term view on This is also reflected in Sandton, Africa’s financial centre the country’s politics, social dynamics and the economy, or are which gained development speed in the post 1994 South they just a bunch of guys on “super confidence steroids” as Africa. The new commercial hub in the northern suburbs of speculated on social media ?

Johannesburg, Sandton, is going through a massive facelift in They know the game, perhaps we should all take note. and around the anchoring development Sandton City.

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education

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Inspire South Africa Issue 5

education

knowledge is power

Evans Nyasha Manyonga discusses how far South African education has come since 1994.

Inspire South Africa Issue 5

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education

T

here have been great strides made in the education sector in South Africa since 1994.

Education has played a leading role in changing the social dynamics in the country.

It has also been a subject of contention with many positive aspects being identified and negative aspects being tackled head on.

The peaceful transition against apartheid rule culminated in a seamless shift towards democracy. Where there was fear, there was now hope, where there was repression, there was now tolerance and the elements of division and exclusion were also banished with a closer and stronger focus towards democratic freedom and national rebuilding.

One of the core elements towards this vision was education.

Education was and still is a strong and viable vehicle towards driving transformation.

Acquiring knowledge The gains made in the educational sector have been somewhat understated within the public sphere. Educational reform has been a central part of the country’s reconstruction and development process. When the new South African government came to power, one of the core aspects it had to deal with was overcoming the devastation apartheid had left in its wake whilst providing a system of education committed to building democracy, human dignity, equality and social justice.

A core element of apartheid rule was denying informed education to the black majority. This element extended to promoting sexism and racial segregation with a focus on educating the white minority.

When the new government came to power, they had to place strong emphasis on institutions and governance with a democratic order marked by non-racialism and non-sexism.

They also sought to establish visionary policies, new organisations, institutions, governance structures, and resourcing patterns, supported by a sound legislation.

A strong emphasis was put on the transformation of learning and teaching, through principles of lifelong learning, the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), curriculum transformation, values in education and systemic quality.

The main goal being ensuring that South Africans acquire the knowledge, values and skills required to facilitate social and personal development and economic growth, ultimately strengthening democracy and the general stature of the country.

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Tackling Illiteracy These gains have also largely transformed the way South Africa is structured. Formerly divided bureaucracies have been amalgamated and more impressively institutions, staff, offices, records, assets and more than ten million learners and teachers were transferred into a new system after the advent of democracy without a breakdown in service delivery.

One national and nine provincial education departments have been created and a more robust ministry has been established after over 48 years of Apartheid rule. Also of note is the fact that the high level of illiteracy prevalent before 1994 has been cut down and more adults are now literate in SA. Schools have become centres of learning and a more outcomes based system of education has ensured a more skilled nation.

This has transformed industry and ensured a steady stream of

Inspire South Africa Issue 5

education

skilled individuals who have transformed the face of industry and job provision.

The Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Blade Nzimande declared 2013 as ‘The Year of the Artisan’. Various institutions have been established to provide artisan skills which are transforming production, industry and the general economy of SA. Among these are FET colleges and Incubator programmes.

Developing scarce skills The education stream in South Africa now consists of three different strands. These are General Education (GE), Further Education and Training (FET) and Higher Education (HE).

General Education now consists of the first nine years of school education, which is also basic education. This is followed

by Further Education and training which consists of the next

three years of basic education or completing a related certificate or diploma at a technical college or educational institution.

Higher education involves university level studies, which are mostly theoretical in nature.

In order to cater to various needs, the government established FET Colleges and AET facilities. AET colleges cater to adults who want to complete the senior basic education qualification while FET colleges provide more specific skills training.

Further Education and Training (FET) refers to education and training provided from Grades 10 to 12, including careeroriented education and training offered in technical colleges, community colleges and private colleges.

There are now over 50 registered and accredited public FET Colleges in South Africa which operate close to 300 campuses spread across the rural and urban areas of the country. These

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education

Statistics

FET colleges offer vocational or occupational training for specific job or employment possibilities. These colleges are playing a growing role in the provision of the intermediate to higher-level skills required to support economic growth and development.

Public FET colleges offer a varied range of courses/ programmes that have been developed to respond to the scarce skills needed by employers. These courses vary in duration; South African citizens can enroll for short courses of a few hours or for formal courses which last up to three years.

Colleges offer courses in industry fields such as agriculture, arts and culture, business, commerce and management, education, training and development, engineering, manufacturing and technology, services, building construction and security.

This stance is yet another measure provided by the government to transform the socio-economic landscape of South Africa.

• Access to primary and secondary schooling has significantly improved, with near universal enrolment in primary schooling and 92% enrolment in secondary schooling.

• There has been a considerable improvement in the qualifications of educators, over 55% of educators have improved their qualifications, with the proportion of under-qualified educators being reduced from 36% in 1994 to 26% in 1998.

• Educators have been redistributed, through redeployment and post provisioning strategies, to areas of greatest need. This has led to vast improvements in establishing more equitable learner: educator ratios, from an average of 47:1 in 1994 to 35:1 in 2000.

• Per capita expenditure on learners showed significant convergence across provinces, and an overall increase from R2 222 in 1994 to R3 253 in 2000.

• Improvements in inter-provincial equity have been achieved utilising the inter-governmental fiscal framework and the Equitable Shares Formula.

Expenditure in the Eastern Cape and Northern Province – two of the poorest provinces – improved in 1997/98 by 49% and 36.9% respectively.

• Through the Reconstruction and Development Programme, R1.4 billion was allocated for school construction and maintenance between 1995 and 1997. More progress was made in school electrification, and increased water supply to schools.

Harnessing potential Another major facet of transformation has been the Incubator programmes which programmes have been established and driven by the government to establish more entrepreneurs and thus create more jobs in the country.

Business incubators are specifically designed to support the development of entrepreneurial companies and groups.

This is achieved by providing a range of support and resources.

The central intention of an incubator programme is to increase the potential for the new start-up company or community group to be successful and to increase the possibility of the new company being viable in the long term which would have numerous positive long term benefits for the country.

Some of the services that incubator programmes provide include assistance with business basics, financial management and accounting, bank loans, office resources, start-up capital

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in the form of grants, mentorship and networking expertise.

Former Minister of Trade and Industry Rob Davies noted that Incubator programmes are, “the best platforms that a country can use to promote broader economic participation, uplift the country’s entrepreneurial base and encourage start up activities”.

Driving the economy As things stand the future looks bright. Within 20 years a lot has transformed and of more importance is the fact that the youth are being involved in transformation through education and business support. The only way forward for the future is up. An educated populace will drive the economy, while concentrating on various streams of expertise and skills development will also improve different sectors of the economy and empower the nation’s citizens.

Inspire South Africa Issue 5

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EPWP Non-State Sector in Partnership with Communities The Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) Non-State Sector (NSS) was established in 2009 as part of the EPWP Phase 2. The Non-State Sector model is an innovative approach developed by Government to mobilise for the establishment of partnerships with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs).

The purpose of the partnership is to offer NGOs a wage subsidy for the unemployed as a catalyst to increase the creation of work opportunities in communities.

Two programmes exist in the Non-State Sector, namely: The institutionally-based, which is referred to as the Non-State Sector NGO Programme managed by the Department of Public Works; and the area-based, which is referred to as the Community Work Programme (CWP) and is institutionalised at the Department of Cooperative Governance.

The Non-State Sector NGO programme establishes relationships with non-state entities to expand community projects that have the potential to employ large numbers of people. These non-state entities are Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Community-based Organisations (CBOs) and Faith-based Organisations (FBOs).

The non-state entities are contracted for a year in the EPWP Non-State Sector and are expected to become an extension of Government in the implementation of service delivery to locally-based communities. The partnership with NGOs is intended to ensure that there is a broadened reach of services provided by NGOs in communities.

Furthermore, the EPWP Non-State Sector wage subsidy encourages NGO implementers to engage as many poor and unemployed people as possible in work opportunities within their local communities.

This wage subsidy is also utilised by NGOs to recruit unemployed people in the following substantial services:

• Cleaning and maintaining public spaces in under-serviced and under-resourced communities • Growing food that increases food security for the most vulnerable in society • Caring for children, the elderly, the sick and the vulnerable • Small-scale subsistence farming • Sport and recreation programmes for the youth • Improving the infrastructure of public facilities such as schools, community centres, sports grounds, clinics, parks, graveyards – to name just a few.

In the 2013/14 financial year, the Non-State Sector NGO programme has set a national target to create 48 360 work opportunities. The sector further focuses on creating work opportunities for 55% of women, 40% of youth and 2% of people with disabilities. Government has further noted that partnerships established in the EPWP Non-State Sector have led NGOs to further expand their services and confidently approach private sponsors to collaborate with them.

Over and above opportunities of expansion and sponsorship, Non-State Sector NGOs such as Itekeng Community Centre in the North West Province and Joint Education Project in the Limpopo Province have undertaken the role of mentoring newly-established NGOs. The purpose of the mentorship and incubation support provided by Itekeng Community Centre and Joint Education Project is to strengthen the management of newly-established NGOs so that these organisations can in the coming years apply to participate in the Non-State Sector programme. The above points prove that the Non-State Sector is a programme that assists NGOs to develop a culture of learning how to create work opportunities that are sustainable for people who are locally-based, through community-based projects.

For more information about the EPWP Non-State Sector, please visit the EPWP website on:

www.epwp.gov.za

Exclusive Interview

small ministry,

big impact The government heeded the calls from the small business sector to have its own department, when it created the Ministry for Small Business Development this year. Lindiwe Zulu, its Minister, is tasked with putting it all together, and she has certainly begun her duties the right balance of energy and foresight.

By Kerry Dimmer

i

t all happened pretty quickly after the ANC Secretary General, Gwede Mantashe, proposed in February, the concept of a Small Business Ministry. Most parties prior to elections in May had already developed manifestos focusing on one of the most important, yet underdeveloped, economic activities of the country, heeding the calls of the smaller operators who were desperate for attention.

For some years small business development fell under the umbrella of the Departments of Trade and Industry and Economic Development. This split was not ideal and no matter which party would ultimately win the election, the SMMEs and cooperatives were appealing for a stand-alone department, one that would have its own budget and structures to advance their interests.

When the ANC announced its cabinet, Lindiwe Zulu was named Minister of the newly created Ministry for Small Business Development. Zulu has enjoyed parliamentary and diplomatic status since 2004 when she was the Ambassador to Brazil, following which she was a member of the National Working Committee, and special advisor to the President on International Relations.

In her maiden budget vote speech delivered in parliament in July, Zulu plunged right in, firmly stating that disputes between labour, business and the state would not be allowed to derail plans for the small business sector. Zulu is very aware that the challenges she faces are vast varying, from the creation of sustainable jobs, conducive and enabling trading environments,

the formulation of policy and regulation, and over-coming the barrage of protocols that need to be set in place, as is usual with a new ministry.

Probably the most important is the setting of a key mandate, which is: to enhance support to small businesses, informal businesses and cooperatives with emphasis on programmes that would advance entrepreneurship amongst women, people with disabilities and youth, to effectively contribute to job creation, economic growth and economic inclusion.

In support of this mandate the new department has set a number of goals. Among those is the aim to provide extensive support to small business and cooperatives, increase support through consolidated public agencies, enterprise coaching, mentorship, incubation and intensive support programmes.

Zulu says: “We will build on the commitment in the social accords to bring black-owned small business and cooperatives into the supply chain of large companies and the public sector.

We will also mobilize the private sector and state-owned enterprises to support SMMEs and cooperatives. “In the months that lie ahead, we will be looking carefully at the legislation and policies that, in the view of the small business sector, are creating barriers in the development and growth of SMMEs. We will do this in consultation with all stakeholders.�

The department is cognizant of the need to establish the department with speed. Zulu feels that the sector cannot afford any further vacuums and do not want frustrations to escalate.

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Exclusive Interview

In these early days the department will be focusing on enhancing areas in the regulatory framework alongside advancing localisation and leveraging public procurement, financial and non-financial support, human capital, skills development, competitiveness, access to markets and entrepreneurial culture. This means having transversal agreements with government entities and state-owned enterprises alongside ensuring that there is measureable accountability of state institutions in support of SMMEs and cooperatives.

“We will also be looking at up-scaling all identified interventions and enhancing existing partnerships to enable a structured approach to the transversal agreements that we envisage,” says Zulu. “We are making a concerted effort in our engagement with the private sector and labour to sustain the gains we make and so advance the common objective to support the sector. These efforts are considered as parallel and important processes whilst we configure the department.

Zulu is also directing her team to focus on creating a growth environment and this will be in collusion with all stakeholders.

The obvious challenges they face also include the lack of access to markets and procurement, lack of access to finance and credit, low skills levels, and lack of access to information.

Put together in a list like this, the department will obviously need to pull together many other sectors to ensure success.

None of the proposed plans are without the support of research. “The National Development Plan is a guide given it anticipates a treble-sized economy by 2030 with a target of 11-million job opportunities,” says Zulu. The department will also be using the information and applying guidelines as outlined in the Industrial Policy Action Plan and New Growth Path.

The Ministry is also giving assurances that it will implement

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National Informal Business Upliftment support; it will collaborate with the DTi on the implementation of Export Villages; and provide much-needed support for township economies in conjunction with Economic Development projects.

Most exciting is the development of entrepreneurship programmes to be initiated through Centres of Entrepreneurship.

These include the use of SEDA Technology; and an Incubation Support Programme. Such projects will ensure that there is an increased and expanded demand for goods and services from the sector, as well as motivating for the creation of further programmes that will help to bolster secondary cooperative activities in value chains.

Entrepreneurial programmes are also going to be specially targeted at women- and youth-owned business. Already identified is the Isivande Woman Fund (IWF), which was set up to empower South African women and accelerate socio-economic development in the rural, peri-urban and township areas.

Technology for Women in Business (TWIB) is yet another organisation focused on women entrepreneurs, from micro to large enterprises and seeks to fast track skills development.

The Ministry for Small Business Development is keen to support the TWIB particularly because it was designed to help women access applied science and technology, those skills needed to help propel businesses into the competitive arena.

The Youth Entrepreneurship Promotion and Awareness Programme (Outreach) is also to receive a boost with support from the new department. Zulu reminds us that the youth constitutes 41,2% of SA’s total population and that the same sector constitutes 73% of the total unemployment in the country.

“Since 2008, the employment of young people aged between 18-24 has fallen by more than 20%,” she says. “An appropriate

Inspire South Africa Issue 5

Exclusive Interview

response to current socio-economic challenges requires a radical response. The question is not whether we should encourage our young people to look in the direction of entrepreneurship, but rather can we afford not to?”

So what is the solution? “Working in partnership with all stakeholders, including youth entrepreneurs, we will begin to develop a plethora of programmes, both financial and non-financial, to assist our youth enterprises, and thus create opportunities for job creation to reduce youth unemployment,” answers Zulu.

“We also intend to pursue Youth Set-Asides in procurement across the three spheres of government to ensure that young entrepreneurs have abundant opportunities to grow and develop their enterprises in an environment that nurtures development and enhances the job creation potential. In this regard we will work with the DTi to ensure that revised BBBEE Codes are used in support to encourage the private sector to pursue measures that are aimed at growth youth enterprises and cooperatives.”

Zulu is also advocating for the youth to do their bit by seizing opportunities. “They must continue to occupy the front trenches in the reconstruction and development of South Africa and be a force for progressive change and radical transformation,” she says.

“The high rate of unemployment should be a real motivator for youth entrepreneurship and be considered a first option in their economic endeavors.”

It is somewhat of a sad fact that apartheid decimated the culture of entrepreneurship resulting in young South Africans not growing up in households of business people. Zulu emphasises had this been different it would have shaped young people’s understanding of market opportunities, their access to networks and general know-how. “It is critical therefore that we understand this context so that our programmatic responses to encourage youth enterprise development are sensitive to the challenges we face as a county.”

Along with the Department of Education, the Ministry is set on a drive to institutionalize entrepreneurship education from primary level in schools so that there is an understanding of what it means to be an entrepreneur, and more important, how much it is valued.

There is enormous consideration given to the contribution made by the small business sector: SMMEs currently contribute 57% to SA’s GDP and account for 56% employment, 77% of which is in the informal sector. Using a benchmark of South Africa’s performance are countries of interest, and fellow BRICS partners, Brazil, Chile and India, whose SMMES and Cooperatives have contributed some 20% to their country GDPs and employ 60 million people. As Zulu says: ‘This highlights the significant contribution the sector can make to economic growth.”

The NDP made it clear that getting South Africa on a high-growth trajectory demands a fundamental change. One way to achieve that is to place small businesses and cooperatives at the center of the war against poverty, inequality and unemployment, and it was always the vision of the NDP that this sector would have the ability to make inroads in this regard.

Amid all the excitement and activity in the department, there is concern that small businesses have an exceedingly high failure rate, and the majority of the casualties are women-owned businesses. Research shows that the failure rate of 70-80 percent is usually in the first year of operation and only half of those that survive remain in business for the following five years. Reversing this trend will require decisive interventions from the Ministry for Small Business Development.

“What we do know is that SMMEs and Cooperatives is a critical sector towards empowering people and a mechanism to draw new entrants into the economy. This group will be integral to strengthen inclusive growth and helping to build the social economy, besides which it will encourage solidarity and create large numbers of jobs,” concludes Zulu.

Inspire South Africa Issue 5

27

20 years of democracy

freedom timeline: 20 years of

a

democracy

How far have we come since 1994? Melissa Jane Cook and Mary Alexander take us down memory lane as they explore the major milestones in our democratic journey.

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Inspire South Africa Issue 5

20 years of democracy

t

he past 20 years have transformed South Africa. Once sanctioned, vilified and on the brink of civil war, the country is now a stable democracy and a respected player on the global stage.

27 April 1994 – The first democratic elections are held, with nearly 20-million South Africans forming now-legendary queues outside voting stations to cast their ballots. For the first time in history all South Africans over the age of 18, irrespective of race, had the right to vote. Freedom Day, 27 April, becomes a national holiday.

10 May 1994 – Nelson Mandela is sworn in as South Africa’s first democratically elected president.

24 June 1995 – The Rugby World Cup is hosted in South Africa and won by the Springboks. In an epic battle held at Ellis Park against the All Blacks of New Zealand, Nelson Mandela gave

incredible encouragement. Rugby was previously seen as a whites-only sport. Mandela presented the trophy to captain Francois Pienaar, an Afrikaner, wearing a Springbok shirt with Pienaar’s own number 6 on the back. This was widely seen as a major step in the reconciliation of white and black South Africans.

3 February 1996 – The Africa Cup of Nations, hosted in South Africa, is won by national soccer side Bafana Bafana, who defeat Tunisia 2-0 in the final at the FNB Stadium.

15 April 1996 – The Truth and Reconciliation commission is launched by Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The commission was set up to hear the truth about the apartheid-era crimes, with amnesty from prosecution granted to those who came clean.

July and August 1996 – South African swimmer Penny Heyns shines at the Atlanta Olympic Games in the US, winning gold in both the 100-metre and 200-metre breaststroke.

4 February 1997 – South Africa’s new Constitution takes

Inspire South Africa Issue 5

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20 years of democracy

effect, after being promulgated by President Nelson Mandela on 10 December 1996. It replaced the interim Constitution drawn up at multi-party talks in 1993 to govern the transition to democracy. The highest law in the land, the Constitution and its Bill of Rights sought to guarantee an open, transformative society in which human rights would be entrenched.

18 July 1998 – On his 80th birthday Mandela marries Graça Machel (née Simbine), widow of Samora Machel, the president of Mozambique until his death in 1986.

2 June 1999 – South Africa’s second national democratic elections are held. The African National Congress wins with 66.4% of the vote.

14 June 1999 – Thabo Mbeki is sworn in as democratic South Africa’s second president. He had served as Mandela’s deputy and had taken over running of the day-to-day affairs of government well before the former president retired.

25 April 2002 – South African IT billionaire Mark Shuttleworth gains worldwide fame as the world’s second self-funded space tourist and the first African in space. He launched aboard the Russian Soyuz TM-34 mission, paying some US$20-million for the voyage.

9 July 2002 – US President George W Bush awards Nelson Mandela the Presidential Medal of Freedom, that country’s highest civilian award, in Washington.

26 May 2003 – South African adventurer Sibusiso Vilane makes history when he becomes the first black African to summit Mount Everest, a climb he would repeat two years later.

29 February 2004 – Charlize Theron wins the best actress Oscar at the Academy Awards for her role in the film Monster.

Receiving the award, she said, “I’m going to thank everyone in my home country, South Africa.”

14 April 2004 – South Africa’s third democratic national elections held. The African National Congress wins with 69.7% of the vote, and Thabo Mbeki assumes his second term as president.

5 March 2006 – Tsotsi wins the best foreign language film Oscar at the Academy Awards. Directed by South African Gavin Hood, the film was an adaptation of an Athol Fugard novel set in Alexandra in Johannesburg, starring Presley Chweneyagae.

22 May 2006 – New Statesman places Nelson Mandela at number two on its list of 50 heroes of our time. At number one was Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese pro-democracy campaigner.

18 July 2007 – On Nelson Mandela’s 89th birthday, he, Graça Machel and Desmond Tutu convene The Elders, a grouping of world leaders set up to contribute their wisdom and independent

leadership to solving the world’s toughest problems. Other members include Kofi Annan, Ela Bhatt, Gro Harlem Brundtland, Jimmy Carter, Li Zhaoxing, Mary Robinson and Muhammad Yunus.

20 October 2007 – The Springboks defeat England at the Stade de France in Paris to win the Rugby World Cup trophy for the second time.

20 September 2008 – With nine months left in his second term, President Thabo Mbeki announces his resignation after being recalled by the African National Congress’s national executive committee.

25 September 2008 – Kgalema Motlanthe sworn in as South Africa’s third president of the democratic era.

22 April 2009 – South Africa’s fourth democratic national elections held. The African National Congress wins with 65.9% of the vote.

9 May 2009 – Jacob Zuma is sworn in as democratic South Africa’s fourth president.

11 June to 11 July 2010 – South Africa hosts the Fifa Soccer World Cup, a successful, incident-free tournament held in 10 brand new or rebuild stadiums.

Despite national side Bafana Bafana being eliminated in the first round, support for all teams was phenomenal. Spain eventually defeated Netherlands in the final held at FNB Stadium.

July and August 2012 – South African swimmers and rowers win gold at the London Olympic Games. Chad le Clos beat 18-time gold medallist Michael Phelps in the 200-metre butterfly while Cameron van der Burgh won gold in the 100-metre breaststroke. The rowing team of Sizwe Ndlovu, Matthew Brittain, John Smith and James Thompson won gold in the lightweight four race.

May 2012 – South Africa and Australia are named joint hosts of the massive Square Kilometre Array radio telescope. Once complete, the telescope will be 50 times more sensitive than other radio instruments and will provide never-before-seen detail of the universe.

5 December 2013 – Nelson Mandela dies at home in Houghton, Johannesburg, and the world grieves. Thousands of South Africans laid flowers outside his house, and many more filled FNB Stadium for his memorial service. International leaders joined them, including US President Barack Obama, British Prime Minister David Cameron and Chinese VicePresident Li Yuanchao.

15 December 2013 – Nelson Mandela is buried at his home village of Qunu in the Eastern Cape.

27 April 2014 – On Freedom Day, South Africa celebrates two decades of democracy.

Inspire South Africa Issue 5

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20 Years of Democracy

compuscan

celebrates 20 years of change Inspired by the values of the country’s new leader, Nelson Mandela, and motivated by his vision for change, Compuscan was born in 1994.

ŠShutterstock

By Chrizane van Zyl & SA Info

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Inspire South Africa Issue 5

A

20 Years of Democracy

wenty years ago on 27 April 1994 South Africa’s rainbow nation was reborn when the country’s first democratic general election was held. This time of immense change and transformation brought about an era of hope and the promise of a brighter future for all South Africans. Inspired by the values of the country’s new leader, Nelson Mandela, and motivated by his vision for change, Compuscan was born.

Making smart lending decisions and mitigating credit risk is critical to operators in the credit environment, which is why Compuscan, a leading South African credit bureau, provides total credit reporting and risk management solutions throughout the credit life-cycle. Compuscan enables a holistic view on consumer and business credit information that allows its clients to make informed business decisions.

Compuscan, like our country’s democracy, was born from a deep-rooted belief that change was both possible and vital. For Compuscan’s founders revolutionising the credit industry, in particular microcredit, was essential for the success of our country’s young economy. At the time of Compuscan’s establishment there was still a distinct lack of a credit reporting system for the microcredit industry and the absence of information sharing resulted in the poor performance of lending institutions and a high default rate prevailed. Ultimately, the microcredit sector was perceived as risky due to the fact that asymmetric information resulted in lenders not accurately pricing the risk involved which lead to adverse selection and over-indebtedness. “It was at this time that we recognised the opportunity in the market to create a credit reporting system for the microlending industry,” says CEO Remo Lenisa.

In 1995, one year after its humble beginnings, Compuscan went on to establish a system to share positive and negative data with other microlenders via FTP (File Transfer Protocol). Data was replicated daily across more than 1800 microlenders in the country. Credit Check was launched four years later which marked a significant feat in the expansion of the Compuscan business and the development of the products which are subsequently on offer to clients today.

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In 2000 Compuscan’s vision took it to Africa where it extended its credit bureau services to both Namibia and Botswana. Since then Uganda, Ethiopia and Lesotho have followed suit. This expansion would not have been possible had it not been for the vision of change that Compuscan’s founders shared with the father of South Africa’s democratic nation.

This year, a pan-emerging markets investor, Actis, acquired 60% of Compuscan Holdings’ ordinary shares which has meant that the door to major growth opportunities has opened. “With many countries in Africa still without the necessary credit bureau infrastructure, there is huge potential in the emerging market credit services industry on the continent,” commented Lenisa. Actis plans to invest at least $100m in CSH, for the company and its management team to grow the business through acquisition and organic growth.

Only 5% of adults in Africa are covered by credit bureaux compared with 64% in OECD countries. “We understand the immense value of quality data to the credit industry and the economy as a whole and have developed innovative applications to enable us to provide real-time access to accurate credit information, combined with technologies that support the implementation of best credit granting principles,” says Lenisa.

Commenting on the future of the company, Lenisa said: “This is not only a vote of confidence in the underlying business strategy of the CSH team, but a partnership to grow the business sustainably into the future. Actis’s experience combined with its global footprint and sector specialisation, means that it is uniquely positioned to provide the necessary support to put the company on an upward trajectory.”

While the company and country moves forward to celebrate 20 years of change and prosperity, we bid farewell to Nelson Mandela whose inspiring vision played a significant role in our establishment and success. “As a South African company, we are immensely proud to be so closely affiliated with this iconic man through our own heritage, our co-incidental year of formation and indeed our own internal deep-rooted belief in the value of change.”

Inspire South Africa Issue 5

Micro-savings:

a Revolutionary Route to Micro-Enterprise Development

T

hroughout Africa poor people are showing both a desire and a capacity to save. Despite limited incomes, demand for accessible and affordable financial services is high.

Understanding this need, and the potential of savings to boost economic development, South African-based NGO SaveAct has been at the forefront of a savings revolution among poor rural communities in South Africa, offering an empowering alternative to debt-based financial services.

Since its establishment in 2008, SaveAct has enabled over 30 000 members – mainly women – to reduce debt, improve their livelihoods and, in many cases, establish their own enterprises.

Through structured support and financial education programmes, SaveAct-led savings and credit group members acquire the basic skills to manage their own finances, save, and make loans among themselves, while earning high returns to build capital. After completing the SaveAct enterprise development programme, many members go on to start their own micro-businesses.

Based on randomised research conducted into SaveAct savings groups, some 6 000 members will have started a new enterprise after joining a savings group, with a further 12 000 using the financial services from their groups to finance their enterprise.

30% return on investments The SaveAct savings model mirrors the stokvel – a widespread indigenous, informal method of saving in South Africa which has variations throughout the continent – but with some significant modifications.

“The SaveAct model brings transparency to all transactions and gives control to all members,” says SaveAct Director Anton Krone.

According to Krone, the organisation is struggling to keep up with demand for its services. And it’s little wonder: on average members earn 30% interest on their investment and repayment rates are close to 100%. As groups mature they tend to schedule their annual shareouts to capitalise on economic opportunities such as the bulk-buying of agricultural inputs. The groups are proving highly sustainable. Almost without exception savings groups continue, once they have graduated from SaveAct’s training. They are supported by communitybased promoters.

Changing lives Research shows that savings groups assist people with HIV/AIDS to manage their household economy and their illness better. They generally enable members to reduce debt and develop sustainable livelihoods. “We witness people taking control not only over their money but their lives,” says Krone. “If there is no silver bullet to eradicate rural poverty, self-sustaining savings groups come about as close to it as one can get.”

Although currently working in South Africa SaveAct is exploring options to extend the model into other countries in Africa.

For more information contact Anton Krone, founder and director of SaveAct: anton@saveact.org.za.

Donations may be made through PayFast on SaveAct’s website at www.SaveAct.org.za.

oil

oil

is there alternative energy to black gold?

Crude oil, or black gold as it is sometimes called because of its colour and its scarcity has become something of a heavy burden not only as a fossil fuel, but as a commodity that has a stranglehold on society.

w

By Cathy Dippnall

ith 115 of 195 countries (196 if you count Taiwan) in the world producing oil it is no wonder that there are growing concerns that this liquid gold might run out in the foreseeable future and life as we know it ceases to exist.

Crude oil and its by-products literally rule our lives, so much so that countries are prepared to go to war over it. If you thought that oil was merely made into petroleum or diesel for vehicles and machinery then you may be surprised to learn that many products; from medicines and alcohol (that use sulphur), beauty products, food (such as artificial sweeteners) used in sweets, drinks and other food products, clothing and footwear to lubricants, grease, asphalt and plastic all have some form of oil by-product in them.

Oil and the price of crude control our lives – every time the oil price goes up it is no coincidence that commodities linked to oil also go up.

Not all crude oil is the same quality and as the Energy Information Administration (EIA) puts it: ‘not all crude is created equal.’ There are sour crudes that contain a lot of sulphur and there are crudes with less sulphur called sweet

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crudes. Sweet crude is found in many areas around the world particularly in parts of Northern Europe, Britain, Asia, Australia, USA, the Middle East and Africa, including Nigeria, Libya and Algeria. It is the most valuable type of oil as it is less dense and can be processed with far less sophisticated and energy- intensive processes.

This highly prized commodity comes at a vastly fluctuating cost as the two major factors that impact on oil prices are supply and demand and market sentiment. According to the Investopedia website on investments, market sentiment is simply the belief that oil demand will increase dramatically at some point in the future and that can result in the dramatic increase in current oil prices, as speculators and hedge funds snap up oil futures contracts. When there is a belief that there will be a decrease in oil demand at some point in the future, the opposite happens and this can result in a dramatic decrease in the current price as oil futures are sold off.

According to the Petronomist, fluctuation in price is also due to adverse weather patterns, such as Hurricane Katrina that in 2005 damaged US pipelines and refineries along the coast and affected production in the Gulf of Mexico. Oil prices spiked briefly to over $70 per barrel before dropping

Inspire South Africa Issue 5

oil

Inspire South Africa Issue 5

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oil

farming of the sorghum drop from 900,000 tonnes a year to and petrol prices in the US soared across the country in the 150,000 a year. aftermath of the hurricane.

Four local bioethanol and biodiesel manufacturers that Civil or political unrest are other factors that affect oil supply have been granted licences and will receive subsidies funded and cause prices to spike. Civil war in Libya in 2011 (it holds through a biofuels levy that will be added to the petrol price.

4% of world reserves) that produces about 1.7 million barrels a But government will have to move quickly to complete the day, almost ceased oil production due to the conflict and this draft regulations in order to meet the October 2015 deadline. caused a 2% cut in world oil production, sending the oil price The aviation industry is also set to start producing biofuels soaring. Syria too has been in conflict since 2011 and because made from hybrid tobacco, giving new life to a plant general of its proximity to other major oil producers in the Middle East only known for its destructive affects to health from cigarette it causes crude markets to react to the political unrest there. smoking. South African Airways (SAA) and US aircraft Crude oil is a non-renewable fossil fuel and has a high manufacturer Boeing, in collaboration with Dutch aviation carbon footprint. There is global pressure to reduce the carbon biofuels company SkyNRG, are set to start a biofuel supply footprint and the Kyoto Protocol came into being in 2005 after a chain in Southern Africa. minimum of 55 countries agreed SAA group environmental that they would ratify the agreement affairs specialist, Ian by cutting carbon dioxide and other Cruickshank says that toxic emissions by at least 55% of developing a sustainable biofuel the total global production of By using hybrid tobacco will also enhance the region’s greenhouse gases. They agreed to we can also educate economic opportunities. “By cut their country’s emissions to 5% using hybrid tobacco we can also below 1990 level between 2008 and local South African educate local South African 2012, but in reality it has not been growers that they can growers that they can make a effective. make a marketable biofuel marketable biofuel crop that There are 192 signatories to does not encourage smoking.” the agreement, but there are 100 crop that does not SkyNRG has already started developing countries including China encourage smoking test farming the hybrid tobacco, and India are exempted from signing called Solaris and the company the treaty, South Africa became a expects to start production using signatory in 2002 as government the seeds of the plant within realised that South Africa is very several years. “It is our strong belief that we can successfully roll vulnerable to the impact of carbon and other emissions and the out affordable and sustainable biofuels using the Solaris plant in devastating effect of climate Southern Africa,” explains Maarten van Dijk, SkyNRG’s chief change on food and water security. technology officer. He adds that as technology advances it could Interestingly, the US pulled out of the Kyoto Protocol in be possible to use other parts of the Solaris plant to make 200l and studies done by the Global Carbon Project reveals biofuels and thus cut the aviation carbon footprint even further. that the largest contributors of greenhouses gases in 2012 In her policy budget speech, Energy Minister Tina Joematwere the US with 14% and China with 27%.

Pettersson said that she will be engaging with the ministers of It is no wonder then that the South African government Agriculture and Rural Development regarding biofuel crops. has for several years been looking at biofuels, such as ethanol “Our view is that this will have to be a phased process of as a cleaner and more environmental friendly alternative to finalising the crops to be used and the type of land where it fossil fuels. Government has also identified the green energy will be produced. The first phase will focus on crops grown and biofuels industry as key source of employment and a on previously unproductive land, which is not under water potential economic booster. irrigation. We could then progressively increase the phases to The Department of Energy has published its long awaited include different crops and in different parts of the country.”

Biofuels Industrial Strategy draft paper on rules and regulations She added that the biofuels value chain could create on biofuel prices for comment that could see the prospective thousands of jobs, starting with farming selected energy crops, R15 billion a year biofuel industry taking off soon, as from developing infrastructure for production and the storing and October 2015 oil refineries will have to start blending 2% of transporting of the product to refineries and oil depots. “It is locally produced bioethanol into their petrol. also important that small and upcoming farmers enter the Government has given the go-ahead for bioethanol to be production value chain of bio-fuels and we will eventually made using soybeans and sorghum, particularly as sorghum also look to the SADC region to meet our demand.” beer has lost its popularity amongst consumers and seen the

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Inspire South Africa Issue 5

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The East London Industrial Development Zone (ELIDZ) is a South African government initiative to encourage export-oriented growth in the country through the attraction of foreign and local investors.

The East London IDZ offers investors a globally competitive combination of geographic position, infrastructure, services and labour. Currently 14 automotive manufacturers have already taken up the opportunity of settling within the ELIDZ world-class Automotive Supplier Park (ASP). The zone’s ASP positions Mercedes-Benz and other Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) suppliers in the region within easy reach of its manufacturing plan. The ELIDZ also accommodates aquaculture, agro-processing, general manufacturing, renewable energy and transport and logistics companies. It has also established a Science and Technology Park to promote innovation through incubating various programmes.

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Inspire South Africa Issue 5

History

Sasria SOC Limited (Sasria) was formed in 1979 as a direct result of the short-term insurance industry’s reluctance to provide insurance cover for political risks. This was following an escalation in violence and unrest, with a particular escalation in acts of politically motivated malicious damage, such as bomb blasts and sabotage. This reluctance opened a gap in the short-term insurance market, which prompted the South African government to approach the South African Insurance Association (SAIA) regarding the establishment of a separate institution to provide insurance cover for the above-mentioned incidents.

Sasria was formed as a Section 21 company, the South African Special Risk Insurance Association (SASRIA), to provide insurance for politically motivated acts, political riots and terrorism. The cover that Sasria provided was extended in 1998 to include non-political perils such as strikes and labour disturbances.

In 1998 Sasria’s perils were extended to include damage to property caused by non-political riot, strike and labour disturbances. In 1999 Sasria was converted from a Section 21 company to a Limited company, hence today the company is called Sasria SOC Limited and not SASRIA as an association. The conversion was effected in terms of the Conversion of Sasria Act 1998. As a result of the conversion, Sasria became wholly owned by the SA Government.

Historically Sasria rates were high - to enable Sasria to build up reserves. From 1994 Sasria consistently reduced rates year on year until 1999 where-after they remained static. As a direct result of the 9/11 events, Sasria effected its first rate increase in 2002.

Mandate

Sasria has a specific strategic mandate that is prescribed and further informed by the Reinsurance of Damages and Losses Act of 1989, the Conversion of Sasria Act of 1998 and continuous engagement with National Treasury.

Sasria has a legislated monopoly to provide insurance for the following perils within the South African territorial limits: ■ A ny act directed to overthrow the Government (local, provincial, national or tribal authority) by means of fear, violence or terrorism; ■ A ny act directed to bring about damage in order to achieve political, social or economic change, or in protest against any Government or for the purpose of inspiring fear in the public; ■ A ny riot, strike or public disorder (includes civil commotion, labour disturbances or lockouts); ■ A ny attempt to perform any act mentioned above; and ■ A ny act by lawfully established authority in controlling or suppressing any occurrence referred to above

Governance

A large part of Sasria’s success has been effective Governance ie supportive shareholders; our strong board with independent oversight and guidance; our management that are an example to staff; and our top-class staff.

The directors, people from diverse backgrounds with extensive skills and business experience are appointed by the Shareholder. The Board composition also takes into account matters of diversity and demographics. Sasria has a formal and transparent

Board nomination process with two executive directors and eight non-executive directors, seven of whom are classified as independent in terms of

the Companies Act and King III. Sasria has five division each headed by an executive manager.

Insurance Operations Division

Stakeholder Management Division

Finance Division

Business Support and Human Capital Division

Internal Audit and Risk Management Division

Keith Fick

Thokozile Ntshiqa

Karen Pepler

Nomsa Mazibuko

Suzanne Harrop-Allin

Underwriting

Customer Relations Management

Finance Investment

Legal and Compliance

Risk Management

Claims

Marketing and Communication

Information Technology

Human Capital

Actuarial Services

Reinsurance

Corporate Social Investment

Projects and Strategy

Company Secretarial

Internal Audit

A sustainable business model

Sasria has always built its success on a sustainable business model. The company is self-funding and generates income from premiums which is used to pay all claims and expenses. The company is also responsible for providing adequate capital for major catastrophic losses.

Sasria functions through a network of Agents called Non Mandated Intermediaries (NMIs), it does not do direct business with clients. The NMI handle the day-to-day administration of the business and collect premiums on Sasria’s behalf, which means Sasria’s customer base is closely linked to that of its distribution channel.

This business model has enabled Sasria to maintain low operational costs, which in turn makes the cover available at affordable premiums.

Products

Sasria cover is offered in the following classes of insurance business: Material damage: this product covers the widest range of items such as buildings, electronic equipment, pleasure craft, aviation hulls to agricultural risks.

Money: this covers the loss of or damage to money; and follows the limits of the standard, short-term insurance policy.

Motor: Sasria has its own terms and conditions and the cover applies to motor cars, light delivery vehicles, commercial vehicles, motor fleet, motor traders, mobile plants, taxis, bus rapid transport (BRT), and trailers.

Business interruption: this Sasria product provides protection for loss of profits and standing charges or working expenses following a Sasria event.

Construction: this cover is for Construction All Risk and construction plant.

Goods in transit: the product covers property against a Sasria event whilst it is in transit from one place to another. The cover for transit risks applies within South Africa only. We offer a R500million loss limit cover on all classes of business at set rates and on request the client can buy additional R1billion cover, this cover is geared for corporate clients.

Clients

Our clients are divided into two segments – commercial/corporate clients and personal lines clients. We also operate in all sectors of the economy including listed companies, public companies, small SME’s, State Owned Companies, Municipalities, as well as private individuals.

Investing in human capital

Sasria appreciates that the success of any organization is driven by a committed workforce.

This is enhanced by investing in the development of employees as well as ensuring corporate wellness. Sasria implements effective human capital management solutions that support business objectives and create the desired corporate culture essential to attracting, motivating and retaining talented employees.

Investment in human capital within Sasria focuses workforce planning, corporate wellness, learning and development and employee relations. We have developed a talent management strategy which will be implemented over the next three years; this is to ensure that we retain critical skills.

Corporate Social Investment Sasria is committed to being a responsible corporate citizen that continuously assesses its impact on the social environment, the marketplace, the workplace and the natural environment.

Sasria’s Corporate Social Investment (CSI) has been focused on education and the youth. The focus on youth and education is based on the belief that in order to change our economic and social future we need to invest in our youth and their education.

The aim is to build capacity within the financial sector and ultimately in the country as a whole; this will reduce the unemployment rate and participation in the economy. The focus on education provides a holistic approach that includes mathematics and science skills development, infrastructure development, teachers’ leadership development, and learners’ welfare.

Sasria established South African Actuarial Development Program (SAADP) in 2003 after a need was identified to develop and harness mathematical skills within the previously disadvantaged communities. Up to the end of 2013 we have produced one hundred and thirty five (135) graduates, thirteen (13) of whom have qualified as actuaries. All graduates are employed in actuarial functions within the finance sector.

Since 2003 Sasria has invested over R40m in SAADP.

Fashions may come and go, but real values never change. Like professionalism, integrity, transparency, innovation and teamwork.

Also, values like customer focus. Testament to this was our recent success at the 2014 FIA Awards where we were recognized for “Exceptional Support and Service�. Yes, many things have changed since we started 35 years ago. But the important things will be with us for many more years to come.

For more information visit www.sasria.co.za or E mail: contactus@sasria.co.za or contact us on +27 11 214 0800 Authorised Financial services provider, License no: 39117

eastern cape

eastern cape

The Province of Possibilities Twenty years since the Eastern Cape was formed, the Province has not only made a name for itself as a major tourism destination but also as a Province with strong motor, agriculture and infrastructure development industries. Now, at the start of its fifth term, with a new premier in place, Chantél Venter explores the Province’s achievements and what its opportunities are over the next four years

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he Eastern Cape Province was formed in 1994. It is made up from locations that fell under the previous Cape Province as well as the former Xhosa homelands of the Ciskei and Transkei. Over the past 20 years, the Province has grown substantially with numerous accomplishments under its belt. However, compared to its neighbouring provinces, the Eastern Cape falls behind in areas such as education, job creation, rural development and various others. As a result the Province has become a strong focus point for the Government and it has successfully secured a number of new projects that will see the Province harness its full potential. The Eastern Cape is set to become one of the most influential provinces in the country, a province where anything is possible.

A hub of energy Recently during the State of the Province Address, the new Premier of the Eastern Cape, Phumulo Masualle said that infrastructure development over the previous term has helped fight the impact of the global recession and as a result, will continue as a main focus during the new term.

“With significant investments in economic and social

infrastructure planned for the next five years, this countercyclical strategy will continue,” Masualle said.

According to the premier, the infrastructure programme is four-fold in its emphasis. Firstly, industrialization in the Eastern Cape will become a priority with an ore rail, a manganese export terminal and a manganese smelter planned for the region.

“Secondly, we are positioning the province as the new energy hub of the country. We are already the leading province in wind energy, and are set to benefit from the country’s diversification into both nuclear energy and shale gas.”

The Province will also focus on trade and logistics infrastructure and finally, it will place attention on rural development with a great number of key projects already on the go since April.

Masualle indicated the SMME sector will benefit from the various infrastructure development projects currently underway.

“In all these infrastructure projects, we will maximise local procurement opportunities, gear up our local suppliers to benefit, and develop our youth for employability and entrepreneurship. As provincial government, we are committed to ensuring that our budget, over the term, benefits local SMMEs and Cooperatives,” he said.

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47

eastern cape

Masualle believes that in order to truly combat the issues facing the Eastern Cape, the state has to get involved and directly stimulate and guide investment.

Africa’s green energy hotspot One of the most exciting new prospects in the Eastern Cape is the growing investment in the green manufacturing economy.

The Coega Development Corporation (CDC), operator of the Coega Industrial Development Zone (IDZ) and the Eastern Cape’s leading catalyst for socio-economic growth, has reportedly secured close to R1-billion in foreign investments over the 2013/2014 financial year.

The money will be used for projects such as the JA Solar and Powerway’s solar module manufacturing facility, a solar energy harvesting plant and the DCD Wind Towers production facility, which is estimated to have a manufacturing output of up to 120 wind towers per year.

Sandisiwe Ncemane, CDC’s Investment Manager in the Energy Division said that Nelson Mandela Bay “is well on its way to become the country and continent’s hotspot for ‘green’ energy components manufacturing and technologies.”

Tursuis Ruiters, Financial Mentor at The Hope Factory, an Enterprise Development company in Port Elizabeth, believes that with the infrastructure, characteristic and geographical layout of the Eastern Cape, green and nuclear energy will create massive opportunities for the Province going forward.

What Coega has provided is international infrastructure to allow the world to engage with the Eastern Cape directly, and to explore potential business interests, such as FLAW, the Chinese multinational trucking company. In addition to such interests, it has also provided sectors like the motor industry the peace of mind to explore more, now that they have a world class infrastructure to work from,” Ruiters added.

Ensuring SA’s food security The Eastern Cape Province is not only setting the trend for green manufacturing, but could also lead the way for marine conservation and the development of inland fishing. With the Province’s 800 kilometres of coastline and abundant inland water bodies, the Eastern Cape is ideally suited to benefit from the Government’s Ocean Economy Strategy.

The fisheries sector has been placed at the centre of development through the Ocean Economy Strategy, also named Operation Phakisa.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), Operation Phakisa has the potential to grow the aquaculture sector from R2-billion to R6-billion and create 210 000 jobs by 2030.

Senzeni Zokwana, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, spent a couple of days in the Eastern Cape in

48

meetings with the executive leadership over the creation of employment in this sector.

“The fisheries sector, including aquaculture, has a critical role to play in meeting one of the greatest challenges confronting the world - food security. Fishing provides vital sources of livelihoods, nutritious food and economic opportunities,” Zokwana said in a statement.

Education for all Schools in the Eastern Cape are gaining most from the Department of Basic Education’s Accelerated Schools Infrastructure Delivery Initiative (ASIDI) that involves the building of 500 schools nationwide. According to the department, the bulk of these schools are currently being built in the Eastern Cape with 70 already finished.

In addition, schools in the Province has to date received 53 948 desks, 5292 teachers chairs and 1134 teachers tables.

The project also involves providing hundreds of schools in the Province with sanitation, water and electricity.

Potential From Within The real potential behind any province’s success, is its people.

It is the people that make a province a great region to live and work in, and the people in Eastern Cape are movers and shakers.

At this year’s DAFF Female Entrepreneur of the Year Awards,hosted in partnership with Total, a woman from the Eastern Cape won the overall title. Ivy Nokwanele from Mzamo was chosen as the winner under this year’s theme of “Recognising the Role of Women and Their Contribution to Africa’s Agriculture and Food Security.”

In a statement, Pansy Mekwa, Total South Africa’s General Manager of Strategy said: “Across Africa, female farmers produce more than 70% of the continent’s food, but their efforts and ability are most often overlooked. The Female Entrepreneur of the Year Award seeks to change all that, highlighting the stories of successful emergent female farmers across the country.”

In addition to Nokwanele’s achievement, a group of 50 women from the Eastern Cape walked away as winners in the Adopt a River category at this year’s Women in Water Awards.

The 50 women from the Swartkops Adopt a River Project have, since last year September, taken on the roll of cleaning the Swartkops River. One of the members, Phibby Mhlontlo from Magxaki, told SANews that although it was hard work “it is satisfying to see a clean river with big fish swimming inside.”

With people like this living in Eastern Cape, and with Government’s full backing behind the Province’s trade and industry, it is easy to envisage great things yet to come from this magnificent province.

Inspire South Africa Issue 5

Enterprise and Supplier Development that's changing South Africa's small business landscape

Together we can boost small business development and growth in the Nelson Mandela Bay. Founded in 2001, The Hope Factory is an established Enterprise Development Non Proď€ t company effectively governed by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA).

Driven to develop black business owners, The Hope Factory offers a strategic mentorship programme to help entrepreneurs achieve their goals, vision and purpose to grow their business, and to ultimately give back to their community.

The Hope Factory provides an easy, hasslefree way to earn Enterprise Development and Socio Economic Development points.

Through continued investment with us, South African organisations can secure assistance with Supplier and Skills Development, as part of the amended B-BBEE Codes.

We exist to grow people, to develop businesses, to impact communities, through our unique mentorship model while adding value to our investors.

For more information go to: www.thehopefactory.co.za or contact Darren Ryder on 041 811 7407, email: darrenr@thehopefactory.co.za or Dzokai Mudzi on 011 479 0638, email: dzokaim@thehopefactory.co.za

mining

South African women embrace mining, in spite of its challenges

Sector now employs 17% women, an all-time high while number of young women rises, says DeloitteÂ

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Inspire South Africa Issue 5

mining

s

working in the industry are passionate about the sector and outh African women are embracing the mining perceive the industry to hold opportunities for them. Their profession because of passion for an industry reasons for choosing mining include passion for the field, they see as offering better opportunities and job opportunities and attractive salaries on offer. Women also being challenging. Despite this they feel there like the fact that mining is a challenging industry with access is a lack of mentorship and career development to opportunities through bursaries. guidance and still believe that outstanding performance is the Respondents feel a lack of mentorship and career guidance single most important criteria for advancement. makes getting ahead a challenging mining. 62% of participants These are some of the findings from the Women in Mining agreed that there is a lack of access to relevant role models and South Africa (WiMSA) survey, launched in Johannesburg today. mentors for women in mining; and 54% of respondents agreed The survey, , was conducted among 300 women in the there is not enough career and development guidance relevant corporate and operational side of the industry, across all levels to them. of seniority, from students about Furthermore, 44% of to enter the industry to those respondents agree their nearing retirement at over 55. company does not value gender “As Deloitte, we are very keen diversity and 49% of the to hear views of women across respondents think opportunities various sectors; their experience of advancement are often help us shape our own work The challenge, is not awarded based on environment to be better suited to increase the number gender. “There is also a strong to attract and retain talent” says belief that women have to work Liesl Balzer, Manager, Strategy & of women in mining harder to receive the same level Innovation Deloitte, who points of recognition and respect as out Deloitte’s own initiatives for due to historical men.” says Pauls. developing female leaders. target setting but Interestingly, 30% of The Deloitte Women in respondents say outstanding Leadership(DWiL) governance because it makes good performance is the main criteria body supports the advancement business sense, as well for advancement. Other factors of women through the ranks at include being in the right place, Deloitte. Through various as to boost valuable having supportive seniors in the initiatives and by hosting selected right levels of seniority, with events, it aims to attract, develop talent in the mining length of service ranking and retain talented women in industry” particularly low.

Deloitte and also provides a Pauls says women find mining platform for business women to still have inflexible working in South Africa to connect. arrangements (45%), and The WiMSA report points unsupportive work culture (53%) to an increasing involvement and unsuitable infrastructure and of women in mining. In 2000, equipment (41%).

4% of employees in mining Finally, students express an eagerness to enter and grow were women. The figure has risen steadily over the years, first in the industry, although they do have concerns. Chief peaking at about 14% in 2010, dropping slightly before rising among these are health and safety risks, the work culture, to current record levels of 17%. working in remote locations as well as shift work. Students “The challenge, is not to increase the number of women prepare for the industry through field trips and exposure to in mining due to historical target setting but because it makes mining operations. good business sense, as well as to boost valuable talent in the Pauls concludes by noting “While the South African mining mining industry” said Noleen Pauls, the chairperson of WiMSA, industry has outperformed other mining industries across the who spoke at the launch. globe in its employment of women, there is still work to be done Pauls also points out that the industry is succeeding in to change the broader attitudes and workplace culture to more attracting younger women. She says the challenge of course readily embrace women, and acknowledge, harness and is to retain them. celebrate their positive contribution.”

Amongst several key survey findings, the first is that women

Inspire South Africa Issue 5

51

Ngululu HoldiNgs limited inspired to succeed!

Since its stokvel-like formation in 1999 the Group remains a 100% black-owned company with well over 70 beneficial shareholders.

Its footprint covers, amongst others, mining and exploration; ICT; agro-processing; transport and logistics as well construction of infrastructure in the energy sector. The projects are spread across the SADC Region. With over 700 employees the company renders strategic and operational value to its subsidiary and associate companies by being actively involved. The Group has a vast pool of interdisciplinary skills and expertise at its disposal.

Ngululu Bulk Carriers , the group’s transport and logistics entity, handles some 10 million Mt per annum of mining commodities of which over 2 million Mt are exports. these include ferro-chrome, ferro-nickel, magnetite and the platinum group metals (“PGM”) ore and concentrates as well as reductants. There are Directors from right to left: messrs sinthumule, A.f.; capable men and women who mobilize its 440-strong fleet of Adv. Netshitomboni, s.; luvhani, t.c. (chairman); sibiya, m.s. well-equipped rigs, with state-of- the- art fleet management and tolmay l. technologies and solutions. Being RTMS- accredited, with some of its routes being PBS-licensed, NBC is serious about road safety and the reduction of carbon emissions. The Group has been investing about R200 million every second year in fleet expansion and refurbishment and is poised to continue doing so in the coming cycles. This includes the recent roll-out of 132 brand new rigs for the new Phalaborwa, Limpopo project and rotational replacement of old fleet.

Ngululu Resources continues to move its exploration assets up the curve. Its inferred coal portfolio is over 500 million Mt. These are at various stages of validation. The company awaits approval of its first mining right (“MR”) application from the authorities. The company also has a substantial clay deposit with enough ore for brick manufacturing for the next 100-years. This is according to early indications from the drilling exercise recently completed during August 2014.

The Group’s humble contribution to the economy is founded on values of commitment, loyalty, integrity, professionalism and Ubuntu!

Bld 3, Centurion Gate, Cnr John Vorster & Akkerboom Str, Zwartkop, Centurion 0157 +27 86 140 4030 | +27 86 650 1200 | info@ngululu.co.za | www.ngululu.co.za

mining

csir system helps deep-level mines talk to the surface

In the underground noise, dust and darkness of South Africa’s deep-level mines, efficient communication with the surface is essential for streamlined operations – and to save lives. A new innovation by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) does just that.

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By Lucille Davie

he system, named AziSA – isiZulu for “to inform” – allows for timely communication that can be processed in a useful form, providing support for decision-making in the often dangerous conditions underground and reducing reliance on sometimes low-skilled workers. South Africa has some of the deepest mines in the world, with some shafts reaching over three kilometres underground.

“Labour-intensive drill-and-blast mining, as conducted on the major South African gold and platinum mines, is often not tightly managed due to the lack of good information about what is going on underground,” says the CSIR. The council, established 60 years ago, is one of Africa’s leading science and technology research, development and implementation organisations. Its work includes multidisciplinary research, technological innovation, and industrial and scientific development.

AziSA is “a specification for an open measurement and control network architecture that will facilitate decision making”. It will operate in underground mining environments in which there is limited power and communications infrastructure.

A group of six South African researchers – Roger Stewart, Steve Donovan, Johann Haarhoff, Van Zyl Brink, Liam Candy and Declan Vogt, from the CSIR Natural Resources and the Environment division – have been working on the system since 2009.

“AziSA is an architecture for how to measure, communicate and store measurements in an underground mining context.

It isn’t a product as such, more a standardised way of doing things,” says Vogt, strategic research manager at the CSIR Centre for Mining Innovation. “Our aim is to provide a way for different equipment suppliers to work together to use the same communication and database infrastructure, saving time

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mining

“AziSA is an architecture for how to measure, communicate and store measurements in an underground mining context.

and money rolling out their own solutions.”

The system will reference “existing open standards, chaining them together to form the various stages of a network, and only adding to the standards when desired functionality cannot be obtained from an existing standard”.

AziSA was created to offer “support for low cost, low power and wireless networks, as well as organisation and openness”, says the CSIR.

Sensors The system works with AziSA-compliant sensors that are added to the network with a minimum of human intervention. A sensor refers to a sensing platform, a node on the sensors, with each transducer measuring an aspect of the underground situation.

This results in accurate measurements with adequate precision that gives both the time and location of each measurement.

“Sensors are required to be able to identify themselves and make their presence known to the network, send data to an

aggregator and respond to instructions from the aggregator (eg to change a detector’s sampling rate), perform a health check and detect if these have been tampered with.”

The system is sufficiently robust to monitor potentially hazardous conditions and provide for communications even if the link with the outside world is broken.

Sensors would be small battery-powered devices that communicate wirelessly with the aggregators, which would be situated at the nearest power point. Each sensor will have several detectors attached to it, monitoring various aspects of the environment.

“The sensors should be low cost and maintenance free (preferably disposable, with battery life as long as the sensing functionality is required), and would ideally have the capability of determining their own physical position,” says the CSIR. The aggregators transfer the data received from the sensors to some point at which a conventional IT infrastructure will send it on to the shaft, and from there fibre-optic communication is used to convey the data out of the mine to the network controller.

Workplace safety The system has already been implemented, says the CSIR. “Several relatively small systems have been implemented using AziSA principles. These include systems for monitoring waste and ore separation, safety in the workplace, and the underground environment.”

Roll out has taken place at Gold Fields (now Sibanye) in Gauteng, and the Impala Platinum in North West province, and at the New Denmark colliery in Mpumalanga.

The CSIR is optimistic about the system’s future use. “It is hoped that CSIR efforts to develop AziSA as an open standard will cause a rapid uptake of the technology on South African mines, and lead to widespread use, with consequent benefits to safety, health and production.”

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Inspire South Africa Issue 5

9 –12 FEB 2015

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA

The World’s Top Economic Minds and ALL OF AFRICA’S Key Players in One Location

WHERE THE WORLD CONNECTS WITH AFRICAN MINING™

Sensational Speaker Lineup:

Robert Friedland Ivanhoe Mines

Anita Marangoly George World Bank Group

Dr. Dambisa Moyo

Jim O’Neill

Global Economist

Cities Growth Commission Former Chairman, Goldman Sachs Asset Management

World’s Largest Mining Houses:

Official Airline Partner:

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A few of our retail projects across Sub-Saharan Africa SOUTH AFRICA Mall of Africa, Gauteng

Emoyeni, Mpumalanga

Newtown Junction, Gauteng

Delta Mall, Warri

The Exchange, Accra

Garden City, Nairobi

Two Rivers, Nairobi

La Patriota, Luanda

Mundial Shopping Centre, Luanda

WEST AFRICA Jabi Lake, Abuja

EAST AFRICA The Hub, Nairobi

ANGOLA Muxima Shopping Centre, Luanda

Broll Property Group, one of the largest property professionals employer in Africa offers unrivalled mix of local property expertise interwoven with global market knowledge with the sole purpose of maximising value for its clients.

With total third party assets under management close to US$10 billion, Broll builds long term relationships with its clients throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.

South Africa | Namibia | Botswana | Zimbabwe | Mozambique | Madagascar | Mauritius

Africa’s leading property service provider

Broll’s full spectrum of property-related services: Office Broking • Industrial Broking • Retail Leasing and Projects • Investment Broking • Project Management Research • Asset Management and Consulting • Valuation and Advisory Services • Shopping Centre Management Property Management • Corporate Real Estate Services • Facilities Management

Seychelles | Angola | Zambia | Malawi | Rwanda | Tanzania | Kenya | Ghana | Nigeria

Visit broll.com or call our team on +27 11 441 4043

About Broll Property Group Founded in 1975, Broll Property Group is one of Africa’s leading commercial property services company with offices in major cities and towns in South Africa.

Under the leadership of Group CEO, Malcolm Horne, Broll has developed into a reputable commercial property business with eight offices and operations in 17 Sub-Saharan African countries with plans for further expansion.

Broll offers a spectrum of services which includes property management, facilities management, shopping centre management, retail leasing, asset management and consulting, research, office, industrial and investment broking, corporate real estate services, valuation and advisory services, own patented Broll-Online property-management software solution and a property search function with a vast database of properties across South Africa.

For 10 years now, Broll has been affiliated with CBRE, a global commercial real estate and investment firm, and thanks to this association, Broll offers unrivalled local expertise and global market knowledge with the sole purpose of maximising the potential of property investment.

Broll property services

Property management • How you manage your property today has a great impact on its value tomorrow and this is a concept that Broll fully understands and underpins when managing clients’ property portfolios.

• Broll’s expertise and track record when it comes to property management in South Africa speaks for itself the company delivers superior returns - something that they have consistently achieved even in the current difficult market conditions.

• Through Broll-Online, clients can monitor all important management criteria from the comfort of their office or home anywhere in the world.

Facilities management • Broll is one of the few facilities management companies responsible for the day-to-day operation and care of prestigious education institutions and world-class sports stadia.

• Broll offers measurable and accountable service levels benchmarked to international best practice in facilities management as well as offer a single point of facilities management contact.

Shopping centre management • Shopping centre management is a science - target markets, foot counts, trading densities, tenant mix and environmental impact are just some of the many factors that need to be considered when creating a unique identity for a particular shopping centre.

• That differentiation is crucial when competing for that all-important shopper’s rand.

• When Broll manage a client´s portfolio, every aspect of the process conforms to the ISO9001:2008 standard – an international benchmark that’s recognised and respected by all investors and fund managers.

• Broll’s management knowledge enables them to develop unique systems to optimise tenant rentals and lease agreements.

Retail consulting services • Successful retail starts with identifying the right location and creating the ideal tenant mix to suit a particular target market, and this is what Broll provides through its retail consulting services.

• Broll can assist clients with feasibility studies, site assembly of land, coordinating the professional team and sourcing the right tenant mix as well as access to CBRE’s wealth of international retail experience.

Asset management • Asset management is a specialised field that involves the strategic property management of an owner’s real estate assets at investment level and focuses on pro-active, longterm, strategic and financial planning.

• Broll Asset Management services are designed to assist in the formulation, implementation and management of strategies which include investment, optimal portfolio asset amalgamation in relation to risk and return appetite, acquisition and disposal strategies, due diligence exercises, best practice management policies, procedures and systems, optimisation and turnaround strategies for distressed property portfolios, development, redevelopment and refurbishment strategies.

Research • The research division at Broll focuses on providing clients and the industry with knowledge based research about the retail, office and industrial property sectors.

• Broll research specialises in converting property data into educational market knowledge.

Office • Finding the right office to let is more about the office space meeting the tenant´s total business needs.

• Broll has an experienced team and comprehensive database of available rental properties for office use and properties for sale.

Industrial • To save the client time and money, Broll’s industrial property brokers and letting agents have information on what would suit different industrial property tenants.

• Broll has an unmatched database of available industrial properties nationally and comprehensive in-house research focussed on the industrial property sector as well as access to global information from CBRE.

Investment •B roll’s dedicated team of investment property professionals can assist with finding investment properties within and beyond South Africa through our global network partner CBRE. • Whether you are looking to expand or reduce your property portfolio, Broll has an in-depth understanding of the commercial property market and the knowledge needed to effectively manage investment properties.

Corporate Real Estate Services • Broll’s advisors work with clients to develop a commercial real-estate strategy that is both cost effective and in line with the business objectives for multiple commercial property occupiers.

• Broll manages any property acquisitions, renewals or disposals, administer and report on your leases, and monitor utilities so as to ensure clients’ best interests are looked after at all times.

Property valuation and advisory services • Under the leadership of professionals registered with the South African Council for the Property Valuers Profession, Broll offers professional real estate valuation and advisory services.

• Through CBRE, Broll has access to international current market knowledge and research which allows them to keep pace with the latest developments in valuation methodology.

• Broll complies with international best practice as set out in the RICS Red Book and the guidelines adopted by the International Valuation Standards Committee.

For more information, visit www.broll.com or call 086 10 27 655

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Inspire South Africa Issue 5

24 - 25 March 2015

Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa

THOUSANDS of buyers

DEBUT new products

Profile your brand BOOK NOW

Strategy and innovation for water utilities, operators and partners Find out how to get involved: Call Tamsyn Briscoe on +27 (0) 11 516 4049 or email: tamsyn.briscoe@terrapinn.com

www.terrapinn.com/waterafrica

About Ntsangalala Business Enterprise NTSANGALALA BUSINESS ENTERPRISE is a registered close corporation established during the, year 2002. The corporation is 100 percent PDI (Previously Disadvantaged Individual).

NTSANGALALA BUSINESS ENTERPRISE believes in service delivery leading to full benefits to its respective customer across the country.

As a continuum to South Africa enterprise and socio-economic development, NTSANGALALA BUSINESS ENTERPRISE, adheres to

the call of job creation, on timorous delivery and skills transfer.

NTSANGALALA BUSINESS ENTERPRISE invites upwardly mobile strategic partners (The Team), with pride and confident to join forces with “One Spirit Shared Strategies” with a primary objectives of meeting its customers / clientele expectations.

NTSANGALALA BUSINESS ENTERPRISE mutually joins forces with

Strategic Business Partners as a consortium and are geared towards service delivery and continuous improvement.

The director (with the portfolio) of the company Stella Mashego, a former teacher with the following qualifications and skills: • SPTD, Bachelor of Arts and B.A Hnrs • National Diploma in Technology of Education • Nation Diploma in Information Technology • Assessor Certificate • Mentor • Coach • SDF

BEE Scorecard LEVEL: 01

VALUE STATEMENT Ntsangalala complies with the Batho Pele principles and is governed by the following Key Values and belief system: • Openness and Transparency.

• Hard work • Commitment • Service Excellence • Communication and Professionalism

• Confidentiality • Integrity • Quality • Innovation • teamwork

Vision “To be one of the leading 100% black owned construction provider in Southern Africa and beyond.”

Mission To achieve the vision the following objectives will be pursued: • We inspire to be a recognized leader in the construction industry, committed to civil and building infrastructure projects across South Africa.

• We strive to provide the highest value to our clients and community with critical eye towards safety, quality and service.

• To create an empowerment platform based on the principals of accountability, value-add entrepreneurial growth.

• To establish strategic partnership in the areas where projects are executed • We are also committed to offering excellence to customer care and ensuring that our clients gain new skills and knowledge at competitive prices.

• Furnished a four room’s house for the vulnerable family.

• Provided a house to the family of 8 household members.

• I ntend building three houses for orphanage families.

OUR EXPERTISE AND EXPERIENCE CONSTRUCTION

SERVICES RENDERED:

• CIVIL AND BUILDING CONSTRUCTION • ROAD CONSTRUCTION, MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS • ROAD SURFACING AND PAVING • STORMWATER DRAINAGE • WATER RETICULATION • RENOVATIONS

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

• PLANT HIRE

Developing the Previously Disadvantaged Communities, Rural and Sub-Urban Through Providing an Efficient Quality and Workmanship.

• WATER AND SEWER RETICULATION

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• WATER AND SANITATION

BURSARIES

• ROAD REGRAVELLING AND REHABILITATION

Ten (10) learners to university Ten (10) learners at high school and colleges

• FENCING

HOUSING • Provided Old Aged person with a three rooms house.

projects CLIENTS DESCRIPTION Department of Public Works

Renovations

Department of Roads and Transport

OHS Agent

Bushbuckridge Municipality

Bulk Water Supply

Department of Roads and Transport

Maintenance

Mbombela Municipality

Maintenance

Department of Roads and Transport

Patch and Reseal

Department of Education

School Renovation

Department of Roads and Transport

Road Rehabilitation

Department of Agriculture

Fencing

Department of Roads and Transport

Patch and Reseal

Department of Public Works Roads and Transport

Upgrading of Road and Construction of a Bridge

Foskor mine Magnetite Load Station Relocation Project: Civil and Earth works Department of Human settlement

Construction of RDP Houses

Ntsangalala Business Enterprise Nelspruit Office, 43 Marloth Street Nelspruit, 1201 Tel: 013 752 8550 • Fax: 086 610 6046 E-mail: ntsangabe@webmail.co.za

Biotechnology, building a food As South Africa marks 20 years of democracy, we reflect on the still long walk to food security for South Africans.

The noble gains of freedom have transformed South Africa in many fronts.

While we pride ourselves as food secure, many South African households do not have access to affordable, adequate, nutritious and healthy food each day. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries up to 13 million South Africans are vulnerable to food insecurity.

AfricaBio celebrates 15 years of operation in South Africa during which it has advocated for effective policies and innovations in biotechnology. Our programmes have contributed to national efforts to reducing food insecurity at household level in South Africa. However, the battle is not yet won.

Biotechnology is a set of science tools that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use. In agriculture, biotechnology tools are used for livestock and crop improvement. These tools have made it possible for farmers to produce crops with higher seed yield, resistance to diseases and insects, better stems and roots, tolerance to drought and heat, and better agronomic quality.

Despite incredible consensus within the science community on the safety of biotechnology crops, there is still a groundswell of resistance to the use of genetic modification techniques in agriculture yet South Africa has led the way in GM crops in Africa and globally. That the application of biotechnology in agriculture is backed by the most extensive testing of GM foods in South Africa and in many parts of the world has not eased misunderstanding about the science. South Africa should take a stand in promoting a technology that works and has been proven to be safe and its impact is evident in the success stories of farmers like Mmadithaba Tepsy Ntseoane, Motlatsi Musi, Sophie Mabhena and Themba Ncongwane but to name a few whose livelihoods have been transformed by the GM technology.

AfricaBio has helped train more than 4000 farmers and communities

throughout South Africa on better farming practises through the adoption of biotech crops. Their incomes have substantially increased in the last five years.

South Africa is currently the leading producer of biotech crops in Africa, after Burkina Faso and Egypt and the 8th largest producer globally. In 2013, 2.9 million hectares were planted with biotech crops. The country has cultivated, imported and exported biotech crops since 1998. About 86.6% of the maize produced is genetically modified and over 90% of soya and cotton 100% is biotech. Up until 2010 South Africa produced a surplus of 4 million tons and has subsequently exported nearly 6 million tons of biotech maize. It is estimated that the economic gains for biotech crops for South Africa was US1.15 billion for the period 1998 to 2012, and US$218.5 million for 2012 alone.

Biotech crops are now the fastest adopted crop technology in the history of modern agriculture, with more than 100-fold increase in hectarage from 1.7 million hectares in 1996 to 175 million hectares in 2013. Thus millions of farmers globally elect to adopt biotech crops due to the socio-economic and environmental benefits they offer.

In retrospect, AfricaBio will not have reaped the benefits of biotechnology being adopted by farmers in South Africa in the manner they have, had it not been for the supportive legislative environment created by the government of South Africa. As we commend government support, we call on policy makers to make a stand for food security in South Africa by defending biotechnology initiatives in boosting the potential of our agriculture to feed everyone. The Masibambane Rural Development Initiative is illustrative of the power of science meeting the passion of local people. The maize and beans grown under the project are keeping families fed while providing much needed income that drives the economy at the village level. “The African continent’s vision of agriculture as the engine of economic growth calls for urgent strategies to improve the livelihood of rural

ABOVE LEFT: Healthy cotton square-bud from a biotech Bt-cotton plant protected exclusively from caterpillar pest attack.

ABOVE RIGHT: Damaged cotton square-bud from a non-biotech cotton plant unprotected from caterpillar pest attack.

secure South Africa populations in order to achieve food security and to increase growth in the agricultural sector,“ says AfricaBio Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Nompumelelo Obokoh.

“Innovation is one of the key elements required to unlock Africa’s potential as an agricultural powerhouse,” says Dr. Nompumelelo Obokoh.“ Africa can harness the growing science of agricultural biotechnology to boost food security.“ Dr. Obokoh says research and development and public-private partnerships across the entire agricultural sector are essential for Africa to improve its agricultural productivity. African governments need to expand domestic production through scientific research, increased farm inputs, investment in infrastructure, human resource capacity development, sciencebased biosafety regulation and introduction of systems to harness and protect intellectual ABOVE: Mr Vincent Rapheta, a young farmer from Mohodi ga Manthata, Limpopo Province, has embraced biotechnology to improve his maize yield.

He represented South Africa youth at the African Union Youth Forum’s 50th anniversary celebrations held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, last year. In 2011, Vincent won the Best Farmer award in the Molemole municipal district and came second in the district in the informal sector division.

property rights.“ “With increased investment, better agricultural policies and more support for Africa‘s farmers, the continent can achieve an agricultural revolution. In South Africa, farmers have been given the choice and the right to choose and use new agricultural tools that will help them address a plethora of challenges they face in the field with pests, Dr. Nompumelelo Obokoh diseases, drought etc.”, says Dr Obokoh, a plant molecular biologist.

AfricaBio is a non-political, non-profit biotechnology association that promotes safe, ethical and responsible research, development and application of biotechnology and its products. Its membership comprises farmers, farmer organizations, researchers, scientists, consumers, retailers, industry associations, research and tertiary institutions. The Association thus serves as a forum for informed dialogue on biotechnological and biosafety issues in South Africa and throughout Africa.

“A considerable number of African countries lack functional biosafety frameworks that would allow the full exploitation and commercialisation of biotechnology in a safe and responsible manner. This means that African farmers and consumers are denied the opportunity to access crops that are nutritionally or environmentally enhanced,“ says Dr. Obokoh.

Biotechnology solutions to ending hunger and poverty in South Africa need to be supported by training and education of small holder farmers to increase their adoption of the new technologies of improved seed and farming methods and to enhance their livelihoods.

The next 20 years must consolidate South Africa‘s freedom from hunger.

We commend the Fetsa Tlala - Integrated Food Production Initiative as a good strategy towards meeting the MDGs of eradicating malnutrition, food insecurity and hunger in South Africa by 2015. Specifically we see the role of biotechnology in helping boost household food production and incomes.

A food secure South Africa is possible in our lifetime.

Mr Frans Malela, a Bt cotton farmer from Matlerekeng village, Limpopo Province with his mentee, Mrs Maria Swele. Mr Malela started planting Bt cotton on his 4 ha plot in 2000 and has gradually expanded to 85 ha planting Bt/HT (insect resistance and herbicide tolerant) cotton in 2014, due to the benefits derived from the technology. He mentors and employs over 50 workers from his community. “This I consider to be a community development initiative. I have great joy in my heart when I drive down my farm see a lot of people from my community working here in the farm; it is one way of job creation” says Mr Malela.

Contact details: Suite U9, First Floor, Enterprise Building, Mark Shuttle worth Street, The Innovation Hub, Pretoria, 0087 Email: info@africabio.com • Switch board: +27 12 844 0126 • Fax: +27 86 619 9399 • www.africabio.com

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