SEPTEMBER 2013
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EDITORIAL Heads of Departments Editor in Chief Daemon Sands daemonsands@littlegatepublishing.com Head of Editorial Don Campbell doncampbell@littlegatepublishing.com Editorial Research Manager Alex Smith alexsmith@littlegatepublishing.com Sales Director James Martin jamesmartin@littlegatepublishing.com Corporate Director Anthony Letchumaman anthonyl@littlegatepublishing.com Lead Designer Alina Sandu studio@littlegatepublishing.com Publisher Stephen Warman stevewarman@littlegatepublishing.com Any enquiries or subscriptions can be sent to info@littlegatepublishing.com ENDEAVOUR MAGAZINE is published by Littlegate Publishing LTD which is a Registered Company in the United Kingdom. Company Registration: 07657236 VAT registration number:116 776007 343 City Road Kings Lane London Norwich EC1 V1LR NR1 3PS Littlegate Publishing Ltd does not accept responsibility for omissions or errors. The points of view expressed in articles by attributing writers and/or in advertisements included in this magazine do not necessarily represent those of the publisher. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained within this magazine, no legal responsibility will be accepted by the publishers for loss arising from use of information published. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored in a retrievable system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the publisher. Copyright © Littlegate Publishing Ltd 2013
C
urrently
we’re
spoilt
for
and news media want us to be affected
choice in as far as global crises
and moved by their stories but rely
and reasons for outrage are
on our shallowness and superficial
concerned and while the mainstream
interest in global events to keep their
media have placed a snipers scope
newspapers and websites moving.
upon a rail-gun in their attempt to
It is the responsibility of the media to
highlight the most important of these
report the news, to make it available
it does feel that the most important
to us and it is the responsibility of the
issues of our time are all fighting for
companies behind the media to supply
their fifteen minutes of fame.
the demand. But it is the increased
As I don’t have a particular position
hunger we have for these global
on the situation in Syria because as it
travesties that suggests a real need by
turns out ‘too many cooks really does
us as people to have too many options
spoil the broth’ I find myself thinking
to choose from thereby removing our
about what’s happened to all the
responsibility to choose something to
anger and outrage about the Anti-
define ourselves by.
Gay Propaganda laws in Russia, or
My grandfather was so moved by
the electoral corruption in Zimbabwe,
the tyranny that was occurring in
what about the 300 tonnes of
Germany in 1940s that he went to
radioactive material still pouring
war because of it. It was his inability
out of the Fukushima Power Plants
to allow such a thing to continue that
in Japan and falling into the Pacific
defined him as a person.
Ocean right now.
Any number of the inhumane and
The news today seems to be a flat
disgusting things that have appeared
ocean that we stare at, able to
on the news over the last month could
accommodate only one surfacing
escalate into something similar or
whale at a time and while that whale is
worse to what my grandfather faced.
out of the water we’ll throw everything
But will any of us have the chance to
we have at it only to forget about it the
be so moved?
moment it goes under again, happy to let it go. While this isn’t new to anyone and far be it to be called news to anyone else, it is still true, the mainstream gossip
Endeavour Magazine | 3
CONTENTS FEATURES
32
Ska Project Focus On The Stars
38
Ministry Of Planning TT Planning Ahead
44
Buffalo City A South African Metropolis
50
King Pie Achieving Success Is As Easy As Pie
58
Agrocaribe Establishing The Human Element
64
McLeod Russel Uganda An Infusion Of Quality
70
Omnicane Nation With A Sweet Tooth
78
Norpalm Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained
84
Kenmare Resources The Mona Lisa Of Mozambique
92
Fima Films With A Bow On Top
96
Pres-T-Con Pride, Innovation And Excellence
102 CIFA Building On Rock And Stone
70 Omnicane 4 | Endeavour Magazine
84 Kenmare Resources
58 Agrocaribe
ARTICLES
6
Venus Williams Keeping The Eye On The Ball
24
Exercise The Ultimate Stress Buster
10
Protecting The Tribe Of Ghosts
26
Business Headlines
12
I Am Just Saying
30
Glamping It Up At Paws Up, Montana
14
A Super Business Opportunity
16
Of What Value Are Your Values?
106 Real Alchemy:
18
BMW I3: Zero-Emission Mobility, Customary BMW Driving Pleasure
108 Don’t Be A Lazy Writer - Some Steps
Gadgets
110 Book Reviews
20
BIZ-TAINMENT Music Into Rum
To Increase Your Online Profile
Endeavour Magazine | 5
Venus Williams KEEPING THE EYE ON THE BALL
P
rofessional athlete and entrepreneur secondly and a big
BY DONNIE RUST
equality for the genders in the sport.
sister first, Venus Williams has created a legend around
Known as a dominating player with a preference with playing
herself for being something unique not only in the sporting
on grass, Venus Williams has played a part in shaping the way we
world but as an iconic heroine. Born in June 1980, Venus Ebony Starr
view tennis today, by bringing on a strong sense of beauty, technical
Williams is arguably one of the most famous sportspeople: A world
brilliance and talent to the game. Often sharing the limelight with her
class, professional tennis player who has been ranked Number One
sister Serena there are very few people who have accomplished as
in the world on three separate occasions, the first time on February
much on the court as these two sisters.
25, 2002 when she also became the first African-American woman to achieve it during the Open Era. We’ve waited a long time to feature Venus Williams.
Growing up in Southern California It is safe to say that Venus would have succeeded in whatever
Credited with changing the women’s game and ushering a new,
arena she chose. If she had grown up in South Africa she may have
modern era of power and athleticism on the women’s professional
pioneered women’s rugby or brought about the revolution in volley
tennis tour and for her dedication to promoting and influencing
ball three decades early however it was tennis that took her hand
6 | Endeavour Magazine
and it didn’t take long for her
This has been said that part of it came from the racial problems with
offer many opportunities to
coach Rich Macci from the
the other kids, which according to Venus, was not a prevalent point in
opponents.
Macci Academy to notice the
her childhood:
“I’m
better
adapted
to
talents of the two sisters. At
“I guess some kids around me had to grow up quickly, had all those
grass,” she says, “It’s where I
the age of 11 Venus had a 63-0
problems. But I wasn’t one of those kids, or around those kids, not at
am comfortable. I’ve got a long
win factor in the United States
all,” she’s said, “I don’t focus on what I’m up against. I focus on my goals
wingspan and had to develop into
Tennis Associations in the junior
and I try to ignore the rest.”
a volleyer.” Additionally, Venus
division! Ranked at No 1 at the age of
has a notable agility around the
In tennis
net, great court coverage and
11, her father pulled both her
Tennis is a fast paced game that takes a lot of tactical technique as
with her long reach the ability to
and her sister Serena out of the
well as stamina and Venus, who has been a professional player since
play balls that most opponents
Macci Academy and took control
the age of 14, has always been a strong all-rounder and powerful
would not be able to reach,
of the coaching from their home.
baseliner, equipped with an attacking all-court game that does not
hammering
outright
winners
Endeavour Magazine | 7
from a defensive position. The strength of all this is reflected in the five Wimbledon singles titles won in eight of the last ten years. The record holder for the fastest female serve clocked at a racket shattering 130 mph (209.2 km/h) Venus also holds the record for fastest serve in three of the four Grand Slam tournaments. Known for being an explosive hitter of the ball from the ground her backhand has proven to be the most reliably consistent
for
groundstrokes
which is effecting down-theline or crosscourt.
Even her
forehand, which has a tendency to break down under pressure, still yields many winners from
“If I didn’t play tennis I don’t know where I’d be.”
a variety of court positions. In fact, even though the weakest of her arsenal it is one of the most powerful forehands in the woman’s game, frequently struck in the region of 85-90 mph (140km/h).
Interestingly
enough, the only other women who are known to have such a powerful strike are Ivanovic, Justine Henin and her own sister Serena Williams.
devastating weapon and while clay is Venus’ weakest surface and has
sister from birth has created a
caused numerous injuries she has still succeeded in winning many
kind of mental focus that keeps
titles.
her working to constantly better
“My goal is always the same: to keep the other player from ever scoring a point,” she says in explaining the basics of her game play, “That doesn’t always happen, but that’s what I try for.”
Venus Williams, tennis player, entrepreneur and big sister
herself. “The day I’m not improving will be the day I hang up the racket.” The product of a family ethos of striving to improve, Venus was
Unlike many celebrity sportspeople who get caught up in the
accustomed to practicing for four
turn
storm of being a celebrity, Venus’ main focus is to be a positive force.
to five hours a day to develop
her serve into an even more
A relentless work ethic that her father ingrained within her and her
their physical discipline and have
Grass also produces low bonces
that
tend
to
8 | Endeavour Magazine
“ in-depth
G N I V O R P I’M NOT IM
THE DAY
e racket.
up th will be the day I hang
conversations
”
with
IN 2010 she became a New
didn’t stop there, in 2009 Venus and her sister, Serena Williams, also a
the family around the table on
York Times bestseller with her
tennis champion, announced they had become limited partners in the
subjects such as economics and
book “Come To Win: Business
NFLs Miami Dolphins and became the first African-American women
social Darwinism. Her mother
Leaders, Artists, Doctors, and
to obtain ownership of an NFL franchise.
inspired within them a curious
Other
How
It isn’t often that you find a pair of sisters so evenly matched in a
nature and most importantly a
Sports Can Help You Top Your
game, who have played each other in major tournaments on a number
resolute sense of self-worth and
Profession” by Williams and co-
of times and Venus and Serena have made records as they have, for
an entrepreneurial attitude.
author Kelly E. Carter, published
the most part, remained parallel all the way up the tables. Yet, while
by HarperCollins.
competitive on the court it has not affected the relationship between
This attitude was brought
Visionaries
on
to providence when in the early
“In the book, I’ve interviewed
2000s, while at the top of her
such luminaries as Sir Richard
game she took the initiative and
Branson,
enrolled in an interior design
and Vera Wang about how their
programme
a
early experiences as competitive
Certified Interior Decorator, this
athletes and how it helped forge
led to the creation of V*Starr
their successful careers.” Venus
Interiors 2002 which capitalized
Williams.
and
became
on a long love affair she had with interior designing.
Condoleezza
Rice,
One of her own heroes was tennis pioneer Billie Jean
Soon after she followed this
King who had a reputation
move by obtaining an associated
for being very vocal on the
degree in fashion design which
topic
led to the launch of EleVen, which
pay rates for male and female
for her was the opportunity
players. After a failed attempt
to fill a niche in tennis gear for
in 2005 to change the minds
something that was not only
of the Wimbledon Officials,
accessible and comfortable, but
Venus wrote an essay that was
fashionable as well. Recently
published in the New York Times
she’s also enrolled in an online
on the eve of Wimbledon 2006
programme at the University of
putting a spotlight on the double
Indiana East to pursue a business
standard. It had such a significant
degree.
impact that in 2007 Wimbledon
of
inequities
between
“I’m this overachiever type,
announced parity in the prize
I’ll just work and work and I’ll
money for its male and female
just do it over and over and over
champions.
again.”
them. As Venus has been quoted on many occasions, “My first job is big sister and I take that very seriously.”
The fall, Sjögren’s syndrome The rise, tennis hero It was well documented that for some time before the summer of 2011, Venus was suffering from a mixture of symptoms including fatigue, muscle aches, breath shortness and the inability to recover during a set. While doctors were convinced it was a case of adultonset asthma nothing they prescribed brought any relief and it was discovered that it was actually Sjögren’s Syndrome, an autoimmune disease in which immune cells attack saliva and tear glands. However, like anything Venus has attacked this with her usual aggressive focus and has become an advocate for a vegan/raw food diet which helps minimize the inflammation brought on by the condition. No more cherry pies, as sugar is strictly verboten and her training is now tempered with one or more rest days per week. Her return to tennis was enivitable and recently she has once again stood her ground in a Wimbeldon Grand Slam, surprising everyone with the strength of her comeback. “If I didn’t play tennis I don’t know where I’d be.”
The fight for gender equality
Endeavour Magazine | 9
WRITTEN BY DAEMON SANDS
PROTECTING THE TRIBE OF GHOSTS T
his is only the first part
this news report is that of those
of this article and you
attacked most of them would
will lose your faith in
never be reported and most of
humanity. It will vanish. You will
them were women and children.
realize that the human race is
Purely because they are different
destined to tear itself apart from
that they are singled out.
its core and it will not be missed.
A soup of desperation, greed,
This is not an article for the faint
superstition and ignorance has
hearted.
driven people to murder and butcher people for their body
Like any African country, of
parts, a chilling reminder of the
development and the storm of
cruelty that man can inflict upon
activity has created a business
man. It is unfortunate that this
industry that has raised the
sort of crime goes unpunished
wealth of the country and
by the Tanzanian government
unfortunately has also widened
whose hands are filled with the
the divide between classes. The
development of their country
rich have become very rich and
and so the plight of the “Tribe
the poor have become desperate
of Ghosts� is merely lumped
and something truly horrible has
alongside the pleas to end sexual
been occurring.
exploitation
Tanzania
is
a
cauldron
According to a March 2013 news report, there have been attacks on people with albinism. Four attacks were reported in 2013 between 31 January and 15 February where body
and
trafficking
of young girls that still goes
Due to nothing more than a genetic fluke that removes the pigment from their skin, hair and eyes, the segregation these people have been forced to endure is intolerable to think of.
unanswered. Due to nothing more than a genetic fluke that removes the pigment from their skin, hair and eyes the segregation these
parts, which can sell for a total
people have been forced to
of US $75,000, were used in
endure is intolerable to think of.
witchcraft.
While alive, they are ignored and
What is not mentioned in
10 | Endeavour Magazine
feared. Shop owners will not look
them in the eye if they are even
action is very seldomly forthcoming in a country known for its tribal
However, it does not take a lot of
served at all, they are attacked,
fear and nepotism. For the albinos however, the government have
people to destroy someone’s life.
beaten in public and spat upon
not even given them this avenue of aid. Offering nothing more than
There are pockets of people who
while other people turn a blind
a token gesture and response to keep the international community
fall under the guidance and rule
eye… parents abandon them as
happy and quiet, the Tanzanian community have basically turned their
of witch doctors who teach that
children out of fear of reprisals
backs on albinos seeing them as a minority. They may not persecute
muti (tribal medicine) is the only
from community members. This
them, but through their inaction they have basically turned their back
way to gain power or health. Who
is a daily occurance which makes
on them.
propagate superstition because
their lives a living hell. However,
The sickening state of affairs is summed up clearly in a Dailymail.
it is the best way to gain control
once killed and dismembered
co.uk report that told of a 17 year old girl named Angel who when she
and, more damaging, they rely on
their body parts are sold for
was born her father said she was a “gift from god,” but not because he
a mobbish culture to install fear
potions and medicines by witch
loved her as a father but because he wanted to butcher the girl and
upon their people. One of the
doctors, still the only source of
sell her body parts.
easiest ways to politically gather
medicinal, family and spiritual guidance for villages in the area. Claiming that they will cure ailments, improve health and generate wealth in what amounts to nothing more than cannibalism and collection of human parts. Young men diagnosed with HIV will abduct young Albino girls and rape them, believing they will be cured of their ailments, fishermen will pay for an arm or two to jazz up their boats and load up their nets. According to a website: http:// www.vice.com/en_uk/read/thetanzanian-albino-hunt over 71 people have been murdered in the last six years with a lesser degree happening to a seven year old boy was maimed on his way home when a group of guys “liked the look of his arm.” There is a help-line that has been implemented by the Tanzanian
government
in
a
token effort to ratify some of the situation, however this is part of the Law of The Child Act established in 2009 to curb the rise of sexual explotation,
people,
Second Part Kabanaga Protectorate Centre in Kabanga, is home to 70 albinos of a range of ages who have been driven out of their communities and away from their families. Located in the north-west of the East African country, close to the Burundi border the Centre offers a glimmer of hope and a radiant reminder of the strength of human kindness. There are a number of communities in Tanzania who work together and offer everything from safety, solace, education and medical treatment to the albinos. Founded by Susan DuBois, who is a Caucasian woman, who has also written the book, “Raising a Child With Albinism, A Guide To The Early Years,”. The aim of the centre is to empower those there with education, awareness and strength of character, it is not about anything as ignatious as fighting fire with fire, or violence with violence, they’re fighting all the evils that they faced with calmness, education and intelligence. Entirely not for profit they make all of their money through donations which is why awareness and international exposure is so important. Many albinos suffer from sight problems and many of them are technically legally blind, skin cancer is also a serious concern as lack of pigment in their skin removes much protection from the sun so there is also medical treatment that is offered. Education is a weapon against the ignorance that causes these things. Education of communities about what albinism is. Communities such as Kabanaga Protectorate Centre do not just aim at offering a safe house, they want these men, women and children to be able to return to their communities and gain the acceptance they deserve without fear.
Cutting Away Ignorance
violence and child trafficking
Tanzania is such a large country with a population predicted to
offenses. This does nothing to
hit 51 million by 2015, that it is unfair to tar everyone with the same
stop these offenses because
brush, it is the minority of people who are causing the most damage.
turn
them
towards
someone who is different. Reminescent
of
the
apartheid killings, reminiscent of the Conflict Diamonds, the persecution of races by the Church, the witch trials and killings. Education is the only weapon that works against ignorance and it is ignorance that is at the root of the problem. Ignorance creating a demand from those believing that muti works, that albinos are imbued with magic of any kind, and greed, for those seeing the opportunity to supply that demand. It is said that nobody is specifically evil, however ignorance combined with greed and a wilful decision to remove your humanity to supply either is as close to evil as you can get. There is much that needs to be repaired in the world and it will take time, but we won’t be moving in the right direction until we successful abolish ignorance and establish a standardized level of human compassion and tolerance.
Endeavour Magazine | 11
I AM JUST SAYING WRITTEN BY DONNIE RUST
A
psychologist
explained
hours playing World of Warcraft this
away the operations behind
does make perfect sense. (read LAB
the long pandered Ouija
MOUSE)
Board as nothing more than a muscular
A group of people will sit around
effect which, I am sure, made all of us
the board each with their hands
who have played this game relax and
touched onto the game piece which
feel content in the knowledge that no
can be anything from a glass to a game
matter how terrifying the experience
pointer, depending on the level of
probably was that it was all down to
authenticity you want to use and how
science.
long you don’t want to sleep.
Thank you science.
12 | Endeavour Magazine
You then call to the spirits who are
For those readers who have not
just loafing around the area, getting
played this game, it is a board game that
their haunt on or the ones who have
is imbued with the power of creating
been following you around desperate
a bridge of communication between
to speak with you. Then with your
this world and the next, where spirits
fingers upon the game piece, the spirit
are apparently so incredibly bored
will move it to a series of symbols
with their eternal afterlife that they’d
and letters and spell out their name
rather pester the people who are
and their intention. Which could be
still alive and play games with them.
cool I suppose ie. “Charlie Chaplin… I
Judging by the enthusiasm of people
want to make you laugh,” to “Charlie
in our world who would happily spend
Manson… I want to make you into a
skin suit.” (and you all though he
If you’re doing this experiment in
spirits, it is enough to plant the
was still alive…?)
daylight you’ll probably have less
seed of doubt in any scientist’s
No, when it’s dark and
tension than if you were, once
mind.
you’ve surrounded yourself with
again, in a basement surrounded
candles to give it a specifically
by candles and nervous friends
eerie effect, it doesn’t matter if
who are afraid of someone they
the spelling of said name is off.
know appearing on the board
After all, the pointer being able
and asking them about the family
to move on its own is enough to
cat, your muscles are going to be
make you really wish you could
tensed, they’ll burn out quicker
understand the message. Oh and
and as you all have your fingers
if anyone removes their hands
upon the pointer it’ll be a case
before the game is finished you
of course of least resistance and
could release the entity into the
the glass will, inevitably move.
real world. But science has sorted this. Psychologist Daniel Wegner, has explained that the movement of the pointer could be caused
If It’s Such A Simple Explanation, Why The Hype?
That Nagging Seed Of Doubt I believe whole heartedly that even Richard Dawkins, the author of The God Delusion who has made a reputation and a career for slicing through religious
superstition
and
hyperbole, has at some point laid down upon his bed and been afraid to let his foot slide over the edge in case something cold and wet unexpectedly licked it. Because, the crux of my argument is this, it doesn’t
by the ideomotor effect which
This is a fine example of a hoax
is where muscles move without
that tricks everyone involved and
your intention. Has your arm
the better the setting (candles,
ever jumped, or flinched, with no
basement, darkness, maybe a
reason whatsoever. Depending
distant groaning or howling of
on where you are (ie. in the park
wind) the better it works and
surrounded by sunshine, friends
nobody will come away from
anticipation, anticipation leads
and family or in a basement,
it sniggering thinking, I tricked
to tension, tension leads to panic,
surrounded
them all. Everyone is sold on it.
panic leads to tall South African
by
candles
and
matter what science says. If you cannot explain something the answer could be anything, either a surprise or a disappointment. It’s either magic or it’s a trick. But the unknown leads to
wide eyed, terrified people)
And for most people playing
you’d probably put it down to a
this is enough to convince them
muscular twitch or a nerve fire.
that it works and since it’s been
Now, here is something
An easier way to explain
scaring people since it was
else for you to ponder on. The
this is to dangle a ring on a foot
invented as a parlour game in
Psychologist Daniel Wegner who
length of string at the end of a
1893 it’s obvious that for us to
is the gentleman cited above who
straightened arm. Hold it as still
not believe its magic we need
has proved this, died not long
as you can and the ring will start
someone to own up and say, “Yup,
after explaining it away…. If that
to sway because your muscle
you’ve been duped.”
isn’t enough to make you shiver
comedy writer running away from his friends in terror.
fibres work less like a hydraulic
Also, religion. We cannot
then try this. If you’re planning
arm and more like a rugby scrum,
ignore the role that religion has
on playing this game, watch
they push together as a team but
played in the cultivation of our
Paranormal Activity 1-4 and
each fibre tires at a different pace
civilization and still plays in many
have the confidence of Science
and as they tire your arm moves
places. The strength of many
slapped out of you by the sheer
a fraction each time. Causing the
people’s faith combined with the
hibby-jibbies.
ring to start to sway.
Ouija Board being a mainstay of
Mindset also plays a part in it.
any horror film/story involving Endeavour Magazine | 13
A Super BUSINESS
OPPORTUNITY WRITTEN BY JIM BLYTHE
I
am a man with too much time
next contract is coming from. During those thumb-twiddling times
on his hands. People often tell
my mind busies itself, completely unbidden by any conscious thought
me so and it’s because of the
on my part, to working out what exciting alternative money-making
nature of my work. I am either
14 | Endeavour Magazine
opportunities might exist.
so busy I forget to eat or drink
I’m sure we all know the basic rules of how to make money. You
for several days, recuperating
need something that people want and that isn’t on the market at
from extreme dehydration and
the moment. Popular but non-existent. Becoming a God seemed an
malnutrition or twiddling my
obvious idea on the basis of those criteria but actually that appears to
thumbs wondering where the
be an over-crowded marketplace if anything. But then I had a brilliant
idea. I could set myself up as a superhero. Now that might not sound like a hugely original
why. Firstly there’s the fact that science simply hasn’t pulled its weight.
of superheroes and he’s a billionaire. So
we
could
conclude
that
idea; I know lots of people have created superheroes
I should point out that I like science.
superheroism is a rich person’s game and
over the years. In fiction there are examples of
Not all science, to be fair, but on the
that’s a shame. I appreciate of course that
everyday folk setting themselves up as superheroes
whole I think science is good. Without
we’re supposed to have both rich and
– the Kick Ass franchise being an example - but I
it I’d be dead and so would quite a lot
poor people in the world. If that wasn’t
can’t find any record of anyone successfully setting
of you I suspect. And over the past year
so we wouldn’t have Waitrose or Lidl. But
themselves up as a superhero in reality. And it took
science has given the ability to jump
it does seem to rule your ordinary, man-
me literally no research at all to start to work out
from space to the earth unharmed, the
on-the-street out of the game. And this
knowledge of growing burgers in a lab
goes directly against what I was trying to
without slaughtering any animals at
do in the first place which was a way to
all and electric pants all of which are
make money. So it really seems to me that
brilliant. But it hasn’t managed to give
the time must be right for a whole new
anyone superpowers. No one has started
approach to superhero-ism.
flying, walked through a solid wall or
We won’t have superheroes until
turned green and smashed up a tank.
it’s within the reach of people who need
Even accidents haven’t done the job.
money, not who already have it. If I was
It’s been 27 years since Chernobyl and
a billionaire with a choice of doing… well,
I think by now we’d have seen results if
whatever the heck I liked quite frankly
we were going to. So we must conclude
or risking being killed catching criminals
that science isn’t going to give anyone
then I’m going to choose option one. It’s
superpowers, at least not in the short-
a complete no brainer. But if I’m not a
term.
billionaire and I knew people would pay
Evolution might do the job but if
me for my services then I might happily
anything that’s slower than science and
put on some lycra and a cape and race
without even the fun of electric pants. So
to the rescue of whatever it was that
whilst it’s amazing in many ways, for our
needed saving.
purposes evolution is rubbish.
So here’s what we need people. We
But should we let this stand in our
need Government grants or start up
way? Is this a reason or simply an excuse
loans from wealthy businessmen. We
for a lack of superheroes? Well let’s
need dedicated training establishments
take a lesson from the fictional heroes
teaching hand to hand combat, advanced
of this world shall we? Batman has no
weaponry use and stale platitudes to
superpowers. Neither does Batgirl or
spout following victories. Then, and only
Robin come to that. They rely on gadgets.
then, might we start to see superheroes
The Green Arrow fires arrows at people
become a reality. Now surely that’s a
and The Punisher just shoots them. So
business venture worth following. In fact,
clearly there is absolutely no need for
yes, I’m off to write the business plan for
superpowers to do the job. But what
the ‘Jim Blythe School of Superheroism’.
you clearly do need, apart from a healthy
Hah! Take that people who say I have too
disregard for law and order, is money.
much time on my hands!
Batman is, let’s face it, one of the daddies
Endeavour Magazine | 15
WRITTEN BY ROB JAMES
OF WHAT VALUE ARE Your Values? I
I’m sure we’ve all heard companies talking about their “values”. If you’ve recently joined a new company the chances are that part of your onboarding training was a vast PowerPoint slide deck several of which focussed on their “values”. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against companies having values; in fact it’s probably a pretty good thing if they do. Provided, that is, they live by those values.
remember a few years back when the footballer Wayne Rooney was the face of one of the different and yet surprisingly similar fizzy cola drinks made by Coca Cola. Then some allegations about
his private life appeared in the media and Coca-Cola decided to drop him. They said that they “did not feel it was appropriate” to use him at this time on their Coke Zero packs. Now this may sound fair enough but at this point Coca- Cola were alleged to be behind the kidnapping, torture and murder of union leaders in Columbia, of labour abuses in China, of over-exploitation and pollution of water sources and of aggressive marketing towards children. I have no idea whether any of the allegations made against either Wayne Rooney or Coca Cola were true but am I the only one who feels that there’s something slightly off-kilter about the company values in this example? Or how about a more recent example that also concerns a sportsman and a large, international corporation. The sportsman in question is a golfer called Phil Mickelson and, unlike Wayne Rooney, no one has made any recent allegations about his personal life that I’m aware of. What he did do which was considered newsworthy was to win the recent Open Championship. I have no interest at all in golf so this was of no interest to me. But it was of interest to his sponsors Barclays who were so excited at Phil Mickelson’s achievements that
16 | Endeavour Magazine
they took out a full-page advert
you how this fits the values of excellence, integrity and stewardship
that they as an organisation
in the national press. In this
which Barclays are so committed to.
claim to have. As a company you
advert they said, “Excellence never gives up. Phil’s
brilliant
Now there are two things I must stress at this point. Firstly,
decide your own values that you
everything I have mentioned at this point are either allegations which
want to trade by but if you’re not
performance
can be found from a number of online sources and I have no idea as
prepared to do that then why
highlights the games’ values
to their truth or otherwise or they are a matter of public record. The
have the values in the first place.
of
and
second is that Coca-Cola and Barclays are just two companies whose
And once you’ve been caught
stewardship – the same values
excellence,
integrity
values don’t appear to come up to public scrutiny but they are far from
out engaging in behaviour that’s
we are committed to at Barclays.”
the only ones. Is this a problem? The truth is I don’t really know.
against your values then having
Isn’t that nice? Well it might
Apple Inc. has received criticism for the alleged use of sweatshop
the bare-faced cheek to quote
sound nice but let’s consider
labour, environmental destruction, and unethical business practices.
them the next month in an advert
that this is Barclays who in July
Additionally, it has been criticised for past behaviour of suing before
really seems to be treating your
this year was fined £300m by
first gathering all the facts necessary to pursue a legitimate lawsuit.
customers like fools. But here’s
US Regulators for manipulating
But their mission statement is “Find Small Business Solutions For
the biggest thing that annoys
electricity prices in California,
Your Business. Get It Done Now!” and I can’t see how any of these
me. Big PowerPoint slide decks
fined a further £2bn for mis-
allegations are against their company values so I guess I’m more
in onboarding training! So why
selling
relaxed about that.
not do away with the company
payment
protection
insurance and interest rates
The thing is that we all know that companies exist to make profits
value slides if your values are of
swaps and due to a regulatory
and we all know that some of them go about it in a more ethical way
so little value and save us all a
shortfall in its finances also had to
than others. The behaviour of the company should be the thing
few precious minutes of our lives.
ask investors to stump up £5.8bn
that really matters and like everyone else I get annoyed when any
in a rights issue. All that in the
company appears to be behaving in a way that is against my values.
space of just ten days! Now I ask
But I get even more annoyed when it appears to be against the values Endeavour Magazine | 17
THE BMW I3: ZERO-EMISSION MOBILITY, CUSTOMARY BMW Driving
Pleasure
WRITTEN BY GARY BUSEY
T
he BMW i3 is the world’s first premium car conceived from the
range extender combustion engine is specified.
ground up to provide all-electric mobility. Its electric motor
Although not particularly the choice of a long drive the BMW i3 is
develops output of 125 kW/170 hp using power supplied by a
best suited for city runs, operating within a radius of fifty miles from
lithium-ion battery pack mounted in a low, central position in the car’s
home, my Chief lives thirty miles from the office and needs to charge
under body.
the battery every night which takes about eight hours from zero to
Like the extraordinarily light yet extremely rigid CFRP passenger cell, the electric drive system and battery were developed and
full and can be plugged into a regular home socket. So much like a phone, he plugs it in while he sleeps.
produced by the BMW Group and as it weighs only 1,195 kilograms
The BMW i3 is based on a new kind of vehicle architecture.
(DIN kerb weight) and offers a range of 130 – 160 kilometres
The LifeDrive concept underpins the car’s visionary form, which
(approx. 80 – 100 miles) in everyday driving. This can be increased
is defined by a standalone design language and generous levels of
to a maximum 300 kilometres (approx. 180 miles) if the two-cylinder
space for all four seats. A signature theme of the BMW i brand is the
18 | Endeavour Magazine
thread of sustainability running
Leipzig is generated 100 per cent
this does cost extra however. The all-electric version has a range of
throughout the value chain. For
by purpose-built wind turbines.
between 80 and 100 miles in normal driving, although this increases
example, the carbon fibres for the
The BMW i3 will be available
when the Eco Pro modes are used. The range-extender adds around
passenger cell are manufactured
as either a fully electric model,
at Moses Lake in the USA using
or as a range-extender with a
The fully electric i3 will cost £25,680 after a Government grant of
hydro power alone, while the
small petrol engine on board
£5000 is taken into account, and it’ll be sold through a UK network of
energy required for production
that’s used solely to recharge the
47 specialised BMW dealers. The range-extender model costs £3150
of BMW i cars at BMW Plant
battery pack for longer distances,
more than the EV version, starting at £28,830.
80 miles to the distance possible on a single charge.
Endeavour Magazine | 19
GADGETS
BISTRO B.over Coffeemaker By James Martin
www.currys.co.uk RRP: £199.00
T
hey say the heart of a home is the kitchen with the cooker
undertone of plastic you nearly always get from standard machine’s.
taking centre stage, so in my honest opinion so too is the
Then we move to the filter, it has a metal mesh filter that’s cleaned
kitchen area in any office except centre stage here would be
after every use, this takes away the need for a paper filter. This is
the coffee machine.
important as the full flavour of your bean is in the natural oils, in a
If you’ve ever worked in publishing you’ll know that a simple cup of tea will not come close to driving a publishing house & all its deadlines,
paper filter these oils are trapped preventing us from actually tasting the coffee’s flavour as we should.
so this month we decided to review the BISTRO b.over Coffeemaker.
The BISTRO b.over Coffeemaker. Pours into a thermal jug in a
This innovative machine is truly amazing & perfect for the small
matter of minutes, therefore removing the need for a hot plate and
office/directors office.
the occasional burned jug.
Starting with the difference in flavour from a standard auto drip machine, it’s actually quite incredible. With its shower head application, showering water at the exact temperature evenly over your coffee grounds to maximise the taste of the bean. Not to mention
Lets not forget its stylish look, it comes in a range of colours which look fantastic. All in all, Bodum have left no room for criticism, functionality, practicality, Looks, but more importantly great tasting coffee.
the glass tube technology within the inner workings eradicating that
MeteoEarth, the Perfect Travel app View the maximum temperature across Europe for August. By Gary Busey
C
www.meteoearth.com Free download
limate data and storm
a 3D globe, has been released.
MeteoEarth for iPad 1.2 also introduces new weather elements.
trackers are amongst
In Version 1.2, users can switch
Previously on MeteoEarth users could see the forecast precipitation
the
from the normal forecast mode
but couldn’t differentiate between the type of precipitation, now
launched on MeteoEarth for iPad
to
mode.
MeteoEarth shows the difference between rain and snow. The cloud
1.2. The new features, designed
This feature includes a global
cover layer has been enhanced with a new lightning feature so that
for planning travel and watching
overview of climatic conditions
users can track thunderstorms and a new storm feature enables users
out for summer thunderstorms,
and users can check the climate
to track tropical storms taking place around the world with information
are released in time for the last
for any location around the
including category, type and wind speed.
few weeks of summer.
new
features
the
climate
data
world including temperature,
A new function on the app now shows precise information for
version
of
water temperature and rainfall
pinpointed locations on the map, including forecast rainfall, percentage
iPad,
the
throughout the year, making this
of cloud cover, temperature etc.
stunning app from MeteoGroup
the perfect tool when planning to
that brings the weather to life on
travel.
The
latest
MeteoEarth
for
20 | Endeavour Magazine
MeteoEarth for iPad 1.2 is available to download for iTunes now.
QuietComfort 20 Headphones: The Most Versatile Bose Headphones Ever By Tammy Jenkins
www.bose.co.uk RRP: £295.95
T
he new QuietComfort 20 headphones are the first in-ear noise cancelling headphones from Bose.
They deliver a
Bose engineers first placed two
tiny
microphones
electronic chip –- exclusive to
in
Bose, and the first of its kind --
stunning breakthrough in noise reduction, audio performance
each earbud; one senses the
calculates an equal and opposite
and comfort, and offer two ways to listen – one to shut out the world,
sound approaching, the other
noise cancellation signal within
and one to keep you connected. They fit in your pocket, weigh just 1.5
measures the sound inside. The
a fraction of a millisecond. The
ounces, and rival the performance of much larger headphones.
measurements are then sent to
resulting noise reduction is so
The QC®20 headphones benefit from over 30 years of continuous
a digital electronic chip located
dramatic, it has to be heard to be
research in noise reduction technology, and integrate more U.S.
in the control module found on
believed.
patents than any Bose® headphone ever made.
the headphone cord. The digital
www.lat56.com RRP: £149.99
LAT56° Back-Pack by Stuart Platt
T
his month I have tested
The secret is the use of specially moulded EVA foam that’s got a
carries all my gadgets needed for
the LAT56° Back-pack
bit of give in it, but only a bit. It has good sized side pockets which are
work safely; it survived a drop
and first thing that comes
big enough to carry sunglasses, chargers, IPods etc
at over 40mph with nothing but
to mind is how comfortable the
I know that the protection works as I managed to drop my Back-
bag is to wear. It looks more like
Pack whilst riding my motorbike at a reasonable 40mph only to find
futuristic body armour than a
the bag was absolutely fine and all my belongs safe which was a great
simple gadget bag, it’s designed
relief.
to make the travelling easier,
At the back behind some unusually comfy shoulder straps is
this tough aircraft cabin-sized
a bombproof NASA-spec memory foam laptop compartment for
backpack from LAT56° keeps
models up to 15.6 inches, while inside are some dividers that can be
your gadgets protected as you
flattened for full access to its 15-litre capacity.
barge through the world airports, bus stations and hotels.
a mere mark which just wiped away and its very comfortable.
Overall I think the Back-Pack is a well-designed, well put together and good looking as far as Back-Packs go, would I buy one? Yes! It Endeavour Magazine | 21
The TomTom GO Live 1005 By Tyler Harrison
Available from leading electrical retailers RRP: £249.99
T
his month I’ve been on the hunt for a reliable Satellite
feature can only help improve
computer processor allows for
Navigation system which does more than just bark random
safety on the roads.
faster route calculation then
orders at me in a stern Irish accent. Out the box the GO Live
The GO Live 1005 is the
you’ll be used too, as well as
1005 carries substantial weight having a definite feel of quality to it,
first Satellite Navigation system
richer maps which cover roads
with the easy click mount system ensuring that the device will easily
that incorporates online travel
across 45 European countries.
attach to your windscreen. This particular model promises an array of
services,
Even if you don’t take advantage
quality features including HD Live Traffic information, highly detailed
functionality allows drivers to
of all the ‘bells and whistles’ that
points of interest and 5 day weather reports.
and
the
tweet your destination to your
the GO Live 1005 has to offer,
The HD Live Traffic information is outstandingly accurate
followers with the estimated
the Live Traffic Information in
providing the most up to date traffic information available, and can
time of arrival which I found
itself is a sure fire winner, which
even tell if there’s a traffic jam or road works ahead. I found the GO
particularly convenient. All of the
for me is definitely worth the
Live 1005 beautifully equipped to sniff out any obstacles on the
features on the GO Live 1005
higher price tag.
road, and was remarkably swift in recalculating my journey. The Live
are straightforward to access
Services also provide information on mobile and fixed speed cameras
with the intuitive extra wide
which may frustrate the local authorities, but ultimately this type of
touch screen and the super-fast
The Arm Band Controller that Reads Your Muscle Movements By Donnie Rust
S
mall devices like this
www.thalmic.com $149
of awesomeness.
You can see clearly why this technology will take over. one,
that brings us one step
Thalmic Labs have created a
because it removes the need for actual contact. Using this you could
closer to an autonomous
wearable armband name MYO
type on an imaginary or holographic keyboard and have an entire
machinery,
which can actually detect the
house hold electronics run from simple hand gestures and thanks to
programming and gaming proves
electrical activity occurring in
the revolutionary design it will eventually become as convenient as
that we are living in the future
your muscles to identify specific
wearing a watch.
and are currently riding a wave
gestures and movements.
control
of
22 | Endeavour Magazine
Keep an eye on this one peeps this is the future.
11001 BISTRO
B.Over Coffee machine
no capsule
no paper
www.bodum.com
WRITTEN BY LEE ASHFORD
Exercise
THE ULTIMATE STRESS BUSTER It is an unfortunate fact of life that most of us experience stress on a daily basis. The rigours and strains of modern living combined with a high profile career and the daunting task of parenthood can leave even the calmest, laid-back individual wanting to climb the walls and pull out their hair by the handful. Mounting pressures at work to meet deadlines, piles of housework in an environment surrounded by demanding children and relationship woes are daily problems facing most adults in today’s society.
A
nything that causes stress is called a stressor. The most common stressors are work, relationship or family related. Stress is experienced when there is an awareness of
an imbalance between demand and capability, under conditions where failure to meet the demand is thought to have unwanted consequences. Stress can be positive and negative. On the positive side it alerts us to a threat and increases our levels of arousal and activation. This can help us be more effective in coping with the threat. Mismanaged stress causes strain on its victim which in turn can be devastating. Many would agree with the statement – “stress can be harmful to your health”. When handled inappropriately, stress lowers our resistance to illness and disease. Serious physical and emotional problems can arise, and in a worse case scenario, even lead to loss of life. Physiological symptoms of stress include: increased heart rate, high blood pressure, insomnia, headaches, diabetes and fatigue. These health related symptoms can trigger off emotional problems, such as depression, anxiety, anger and withdrawal. So, how does one manage stress and stay healthy and happy? Answer – exercise! Exercise is important to each and every one of us, regardless of age or ability. There are, of course, the physical, emotional and visual improvements gained through regular and effective exercise. Weight loss, muscle tone, increased self esteem, improved cardiovascular system, improved posture and change of body shape are to name but a few. Exercise is also beneficial for stress reduction through the release
24 | Endeavour Magazine
of endorphins. Endorphins or
classes are just a few of the
causing frustration and further stress. Addictions to exercise on a
“happy hormones” can make us
possibilities.
daily basis, although considered by some to be a positive addiction, as
can in fact create problems through withdrawal effects. Not getting
revitalised. These chemicals are
boxing, kick boxing and martial
your daily fix of endorphins may contribute to increases in hostility,
increased during physical activity
arts are for many people, the
anxiety and depression.
of twenty minutes or more.
most satisfying and rewarding
Everyone experiences stress at some point in time. You can
Chemically similar to opiate
ways to relieve tension. Banging
either manage and control it or face the consequences. Exercise is a
compounds, endorphins are a
away on a punch bag or exploding
healthy, enjoyable and rewarding way to combat the effects of stress
similar substance to morphine.
with a crisp left hook with
when used safely, effectively and within one’s capabilities. Let stress
They have been shown to
precision and power towards
become a thing of the past – not yourself!
provide a pain relieving effect
an unsuspecting trainer’s focus
and promote a sense of euphoria.
pad can help relieve the built up
Sleep patterns can improve and
stress of a hard day’s work. These
blood pressure can even be
sports are not all about sparing
reduced by the release of these
and getting a bloody nose, thick
is low impact and will burn calories.
hormones.
lip and cauliflower ear. Training
2) Take a dip. Swimming is a non-impact exercise and works virtually
What types of exercise are
sessions can be taken in a class
every muscle and joint. Rhythmical movements can provide a
recommended for stress relief?
format, allowing you to enjoy the
meditating effect.
It is important to find an exercise
session without risking injury to
3) Join a yoga class. With endless physiological and psychological
which is enjoyable and easy to
yourself.
benefits, yoga can seriously improve your health and well-being.
feel energised, recharged and
Contact
sports,
such
Here are my top ten stress busting exercise tips: 1) Go for a walk. Available to most of us walking suits all fitness levels,
commit to on a regular basis.
The fact that the stressor
Calming the mind and enabling us to handle anxiety and stress, yoga
Repetitive exercises, such as
may inhibit physical activity
is second to none. This exercise is suitable for all fitness levels – from
walking, running, cycling and
should not be a reason not to
the beginner to the advanced athlete.
swimming can promote a relaxing
participate.
to
4) Keep it regular. People who exercise regularly tend to be more
sensation for some individuals,
family or work may reduce the
conscious of their diet, encouraging them to eat more nutritious food.
giving
to
time allowed, so making small
Good nutrition helps stress management and increases energy levels.
meditation. Some people enjoy
changes to your daily routine
5)
gradual and fluent movements,
may help you dedicate more time
encouragement when the going gets tough. Exercising on your own
focusing on breathing, stretching
to exercise. Some health clubs
can feel very lonesome. This is especially noticeable when running or
and posture. Examples, such
offer childcare. Lunch breaks at
working out at the gym.
as yoga and tai chi can be more
work can be used productively.
6) Try something new. Taking part in a new sport or activity such as
beneficial than regular exercise.
Even a half-an-hour break can be
badminton or salsa classes can be a refreshing change. Making new
Stretching relaxes tense muscles
efficient time with which to enjoy
social contacts will also help your self esteem.
and improves flexibility and joint
the stress relieving benefits
7) Know your limitations. Don’t throw yourself in at the deep end
efficiency.
exercise has to offer.
when you are new to a particular activity. You should start off gently,
an
effect
Activities
similar
progressing gradually as fitness levels start to increase. It is also just as
and varied in order to sustain
duration can depend on personal
important to progress to the next level once an activity gets too easy.
a suitable level of interest and
goals. Moderate activity for
A plateau in your regime will not be beneficial to stress reduction.
to reduce the boredom factor.
at least twenty minutes three
8) Keep yourself sexually active. Involving sexual activity within your
Slogging tediously away for hours
times a week is the minimum
physical activity will aid the release of muscular and emotional tension
on end enduring mind numbingly
requirement,
whilst burning off extra calories.
boring exercises can destroy
physicians. Training once a week
9) Separate yourself from work. Choose an activity that’s away from
one’s
participate,
is probably insufficient to achieve
work and home. A physical job or active home life may burn off calories
subsequently increasing stress
any noticeable changes. Rest
but will do little to lower stress levels.
levels. Remember exercises you
days should be incorporated into
10) Seek advice from a professional. Incorrect technique and form
enjoyed as a child. The chances
intense and advanced training
may contribute to injury. Bouts of inactivity on the sidelines do not
are that you will still like them.
schedules. Overtraining can give
contribute to stress reduction. Advice usually costs nothing. Don’t be
Group activities, such as fitness
negative results. Overuse injuries
afraid to ask.
classes, team sports and dance
will hamper training schedules,
to
be
fun
Exercise
frequency
Find a partner. Training in pairs helps motivation and
and
desire
should
Commitments
according
to
Endeavour Magazine | 25
A MUST READ BEFORE YOU SET UP A SMALL BUSINESS OVERSEAS BY ALINA JONES WWW.UKBAGUIDE.CO.UK
T
he current economic climate makes it difficult to start any
average costs of start-ups could be minimum which can help in kickstarting the venture at a good pace.
Learning the process of incorporation Future profitability and the startup costs of any business venture can only be gauged well only if the business owner is well aware of the process involved in starting up the company. If you are particularly interested in making investments in certain countries like United Kingdom, Google in ukba phone number, talk to the representatives and get a firsthand information on the rules governing overseas business in the country.
business on account of financial pitfalls and difficulties cropping up their ugly head now and then. However, it is
always a risky venture to begin a business overseas and only those people who have a full knowledge of the facts should embark on this venture. The formula for successfully setting up of an overseas business becomes all the more muddy depending on the logistics - whether you will be staying state side or actually be a part of the country. There are some important guidelines that must be checked before planning a new business venture overseas.
Corporate laws and the local body It is extremely essential that the country that you choose for overseas business has a proven track record of dealing with international visitor in a fair manner. In this sense, if you are starting out on a new business venture in North America or EU especially United Kingdom you will be fairly protected as the country has a separate authority known as United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA) to deal with matters relating to overseas business. A detailed consultation with a lawyer is also essential not only in your home country but also in the country you are planning to invest.
Opening a business bank account Although it isn’t compulsory to own a business account in the country of your business operation, but the following conditions have to be met: The first contact point should be the bankers of that particular company for they are the best persons who can guide you on the banking regulations of a particular country. Although many entrepreneurs would like to open bank accounts dealing with the country’s currency but some countries like Britain allow the overseas business investors to set up a foreign currency account.
Know-how of the local market Although a business owner does a lot of homework before planning to invest in an overseas country but these are important: When it comes to choosing the locale, the whole process becomes a complicated affair. It is extremely important that you conduct a market research for service based, retail or manufacturing business. Conducting interviews or setting up a trial run with the potential customers is a good idea. Trading conditions have been made extremely difficult due to
Researching the economic situation of the country
the financial slump but a thorough research coupled with the right guidance can guide you through troubled waters. Starting a business abroad will always be a venture filled with
The long term growth of the business should be well supported
risk, and that will be the case regardless of the underlying economic
by the bright economic prospects of the country as it might so happen
conditions. The worldwide financial slump that has blighted much of
that the country might be in financial troubles. However, if your
the developed world has made trading conditions extremely difficult.
financial analyst predicts that the future outlook for such a country is
However, with the right guidance from lawyers, financial advisers
still bright, then starting your business during this low growth period
and experts, now may even be the best time to start a new business
can bring in some benefits. Corporation taxes, rental rates and the
overseas.
26 | Endeavour Magazine
MOODY’S LOWERS OUTLOOK FOR ASIA’S STEEL INDUSTRY TO NEGATIVE
M
oody’s Investors Service is expecting Asian steel
year. The low reading indicates
manufacturers to report historically low profits over the
very limited expansion in the
next 12 months, prompting it to lower its outlook for the
country’s manufacturing sector.
industry from stable to negative.
Asian steelmakers would not
Demand for steel was expected to weaken in the second half of this
benefit from the lower prices of
year, owing to destocking and slower economic growth; particularly in
iron ore and coking coal -- the
China, a Moody’s assistant vice president and analyst Zou Jiming said
two main raw materials used in
on Wednesday.
producing steel -- because steel
“Manufacturers, distributors and customers will reduce their
prices would also fall owing to
stocks because of weak demand and excess steel supply in the Asian
the weak bargaining power of
market; a move that will put further pressure on the overall profits of
the manufacturers against their
steelmakers,” he said.
customers.
Zou was speaking on a just-released Moody’s report titled,
However,
“Destocking, weak demand and excess supply depress steel
steelmakers’s
manufacturers’ profits.”
fall, due to a worsening supply-
Asian demand for steel is expected to grow at a slow pace of
demand
South profits
imbalance
Korean would following
between 2% and 3% in the 12 months to June 2014, which is in stark
capacity expansions by major
contrast to the 16% compound annual growth rate between 2000
domestic players, as well as a
and 2010.
likely appreciation of the won
The slower demand was attributed to the China government’s
against the yen and renminbi,
shift in emphasis from infrastructure spending to consumption and
and the weak demand from
the country’s slower GDP growth.
Korea’s
As Moody’s report points out, data from the World Steel Association (WSA) showed that China accounts for over 70% of
September book reviews
shipbuilding
sector,
which is one of the key end-users of domestically produced steel.
Asia’s consumption and production of steel. China Iron and Steel
While Chinese steel mills
Association’s data showed total inventory levels held by China’s major
would continue to sell products
steelmakers remain at historically high levels.
at close to or below breakeven
The WSA said China’s monthly steel production decreased to 64.7
cost, making them the least
million tonnes in June from its record high of 67 million tonnes in May.
profitable of all their Asian
Moody’s report pointed out the outlook for Asia’s steel industry
peers, the profits of Indian steel
also hinged on China’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) which fell
manufacturers are helped by
to 50.3 last month from 50.8 in May. Although the reading in July
their management of input costs
was up slightly from June’s 50.1, the lowest level in the past nine
through
months, China’s PMI remained weaker than at the beginning of the
mines.
their
ownership
of
The Moody’s report said the industry outlook could revert to stable if China’s PMI improves and stays above 50, and if the earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) per tonne for the region’s largest steel makers
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does not deteriorate during the outlook period.
Endeavour Magazine | 27
SA’S CITIZENS MUST STAND UP TO THE ZANUFICATION OF POLITICS BY MAMPHELA RAMPHELE
T
he process leading up to the last week’s Zimbabwean elections and the way they were conducted are a grim reminder of the results of a failure of accountability and citizenship activism to
nurture and sustain democracy. The failure of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and African Union (AU) leaders to follow through on their own set of conditions for a credible, free and fair election bode ill for the promise of freedom and democracy in Africa. We seem to be drifting back to the old political culture of African leaders protecting their peers, who hold on to power by thwarting the will of the people. South Africa’s government is also implicated in this failure to insist on the conditions for a free and fair election in Zimbabwe. Every one of the rules set by the SADC task team was violated: constitutional guarantees; freedom and rights to all citizens; a conducive environment for free, fair and peaceful elections; non-discrimination in voter registration; an updated and accessible voters’ roll; a timeous announcement of the election date; transparent funding of political parties in accordance with the law; deployment of observer missions to all voting stations to ensure neutrality; neutral polling station locations to ensure accessibility to all; and vote-counting to be done at polling stations. How could the AU pronounce so quickly on the fairness and freedom of these elections knowing that none of the above conditions were met? Why has SADC, which expressed concern about the status of these issues only a few weeks ago, be so tame in letting the elections go ahead before the mission of the task team was accomplished? SADC has failed to live up to its promise of becoming a more robust custodian of good governance and protection of citizens as well as an enabler of sustainable development. To pronounce the elections as free and peaceful when every one of its own conditions was violated is incredible. The disenfranchisement of hundreds of thousands of voters, who were turned away from polling stations, and the blatant stuffing of ballot boxes are just some of the most outrageous of the violations. Citizens of SADC countries have to know they are on their own when it comes to governance issues in their countries. South Africa has lost its moral authority in SADC and the AU. The failure of President Jacob Zuma to discharge his responsibilities as an honest broker in Zimbabwe adds insult to the
28 | Endeavour Magazine
injury inflicted by the role of
In addition, the inexplicable
his predecessor, Thabo Mbeki.
use of R500m (£33 million) from
was widely believed to have
pension funds to support the
been stolen by Mugabe with the
purchase of Independent News
Third, the culture of impunity with regard to corruption has
acquiescence of South African
& Media smells of a further
reached new levels. The insistence of the ANC on the mayor of
government leaders. What is
attempt to bolster control over
Tlokwe municipality retaining his position despite the many charges
being hidden in the review report
the media by the government —
of corruption against him reveals the true culture of a government
by the South African team on that
at the expense of the security of
that has lost the will to be accountable. Instead of dismissing the
election, despite court action by
retirement benefits of teachers,
mayor, it expelled its councillors who were standing on the side
opposition parties?
nurses
public
of accountability. To add insult to injury, the minister of social
We should be concerned as
servants. No credible pension
development was dispatched to offer food parcels to aggrieved
citizens that we have a governing
portfolio manager could justify
residents, who want nothing more than respect for their human
party that is not showing a
investing that kind of funding in
rights, dignity and freedom. Public funds are used to buy votes in this
commitment to democracy as
a traditionally underperforming
manner, not only in Tlokwe, but in Mzombane in Limpopo.
the expression of the will of the
sector with an uncertain future.
other
the benefit of Zanu (PF) leaders, including Mugabe?
The citizens of South Africa have a choice to remain passive
Public
because they are afraid to speak up against this abuse of power and let
Investment Corporation and the
the country slide into authoritarian rule. Or citizens can do what we
Government Employees Pension
did to apartheid and stand up together and say no to the destruction
Fund allow this to happen?
of the promise of the freedom for which so many fought and many
So
people.
First, there is the systematic
and
employee
How different is this from Zanu (PF)’s approach of commandeering the agricultural land, minerals and the use of Zimbabwean airlines for
The disputed 2008 election
We have seen worrying trends
government
servants to escort them to Sun City?
why
did
Second, a
culture
the
we of
have disregard
seen
others died. Citizen power is the only thing that stops unaccountable
for
governments worldwide. We have the strong protection of the
erosion by this government over
accountability in the conduct of
the past few years of institutions
this government — not dissimilar
We have to ensure that the Independent Electoral Commission
and values that are essential to
to Zanu (PF)’s to governance
(IEC) is protected and defended against any intrusion into its space by
sustaining
over the past decade.
the governing party. Next year’s elections are a testing ground for how
our
constitutional
constitution, the courts and the rule of law.
democracy. Freedom of speech,
The abuse of state resources
citizens can be effective in protecting the gains of our democracy and
expression and association are
knows no bounds as the personal
halting the erosion of our watchdog institutions. Opposition parties
under attack through multiple
interests
must work together to support the IEC and to monitor performance
attempts at silencing dissent:
the ANC and those of the
the “Secrecy Bill”, the Traditional
government and the state are
Citizens get the quality of democracy that they deserve.
Courts Bill, and the undermining
treated as one. How else can
Accountability in government is directly related to the extent of
of the SABC’s independence
one explain the use of more than
citizen activism. Reliance on the liberation credentials of political
through the appointment of a
R200m (£14 million) to build a
leaders is a recipe for authoritarian, unaccountable governance.
chief operating officer with no
palace for Zuma?
Zimbabweans have paid a heavy price for relying on Zanu (PF)’s
of
the
president,
of all the key elements to ensure free and fair elections.
qualification for the job and the
How else to explain the
leadership despite unspeakable abuses of power. South Africans need
instability brought on by political
landing of the Gupta chartered
to heed the lessons and start mobilising to strengthen institutions of
interference in the functioning of
flight
democracy. Next year’s elections offer us an opportunity to vote for
its board.
Waterkloof and the use of public
at
Air
Force
Base
the future and not the past. Endeavour Magazine | 29
GLAMPING IT UP AT
BY DENNY MCELLIS
Paws Up, Montana I had to fight off a list of writers to get the chance to go to Paws
and boasts the most expansive views on the entire 37,000-acre ranch
Up, Montana. This assignment is known as being a drop-what-you’re-
the aptly named Cliffside Camp features a dining facility, lounge and
doing-and-go opportunity and my Chief had barely sent me the
six safari-style luxury tent accommodations ranging from 605 to 977
confirmation email before I was booking flights.
square feet. Each tent is privately nestled in groves of pine trees for a
Even the name Paws Up, Montana brings to mind one word rustic, leather boots, cabins, cedar woods, wild animals, bears and mountains. American mountains (cue eagle cry).
natural privacy that offers the beautiful smell of pine-needles. Four of the six tents feature two-bedrooms with a king bed in one and two twin beds in the other, making them ideal for families and the
A global trend, glamping (short for glamorous camping) has caught
remaining tents are designated as “honeymoon tents” and feature a
fire and offers outdoor enthusiasts an upgrade on rest and recreation.
copper tub at the foot of a king bed, making them the quintessential
Paws Up is North America’s finest provider of this indulgent vacation
romantic accommodation. However, by design I am here by myself
experience and has opened its fifth and most extravagant camp this
and found the honeymoon tent perfect for a couple of nights away.
year, the “Cliffside Camp”.
Just me and the wild.
Paws Up have continually pushed the envelope with innovative
Maybe for this reason, one of the features I love the most is that
glamping design and amenities and at Cliffside Camp they have swung
each tent includes an ensuite bathroom with double sinks, heated slate
for the fences in a big way.
flooring and large, glass-enclosed showers which is one of the main
Situated atop a majestic cliff that overlooks the Blackfoot River 30 | Endeavour Magazine
differences between glamping and camping- no sharing. The porch
deck is rustic, with comfortable
camp
seating that provides a front-row seat to Mother Nature’s daily and
designing Cliffside Camp, we
than a mere guest makes it all
delectable cuisine, and a camp
incorporated
worthwhile.
butler attends to all of the guests’
our guests and valued travel
nightly performances. There’s
needs. He was kind enough to
professionals
the
be better to have someone to
even air-conditioning, hardwood
prepare gourmet s’mores in the
optimum level of luxury and
share the experience (and price)
flooring and electricity.
camp’s fire and even helped me
singularity.”
with, especially as the rates
Central to the Cliffside Camp is an impressive, private dining
chef
to
prepare
the
plot out the best itinerary for my time away from the office.
insight to
create
from
I will say that I believe it would
Glamping is not cheap, but
are based upon two adults and
it needs to make no apology for
also include three meals daily.
pavilion that not only offers
“Year after year, we continue
it. The combination of the most
Starting at $1,475 (£944.00) per
restaurant-style seating, but a
to see increased demand for
spectacular views, rustic luxury
night the experience did have it’s
lounge area with couches and a
our
camps,”
of the highest level and the
lonely moments because there is
fireplace.
stated Larry Lipson, owner of
sort of attention to detail that
only so much a girl can do in the
The Resort at Paws Up, “When
makes you feel more like royalty
forest by herself.
Paws Up employs a private
luxury
tented
Endeavour Magazine | 31
SKA PROJECT 0027 11 442 2434 WWW.SKA.AC.ZA
32 | Endeavour Magazine
WRITTEN BY JACK SLATER
What we see in the sky at night is nothing short of messages from the beginning of time as the light from the very nearest galaxy to our own left it before our human species even evolved. To achieve a deeper sense of enlightenment we need to uncover and study the nature of the universe to better understand ourselves first. We spoke with Managing Director, Dr. Bernie Fanaroff.
Endeavour Magazine | 33
SKA PROJECT
In South Africa, astronomers want to build the most powerful telescope ever, to see back to before the first stars and galaxies formed into the very source of all that is.
“T
he Square Kilometre Array (SKA) will be a radio
MeerKAT is cutting-edge and the
telescope,” explains Bernie, “Instead of seeing light
project is creating opportunities
waves, it will create images via radio waves.”
for a large group of young
This is a landmark occasion as the majority of the SKA - the full
scientists and engineers with
dish array and the dense aperture array - will be built in Africa. The
world-class expertise in the
core - i.e. the region with the highest concentration of receivers - will
technologies which they did not
be constructed in the Northern Cape Province, about 80 km from
have previously. This will prove
the town of Carnarvon which is incidentally the same site where the
to be crucial in the next 10 – 20
MeerKAT is being constructed. The sparse aperture array which is
years in the development of
the low frequency array will be put together in Western Australia.
super-computing which will have
“South Africa has already demonstrated its excellent science and
an impact on data transport,
engineering skills by designing and starting to build the MeerKAT
the creation of large sensory
telescope as a pathfinder to the SKA,” Bernie reveals, “The first seven
networks, radio software and
dishes, KAT-7, are complete and have already produced its first
imaging algorithms.
pictures it has created a bit of a media storm and we’ve attracted great interest internationally.”
“MeerKAT will be the most sensitive radio telescope in the
In fact more than 500 international astronomers and 58 from
southern hemisphere until SKA
Africa have submitted proposals to do science with MeerKAT once
comes online,” Bernie is quick to
it is complete.
point out, “It is by this credit that
One of the reasons is that the technology being developed for
leading radio astronomy teams
“South Africa has already demonstrated its excellent science and engineering skills by designing and starting to build the MeerKAT telescope as a pathfinder to the SKA” 34 | Endeavour Magazine
Endeavour Magazine | 35
SKA PROJECT
around the globe have already signed up to use the instrument as
top of the piles to add further
400 grants (2012) for studies in
soon as it is ready.”
stability. Upon that thirty two
astronomy and engineering from
The concrete for the first MeerKAT antenna foundation was
“holding down” bolts are pre-
undergraduate to post-doctoral
poured on Wednesday 14 August 2013 at South Africa’s SKA site
assembled in a circle to form a
level,
in the Karoo. This is the first of 64 similar foundations that will be
steel ring cage, which is called
in
constructed for this telescope over the next nine months with each
an engineering “bird’s nest”, into
technicians. Astronomy courses
foundation consisting of 78 m³ concrete and nine tons of steel.
which the concrete is then cast.
are being taught as a result of
while
training
also
investing
programmes
for
“Designing a foundation for a high-tech telescope is complex and
“This first foundation will
the SKA Africa project in Kenya,
challenging since it has to meet a set of stringent requirements,” Tracy
now be verified through a series
Mozambique, Madagascar and
Cheetham, general manager for infrastructure and site operations at
of load tests to ensure that all
Mauritius (which has had a
SKA South Africa explains. “The foundations must ensure that each
specifications have been met,”
radio telescope for many years)
of the 19-m high antennas with its 13.5 x 16 m main reflector will be
Cheetham says. “Getting this
and are soon to start in other
exceptionally stable and able to point accurately at distant celestial
absolutely
countries.
objects at wind speeds gusting to 69 km/h as well as survive wind
important for the science to be
speeds of up to 144 km/h. Another challenge for the design team was
done with this instrument, and
to ensure that each antenna was carefully earthed and would not be
will also inform the construction
damaged in the event of a lightning strike.”
of foundations for other SKA
currently taking shape in South
dishes to be built in the Karoo.”
Africa’s Karoo region, is a world-
In order to meet these stability requirements, each foundation
right
is
critically
MeerKAT The
MeerKAT
array,
consists of eight steel-reinforced concrete piles at depths of between
Since 2005, the African SKA
class radio telescope designed
5 to 10 m, depending on the local soil conditions. A square slab of
Human Capital Development
to do ground-breaking science.
concrete over five meters wide and over one meter thick rests on
Programme has awarded close to
It will be the largest and most
36 | Endeavour Magazine
sensitive radio telescope in the southern hemisphere until the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) is completed around 2024. Via MeerKAT, South Africa is playing a key role in design and technology developments for the SKA. Close to 100 young scientists and engineers are working on the MeerKAT project. Based at the engineering office in Cape Town, and at universities and technology companies across South Africa and Africa, these researchers interact closely with SKA teams around the world. In collaboration with South African industry and universities, and collaborating with global institutions, the South African team has developed technologies and systems for the MeerKAT telescope, including innovative composite telescope dishes and cutting-edge signal processing hardware and algorithms. Prof Justin Jonas, Associate Director: Science and Engineering at
“Designing a foundation for a high-tech telescope is complex and challenging since it has to meet a set of stringent requirements,” Tracy Cheetham, general manager for infrastructure and site operations at SKA South Africa explains. “The foundations must ensure that each of the 19-m high antennas with its 13.5 x 16 m main reflector will be exceptionally stable and able to point accurately at distant celestial objects at wind speeds gusting to 69 km/h as well as survive wind speeds of up to 144 km/h. Another challenge for the design team was to ensure that each antenna was carefully earthed and would not be damaged in the event of a lightning strike.”
SKA South Africa, is very excited about the implications of the SKA site decision for the role that South Africa’s MeerKAT telescope will play in the future of the SKA. “The decision recognises MeerKAT as a key instrument that will make up one quarter of SKA Phase 1 midfrequency array, and the science planned for SKA Phase 1 is very similar to the MeerKAT science case - just much more ambitious,” he explains. “Our researchers and students who participate in the MeerKAT surveys have a huge advantage. They are well placed to enter SKA Phase 1. They have the opportunity to become science leaders in future SKA projects.” Up to 2016 South Africa will be constructing the 64 MeerKAT dishes in the Karoo and construction on 190 SKA Phase 1 dishes should start more or less when MeerKAT is complete. “The design of the SKA dishes is not yet final, but they should look similar to the Gregorian-offset dish design chosen for MeerKAT,” Prof Jonas expects.
KAT-7 (seven-dish MeerKAT precursor array) The seven-dish MeerKAT precursor array, KAT-7, is the world’s first radio telescope array consisting of composite antenna structures. South Africa is currently building the Karoo Array Telescope, or MeerKAT, a mid-frequency ‘pathfinder’ or demonstrator radio telescope, alongside the SKA core site. The first seven dishes of the local precursor instrument - known as KAT-7 - were completed by December 2010 and are now being commissioned. It is the world’s first radio telescope with dishes made of fibre glass. KAT-7 is an engineering prototype for the 64-dish MeerKAT, but the world’s scientists see it as a useful instrument in its own right, and they are keen to switch it on for doing science as soon as possible. “KAT-7 has already delivered images of the Centaurus A, a galaxy 14-million light years away,” Bernie concludes.
Endeavour Magazine | 37
MINISTRY OF PLANNING TT 001 868 627 9700 WWW.PLANNING.GOV.TT
38 | Endeavour Magazine
PLANNING Ahead WRITTEN BY DON CAMPBELL
Trinidad and Tobago had experienced a swell of development and interest in the island nations and with their hungry pursuit for the next level of industrial and commercial growth came the creation of the Ministry of Planning. Established in July 2012, we spoke with the Minister of Planning, Senator The Honourable Dr. Bhoendradatt Tewarie regarding the ministries plans for the jewels of the Caribbean.
Endeavour Magazine | 39
MINISTRY OF PLANNING TT
“It is the responsibility of this Ministry to expedite and strengthen the National Framework for Sustainable Development,” Tewarie opens up, “And one of the key objectives is to highlight achievements and facilitate meaningful interaction between the Ministry and the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago.”
T
he Ministry of Planning and Sustainable Development (MP and SD) is the primary vehicle for the alignment of the activities focicentral to the government’s Seven Pillars for
Sustainable Development. “These
include
People
Centered
Development,
Poverty
Eradication and Social Justice, National and Personal Security, Use of Information and Communication Technology, Creating a Diversified and Knowledge Intensive Economy, Good Governance and Foreign Policy,” Tewari explains, ticking off the boxes to their plans for change. “The Ministry’s obligation,” he goes on to explain, “Is the coordination
of
the
National
Framework
for
Sustainable
Development, as well as, the systematic execution of key projects to fulfill the selected strategic initiatives for the planning period 2011 to 2014.” And the Initiatives adopted by the Ministry include a range of solutions covering a selection of sectors from national leadership and innovation through to marketing practices. With a vision to become a major player in the global arena, a cornerstone for the development of national policies, the ministry aims to act as an anvil on which to test the mettle of the plans and strategies that will lead the country into the future. The responsibility 40 | Endeavour Magazine
of taking a step back away from the abundant list of things that need to be done, being able to prioritize which sectors need to be developed first- ie infrastructure such as roads and bridges need to be developed to develop other sectors like logistics, construction and engineering, and make the right choices on the best way to initiate and put plans into action. On this, Tewarie is insistent, “The only way to drive the transformation of Trinidad and Tobago is by defining, coordinating and facilitating the implementation of the National Policy Agenda,� Although the ministry has a long list of values that it upholds and uses to make its decisions innovation is the one that stands out as the most important. Judging by the business ethos in the country, innovation is one of the factors that define Trinidad and Tobago, new ideas are embraced with enthusiasm and spirit and this attitude has been capitalized upon by the ministry. Helping them avoid the environmental cost of relying on historic fuels such as coal and petrol without looking at renewable energies first. Already they have defined five specific geographic areas (Growth Poles) throughout the country for economic development and to become centers of investment. These chosen areas will benefit from special fiscal packages, including the granting of Free Trade Zone status and access to tax incentives provided to the agriculture,
Endeavour Magazine | 41
MINISTRY OF PLANNING TT
manufacturing, and tourism sectors. Areas like Invader’s Bay in Port
important social and economic indicators,” he tells us.
of Spain, the Chaguaramas peninsula, Tamana Intec Science and
Because of this, the Ministry of Planning and Sustainable
Technology Park, Cove Estate in Tobago and the capital city of Port
Development partnered with the IDB to turn Port-of-Spain into a
of Spain.
Sustainable City, defined as a city that offers a high quality of life for
“Projects like the new “protected areas management system” is just what we look for,” Tewari specifies, “This will cover areas such
its inhabitants, minimises their impact on the natural environment and has a government that can maintain its economic growth.
as the use of clean technologies like compressed natural gas to run
The City of Port-of-Spain was one of five pilot cities chosen for the
public buses and the installation of solar lighting, among others.” It
Emerging and Sustainable Cities Initiative (ESCI) and began in June
will go toward the government’s implementation of the National
2011, focussed on the development of the communities of East Port-
Environmental Policy, Forest Policy, Protected Areas Policy and
of-Spain, Belmont and Gonzales.
National Climate Change Policy. It covers a period of eight years.
“The implementation of the Action Plan is estimated to cost (US)
“The purpose of the agreement is to assist government in
$200 million,” Tewari says, going on to say that the Government and
implementing national policy to achieve these objectives,” Tewarie
the IDB have designated approximately (US) $98 million towards
said. “The agreement should be seen as a tool to help execute and
implementation.
implement policy by providing financial assistance and guidelines to implementation.” There is still a long way to go, “Trinidad and Tobago has experienced
The Government and the IDB anticipate that in 2013 and 2014 almost half of the IDB’s total financing to Trinidad and Tobago will go to the urban sector activities under the ESCI
considerable economic growth since 1995, however the citizens have
“We can only achieve lasting prosperity if we are creative, if we
not been spared from experiencing growing levels of poverty and
work together and if we keep an eye on innovation in everything that
inequality observed in income, education, life expectance and other
we do,” concludes Tewarie.
42 | Endeavour Magazine
CHAGUARAMAS DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
CHAGUARAMAS ...the place to be
Investing In A New Future
CDA’s current investment drive seeks to select the best partners for the development of its major projects. Such investments must adhere to best international practices toward achieving world class results, allowing for the sustainability of CDA’s developmental strategy and achieving its vision to making Chaguaramas the premier provider of the ultimate customer experience.
www.chagdev.com www.facebook.com/ChaguaramasTT 868-634-4311
Endeavour Magazine | 43
BUFFALO CITY MUNICIPALITY 0027 43 705 1749 WWW.BUFFALOCITY.GOV.ZA
44 | Endeavour Magazine
South African WRITTEN BY LANCE VAN DER WESTHUIZEN
A young city with a population comprising mostly of people under the age of 29, Buffalo City has often been called one of the most forward thinking and applicable municipalities in South Africa. Boosted by the strength of a thriving Industrial Development Zone, a real hunger for success from the youth and a rise in education matriculates the area seems destined to continue in the same vein. I was fortunate enough to speak with Municipality Manager Andile Fani regarding his favourite city.
Endeavour Magazine | 45
BUFFALO CITY MUNICIPALITY
“It is our responsibility,” Andile tells us, “As municipality to structure and manage the administration, budgeting and planning processes to give priority to the basic needs of the community and promote the social and economic development of that community.”
uffalo City Municipality is in the Amatole District of
B
Andile, is definitely the man for the job: he has a diploma in public
the Eastern Province and has incorporated two former
management from Walter Sisulu University, a diploma in labour law,
municipalities King Williams Town and East London into
certificates in municipal financial management and local government
itself making the municipality the ultimate political decision-making
management. He also has an extensive experience in local government.
body of the region.
Before he was officially appointed City manager of Buffalo City and
“The Executive Mayor of Buffalo City, Zukiswa Ncitha takes
he had filled the role in an acting capacity for more than a year after
overall strategic and political responsibility for the city, while myself,
he was seconded from the provincial department of local government
the Municipal Manager heads the city’s administration.”
and traditional affairs.
From this position of immersion within the governmental
His approach has certainly stuck. In what was only supposed to
routines and cycles Andile Fani is the very word on the focusses and
be a six month tenure but he has been in the hot seat since November
determinations of the municipality and takes his job very seriously. A
2010 during which time he has made a lot of impressive steps to clean
fact that has awarded him the respect of everyone he works with.
up the city for his people.
A humble, rural upbringing taught Andile the importance of being part of the people and not above them. He is straight forward, direct,
“I used to drive around the city and it was dirty,” he recalls, “The beach and streets had been filthy for some time. I wasn’t proud of it.”
principled and stubborn enough and has spent the time in his position,
Pride in one’s home city is the starting point for improvement
first appointed in 2010, clearing out the corruption that has tainted
and development. He understood that for things to change he had
and marred many governmental departments in South Africa.
to make Buffalo City a place where it’s people could be proud of.
“When you do not have ambitions of staying you can make
His initial changes included City clean-up campaigns, a turnaround
decisions,” Andile explains, “I am acting on certain things that will make
strategy on financial management, getting the council ready for
me unpopular. But I am not here to make friends.”
the transformation to a metropolitan, service delivery hotspots, a
Pride in one’s home city is the starting point for improvement and development.
46 | Endeavour Magazine
Endeavour Magazine | 47
BUFFALO CITY MUNICIPALITY
turnaround strategy on supply chain management, a turnaround strategy on audit findings and the appointment of a chief financial officer and a general manager for supply chain. Almost three years down the line and things have definitely improved from the ground up. “We have finally become a metropolis of South Africa,” he tells us.
Developments In Buffalo City
How To Stimulate Economic Development Municipalities are regarded as vehicles for local economic development, suggesting that they should aim to create a climate conducive to investment and economic growth. Buffalo City has a plethora of important growth and development opportunities on offer. A number of major projects are in the pipeline, including an
“We have an Integrated Development Plan IDP, which is a single,
Industrial Development Zone and a campaign to stimulate growth
inclusive and strategic plan for the development of the municipality”
in the tourism sector. The municipality has recognised its important
he tells us.
economic development role and has established a local economic
This will enable the municipality to achieve its constitutional
development unit to achieve it.
objectives of democratic and accountable leadership for local
“There is a strong focus on securing foreign investment, creating
authorities of energy, water and waste removal. The sustainable
international partnerships and twinning relationships including
provision of services to communities and the promotion of social,
relationships with many international experts including SIDA and The
economic development in a safe and healthy environment.
Dutch,” Andile tells us, “Buffalo City Municipality also actively builds
“We encourage community participation in local government matters,” Andile explains, “And the IDP is seen as a management tool for the city administration as well as a tool for the development of partnerships and strategic alliances on different levels.”
48 | Endeavour Magazine
its relationships with the business community and major economic role-players.” This was prompted by the establishment of a Business Forum that provides a useful platform for engaging the private sector and
building a strategic city development partnership and the mayor and deputy mayor hold regular meetings and other interactions with key stakeholders such as Daimler Chrysler. Buffalo City Municipality has strong relationships with neighbouring cities, and has come far along the road in identifying and developing common interests and needs. It is involved with the Nelson Mandela Metropole and the Cacada and Amatole district municipalities through the Coastal Mayor’s Forum. These relationships allow the municipality to play a useful co-ordinating and strategic role for the Eastern Cape which in turn will help in its own increase development.
2013 And Beyond Water system upgrades and the laying of a state of the art
“I used to drive around the city and it was dirty. The beach and streets had been filthy for some time. I wasn’t proud of it.”
fibre optic network to encourage industry and foreign investors to set up shop in the region and take advantage of the new level of infrastructure are well under way. Add to this the like mindedness of the team of leaders in charge of Buffalo City and there is no end to what they can accomplish. “It’s all down to working together,” Andile concludes.
Endeavour Magazine | 49
KING PIE 0027 11 564 9701 WWW.KINGPIE.CO.ZA
50 | Endeavour Magazine
ACHIEVING SUCCESS IS
As Easy As Pie WRITTEN BY CHRIS DAVIES
In a rapidly changing and evolving quick service restaurant industry, King Pie is convincing customers that its products are a healthy and nutritious alternative to junk food. Endeavour Magazine | 51
KING PIE
From small and humble beginnings in 1993, where pies were cooked and distributed among family and friends, King Pie has now become a well-known and established household brand. Within the first year of trading, a staggering 30 franchises opened up due to demand from hungry consumers.
T
wo decades later and King Pie has grown and developed into a hugely successful empire, boasting 290 franchises across South Africa, Mozambique, Swaziland and Zambia, selling in
excess of 3 million pies per month. In addition to this prosperous retail network, King Pie produces each and every pie that gets sold in-store thanks to its own manufacturing facility, which ensures quality is of the highest standard possible.
Unique selling point “The thing that differentiates us from competitors is our unique products,” notes Andre Els, CEO, King Pie. “Our pies are made in a completely different way. We use quality ingredients and puff pastry, but do not include soya or any additives or preservatives.” Changing the opinion of existing clientele and potential customers is one of King Pie’s main concerns, as there is a common misconception that pies are a type of junk food. However, as Andre reveals, King Pie’s commitment to nutritious eating is looking to change that.
Snack-A-Juice Superior Fruit Juices has been the preferred supplier for King Pie since 2008. Over the past 5 years Snack-A-Juice and King Pie have joined hands to deliver fresh superior tasteful products to the King Pie Empire at a great price. Snack-A-Juice provides the King Pie Franchisees with personalized service. Snack-A-Juice always delivers according to customer’s specifications and goes the extra mile to ensure stock is rotated and returned. If you want to be part of the revelation, contact Snack-A-Juice on 011 823 5254.
www.snackajuice.co.za 52 | Endeavour Magazine
“We want to move people’s perception of pies away from an unhealthy and fatty food, to a healthy meal made with the best ingredients that is very good value for money,” he says. In an industry where producing and selling products may seem easy, Andre knows that King Pie’s focus on quality will stand the company in good stead, especially since the current market is enjoying plenty of interest and success. “The quick service restaurant business in South Africa, which is the category of the economy we operate in, is growing in excess of
KING PIE
10 per cent each year,” cites
even daily basis, we do micro swabbing and DNA testing to make sure
Andre. “This is because more
we only use pure chicken or beef in our pies.”
and more people have money to
Along with an in-house quality control team that inspects
spend, but also time constraints
everything from raw ingredients to the finished product, King Pie also
with working mean fast food and
has a taste panel to make sure every batch meets exacting standards
takeaways are popular.”
when it comes to flavour. Recently,
Continuous improvement meal,
received
CUC
(Control
Union
management policy, quality management and good manufacturing
In order to guarantee that nourishing
company
Certification) HACCP accreditation for its existing environmental
the customer receives a delicious and
the
the
company pays close attention to the manufacturing process. “When we produce the pies
practices. However, there is no room for complacency, as this stringent dedication is an ongoing process. “We do continuous capital investments in our factory to ensure we have the latest technology in order to produce cost-effective products and maintain an efficient and world class operation,” notes Andre.
The importance of people When we ask Andre about the role King Pie’s employees play in the business, he notes that the nature of the quick service food industry means they are of the utmost importance. “You can have all the best products in the world, but if the interaction with customer and their experience in-store is not of a satisfactory level, they will not buy from you, as there are numerous alternatives out
in our factory, we have tests
there,” he says. “Therefore we
at every aspect and phase of
have continuous training for
manufacturing to make sure we
new recruits and development
meet quality standards as well as
programmes
food safety requirements,” says
employees.”
Andre. “On a monthly, weekly,
While
for educating
current and
world’s finest
54 5266 | Endeavour Magazine 1_2 Page Ad.indd 1
2013/08/30 8:22 AM
training staff is one aspect of people management, contacting and understanding the customer is another. Therefore, King Pie reaches out to its target market in order to provide the best product possible. “What is very important to us is knowing who our customers are, what they want and how we can deliver,” reveals Andre. “People’s demands can change as the industry is constantly growing, changing, developing and evolving.” Therefore, King Pie has set up focus groups with current clientele and non-customers to take them through what the business is all about. “They tell us what they like, what they don’t like, what they want and what they expect,” says Andre. “We then make sure we stay in touch with our customers so we can deliver the service, store environment, product range and quality they want.” Another consideration that is a prime concern for King Pie is the
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supply of raw ingredients and materials, as this is pivotal to success. Thankfully, strong and loyal relationships mean this area of the business has been taken care of. “We strive to develop long-lasting relationships with our suppliers as this is a benefit to both them and us,” explains Andre. “They receive a continual stream of business and we are ensured cost-effective,
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efficient and competitive pricing.”
Ma Baker was founded in 1987 by
Wayne Lund and Marcel Briner. During 1995, the company merged with a Durban competitor and, at this time, Russell Moore joined the company.
From small beginnings in a tiny factory in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, the company has grown rapidly and today, at its present factory complex, in excess of 500 staff are employed. The company is now the dominant supplier of pie and pastry products in KwaZulu Natal.
KwaZulu Natal Head Office Gauteng (033) 386 9228 (011) 474 5451 Pietermaritzburg Johannesburg
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“What is very important to us is knowing who our customers are, what they want and how we can deliver,” reveals Andre. “People’s demands can change as the industry is constantly growing, changing, developing and evolving.”
Endeavour Magazine | 55
KING PIE
Confident of future success Looking forward, Andre believes King Pie can achieve the same levels of success that has seen the company reach its landmark 20th anniversary in existence this year. Along with continually opening new franchises and redesigning the interior décor of stores across Southern Africa, King Pie is working on introducing two additional retail formats in the coming months. “In five years time, we will see that the franchise business will continue to grow and go from strength to strength, both in the current and new formats” he notes. “We are also diversifying by supplying pies to the retail industry. “Finally, we are looking at how we can grow and diversify the brand itself by not concentrating solely on pies.” Most recently, King Pie launched a range of frozen, oven-ready savoury pies and sausage rolls to broaden its reach and appeal to a whole new range of consumers. With the same fantastic quality and superb value for money guaranteed, there is no doubt that this will be a prosperous endeavour for the company. If the same number of people buy and eat King Pie products at home as they do in-store, there is no reason why one of South Africa’s most popular quick service food outlets cannot carry on trading for another 20 years.
The origins of Digistics can be traced back to the
Anderson Dubose Company, a Quick Service Restaurant Distribution Operation in the United States. In 1995 it set up a partnership in South Africa, ASP Distributors, which had an exclusive commercial procurement and distribution agreement with McDonalds South Africa. A management buy-out of ASP Distributors took place in 2003 and the company commenced trading operations under the name
of Digistics. In 2004 Digistics secured an exclusive distribution agreement with KFC, which was the beginning of a significant growth phase for the business. In 2008 King Pie joined the Digistics network as its third Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) Customer. Super Group acquired a controlling interest in Digistics in 2012 cementing its position in the multi-temperatures and QSR market segments.
associated dry goods distribution through its 9 distribution centers located in Gauteng, Durban, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, with its head office in Midrand. It has a fleet of over 130 multi temperature vehicles that service both its secondary distribution and primary managed freight business with a team of 800 employees. Additionally, Digistics provides import, export and cold storage services to its customers.
Digistics specializes in national multitemperature food and
Waterfall Distribution Campus Bridval Veil Road Cnr Allandale Road and K101 Old Pretoria Road Midrand
Tel 011 663 3500 www.digistics.co.za
DIGITAL LOGISTICS
56 | Endeavour Magazine
Managing two farms, producing approximately 47.5 tons of mushrooms per week, Country Mushrooms runs its own pack houses and delivery fleet and is able to deliver anywhere in Gauteng and surrounding areas on a daily basis. Their broad customer base includes restaurants and fast food outlets as well as wholesalers and chain stores. Mushrooms are sold 90% fresh and 10% processed. All their facilities, including the pack houses and growing rooms, are fully accredited by Haccp, Global GAP & Farming for the Future. We also pack Halaal. Country Mushrooms are proud being a supplier to King Pie and may they prosper in years to come!
Untitled-2 1
10/09/2013 09:48
Tel: +27 (0)11 964 1349 www.countrymushrooms.co.za morris@countrymushrooms.co.za Endeavour Magazine | 57
AGROCARIBE 00502 2207 3000 WWW.AGROCARIBE.COM
58 | Endeavour Magazine
ESTABLISHING THE Human ELEMENT WRITTEN BY JACK SLATER
Hopefully, Endeavour Magazine has established that we are on a mission to determine the key components and ingredients, the actions and decisions, the methodology and beliefs of the most successful and influential companies in the world. To this end we are highly selective of the companies we feature, ensuring that their stories will be the sort that will engage our readers in the right way. Neatly, this brings us to Agrocaribe.
Endeavour Magazine | 59
AGROCARIBE
One of the things we look at is a company’s willingness to be accountable. There is no such thing as a Superman company, no company is perfect and all powerful because all businesses rely on the human element which is at the same time the greatest asset and the first perceptible weakness. However, a company’s willingness to be accountable is a testament to their focus on longevity, it is a statement of intent that they will play by the rules that will benefit their customers, partners and employees.
S
o, we spoke with Corporate Director, Bernardo Roehrs who
experience and talent that they can rely on in the future.
had some very interesting things to say about the state of
“We have a social outreach toward our employees and the
the industry and the important steps that they have been
communities surrounding our facilities,” Bernardo explains, “And have
involved with since joining the RSPO. Also we spoke with the sales
implemented a number of environmental and social programs that
manager, Javier Palomo, who told us about the industry trends.
contribute to the development of our workers, their families and the
“In our wish to become a member of the Roundtable of Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) we created the Environmental and Social
communities. You see, Agrocaribe is totally committed to providing comprehensive support and to build the common good.”
Responsibility Department,” Bernardo opens up, “This was in order to promote, apply, and support the principles and criteria of the RSPO.” And, in order to encourage the sustainable palm oil production,
The State Of The Industry? Agriculture is one of the most important sectors that our planet
Agrocaribe has promoted the Oil Palm Growers Association through
relies upon. Farming was one of the first industries to develop and
which the company wants to start the implementation of the same
no civilization can exist without it. According to the UK Technology
principles and criteria.
Strategy Board, by 2030 we are expecting the overall population of the
“Additionally, we have recently become a member of Centrarse,”
world to increase to 9 billion which creates an unprecedented demand
he adds, “This is an association supported by the World Business
for food crops. Along with this demand is the fast development of the
Council for Sustainable Development and is in charge of promoting
presence of organized farming in countries that previously were not
and developing the Social Responsibility Program in Guatemala.”
self-sufficient. This has created a landscape previously unseen.
With approximately two thousand employees working for
“At the moment, we see that prices are low due to the increase
Agrocaribe a lot of emphasis is placed upon the development of the
of global production and an increase in inventories,” Javier explains,
human element as the best way to create a long lasting foundation of
“However, we tend to think that prices are going to stabilized as the
“We have a social outreach toward our employees and the communities surrounding our facilities and have implemented a number of environmental and social programs that contribute to the development of our workers, their families and the communities. You see, Agrocaribe is totally committed to providing comprehensive support and to build the common good.” 60 | Endeavour Magazine
Endeavour Magazine | 61
AGROCARIBE
culture medium in the nursery
our agricultural and industrial
However, one of the biggest questions currently faced by
area,” Bernardo explains, “And in
practices are done in time and
organizations like the Technology Strategy Board is how to get
the plating area we have sown
with good quality.”
more from less. Approaching the task of producing enough calories
cover crops to reduce the soil
worldwide to feed nine billion people is about increasing the efficiency
erosion and weed control. This
of current agricultural regions to produce more crop yield from the
department is also in charge
same farming area (per hectare) and with less input. This is part
of
because development has a lot to take into account.
programs based on foliar, soil
need for food staples increases as the world’s middle class grows.”
developing
fertilization
2013,2014 And Beyond And
what
of
the
new
“As an industry, we need to focus on increasing productivity in a
and production analysis in order
developments for Agrocaribe?
way that protects the surrounding communities, the environment and
to apply only what’s necessary
What is the company planning to
our natural resources,” Bernardo explains, clearly adamant about this,
for the plant. However this is not
do in the future to ensure their
“And our focus continues to be to produce more with less resources”.
the key to our efficiency.”
lead and to increase it?
With this in mind, Agrocaribe is very well know for their high
“We have been able to
“We are about to finish
efficiency, be it with their Search and Development Department who
build a highly motivated team
a cycle of investments and
are in charge of the implementation of new technologies for crop
that is obsessed with results,”
developments,”
he reveals proudly, “And we
explains,
have developed a commitment
months we will be focused on
reduce the use of pesticides and look for alternatives for pest control.
to
consolidating the expansions and
An example of this would be the creation of a snake hatchery for rat
searching for issues before they
control, a plague that notoriously affects the crop.
become problems and finding
One of these is surely the
solutions for them. As a result,
Clean Development Mechanism
management. This area has made an Integrated Pest Management program to
“Also, we have started the use of the empty fruit bunch as a
62 | Endeavour Magazine
continuous
improvement,
“So
Bernardo for
next
12
plans.”
or CDM. This project, approved
carbon footprint does not rise
by
the
Nations
with it and making use of biogas,
that
consists
United
capturing
extracted from decomposition
methane or biogas from water
and lagoons through tenting,
treatment lagoons, which uses
which can be burnt as an
methodologies
produce
alternative to petroleum. The
electric power for the use of the
main objectives is to one reduce
extracting plant and monitors the
their emissions and secondly to
burning of biogas.
protect the environment that the
of
to
“The UN grants Certified
communities rely upon.
Reductions-CER’s,
“Our human element much
or carbon bonds to industries
be protected and supported at all
that show investment in Clean
times,” Bernardo concludes.
Emission
Development
Mechanism
projects
use
that
Yara as a responsible company is concerned about the environment, that is why it contributes to reduce the carbon footprint throughout the lifecycle of the fertilizer through new technologies that consist on catalysts which reduce by 90% the emissions of N2O on fertilizer production. Nutrition knowledge and precision tools are also important to reduce carbon footprint.
less
contaminant technologies for the environment,” he explains. This is important for as the company is set to grow at an exponential rate they are taking action to ensure that their
Solutions for sustainable agriculture and the environment
Knowledge grows
Yara Guatemala, S.A. Tel: +502 2421-2600 Fax: +502 2439 5771 Calzada Roosevelt 33-86 Edificio Ilumina, Nivel 11, Oficina 1102 zona 7. www.yara.com
Endeavour Magazine | 63
MCLEOD RUSSEL 00256 3824 20000 WWW.MCLEODRUSSEL.CO.UG
64 | Endeavour Magazine
Even though McLeod Russel Uganda is part of the world’s largest producer of tea, the company remains committed to fundamental values like product quality, employee happiness and community welfare. WRITTEN BY CHRIS DAVIES
AN Infusion OF QUALITY, COMMITMENT AND SUCCESS
Endeavour Magazine | 65
MCLEOD RUSSEL
There is an old saying that the entire British Empire was built on cups of tea. While this may not be strictly true, tea remains an incredibly popular drink around the globe.
M
cLeod Russel produces approximately 100 million kilos of high quality tea a year from estates in Assam, West Bengal, Vietnam, Rwanda and Uganda. Thanks to this
expansive footprint and over 90,000 members of staff, the company is the world’s largest producer of tea. Wanting to discover more about the company’s presence in Uganda, we contacted General Manager Billy Singh, who told us about McLeod Russel Uganda’s commitment to quality, its various Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives, the latest technological advancements that are improving production, and plans for the future.
Facts and figures McLeod Russel Uganda Limited (MRUL) annually produces approximately 16 million kilograms of black tea. The operation is spread out over 6,700 hectares, of which 3,350 hectares is tea. The company also has a 1,060-hectare eucalyptus plantation. In addition to these areas, the company remains committed to the local environment with 1,700 hectares of natural forest, which is protected by the law of the land and home to indigenous species of tree, wildlife and insects. Since establishing its presence in Uganda, McLeod Russel has spent over $9 million on upgrading factories, planting more tea, constructing staff housing and developing welfare programs.
Quality commitment “We differentiate ourselves with the quality of our products, attention to detail and concern for the sustainability of the business and environment,” boasts Billy. Along with Rainforest Alliance, Food Safety Management System, Quality Management System and Environmental Management System accreditations, MRUL received FAIRTRADE hired labour certification for its Mwenge and Bugambe tea estates in early 2013. As well as achieving the latest Gold Award for Tea in the President’s Export Award (PEA), the organisation is also a member of the Uganda Tea Association and the East Africa Tea Trade Association.
Employee development and welfare “We are the world’s largest tea producers but share the chairman’s 66 | Endeavour Magazine
people centric vision to care about the welfare of individuals who work for us,” notes Billy.
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To this end, MRUL spends around $500,000 annually on caring for employees through various welfare services and entitlements. On every estate, clinics are provided for employees and registered dependents to receive medical services such as immunisation, family planning and HIV/AIDS voluntary counselling and testing. However, creating positive and favourable working conditions
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is also of the utmost importance as Billy explains: “Taking the business forward, we are committed to working in a safe, healthy and professional environment. Employees have been sponsored to engage in sports and drama competitions between estates. Trophies are competed for on an annual basis.” Despite having a staff compliment of over 6,000 people, MRUL still finds the time and resources to educate employees. “We have inhouse training, as tea is quite a specialised business and there are very few institutions where you could send managers to learn about the industry,” says Billy. “We also organise training programmes for human resources development and specific areas of the business, for example accounting and engineering departments.”
Endeavour Magazine | 67
MCLEOD RUSSEL
Operational expansion MRUL has completed the first stage of expansion in three of its five factories, but upgrading facilities is an ongoing process according to Billy. “This is a never-ending business,” he adds. “As new technology comes in, we adapt ourselves and make them available to the process. In recent years, more and more people have moved from rural areas into towns and cities, which has resulted in a shortage of workers for the labour intensive tea industry. However, technology holds the answer for MRUL. “We are pioneering the use of mechanical harvesters, which is now well established and expanding,” notes Billy. “To harvest one hectare of tea manually would need between 25 to 30 people. Two machines can cover this ground but only requires six people.” Even so, Billy is quick to assert that this is not removing or doing away with the MRUL’s valued employees. “We can bring in technology and increase the area we are covering rather than cut staff.”
Supporting the local economy and community Even though MRUL remains focused on the happiness and well
68 | Endeavour Magazine
being of its own employees, the wider community is also a prime concern. Therefore, the company is involved in various Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives and continues to put faith in the local economy. “We have an active CSR programme where we work with communities to develop the primary schools in our vicinity,” says Billy. Since 2011, four primary schools have been allocated around $12,000 each to renovate classrooms and construct new buildings. Although MRUL’s expansion project will increase capacity, it is also an opportunity to work more closely with small farmers and holders. The necessary equipment and investment required to process tea is not adequately available to these individuals. MRUL is looking to change that, demonstrated by the latest factory expansion projects planned with consideration for small farmers. “We believe the way forward is to be able to make crops beneficial for our neighbours,” notes Billy. “If we expand our capacity, we can take leaf from small holders and encourage tea plantations as an income generation for farmers. “We also believe that a steady engagement in this horticultural practice can control deforestation and keep a focus on making a good living from tea. This has both social and economic benefits.”
Market conditions and future growth Over the past 6 to 7 years, MRUL has enjoyed success in the big East African tea consuming markets of the Middle East, Egypt, Yemen, Pakistan and Afghanistan. “More and more people are drinking tea now and the distribution systems are better organised to reach new markets,” reveals Billy. “We are very optimistic about the future of the product.” Looking forward, MRUL is planning a steady production increase of 1-2 per cent annually, so in five years time its yearly yield will be in the region of 19-20 million kilograms of tea. Although capacity expansion is important, increasing the brand’s reach and reputation remains vital according to Billy. He explains: “What we are currently working on, and have been for the last three years, is up scaling our quality profile. Unfortunately, over the years Ugandan tea has been relegated to a poor price against products from Rwanda and Kenya. So with our investment and technology we are looking at upgrading the quality profile.”
MFSL employs over 50 qualified staff with strong logistics experience in the Region, MFSL is well positioned in Uganda and in the Great Lakes Region to deliver quality service to meet and exceed our customer requirements and expectations. United by a commitment to our customers and energized by our role in helping them succeed, we have steadily grown in the region since our establishment in 2008. Our dedicated customer relationship managers in Uganda, at border posts and finally at the port of Mombasa ensure a seamless supply chain service from origin to destination.
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www.multiplesolutions.com Endeavour Magazine | 69
OMNICANE 00230 212 3251 WWW.OMNICANE.COM
70 | Endeavour Magazine
“Sugar” says Jacques M. d’Unienville, Chief Executive Officer of its largest producer, Omnicane, “is the history of Mauritius. The nation was built around sugar.”
WRITTEN BY BEN WALKER
NATION WITH A
Sweet Tooth
Endeavour Magazine | 71
OMNICANE
But what is built can fall. And this volcanic island of lagoons and palm-fringed beaches in the Indian Ocean has a fabled mascot and legendary victim of ill fate - the dodo.
S
o
when
the
EU
trade
underpinning
in
2009
and add value to survive.
removed
And no company has taken
preferences
this pathway more successfully
and
than Omnicane. Traditionally a
export price, it might have been
quality
major sugar mill organisation
wondered whether Mauritius’
with origins reaching back to
sugar industry would follow
the 1850s, its current offering
the fate of that flightless, once
is significantly more diverse,
indigenous bird, now extinct for
reaching out from sugarcane,
300 years.
refined sugar and bio ethanol, to
“You’re right. The Mauritius sugar
industry
could
have
power plants and most recently, the hospitality business.
gone along that way,” laughs
72 | Endeavour Magazine
Launched
in
July
2009
d’Unienville. “At Omnicane we
through a strategic re-branding
had a choice of phasing out of
of
sugar or to survive and remain
Omnicane has been proactive
competitive. This last option is
in its approach to stabilise not
the one we took.”
only its own operations, but
MonTrésor-MonDésert,
Mauritius itself diversified
also the island’s economy. And
into textiles, upmarket tourism,
as a result the future now looks
banking and business process
brighter both in terms of further
outsourcing, while the sugar
expansion and development into
industry was forced to cut costs
Africa.
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OMNICANE
“What we did was necessary, with vision from the private sector,
Simultaneously
thermal
investing in the cane cluster
government and workforce making it possible to survive and hopefully
energy operations at La Baraque
at La Baraque moving up the
a very successful reconversion,” says Jacques M. d’Unienville
and
value chain by producing direct
Saint
Aubin
are
now
For cost cutting, Omnicane took a centralisation route, closing
generating some 28 percent
consumption
refined
sugar
seven of the eight factories it was operating ten years ago, and
of exported electricity to the
for Europe, bio ethanol from
focussing operations on one unit, at the flexi-factory at La Baraque,
national grid.
molasses, bio fertilisers from
with a crushing capacity of 9,000 metric tonnes of cane per day. Being
“Before, we produced raw
vinasseand with the bagasse -
the only one to have adopted the diffuser technology on the island, it
sugar and molasses that were
the fibres of the sugar cane - we
is one of the most modern and energy efficient sugar cane mill in the
both exported wWe have now
are generating electricity for the
region.
moved up the value chain,
national grid in a substantial way.”
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Waterman (Mauritius) Inc. Ltd. While Mauritius is close to optimizing its full biomass energy potential, on the African continent there remains much to do, says d’Unienville. Unsurprisingly, Africa holds a central position on Omnicane’s expansionary agenda, with a 25% share in the construction of a 200 million dollar sugar complex in Kenya, south of Mombasa. Production of both sugar and electricity is scheduled to start there next June. With a capacity of 3,000 tonnes of cane per day, it will include an 18 megawatt power plant running on bagasse, and is expected to boost competition in the sugar industry where manufacturers continue to be bogged down by high production costs due to use of old technology. Other African projects include the development of a 5 MW hydroelectric power plant in Rwanda, due to be operational in 18 months. “Our vision is to be a significant regional sugar and electricity
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producer and develop further value-added activities,” says d’Unienville. The recent strategic alliance with a British company, Liverpool-based The Real Good Food Company plc, and its sugar division Napier Brown - Europe’s leading independent non-refining sugar distributor - is a striking example. “We want to have more integration into our products and make the most of value-addidition.”
waternet@intnet.mu 00230 2655084 Palm Ave, Triolet, Trou Aux Biches, 171 Mauritius
31, Nicolay Road, PO Box 20, Port Louis, Mauritius Tel: (230) 206 5280 | Fax: (230) 216 0484 - (230) 240 7159 | ecs.co@intnet.mu | www.ecs.mu
Endeavour Magazine | 75
OMNICANE
And while Omnicane continues to roll out its diversification strategies, the main challenges says d’Unienville are the careful monitoring of growth and matching expansion with financial resources.
Mauritius Airport close to the
the
fast-expanding airport.
philosophy. “We strive to be
Scheduled
to
open
company’s
culture
and
in
an inspiration for sustainable
December, the hotel is part of a
development in all our activities.
“This is why last year we went through a 100 million US dollars
25-30 year development plan
We have a long term vision, and
bond issue with a multi-currency facility. So far, we have raised two
that includes office parks and
to be sustainable we have to care
tranches out of the three and each has been oversubscribed.”
residential properties.
for the social and environmental
Omnicane’s most radical diversification - into the hospitality sector - is flag shipped by a 140 room business hotel – Holiday Inn
Social
and
responsibilities
environmental
needs,”
are
d’Unienville
core
to
says
Jacques
Through
its
M.
corporate
social responsibility initiatives, Omnicane has established real partnerships human
for
and
sustainable community
development in the vicinity of its main operating locations. “In all our activities we are concerned to be environmentally friendly
aiming
towardswith
zero waste and generating as much renewable energy as achievable.”
76 | Endeavour Magazine
is
AIR
The prospects for developing sugar clusters in Africa are, says Omnicane’s
CEO,
healthy growth rates. “The cane industry is at the
“fantastic.
centre of three very important
First of all, it is a food industry,
elements; food, energy, and
and secondly it provides energy,
environment. Six years ago we
which in terms of electricity
took the option of rising to a
many regions desperately need.
great challenge: there was no
Sugar plantations are very
mid-way option. Now we are into
environmentally-friendly, one of
a very dynamic operational field
the best carbon converters and
and very much right with our
with substantial social benefits.”
timing.
The challenge for Mauritius,
“I am very passionate about
says d’Unienville, is to be a
what we are doing and very
hub provding services for the
excited about it.”
LAND
SEA
We deliver, at all levels.
development of Africa and acting
Whether it is at the moment we collect your goods at your doorstep,
as a link between Asia and Africa.
load and unload your goods, or track and deliver them to their destination,
“Mauritius privileged
is
in
position
a
very
pack and transport them, take care of your customs clearance, we always do our best to ensure that you get the highest quality of service… at all levels… and in the most cost-effective way.
between
two extremely dynamic zones; Asia - with China and India the economic engines - and Africa
Sea freight • Air freight • Inland fleet • Cargo consolidation • Customs brokerage • Warehousing & freeport
with vibrant economies and
Head Office - T: 204 7800 F: 204 7816 • Airport Office - T: 603 7900 F: 603 7999 • www.mceasyfreight.mu
Endeavour Magazine | 77
NORPALM 00233 31 2093295 WWW.NORPALMGH.COM
78 | Endeavour Magazine
Despite taking over a business that had seen better days, Norpalm has managed to become one of Ghana’s leading palm oil producers thanks to technological advancements and strong customer relationships. WRITTEN BY CHRIS DAVIES
NOTHING VENTURED, NOTHING
Gained
Endeavour Magazine | 79
NORPALM
Established in 1998 to acquire the assets of state owned National Oil Palm Plantations Limited, Norpalm Ghana continues to be one of the country’s prominent crude palm oil and crude palm kernel oil producers. The company took over operational responsibility of Ghana’s oldest plantation in September 2000 after the government decided to divest certain state owned businesses.
“F
or us, the success of Norpalm is that we took a divested
In order to secure and guarantee a supply of raw materials for its
state organisation from almost nothing to a leading
soap business, PZ Cussons Ghana approached Norpalm in 2003 with
business in the country today,” asserts Eric Anang,
a view to form a strategic relationship.
general manager at Norpalm.
“They wanted to have a palm oil supply for production because
“We have been able to meet our stakeholder aspirations - forged
in Ghana all the major plantations are somewhat aligned to an end
very good relationships with our suppliers and customers, taken care
user,” Eric explains. “At this point, sourcing palm oil became an issue
of our shareholders through reasonable dividends and an enhanced
which is where Norpalm came in.”
business, and above all remained profitable with good palm oil prices in the last five years.”
For the past 10 years, Norpalm has supplied all of its production to PZ Cussons after signing an exclusivity arrangement. Although
A chartered accountant by profession, Eric has been with
this ended in March 2013, the company will enter a new agreement
Norpalm for the majority of its existence. He previously held senior
in September to carry on this winning relationship. However,
financial positions at Coopers & Lybrand, DHL and Carson Products
maintaining high standards and continuing to deliver quality products
WA, which is now L’Oreal West Africa.
remains the company’s prime focus.. “We have an excellent relationship with PZ Cussons,”adds Eric.
Ownership and customers
“We have parameters for production, so before we supply to PZ we
The current ownership of Norpalm is a joint venture between
have to meet certain quality standards in terms of fatty acid content,
Norpalm AS (68.6 per cent), based in Norway, and PZ Cussons Ghana
oil moisture etc. For every delivery we make, all of these factors are
(31.4 per cent), a company that produces family care products, with
recorded as part of our quality checks and cross-checked on receipt
notable brands as Imperial Leather and Duck soap.
at PZ’s tank-farms..”
“We knew that in the commodity market things can change and we were hopeful prices would eventually get better,” notes Eric Anang. “We improved the facilities and doubled mill capacity. We also fixed the palm kernel oil station, installed a new boiler to the mill and made a lot of significant investments.”
80 | Endeavour Magazine
Endeavour Magazine | 81
NORPALM
Plantation and facilities transformation At the time of taking over the former state owned business, palm oil prices were low, production facilities run down and the plantation was in a poor condition, with trees requiring lots of attention. “The price was around $300 per tonne, compared to last year’s average price of $1150 per tonne,” reveals Eric. “So at that time, things were very bad and we needed to find a way to get going again.” Recognising the potential in the market, Norpalm paid close attention to the plantation and facilities in order to achieve prosperity. Through various upgrades and maximising production to meet market demand, the company began to find success. “We knew that in the commodity market things can change and we were hopeful prices would eventually get better,” notes Eric. “We improved the facilities and doubled mill capacity. We also fixed the palm kernel oil station, installed a new boiler to the mill and made a lot of significant investments.” However, maintaining the estate and updating the premises is an ongoing process at Norpalm, as the company continues to put its faith in technology. Without certain advancements, Eric believes Norpalm would struggle to operate and remain in business. “We have put in standby equipment to operate 24 hours a day without any breaks during the peak season,” he says. “So we can maintain 30 metric tonnes per hour, but have backup for key equipment like a press and digester, should a breakdown occur. . We try to always maintain this rate of throughput. If we cannot make our volumes, we cannot survive, so every effort has been made not to lose any fruit during the peak season.” Although the boiler is a significant part of the production process,
The efficient service providing organisation providing services to the mining & quarry, construction & the processing industries. Manufactures’ Representation • Procurement & Supply • Technical Service
as it helps to sterilise and cook the fruit before processing, Norpalm has managed to utilise this piece of machinery for other uses. “With the steam it generates, we have a steam turbine to produce our own electricity, close to 1 megawatt of power from our own operations,” cites Eric.
Recognising what is required Norpalm currently has around 280 members of staff on the payroll., Due to the seasonality of the business , additional workers are taken on between January and June. During this six-month period, 70 per cent of the company’s annual production takes place, so meeting requirements through addition recruitment is vital. To ensure each and every worker is able to carry out their job competently, various training schemes exist. “We perform annual appraisals to come up with individual and departmental requirements,” says Eric. “We then organise training
Process & Plant Sales (GH) Ltd
programmes for the needs we identify.
Head Office, Tema Thokey House, Room 301, Community Four[4], Tema, Ghana. Tel: 00 233 (0303) 207709 Fax: 00 233 (0303) 207710 Web: www.ppsghana.com
“We have contract staff who carry out various maintenance operations within the the plantation, harvest the fruit, apply fertiliser and other activities, all of which is sub-contracted. Over 1000 employees are involved in the plantation operation.”
82 | Endeavour Magazine
PPS QP.indd 1
09/09/2013 11:28
CHEMICO LIMITED Although Norpalm is also eager to recover as much oil as possible, this isn’t possible if the fruit is of low quality. Therefore, the company is working alongside the community to improve yields by providing them with high quality seedlings for planting. This not only has the potential to increase efficiency for Norpalm, it will also improve the local economy. “We are developing relationships with farmers to produce a higher quality crop that they can sell back to us in the future,” reveals Eric. “We are able to mill or process over 80,000 tonnes of fruit per annum, but about 60 per cent of this is sourced from outside
Gallant Super – Special Selective grass herbicide for oil-palm, nurseries, circles, interrows and paths for control of grasses
independent outgrower farmers. Our main aim is to improve the yields from these outgrowers.” Reflecting on the company’s achievements, Eric is proud about how far Norpalm has come and remains positive about what the future has in store. “We pride ourselves on being one of the leading palm oil companies in Ghana. From nowhere, we have achieved a lot in the past 12-13 years and can now be seen as one of the top four in the country. “We believe that in the future, profitability is the key, especially when it comes to the standard of fruit and processing everything we obtain,” he signs off.
Chemico presents the opportunity for sustainable oil palm intensification by installing a state of the art bulk fertilizer blending plant in Ghana to provide specialized mineral fertilizers for the oil palm and other crops. Chemico has also developed a special oil palm fertilizer (NPK 10:10:30) and micromate oil palm (Cu 20%, Zn 10% S6%)
NPK 10-10-30 – Special Oil palm fertilizer
Comm. One Industrial Area, P. O. Box CO.950,Tema, Ghana TEL: 233-303-202991, 202992 FAX: 233-303-202000 E-mail: chemico@chemicogh.com
Chemico QP.indd 1
13/09/2013 13:44
Endeavour Magazine | 83
KENMARE RESOURCES 00258 21 494921 WWW.KENMARERESOURCES.COM
84 | Endeavour Magazine
THE Mona Lisa OF MOZAMBIQUE WRITTEN BY DON CAMPBELL
New developments in all sectors are creating a storm of excitement in Mozambique, however, for the companies who pre-empted this interest this is a wave on which they can ride well into their future. Kenmare Resources have been enjoying a lead on the competition for the last twenty five years and we spoke with the Country Manager for Mozambique, Gareth Clifton about what’s happening.
Endeavour Magazine | 85
KENMARE RESOURCES
A very direct and discerning individual, Gareth’s approach is something that Mozambique as a country needs more of. There is no hyperbole and wrapping of the details which is what makes Kenmare’s story all the more impressive.
I
ncorporated
1972,
Ilmenite is a titanium dioxide principally used as a pigment in paint.
Kenmare Resources plc is
We currently produce approximately 7% of the world’s ilmenite, ” he
a mining and exploration
explains, “As a company we’ve had an interest in Mozambique for a
company, and has a primary
long time and we first started working the country in 1987 exploring
listing on the London Stock
a heavy sands deposit at a place called Congolone, about 70km north
Exchange and secondary listing
of the current mine site. The feasibility study showed the deposit was
on the Irish Stock Exchange.
not large enough to justify the financial investment. We therefore
“When
we
in
started
our
expanded out exploration focus to other licenses along the cost of
primary focus was to be on a
Nampula province and in 1996 the Namalope deposit, site of the
global exploration company but
current mine, was discovered.”
now our principal activity is the
Feasibility studies on the Moma Mine were completed in February
operation of the Moma Mine
2001 which provided a detailed assessment of all aspects of the
which is located on the north
proposed development and confirmed the technical feasibility and
east coast of Mozambique,”
commercial viability of the mine. The detailed market analysis showed
Gareth tells us.
a strong market for the minerals produced and this information
of
“The Mine contains deposits
allowed Kenmare to approach funding institutions to finance the mine
heavy
and appoint a contractor to carry out the construction of the mine in
ilmenite,
minerals rutile
and
such
as
zircon.
August 2004.
“As a company we’ve had an interest in Mozambique for a long time and we first started working the country in 1987 exploring a heavy sands deposit at a place called Congolone, about 70km north of the current mine site. The feasibility study showed the deposit was not large enough to justify the financial investment.”
86 | Endeavour Magazine
Endeavour Magazine | 87
KENMARE RESOURCES
“The Mine is in operation and producing good quality products for our customers,” Gareth says, touching on some of the main steps that have marked the success of the company, “In 2010 we implemented an expansion programme to increase production levels by 50%.”
Moma Project Financing With the co-operation of lenders, Kenmare Resources have made certain amendments to the terms of the Moma project financing. These amendments were agreed as part of on-going management of their financial resources and took into consideration the current
What Is The State Of The Industry?
product market conditions and funding of remaining expansion costs.
Still prevalent in many markets affecting Africa, the uneven nature
Included within these amendments was the effective postponement
of global economic activity continues to cause a drag on market
of the date on which deferred subordinated debt is required to be
prices. While market conditions are improving in the rest of the
brought current from 1 August 2014 to 1 August 2015, deferment
world, particularly in the United States, the Chinese economic activity
of the 1 August 2013 principal instalment of US$13 million of senior
remains subdued resulting in somewhat softer ilmnite prices
debt to 1 August 2014 and an extension in time and quantum of the
“The pigment industry which is the principal consumer of titanium feed stocks, has gradually reduced its finished goods inventory which
ability of the Project to fund expansion-related costs from Project operating cash flows.
had become too large in 2012 following a slow-down in off-take
It is hoped that these amendments will improve liquidity and
volumes by the paint and coatings industry,” Gareth candidly reveals,
enable Kenmare Resources to focus on the ramp-up of expanded
“The inventory levels of the pigment industry are now approaching
production, from which the Company expects to generate increasing
normal levels and this is expected to lead to a resumption of normal
operating cash flows.
buying patterns and increased feed stock demand. In respect of the
Michael Carvill, Managing Director was quoted in saying: “We
zircon market, the demand outlook continues to improve and we have
are greatly encouraged to see the expanded facilities operating
achieved some modest price increases for recent shipments.”
and starting to contribute meaningful production. The Company’s
88 | Endeavour Magazine
operations team at Moma are now in full control of the plants and we all look forward to completing the ramp-up as quickly as possible”.
Production Production during May 2013 was 104,300 tonnes of heavy mineral concentrate (“HMC”), 68,100 tonnes of ilmenite and 4,300 tonnes of zircon. Production of HMC during June 2013 was steady at 101,600 tonnes. Due to a scheduled shutdown of the mineral separation plant (“MSP”) to integrate the new auxiliary ilmenite plant into the control systems of the existing MSP, production of ilmenite in June was at the reduced level of 36,400 tonnes and production of zircon was also reduced to 1,000 tonnes. Consequently, a stockpile of 54,800 tonnes of HMC was built up as at 30 June. July production of HMC was approximately 100,000 tonnes, with the new wet concentrator plant (“WCP B”) contributing materially to this total. Approximately 80,000 tonnes of ilmenite products were produced in July, including 16,500 tonnes from the auxiliary ilmenite plant. The non-magnetic circuits, which produce zircon and rutile, were the last part of the
Reactive Power Compensation – Supercharging the weak transmission systems in Africa HVT Power Systems is a leading provider of reactive power compensation solutions which are used to optimise and supercharge the weak transmission systems found throughout Africa. Congratulations to Kenmare Resources for the expansion of their plant at Moma. We are pleased to have been a part of enabling that expansion through strengthening of the transmission network so that Moma can extract the necessary power from the EdM network. For further information, contact Dale Pudney on dale@hvt-ps.co.za.
expansion to be finished. This work is now substantially completed and the non-magnetic circuits are in ramp-up phase. Shipments
Endeavour Magazine | 89
KENMARE RESOURCES
during
the
second
quarter
increased to 245,600 tonnes
Resources has always endorsed and something that Gareth is very
Balancing out their heavy focus on staff is their focus on
keen to promote himself.
of total products from 48,500
“Staff training is an ongoing determination and we offer rigorous
customers and here Gareth
tonnes during the first quarter.
training for all of our employees,” Gareth tells us, “ Unfortunately the
makes it very clear that there
(www.kenmareresources.com)
education level within the sector in Mozambique is not the best so
are no secrets, no genie-tricks
we’ve put a lot of emphasis into developing this industry at the entry
to keeping customers loyal and
level. This includes targeted programmes for development, bursaries,
happy. No special method of
internships, and artisan shadowing/training to help locals train on the
staying competitive in the market
job.”
place.
Staff And Customer Focuses Mozambique is a country with a wealth of natural resources
He continues, “Currently in certain sections such as finance and
“Customer happiness is tied
and a hunger for development,
engineering there is a heavy reliance on expats working in house
to product quality,” he explains,
unfortunately this has been
however through the natural organic movement of career change
“And the timely fulfilment of
stumped from growing in the past
and promotion we are looking to bring in a higher volume of the local
contracts. You have to be a
due to political risk uncertainty,
workforce who have developed through our programmes,”
reliable supplier to their demand.”
an unfortunate hangover from
There are always many reasons to employ locally and the direction
the civil war which ended in
that Kenmare has taken ensures that the future foundations of the
1992, however governmental
company will be held together by the skills and development of the
“For 2013,” Gareth reveals,
reform established in 2011 has
country’s greatest assets. The ripple effect on not only educating
“We are focussed on ramping up
begun changes to this. This has
but employing from local peoples is a keystone to economic growth,
Phase 2 to a full production by
only aided the quest for organic
something that has clearly been recognized by this milestone
year-end, this will open up the
staff development that Kenmare
company.
possibility for a future Phase 3
Consulting
2013 And Beyond
Training Centre
Facilitating efficiency and effectiveness for mining, industrial, construction and commercial clients through applied logistics and outsourced services. Supply Chain Management
IMLS is committed to supplying professional, practical and consultative services with the emphasis on safety, energy efficiency, staff development and the environment.
Fleet Management
P.O. Box 168 Kwambonambi, 3915, South Africa Telephone: +27 35 580 1113/4 Fax: +27 35 584 4719 Website: www.imls.co.za Email: john@imls-online.com
Mine Planning
Dry Mining
90 | Endeavour Magazine
Industrial Cleaning Services
Dune Rehabilitation
Electrical Services
Labour Hire
however it has to be organically grown.” Phase 2 includes a number of new developments such as a new 2,000 tph Wet Concentrator Plant (WCP) fed by a single dredge, an increase in Mineral Separation Plant (MSP) capacity from 135tph to 225 tph and a New Wet High Intensity Magnetic Separation (WHIMS) circuit which aids in the more efficient upfront separation of magnetic and non-magnetic minerals. Enhanced efficiency of existing operation, a modular approach to construction to avoid disruption to existing operations and an enhanced non-magnetic circuit with additional driers further add to the robustness of the mine. Associated infrastructure and equipment, particularly electricity and water supply, have also been upgraded as part of the expansion. (Kenmareresources.com Moma Mine August 2013 Report)
In house Crating Consolidation Cargo Large Warehouse Facility
Looking from the outside in it would appear that Kenmare’s preferred approach to business includes a patient attention to detail. Usually the biggest projects are the ones that make the news but it is
Road transport to Mozambique, Zambia, Angola, DRC
often the smaller ones that make the big difference. “Our growth from junior exploration company to major titanium minerals producer has been a giant leap over the last decade.
+27 11 392 1553
However, it would not have been possible to make this progress without constant attention to the little details” Gareth concludes.
Fuels, Oil Bases and Lubricants Biofuels, Biodiesels 00258 213 602 78 Praca dos Trabalhadores No. 9, Maputo - Moçambique
www.pess.co.mz
Endeavour Magazine | 91
FIMA FILMS 0027 11 761 7500 WWW.FIMA.CO.ZA
92 | Endeavour Magazine
WITH A Bow ON TOP WRITTEN BY DON CAMPBELL
Fima South Africa, previously known as Treofan South Africa is the packaging solutions partner for the day to day packaging needs of business across South Africa. Specially in the production of Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene (BOPP) with a local production plant in Chamdor, South Africa. Today BOPP has become a popular packaging solution because of its wide variety of benefits including the unique combination properties such as stiffness, transparency, sealability, barrier shine. Providing the wrap up of the industry we spoke with CEO Patrick Munyebate.
Endeavour Magazine | 93
FIMA FILMS
“We can offer you a range of clear, white, matt and metalized products in packaging, labelling and carton overwraps.” Fima South Africa was a part of the Treofan Group for over 25 years, and during this time built a solid reputation as producers and suppliers of BOPP products with expert knowledge in the industry.
Quote
F
ima South Africa was a part of the Treofan Group for over 25 years, and during this time built a solid reputation as producers and suppliers of BOPP products with expert knowledge in the
industry. In October 2009, a management buyout saw the local company gain financial control and Treofan SA was re-launched as Fima, which is short for “film making”. Now having gone solo, making this the first local management buy out, we aim to focus on our own product range as well as the development of a bigger and better product range. The Treofan Group, with whom we are still closely connected, has granted Fima exclusive rights to sell their product range into Africa and southern Africa, so there are no worries about not being able to get your hands on your most loved Treofan film, as we will still be working very closely with them. To add to this, we have also teamed up with the well known Dor Films which will enhance our already impressive product range and your packaging solutions needs. In August 2010 a BEE transaction took place and now Wendile Investment Holdings, a 100% black-owned company, has a majority shareholding of Fima, making us a value added company in terms of Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment. The principal shareholders of Wendile are Empowa Investments, represented by Molefi Madisikwane, Caesar Molebatsi, Abner Mariri and Patrick Munyembate.
Focus On Staffing In 2011, Fima launched a bid to meet the growing demand of the plastic market and began expanding plans to ultimately produce 94 | Endeavour Magazine
32,000t of film at plate capacity per annum. In addition, this naturally had a downstream effect of creating jobs.
“It is imperative for the local market to support local production to ensure sustainability and growth of this industry.”
“With this investment, we aim to produce a Plastics Campus in
Previously part of the Treofan group, Fima is the exclusive
Chamdor offering an array of plastic products that include Biaxially
producer of BOPP products in South Africa and has exclusive rights
Oriented
terephthalate
to sell Treofan products in South Africa and southern Africa. In
(PET) / Cast Polypropylene (CPP) and metalised films,” said Patrick
Polypropylene
(BOPP),
Polyethylene
line with Fima’s business growth strategy, the company aims to be
Munyembate, Chief Executive Officer at Fima.
exporting to the greater part of Africa and largely the West African
Munyembate went further to say that as a 100% BEE Company -
market based on the new film line, which will increase capacity and
Fima’s values and strategy are kept in line with government’s strategy
ensure that the market needs are met.
to create jobs in South Africa and this capital injection will assist to
New Developments For 2013 And Beyond
address this need. “The plastics industry in our country is declining and job creation is a challenge. The DTI is working hard to revive this industry and with our plant expansion, we will realise this with
“We are currently installing a metalliser which would be
approximately 110 job opportunities by 2013 and the industry as a
operational in January 2014. This would benefit the current market
whole is projected to create approximately 2,000 jobs.
as metallised films are problematic when it comes to printing due
According to Caesar Molebatsi, head of Empowa Investments,
to rapid treatment decay,” Patrick reveals, “All metallised BOPP
which owns majority shareholding at Fima, job creation and
is currently imported. Local supply would eliminate some of the
preservation is important in our country and through government’s
problems with ink adhesion during printing.”
back up and support against imports, the company will have the ability
The market for Anti-mist and MAP films for the fresh produce
and capacity to serve the growing local market without resorting to
industry is increasing and Fima are currently developing a suitable
imports.
grade for this market and will be able to supply second quarter 2014.
He added, “In order for businesses to survive in the plastics
“And as always, more variations on our 3 layer films with lower
industry, Fima needs to expand and the plastics industry relies on local
densities that will be available for the snacks and confectionery
production as opposed to imports, as well as sustainability of jobs.”
markets.” He concludes.
We run a fully automated core winding and cutting operation and are a major supplier of cores to paper mills and textile suppliers. We focus on supplying superior quality products timeously at affordable prices.
spirally wound tubular cardboard cores Visit us online today www.transpaco.co.za Endeavour Magazine | 95
PRES-T-CON 001 868 643 2367 WWW.PRES-T-CON.COM
96 | Endeavour Magazine
PRIDE, INNOVATION and EXCELLENCE WRITTEN BY DON CAMPBELL
Manufacturers of Precast & Prestressed Concrete Structures in the Caribbean Basin, which is how Pres-T-Con identify themselves. Founded in 1966 with the intention of developing and manufacturing prestressed concrete products for the construction industry they have perfected their trade since then and supplied projects to the eastern Caribbean from Cayenne in the south, to the Bahamas in the north – from Barbados in the East to Aruba in the west. We caught up with CEO Jan Landreth-Smith regarding his company.
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PRES-T-CON
With over 150 workmen operating from their twenty acre manufacturing facility in Arima, Trinidad, they serve clients from around the globe. With what started as an initial single product line, they now use over ten thousand feet of steel formed stressing beds to manufacture over twenty four different Prestressed Concrete members.
“O
ur
reputation
cubic yards of concrete per
Located in the Caribbean
quality
month, and a 25% export rate,
nation of Trinidad and Tobago,
workmanship
Pres-T-Con has proven it can
a region which is proving to
has spread and is acknowledged
handle any sized project in the
be a launching platform for
throughout the industry,” Jan
Caribbean or northern South
many
reveals, “We strive to put forward
America. Alongside this, the
companies
new products whenever needed,
company maintains its own fleet
undertook a careful investigation
manufacturing innovations, and
of delivery trailers, erection
of all the world’s hollowcore
reliable
through
cranes and pile driving rigs which
production
this providence we continue to
allows them to keep the control
deciding
expand.”
for
equipment
international-standard Pres-T-Con
solutions to
before
implement
the
in house. Their own in-house
region’s first Elematic extruded
and
concrete testing laboratory and
hollowcore production system in
architects as far afield as Paris,
their aggregate and readymix
early 2006. This was an essential
Munich,
batching facilities is the other
part of their development to keep
secret to their quality control.
ahead of their local competition
Serving
engineers London,
Houston,
Vancouver and Tokyo, PresT-Con has become a truly vibrant
and
established
internationally
firm
which
“We maintain a fleet of cranes for both land and marine
by rising themselves to a new standard.
has
operations with eight piling rigs
Being one of the region’s
outlasted competitors due to a
which are available for driving of
most comprehensive suppliers of
diligent and day-by-day focus on
our custom manufactured piles -
structural prestressed concrete
improvement and development.
from 305 to 610mm in diameter,
building
and all erection is done with
T-Con has established itself
our own equipment and trained
as one of the few firms in the
How do they do it?
components,
Pres-
It is all down to the production
erection crews to ensure quality
Southern Caribbean that can
capacity which they use to their
and on-time completion ” Jan
create a structural design for a
full potential. Over five thousand
tells us.
concrete structure, engineer the
98 | Endeavour Magazine
prestressed components as well as manufacture them in-house at its own plant in Arima, Trinidad and install them at the customer site. “Developers trust us to provide a very complete solution for their projects,” explains Jan. A request from the developer of a high-rise waterfront parking structure in the Trinidadian capital of Port of Spain prompted PresT-Con to enter the hollowcore market. The size and dollar volume of the project justified entering the new market, in competition with being one of the main hollowcore supplier in the Southern Caribbean region.
The hollowcore production equipment The decision to bring in the Hollowcore production equipment was one of the crucial turning point, and the company initiated an extensive search for the right type of hollowcore production equipment. The goal was to find an automated system that would dovetail easily into Pres-T-Con’s existing production facility. “It was critical for us to find a system that would work with our current casting beds,” said Jan. “Our goal was to minimize our initial infrastructure costs.” It was the simplicity of the Elematic extrusion system that eventually made it the choice of the Pres-T-Con staff. “In this case,
Endeavour Magazine | 99
PRES-T-CON
being simpler doesn’t mean it was simplistic,” said Jan, “The Elematic system was much easier for our employees to implement and operate, yet it met the productivity goals we were aiming to achieve.” A key factor for the success of Pres-T-Con has always been the high standard and provision of their after-sale support which has In 1954, Trinidad Cement Limited (TCL) commenced
cemented the relationship between them and their clients. They also
production of the English-speaking Caribbean’s
run an uncommonly self-sufficient manufacturing facility at a location
first regionally manufactured cement. Since then
far removed from traditional sources of support and supplies.
investments in modern plants and equipment have
“Only prestressed strand is imported, cement is manufactured
allowed TCL to utilize 100% Caribbean raw materials
locally and local Trinidadian gravel pits supply all the other raw
in the manufacture of more environmentally-friendly
materials for concrete manufacturing,” Jan explains.
cement while allowing for strong and strategic
Pres-T-Con was particularly hard hit over the period from mid-
relationships with our wide customer-base, which
2009 to 2012, having not envisioned that the crisis and stagnation
includes Pres-T-Con: one of our major, long-standing
of the construction industry within the region, particularly Trinidad
clients.
and Tobago, would have lasted so long. However, being very vigilant from month to month and tightly monitoring its expenses in order to survive another day, Pres-T-Con has begun to see encouraging signs of recovery and is cautiously optimistic for the balance of 2013 into 2014. Another one of Pres-T-Con’s strategic adjustments undertaken
100 | Endeavour Magazine
five years ago was to get into
piling works for the embankment
Continuous Flight Auger (CFA)
soil improvement approaches
Piles. The company formed a
for the North-South Bridge. This
collaboration with Morris-Shea
project, coupled with a number
Bridge Company Inc. (www.
of small to medium projects has
morrisshea.com) to undertake
contributed
the piling works for the CBI on
continued existence during the
the Petrotrin Refinery (Trinidad)
difficult recession.”
Upgrade project in 2009.
to
Pres-T-Con‘s
Ultimately, Jan identifies the
“We have also been fortunate
true strength of the company
for our involvement in the
quite simply, “The company’s
Churchill-Roosevelt
Highway
survival has been a testament
and
Highway
to
Uriah
(CRH/UBH)
Butler
its
dedicated
staff
and
Interchange
workers, ensuring that their
as a subcontractor to Vinci
professionalism and integrity
Construction Grands Projects
remain intact allowing Pres-T-
of France,” Jan points out, “We
Con to live up to its mantra.
provided precast concrete slabs,
“Pres-T-Con
– with
A
Trinmesh Limited, incorporated in 1967 is the leading manufacturer of steel reinforcement based products in Trinidad and Tobago. Emphasis on quality, due diligence and know how gained from years of experience in our production has earned us an export market throughout the Caribbean. Whereas today words like quality and experience are bandied about as marketing ploys, this is the philosophy on which the foundation of Trinmesh Limited is built on and also the basis of our growth and future endeavors.
name
AASHTO IV Beams and various
synonymous
types of piles, including CFA
Innovation and Excellence.”
Pride,
Trinmesh Limited, incorporated in 1967 is the leading manufacturer of steel reinforcement based products in Trinidad and Tobago. Emphasis on quality, due diligence and know how gained from years of experience in our production has earned us an export market throughout the Caribbean. Whereas today words like quality and experience are bandied about as marketing ploys, this is the philosophy on which the foundation of Trinmesh Limited is built on and also the basis of our growth and future endeavors.
Endeavour Magazine | 101
CIFA 0039 02 990131 WWW.CIFA.COM
102 | Endeavour Magazine
Customer service focussed companies are a rarity nowadays as are businesses determined to use this as the tip of their sword. With an entire philosophy aimed at changing their industry through developing a concrete reputation with their customers for top end service, reliability and a steadfast approach of face to face dealings. I spoke with Davide Cipolla, CEO of CIFA to discuss his company’s ideals and their plans for 2014.
BUILDING ON Rock AND Stone WRITTEN BY DON CAMPBELL
Endeavour Magazine | 103
CIFA
To give you an idea, CIFA is a leading company in the construction equipment and machinery industry with a focus on offering a complete range of products in the concrete business. Founded in 1928 July 7th, by Carlo Ausenda, Compagnia Italiana Forme Acciaio CIFA was dedicated to the design and production of radio transmitting antennas and formworks for concrete pours. The company underwent a change after the second world war as they shifted focus and became entirely entrenched within the concrete industry as they aided the rebuilding of Italy.
I the
n fact, it was the years
of our machines,” Davide opens
between 1947 and 1950 that
up, “We value dealing face to
allowed CIFA to fully develop
face and based on direct dialogue
industrial
activity,”
Mr.
with the personnel operating
Cipolla goes to reveal, “With the
our products, CIFA engineering
realization of dams to meet the
always takes the lead.”
growing demand of electricity for industrial and civil purposes.” Since
then,
CIFA
to
the
industry
developed
has
through an extensive history has
undergone a constant evolution
CIFA present in every worldwide
focusing on concrete. In 1958
main market that relate to
the first mixer was born together
related technological processes
with the first mixing plants. In
with concrete, including mixing,
1965 started the production of
distribution, pumping, placing
the first mixing trains, at the end
and forming.
of the 60s the first truck mounted
“We take full control of the
pumps. The first truck-mixer-
whole engineering process,” Mr.
pump was developed in 1975, in
Cipolla explains, “From our in-
1977 the first recycling plants
house research and development,
and the first sprayed concrete
and to the final checkout. This
pumping units in the 80s
allows us to closely manage the
CIFA’s history is made of research,
104 | Endeavour Magazine
A comprehensive approach
perseverance
technological choices which can
and
often be radically innovative, a
passion leading CIFA to become
trait characterizing CIFA’s high
an
level of quality.”
International
innovative
benchmark in the fields of
Something that sets CIFA
transporting, pumping, mixing
apart from they’re competitors
plant designing of concrete.
is their pursuit of an immutable
Employing 700 people in Italy
ethic standard. On June 17, 2013
they have literally paved the
they adopted the Organizational
road for their future success by
Model pursuant to the Italian
laying down the foundations with
Legislative 231/01 and the Code
people.
of Ethics.
“CIFA’s strength comes from
“The Code of Ethics is a
the focus on the real expectations
substantial part of our model,”
of our customers and of the users
Davide explains, “It goes beyond
mere certification and leans more towards the duty any organisation
“The industry moves very fast and we put all of our employees
wishing to operate legitimately has to express its ethical principles
through relevant training, be it either in safety (which everyone
clearly and transparently.”
needed to undergo), vocational training, college and marketing,
The Code of Ethics extends throughout CIFA creating an environment governed by standards of conduct that effects all
whatever the skills that the employee needs to complete their work, we’ll make sure they get t.”
collaborators of the company. From business partners and suppliers
Cifa’s focus on employee development and growth brings to
through to clients, it is similar in a way to the Broad Based Black
mind the analogy of building a wall via the perfect laying of each and
Economic Empowerment legislation that has been within South
every brick. As a company they have ensured that every part of their
Africa in as much as it is a standard of which companies are expected
business is as sharp and as strong as possible.
to reach as an absolute minimum.
Staffing
New Developments “In 2012 we launched a joint venture with RI.BA (named Top
“We hire qualified people but also employ and train as necessary if
Carbon srl) to start a company that could create a sustainable supply
they have the right approach and skills,” Davide tells us when speaking
of composite materials. Carbotech,” Davide explains, “Pumps in
about CIFA’s approach to employees, “It is important to be driven by
Carbotech technology are required on the Chinese and European
innovation and you only get innovations that work from people who
market and many units per year are required by customers. So
understand their industry.”
bringing it in-house became important.”
Featuring a large research and development department, the
“In 2013 (this year) we are launching a model of Truck Mixer
drive for innovation and movement, for CIFA is directed to both the
using hybrid technology, “Energya E9,” Davide says, “It’s using
large and small. For clients and even some staff the most important
hybrid technology so there is less noise pollution and a lower carbon
and game-changing developments are often small adjustments that
footprint.”
go unnoticed but make big differences.
Endeavour Magazine | 105
Real Alchemy: Music Into Rum Sammy `Red Rocker` Hagar, former vocalist of Van Halen, is the proud father of five swanky beach bars… who would have thought?
Sammy and Guy toasting the new rum
Starting with Maui and spreading his vigour to Las Vegas, New York, St Louis and newly adopted Roseville, the seventies rocker successfully knocked up five locations with the help of grub provider HMSHost, all under the name of `Sammy’s Beach Bar & Grill`. And there are more brewing as we speak…
Sammy with Anna
Classy, fresh and oozing with A-listed ambience, Sammy’s bars were a sure fire hit as soon as they pitched their rafters. The food is bang on theme, the shrimp barely skims the sand before it lands on your plate and, not to mention there is always a possibility of the man himself mingling with his customers. As enticing as the “Chickenfoot” attribute’s bars sound, that’s not why we’re here. We haven’t given you the news yet. We haven’t pulled you the big guns. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame should have a Cristal soaked plaque made in his honour since the birth of the news we are about to deliver to you. Or perhaps a rum soaked plaque would be better suited? There, we said it. We gave you a little something. We might as well tell you now.
106 | Endeavour Magazine
The California born guitar hero has only gone and made his own
which are custom made to ensure
rum. Why has the rum gone, we hear Jack Sparrow say? t’s in Sammy
the rum pours in at the highest
Hagar’s back pocket, that’s why. And it’s bloody good.
standard.
Sammy’s rum is premium silver, and it prides itself on being made
So what’s the story of the Halen
from the best sugar cane on the globe. The silky rum is concocted in
Hunk and his new found gift for
the heart of Maui, and since Maui is the home slice of Sammy’s Beach
materialising booze?
Bar & Grill, you can be assured that business is staying in the family.
Sammy met a local distiller one
The Hawaiian island is well known for being a server of unbearably
fine afternoon; it was discovered
beautiful cocktails, such as the Mai Tai; several shades of lip-tingling
that he was in the process of
Mojito and of course, the signature Maui Libre. Let’s not forget about
making some good quality vodka.
the Maui Libre.
After spending some time testing
So Sammy wasn’t daft when he put two and two together; the sugar cane rum and the Maui Libre. As Sammy sings in one of his rock studded anthems, “One sip and you’ll surrender”. But of course, we don’t want to surrender; we want the five-day fermented climax. So we sip and sip and sip.
each other’s alcoholic experiments, Sammy and the distiller joined hands with a promise to produce the neatest rum around. No magic wands, no special
The five-day climax isn’t the only characteristic of Sammy’s rum
celebrity contacts- just a local
that makes it so…surrendering. The sugary sweet cane is worked
distiller and a friendly former rock
on for two full years before it is harvested and gently pressed near
god.
the local distillery. Only the toughest crops make it through the vats,
Meet you in Maui?
Endeavour Magazine | 107
WRITTEN BY DONNIE RUST
DON’T BE A LAZY WRITER
SOME STEPS TO INCREASE YOUR ONLINE PROFILE Self Promotion Is Vital
It’s simple, the more people who want to read your articles directly translates into your value for any company looking to hire you to write. A magazine will pay more for high profile writers because they know those stories will be read thereby increasing the scope of their own viewers. If you want to be scratching at the dirt for commissions from magazines that will pay a penny per word then by all means don’t bother about developing an online presence and leave things as they are. But for the sake of a couple of hours additional work (don’t panic, just a little bit of extra work) you can increase your income dramatically.
High Profile Translates Into Honesty A simple belief strategy, like religion. If enough people believe in 108 | Endeavour Magazine
something it doesn’t matter the scope of truth it has, people will believe it to be true. You cannot underestimate the importance of being a popular writer. Popularity
does
not
necessarily mean that people like you or even need to like you. The secret to good writing is to have an opinion, to make a statement, to take a side. Fence sitters are not good writers because they are nothing more than mere reporter. To get people interested in your writing, you have to write with a voice. If you
put your voice into it, readers will
the way but consider these to be
use it as theirs.
your skeletons, your must haves.
A voice has to have a face
Twitter: Here, if people like
to it and writers who have good
what you’re writing they can
profile pictures on all their online
read it easily. It’s all down to
networks notoriously do better
appearance. Tweet a lot. Not
because it makes you a real
only articles you’ve written, but
person.
photos, videos. Get out into the world and see what’s interesting,
Model Yourself On Greatness
take a picture or video of it on your phone and write about it. Twitter is a simple process but
Quick, what does Oscar Wilde look like? You know, you’ve seen
pictures.
What
about
Shakespeare? What about JR Tolkien or JK Rowling? Ensure
If you get stuck or get lost along the way, just contact me. My Twitter and LinkedIn profiles are below. The rest is up to you: twitter.com/Godhunterbook
writing has a face to come from. It doesn’t have to be a professional picture, but it does have to be clear and depict exactly the kind of person you want to be.
head around it but when you get it you have to Tweet a lot. Some writers even pay Twitter Teams to tweet their articles every day
that your picture is everywhere, ensure that the voice of your
it takes some time to get your
linkedin.com/donnierust
and all day. 300 tweets a day to start with. LinkedIn: for every writer you have a cross section of people that you want to read your work and there will be people
If you write about travel, a
out there that you can network
picture of you up a mountain
with who deal with these people
would be good. If you write about
every day. LinkedIN is the social
comedy, you with a comedian is a
networking site for professionals
great idea.
and if you’re not on there you
But model your image on a
really should be.
writer, celebrity and personality
The point is simple. You need
who best represents you. If it
your writing to be read and if
works for them it’ll work for you.
you’re not on the above, as the
Find out what websites they’re
most popular sites used, you’re
on and get onto them, find out
missing out. And if you haven’t
the shortcuts that they took and
realized this by yourself you’re
take them.
not watching your market and have become a lazy writer.
Which Sites To Use?
If you get stuck or get lost
I’m going to stick with the
along the way, just contact me.
obvious ones because these are
My Twitter and LinkedIn profiles
the ones that right now, need to
are here. The rest is up to you.
be used. You’ll find others along Endeavour Magazine | 109
BOOK REVIEWS
Winner of the Whitbread Book of the Year ‘Outstanding...a stunningly good read’ Observer ‘Mark Haddon’s portrayal of an emotionally dissociated mind is a superb achievement... Wise and bleakly funny’ Ian McEwan The Curious Incident of the Dog in the NightTime is a murder mystery novel like no other. The detective, and narrator, is Christopher Boone. Christopher is fifteen and has Asperger’s Syndrome. He knows a very great deal about maths and very little about human beings. He loves lists, patterns and the truth. He hates the colours yellow and brown and being touched. He has never gone further than the end of the road on his own, but when he finds a neighbour’s dog murdered he sets out on a terrifying journey which will turn his whole world upside down.
The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time By Mark Haddon http://amzn.to/WBVRA
110 | Endeavour Magazine
The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald http://amzn.to/15iY4Sj
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott
lavish parties on Long Island at a
Fitzgerald’s third book, stands as
time when The New York Times
the supreme achievement of his
noted “gin was the national drink
career. This exemplary novel of
and sex the national obsession,”
the Jazz Age has been acclaimed
it is an exquisitely crafted tale of
by generations of readers. The
America in the 1920s.
story of the fabulously wealthy
The Great Gatsby is one of
Jay Gatsby and his love for the
the great classics of twentieth-
beautiful Daisy Buchanan, of
century literature.
Who Moved My Cheese? By Dr. Spencer Johnson http://amzn.to/15iYeJv
Who Moved My Cheese? is an amusing and enlightening story of four characters who live in a maze and look for cheese to nourish them and make them happy. Cheese is a metaphor for what you want to have in life - whether it is a good job, a loving relationship, money or a possession, health or spirital peace of mind. And the maze is where you look for what you want - the organisation you work in, or the family or community you live in. This profound book from bestselling author, Spencer Johnson, will show you how to anticipate change, adapt to change quickly, enjoy change and be ready to change quickly again and again. Discover the secret for yourself and learn how to deal with change, so that you suffer from less stress and enjoy more success in your work and in life. Written for all ages, this story takes less than an hour to read, but its unique insights can last for a lifetime.
Endeavour Magazine | 111
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