Unitrans o ers trusted mining solutions to keep your operation safe and productive. We’re experienced in providing inbound & outbound logistics, load & haul solutions, clearing & stripping services, stockpile management and more. All supported by quality safety standards, innovative technology solutions and a wellestablished footprint throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. Find out more at www.unitransafrica.com
EDITOR Joe Forshaw joe@enterprise-africa.net
SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER Sam Hendricks sam@enterprise-africa.net
SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER James Davey jamesd@enterprise-africa.net
PROJECT MANAGER Eleanor Sarbutt-King eleanor@enterprise-africa.net
PROJECT MANAGER Jamie Waters jamie@enterprise-africa.net
PROJECT MANAGER Chris Bolderstone chris@enterprise-africa.net
SALES MANAGER Tommy Atkinson tommy@enterprise-africa.net
LEAD DESIGNER Aaron Protheroe aaron@enterprise-africa.net
ACCOUNT MANAGER Isabel Murphy isabel@enterprise-africa.net
CONTRIBUTOR Manelesi Dumasi
CONTRIBUTOR Timothy Reeder
CONTRIBUTOR Benjamin Southwold
CONTRIBUTOR William Denstone
Published by
Chris Bolderstone – General Manager
E. chris@cmb-multimedia.co.uk
Fuel Studios, Kiln House, Pottergate, Norwich NR2 1DX
+44 (0) 20 3097 1743
www.cmb-media.co.uk
CMB Media Group 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. 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.
© CMB Media Group Ltd 2024
Thankfully, Africa remains the home of entrepreneurialism. The level of creativity and drive to succeed here is, simply, higher than anywhere else. The innovation and the pioneering thinking it undeniable. And often the reasons for entrepreneurialism are not selfish or internal. Many businesses are started with a will to help others and a desire to change.
Bathu Sneakers is the perfect example. An African fashion company that has grown aggressively in recent years, but not because Founder Theo Baloyi and his team want to line their pockets. Instead, their goal is to create jobs for the youth, and build a brand that South Africa and Africa can be proud of. Progress has been strong, as the company prepares to launch in Namibia and with eyes on Nigeria and Kenya next.
Namibia Construction Group is a family business, founded to help the country develop in a meaningful way. Today, it is responsible for some of the country’s largest and most important projects, trusted to deliver innovation and creativity for clients.
The Cavalier Group is blending technology seamlessly into its operations to ensure a smoother, healthier, friendlier journey from farm to fork as it cements its position as a red meat market leader in South Africa. Not a simple farming organisation but not a high-tech soulless butchery, the empathetic nature of the leadership team makes for a business that achieves goals across the board, from profit to purpose.
Abacus Group has made use of years of entrepreneurial excellence to set up the company with multiple divisions carrying out different tasks, but all moving towards a shared goal. Responsible for some of the country’s most respected property developments, this is a business that is also doing so much to become more than a sum of its parts.
All over sub-Saharan Africa, there is entrepreneurialism happening at a level not seen on other continents, and this paves the way for speedy development of businesses, corporations, and industry sectors. Get in touch and tell us your story – we want to connect with real entrepreneurs who are changing people’s lives through ideation. We’re online at LinkedIn
Joe Forshaw EDITOR
+44 20 3097 1743
joe@enterprise-africa.net www.enterprise-africa.net
6 12 20 26 32 38 46 52
NAMIBIA CONSTRUCTION GROUP
Cornerstone of Namibian Construction
CAVALIER GROUP
Farming for the Future
ABACUS GROUP
Developer You Can Count on from Concept to Completion
BATHU
With You Every Step of the Way
RENNIES BCD TRAVEL
70 Year Celebrations to Kick Off Growth Period
BERMAN BROTHERS GROUP
Legacy Building in Sea Point
SERITI GREEN
Champions of the Just Energy Transition
BLENDCOR
Delivering Excellence Through Innovation and Investment
PRODUCTION: Jamie Waters
For the past 75 years, Namibia Construction Group has been realising its vision to uplift the country one world-class project at a time, employing and developing the skills of thousands of Namibians along the way. Four highly specialised divisions boast national footprints and industry-leading expertise, relays MD Hans-Peter Schulz, as projects of scale and significance continue to abound in this milestone year for this truly Namibian, family-run business.
//“We have become a trusted leader in Namibia when it comes to any civil engineering and building project,” opens HansPeter Schulz, MD of 100% Namibianowned Namibia Construction, based in the capital city of Windhoek, which has accrued generations of success in civil engineering and building
// NAMIBIA CONSTRUCTION’S RICH HISTORY HAS BEEN A JOURNEY OF PROGRESS, TRANSFORMATION AND CHANGE //
projects across the whole territory.
“Namibia Construction’s rich history has been a journey of progress, transformation and change,” the company describes, founded in 1949 by Hans-Heinz Schulz and initially trading under the name HH Schulz. It earned its stripes in an initial project consisting of an outhouse toilet construction in Okahandja, and in 1977, some years before Namibia’s independence, became Namibia Construction.
“From these most humble of beginnings we have evolved and are now executing multi-million-dollar projects and contributing like no other to the nation’s infrastructure,” Schulz states of the hard-fought progress. “There are many roads, towns, shopping centres, mines and other noteworthy projects throughout Namibia that have been constructed by our company.”
“We are proud to consider ourselves pioneers and key players in the construction and development of this wonderful land of the brave.” Namibia Construction has unquestionably succeeded to date in what it rightly terms its ‘quest’ - to continue to be the contractor of choice in an environment where it can uplift Namibians through a succession of world-class projects.
A harmonic quartet of divisions constitutes the full Namibia Construction orchestra, details HansPeter Schulz. “Our building division specialises in just about everything - the likes of hospitals and shopping centres, as well as multiple-storey, high-rise constructions - we take care of the full picture,” he begins, with this segment behind the construction of many architectural marvels
through the years. It is a similar story on the roads and earthworks side, explains Schulz of its civil division.
“The company has developed strong leadership and highly skilled teams specialising in complex roads, structures and services. We can do anything from reticulation and infrastructure to bridges and wastewater treatment plants, and at the same time we undertake a lot of civil work in the mines.
“This division possesses significant plant and equipment to afford us the capability to successfully execute large and multifaceted civil engineering projects,” is Schulz’s assessment.
Namibia Construction’s City Concrete is one of the country’s largest ready-mix concrete suppliers.
“With plants in Windhoek and Swakopmund,” Schulz informs, “City
Concrete provides excellent service and quality for residential, commercial or other construction projects from an innovatory batch plant, equipped with Namibia’s first 42m pump, capable
of delivering 90 cubes of ready-mix concrete an hour at optimal efficiency.
“City Concrete can deliver the required needs within time and expected quality and over recent
years has delivered top quality concrete to several major projects.”
Namibia Construction also operates commercial crushers in Walvis Bay and Swakopmund, was well as contract crushing and screening for various road projects throughout the country.
Namibia Construction evinces remarkable longevity and staying power, and shows no signs of slowing in any dotage: construction of the all-new Bank Windhoek 15-storey head office is set to commence in the coming days, Schulz indicates, while the company has been kept busy
finishing both a new retail outlet for CYMOT and a luxurious housing project for high-profile clients, worth between N$350-500 million. “We also have an infrastructure project here in Windhoek,” he further describes, “building a six km dual carriageway out of the township, and in Rosh Pinah we are completing an extension to the existing zinc mine.
“We are busy, too, on the Navachab Gold Mine, near Karibib, where we do extensive infrastructure work,” Schulz concludes of just a selection of Namibia Construction’s most notable current concerns, of which there appears to be no let-up in sight.
“We have an excellent relationship with our clients, most of whom are long-standing and with the majority of whom we have come along way together,” Schulz outlines this as a key differentiator for the company, also speaking at length and with real nuance of the ‘skills drainage’ which he sees as having descended on the country, particularly in the wake of the COVID pandemic, with the company anxious to overcome the risk thereof.
“Our main focus is our human capital, and this is a continuation of the exact same philosophy that my father held - that our biggest asset is our people, and we are only as good as they are,” he shares. “Competitive and attractive work packages is just one way in which we seek to avoid being affected by the vacuum that we have seen left
by skilled people emigrating overseas in pursuit of work,” Schulz details
“Construction can be a hard sell in terms of its lure to young people starting out these days, as well,” he adds, “long hours, and working away from home, and we do everything in our power to keep it attractive and prosperous, with training, apprenticeships and bursaries. Most of our employees come from our own school; equally, through that we can embed our culture and our way of thinking right from the outset.
“Namibia Construction has developed a team-orientated, patterning approach in working with our clients which is filtered down and instilled in all our employees, which is fundamental in achieving our values of providing our clients with a professional and ambitious serviced approach. As a company, we remain committed to
improving and growing talent in-house.”
Schulz himself is the perfect example of these values, joining his late father’s business alongside his brother immediately after having finished his education. Since 2016 he has taken the reigns, following a whole career preceding living out the philosophy instilled into the organisation by Karl-Heinz Schulz, leveraging himself more than 30 years of civil and construction management experience.
Building on the foundations of the company founder and his successors, Schulz has established a well-respected name by growing a team of construction experts who are committed to serving clients with integrity. Through the years Namibia Construction has availed its lofty position to inspire upliftment and growth, and has employed thousands of Namibians, developing their skills and
ultimately affording greater prosperity.
“Namibia Construction has an unwavering commitment to excellence, our respect for heritage, our team of industry experts, our drive for success, our pursuit of quality, our spirit of innovation, our consistency, our integrity, and our professionalism defines us,” Schulz concludes. “These values have shaped our journey and brought us to where we are today. As we look to the future, we are committed to continuous improvement, striving to be better every day.”
PRODUCTION: Jamie Waters
A fully-integrated, vertical red meat value chain, since 1998 Cavalier Group has been realising its vision to bring only the best meat to South Africa’s tables. Specialists in everything from the procurement to packing and distribution of the highest-quality beef and lamb products, “everything we do centres around bringing meat eaters the very best, from farm to fork,” sets out CEO LJ Viviers.
LJ Viviers, CEO
//Cavalier Group (Cavalier) operates a fully integrated red meat value chain with a national footprint, specialising in the procurement, feed lotting, slaughter, packing, processing and finally distribution of beef, lamb
// PRODUCING IMPECCABLE QUALITY MEAT FOR SOUTH AFRICA’S MEAT LOVERS IS SOMETHING THAT WE PRIDE
and pork products. Its overarching mission is to create the shortest and most cost-effective route for the freshest red meat products directly from farm to fork, centred around its core values of quality, efficiency, teamwork and integrity.
“Here, we believe in quality, and in the integrity of our products, striving to bring nothing but the very best to your plate,” Cavalier Group stresses. “We always serve only the best quality that we can source from the farms right until it’s on your table. Producing impeccable quality meat for all of our meat lovers in South Africa is something that we pride ourselves deeply on.
to do more with less, while making every effort to ensure that all of our meat is of a quality that is unmatchable; this is our first and foremost principle, with no compromise.”
Today, the Cavalier Group delivers superior product and service via eight integrated companies, details CEO LJ Viviers. “It all starts with Cavalier Livestock,” he begins, “where our team of industry experts works hand in hand with the best farmers in South Africa and feedlots that adhere to the most stringent animal welfare protocols and modern rearing programmes, to
OURSELVES ON // Continues on page 16
“As life-long students of learning, a core pillar of efficiency drives us to strive
Elevating people.
Elevating business.
Elevating society.
BDO and Cavalier have been partners since 2017. BDO provides expert auditing to support tomorrow’s agro-processing innovations. The Cavalier group is a leader in this sector. Our relationship is built on our joint obsessions with clarity, quality and exceptional client service. Cavalier benefits from:
X Long-term partnership – consistent auditing support enables the Cavalier Group to maintain the highest standards of financial integrity and compliance, which is crucial for ongoing expansion and operational success
X Strategic investment support – when a significant investment of approximately R50 million was made in energy solutions for the business, BDO ensured the required financial due diligence
X Expert industry knowledge and guidance – BDO understands the particular challenges and opportunities the agriculture sector faces in South Africa and tailors solutions accordingly
X Future-focused strategies – BDO is always looking beyond the immediate to what will assist our clients in the long term
X Risk management – agriculture is no stranger to risk: climate change, drought, flood, exchange fluctuations, regulations – and BDO can advise in that context.
Experience the BDO difference in auditing – visit our website to see how our expertise can elevate your business into the future.
To view our latest facts and figures scan the code
www.bdo.co.za
Continued from page 14
raise healthy and happy animals.
“We have livestock agents across the country, that procure both the beef and lamb processed through our supply chain with not only quality, but also sustainability, at the fore,” he
//
furthers, “and our countrywide trading house deals in all different categories of production animals such as goats and sheep, as well,” he says, adding that Cavalier has, too, its own lamb feedlot, which ensures year-round supply without any compromise to quality.
“Cavalier Feeders has its own in-house feed factory and is purposebuilt to add final growth to lamb before entering the meat production chain,” Viviers explains, “which is situated on Boekenhout Farm just outside of Pretoria and houses 20,000 head of sheep. Our dedicated in-house team, working with industry experts, assures the very best possible feed and care for each lamb, guaranteeing their wellbeing and health.
“Under constant supervision, the growth of our lambs is continuously monitored to achieve a tender, great-
tasting product with the minimum possible impact on our planet.”
The next stage of the allencompassing value chain is the Cavalier Abattoirs, Viviers goes on, possessing slaughter capacity of 300 cattle and some 2,700 sheep per day. “The slaughter systems that we have implemented at our three abattoirs - two sheep and one cattle, housed on the same premises as our packaging factories and feedlot - are state-of-the-art, and we place top priority on the lasting product integrity and unparalleled shelflife of carcasses and primal cuts.
“Our commitment to the welfare of animals continues here; we employ only the best and most humane and stress-free practices
Continues on page 18
Continued from page 16
in the processing of each animal.
“The process then moves into its final steps of retail packing. We operate three retail packing facilities in Cullinan, where we produce retail packed lamb, beef, pork and biltong for one of South Africa’s leading retailers. This represents around 50% of our business. We also retail pack salami in Germiston and produce beef patties for Burger King and Spur in a dedicated factory in Cape Town. Like our partners, Cavalier is synonymous with quality,
echoed through our promise to customers in every pack produced with unparalleled care and consideration.
“Innovative packaging and processing equipment, combined with our team of expert butchers, has long seen Cavalier an industry leader in retail-packed protein and globally competitive beef and lamb primal cuts.”
“Having the whole chain within our stable is a key differentiator,” Viviers opines of a vertically-integrated value chain which is economically
// FROM LAND TO TABLE, CAVALIER GROUP HAS ESTABLISHED ITSELF AS THE MARKET LEADER IN ALL SECTORS OF THE MEAT VALUE STREAM //
sustainable, environmentally-conscious and people-orientated. “Also setting us apart is that we go into the premium markets in South Africa,” Viviers underlines. “We offer farmers a unique channel for their product, from both a beef and a lamb perspective.”
Cavalier Group also owns and runs an arm of around 35 butcheries situated within our retail partner. “Even though this represents a small portion of the business,” Viviers says, “it gives us a unique opportunity to access that elusive final link of the vertical chain and gives us direct interaction with, and feedback from, consumers,” he relates. “It allows us to see when things are successful, and then operationalise them on a much larger scale.”
Load shedding has been a preoccupation for businesses and
We provide engineering services for the power sector focusing on:
industries across South Africa, but as Viviers points out, has been arguably most keenly felt by organisations where keeping products cool and fresh 24/7 is primordial, and entails very high energy consumption. “To combat the impact of this,” Viviers counters, “we have invested in the region of R50 million in alternative energy, in particular solar panels and battery systems. Harnessing the African sun, huge parts of our factories are now powered by solar, and as a company we are stepping up to mitigate, and counteract, whatever carbon footprint and environmental impact may arise from our operations.
“In spite of the prevailing challenges, we have managed to sustain our growth throughout, and are currently busy with three key expansions,” Viviers reveals. “One is at our biltong factory in Cullinan,
as well as a substantial expansion of our Germiston salami plant, while we are building a whole new factory in the Western Cape for pork and pork-related products.”
“We have been fortunate to have seen growth and opportunities come our way in the face of the many challenges our industry, and our competitors, have faced.” The current expansions are set to give Cavalier Group a pipeline of growth spanning the next couple of years, Viviers explains, “and then it is all about optimising and growing, seizing more and more opportunities, which we come across even in tough times, to grow further within the country.
“Cavalier Group has known right from the beginning that, in order to achieve in our bid to bring the best meat via the shortest, most
efficient end-to-end red meat value chain in South Africa, the grass-roots development of procurement and production disciplines would be required,” Viviers sums up, “based on proven international best practice but tailored to the unique Southern African industry and all of the opportunities, and challenges, which it presents.
“From land to table, Cavalier Group has established itself as a market leader in all sectors of the meat value stream through our peerless subsidiaries, each specialising in its own value-adding process to seamlessly deliver the best quality meat in the country.”
PRODUCTION: Eleanor Sarbutt-King
With roots dating back as far as 2003, the Abacus Group’s consistently practical and innovative approach to property development sees its vast expertise split across five distinct and all-encompassing development divisions, each as critical to the whole as the other.
//For more than 20 years, the Abacus Group’s pragmatic approach has allowed it to succeed in continually bolstering its capabilities and catering to ever-more
diverse client needs. Today standing as a more than 50-strong outfit, expansions to date have resulted in five divisions spanning the full breadth of property and building, namely Abacus Development Company, Abacus Management Company, Abacus Construction Company, Abacus Real Estate Company and Abacus Innovation Company.
Each individual arm is strong, CEO David Ludditt affirms, but this concerted expansion has translated to a broadening service offering and reinforces the Abacus Group’s commitment to excellence across the board; a central focus on each section’s respective area of expertise within the industry provides an integrated approach which both enables Abacus Group to ensure customer satisfaction
and encourages relentless innovation.
“Our structure allows for scalability,” Ludditt stresses, “and ensures that larger projects can be completed while maintaining efficient operations and the highest of quality standards. Our key maxim is ‘greater than the sum’, and we believe wholeheartedly in the power of synergy.”
The business’s background lies heavily in the development of regional shopping centres, undertaken throughout South Africa, Ludditt outlines, with the Abacus name being adopted following the completion of the CapeGate retail facility shortly after the turn of the millennium. “20-odd years, umpteen developments and billions of Rands worth of developments
later, and the organisation is the thriving, ever-evolving entity we know today,” he beams.
Fundamentally a property development company, Ludditt explains, the Abacus Group has grown into a renowned creator of luxury apartments and retail developments. “Development is our primary field,” he confirms. “We go out, find the property and complete the construction phase, and then, for example, with a shopping centre, own it for anything between three to seven years before tending to offload it back into the market, thereby unlocking funds to allow us to carry on developing on a larger scale.
“Harnessing massive experience and a deep understanding of the industry, we’ve delivered award-winning developments and defined the ‘lifestyle apartment’ category in Stellenbosch
and Johannesburg,” Ludditt goes on. “Our innovation has captivated residents and investors, earning us a reputation as successful developers.”
Of the strong and steadfast supporting subsidiaries, Ludditt selects the famed Abacus Construction for particular celebration. “This asset allows us to project manage all of our own developments,” he explains, “from pre-construction to final completion of the realised project. It specialises in residential projects, including ground-up construction, renovations, remodelling, interior fit-outs and turnkey services of any size and complexity, providing exceptional solutions tailored to meet the unique requirements of our clients.
“Our highly skilled professionals are committed to excellence and work closely with our clients,”
Ludditt underlines, “to understand their goals, visions, and financial constraints, ensuring that we deliver outstanding outcomes that surpass their expectations.”
Completing the Abacus quintuplet are management, real estate and innovation components, the first of which takes total ownership of the final product following construction and oversees it for a period of several years. “The new owner often opts to keep us on thereafter as the managing company,” Ludditt notes. “Abacus Innovation is effectively an architectural firm and is especially invaluable when it comes to what we term our ‘land assembly’ deals, where we purchase large tranches of land and convert them into single residential land offerings.
“We design the houses on each of these deals, and then oversee
// OUR HIGHLY SKILLED PROFESSIONALS ARE COMMITTED TO EXCELLENCE AND WORK CLOSELY WITH OUR CLIENTS //
the architectural process through the construction phase, while our Abacus Construction Company is simultaneously building the single residential houses which go straight into the market for sale.” Ludditt points to a current example of a 350-erven
estate in Stellenbosch as just one in a long history of such dealings for the Abacus Group. “Sometimes we sell erven through creating an entire estate, as well as its infrastructure, facilities and amenities, or alternatively we may sell directly to a third party or even build for ourselves before selling off the finished articles.”
“We are involved in every facet of the development phase, from land acquisition to designing, building managing and then finally with delivery of the product to the third-party purchaser.”
The Abacus Group’s heritage and experience has been wrought on a national scale, Ludditt says, having
built, developed and owned regional shopping centres throughout the entirety of South Africa. “Of late, our focus has been heavily within the Western Cape,” he reveals, “and politically in our opinion this is the best place to be. We have historically been involved in work in Africa, including in Angola and Malawi, as well as investigations into possibilities in Zambia.
“Our focus is not currently on Sub-Saharan Africa, however,” Ludditt confirms. “The Western Cape presents abundant opportunities and remains our primary concern, particularly within the field of student accommodation.” Specifically, Ludditt refers to the Abacus Group’s ‘Myspace’ brand, currently situated exclusively
in Stellenbosch, home to arguably South Africa’s most popular university of the moment. “Currently this consists of 650 beds, which are completed, with a pipeline of work up to around 2,000,” Ludditt details. “Once we reach this point we will think about expanding into other Western Cape universities, and then nationally.
“These are significant projects, and this pipeline is probably going to last five years or so - they range from anywhere between R200 million and in excess of R1 billion each.”
The Western Cape is proving extremely fruitful for the Abacus Group’s residential prospects, too, Ludditt explains. “What we term ‘semi-gration’ - there are many people wanting to
move down to the Western Cape from northern regions like Gauteng, which has resulted in a massive influx of residents and, subsequently, a need of more residences. This gives us an even healthier pipeline of work; we are looking at 10 years before we will have sold out of these developments.”
With years’ worth of work already set to keep the Abacus Group busier than ever long into the future, Ludditt explains that a key future aim is to develop the subsidiaries to one day reach the same levels as Abacus Development Company. “All of the other divisions are relatively new entities, and therefore to grow and expand those substantially over the coming years is very important. We
have, clearly, a securely established property company; now we would like to establish ourselves as an architectural firm and as a contractor, whereby we can become something of a one-stop shop, providing absolutely everything for clients.
“It is still very rare in South Africa to have the full suite of disciplines under one roof, and we are incredibly excited by the prospect of expanding this option and growing the brand into a full turnkey service.”
PRODUCTION: Jamie Waters
Much more than simply a story of sneakers, says MD Cedrick Diphoko, the Bathu ethos, “is about owning your destiny, staying true to who you are, persevering, following your dreams and doing something you are passionate about.” Through a world-class sneaker brand Bathu is portraying the truest representation of Africa and its qualities, creating sustainable jobs and reigniting hope in its people.
//In townships across South Africa, the word ‘bathu’ can be heard in use daily to describe a shoe. Bathu the brand, meanwhile, was established in 2015 in a local township - Alexandra -and has since grown exponentially to now number 32 stores nationwide - soon to be 35 - and a staff complement of over 300 employees, predominantly youth.
“It’s a story of walking your journey, and this is Bathu’s tagline,” summarises MD Cedrick Diphoko of the company’s meteoric rise. “We are more than just a sneaker business, but a beacon of hope that each person has valid and attainable dreams regardless of background and unfavourable
personal circumstances,” he details, “Our motto is centred around our mission statement of reigniting hope and creating sustainable employment. We believe everyone is on a journey; it is our mission to equip, ignite and enable that journey.”
Bathu opened its first physical store in 2018 in Newtown Junction Mall, Johannesburg, the same year in which its first delivery vehicle was purchased. Two years later, one of founder and group CEO Theo Baloyi’s starting pillars for Bathu, to create 100 meaningful jobs, was achieved. “Then in 2021, Bathu was ranked ninth in Africa’s
most recognisable brands,” Diphoko interjects on this startlingly rapid rise to stardom. “This was an achievement in our mission towards being a truly African brand and one that validated all the hard work,” he assesses. Rejected by 13 different shoe factories at the outset, before finally succeeding in bringing to life his Mesh Edition Sneaker, Baloyi has had to entirely embody the core Bathu principles of hope and perseverance; just a few years on, and it is plain that constant and marked progress is now the order of the day. “The business is constantly growing, and this growth is linked to different needs in each of the different diverse markets in
which we trade,” says Diphoko.
“Strategically, we definitely want to scale and expand, and we are aiming to grow the business into Pan-Africa - or, more specifically, SADC. We are aware that two things are required of us in order to succeed in these aims: a compelling product, and the right human capital - a workforce positioned to carry out our mandate everywhere we want to be.
“From a proposition point of view,” Diphoko furthers, “we say that we are a South African sneaker brand that all Africans can proudly affiliate with - the same needs to be said, constantly, of our service offering and our delivery, and we therefore need the very best representation of our product throughout all parts of the continent.”
Next in Bathu’s expansion sights is one of its nearest neighbours, Namibia.
“We should have a fully operational retail store there on November 1st this year, and we are, furthermore, exploring the opportunities Nigeria and Kenya could hold for us.” These locations have, themselves, been strategically selected, with Bathu’s roots and ethos at the heart of the reasoning. “Our intent is to have fulfilled our goals within Africa via these places, before then going into other major segments like New York, London and Dubai,” Diphoko explains.
“Being a proudly premium South African local brand, our affiliation needs to lie squarely with Africa, and it should be at the epicentre of the experience and of the product first, before it then goes out to the world.
“Our core business model is based bricks and mortar, and in retailers is where we continue to witness the biggest levels of growth and conversion,
from a financial standpoint,” comments Diphoko, with A Mall of Africa store having just opened to be joined imminently by a site in one of South
// WE ARE A SOUTH AFRICAN SNEAKER BRAND THAT ALL AFRICANS CAN PROUDLY AFFILIATE WITH - THE SAME NEEDS TO BE SAID, CONSTANTLY, OF OUR SERVICE OFFERING AND OUR DELIVERY //
Africa’s largest shopping centres, Menlyn Park. Naturally, Diphoko stresses, there is increasingly more territory to be explored beyond the physical, and Bathu is well ahead in this regard too, he reveals.
“I firmly believe that our e-commerce platform is an especially compelling one; it leaves no-one behind, and essentially means that we have a global store, operating 24/7, so that anyone, wherever they are in the
world, can trade with us and purchase our products. This model is showing us significant growth, too, and digitisation of the business is a central focus for us - between April this year and last, we witnessed a 98% increase in digital sales.
“We are constantly seeking ways to strengthen our digital portfolio.”
The South African footwear market continues to show extremely positive signs, Diphoko informs; in 2024, it is projected to grow by 84%, and by 86% and 89% for the two years thereafter.
“I believe that there is a big enough pie here that we are all able to enjoy a slice,” he says. “The truth is, though, that we are fortunate to have a first-tomarket advantage, too: from a sneaker company perspective we were the first
to do it, and the first to do it right.
“All it takes from us is to ensure that we always have a compelling strategy and designs that fit the market, for a long time a great competitive edge for us, and to remain confident in the business and
// BATHU WILL BECOME AN INTERNATIONALLY BENCHMARKED COMPANY AND A CASE STUDY OF HOW TO DO
understanding our objectives,” he adds.
“Understanding the buying power of the shopper, and answering to where the retail confidence is really high, is also key, and these are our three most important differentiators.” Bathu’s ambitious growth strategy, translating to a continual 22% year-on-year improvement in all aspects, immediately become infinitely attainable on hearing Diphoko’s assessment of what sets the company apart in a packed market.
“I absolutely envisage Bathu being a global business that can stand the test of time, be internationally-benchmarked and be a case study of how to do business within the African context, with a fair representation of our products in every single part of the world,” Diphoko responds when asked what the coming years will hold for the company. “These
are the things that I wake up and live for - opening a Bathu store in London’s Oxford Street, for instance, where people come, touch our wares and experience this beautiful continent, rich in culture, minerals, style and flair.
“We will strive to realise our vision, our mission and our strategic intent, and live to our promise as a business to be impactful and be a proud partner to Africa - it has been a great journey so far, and a promise than we are more than living up to.”
PRODUCTION: Jamie Waters
Rennies BCD Travel CEO Reece Oakes tells Enterprise Africa that the business is looking back fondly on 70 years of success while planning for an ongoing growth strategy that is already well underway.
//In April 2022, South Africa’s travel and tourism industry was busy planning its comeback. After two years of complete depression, with planes grounded and hotels closed, the industry had been decimated, much to the distress of stakeholders of the market that served up a R425.8 billion GDP contribution in 2019. Even domestic tourists were spending significantly less as the pandemic rolled on.
However, when corridors reopened, and the obvious draws of travelling around SA came back to front of mind,
the industry was forced to quickly restart. BidTravel CEO Lidia de Olim Folli told Enterprise Africa that the group had right-sized and was poised for growth as employees returned to offices and in-person meetings resumed.
Under the BidTravel umbrella, several related companies work hard to deliver corporate travel and tourism experiences, shining the light on South Africa for international arrivals and laying on a full spread for local customers. Rennies BCD Travel (Rennies) is a key division, employing around 200 travel experts and serving
// FOR US SPECIFICALLY, OPERATING THROUGH COVID – A SIGNIFICANT WORLD-STOPPING EVENT – TO ACHIEVE OUR 70TH ANNIVERSARY IS A MASSIVE MILESTONE //
customers locally and internationally. A corporate travel management business with numerous value-added service lines, Rennies is a connector of people and a champion of partnership. When Reece Oakes took the reins as CEO in October 2022, he noted an opportunity to reset and re-establish, building a culture around people in important years ahead as it celebrates its 70th anniversary this year.
“We kicked off an employee culture theme last year and the focus was ‘shift’. Shift is Small Habits Informing a Focused Team, and the acronym was decided internally in a democratic process with all employees. This year’s focus is ‘change’, and the following year is ‘elevate’. That is part of us looking to solidify the core of the business with our key clients. It’s derived from the book by James Clear, Atomic Habits, and it has resulted in gradual growth.”
Most businesses fold within the first two years of trading. In fact, research from the University of the Western Cape suggests that 70-80% of start ups close within five years. Starting life in 1954, Rennies has changed, tweaked, adapted and innovated to ensure not only long-term survival but sustainable success. Even through major societal, political, and economic upheaval, the company has continued to fly high on its journey to the industry’s forefront.
“Rennies was one of the first travel management companies in South Africa and so 70 years is a milestone for the industry as a whole,” he smiles.
“Any business that operates for more than 10 years has achieved something very special. However, for us specifically, operating through Covid – a significant worldstopping event – to achieve our 70th anniversary is a massive milestone.”
At the heart of the festivities will be people: employees, suppliers and customers who have helped the company to reach the peak.
“We have a number of events planned around our staff, who have made this happen. Staff members will enjoy a day trip with some longer trips planned for those who have been awarded recognition. Those who excel around performance and customer service are nominated and recognised by the business as part of the people plan and new culture ethos. Along these road trips, they explore and experience South Africa as a thank you from us to staff for their commitment and dedication.”
Clients will be engaged on an individual basis, but there will be a larger event to celebrate together, thanking clients old and new for their support. Business partners will also be a part of various events, as our business could not reach its success without their support. For the wider general public, Rennies will run a competition through different channels, giving the company the opportunity
to reinforce its success while offering up entrants the chance to engage further with a Rennies experience.
“We are looking to social media to tell our stories,” Oakes furthers.
“Throughout the year, we are focussing on the firsts that we have achieved as Rennies. While we have been trading for 70 years, we have spearheaded a lot of innovation and we want to tell those stories. We will share compliments and credits that we have received, and it all fits into a multipronged approach that we are taking.”
POST COVID
70-year celebrations are particularly poignant following a difficult period for the travel and tourism industry. Rennies’ core function is facilitating corporate travel, managing programmes for multi-national and local businesses,
with additional revenue streams coming from leisure travel as well as meetings and events. The company also offers specialist services such as travel enablement with a dedicated visa team, and a data team. But when travel stopped as a result of the pandemic, the business almost ground to a halt. Some reports suggest that the industry shed more than 150,000 jobs in just the second quarter of 2020.
However, Oakes and team have revitalised the business quickly. Overcoming the initial pain point of returning a high-performance mindset to many that had become comfortable, while competitors continued to adapt, was a relief. Since the end of 2021, the company has grown its headcount by approximately 100% and has started a new training scheme to replace skills that have been lost.
Fly with Etihad to over 75 destinations via Abu Dhabi
“We did lose industry experts, and getting skilled employees is tough, so training remains a core focus for us. It forms part of our people plan which is part of the growth strategy for the business. The people plan is a main pillar in our growth, and training, development, and recognition forms core criteria,” he says.
Oakes comes from a history in retail, banking, telecoms and healthcare, working in some of the country’s largest businesses, and he has experience of leading teams to success. He is thankful to the wider BidTravel group for instilling a sense of freedom and nimbleness.
“It is very entrepreneurial,” he says, “you turn every buck twice”. You don’t find that in other corporates.
Our experience is what we make of it, and we are re-architecting what the culture looks like.”
As a Level 1 BBBEE company, Rennies embeds transformation within its business and this has been another key in unlocking growth in the post Covid environment.
“When I came into the industry, I noted that businesses held on to their travel management companies (TMCs). Coming out of Covid, we have seen movement; we see us acquiring additional clients and while governance is now back in place and businesses are happy to explore. We have gained some great global and domestic clients which we are happy about,” says Oakes.
The result feeds into the gradual improvement in business that is being
driven by a strategic focus on our people, partners and communities. “We saw an increase in turnover from October 2022, and from there we have seen a steady increase with an upward trajectory,” confirms Oakes.
And Oakes is keen to capitalise on success, keeping momentum and riding out any economic turbulence in the short-term. “We continue to remedy the core and that is our focus, while tandemly focusing on our growth strategy, for the next year. As our industry evolves, in 2025 we will seek to expand into other segments within the travel services industry that we currently are represented in.”
Immediately ready for take-off is the company’s new eSIM platform. Launched to support clients travelling
internationally – keeping them connected at all times – the eSIM provides comprehensive coverage easily, at a fixed cost. A unique offering, users need not switch sims for each destination or worry about searching out the right sim product. Rennies eSIM is the perfect partner product for those who travel regularly, demonstrating the company’s understanding of its clients.
Going forward, the focus for Oakes and Rennies is growth. This will come in different forms including expansion of client base, growth in revenue, more people, acquisitions and investment in the value chain which will in turn lead to wider prosperity.
Rennies’ partners are so integral in its ability to deliver, it is keen to invest as much as possible, especially when it comes to SMEs, to ensure a prosperous industry that provides memorable experiences and repeat business while promoting ongoing transformation.
“We created the Red Stamp Club which empowers SME travel enterprises to grow their business,” he highlights. “For example, the Red Stamp Club accommodation programme has sourced bed and breakfast establishments and boutique hotels – smaller businesses – and we push business in their direction. We ensure they are cost effective and that they follow processes in terms of health and safety and legislation, and they are then promoted to our clients who book through them. It’s the same with our Red Stamp car hire programme. In the South African environment, small business is a growing portion of GDP, contributing around 30% of GDP. We encourage our clients where possible to utilise a shuttle service, even if they have a car hire programme, to empower the small business so that they can grow their business. We do the same thing with Independent Travel Consultants (ITCs) so that they grow. We nurture those businesses so that they can take on additional staff
www.bluucarrental.com Reservations:
members as form of growth within the SA market. It’s not only about revenue, it’s life changing here where unemployment is at an all-time high.”
By investing across the industry, the company develops a community around that can support longer-term growth ambitions and delight customers with a universal set of quality standards. This, says Oakes, is critical in Rennies’ plan.
“The expectation is certainly growth,” he says. “The purpose of a business is derive returns. The most crucial component in that is how do you grow a business profitably while keeping motivation levels optimally high. That is a challenge/opportunity for all business leaders in South Africa.
“The focus areas for us in the next 12 months will be SMEs and elevating client services to a whole new level. MICE (Meetings, Incentives,
Conferences & Events) is where we are strong and we want to take that to a whole new level,” he concludes.
As Rennies moves forward quickly, operating a new optimum level, the past seven decades are celebrated but the future years are eagerly awaited. With travel and tourism once again a mainstay of the South African economy, and the value of corporate travel realised by clients around the world, a strategy of growth is undoubtedly the right path to take for this energetic and historic South African business.
PRODUCTION: James Davey
Berman Brothers Group continues to build a legacy of quality and excellence as it embarks on the build of Dolce Vita in Sea Point. Sold out in minutes after launch, the building will bring a new standard of luxury to the area, opening up opportunities for residential buyers and investors.
//In Sea Point, from Rocklands Beach in the north down Beach Road to Saunders Rock Tidal Pool in the south, and all the way back to the lush slopes of Signal Hill, the Mediterranean spirit is strong. The Atlantic Ocean laps the coast, and the sun beams onto white and bright apartment blocks that stand tall over palm tree-lined streets. This is one of Cape Town’s jewels, where it’s easy to live a good life; sweet life; ‘Dolce Vita’. Along the Sea Point Promenade,
Marika Abrahams, Projects Director
parks, beaches and swimming pools allow for relaxation, and the café, bar, restaurant, and boutique hotel-lined streets allow for vibrancy and rest. From here, access across the Mother City is direct and easy.
Sea Point’s fresh ocean air is a real attraction for people and this buoys the local property market which has shown remarkable resilience and growth through a challenging period in the property market.
Right in the heart of the suburb, on the corner of Church and Regent Roads, expert property developers, the Berman Brothers Group (BBG), is using all of its skill to bring Dolce Vita to life. Dolce Vita is a mixed-use development with residential, hotel and retail components. 65 residential apartments across seven storeys will sit alongside a modern hotel with state-ofthe-art amenities such as a restaurant, cocktail bar, spa and gym for its guests, and both components have access to basement parking. To the west, ocean views; to the east, mountain vistas.
“It is situated in an iconic
location and will be another icon in the Sea Point fabric,” smiles BBG Projects Director, Marika Abrahams.
The company took a digital approach to marketing the apartment units, which went live for sale in May 2024. A campaign that focused on the sunny location and the luxurious feel of what will be one of the most prominent corner blocks in the area resulted in immediate success.
“The development sold out in minutes. Everything was gone in under 10 minutes . It was incredible,” says Abrahams who has been with the company for eight years and has experience in architecture and town planning.
She explains that the new process is part of a shift in the industry and allows developers to rely less on external agents, preparing inhouse campaigns alongside people who fully understand the development and have been integral in bringing the projects to life.
“The sales went live at a certain time on a certain date, and everyone was waiting online to secure their units,” she says.
“The online sales process has encouraged the team in the office to run the lead campaign. We know the product best so that is the optimal way to sell it. We can deal with the clients and let them know exactly what they will get.”
What they will get is unlike anything else in the market. BBG has two arms to the business, construction, and legal and sales. The construction arm is managed by founder Saul Berman, and the legal and sales arm is run by his brother Paul Berman. There is a harmony between the two, and an agile approach that comes naturally with a family business that can communicate seamlessly and make decisions without the need to navigate corporate red tape. The pair are Sea Point natives and know the locale like few others. Founded in 1989, the experience behind this team is unrivalled in the region. Relationships
with the very best partners helps to deliver projects of note, and this is the case for the Dolce Vita. Designed by Robert Silke & Partners Architects, built by R+N Master Builders, and brought to life by The Editors Interior Designers and Propr, rental and letting experts, there is a guarantee of luxury and quality in execution and management.
“Dolce Vita is a romantic and deliberate reference to the Mediterranean Riviera - evoking the golden age of European cinema. Sweetly coloured in tiramisu créme shades (and contoured in vanilla-black eyeliner) the building is svelte, muscular and luxuriously sculpted,” said Silke of the building’s striking appearance.
// THE BBG BRAND HAS BECOME SYNONYMOUS WITH QUALITY AND THAT HAS SPREAD BEYOND SEA POINT //
Sea Point has seen a number of developments over the years, but Dolce Vita is central in the community and Abrahams is excited that BBG continues to build legacies, enhancing the built environment.
“The building was two properties across; Mimosa Arcade and Tretal previously,” says Abrahams, “and the group held both for some time before obtaining full ownership. That happened last year and that unlocked the process. From there, we formally consolidated the properties which maximised the building parameters required to produce the building as designed in its current form. It’s all about access to lifestyle. Within walking distance you’ll find all the amenities that you could need. Inside the building we didn’t include too many public amenities because we feel it is so well located. The Sea Point Pavilion public swimming pools are directly opposite, and the building is situated on a public bus route which connects with Clifton and the V&A Waterfront - it’s a great investment.”
The commercial hospitality component in the project, although developed by BBG, will be managed by industry experts, Kove Collection. The company, which already manages other assets in the area, will look after the 5-star hotel and rooftop restaurant as well as the streetside lifestyle and cocktail lounge. By partnering with Kove Collection, BBG has again put Dolce Vita in the spotlight for all the right reasons, consistently employing messaging of quality and exclusivity.
“All of the hotel rooms are angled to offer sea views from every single room, and that is an amazing offering. The entrances to the residential units and the entrance for the hotel will remain completely separate. The residential space, from the third to fourth floor will offer amazing views of Lion’s Head,” confirms Abrahams.
BBG is including a number of unique features to ensure Dolce Vita is everything expected and more. 24/7
Continues on page 44
Continued from page 42
onsite security is backed by CCTV and armed response links, and all doors will utilise smart technology and biometric access control systems. The building will have full back up power systems and high-speed
fibre connectivity. Air conditioning and other extras can be installed on request, and residents will benefit from secure underground parking. Investors will also have the option for rental management solutions, and rental returns are expected to be significant.
“We follow best practice in
the industry,” says Abrahams of the building’s sustainability agenda. “We have UV performance glass on all of the windows, the building’s massing and balustrading is solid helping to mitigate against noise, every unit has a balcony to help improve airflow and manage temperature. There is a central atrium in the building which helps with passive energy utilisation. We are also going to implement a PV thermal solar system on the roof to optimise efficiency. We have domestic water storage in the basement and the building is set to be completely keyless with smart lock technology on all doors. It helps investors if they want to short-term let their space and they don’t have to worry about key management. Everything has durable finishes, and WOMAG is delivering the upgraded finishes to bring a luxurious, post-modern feel. We have also ensured that the units feel quite spacious despite the footprints starting at 42 m2
The gross construction area is around 14,000 m2 with 70 parking bays.”
This base of quality has allowed BBG and its partners to go the extra mile when it comes to the marketing campaign around the building, showcasing Dolce Vita as superior for both investors and potential residents. Videos and other digital material have highlighted the lifestyle opportunities that come with a purchase in Sea Point. This, says Abrahams, is appealing beyond the Western Cape.
“The BBG brand has become synonymous with quality and that has spread beyond Sea Point. When people are looking to buy, they trust that BBG can deliver quality over and above others. Time and time again, people who have engaged with our buildings and investors who have bought before will come back to us. The mechanics of our campaign are also really strong as there is a big online presence in the month leading
up to the launch. That certainly plays a role when there is hype around the launch,” she says, adding that prices range from R3 million up to R9 million.
Marketing Dolce Vita in the right way, for the right buyers, at the right time was essential, but the market also played a part. The individual brands of each of the partners of course play a role, and thankfully quality is the main flavour across the board.
“We have seen a high demand for new stock and there is very little new stock,” highlights Abrahams. “It is very investor friendly, and you can use it or put it into letting. The location is fantastic, and people are associating the product we deliver with a certain standard and that helps when selling - people trust what we offer.”
This is evidenced in the ongoing support the company provides for the buildings and communities it creates. A new group-level marketing campaign ensures that stakeholders know what
BBG is all about: ‘We Are Building’. “Our projects become personal for us,” says Abrahams. “We don’t always step away from the management of the buildings we complete. We hand over the apartments to our buyers and we stay personally involved with the building after handover. We feel that everything we deliver is part of our legacy, and ultimately that is what we are building.”
If the legacy in Sea Point is an opportunity for residents in this latest development to live a bit of the sweetest life that Cape Town has to offer, then expect legacy fulfilled when the Dolce Vita is complete at the end of 2025.
PRODUCTION: Jamie Waters
In the quest for a sustainable future, sources such as wind and solar energy have grown from mere alternatives to cornerstones of Africa’s prosperity, and prominent black-owned renewable energy entity Seriti Green stands right at the forefront of this evolving journey. “Our goal is to unlock Africa’s potential by developing, constructing, and operating large-scale renewable energy projects in South Africa and across the African continent,” sets out CEO Peter Venn.
//For Seriti Green, embracing an energy system rooted in the abundant renewable sources of solar and, in particular, wind, is pivotal in moving beyond Africa’s myriad social, economic, health, and
environmental challenges. Indeed, the organisation goes as far as to label the powerful connection between nature and energy as ‘Africa’s next frontier’.
“Our experience in developing, constructing, and operating large-scale renewable energy projects within South Africa and across the African continent positions us uniquely to unlock and harness this immense potential,” says CEO Peter Venn, who himself brings two decades of energy experience and the delivery of significant renewable energy projects across the African continent and today drives the strategy and implementation of developing, constructing and operating renewable projects in Africa.
Owned by a consortium consisting of VennEnergy, RMB, Standard Bank and majority shareholder Seriti
Resources, Seriti Green is a black-owned energy visionary merging industryleading modelling analysis tools with decades of experience in large-scale renewable energy projects. “Creating renewable energy solutions for Africa, by Africans, we have pioneered Africa’s renewable energy landscape for over 15 years,” Venn declares, “and are collectively committed to advancing South Africa towards a just and sustainable energy transition.”
BLACK-OWNED VISIONARY
Seriti Green came into being at the close of 2022, Venn explains, via the acquisition of 55% of Windlab’s African assets, a company that Venn had himself led since 2011. “That marked the creation of Seriti Green as we see it today,” he states, of a profound shift
in the company’s scope and offering.
“We are a 100% South African- and 60% black-owned wind-led renewable energy developer, in an industry dominated by international names,” Venn details, adding that wind has a particular profile making it ideally suited to the South African context.
“Wind is far more predominant than solar in the peak periods of demand,” he explains, “and that means that there is actually a very good balance between the two. We then deploy our unique wind mapping capabilities to identify and develop premium greenfield wind energy sites with remarkable precision,” Venn says, with the combination of expert personnel and advanced technology long a cornerstone of the company’s success.
Mpumalanga’s topography
and climate conditions, with its consistent and strong wind flow, make it ideal for the efficient operation of wind turbines. Under construction in the Highveld, the 900MW Ummbila Emoyeni hybrid renewable energy facility will be the largest of its kind in South Africa and is highlighted by Venn as set to redefine the Mpumalanga province’s journey towards a just energy transition (JET).
Initially, Venn explains, the infrastructure to support the unprecedented production capacity will be constructed in the form of a huge substation connecting it to the 400kV transmission between Camden and Secunda; the remainder of the project is then carved up into roughly 155MW chunks in order to facilitate and expedite construction. “At the present time we are building, in parallel, the
// OUR APPROACH POSITIONS US AT THE FOREFRONT OF DELIVERING EFFICIENT AND COST-EFFECTIVE RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECTS //
entire grid infrastructure and the first of these 155MW phases,” Venn explains.
“Our intent is to build out the further five phases of the remaining 750MW, with some solar and battery storage, over the next three to five years to be fully commissioned by 2027, by which time it will provide electricity for the equivalent of
some half a million South African households. This is by far the leading renewable energy project in Mpumalanga from a scale perspective.” Seriti Resources has spearheaded the diversification required in achieving the JET, Venn adds.
“Many mining companies are still
behind when it comes to diversifying and having a real energy solution,” he explains. “We are now coal and wind, and when this project reaches a significant stage, we will be able to provide all the renewable energy to our mining sites to give us a truly diversified portfolio. We can also sell to Eskom, for example, to assist in the energy challenges we have in South Africa, or any of the big factories in the area - it is a full, 100% diversification solution from a renewables perspective.”
As the hub of South Africa’s energy generation, primarily from coal, Mpumalanga has a developed
infrastructure that can support additional forms of energy generation, and this is just one of a slew of Seriti Green projects in the Mpumalanga province, Venn is anxious to stress.
“The pipeline is strong,” he opens.
“We are looking at permitting some of the abundant rehabilitated land that we have on the coal mining side for various renewable opportunities, while we have many other undertakings currently in the works awaiting permits, finance and being rolled out.
“Wind farms in this region can operate alongside existing coal power plants, offering a complementary energy source,” Venn adds, “which can be particularly
advantageous during periods when wind energy production is high, allowing for reduced reliance on coal and consequently, a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions. This coexistence is pivotal for a gradual transition to renewables, ensuring energy security and stability during the shift.
“The presence of an established energy infrastructure also means that connecting a new wind farm to the grid is more costeffective and less complex, access which facilitates the immediate distribution of generated wind energy to consumers.” It is Seriti Green’s focus on, and intimate understanding of Mpumalanga, South Africa’s energy heartland, that Venn posits as a key differentiator for the company.
“Mpumalanga is critical to the transition we are targeting,” he states. “It houses the vast majority of suppliers, and having generation close to where the demand is, between Gauteng and Mpumalanga, is vital and prevents the vast technical losses incurred in projects in the Northern Cape have when electrons are transported over 1000km.” This transition of some of the energy production to renewable sources, crucial to diversifying and making the energy grid more sustainable, has been as challenging from an ideological perspective as it has from a technological one, Venn reveals.
www.traction.co.za BUILDING TOMORROW’S INFRASTRUCTURE TODAY
IN COLLABORATION WITH ENZA CONSTRUCTION, TRACTIONEL ENTERPRISE IS THE TRUSTED EPC PARTNER FOR SERITI GREEN'S UMMBILA EMOYENI MAIN TRANSMISSION SUBSTATION AND HV GRID CONNECTION WORKS.
“No-one had ever seen a wind farm in Mpumalanga, and, of course, the natural reaction of most people to proposed change is an instant, ‘no’. The responsibility for us was to override this and educate on the benefits of these advancements; we were fortunate to have plenty of examples of successes we have had with wind farms in other parts of South Africa to illustrate this.
“It has been very refreshing to see how the local communities have adopted our projects, taking ownership of them and embracing the investment and development they bring.”
Venn is keen to close in dispelling
the narrative he has seen formulated whereby renewables and coal are pitted directly against one another as adversaries vying for a role in the energy transition. “That is not the case at all,” he clarifies. “We have a window of a decade now to illustrate that both are required for energy security. I truly believe that only the marriage of mining and renewables can bring benefit to rural communities.
“For Africa to succeed we need these elements to operate so that there is not a concentration of urbanisation, and everybody feels the need to move into the cities which then become swamped. We need to uplift people in rural areas through the likes of education, jobs and health, and in my opinion only renewables and mining can achieve that.”
Driving the continent forward
through the development of renewable energy projects that unlock sustainable value for generations to come is the essence of Seriti Green’s purpose. “Our vision transcends decarbonisation, to represent a world of fairness, of sustainability, and of shared prosperity,” Venn summarises. “Our Just Energy Transition addresses the challenges of climate change whilst partnering local communities to create space for them to grow and flourish: Seriti Green is not waiting for the future, we’re building it one green electron at a time.”
PRODUCTION: James Davey
Co-owned by international oil giants Shell and BP, Blendcor was formed in 1992, and from its Durban home continues to strive for excellence in the manufacture of lubricants, oils and greases to ensure the slick running of vital sectors such as automotive, mining and energy.
//In its various guises, Blendcor has been behind the production of top-quality products and the fullest range of lubricants for coming up to 70 years, with its initial founding dating back to 1956 in the Port of Durban alongside
// WE ARE A SIGNIFICANT MANUFACTURER OF LUBRICANTS AND GREASE, JOINTLY OWNED BY SHELL AND BP IN SOUTH AFRICA //
other major industrial outfits.
Geared toward automotive, mining, and energy related products, Blendcor is pivotal in the smooth running of industry as a whole in South Africa, making businesses move and thrive, enabling continued opportunity creation and keeping the country’s lights on.
“We are a significant manufacturer of lubricants and grease, jointly owned by Shell and BP in South Africa,” details CEO Wonderboy Cele. “Our vision is to deliver excellence through customer satisfaction, borderless thinking, innovation and teamwork.”
“At Blendcor, we believe in achieving business excellence through attaining
the best possible results.” Operating from a 53,000m² site situated in Island View, Durban, Blendcor produces almost all types of grease and industrial lubricants at its single facility, which has an annual production capacity of more than 200 million litres and 8-12 kilotons of grease - the largest blending facility in Africa selling direct to the market.
The lubricants business is, without question, a high-focus sector receiving keen attention from an environmental point of view, Cele recognises, and operating within it has meant that Blendcor has had to make sustainability a key focal point. “There are a number of initiatives and actions that we have had to really fast-track,” he reveals, “not only from a purely environmental standpoint, but also as
a tool to make us cost-competitive.
“We have had to move quickly and dynamically. Our entire forklift truck fleet has now migrated away from the use of gas to solar and electric power in a very short space of time. We have also explored a range of opportunities around energy savings, and currently have a solar farm project underway across the plant, while we use natural lighting throughout our warehouses.
“Before the end of this year, we are targeting the rollout of a fully operational solar farm across the site, which will start to bring about savings in 2025.
“We have been very busy exploring alternate sources of energy,” Cele underlines, with some 50% of the whole facility’s energy due to
come from green solar in 2025, and only increasing thereafter. “This is in entirely line with our sustainability map, which is now embedded in our way of doing business and tracked and managed on a monthly basis.”
Three factors have converged to result in this significant, and welcome, shift, Cele details. “From a market point of view, as consumers we are much more educated and sensitive as to the make-up of the products that we are using - we are now asking questions as where they come from, and how they are manufactured.
“Our customers, predominantly in the automotive industry, have become much more highly attuned to the environmental impact of the products we supply them.”
“Our shareholders, too, have decarbonisation targets which they have set out for themselves, and we, as part of their value chain, need to
// WE HAVE BEEN VERY BUSY EXPLORING ALTERNATE SOURCES OF ENERGY, WITH SOME 50% OF THE WHOLE FACILITY’S ENERGY DUE TO COME FROM GREEN SOLAR IN 2025, AND ONLY INCREASING THEREAFTER. //
ensure that we are actively assisting in targets their being met.” Challenges surrounding energy provision have also played a large role, Cele assesses. “It is expensive, and a big chunk - almost 35% - of our overall operating costs are apportioned to utilities. It simply makes good business sense for us to explore sustainability to its fullest potential.”
People development, and realising human potential, has long been a further key pillar for Cele, “capacitating them correctly to deliver on their scope of work,” he explains. “We have recently undergone a full-scale organisational review, scrutinising new and existing roles and how they can be enhanced, and recruiting new people. We want to ensure that we also develop robust succession plans for the most critical of these, with the right people developed alongside them.”
Cele demonstrates an admirable selflessness when it comes to an oft-cited drawback of such a noble policy: this training and development results in these employees attaining other roles. “Sometimes people do find better opportunities,” he concedes, “but ultimately our purpose as an organisation is not to just develop and retain people, but to allow people to achieve a high-quality path to purpose.”
Automation has accelerated markedly of late, Cele goes on, proudly reporting the install of two robotic palletisers in as many years. “Clearly, we have then had to upskill our people in order to be able to operate these new pieces of equipment,” he adds, “a further competence acquisition opportunity that we have gladly taken. We have also made massive investment into new filling lines,
including two packing machines from Italy’s SMI - one currently being installed and one already running.”
Two further investments have been made into systems, Cele reveals, namely warehouse management and an upgrade of its quality management system. “Even this feeds into our sustainability aspirations,” he explains, “as it allows us to pursue a paperless route - hopefully by 2030.”
Rather than hamper development and growth, Cele says, economic and geopolitical challenges have instead propelled Blendcor to greater heights and into new territory. “We have been forced to adjust and pivot,” he explains. “The automotive industry, for example, one of the predominant industries which we supply, has stalled in growth, but we have been busy in research and development
Our Expertise:
• Building: Residential and Commercial Projects
• Civil Engineering: Durable Infrastructure Solutions
• Structural Steel Works: Reliable Structural Services
• Bulk Earthworks: Efficient Earthmoving Solutions
Accolades:
Why Choose Patcon?
• Experience: 29 years of Industry Excellence
• Reputation: Delivering on Time and Within Budget
• HSE First: Award-Winning HSE Standards
• Quality Assurance: ISO certified
• International Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) Award from Petronas Malaysia
• Master Builders Regional and National Health and Safety Award Winners for 17 Consecutive Years
• Master Builders Excellence in Construction Winner (2021, 2022 & 2023)
• BBBEE Level 1 Contributor
into EVs and the opportunities they present for our shareholders.
“While we continue along our growth path, there are definitely opportunities to consolidate,” Cele assesses. “From a plant point of view, undoubtedly there will continue to be new developments and changes, in line with our five-year strategy. It is likely, on the other hand, that volume growth will remain flat between this year and next. This is why it is so crucial that efficiencies are supporting whatever the volume projections are for the period.”
Ultimately, it is quality that will protect Blendcor’s market share from potential erosion by the competition, as well as the trust placed in it by the biggest brands and availability countrywide of Blendcor products. Alongside the heft of its two shareholders and their combined
history and marketplace credibility, Blendcor is set to keep running smoothly. “Above everything else, and to a unique degree in the sector in which we operate, quality and safety are paramount,” Cele concludes.
“We have to maintain, or even improve, our performance in these two areas while ensuring that we manage our costs in line with the volume trends that we foresee.”
IMPORTANT EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS TAKING PLACE ACROSS SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA, GIVING BRANDS A PLATFORM TO TELL THEIR STORY.
“The Leading International Indo Africa B2B Multi-Sector Expo” International Indo Africa B2B Trade Expo Kenya is an Indo Africa B2B Multi-Sector event that focuses on generating awareness of trade and investment opportunities in Kenya. It contains information on broad economic and trade indicators, including basic facts, key economic indicators, trend in trade, engineering products, and useful contacts. It aims at building a strong and sustainable partnership between India and Kenya by capitalizing on the ongoing initiatives by the two governments for increased cooperation. The event will help the Indian business communities to make informed decisions.
Building on years of energy expertise, we proudly introduce an event that’s engineered to capture the essence of South Africa’s energy evolution, focusing on the transformative power of solar energy, cutting-edge battery storage solutions, the forefront of clean energy advancements and disruptive market forces that are propelling South Africa’s energy transition. Solar & Storage Live is Cape Town’s largest renewable energy exhibition that celebrates the technologies at the forefront of the transition to a greener, smarter, more decentralised energy system.
The Conference: Industry leaders come together to share their expertise on key topics in the field across 2 action-packed days. Presentations, panel discussions and interviews will shed light on the technology and innovation shaping the future of the industry and discuss challenges and opportunities South Africa faces.
The Exhibition: The free-to-attend exhibition showcasing 150 global brands will feature the latest solar and energy storage products and solutions in the market. Exhibitors range from worldleading suppliers to innovative start-ups disrupting the industry.
1
INTERNATIONAL INDO AFRICA B2B INVESTMENT & TRADE EXPO 2024 NAIROBI, AUG 1-3
RWANDA INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR 2024 KIGALI | AUG 1-5
FOOD-BEVERAGES-KITCHEN AFRICA - KENYA 2024 NAIROBI | AUG 8-10
SOLAR & STORAGE LIVESOUTH AFRICA CAPE TOWN | AUG 27-28
FESTIVAL OF MOTORING JOHANNESBURG AUG 30 - SEPT 1
ELECTRA MINING AFRICA 2024 JOHANNESBURG | SEPT 2-6
ELECTRA MINING AFRICA 2024 SEPT 2-6 | JOHANNESBURG
Electra Mining Africa is a big show of the mining industry worldwide and a gateway into Africa for global investors looking for new business opportunities in the mining, construction and power generation industries. Electra Mining Africa showcases under one roof the latest technological developments, trends, products and services in all sectors of these industries. Electra Mining Africa is a biennial event that attracts hundreds of entrepreneurs who make decisions in companies of the first level, a timely event.
Applied Coating Technologies (SA) PTY LTD has been a Nordson Distributor since 1 April 1993. Nordson, founded in 1954, has a footpring in 57 countries. ACT represent Nordson in the Industrial Finishing Division. Industrial Finishing comprises, the application of Powder Paint, Liquid Paint and cold glue onto a multitude of different substrates. In 2017, ACT became a distributor of Sagola, a Spanish company founded in 1955 that is now wholly owned by Elcometer UK. ACT represents Sagola in Industrial Finishing and Body Shop applications. ACT are able to provide full turnkey solutions of complete paint lines and using the latest design software are able to customize designs to suit clients needs.
Unit B1, The Meadows, 4 Essex Street. Meadowdale, Germiston, 1401, South Africa
t: +27 (0)11 392 6461
e: info@actnordson.co.za www.actnordson.co.za
Partner with the education and fund management solutions specialists and unlock the full potential of your student bursary investment. Our Fund Administration and FundiCard solutions empower organisations to efficiently manage their bursary spend and fund disbursements in real-time, and from a centralised online hub.
With access to personalised reports and analytics available 24/7, you’ll have an overview of your students’ performance and overall well-being,
ensuring your investment yields the maximum return. What’s more, FUNDI’s Bursary Support Programme goes beyond a financial focus, it equips students with the soft skills essential for success, and includes psycho-social support, as well as career and mentorship support.
Our Graduate Recruitment service helps companies find the right fit for their organisation, ensuring a seamless transition from student to the world of work.
PARTNER WITH FUNDI TODAY. Call Benedict Johnson on 066 476 0088 or email benedictj@fundi.co.za for your end-to-end bursary fund management and Bursary Support Programme.