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Endeavour Magazine | 3
CONTENTS
BAKER PACIFIC FEATURES 16 24 36 42 52 58 70 76
ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES 4 | Endeavour Magazine
Udders Pte Ltd Titillatingly Tasty Ethiopian Airlines Still Rising Baker Pacific Blueprints For Success Palabora Mining Company Ltd One Of A Kind Ghana Chamber of Mines Digging Deeper Every Year National Energy Powering Up Deendayal Port Trust A Port For The World SAIA Insuring The Future
PALABORA MINING COMPANY LTD ARTICLES 6 7 8 10 11
Business Headlines Africa Americas Asia Europe Middle East
12
Focus Chakr Innovation: Breathing Easier
34 48 82
Amazing World The Tribe On North Sentinel Island eRoadArlanda: Electric Roads Marche du Nain Rouge
66 68
Automotives The awarding winning Peugeot 5008 SUV Skoda Karoq SE Technology
NATIONAL ENERGY Endeavour Magazine | 5
BUSINESS HEADLINES AFRICA SAUDI ARABIA MAY BLOCK NIGERIANS FROM HAJJ
be a rice importer in 2019 after decades of
of €3 billion. It aims to develop the economy
being a major exporter, rice traders say.
of the Congo basin in the long term through several
initiatives,
including
offering
Saudi authorities are threatening to
alternatives to deforestation, strengthening
bar Nigerians from attending this year’s
irrigation of farmland in the savannah and
pilgrimage to Mecca over fears they could
supporting eco-tourism.
spread Lassa fever, according to Nigeria’s
The Blue Fund for the Congo Basin
National Hajj Commission.
Commission was set up on the initiative
Since the start of the year the disease
of King Mohammed VI at the Africa Action
has killed at least 90 people in Nigeria and
Summit, held in Marrakech in November
more than 1,000 cases have been reported
2016 on the sidelines of the 22nd session
across the country.
of the Conference of the Parties to the
Symptoms of Lassa fever can include
UNFCCC.
fever, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea,
Countires that have so far signed the
headaches, abdominal pains, sore throat and
Memorandum of Understanding on the
facial swelling.
Congo Basin Blue Fund are: Angola, Burundi,
The virus is passed to people who eat
Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad,
infected rats, or if food is contaminated
Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon,
by rat droppings or urine. It can also be
Morocco, Republic of Congo, and Rwanda.
transmitted through contact with body
EGYPTIAN COURT JAILS POLICE OVER WAGES PROTEST
fluids of an infected person. The Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia will take place in August this year.
A Cairo criminal court has sentenced 13
RICE FARMERS STRUGGLE DOWNSTREAM OF NILE MEGA-DAM
policemen to between three and five years in prison for breaking an assembly law when
Rice farmers in Kafr Ziada village in the Nile River Delta have ignored planting restrictions for years, continuing to grow a medium-grain variety of the crop despite conversation laws.
AFRICAN LEADERS GATHER FOR BLUE FUND AT CONGO SUMMIT A host of African leaders gathered in the capital of Congo Republic, Brazzaville, for an
Far upstream, close to one of the sources of the Nile, Ethiopia is preparing to fill the reservoir behind its new $4 billion Grand
environmental protection summit – the Blue Fund for the Congo Basin. Gabon’s
year.
Sall,
This
could
Angola’s
The policemen were also convicted of detaining another police officer they claimed had mistreated a colleague in their home province of Sharqiya, in the Nile Delta. The prosecution accused the defendants were also charged with spreading false news
Bongo,
Senegal’s
Macky
and incitement against the ministry of the
Joao
Lourenco,
Niger’s
interior.
devastating
Mahammadou Issoufou and Central African
Separately ,the Cairo court of Cassation
who
have
Republic’s Faustin Archange Touadera all
confirmed death sentences passed on six
depended on the Nile for millennia to irrigate
attended the event. Other countries sent
people, and life sentences on 59 others,
strategic crops for Egypt’s 96 million people,
high-level representatives.
accused of storming and setting fire to a
consequences
for
have
Ali
better working conditions in 2015 and 2016.
of failing to perform their duties, and they
Among others, Guinea’s Alpha Conde,
Renaissance Dam, possibly as soon as this
they gathered to demand higher wages and
farmers
expected to grow to 128 million by 2030.
The summit aimed to collect resources to
police station in the southern province of
Safeguarding Egypt’s share of the Nile,
finance programs and projects in the areas of
on which the country relies for industry and
the blue economy, the green economy and
The police station was attacked after the
drinking water as well as farming, is now at
the fight against climate change, including
ousting from the presidency of Mohamed
the top of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s
the fight against poverty in accordance with
Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood.
agenda as he begins a second term.
the spirit of the Marrakech Declaration.
The crackdown means Egypt will likely 6 | Endeavour Magazine
The Blue Fund has an estimated capital
Minya in 2013.
Authorities accused all 65 defendants of belonging to or sympathizing with the group.
AMERICAS POLICE WRONGLY ACCUSE RETIREE OF BEING THE GOLDEN STATE KILLER
Amazon region increase by 44 percent from
caravan was a threat to the safety of the US.
2015 to 2016. The ruling comes after a
The group has been a frequent target
group of 25 young plaintiffs, ranging in age
for the US president, who has argued in his
on
from seven to 26, filed a lawsuit against the
tweets that it showed the need to tighten
genealogy sites in attempt to finally crack
government in January demanding it protect
immigration laws. He has asked states
case of murderer at large since the 1970s.
their right to a healthy environment.
bordering Mexico to send troops to shore
Police
searched
for
suspects
The investigation raised concerns over DNA
The plaintiffs had said the government’s
up security until his proposed border wall is
and data privacy – and has now found to
failure to stop the destruction of the
built. The US has a legal obligation to hear
have arrested an innocent man
Amazon jeopardised their futures and
asylum claims but the majority of claimants from Central America lose their cases.
Detectives hunting the Golden State
violated their constitutional rights to a
Killer used information from genealogy
healthy environment, life, food and water.
The caravan set off for the US on 25 March
websites that led them to wrongly identify
Bogota-based rights group Dejusticia, which
in southern Mexico, near the Guatemala
an elderly nursing home patient as a suspect
supported the plaintiffs’ case, said the verdict
border and at one point numbered more
in the case. An Oregon police officer working
meant it was the first time a lawsuit of this
than 1,000 people. The group travelled by
at the request of California investigators
kind had been ruled upon favourably in Latin
bus, train and on foot during its 2,000-mile
persuaded a judge to order a 73-year-old
America. In its ruling, the court recognised
(3,200km) trek to the US border, with many
man to provide a DNA sample in March
Colombia’s Amazon as an “entity subject of
saying they were fleeing persecution and
2017, according to newly-released court
rights”, so the rainforest has been granted
violence in their home countries.
records. The man was identified as a suspect
the same legal rights as a human being.
DONALD TRUMP CRITICISES ‘LOUSY’ LONDON EMBASSY
after authorities found a rare genetic marker
The court ordered the government - both
in 30-year-old samples of the killer’s DNA,
at the local and national level - along with
before searches of a genealogy website led
the environment and agriculture ministries
them to one of his relatives.
and environmental authorities to come up
Donald Trump has again criticised the
with action plans within four months to
new home of the US embassy in London,
combat deforestation in the Amazon.
describing the south London location as
His daughter said police did not notify her before swabbing her ailing father for DNA from his bed at an Oregon City nursing
“lousy” and “horrible”. He spoke at a rally
home. She did however go on to help
three months after saying the sale of the
investigators eliminate people who could
Grosvenor Square site in Mayfair was a “bad
have conceivably been the killer once she
deal”. The US president, who visits the UK
understood the situation.
in July, had blamed his predecessor, Barack
The case of mistaken identity has come
Obama, but the move was agreed during
to light after the use of DNA data on an
George W Bush’s presidency.
ancestry website led to the arrest of former
The new embassy in Vauxhall cost $1bn
police officer Joseph James DeAngelo
(£730m) and holds 800 members of staff.
outside his house outside Sacramento.
Mr Trump said he thought - but would
The Golden State Killer killed 13 people and raped at least 50 women in California between 1974 and 1986.
THE COLOMBIAN AMAZON NOW SAME RIGHTS AS HUMANS Colombia’s highest court has told the government it must take urgent action to protect its Amazon rainforest and stem the rising deforestation. In their ruling, judges have said that Colombia saw deforestation rates in its
have to check - that officials sold the
DOZENS OF MIGRANTS HELD AT USMEXICO BORDER US border officials told some 150 people,
many travelling with
previous site for $250m (£181m). Mr Trump previously described the new site as an “off location”. The building on the Mayfair site was never owned outright by the United States. It owned a 999-year leasehold, but
children,
the freehold is owned by Grosvenor Estates.
that the Mexico-US border crossing near
BBC diplomatic correspondent James
San Diego was already full. It was not made clear whether the migrants from Central America would be allowed in later or turned back. President Donald Trump claimed the
Landale said the embassy was moved from its Mayfair site because it was too small to install the modern security it needed. The new embassy in Vauxhall was opened on 16 January 2018. Endeavour Magazine | 7
ASIA NORTH AND SOUTH KOREAN LEADERS HOLD HISTORICAL PEACE SUMMIT The leaders of North Korea and South Korea met for the first time in over a decade. During the talks, both leaders historically crossed borders into each other’s country.
buildings that encroach into the mountain, Doi Suthep. The forested area contains a popular temple and is considered by some to be sacred. They gave the government seven days to comply or face more protests. Authorities
have
defended
SCIENTISTS ACCIDENTALLY CREATE MUTANT ENZYME THAT EATS PLASTIC BOTTLES Scientists have created a mutant enzyme that breaks down plastic drinks bottles – by
the
accident. The breakthrough could help solve
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un
development, insisting it was erected legally
the global plastic pollution crisis by enabling
and South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in
on government-owned land that does not
for the first time the full recycling of bottles.
met at the line that separates the divided
infringe on the national park covering the
Koreas. Kim then stepped over the raised
rest of the mountain.
The breakthrough, spurred by the discovery of plastic-eating bugs at a
Military Demarcation Line, entering territory
About 1 billion baht ($32 million; £23
controlled by the South for the very first
million) has been spent on the project,
Japanese dump, could help solve the global
time. After posing for the cameras, Kim
which includes offices as well as housing,
The new research was spurred by the
then grasped Moon’s hand and they briefly
and it is nearly complete, according to the
discovery in 2016 of the first bacterium
crossed into the northern side.
Bangkok Post.
that had naturally evolved to eat plastic, at
plastic pollution crisis
The two leaders had meetings with
a waste dump in Japan. Scientists have now
officials, and then Kim and Moon took part
revealed the detailed structure of the crucial
in a symbolic tree-planting ceremony in the
enzyme produced by the bug.
DMZ. The tree was from 1953, the year the Korean War armistice was signed. Then, they signed the Panmunjom Declaration
for Peace,
The international team then adjusted the enzyme to see how it had evolved, but tests showed they had inadvertently made
Prosperity and
the molecule even better at breaking down
Unification on the Korean Peninsula. The
the PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic
document commits the two countries to a
used for soft drink bottles.
nuclear-free peninsula and talks to bring a
The mutant enzyme takes a few days to
formal end to the Korean War, after almost
start breaking down the plastic – far faster
70 years of a ‘ceasefire’.
than the centuries it takes in the oceans.
THAILAND PROTESTERS IN RARE RALLY OVER CHIANG MAI DEVELOPMENT
But the researchers are optimistic this can be speeded up even further and become a viable large-scale process. About 1m plastic bottles are sold each
Protesters in Thailand have staged one
minute around the globe and, with just 14%
of the country’s biggest demonstrations
recycled, many end up in the oceans where
since the 2014 military coup, to campaign
they have polluted even the remotest parts,
against a luxury housing development on
harming marine life and potentially people
forested land.
who eat seafood.
More than 1,000 people gathered in the northern city of Chiang Mai. They rallied against a housing project being built for judges and officials in the foothills of a sacred mountain. The march went ahead in defiance of a ban on public gatherings imposed by the junta, which seized power in 2014. Around 1,250 people took part. Demonstrators, many wearing green ribbons, demanded the dismantling of new 8 | Endeavour Magazine
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B r I S T O w g r O u P. C O m
EUROPE LONDON GUN CRIME RISES AS SHOOTINGS NEARLY DOUBLE
a 20th century response to a 21st century
rape in that it does not involve violence or
problem.” The former UK government adviser
intimidation. The Spanish government has
characterised the plan as “lightweight PR”
said it will review the classification of sexual
Shooting incidents in London have
and “greenwash”. He said BP had “wasted 20
offences. More than 30,000 demonstrators
almost doubled compared with the same
years” since the former chief executive John
strode down the roads where the bulls run
period last year, prompting grave concerns
Browne tried to reinvent the firm as Beyond
during the annual festival, known locally as
that gun crime in some areas is out of
Petroleum in 2000.
San Fermín. Many said they were motivated
control. Teenage boys with cheap guns
The criticism was echoed by Carbon
not only by this case, but they also wanted to
involved in ‘respect shootings’ have been
Tracker, a thinktank that has analysed the
take a stand against the whole legal system,
blamed for increase.
risk of big oil being left with stranded assets
which they said was stacked against women.
by action on climate change, a danger that
After it was announced, the national
Scotland Yard has admitted a 17% rise in overall firearms offences, although the Metropolitan police chief, Sir Paul Stephenson, has put that down to a “blip”.
the Bank of England has also warned of. “Improvements
in
BP’s
operational
emissions, while welcome, are too small to
Stephenson dropped a plan to put
move the needle to prevent runaway climate
routine armed patrols on the streets, saying
change or reduce BP’s exposure to carbon
that although gun crime had risen, it was
risk,” Luke Sussams, the senior researcher at
still lower than two years ago, and he was
Carbon Tracker, said.
police tweeted: “No is no”, plus the emergency number, adding: “We are always with you.”
AMBER RUDD RESIGNS AS HOME SECRETARY OVER WINDRUSH SCANDAL
not willing to sanction such a dramatic
Amber Rudd has resigned as home
departure from the principle of unarmed
secretary, saying she “inadvertently misled”
policing. However, the true scale of the
MPs over targets for removing illegal
increases is contained in figures presented
immigrants. The Windrush scandal had
to the Metropolitan police authority.
heaped pressure on Ms Rudd, who faced
They reveal that the number of actual shootings has almost doubled from 123 to 236 in the last six months compared with the same period last year, a rise of 91.8%. Serious firearms offences have risen by 47%
renewed criticism after saying she did not
PAMPLONA RAPE CASE: PROTESTS OVER SENTENCE
know about Home Office removals targets. Ms Rudd told MPs last week the Home Office did not have targets for removing illegal immigrants, but following her statement, UK
across the capital. Those discharging the
Thousands of people turned out on the
newspaper the Guardian published a letter
firearms and those being shot at are young
streets of the Spanish city Pamplona after
in which Ms Rudd set out her “ambitious but
teenagers involved in “respect shootings”
five men were cleared of rape. The men,
deliverable” aim to deport 10% more illegal
to settle small disputes, say police and
who called themselves the Wolf Pack, were
immigrants over the “next few years” to
community leaders.
found guilty of sexual abuse, which many
Theresa May. Ms Rudd is the fourth person
consider too lenient. The case has caused
forced to resign from the cabinet in the last
a national outcry, with protests also taking
six months - following Sir Michael Fallon, Priti
place in Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia.
Patel and Damian Green. The controversy
BP’S LOW-CARBON PLAN DISMISSED Environmental leaders have dismissed BP’s
as
The victim, then 18, was assaulted at
began when it emerged that some migrants
“greenwash” and a lightweight response
new
the city’s bull-running festival. The Spanish
from Commonwealth countries, who were
to climate change and the energy market’s
hashtag #cuéntalo, meaning “tell it”, has
encouraged to settle in the UK from the late
rapid switch to renewables. BP published a
been widely tweeted in recent days, as
1940s to 1973, were being wrongly declared
strategy that held no target for its biggest
people shared their own stories of abuse in
illegal immigrants. Ms Rudd came under fire
contribution to global warming, which is the
solidarity with her. The five men - José Ángel
for the government’s treatment of these
burning of its main products - oil and gas.
Prenda, Alfonso Cabezuelo, Antonio Manuel
people - known as the Windrush generation
of
Guerrero, Jesús Escudero and Ángel Boza -
- and their relatives and the wider impact of
Tom
low-carbon
Burke,
environmental
the
thinktank
strategy
chairman
a
were each sentenced to nine years in prison.
its “hostile environment” policy designed to
former BPadviser, said: “Who cares about
Prosecutors had asked for sentences
deter illegal immigration. MPs have likened
operational emissions? The problem is they
of more than 20 years. Under Spanish law,
the “hostile environment” policy, promoted
have nothing to say on their product. This is
the charge of sexual abuse differs from
by Theresa May, to Nazi Germany.
10 | Endeavour Magazine
E3G
and
MIDDLE EAST CONFIDENT POMPEO MAKES MIDDLE EAST DIPLOMATIC DEBUT FROM SAUDI ARABIA Washington’s newly appointed secretary
Four Palestinian demonstrators were killed and 955 injured by Israeli forces during the protests on Friday. Eighteen
medical
involvement in military conflicts. The bill aims to prevent weapons exports
personnel
and
journalists were among the wounded.
of state landed in Riyadh Saturday on a tour
At least 25 Palestinian protesters have
of America’s key Middle East allies, after
reportedly been injured by live Israeli gunfire
vowing to bring some “swagger” back to US
or have suffocated from tear gas inhalation
diplomacy.
Arab Emirates (UAE) and Turkey for their
and all other related goods and services to countries that may use them for human rights abuses. The draft, proposed by the socialdemocratic opposition party Die Linke,
The Palestinian news agency WAFA
focusses mostly on Saudi Arabia and the
After attending NATO talks in Brussels,
reported that at least six Palestinians
UAE for their role in the war in Yemen, but it
Mike Pompeo embarked on a three-day trip
were injured when Israeli forces fired live
also singles out Turkey for its military mission
to Saudi Arabia, Israel and Jordan to update
ammunition at protesters, while the rest
in northern Syria where the country has
friends on President Donald Trump’s plans
were hurt because of teargas inhalation.
been fighting Kurdish forces.
for the Iran nuclear deal.
Hundreds of protesters have been
If approved, the law would not only
Pompeo was met on the tarmac in Riyadh
gathering at the eastern and northern
prevent future transactions from being made
by a sizeable Saudi Arabian delegation,
borders of the Gaza Strip on what they
with these countries but also retroactively
including the kingdom’s foreign minister,
called the “Friday of Rebellious Youth”.
recall previously agreed upon deals.
Adel Al-Jubeir, and US ambassador Khalid
The bill specifically talks about a deal
bin Salman — brother of the powerful Crown
made between Germany and Turkey to
Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
service several Leopard tanks.
Trump is widely expected to pull the
Those tanks, originally German and
United States out of the Iran accord next
bought by Turkey, were used during
month,
against
Operation Olive Branch, the January military
Tehran’s nuclear program. Pompeo insists
mission by Turkey in northern Syria, where
the president has not yet made the decision.
they fought against Kurdish YPG groups.
re-imposing
sanctions
The former CIA chief, who was sworn in
The documents also mention patrol boats
as Trump’s top diplomat and set off within
bought by Saudi Arabia, which were used
two hours for Brussels, will consult with
to blockade Yemeni ports from receiving
leaders of Iran’s main regional opponents
aid and other goods to help alleviate the
ahead of the announcement.
dire humanitarian situation in the war-torn
He also has a second more personal
country.
mission, to show foreign capitals and his
Saudi Arabia, together with the UAE, is
own colleagues that US diplomacy is back on
partially blockading those ports as part of its
track after the troubled reign of his sacked
military campaign in Yemen, which has cost
predecessor Rex Tillerson.
thousands of people’s lives over the last few years.
GAZA PROTESTS: 4 KILLED, 955 INJURED Palestinians demonstrate for the fifth Friday in a row as UN rights chief condemns Israel’s use of ‘excessive force’ Since the protests began on March
Between 2013 and 2017, Saudi Arabia was one of the biggest recipients of German arms, worth $1.2bn in total.
GERMANY MOVING TO LIMIT ARMS SALES TO SAUDI ARABIA, UAE, TURKEY
In the third quarter of 2017, Germany exported most arms to Saudi Arabia, Israel and Egypt. In January, the German government
30, at least 45 Palestinians in the coastal
Proposed law would also ban arms
already announced it would halt all arms
enclave have been killed by Israeli forces
exports to other countries involved in
exports to countries involved in the ongoing
and more than 5,500 wounded. Marchers
military operations and regional crises.
war in Yemen, but this bill would expand on
are demanding the right to return to their homes seized by Israel in 1948
A draft bill in Germany aims to ban weapons exports to Saudi Arabia, the United
that by also working retroactively on deals already made. Endeavour Magazine | 11
FOCUS CHAKR INNOVATION: BREATHING EASIER
A
s pollution fears rise and we begin to fully acknowledge just how much back-peddling we need to achieve to
save our environment, teams around the world are working ambitiously on finding solutions. Whilst shifting a use of fossil fuels onto alternative energy is key, this process is long term – longer than we can afford. In the meantime, reliance on diesel will still exist – especially in developing or remote areas of the world that rely on generators. Given this reality, how do we move forwards in a way that is greener and safer for everyone? Two young men in India think they’ve found a solution. Arpit Dhupar and Kushagra Srivastava were enjoying some sugarcane juice at a roadstop when inspiration hit them. The cane crusher that had produced their drink was running from a diesel generator, but without the black, smoggy plumes that would usually give one away. After wondering how this was possible, the young men finally spotted
India, it even affects the unborn, with studies
Chakr Innovation and set out to turn their
that the juice vendor had added an exhaust
showing that exposure to air pollution
theory into practice. First, they focused on
pipe that funnelled all of the dark fumes
during foetal development can lead to brain
designing several types of containers that
against nearby wall. The wall had turned
abnormalities and cognitive impairment.
could capture soot directly from genset
black from all of the soot in this concentrated
With these sorts of statistics and results,
diesel exhausts, making sure that none
an onslaught from the exhaust; seeing this
pollution is an emergency situation, and any
reached the air. From there, they focused
made the two men think about how much
solution that can tackle the fumes we are
on solving how to turn this carbon into paint
carbon is in diesel, and whether this harmful
generating today is a vital addition to the
and exploring other applications it could be
source of pollution could actually be turned
fight.
used for.
Arpit and Kushagra’s plan sounded
Promoting “revolution through pollution”,
simple, yet eccentric; instead of carbon
the company now proudly declares the
According to BreathLife 2030, over 80%
entering the air and damaging our lungs and
slogan, “helping you breathe by capturing
of the world’s urban residents breathe air
environment, they proposed collecting this
pollution at the source”. The first invention
pollution above the WHO guideline for safe
same substance and removing it by turning
of its kind, the ‘Chakr Shield’ is currently
air. That means that less than 20% of us are
it into paint. If it could turn a wall black, why
capable
breathing the air we should be. The damage
couldn’t it form a paint or ink?
emissions by 90%. As a retro-fit design, the
into something constructive. More than that – something fun.
of this can’t be ignore; a shocking 4.2 million
Their
premature deaths happen every year due to
sceptical,
but
the
air pollution, and according to Greenpeace
deterred:
they
founded
12 | Endeavour Magazine
teachers
and
mentors
visionaries the
of
reducing
diesel
generator
were
Shield doesn’t depend on specially designed
weren’t
generators – instead, the device can be
company
fitted to those already in use, making it a
faster, more realistic and far more affordable solution. Attached to a genset that runs an average of eight hours a day, each Shield can produce 34 litres of ink or paint per month. This ink is now being used in screen printing for t-shirts, among other uses, and Chakr’s paint has been said to dry faster and apply better than many on the market! Best of all, the Shield has no adverse effect on the generators themselves, so there’s no reason not to use it. Whilst initially met with doubt, Chakr is now the recipient of notable awards, partnerships
and
global
acclaim.
The
company was the winner of the IndianOil Grant for New Technology Development, the Indian Innovation Growth Program, SMOGATHON, the FICCI award for Best EcoInnovation Start-Up, the American Society Endeavour Magazine | 13
for Mechanical Engineers’ Top Hardware Start-Up in India, and the University of Chicago’s Urban Labs Innovation Challenge, among others. IndianOil and the University of Chicago both continue to work closely with Chakr Innovation as R&D partners and sponsors, as well as Bosch. The team are even receiving dedicated mentorship and support from two advisors: Dr J P Gupta, Chairman of Environment Impact Assessment, and Neil Yeoh, Senior Associate of Fellowship Programs from Echoing Green. Assisted by these mentors, Kushagra and Arpit make up half of Chakr’s leadership team. Kushagra is the company CEO, with Arpit as CTO. They work with Alok Goyal, the Head of Business Development, and Bharti Singla, Head of Strategy. The team are based in India – a fact the company highlights as fitting, as the country is home to 10 of the 20 most polluted cities in the world. Chakr’s current primary goal is to fit the Shield on as many mobile towers as possible, as these industrial structures are heavy users of diesel generators. For example, the city of Delhi sports14,000 mobile towers, most of which have a diesel generator installed. Delhi has been ranked as one of the world’s most polluted cities, and its air quality is considered a state of emergency by the Indian government. Chakr refer to the Shield as their “first” product, with the ambition of not only taking this invention as far as it can go, but also using it as a starting point to develop a host of other environmental initiatives. Their “revolution through pollution” is just beginning: hopefully, if the Shield and their future break-throughs can be widely implemented, it might be just in time. 14 | Endeavour Magazine
Endeavour Magazine | 15
UDDERS PTE LTD WWW.UDDERS.COM.SG // 0065 6662 9410
TITILLATINGLY TASTY Summer is always underway in Singapore! The small island country is well known for its industrial strength and its bustling business hub, but for those living there, it’s hard to forget the heat all year round. No wonder, then, that ice cream is extremely popular – especially as people look for places to spend their hardearned treat money. We spoke with Peck Lin, who co-founded Singapore’s Udders Ice Cream with her husband David, about their creative solutions for the ice cream business. PROJECT MANAGER: ALEX HAYES
UDDERS PTE LTD
”Udders Ice Cream is an award-winning, fun, casual,
quirky brand that offers mouth-watering, unique flavours of ice cream with a big dose of cheeky humour,” Peck Lin explains. Instantly, it’s clear that this is a brand with a difference. Befitting of an ice cream brand, David and Peck Lin have worked hard to create a company that is as fun-loving as their product – and clearly, it’s been well received.
T
heir “proudly-made-in-Singapore” ice cream is available from five scoop shops and close to 100 retail points throughout the country, including supermarkets, convenience stores,
iconic attractions like Gardens by the Bay, and various cafes and restaurants. Their ice creams are even finding their way onto flights! The brand is served regularly on Scoot Airlines, and in December 2017, Singapore Airlines’ flights to Sydney served Udders ice cream
Manufacturer of Dry Ice, Gel Pack, Ice Pack Temperature Control Shipping Box, Temperature Control Pallet Shipper Cold Truck and Transport Service
during the launch period of their new A380 plane. “We offer kickass, drool-worthy ice cream with unique flavours that are made with the best ingredients we can find. Our ice cream is vegetarian-friendly, without artificial colouring or flavouring, and is manufactured in a modern food factory with Singapore’s renowned standards of food safety and quality. Our primary demographic is folks between 16 to 40 years old, although actually everyone from eight to 80 years old loves ice cream!” When it comes to their product, Udders truly does everything: they research, create, test, manufacture, retail, distribute and sell their product through wholesale, as well as run their own food service outlets. Their “create-test-create-test-create-test” process, as Peck Lin describes it, is thorough, with great pride taken over every one of their creative flavours. Peck Lin cites this “obsession
36B Hillview Terrace, Singapore 669260 Tel: +65 6274 7500 Email: enquiry@dryice.sg 18 | Endeavour Magazine
with product development” as one of the key traits that sets Udders apart from its rivals, as they constantly strive to put out the best flavours they can.
UDDERS PTE LTD “The best and most fun thing about working with ice cream is
Mocha Rocks, a Brazilian coffee flavour created for the 2014
that it lends itself to exuberant creativity. We love experimenting
World Cup, and a variety of bespoke floral-inspired flavours for
with new flavours and toppings and consistently churn out about
Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay (a popular tourist attraction),
12 new flavours a year.”
including White Rose, Lavender and Orchid Vanilla. They even
There are more tempting flavours at Udders than we have space
brought out a series of Star Wars inspired flavours! We couldn’t
to mention, including a range of exotic Asian flavours such as Kyoto
resist asking Peck Lin more: “In Dec 2017, in conjunction with the
Matcha, which uses green tea flown in straight from Kyoto Japan,
launch of the movie Star Wars: The Last Jedi, we teamed up with
The MaoTM , which offers the infamously pungent yet delicious Mao
Disney to launch a Star Wars inspired ice cream range. The flavours
Shan Wang Durian fruit, and even a full range of Korean flavours
take inspiration from beloved characters such as Darth Vader (Dark
such as Grapefruit Soju, Kimchi and Doenjang Caramel. They even
Vanilla with Cranberries), Stormtrooper (Salted Malted Milk with
offer a range of strong liquor flavours, including Rum Rum RaisinTM
Dark Chocolate), Yoda (Green Tea with Coconut Caramel) and
(3.9% alcohol), Tira-miss-u
Chewbacca (‘Chewy’ Fudge with Brownies).”
TM
(Tiramisu 3.8% alcohol using brandy),
WineBerriesTM (3.5% alcohol using port wine) and Lychee Martini
Perhaps most impressively, however, was Udders being
(3% using vodka). “We need to have a liquor license in our shops
commissioned in 2017 to create a bespoke sorbet for the
in Singapore to sell these flavours,” explains Peck Lin. “This range
Istana (aka ‘palace’ in the Malay language - in other words, the
offers a unique ‘adults only’ ice cream product, which gives a usually
official residence and office of the President of Singapore).
fun product a certain edginess.”
The creation was named the Istana Harvest Sorbet, and it
We’re only scratching the surface of both ranges here; there’s
was served at the Istana for some special events. Udders
enough mouth-watering products to list for the entire article!
also sells this high-profile sorbet during the Istana’s public
However, some exciting flavours that must be mentioned include
open-house days five times a year, the proceeds of which they
those created by Udders for notable clients and events, such as
donate to charity.
20 | Endeavour Magazine
Udders’ flavours show a true passion for what they do – one that seeks out unusual, high-quality ingredients to bring their customers a completely new ice cream experience. Their playful brand personality also comes through! This attitude is no accident, and it’s something Peck Lin is committed to: “Who else would name their ice cream brand after a cow’s...ahem...tits? Udders doesn’t take life too seriously and neither does its ice cream. We play hard to make sure our brand personality comes across in our products!” It’s a playful attitude, but Peck Lin and David are serious about business. In fact, before the couple founded Udders, the exuberant Peck Lin spent nine years as a management consultant in the areas of strategy planning, franchising and licensing. She is also trained as a lawyer, and spent four years in legal practice, as well as three years in the Law Society of Singapore, where she worked on growing the Society’s legal pro bono programmes to aid the country’s under-privileged. You could call Udders quite a career departure! In her words, she and her husband launched the brand “to birth a fun, innovative, energetic, quirky ice cream brand with a tongue-in-cheek wit.” Having co-founded the company in 2007 and worked full-time with it since 2012, she now oversees
Endeavour Magazine | 21
UDDERS PTE LTD the branding, marketing and business development aspects of
freezing production line for our ice cream, which will drive labour
the business.
cost down per unit and also reduce wastage and increase efficiency.
Fun-loving attitudes aside, the pair are serious about exceeding
As well as preparing for the production demands of overseas
their competition, and in Singapore, competition is in rich supply.
export, Udders is also looking to franchise, and is currently in
The small island hosts many rival brands, with the already mature
talks with potential partners for overseas markets. They are also
industry seeing a recent swell in start-up ice cream brands over
looking to develop their customer base, including investing in a
the past five years. This creates a number of challenges, including
new halal range of ice cream, both to cater to the Muslim market
downward price pressures, coupled with cost pressures within
in Singapore, and to increase Udders’ marketability in the Middle
Singapore such as high rentals and manpower costs. Whilst they
East. In line with growing clean healthy food trends, they will also
currently only sell and operate within the country, Udders is starting
launch a Nutrition, Health and Wellness range of ice cream later
to look overseas: “We are looking to overseas markets currently,
this year under a new brand. This new healthy range will be clean
and as Asia is slated to be the continent to watch economically
label, 100% natural, free from any artificial colouring, flavouring,
in this century, we feel that our super premium ice cream is well-
sweetener or preservatives, and with substantially lower calories
positioned for growth in this new Asia, with its fast-burgeoning
to comply with the Singapore Health Promotion Board’s guidelines
middle class.”
for ‘healthier choice’ ice cream.” Even though the products will
In preparation for this growth, Udders has expanded their
be healthier, Udders says this new ice cream range will be just
facilities in Singapore, which will allow a greater production output
as delicious as their current products, and will also contain the
to service the local market and to sell overseas. “In mid-2017, we
benefits of superfoods such as acai berries, flax seeds and moringa.
shifted into a new office-cum-production premise that is three
“This new range will be a guilt-free ice cream which retains all the
times bigger than our previous place in preparation for expansion.
childlike wonder and happiness of enjoying ice cream, yet offers the
With the new space, we have invested in an automated continuous
health benefits of superfoods.”
Key Supplier of Quality Ingredients to the Food Industry in Singapore
� 23 Tuas Bay Walk, Singapore 637764 �(65) 6558 7585 fax (65) 6558 7803 22 | Endeavour Magazine
� sales@bakelab.com.sg globe www.bakelab.com.sg
Of course, no matter how ambitious a company becomes, or
David and Peck Lin have clearly created a thriving business –
how excellent the quality of their product, success begins and
so how have the pair managed to maintain their up-beat attitude
ends with a reliable and happy team of staff. Udders puts the
whilst staying competitive?
well-being of their staff first: “Good leadership involves really
Peck Lin quotes a line from the old Rocky movies, where the
caring for staff as three-dimensional, full-bodied, complex humans,
titular character says, “It ain’t about how hard you hit - it’s about
rather than merely digits of work. Staff are people, and people
how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you
are able to sense whether there is a genuine care for their
can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!”
well-being.” Udders has over 100 employees, full-time and part-time. They place an emphasis on promotion from within where possible, and
“Life is short, so take some risks. Remember that at the end of life, it’s usually not the things we did that we regret, but the things we did not do because we were afraid.”
their company culture strives to make Udders a pleasant, positive place to work – in doing so, the management hopes to get the best out of their staff. “You have to take the time to build a relationship with each person directly reporting to you and understand each person’s unique strengths, weaknesses and personality – basically, what makes them tick. Managing people can’t merely be a ‘system’.” “Culture takes years to build and, being an ice cream company, having a friendly, creative, slightly off-beat work environment helps to generate the crazy, wonderful ideas that push our business and products forward.”
WRITTEN BY ALICE INSTONE-BREWER
Endeavour Magazine | 23
ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES WWW.ETHIOPIANAIRLINES.COM // 00251 116 656 666
STILL RISING As Africa’s leading local airline, Ethiopian Airlines knows a thing or two about flying. We spoke with Tewolde Gebremariam, Group CEO, about how the airline is meeting and exceeding its goals, and how it plans to work with Africa’s other carriers to fly to new heights WRITTEN BY ALICE INSTONE-BREWER
ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES
Ethiopian Airlines describes itself as “the flag carrier of
Ethiopia”. In operation for over 70 years, the airline has grown from its first flight in 1946 to become of the biggest carriers in the continent. In fact, according to Tewolde Gebremariam, the Ethiopian Aviation Group – of which Ethiopian Airlines is a part - is the “fastest growing aviation group in Africa”. This national endeavour originally ran weekly services to Cairo, but this service quickly expanded as demand grew.
4, Avenue Republique Tchad, Commune de la Gombe, Hôtel Memling, Local 16.
+243 819 042 100 contact@ats-handling-rdc.com
A
t the time, the airline’s fleet consisted of surplus aircraft from the US military – sparse vehicles that were efficient but had few in the way of creature comforts. However, it was a
starting point – 70 years later, in 2016, the airline became the first in Africa to receive the highly advanced Airbus A350XWB and to fly one in African skies! Today, now wholly owned by the government of the FDRE, the airline serves 112 international and 21 domestic destinations across five continents. Within Africa today, the airline claims to be “unrivalled for efficiency and operational success”. The company goes on to explain: “Operating at the forefront of technology, the airline has become one of Ethiopia’s major industries and a veritable institution in Africa. It commands a lion’s share of the pan-African network, including the daily and double daily east-west flight across the continent.” This strong position and recognition within Africa is, in part, the result of their efforts towards their company Vision: “As per
HANDLING AND MAINTENANCE
our 2025 Vision, Ethiopian aspires to become the leading aviation
- Airport security is our job -
with time to spare.” This achievement already firmly under their belt,
group in the continent – a vision we have already accomplished Ethiopian don’t plan to become complacent. Instead, Tewolde says that Ethiopian will continue growing, expanding both in network
+850 flights/year
+300 employees
and fleet size. To achieve this, the airline is seeking to increase its collaboration with African carriers – a collaboration that will not only allow Ethiopean to further expand into reach within Africa, but
3 airports 26 | Endeavour Magazine
+10 types of plane
the entire indigenous aviation industry.
ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES offers online
and heavy maintenance for our airplanes Bombardier Dash8-Q400. It also supplies all necessary parts needed for the up keeping of our airplanes. The training is a part of the partnership.
ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES “The aviation industry of the continent is characterized by being buoyant, yet heavily skewed in favour of non-African
that this is an important step forward: “We believe we will succeed in this.”
airlines,” Tewolde explains, going on to elaborate: “As it stands,
Of course, campaigning for open airspace and cut fees is only
African airlines have limited market access within Africa. 80% of
half the battle in Ethiopian’s continued conquest of Africa’s skies –
the air transport between Africa and the rest of the world is owned
the other half is in their quality as an airline. Already the leader of its
by non-African carries, while indigenous African carriers share the
indigenous family of airlines, Ethiopian is clearly doing something
remaining 20%.”
right. We asked Tewolde what he felt was the key to their current
In part, these challenges are due to a lack of well-developed
success:
airport and ICT infrastructure for African airlines, as well as slow
“The success of Ethiopian Airlines, among other reasons, is
progress in discussions over an African Open Sky Agreement. In
attributed to our unique hub, Addis Ababa. Strategically located
the face of these issues, Ethiopean decided to act: “As Champion
in the middle of East-West major trade lane, this hub makes our
of Single African Skies initiative, Ethiopian has been advocating
connections seamless and convenient. This efficient network of
the implementation of the Single African Air Transportation
connectivity has enabled Ethiopian to connect Africa with the rest
Market (SAATM) to the world, underlining the need for the
of the world better and faster than any other carrier.”
collaboration of African states as per the Yamoussoukro Decision.
“The other reason Ethiopian is successful is the efficient
In part, SAATM is intended to drive down airfares by allowing
network of connectivity and frequency of our flights. There is no
the airlines of signatory countries to freely access each other’s
airline, other than Ethiopian, that connects Africa with itself and
airports.” These lowered charges would help alleviate financial
the outside world. Our frequency stands out as best with daily and
stress on local airports, and would free up local airlines’ ability
double daily connections throughout the continent.”
to collaborate and share resources. SAATM has already been
Ethiopian’s fleet is not only well connected – it is also extremely
signed by 23 member countries, and Tewolde feels confident
well maintained. With an average age of only five years, their fleet
ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES and ICAS have many things in common. Both entities have a common goal of providing a safe environment and customer friendly travel experience for their passengers. They build an environment on mutual trust. Despite the fact that there are competitions between the two companies, there are also areas where they can cooperate. To mention a few, using Ethiopian Airlines Aviation Academy to train ICAS staffs from different disciplines, use of the Airlines ground support equipment maintenance center and loaning of equipment from each other. They bring unique qualities and services to their respective customers. So, “when two or more companies do the same thing, it is more than the same.” It is a relationship that is intertwined and yet complex.
28 | Endeavour Magazine
GROUND GROUND HANDLING HANDLING COMPANY COMPANY According Accordingto toIATA IATAestimates, estimates,airlines airlinesoutsource outsource more more than than 50% 50% of of thethe ground ground handling handling to to nonnonairline airline operators. operators. With With its its vision vision to to provide provide world world class class ground ground handling handling services services in East in East Africa, Africa, ICAS ICAS obtained obtained its its certificate certificate of of operation operation in 2015 in 2015 as as thethe 1st1st IATA IATA certified certified private private Ground Ground Handling Handling Company Company (GHC) (GHC) in Ethiopia in Ethiopia operating operating outout of Addis of Addis Ababa Ababa Bole Bole International International Airport Airport andand Dire Dire Dawa. Dawa. TheThe motives motives behind behind thethe establishment establishment of ICAS of ICAS are:are: • • To To joinjoin thethe aviation industry as as a standard aviation industry a standard ground service provider in the areas of of ground service provider in the areas Passenger, Cargo andand Ramp services Passenger, Cargo Ramp services • • To To be be an an alternative andand a support ground alternative a support ground handling company in the country handling company in the country • • To To be be a choice between a mutually exclusive a choice between a mutually exclusive different needs to quickly andand efficiently meet at at different needs to quickly efficiently meet anyany time. time. • • To To be be part of the players wherein Ethiopia is the part of the players wherein Ethiopia is the 2nd2nd flower exporting nation in Africa, next to to flower exporting nation in Africa, next Kenya. ICAS plays a major rolerole in facilitating thethe Kenya. ICAS plays a major in facilitating export of fresh produce from thethe country. export of fresh produce from country. It mainly provides: It mainly provides: • • FullFull passenger andand cargo Ground Handling passenger cargo Ground Handling Services Services • • Ware house Management Ware house Management • • Cargo De-Consolidation services for for seasea andand airair Cargo De-Consolidation services freight freight • • Customs transit andand clearing services Customs transit clearing services • • Doorto-door delivery service. Doorto-door delivery service. • • Courier andand baggage intra storage andand delivery Courier baggage intra storage delivery services. services. • • Special Limousines service for for VIPVIP andand CIPCIP Special Limousines service customers customers TheThe company is currently handling Saudi Airlines, company is currently handling Saudi Airlines, Etihad, Qatar Airlines andand AirAir Djibouti Airlines notnot Etihad, Qatar Airlines Djibouti Airlines mentioning thethe AdAd hoc operators. ICAS hashas also mentioning hoc operators. ICAS also created jobjob opportunity for for more than 500500 people created opportunity more than people which also hashas a rippling effect. which also a rippling effect.
Head Head Office Office Address: Address: Lidya Lidya Building Building behind behind Edna Edna Mall Mall in front in front of of Harmony Harmony hotel hotel Tel:Tel: +251 +251 116 116 61 61 04 04 05 05 Fax: Fax: +255 +255 11 11 663 663 31 31 98 98 P.O.Box: P.O.Box: 433 433 Code Code 1250 1250 E-mail: E-mail: commercial.add@icasethiopia.com commercial.add@icasethiopia.com www.icasethiopia.com www.icasethiopia.com
ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES – which started out from the humble beginnings of second-hand
They are equipped to handle anything from perishable items to
American war planes – now boasts a range of what Tewolde rightly
dangerous or unstable cargo, and even live animals! However, the
calls “trailblazing and environmentally friendly aircraft”, including
most precious of their cargo will always be their paying passengers,
the Airbus A350, Boeing 787-9, Boeing 787-8, Boeing 777-300ER,
and their staff themselves. As a part of their care for both, one of
Boeing 777-200LR, Boeing 777-200 Freighter and Bombardier
Ethiopian’s many recent expansions has been an investment in its
Q-400 double cabin. To date, the airline currently operates 98
catering department. The department employs a team of highly
aircraft, with a further 58 on order.
trained local chefs that can produce traditional Ethiopian dishes
“Utilization of latest technology is also one of the qualities that
as well as Chinese, Indian, Ottoman, Italian, Halal and many more
led to our continued success. We are at the forefront of utilizing
European meals. In keeping with the airline’s 2025 vision, the
latest industry technology and pioneer in African aviation.” This
department has recently had a complete overhaul, with high-
applies not only to the planes themselves, but also the systems
tech upgrades and an increase in space to their kitchens. The new
used to support both flights and the ground services provided
premises is three times larger than the previous facility, including
to passengers and customers. Technology is as essential as staff
20 loading and 10 offloading docks to help in the delivery of
when it comes to running operations smoothly, especially given an
ingredients and transport of meals to the airline’s 240 daily flights.
airline’s complex logistical requirements. “Here at Ethiopian, we say
In the new facility, the catering team are able to produce
‘Success Loves Speed!’, and we believe that we have to grow fast.
an impressive 100,000 meals a day to support the airline. The
With the abundance of technology at everyone’s hand, we have to
department even has time to offer a laundry service, looking after
stay updated to satisfy the requests of our esteemed customers.”
everything from crew uniforms to seat covers.
Handling both passengers and cargo, Ethiopian must be reliable.
This department is one of many; to break Ethiopian Airlines
Their Cargo & Logistics Services department is one of the largest
down, one must look at the Ethiopian Aviation Group. This Group
in the world, with its top capacity at close to 1 million annual tons.
supports the airline itself and the many departments needed to
Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral Associations (AACCSA)
E-mail: info@addischamber.com; aachamber1@ethionet.et Website: www.addischamber.com +251 011 5518055, Fax + 251 011 5511479 2458 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Like fraternal twins, Ethiopian Airlines and AACCSA have, over the past seventy years, overcome challenges and stood as shining examples of audacity and resilience. Ethiopian grew as the leading Airline in Africa and one of the best few in the aviation industry, while AACCSA served the interests of the private sector by promoting trade and investment and helping businesses grow and prosper. We are happy that we are selected as one of Ethiopian’s key business partners and look forward to build on this phenomenal relationship in the years ahead. We are really proud of Ethiopian.
30 | Endeavour Magazine
The GENX is the fastest-selling high thrust jet engine in GE Aviation history and is the preferred engine choice by African airlines. The GEnx engine represents a giant leap forward in propulsion technology with world’s first innovative solutions. It is up to 15% more fuel efficient than the CF6-80C2. Ethiopian Airlines and GE Aviation developed an extensive partnership to operate and service the GEnx engines, contributing to the development of African aviation.
GEnx Delivering Performance TM
With 8.5 million flight hours, 1.4 million cycles and a departure reliability of 99.96%*, the GEnx continues to deliver performance in Africa and around the world. Visit www.geaviation.com/genx to learn more.
Endeavour Magazine | 31
*GEnx-1B data through December 2017
ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES keep it running smoothly, including the ET In-flight Catering, but
Between their strong position in Africa and this ability to
also ET Regional Services; ET International Services; ET Cargo &
ensure a constant supply of well-trained staff, it is no wonder that
Logistics Services; ET MRO Services; the ET Aviation Academy; ET
Ethiopian Airlines are confident about their future, and they’re
Ground Services and ET Airports Enterprise.
happy to invest in it. New developments on the horizon for the
Of these, one of the most exciting is Ethiopian’s own
company include ten new global destinations, the construction of
Aviation Academy, which allows them to train staff to their high
an Ethiopian 5-Star Hotel, and an expansion to the Addis Ababa
expectations: “We are self-sufficient in the training of aviation
Bole Airport, which is central to the airline’s operations. The
personnel who embody the values and spirit of Ethiopian Airlines.
expansion project will increase the capacity of the airport to 22
Our Aviation Academy is the most modern and the largest in Africa
million passengers per year – a dramatic rise from the current
with more than USD 100 million investment, and intake capacity
10 million. Meanwhile, the hotel, currently under construction,
of 4000 trainees.” The Academy prepares trainees who wish to
has been designed to house an impressive 373 rooms, four
work in all areas of airline operations, from pilots and cabin crew to
restaurants, two bars, swimming pools, gift shops and duty-free
maintenance staff and customer service personnel.
shops, meeting rooms, gyms, and a banquet hall that can hold 2000
The ability to run this in-house training, to such a high standard
people.
and with this level of resources at their disposal, allows Ethiopian
However, it is the airline’s recent SAATM agreement with local
to invest heavily in their most valuable resource. “Our highly skilled
carriers that promises the most exciting change. Already far ahead
and dedicated employees play significant roles in the success of the
of their personal goals, Ethiopian are passionate about bringing
airline. We have a hard working and skilled workforce. The airline
about industry-wide change for indigenous African airlines,
is also led by highly skilled and vigilant management who skilfully
and their recent successful negotiations are only the beginning.
navigate through difficult situations such as fuel surge, conflict
Hopefully this is the first essential step towards African companies
situations, and sustain the airline’s success and growth.”
reclaiming their skies: watch this airspace!
32 | Endeavour Magazine
AMAZING WORLD THE UNKNOWN TRIBE ON NORTH SENTINEL ISLAND
O
BY WILL GIRLING
n the 25th of April, world leaders
granted. No matter where you are reading
Sentinel Island – part of the Andamese Islands
gathered at the New York Headquarters
this magazine, there are thousands of
of India – have vociferously resisted any
of the United Nations to reaffirm
others who will do likewise, spread across
lasting contact with the world beyond their
their individual efforts in the global duty of
numerous zones of both geography and
roughly 60km2 borders. Having spurned all
building sustainable peace. It is events like
time. I’ll bet that, for most of us living in
proffered gifts of modernity, the Sentinelese
this that highlight the level of discourse that
the First World, a group of people being
are among the last groups of human society
countries –and their citizens – can engage
entirely uncontactable would seem virtually
that remain totally unabsorbed into the 21st
each other with on the world’s stage.
impossible. Nevertheless, there does indeed
Century lifestyle.
Not that we need much of a reminder;
exist a tribe of people who, despite over 100
Estimated to be approximately 500
today we are so accustomed to effortless,
years of trying, remain almost completely
in number, the way of life for the tribe is
daily communication on an international
unknown to us: the Sentinelese tribe.
obscure and difficult to ascertain. Apparently
scale that we take it almost totally for 34 | Endeavour Magazine
The indigenous inhabitants of North
surviving within a hunter-gatherer society,
flooring, although communal buildings are
the crew took their boat back out to sea,
more elaborately designed. Weaponry for
in order to observe the tribe’s reaction
the tribe consists of the traditional hunter-
from afar. Seemingly still very mistrustful
gatherer staples, such as spears and bows &
of anything offered by outsiders (perhaps
arrows. It is this aspect of the tribe’s culture
rightfully so), the Sentinelese sent a volley
with which outsiders are most intimately
of arrows towards the crew, whilst others
familiar.
brutally speared the gifts to pieces and
One of the first recorded attempts to survey the island and interact with the
Sentinelese
took
place
This has continued to be the reception for
1880,
visitors who come to North Sentinel Island,
led by British colonialists. Utilizing the
either on purpose or by accident. When
unnecessarily
aggressive
in
buried them in the sand.
ambassadorial
the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami ravaged so
strategy of kidnapping members of the
much of Indonesia, Indian authorities were
tribe, the colonialists proceeded to shower
rightfully concerned about the welfare of the
them with gifts to illustrate their ‘goodwill’,
Sentinelese. Three days after the incident,
and then released them back to their home.
an Indian naval helicopter was dispatched to
The British were surprised when their
dispense emergency supplies or assistance
misguided overtures of peace were met
if required. As they prepared to drop food
with indignation and obvious resentment.
rations onto the island, the helicopter was
Thankfully, they did not attempt to endear
suddenly met by the same barrage of arrows,
themselves to any of the other Sentinelese
and a Sentinelese warrior brandishing a
and promptly discontinued their diplomatic
javelin. Apparently able to find refuge from
efforts. Various attempts were also carried
the flood, it transpired that remarkably, the
with no evidence of agricultural capabilities
out by the Indian government in the late
tribe had been almost completely unscathed
or even ability to make fire, they subsist on
1960’s/70’s, but all were met with tacit
by the natural disaster.
the flora and fauna native to their island
avoidance, tangible disinterest, or displays of
(pigs, sea turtles, wild honey, fruits & nuts,
raining arrows.
Although legally a territory of India, the Sentinelese tribe exercises complete
etc.). Their language is unclassified – the
The Sentinelese tribe’s desire for privacy
sovereignty over their land in practice. The
only linguistic observation gleaned is that
sometimes manifested itself in destructive
potential for future contact will always
it bears no resemblance to their island
and nearly spiteful ways. One such incident
exist, and we can only hope that one day
neighbours, the Jawaras. Tools remain crude
involved a National Geographic film crew
they choose to teach us more about their
due to a lack of metal-working expertise,
who were looking to make a documentary
fascinating culture. However, until that
coupled with a lack of minerals and ores in
on the tribe. Leaving gifts – a toy car, a few
day comes, it appears that they won’t be
their environment. Their family dwellings are
coconuts, a pig, a doll, and some aluminium
requiring any help from the outside world
rudimental huts featuring no partitions or
cooking utensils – in the sand by the shore,
any time soon. Endeavour Magazine | 35
BAKER PACIFIC WWW.BAKERPACIFIC.COM // 001 415 462 5518
BLUEPRINTS FOR SUCCESS Last summer, we spoke with Iain Davidson, founder of Baker Pacific – the go-to Asia Pacific experts on confectionary and biscuit ovens. Since we last spoke, Iain has been preparing several new books for publication, and is still working fervently on launching Baker Pacific’s charitable Biskaid endeavour. We touched base to catch up on his progress and remind you what Baker Pacific are all about. WRITTEN BY ALICE INSTONE-BREWER
BAKER PACIFIC
Last summer, we spoke with Iain Davidson, founder of
Baker Pacific – the go-to Asia Pacific experts on confectionary and biscuit ovens. Since we last spoke, Iain has been preparing several new books for publication, and is still working fervently on launching Baker Pacific’s charitable Biskaid endeavour. We touched base to catch up on his progress and remind you what Baker Pacific are all about.
W
hen this window presented itself to local Asian Pacific
and processes.” He stayed with Baker Perkins into the late 1990s,
companies, the need to compete with advanced global
rising to the position of Managing Director in Hong Kong as well as
brands came with it. These brands had resources and
becoming a Director of Baker Perkins Japan.
technology that went far beyond what most local companies had
With this ranging experience from technical design to high-level
at their disposal, and large teams with broad industry knowledge to
management and leadership, Iain was in the perfect position to
match. This is where Iain Davidson came in.
apply his skills to his new endeavour. At first, Baker Pacific operated
Iain established Baker Pacific in 2000, right when the region
solely as a consultancy, offering advice and industrial knowledge
was in the throes of confectionary mania. The company’s mission
to local businesses who were looking to grow and compete. These
was to balance the tables between global brands and independent
early operations still represent a major part of Baker Pacific’s
competitors, offering advice and support to help Asian companies
services today: the company is able to supply complete process
close the gap: “Baker Pacific Ltd. Hong Kong is a small team
documentation to enable their customers to make international
of professionals, each with more than 35 years of experience
quality products, covering not only biscuits, but also cookies,
with leading biscuit, chocolate, confectionery and engineering
wafers, crackers, chocolate and even caramel. They also provide
companies,” explains Iain. “We have a wide range of skills, drawing
Asian companies with relevant market data, which they collate
on experience in marketing, production, research and development,
themselves from independent studies: “Baker Pacific has carried
project management, engineering and service.”
out several industrial market studies in China and Indonesia. For
Coming from backgrounds in every area of the industry, this small team of experts set out to provide the information and insight
example, we have completed and published an extensive study of Indonesian snacks with details of over 150 products.”
needed to level the playing field. Iain came to Baker Pacific with a
Of the companies they work with, the majority of Baker
solid and hands-on history in the industry: his career began in 1965
Pacific’s customers operate in China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand
when he graduated from the School of Industrial Design at London’s
and Vietnam. “Our first-hand experience in these markets provides
Royal College of Art, and joined Baker Perkins Ltd. as Industrial
us with an exceptional insight and range of contacts to ensure the
Design Engineer; “I worked in the Technical Department on the
most valuable studies, each tailored to our client’s requirements.
design of new biscuit, bakery and candy processing machines until
These studies provide extensive information for both potential
1975, gaining a thorough technical knowledge of the machines
investors and existing manufacturers.”
38 | Endeavour Magazine
This support made Baker Pacific’s name, and allowed their
applying their knowledge to create what they knew best: ovens.
customers to make a significant difference in the confectionary
“Baker Pacific design and manufacture a range of ovens for cookies,
market. The impact is ongoing, and the power between local and
crackers and cake, all using infra-red radiation technology. Our
international sellers has notably shifted: “Competition is changing
design team is based in the UK, and our ovens are manufactured by
as Asian biscuit oven manufacturers improve the range and quality
contractors in China, India and Indonesia.”
of their products. Competition from Europe is still strong, but is now from only a few important suppliers.”
This departure has become a leading focus for the company, allowing them to truly do what they do best. As Iain told us, it was
As progress was made, Baker Pacific expanded their efforts
the support from Danone that got the wheels in motion: “We were
into more hands-on forms of support, including maintenance, oven
encouraged and supported by the Danone Asia group. They also
audits and upgrades, safety system installation and the conversion
introduced us to Esspee Engineers in Kolkata, who are experienced
of electric ovens over to gas. To supplement the consultancy
oven builders. Danone Asia purchased the first ovens we built in
information they provide, they even offer training programs in
India, China and Indonesia, and we worked successfully together
baking technology – brilliant for start-ups or companies looking to
with Esspee to build and install a large biscuit oven for Danone
train new staff.
Biscuits Indonesia.”
The support Baker Pacific offers is more than a product for Iain,
Whilst the company’s operations have grown, their team has
who describes his company’s mission and philosophy as: “A belief in
stayed extremely small, at only three permanent staff members.
sharing our experience in the industry, and the aim to understand,
However, this small team is capable of a great deal, and Iain feels
assist and support our customers.”
their size is a part of their success: “We are a small, flexible team
However, with such a bank of experience behind them, there
with very low overheads. All our projects are carried out with
came a point when sharing this advice was no longer enough for the
process specialists and equipment manufacturers on contract.” For
Baker Pacific team. With an encouraging nudge from the Danone
example, the construction of Baker Pacific’s ovens within Asia is
Asia Group, the company took an exciting step in a new direction,
carried out by a small technical team of five people.
Endeavour Magazine | 39
BAKER PACIFIC As they have with their consultancy, the company have set
refugee camps. Our proposal is to provide a production facility to
up and maintained tight bonds with partners through the supply
deliver up to 8 tonnes of biscuits per day (on two shifts) to feed
of their equipment: “Our main partner in China is Dingson Food
people in a disaster zone or refugee camp.”
Machinery, with whom we have worked for more than 10 years.”
Wheat flour is already donated to aid projects, raising the
“Competition from Asian biscuit machine suppliers continues
issue of the most efficient way to use it. Baker Pacific proposes a
to increase and there are excellent suppliers of production and
biscuit recipe that can be formulated to provide essential energy,
packaging equipment, particularly from China. We are developing a
protein, minerals (iron and calcium) and vitamins, with this recipe
relationship with one of the principal suppliers in China.”
adjusting depending on the needs of each relief location’s needs. In
Whilst this expansion was a game-changer for Baker Pacific,
the company’s words, “biscuits are the first and best convenience
the application of their designs could, one day, be an even greater
food”. The envisioned Biskaid facilities would be non-insulated
change for people in need. In the quest to put their knowledge
temporary buildings, designed to be cheap and easy to transport
towards a good cause, Iain and his team have created Biskaid
and construct whilst still providing all of the protection biscuits
- a plan for affordable, efficient aid relief in the form of biscuit
require. This building design is especially effective due to its
production.
temporary and re-usable nature, making it low-impact on costs as
The Biskaid project aims to implement biscuits as a cheap,
well as on the areas these sites would be erected.
sustainable and long-lasting solution to food shortages in crisis
Baker Pacific’s expertise has also allowed them to streamline
areas. In particular, if the project can receive funding and support,
the design of the production line: “The proposed biscuit line is the
the company hopes to use Biskaid to feed refugees in Africa and
simplest semi-automatic production line based on a tunnel oven.
Asia:
The mixing and forming machines are suitable for moulded doughs,
“We believe that a small biscuit production facility is an
allowing a wide variety of shapes and recipes to be made.” Running
excellent way to use wheat flour given under aid projects to
at full capacity, the line should produce 500 – 600 kg of biscuits
produce nutritious biscuits with a long shelf life for distribution in
per hour.
ESSPEE EN GI NEERS MANUFACTURING HOUSE FOR BISCUIT BAKING OVEN
Diamond Heritage, 16 Strand Road, 6Th Floor, Room No. N-627 Kolkata - 700 001, INDIA pkn54@yahoo.in 40 | Endeavour Magazine
Currently, Biskaid is still a dream, but Baker Pacific are working
Between these three publications, you might think that Iain and
tirelessly to promote the scheme and to secure it the backing it
his team had shared everything they could, and yet there is still
needs to become a reality.
a slate of new titles on the horizon: An Introduction to Industrial
Finally, on top of this excellent use of their knowledge, the
Biscuit Production will provide an entry-level foundation for
company is also finding new ways to share itsknow-how with
people new to biscuit manufacturing, and will particularly assist
the public. Last summer, we spoke with Iain about the recent
such companies in training new employees. There are also plans
publication of his first book, Biscuit Baking Technology. The book,
to publish a commemorative title that gathers the recipes of Baker
published with Elsevier, offered an “expert’s guide to the biscuit
Pacific’s late Glyn Sykes. This labour of love, which will feature the
manufacturing process, ingredients, formulations, and the design,
recipes and process details for over 100 products from crackers,
operation and maintenance of biscuit ovens.” In essence, it included
snack crackers, semisweet biscuits, short doughs and cookies, is set
a comprehensive break-down of Iain’s collected expertise and
to be submitted to publishers later in 2018.
insights from years in the industry. With his later books, he has taken this a step further:
For a small team, Baker Pacific are undoubtedly keeping themselves busy. Between their training and consultancy services,
“We have completed a new book, How to Build a Biscuit Oven.
their upcoming publications and the good they could achieve
This provides customers with a detail description with drawings,
through Biskaid, their pledge to support others has proven to
photos and parts lists to build a high-quality biscuit oven. In addition,
be more than just a promise. We look forward to watching the
we can supply all manufacturing drawings and supervision.”
company’s progress as they continue to deliver, both to the
“Our upcoming book Biscuit, Cookie and Cracker Production,
confectionary world and, hopefully, to those in need.
also to be published by Elsevier, is now at the typeset/proof reading stage and will be published later this year. The book covers the complete process and production from the delivery of ingredients to the bakery to the final packaged product.”
Endeavour Magazine | 41
PALABORA MINING COMPANY LTD WWW.PALABORA.COM // 2715 780 2911
ONE OF A KIND Two billion years ago, a series of violent volcanic eruptions occurred in what is now Phalaborwa, in the Limpopo province of South Africa. These eruptions were spread over millions of years, slowly building up a rich and unique body of minerals - copper, phosphates, magnetite, uranium, zirconium, nickel, gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, and in similar veins nearby, vermiculite and phosphate. The hill this treasure trove is buried under is known as Loolekop, and the treasure itself as the Palabora Igneous Complex. WRITTEN BY ALICE INSTONE-BREWER
PALABORA MINING COMPANY LTD
Modern mining efforts were not the first to reach
Loolekop. Artifacts suggest that surprisingly pure copper has been mined and smelted here as early as the 8th century. However, it was at the beginning of the current century that modern miners began to turn their eye to this Complex, after geologists discovered he phosphate bearing mineral, apatite, in the area.
T
he Palabora Mining Company Ltd began operations in 1956. Their subsidiary, Palabora Copper, mine, smelt and refine copper from this unique formation, with all of their facilities
housed in Phalaborwa. The company is South Africa’s sole producer of refined copper, with an impressive output of between 45,000 to 60,000 tons a year. On top of this dominance of the refined
Providing Quality Services at the Forefront of Economic Change & Social Transformation Cleaning services Building and Construction Sanitation and Water works Marketing materials Advertising Printing services Waste removal Owned & managed by a Bush clearing and routen black female cleaning in Limpopo Phone: 015 291 2627 Fax: 086 695 1587 E-Mail: caroline@nkhensicarol.co.za Web: www.nkhensicarol.co.za
ē ē ē ē ē ē ē ē
44 | Endeavour Magazine
copper market, the mine also processes and exports a wide range of by-products from the mineral-rich soil, including Magnetite, Vermiculite Sulphuric acid, anode slimes and nickel sulphate, as well as small quantities of gold, silver and platinum. During the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, the company’s open-pit copper mine and processing plants produced over 2.7 million tons of copper. Part of what makes the Palabora Igneous Complex so unique is that, due to its volcanic history, it is the only known place where copper occurs in carbonites, rather than the usual sulfides. As South Africa’s only refined copper supplier, they sell most of their output to the local market, only exporting the excess – along with the various additional minerals they are able to process from the valuable ‘waste’. Not content to rest there, they also own a nearby vermiculite deposit, which is mined and processed for sale worldwide. Palabora’s operation employees around 2,200 people. The large block cave mine in connected with the company’s smelter and refinery complex, and works closely with the company’s vermiculite operation. However, their attention goes beyond these operations,
3 Leyd Street P.O. Box 759 PHALABORWA 1390
Tel: (015) 781 6000 / 0879 / 6530 Fax: (015) 781 6032 / 086 587 4656 E-mail: info@lacrushers.co.za www.lacrushers.co.za
LA Crushers utilises its wealth of experience, extensive fleet of trucks and machinery, and highly skilled operators to undertake a wide range of operations.
Mining – Load & Haul • Materials Handling • Civils and Earthworks Rehabilitation • Crushing, Screening and Ready-Mix
Endeavour Magazine | 45
PALABORA MINING COMPANY LTD with the company deeply involved with the surrounding area: the
to 700 meters on the periphery, rendering Palabora a world-class
mines are located close to Kruger National Park, protected land
mine.”
and a popular eco-tourism attraction for South Africa. With this
Geographically, the mine’s actual production footprint is small,
proximity comes a responsibility to ensure that their operations do
measuring in at only 650 by 200 meters wide, with 20 production
not impact negatively on the park. In response to this, and as a
cross-cuts and 320 draw-points. As the company explains, “With the
part of their ongoing commitment to sustainability, Palabora have
coarse fragmentation of the ore body, a high degree of secondary
committed some of their staff and resources to coordinating several
breaking activities is required to treat hang-ups and oversize; and
onsite wildlife management and cultural heritage programmes,
to keep ore flowing through the draw-points for the loaders to
designed to protect and promote the nature and cultural history of
haul.” The mine’s construction was completed in late 2004, and by
the area. They also work closely with many of the communities in the
May 2005, operations were impressively already producing 30,000
area to strive to support them and boost economic development.
tons.
This community responsibility is all a part of Palabora’s high
Ore from the mine is carried to be processed both by haulage
standards for itself. As the company states, “Palabora strives to grow
vehicles and then, once it has been crushed to a manageable
sustainably and profitably while delivering excellent value to all our
size, an efficient conveyor system. “Our fleet of Load-Haul-Dump
stakeholders. We achieve this through the efforts of our talented
vehicles tip 3,000 buckets of ore per day into four jaw crushers
people, safe operational practices, best-in-class technology and a
on the northern side of the footprint. Ore is reduced to less than
commitment to excellence in all we do.”
220mm and fed onto a high-capacity conveyor system up to the
Palabora describes its copper mine, an underground block-cave,
shaft complex from where it is hoisted to the surface.”
as a “benchmark for integrated design. No other block-cave mine
During processing, a dried copper concentrate is blended with
has been put into as competent an ore-body. The block height of
fine quartz flux and process materials, which are recycled from
the cave reaches a record 450 meters in the centre, increasing up
upstream for sustainability. It is then put through a reverberatory
RSV, founded in 1991, is a leading engineering and project management group of companies serving the mining, metallurgical and industrial markets.
RSV is a company with extensive experience of mining projects in Africa and internationally. During the past 18 years RSV has undertaken numerous engineering and project management assignments for the Palabora Mining Company (PMC)
P.O. Box 62532, Marshalltown, 2017, South Africa Tel: +27 11 227 3000 Web: www.rsv.co.za 46 | Endeavour Magazine
furnace burning at 1,400°Cm which separates the melted material
uses are extremely varied, from insulation and fire proofing to soil
into two layers – a layer of copper and a layer of unwanted slag.
preparation, brake linings and the absorption of hazardous liquids.
The process then continues to blow hot air through the material
With so many resources passing through their systems, and at
to oxidise any sulphur or iron in the mix, allowing it to be removed,
such impressive quantities, Palabora’s mines are a constant hub of
and ultimately resulting in blister copper that is 98% pure. Again
activity: “The mine practices full calendar operations, with 24-hour
in the name of sustainability and to avoid waste, excess heat from
workdays, 365 days per year. We utilize 3-hour by 8-hour shifts
this process is then used to melt the facility’s internal recycling and
per day, keeping the underground abuzz with focused activity at all
copper scraps.
times. Production, maintenance and service activities are carefully
Meanwhile, mining at Palabora’s adjacent vermiculite resource
scheduled to obtain maximum benefit from the footprint, fixed
is carried out by ‘blasting’ the ore in the 50-meter-deep pit. The
plant and production machinery; and optimal output from our
ore is then loaded onto trucks and transported to the surface to
competent work teams.”
the processing plant, where it is crushed, screened, stockpiled
With such constant activity in a high-risk heavy industry,
and dried. Finally, the material is passed through cross-currents
maintaining safety standards is just as importance to Palabora as the
designed to remove the lighter flakes from denser ones; crude
purity of their product. As well as keeping high safety standards and
vermiculite appears as golden-brown flakes, and its grades are
regulations in place, focus is given to every one of their 2,200-strong
classified depending on particle size. This scale ranges from coarse
staff. “Safety is personalised, with our teams practicing a ‘high-care’
grades at 8mm to 2.8mm, to the finest grade at 0.710mm to
attitude towards all team members. Employees are also encouraged
0.250mm.
through extensive training and operational guidelines to be directly
Remarkably, heating vvermiculite expands the material to many
responsible for their own safety.”
times its original size. This process is called “exfoliation”, and is carried out commercially to prepare the material for use. These
Endeavour Magazine | 47
AMAZING WORLD eRoadArlanda: ELECTRIC ROADS
I
n 2016, Endeavour spoke with Scania about
one
of
their
most
BY ALICE INSTONE-BREWER
Now, developing from what Scania
was the first to use the road, but in theory,
exciting
learned, Sweden is opening another first.
any existing electric car should be able to
achievements – the world´s first electric
The eRoadArlanda project has begun testing
pick up the charge.
road. The aim of these roads is to create
a similar technology, but this time, it can
Again, this test-road is about 2km long,
routes that charge electric vehicles as
be used by the public! Instead of needing
but the Swedish Transport Administration
they drive, removing the heavy reliance on
an adapted vehicle, the new roads should
has already drawn up plans for national
charging stations and greatly increasing the
charge any electric car or truck. If successful,
expansion of the technology. For an idea
practicality of electric vehicles. Located near
this technology could change everything we
of the potential scale, Sweden has roughly
the city of Gävle, the pioneering 2km stretch
know about vehicle fuel.
half a million kilometres of roadway in total,
of road set out to test this technology on
The test road runs between Stockholm
of which 20,000km are highways. The
industrial lorries that had been specially
Arlanda airport and a logistics site outside
Transport Administration are even in talks
adapted to pick up the road’s charge. This
the capital city – in other words, a frequently
with Berlin about a future international
industry-heavy route was also accessible by
used stretch of road by a mass of small and
network.
cars, but the benefits of the electric road
heavy vehicles alike. A former diesel-fuelled
On paper, the technology behind the
weren’t transferable – yet.
truck owned by the logistics firm PostNord
road sounds relatively simple: an electric rail
48 | Endeavour Magazine
Finally, the system is even able to calculate
new road time to be tested, so that any need
each vehicle’s energy consumption, which is
for improvements can be observed before
where that pesky element of paying for your
the technology is more broadly spread. By
fuel comes in.
electrifying all 20,000km of the country’s
Safety is also, of course, a major concern
highways, it is believed that cars would be
that the eRoadArlanda project has been
able to travel between these roads without
careful to take into account. The two tracks
ever running out of charge. However,
below the road apparently work as a form of
charging stations would presumably be
wall outlet, with the electricity itself running
required at people’s homes or in cities and
five or six centimetres down. This means
remote locations to account for drives who
no electricity runs along the surface itself;
only make small-road journeys.
according to the eRoadArlanda team, you
This technology is still in development;
could flood the roads with salt water and still
eventually, perhaps the kinetic energy
walk safely on it in bare feet.
of traveling vehicles will feed in to the
As consciousness about sustainable
electricity used for charge, or perhaps solar
energy increases globally, national grids in
technology on the roads’ surfaces will be able
Europe and around the world are looking for
to contribute. There are many directions this
affordable and manageable ways to move
technology could develop in, but this step
with two tracks is embedded into the road,
away from oil and coal, which has placed
forward is exciting proof that Sweden are
and these tracks transfer electricity via a
a growing focus on the improvement of
dedicated to this concept. Electric cars have
movable arm that attaches to the bottom of
battery storage technology. This new road’s
existed as a possibility for about as long as
vehicles. However, a great deal of thought
ability to charge cars as they drive, rather
fuel cars, but have tragically remained stuck
has gone into this design to make sure it is
than the vehicles needing to read spread-
in the slow lane; perhaps finally, it could be
intuitive enough to function safely, as well
out charging stations, would allow electric
their turn to overtake.
as to save power. The arm between the
car batteries to be smaller, and would also
vehicle and the road detaches whenever
lower manufacturing costs.
the vehicle moves to overtake, and then re-
These lowered costs are an attractive
attached when it is back in place. The road
prospect for Sweden; the country has
is also divided into separate 50m sections
pledged to achieve independence from
that are only powered when a vehicle is
fossil fuel by 2030, an ambitious pledge
above them, thus saving energy on empty
that requires a 70% reduction in the
road. When a vehicle stops on a section
transportation sector.
of road, the current is also disconnected.
The Swedish government are giving this Endeavour Magazine | 49
LEGAL COMPLIANCE AUDIT AND ITS PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE IN TESTING LEGAL COMPLIANCE IN THE AFFAIRS OF AN ORGANIZATION.
A legal compliance audit is an evaluation of an organization’s operations to determine its compliance with the laws and regulations that apply to its operations. In Tanzania the audit firms generally are mainly conducting legal audit and compliance. However, Vemma Attorneys having realized that, to ensure strict compliance, legal compliance audit is supposed to be done thoroughly by legal firms. Having realized this gap, Vemma Attorneys provides these services to its clients in order to ensure this gap is covered and our Clients are compliant within the ambits of corporate governance. The audit checklist guides the evaluation process by checking the company’s performance against legal standards and identifying areas where adherence needs to be stricter and compliant. Many areas in companies operations are subject to legal oversight but the major areas an organizational legal audit compliance checklist should cover are labour and employment relations, corporate governance and health and safety.
LABOUR LAWS The labour laws and its regulations arguably are the main area which require a thorough check, not only for the curbed complex involving the latter but also it is considered as a compliance risk involving the relationship of the employer and employees at the workplace. Subsequently on conducting a thorough examination on the human resource practices, there are requisite requirements which needs to be adhered including testing the employment contracts, policies vis a viz the contents of the Employment and Labour Relations Act, 2004 and its regulations such as job description, working hours, salary and fringe benefits, length of the contract, entitled leave, incapacity, illness and sick pay and termination and other labour laws and policies in place to include collective bargaining and trade union practices. The examination should go further to determine the policies in place and if at all the employees acknowledge the existence of such policies by reading and signing and to be more effective the policies are supposed to be displayed at conspicuous place so that each employee can read and understand their existence.
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE Corporate governance is one key element in improving organization efficiency and growth as well as enhancing investor confidence. Good Corporate governance also provides the structure through which the objectives of the company are set, and the means of attaining those objectives and monitoring performance are determined. In order for corporate governance to take part organizations are expected to comply with various governance laws and observe transparency, accountability, ethical code of conduct and sustainability. A legal compliance audit checklist should probe areas of the organization’s corporate governance practices; the examination may look into the appointments of directors, staff employment, procurement, annual general meetings, tax remittances (Corporate Tax, Withholding Tax, VAT, Stamp Duty, Capital Gains Tax) and company returns at the respective registry. For example under the Companies Act, Cap 212 the post compliance requisites after registration include: To keep a register of your company’s members (shareholders); To file the company’s Annual Returns in every year; To annex to the annual returns certified copies of Accounts and Auditors Reports related to the said returns; A company must hold an Annual General Meeting in every year and keep all its minutes; A company is required to keep proper Books of Accounts; To state your company’s incorporation number on any document you deliver to the Registrar for registration; To notify the Registrar of any changes of the company’s registered particulars kept by the Registrar; To register any charges created by your company.
In the same sequel corporate governance examination should probe into conducting regulatory review depending on the sector that the company that audit is conducted is falling, like on the banking sector the regulations imposed by Bank of Tanzania (BoT) should be checked to ensure compliance, the same for telecommunications companies under Tanzania Communications and Regulatory Authority (TCRA), Insurance Firms, Brokerage and Agencies under Tanzania Insurance Regulatory Authority (TIRA), for contractors under Contractors Registration Board (CRB), for aviation under Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority, (TCAA) energy sector under Energy and Water Regulatory Authority (EWURA), for transportation both surface and marine under the Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Authority (SUMATRA) and the same applies for Forest Industry (natural and plantations), bee reserves and bee resources under the semi-autonomous government agency of Tanzania Forest Services Agency (TFS). The examination should went further to audit on the review of contracts including management of contracts to meet the set goals, existing litigation and or, arbitration proceedings as well as employment disputes pending before the court of laws and their consequences or advise on the best alternative dispute resolution to avoid incurring costs and resources.
HEALTH AND SAFETY Health and Safety is another area of potential compliance risk while conducting compliance audit to ascertain organizational compliance on the health and safety. Organizations are subject to various health and safety laws, policies and directives such as Occupational Safety and Health Authority (OSHA), which distinguish health, and safety that apply to different sectors. The coming into force of Worker’s Compensation Act, which provides compensation for employees injured or incapacitated in the course of employment, all employers are required to contribute to the established Workers Compensation Fund (WCF). Private Sector is supposed to contribute 1% and Public Sector 0.5% of their annual wage bill. The contributions are due on monthly basis. In conducting the audit a checklist that covers the laws under health and safety are paramount to be examined in order to address every compliance risk. The legal compliance audit not only prevents unnecessary penalties upon spotted incompliant with regulators but has proved to be key element in improving organization efďŹ ciency, growth and provide an enabling climate for organization to operate and thrive within the realms of compliant structures.
FURTHER INFORMATION: This editorial is intended to give you a general over view of the Law. If you would like further information on any issue raised in this column, please contact.
Patrick Sanga Partner E: p.sanga@vemmaattorneys.co.tz M: +255 686 999 993 Haika-Belinda Macha Partner E: hb.macha@vemmaattorneys.co.tz M: +255 688 305 999
GHANA CHAMBER OF MINES WWW.GHANACHAMBEROFMINES.ORG // 00233 302 760652
DIGGING DEEPER EVERY YEAR Founded on a desire to be unified voice for the mining industry, the Ghana Chamber of Mines has never been willing to shy away from education, open communication and community spirit. Endeavour Magazine took a closer look at how the chamber operates and the effect it is having on a tough marketplace. WRITTEN BY AMY BUXTON
GHANA CHAMBER OF MINES
Citing its underlying mission as being “to represent the
mining industry in Ghana using the resources and capabilities of its members to deliver services that address members, government and community needs, in order to enhance development”, the Ghana Chamber of Mines (GCM) has made incredible inroads into what could be seen as a competitive, not cooperative industry.
W
ith an impressive legacy stretching all the way back to
the chamber at its very core and when we start to think about how
1038, the GCM is a one-stop shop for the representation
necessary the GCM actually is, these values become all the more
of collective interests of all reputable mineral exploration
laudable.
companies, in addition to those operations that produce and process mineral ores. Self-funded and entirely self-contained,
WHY IS THE GCM SO ESSENTIAL?
the chamber is supported by financial donations from members,
The mining industry in Ghana makes up 5% of the country’s
making it the perfect model of an advisory body that works for,
GDP and as such, requires thorough governance, protection
with and thanks to its members.
and development. These are only possible through open and
Having survived a number of administrative changes and
honest communication, the sharing of ideas and information
structural developments, the chamber, as it stands now, was
and experienced representation, all of which are promoted and
converted into a Company Limited by Guarantee in 1964, with
encouraged by the GCM. It’s also critical that workers’ rights are
new offices being opened three short years later. Since then, the
protected, as the need for reliable team members is only ever going
organisation has gone from strength to strength without ever
to increase, though illegal miners invading the marketplace are
negating the all-important focus on members:
continually threatening this.
“The Chamber has remained a voluntary private sector
Aligning with none of the core values of the chamber and giving
employers’ association representing companies and organisations
little consideration to workers’ rights or the continued economic
engaged in the minerals and mining industry in Ghana. Programmes
stability of Ghana as a whole, illegal mining operations are a
and activities of the chamber are funded entirely by its member
scourge on the otherwise immaculate landscape of the minerals
companies, which are largely responsible for producing almost all
exploration industry and needs to be stamped out. The GCM has
of Ghana’s minerals.”
risen to the challenge of taking on illegal mining, especially in the
Naturally, there are strict covenants as to the way the chamber presents itself in the marketplace and as such, it operates in accordance with the values that are expected from all members.
wake of the shocking death of John Owusu, the former Public Relations Director of the Anglogold Ashanti mine. Speaking about the influx of illegal activity, the chamber
corporate
commented that: “The country stands to lose heavily if the activities
citizenship, commitment and unity are the pillars which support
of the illegal miners are allowed to fester (…). There is a clear and
Honesty,
transparency,
54 | Endeavour Magazine
good
governance,
good
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BRINGING MORE TO MINING
GHANA CHAMBER OF MINES present danger to our environment and to Ghana’s economy as
would undermine Ghana’s efforts at attracting and sustaining the
illegal miners fight large-scale mining companies for concessions
much-needed investment into the mining industry.”
the latter have obtained legally. This in itself breeds a sense of
A two-pronged attack seems to be the order of the day, with the
insecurity and fear among investors, which will cause a slowdown
GCM protecting the rights of stand-up operations and supporting
in investment in the country’s minerals sectors.”
them wherever possible, with regular newsletters, conferences and
This in itself raises a very important question. How can Ghana
educational content and the Government being called on to install
continue to sell itself as a promising prospect for foreign investment,
military protection at legal mining sites. By working cooperatively,
therefore strengthening the wider economy, if security can’t be
the unsavory element that has been steadily creeping into the
guaranteed, thanks to illegal mining and violent confrontations?
Ghana mining industry can be effectively dealt with, without any
With the country earning little to nothing off the back of illegal
of the specialist focus points being overlooked, such as health
mining, it stands to reason that legal operations should be given
and safety.
more support than ever before, which is why the GCM has been
Demonstrating a natural gift for protecting the rights of legal
conversing and working closely with the Government, to encourage
miners, as well as their wellbeing, issues pertinent to safe operation
change:
are highlighted through annual health and safety competitions, as
“Honestly, the country earns next to nothing from the activities
well as strategic communications. This really does give a rounded
of these illegal miners. Only a few unscrupulous individuals benefit
impression of how hard every member of the GCM’s council needs
from it. It is no secret that the Government loses significant
to work and how accountable every member mining company
amounts of fiscal revenue every year as a result of such illegal
needs to be.
mining activities. Apart from projecting a bad image for the entire
It’s no secret that education leads to development, innovation
mining sector, the repercussions to the environment are ominous.
and communication, but it’s still relatively rare to discover an
If the activities of the illegal miners are not nipped in the bud it
association that is as intrinsically committed to these endeavours
Working in partnership with international mining companies, PW Mining is a major contractor in the development of Africa’s Goldfields. Working in partnership with international mining companies, PW Mining is a major contractor in the development of Africa’s Goldfields.
We have completed mining projects in Ghana for AngloGold Ashanti, Gold Fields, Wexford Goldfields, Satellite Goldfields and Resolute. Our civil engineering division works successfully for Newmont in Ghana. Other contracts have been undertaken in Burkina Faso, Mali, Sierra Leone and Tanzania. Our expertise is geared to support large and small operations in the remotest and most testing conditions.
We have completed mining projects in Ghana for AngloGold Ashanti, Gold Fields, Wexford Goldfields, Satellite Goldfields and Resolute. Our civil engineering division works successfully for Newmont in Ghana. Other contracts have been undertaken in Burkina Faso, Mali, Sierra Leone and Tanzania. Our expertise is geared to support large and small operations in the remotest and most testing conditions. Contact: Tony O’Neill PW Mining International Ltd., 10 Abidjan Avenue, East Legon, Accra, Ghana.
Tel: +233 302 518112 - 6 Fax: +233 302 518117
Email: pwg@pwmil.com
Contact: Tony O’Neill PW Mining International Ltd., 10 Abidjan Avenue, East Legon, Accra, Ghana.
56 | Endeavour Magazine
Tel: +233 302 518112 - 6 Fax: +233 302 518117 Email: pwg@pwmil.com
as the GCM is. By stamping out the illegal miners, lifting those that operate within the law and for the benefit of Ghana as a whole and seeking to invest into the local economy, the GCM is leading the
ADDING VALUE. DE
charge in terms of industry support systems and maybe it’s time for others to dig a little deeper and find a similar amount of resolve and resilience. Sulemanu Koney, CEO of the chamber, is looking to the future and offers a fantastic final word in terms of what can reasonably be expected, in the coming years: “The chamber’s presence on the internet is designed to harness the potential of information technology to disseminate information, facts and figures that will educate and correct the misinformation about the impacts of mining in Ghana. More importantly, it is envisaged that the website will become a useful tool to bridge the barriers of communication between our industry and the various publics.”
KNIGHT PIESOLD GHANA LIMITED was incorporated in 1996 and since that time has provided specialist Engineering, Environmental and Materials Testing services to the Mining sector within Ghana and neighboring West Africa countries.
The Knight Piésold group, of which Knight Piésold Ghana is part, is an Geotechnical Materia international company of consulting Engineers and Environmental scientists providing services to public Knight Piésold Ghanaand Ltd. private sector clients the Water, Power, Mining Housein No.20 2nd Close Airport Residential and Environmental fields. Area P.O Box C4122 Cantonments Accra
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+233 30 702 1155 +233 540 106 691 Email: accra@knightpiesild.com jcoffin@knightpiesold.com Web: www.knightpiesold.com Endeavour Magazine | 57
NATIONAL ENERGY WWW.NATIONALENERGY.TT // 001 868 636 8471
POWERING UP A wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago, National Energy is committed to supporting the infrastructure and development of the nation’s gas-based energy industry and monetising the country’s extensive natural gas resources to the benefit of this industrial hub. WRITTEN BY ALICE INSTONE-BREWER
NATIONAL ENERGY
As we all know, Trinidad & Tobago is an oil & gas reliant
industrial hub with key ports in LNG shipping. In fact, as the third richest country in the Americas by GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) after the United States and Canada, Trinidad and Tobago moved up six places in The World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report in 2017. As such, the management of the islands’ energy is a demanding task, as is the management and utilisation of their hydrocarbon resources.
S
ince we last spoke with National Energy (then the National Energy Corporation or NEC), the company has been engaging in all enterprises within the hydrocarbon-based and energy-
intensive industries, with a view to further promoting, developing and
facilitating
downstream
energy-based
industries
and
businesses on the islands. National Energy was incorporated in 1979 as National Energy
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Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago to continue the work first started by the Coordinating Task Force in monetising the country’s natural gas resources, as well as developing and managing industrial and marine infrastructure. National Energy was also involved in the construction and operation of the early petrochemical plants and the port and marine infrastructure which service all plants at the Point Lisas Industrial Estate. Today National Energy (nee National Energy Corporation) is well positioned as the force that will drive the expansion of the energy sector into the future. The company is taking a proactive approach to promoting Trinidad and Tobago’s energy brand regionally and internationally, including the company’s recent re-naming and re-branding, as well as continuing to execute the development of energy projects and infrastructure under the guidance of the Ministry of Energy and Energy Affairs.
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NATIONAL ENERGY In its primary role as overseer to the nation’s gas-based
industrial estates and deep-water ports, as well as the development
industrial infrastructure, National Energy is responsible for the
and management of the existing La Brea and Union Industrial
development and identification of new industrial estates, as well
Estates. However, whilst the company is most focused on in-region
as the deep-water ports that service them, with such projects
projects, it is also turning its eye overseas, investigating ways to
providing a crucial contribution to the national economy through
ship its knowledge and expertise to the energy sections in Guyana
the creation of strategic national assets in the marine, energy
and Suriname.
and infrastructure sectors. This covers work in procurement,
Similar to this overseas outreach, NEC also hosts supplier
design, project implementation and supervision of publicly funded
forums that seek to promote and introduce suppliers from the
projects, and involves working closely with and going between the
oil and gas industries, and well as raising awareness about their
Government, local and international investors, consultants and
internal processes. At these forums, suppliers are able to network
contractors.
and meet each other, as well as forming stronger bonds with
On top of this, the NEC is also responsible for the maintenance
NEC’s staff themselves. This somewhat unique approach is NEC’s
and management of Trinidad and Tobago’s two existing industrial
preferred way to of build relationships with existing and potential
estates and port facilities, which are essential in servicing the
suppliers. Even after these summits, communication and direct
nation’s energy and industrial sectors and overseeing the import
interaction between themselves and their suppliers is key to NEC;
and export requirements of petrochemical and metal plants.
they believe in keeping lines of communication open at all times,
Although NEC continues to focus on the above areas, its
allowing in-house staff and supplier companies to interact easily as
current mandate also includes identifying and developing new
one team. Similarly, this focus on bonds means NEC prefer forming
62 | Endeavour Magazine
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Endeavour Magazine | 63
NATIONAL ENERGY long-term relationships over flitting between loyalties to chase the
ongoing competency and ever-improving abilities. Within this,
lowest price; instead, their approach builds trust between steady
there is also a strong focus on career development and promotion
relationships, allowing for credit on larger purchases and more
from within. As NEC see it, in an industry that is always evolving
secure business for both parties. That said, they dissuade nepotism
and growing, the development of each employee is crucial for
by reminding their suppliers to stay competitive!
standards to remain high and employees’ training to stay relevant.
When asked what exciting developments they had on the
In doing so, they keep ensuring that Trinidad and Tobago are not
horizon, NEC were keen to mention their integrated Melamine/
only benefiting from high standards themselves, but can continue
Formaldehyde cluster project at Union Industrial Estate. This
their trend-setting global rise.
project aims to utilise locally produced melamine and methanol to create higher valued products, such as Oriented Strand Board and Veneer Products. A first for Trinidad and Tobago, the project also seeks to bridge the gap between the energy and manufacturing sectors of the economy. NEC currently employ around 130 people, not including their many highly skilled subcontractors. The development of their employees is a serious matter to the company, with Personal Development Plans developed for every individual on the NEC payroll. Great attention is paid not only to staff’s training, but their
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64 | Endeavour Magazine
AUTOMOTIVES THE AWARDING WINNING PEUGEOT 5008 SUV RRP STARTING AT £24,139.00
I
’ve harboured a soft spot for Peugeots ever since my early days owning the nowclassic 205 GTI. It was aggressive and fun
- just what every teenager wanted. The new 5008 is a world apart from the boy racer’s GTI: it’s a spacious, refined, comfortable SUV that manages to feel like a nimbler, smaller vehicle when you drive it. This car is as attractive as it is practical: it oozes style from every angle and has a strong presence on the road. Our test model was the 2.0 BlueHDi 150 StopStart EU6 GT Line in emerald green - a stunning and unusual look. Peugeot are continually winning awards, and the 5008 is no exception. This model has already won What Car’s Best Large SUV car of the Year 2018, and CCT Award’s 2018 SUV of the Year. In essence, Peugeot have taken the winning formula of the 3008, made it 20cm longer and added two extra seats. Although this isn’t a 4x4, the 5008 does utilise an intuitive electronic drive system that gives great grip and rewards you with a brilliantly settled ride from back roads to motorway cruising. The interior to this stunning vehicle is just as lovely as the exterior: from the large infotainment touch screen to the digital wrap dash and dials, the design is incredibly engaging and well thought out. The mix of
its rivals. Every seat has ample leg room
the small steering wheel on the 5008 would
top-quality plastic, leather and cloth give
available, yet the roof height can be an issue.
be just as at home on a go-kart. This design
the cabin a sophisticated look, and the dash
I am 5’11 and my head was close to the roof
choice is a bit like Marmite - you either love it
piano keys add a real touch of class. The
in the back seats - it was barley touching,
or hate it. Personally, I got used to it quickly,
cabin also has good storage throughout,
but the experience felt a little oppressive.
and realised that it had a practical side to it;
besides the tiny glove box, which ironically
These three full-sized passenger seats can
it was nice to see the dials above the wheel
would probably only hold gloves.
all slide and recline to gain a bit more head
rather than having to peer through it, and
The higher ride height of the SUV is also
room, though, and when you move further
it also gave the car a sporty feel - it’s only
a plus, offering safety and visibility a-plenty.
back to the additional seats in the rear, there
when you look in the mirror that you are
The rear-view is slightly compromised by
is strangely more headroom.
reminded you are in a big SUV.
the length of the vehicle, but no more than 66 | Endeavour Magazine
In an odd contrast with its large build,
The 5008 can comfortably carry seven
are the Active, Allure, GT Line, GT Line
I love Peugeot’s commitment to safety,
Premium and then finally the GT. All models
and it’s going strong in this car. All 5008s
have an awesome level of equipment: ABS,
come with V-AEB, which is Peugeot’s
alarm, auto door locks, electronic hill assist
Automatic Emergency Braking system, as
parking brake, Bluetooth, USB, halogen
standard. In case of an emergency, the
lights…the list goes on! Our model also came
electronic sensors will always react much
with a driver’s massage seat, three fragrance
quicker that a driver and avoid the incident.
air fresheners that pump through the air
This system has proven to save lives and, in
people, but you do have to arrange them
vents, and bundles of other goodies. There
my opinion, should be made standard on all
in the seats based on their height! When
is too much to list in full, but needless to say
cars, but sadly it isn’t.
all seven seats are in use, there is very little
you won’t want for much. Rather than me
To sum up the 5008 is easy: Peugeot
boot space - really only enough for a couple
list everything over the next few pages, go
have taken the fantastic and award winning
of small suitcases. However, in the car’s
and check them out at your nearest dealer.
3008 and made it more practical and family
normal five-seat mode, the boot is a really
There is a good range of engines
friendly. If you are looking for a stylish and
good size: at its max with the rear two seats
available, from a 1.2 turbo petrol to a 2litre
capable seven-seater. this could well fit the
removed and the back three folded out of
diesel, all returning very good MPG. If you
bill. It is certainly worth a test drive, and I
the way, it offers a cavernous 2150 litres.
are planning to carry seven people regularly
challenge you not to be impressed.
There are five 5008 models to choose from: starting from the most basic up, they
then I would suggest you go for one of the bigger engines. Endeavour Magazine | 67
SKODA KAROQ SE TECHNOLOGY
RRP £22,230
A
pril 2018 was a big month for me. I had a weekend away in Brighton to run in their annual marathon: I ran a marathon
ten years ago, and bad planning led to a burn out at 18 miles and dragging myself the final eight. It has taken me ten years to pluck up the courage to give it another go. There were five of us running together, so we wanted to travel the 400-mile round trip in a relaxing and comfortable car, to be as fresh as we could for the big day. I imagine a Skoda might not be everyone’s first choice, but I was glad it was mine! Skoda originated in the Czech Republic, and in the early years their cars had a certain
with voice control, Bluetooth, adaptive
inside is a lovely place to be. The cloth
reputation that wasn’t to be boasted about,
cruise control with a speed limiter, an 8”
seats looked fantastic and were extremely
but in 2000, they became a wholly owned
touchscreen
touchscreen
comfortable. with the materials used being
subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group. Today,
display, automatic headlights, automatic
perfect. What’s more, all of the switchgears
the VW influence is so strong that you could
braking, duel-zone climate control, parking
are in the right place, are easy to use and
remove the badging from Skoda, Audi, VW
sensors, electronic parking brake with auto
feel satisfying.
and Seat and most would be hard pressed to
hold (great for hill starts!), auto rain sensor
There are four engines to choose from
know which car was which.
wipers, an auto rear dimming mirror, tables
with the Skoda Karoq: a 1-liter 115PS petrol,
There are just four models of the Skoda
for the passengers in the back, and even an
1.5-liter 150PS petrol, 1-liter 115PS diesel
Karoq to choose from, starting at the SE,
umbrella under the passenger’s seat! There is
and finally, the 2-liter 150 PS Diesel. Ours
SE Technology, SE L and finally the Edition.
more I could mention, but I guess that you’ve
was the 1.5 turbo petrol engine, which
Ours was the Karoq SE Technology, which is
grasped the idea of how many features this
gives more than enough grunt to propel
the second specification model in the range.
car backs - it’s incredibly impressive.
this car along at up to 126 mph and 0-62
infotainment
This car is anything but basic. Although a
What’s more, the car is a real looker
in just 8.4 seconds. Our fully laden trip to
basic model, you still get plenty of features:
both inside and out - it is quality through
Brighton involved a bit of town driving, but
alloy wheels, electric door mirrors, a leather
and through. Getting into the car, the doors
the majority was motorway miles, and it still
steering wheel, an eight speaker stereo
open and shut with a reassuring clunk, and
returned around 51mpg.
68 | Endeavour Magazine
In fact, on my return from the marathon weekend, I had been so impressed with the Karoq that I went out of my way and visited my local Skoda garage to check out their whole range of cars. I have been testing and reviewing cars for years and I have never done this before. At the dealers, I was amazed at the cars Skoda now offer. Now, please bear in mind I was smitten with the Karoq, but there were two more cars that really stood out for me. The first was the Superb Sportline, a 280 PS sports car. This car reminded me of my old Audi A7 with its looks and the build quality, but was available at around half the cost. The second was a Kodiq 7-seater. This model was in a luxurious deep blue with a cream leather interior, and it was nothing short of magnificent. Skoda are a force to be reckoned with. I can’t remember the last car I was so impressed by: couple that statement up with the fact that this was their basic model, and it is nothing short of amazing. A final note to add is that the five of us who ran in the marathon all achieved times we were all delighted with. I followed my plan to the letter and lay my demons to bed. I didn’t repeat the hideous experience of before, but replaced it with a strong and joyous 26.2 mile run! With five tired and aching runners on the return journey in the Skoda, I can tell you without a doubt that the Karoq is comfort. The only moaning I heard was at not being able to agree on which fast food to refuel on - burgers or chicken! Endeavour Magazine | 69
DEENDAYAL PORT TRUST WWW.DEENDAYALPORT.GOV.IN // 91 2836 238055
A PORT FOR THE WORLD It’s no secret that the key to a successful and burgeoning economy is a reliable and effective import/export infrastructure and that’s where India appears to have a global edge. The Deendayal Port Trust is leading the way in terms of volume cargo handling and expansion, which is why Endeavour Magazine decided to find out more. WRITTEN BY AMY BUXTON
DEENDAYAL PORT TRUST
Dating back to 1931, when it was a mere jetty, the
Deendayal Port is a project steeped in maritime history and traditions, but don’t for one second assume that it is stuck in the past. Far from it in fact, as the port has consistently grown, developed and accounted for diversified needs and challenges in a bid to demonstrate an innovative, not to mention intuitive, approach to essential infrastructure design.
N
ow officially recognised as the number one port in India, a title
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held for a spectacularly impressive nine years, the Deendayal Port Trust benefits from a convenient placement, as well as a
visionary management team and combined, these elements have led to phenomenal success. What’s more, there is no sign of things slowing down. Boasting an infinitely convenient location, the Deendayal Port Trust is “…a seaport in the Kutch District of Gujarat state, in western India, near the city of Gandhidham. The port was constructed in the 1950s as the chief seaport serving western India, after the partition
Air freight forwarding, shipping logistics, consolidation, warehousing & distribution, sea logistics
of India from Pakistan left the port of Karachi in Pakistan. Today, it is the largest port of India, by volume of cargo handled.” Born out of a necessity for additional port services after the partition of India from Pakistan, the Deendayal Port Trust has always had a facet of necessity at its core, which is still being built upon now, but we’ll come to future developments in due course. It’s safe to say that whatever is being planned, the site will definitely be able to handle any increase in cargo handling, as it is already coping magnificently with just shy of 73 million tonnes per annum. Aiming to be one of the most economical and contemporary ports in the world, while maintaining a steely focus on offering clients cost-effective services and solutions, the team at the Deendayal Port Trust are beholden to a clear and defined mission statement that adequately sums up everything the enterprise really stands for: “Deendayal Port will emerge as a vibrant, world-class, multi-cargo port offering services at multiple locations and having a dominant share of regional cargo by virtue of its ability to effectively
72 | Endeavour Magazine
DEENDAYAL PORT TRUST leverage its locations and land resources for facilitation of the
and potential new clients. With steadfast storage, dry dock and
growth of economic activities and investments, with the objective
clearance facilities already helping to carve an enviably admired
of developing mutually beneficial and sustainable linkages with
global name for the trust, the new strategies look set to really set
port based industries and users, thereby making Deendayal the
it in stone.
driver of economic growth in the region.”
In the short-term, there are numerous small improvements
Aligning beautifully with this ultimate end goal are the key
being made to retain all current clients and cargo contracts. With
objectives of the Trust, which are refreshingly sustainable and
this in mind, cost-efficiency is of the utmost importance, as is a
responsible. It will come as no surprise that eco initiatives and
pro-active marketing strategy. Some modernisation of the rail
ethical practices are becoming ever more essential in big business,
network will certainly help to keep things moving, both literally and
but who could have ever predicted that a busy port would be
metaphorically too, but it’s the medium and long-term plans that
leading the charge?
really promise to bring the Deendayal Port Trust into a whole new
Determined to not only satisfy clients in terms of costs and standards, but also timeframes, there are many new practices being
era: “The long-term strategy of the port will be to offer adequate
implemented by the management team at the Deendayal Port
infrastructure
Trust, all of which are proving beneficial for the wider community.
infrastructure developments, deepening the channel to handle
‘Peaceful industrial relations’ are listed amongst the most vital
vessels up to 14 metres, the installation of Eight ELL cranes of
outcomes, alongside social development and environmentally
20/25 tonnes capacity and more.”
friendly innovations and given that a period of growth is being embarked upon, there’s a lot to be excited about.
and
competitive
tariffs,
through
additional
The team went on to reveal, “Although officials declined to elaborate, given the on-going election code of conduct, it is reliably
Already offering a great swathe of port services, Deendayal is
learnt that the port will soon initiate the process of selecting
set to expand, in a bid to further meet the needs of both existing
developers for four clean cargo berths that together aim to handle
74 | Endeavour Magazine
8 million tonnes of cargo. The four berths will be supported by a 14-metre draft, capable of handling 75,000 dwt vessels. The port has already received encouraging responses, from prospective bidders, for the project, which is estimated to cost nearly 5,000 million INR� There are few things that can compete with a dynamic schedule of development, but Deendayal has more than a good reputation and potential growth to rely on, when trying to welcome new clients into the fold. A transparent pricing schedule, free storage facilities, complimentary fire-fighting services and extensive specialist equipment all add to an already impressive bill of services and will only continue to keep making a positive impression as the site grows. Able to demonstrate year-on-year financial performance improvements, a clear commitment to operating within a sustainable and responsible framework and with the best interests and satisfaction of clients always at the core of every endeavour, the Deendayal Port Trust is a name to cast to memory. We will be sure to revisit this enterprising organisation again and look forward to reporting on how the new developments and expansion plans have impacted on the team.
Endeavour Magazine | 75
SAIA WWW.SAIA.CO.ZA // 0027 11 726 5381
INSURING THE FUTURE The insurance industry intrinsically offers peace of mind, but in South Africa, protection comes with an extra side of assurance, in the form of the South African Insurance Association. Endeavour Magazine took a closer look at what makes this representative body such a linchpin of the sector. WRITTEN BY AMY BUXTON
SAIA
The insurance industry might not immediately seem like
a sector that enjoys a good deal of heritage, but in the case of the South African Insurance Association (SAIA), there is a legacy of stewardship that spans over 100 years.
O
riginally founded in 1907 as the Council of Fire Insurance
close links to the SAIA. The SAIA also supports the South African
Companies, the representative body has evolved and adapted
Police Services (SAPS) in combating crime, through participation
over the years, transforming into the SAIA of today in 1973 -
in various Business Against Crime South Africa (BACSA) initiatives.
but what exactly does it seek to do? “The South African Insurance Association (SAIA) is the
The SAIA donates a significant amount of money to BACSA on an annual basis to further specifically identified relevant initiatives.”
representative body of the short-term insurance industry. It
Putting aside archaic jokes about insurance being daylight
represents the industry to all relevant stakeholders, to ensure a
robbery, it’s impressive to observe such a commitment to best
sustainable and dynamic short-term insurance industry.”
and legal practices, but the inherent community responsibility
Given the vital importance of fair and reliable insurance
doesn’t end with these allegiances. Recognising the importance
premiums, it makes sense that a body has been set-up in order to
of better road safety in the country, the SAIA, in partnership with
oversee all relevant companies and parties involved, but there’s so
BACSA, is constantly looking to improve initiatives that drive better
much more to it than that. Consumers and stakeholders alike can
awareness.
take comfort in the knowledge that the SAIA is fully operational,
It’s a reassuring notion that an insurance body operates under
as it seeks to promote a fair and sustainable ethos that leads to
a strict mandate of not only maintaining a fair and legitimate
competitive practices and a long-term viable market.
industry, but also improving the landscape and safety of a country
Representing the lion’s share of short-term insurance providers
as a whole, but there is an underlying sense of responsibility in
in South Africa, the SAIA has full authority to negotiate on their
every endeavor undertaken by the SAIA, as the vision of the body
behalf while also playing an active role in both the set-up and
aptly demonstrates, by stating that it aims:
continuation of external organisations that seek to improve the general landscape of South Africa: “In its quest to fight insurance crime, and especially also insurance fraud, the SAIA was instrumental in establishing the South
“To promote and represent the interests of the short-term insurance industry, while leading and enhancing the efforts of the industry to become recognised and trusted as an important contributor to the South African economy and society.”
African Insurance Crime Bureau (SAICB) at the end of 2008. The
This overarching stewardship is tailored and focused in the
SAICB is an independent organisation with its own members and
everyday operations of the governing body, to hone in on the
78 | Endeavour Magazine
people that matter most; the companies that are members of the association, as well as the customers of said organisations. The mission statement of the SAIA states that it is determined to: “Encourage fair and ethical treatment of short-term insurance customers, favourably represent the short-term insurance industry in such a way that all stakeholders have trust and confidence in the industry and to create an environment in which industry members can share information, debate important and relevant issues, and create a common vision for the short-term insurance industry.� Aiming to also keep any and all stakeholders fully informed of developments and initiatives that might arise, while also promoting awareness of the industry and the impact that it has on the landscape of the South African economy, it’s clear that the SAIA has willingly taken up a mantle of intense responsibility, but with such aplomb. Insurance companies have a significant impact on every facet of life, so it makes sense that a comprehensive code of conduct was introduced. With some of the most respected regional providers enjoying membership with the SAIA, proper regulation
Endeavour Magazine | 79
SAIA and behavioural guidelines are absolutely essential, to ensure that
of prioritising the needs of one faction above the other, which
everyone is representing the interests of the association and the
makes this an association that neatly accounts for the need of the
insurance industry as a whole, in the most positive way possible:
many, not the few and that’s not easy to do.
“The SAIA and its members are committed to actively contribute
Given that almost everybody needs short-term insurance
to the principles of sustainable insurance practices. This is to ensure
policies of some description, from vehicle and home cover through
that the South African short-term insurance industry remains
to personal accident and travel insurance premiums, the importance
relevant, inspires confidence amongst its stakeholders and offers
of an association such as the SAIA cannot be ignored. As a growth
products and solutions that are beneficial to both the economy and
industry, the South African insurance sector needs proper support
society at large. To support these goals, the SAIA Code of Conduct
and governance and the SAIA will always be on hand to promote
was introduced in 2010 with the purpose of promoting high ethical
best practices and new initiatives, for the benefit of everybody. If
standards and good business practices in the industry, as well as to
that’s not a promise of a lucrative future, what is?
give a clear indication of the self-regulatory guidelines followed by members.” It takes a knowledgeable and committed board to not only govern high standards within a commercial industry but also offer consumers peace of mind, but that’s exactly what the SAIA manages to balance. Providing an easy way of verifying legitimate insurers, while always keeping member companies informed of any relevant legislation and operational developments, there’s no sense
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80 | Endeavour Magazine
AMAZING WORLD MARCHE DU NAIN ROUGE
T
BY JAMES LAPPING
urn on the news, look at your phone or
or even thousands of years, but some are far
the music genre creating hit after hit with
even go outside, and the chances are
more recent. One hasn’t even made it to its
successful artists such as Stevie Wonder,
that you will be overwhelmed with bad
first decade; a vibrant and chaotic festival
Diana Ross & The Supremes, and Michael
news. We read stories of suffering every day,
from Detroit, Michigan USA - Marche du
Jackson with the Jackson 5. What could stop
which can pile on top of the challenges in
Nain Rouge!
Detroit?
our own lives and leave us feeling hopeless
Detroit. Michigan has been significantly
Yet, in the 1970s, it all began to collapse.
or smothered. In bleak times such as long
downtrodden in recent history. It was a once
The factories left town, Motown moved to
winters or periods of suffering, humans have
prosperous city, challenging to be one of the
the west coast, and the city fell into disrepair.
often responded to hardship by lighting up
greatest cities in the US, alongside New York,
Race riots broke out as tensions rose,
the dark; we create a parade or celebration,
Chicago, and L.A. It homed General Motors
and local communities were left unfairly
often linked with a folktale about driving
and Ford, who in its heyday, produced the
stigmatised. If you walk through Detroit
off the cause of our strife. Most of these
majority of the cars purchased and driven
today, you will see that many factories still
traditions have existed for dozens, hundreds,
within the country. Then there was Motown,
lay abandoned, and block after block of
82 | Endeavour Magazine
you have to know the story behind it.
the citizens of Detroit starting off on the
Legend has it that after Antoine de la
corner of Canfield and Second and ending at
Mothe Cadillac founded the city of Detroit,
the Masonic Temple - a gothic structure that
he crossed the path of a devilish creature
certainly makes a suitable setting for casting
known as Nain Rouge (French for red dwarf/
a devilish creature from the city! Magnificent
imp). Ignoring the prior advice of a fortune
floats are assembled, elaborate outfits are
teller, who had warned him to submit to the
worn, and the parade is teeming with masks,
demands of a figure that crossed his path of
music and embroiled in madness.
his travels, Cadillac shouted, “Get out of my
Taking
aspects
of
already
well-
way, you red imp!”, and hit it with his stick.
established carnivals, such as Mardi Gras in
Subsequently, Cadillac’s fortunes began to
New Orleans, the Marche du Nain Rouge still
fail - he had been cursed by Nain Rouge!
creates a unique atmosphere and has forged
This bad fortune has long been believed to
its own local identity. As with Mardi Gras,
have stayed within the region, and has been
‘Krewes’ form and represent their local areas
blamed for many significant events in Detroit,
within the city, bringing together the vast
such as the economic downturn, riots, and
cultures and peoples that share Detroit as
the poverty that can still be witnessed today.
their home. There are even playful rivalries
The Nain Rouge is even said to have been
with ‘opponents’ to the festival: during the
sighted at the time of some of Detroit’s
celebrations, groups calling themselves ‘The
notorious events over the decades.
Friends of the Nain Rouge’ and ‘We Are Nain
For most, of course, this story is just
Rouge’ have light-heartedly ‘protested’ the
that – a story. Rather than making light of
banishment parade. Their tongue in cheek
the true causes behind Detroit’s suffering,
argument is that the Nain Rouge is not to
however, the legend instead serves as a
blame for the city’s ills, and that considering
much-needed source of stress relief and
Detroit’s population loss, no one should be
celebration. In 2010, the Marche du Nain
banished from the city - particularly those
Rouge was created; according to the official
who have been there the longest! In other
Facebook page, “The idea with the Marche
words, it’s all part of the fun.
was to tap into Detroit’s rich history and use
On the 25th March 2018, the Marche du
the Nain Rouge story as a way for Detroiters
Nain Rouge occurred for the 9th time since
to come together in common purpose. The
its founding in 2010. This may be a relatively
carnival-esque festival calls for all Detroiters
new event for Detroit, but it is nonetheless
houses are left derelict; many citizens still
to don costumes that mask themselves in
already prolific! Recent years have even
suffer from great poverty and live in squalid
front of the Nain Rouge.” In times of turmoil,
pointed towards an upturn in favours for the
conditions in deserted neighbourhoods. It is
it is paramount for communities and people
city, and perhaps the joys of the festival are
not just Detroit that is suffering, either - the
of all walks of life to come together for a
partly accountable for this revitalised spirit.
next town over, Flint, was left with a lead-
common cause: every year, the Marche
Who knows – perhaps Cadillac’s curse really
poisoned water supply - comparable to third
du Nain Rouge brings the city of Detroit
is lifted a little more each year?
world conditions. What caused all of this?
together with the ‘goal’ of casting the devilish
In a world full of pain, division and poor
The complicated answer is a catalytic spiral
imp, Nain Rouge, from the boundaries of
luck, we should rejoice in togetherness.
of socio-economic issues, political event
their proud city.
Even Tommy Wiseau, cult film director, once
and institutionalised prejudices – and yet,
The dynamic, colourful event has been
famously stated, “If a lot of people love each
some people turn to a more supernatural
held every year since, always on the Spring
other, the world would be a better place to
explanation.
Equinox. A parade congregates down an
live.” So, be gone from Detroit, Nain Rouge!
To appreciate Marche du Nain Rouge,
area in the city called the Cass Corridor, with Endeavour Magazine | 83