Enterprise Africa April 2023

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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 Ekwa Bikaka

 ekwa@enterprise-africa.net

PROJECT MANAGER Terry Hanley

 terry@enterprise-africa.net

PROJECT MANAGER Eleanor Sarbutt-King

 eleanor@enterprise-africa.net

PROJECT MANAGER Jamie Waters

 jamie@enterprise-africa.net

PROJECT MANAGER Kim Berrystone

 kim@enterprise-africa.net

LEAD DESIGNER Aaron Protheroe

 aaron@enterprise-africa.net

FINANCE MANAGER Isabel Murphy

 isabel@enterprise-africa.net

CONTRIBUTOR Manelesi Dumasi

CONTRIBUTOR Timothy Reeder

CONTRIBUTOR Benjamin Southwold

CONTRIBUTOR William Denstone

Embracing technology is the theme of the April edition. It’s the difference between good and great, and can launch even the most rudimentary businesses to the next level. Technology doesn’t just mean new machinery, or new software – it’s everything that makes life easier, quicker, and more efficient.

In Kenya, we speak to G4S – the world’s most recognised provider of security services – about its transition from manned guarding to include more and more technology for clients. In tough times, this provides significant value for those in need of savings.

At Link Africa, embracing innovation and the open access fibre broadband rollout will help many people to take their tech participation higher, driving digital and financial inclusion. The company is busy connecting communities, through a special fibre cable system, as we speak.

For Eduvos, a leading provider of higher-education, taking the classroom online has required significant investment into technology but doing so has helped the company to realised sizeable results, with the record number of new students joining the business this year.

Wanawake Industrial Supplies is bringing some of the best technological advancements in the tooling space to Africa. Working closely with international brands, relaying the needs of the continent, this is a business literally placing the best tech in the hands of its clients.

Mackay Marine SA is sailing nicely after recent acquisition, but technology remains at the heart of this business. Without the world’s premier tech, vessels and offshore support would run into difficult territory. From SA’s major ports, this growing organsation fits, upgrades, and maintains technology to keep people safe.

Published by

Chris Bolderstone – General Manager

E. chris@cmb-multimedia.co.uk

Fuel Studios, Kiln House, Pottergate, Norwich NR2 1DX +44 (0) 1603 855 161 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 2022

The tech story is never ending and the examples we have are just a handful of a significant number underway around the continent. Please get in touch and tell us more about your tech journey and how it has changed your strategy. We’re always online at LinkedIn.

LINK AFRICA

Open Access to Drive Digital Inclusion in Africa

G4S KENYA

Technology Transition Toughens G4S Kenya

EX MENTE

Growing SA Metallurgical Business Steeled for Future

EXXARO Sustainable Impact at the Core of Its Purpose

WANAWAKE INDUSTRIAL SUPPLIES

Powerful Player Provides Purposeful Progress

PENBRO KELNICK

Tailormade Solutions to Optimise Performance

NEW AGE ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS

Where Quality is Not the Exception, it is the Rule

MACKAY MARINE SA

Dynamic Mackay Positions for a Steady Course of Growth

KAMOA COPPER

Modern Mining Exemplified in the Heart of Africa

TRI-STAR CONSTRUCTION

Sparkling Tri-Star Thrives Through Tough Term

AMDEC PROPERTY

Pioneering Spirit Unlocks Global Property Prowess

PRETOR GROUP

Game Changing Pretor One Opens New Doors

94 100 106 112 120 126 130 138 144 150 158 166 172 178

NOVA PROPERTY GROUP Developments Continue at Super Nova

EDUVOS

An Education to Unlock Your Future

BIDTRAVEL

Traveller Confidence and Demand Continue to Skyrocket

THE BEEKMAN GROUP Family Business Flies SA Flag High

SA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

Positive Future Prognosis After Pandemic Turmoil

ZUID-AFRIKAANS HOSPITAL

World-Class Care at Its Heart

CLIMATE NEUTRAL GROUP

AgriCarbon to Grow Ambition in Genuine Climate Change Projects

BUILD IT Quality Materials Ensure That No Place Is Like Home

SHOPRITE GROUP

A Future-Fit Force for Good COLCOM

80-Year-Old Colcom Looking Forward to Bright Future

CHEMICAL PROCESS TECHNOLOGIES

Innovation and Combined Capacity Leave CPT Uniquely Positioned

PIERRE CRONJE

Masterful Crafting Behind Breathtaking Bespoke Designs

IMAS FINANCE

Invaluable Advice When and Where It Matters Most

VM AUTOMOTIVE

Formidable Fusion of World-Class Equipment and Expertise

130

Open Access to Drive Digital Inclusion in Africa

Link Africa - South Africa’s largest provider of cost-effective, high-speed, open-access telecommunications infrastructure – is driving digital adoption and embracing open access networks. Forward-thinking and building for a more connected future, the company has a new management team and a new strategy. CEO Imran Abbas and CIO Steve Sutton talk to Enterprise Africa about the importance of open access.

PRODUCTION: Jamie Waters

//With the pandemic and the swift life-changes that came in 2020, a new workplace culture and a different way of doing business drove innovation. Life online became more important and increasingly critical for South Africa’s resilient business community.

But connecting is not easy for everyone. The country’s system sees some able to access high-speed fibre and others reliant on only 3G mobile access. It’s a complex problem that is bigger than just those companies active in the industry.

According to the World Bank, higher levels of internet connectivity result in better labour force participation, employment mobility, job creation, and overall job growth. In South Africa, these goals have been sought for decades, but many pin the hopes of the future on digital transformation and the Fourth Industrial Revolution. But just over a million homes have fibre to the home (FTTH), and the majority of the country’s 60

million people still go with slow or weak mobile or ADSL connectivity. Increasing participation is a must.

Link Africa is facing the challenge head on, with a new management team pushing a new strategy that could drastically change the connected landscape in the country. Established in 2013, the company is celebrating its tenth anniversary by embracing open

access. This model sees multiple service provides granted access to physical infrastructure with the aim of saving cost and hassle of regularly digging trenches in the street to connect homes. The infrastructure becomes a physical asset and can receive investment from multiple sources rather than a single owner. It’s a logical step in advancing the industry, but requires thorough

planning and strategic partnerships.

“Link Africa has been around for a long time, but it does feel like we are a newly invigorated and looking to the future,” says interim CIO, Steve Sutton.

With open access allowing for major opportunities, new Link Africa CEO, Imran Abbas – an industry veteran with more than 30 years’ experience in the telecoms space – is excited about a model where barriers to entry are reduced, competition increased, and greater choice and lower prices for consumers achieved. Network operators take care of the physical infrastructure and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) deliver broadband services to megabyte-hungry consumers.

OPEN ACCESS BENEFITS

Abbas highlights the success of an open access network approach in Portugal as an example to follow.

“The open access model has also helped to increase investment in broadband infrastructure,

which has helped to improve broadband speeds and coverage across the country,” he says.

“I believe that there are many benefits and that’s why Link Africa is leading the way.”

Aside from improving competition and therefore reducing cost, the investment into broadband infrastructure is vial for improved speed and reliability.

“Open access reduces the need for duplication of infrastructure. The open access network approach has been successful in many countries in promoting competition, reducing costs, and increasing investment in broadband infrastructure. However, I believe the success of open access networks especially in South Africa depends on many factors, such as the regulatory environment, the level of competition, and the investment in broadband infrastructure,” Abbas says.

“We believe open access networks can provide significant benefits to

business owners, both directly and indirectly in South Africa,” he adds. “Link Africa believes that by providing businesses with access to highspeed, reliable broadband services, open access networks can help businesses to be more productive, competitive, and innovative.”

The results of a successful open access system are significant, and the importance for companies is substantial. Even the most rudimentary or conventional operations will require some form of connectivity to improve their offering, and Link Africa is keen to provide.

“Open access networks can lead to improved customer service, as ISPs are incentivised to provide highquality services to attract and retain customers. These networks can help businesses to be more competitive, as they have access to high-speed, reliable broadband services that allow them to be more productive and efficient,” says Abbas. “Open access can

also help businesses to attract and retain talent, as employees are often more likely to work for companies that are located in areas with highspeed, reliable broadband services.

“They can also help businesses to serve their customers more effectively, as they have access to broadband services that allow them to process transactions, communicate with customers, and access online resources more quickly and efficiently.”

These opportunities dwarf the challenges, and Abbas and the entire leadership team are passionate about the way forward in South Africa. Despite the cost, complex regulatory environment, increased competition for ISPs, and technical challenges that come with an open access model, he is confident of long-term benefits.

“I must reiterate, despite these drawbacks, many experts and Link Africa believe that the benefits of

open access networks outweigh the drawbacks. Link Africa believes that by promoting competition and reducing barriers to entry, open access networks can help to increase investment in broadband infrastructure, improve broadband speeds and coverage, and lower prices for consumers and businesses.”

He highlights New Zealand as a country which has progressed quickly as a result of open access adoption. “The government there has encouraged the development of open access fibre networks and that has helped to increase investment in broadband infrastructure, which has helped to improve broadband speeds and coverage across the country.”

While individual consumers might be more exposed to the benefits of open access through their ISP, businesses in South Africa will look to Link Africa to lead the way in a

market that is nascent in the country which, like much of Africa, has been home to a wireless connectivity boom. Abbas hopes to build on a decade of success by partnering with the best to bring positivity to all.

“In general, I believe that the implementation of open access networks will benefit a wide range of businesses, including startups, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and large corporations,” he says. “Businesses that rely on broadband connectivity for their operations, such as e-commerce, cloud computing, and telecommuting, can benefit from the improved broadband speeds and coverage offered by open access networks.”

WIDER IMPACT

Alongside open access, the strategy put in place by the new leadership team has been heavily directed by innovation. With a focus on developing successful

innovations and driving open access adoption, Link Africa hopes to have an impact wider than that of just its clients.

Abbas – a former Facebook executive, with senior management experience at Liquid Telecoms, Neotel, Plessey, and Telkom – suggests that Link Africa can bring the Fourth Industrial Revolution one step closer in SA, while also contributing to a growth-economy characterised by job creation.

“By providing high-quality fibre network infrastructure and internet connectivity, we are enabling businesses to operate more effectively and efficiently, driving innovation, productivity, and competitiveness,” he says, with ambition for the future.

“This is creating new jobs and opportunities, stimulating economic growth, and driving progress in key areas such as healthcare, education,

and sustainability. At Link Africa, we are committed to providing world-class digital infrastructure that enables businesses to thrive and succeed in today’s rapidly changing and interconnected world.

“The Fourth Industrial Revolution is all about leveraging advanced digital technologies to drive innovation, efficiency, and competitiveness. At Link Africa, we are enabling the Fourth

Industrial Revolution by providing high-speed, reliable, and secure internet connectivity that is essential for businesses to take advantage of these technologies. We are also partnering with leading technology companies to provide cutting-edge solutions and services that help businesses to harness the power of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and drive growth and transformation.”

// BY PROVIDING HIGH-QUALITY FIBRE NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE AND INTERNET CONNECTIVITY, WE ARE ENABLING BUSINESSES TO OPERATE MORE EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY, DRIVING INNOVATION, PRODUCTIVITY, AND COMPETITIVENESS //

With a wide open market ahead of it, there is much opportunity for Link Africa if it can convince the majority to look at the benefits of open access. Abbas again highlights another region where the model has added more than just front-line benefits – the Netherlands. Here, implementation of open access has resulted in a highly competitive market with multiple ISPs offering quality broadband services through which consumers have access to high-speed, affordable broadband services.

“Our services are having a significant impact on the South African economy and society,” says Abbas.

INNOVATION

In 2023, when reliable connectivity is a necessity and no longer a ‘nice to have’, delivery at scale does require modern thinking. Through partnership and innovation, today’s fibre networks are engineering works of art. Information in the form of light travels through glass cabling as thin as a hair at rapid speed, and the fibre is water resistant and not

valuable to criminals. It is certainly the next step forward from copper cabling. Importantly, the company is also rolling out fibre access in smaller towns outside of the major metropolitan areas, bringing improved fibre connectivity to consumers and business customers that would have otherwise been left behind. 1800 homes within Bluff, KwaZulu-Natal, more than 3000 homes in Edenvale and New RedRuth, Gauteng, and as many as 2900 homes in Sunnydale, Sun Valley and Fish Hoek in the Western Cape were recently connected thanks to Link Africa. Residents can choose from a range of ISPs and gain service over a quality network, without having to consider moving into a large city.

“We are always working on exciting new initiatives and projects at Link Africa,” smiles Abbas. “One of our current priorities is expanding our fibre network infrastructure and connectivity services to underserved areas and communities across South Africa, to ensure that everyone has access to high-quality digital infrastructure. We are also partnering with leading technology companies to develop innovative solutions and services that leverage emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and the Internet of Things. Additionally, we are exploring new business models and revenue streams to drive growth and innovation, and to

// AT LINK AFRICA, WE RECOGNISE THAT EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES SUCH AS VIRTUAL AND AUGMENTED REALITY AND THE METAVERSE HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO TRANSFORM THE WAY WE LIVE, WORK, AND INTERACT ONLINE //

position ourselves as a leader in the digital infrastructure industry.”

Steve Sutton highlights the adoption of open access as the company’s core focus right now with hopes to add to the strong list of ISPs with which it already partners.

“Open access is a big topic for telcos right now, and it’s about allowing anyone to use existing infrastructure – a big departure from the current model. Imran is leading the transformation towards Open Access adoption with South Africa’s big Telcos. It can save a lot of money by sharing infrastructure - we pay a portion of the fee, and we save on the biggest cost which is digging trenches and laying infrastructure in the first place.”

Today, Link Africa has connected more than 10,000 homes to the fibre network, with plans for strong rollout over the coming years. Telkom, MWEB, Cool Ideas, Afrihost, Home Connect, Wibernet, XDSL, Vodacom, GoConnect, Infinity, and ASAP deliver as ISPs, and Link Africa is looking to bolster this portfolio to ensure longevity. With a

strong team at the helm, developing alliances will be easier for the company which is now proven for over a decade.

“Link Africa’s success is due in no small part to the efforts of our highly skilled and dedicated leadership team, who bring a wealth of experience and expertise to their respective roles,” says Abbas. “At Link Africa, we recognise that emerging technologies such as virtual and augmented reality and the metaverse have the potential to transform the way we live, work, and interact online. That’s why we are investing in our network infrastructure and connectivity services to ensure that we are well-positioned to support these technologies effectively. We are also partnering with leading technology companies to develop cutting-edge solutions and services that enable businesses to take advantage of these technologies and drive growth and transformation.”

This commitment symbolises everything that Link Africa is about and how ambition will quickly be turned into reality. Despite challenging

conditions locally and globally, this is a business choosing optimism.

“Business carries on in South Africa. The business community is tough. We have been operating in harsh environments regarding the economy for a long time,” says Sutton.

Encouraging open access uptake and driving digital inclusion is a priority of national importance and thanks to Link Africa will become more achievable while allowing businesses and individuals to elevate themselves in an ever increasingly connected world.

“Our fibre network infrastructure is designed to be reliable, secure, and scalable, ensuring that businesses can operate effectively and efficiently without interruptions or downtime,” Abbas concludes.

Content sponsored by Link Africa

MEET THE TEAM

Imran Abbas, CEO

Mr. Abbas is a seasoned executive with over 30 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, with a focus on fibre network infrastructure and high-speed internet connectivity. He has worked with leading telecommunications companies in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, and has a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities in the industry. He also has 4 years’ service with Facebook as Partner Manager, promoting Open Access with Facebook and partners like MTN, Vodacom, Liquid, Airtel etc. across Africa.

As the new CEO of Link Africa, Mr. Abbas brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the role. He is committed to driving growth, innovation, and customer satisfaction, and to positioning Link Africa as a leader in the digital infrastructure industry. Under his leadership, the company is well-positioned to continue its growth trajectory and drive progress in key areas such as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, virtual and augmented reality, and the metaverse.

Steve Sutton, Interim CIO

Steve Sutton is the Chief Information Officer of Link Africa, responsible for managing the company’s technology strategy and operations. With over 20 years of experience in IT management, Steve plays a critical role in ensuring that our technology infrastructure is reliable, secure, and scalable, enabling us to deliver world-class digital infrastructure services to our customers. He is a strategic thinker who is focused on leveraging technology to drive innovation, efficiency, and competitiveness, and is committed to staying ahead of the curve in an increasingly digital and interconnected world.

Mark O’Donoghue, CSMO

As Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Mark O’Donoghue is responsible for driving growth and revenue for Link Africa. With over 25 years of experience in sales and marketing, Mark is a strategic thinker and skilled communicator who is passionate about developing innovative solutions and building strong relationships with customers and partners. He is committed to ensuring that our services meet the needs of our customers and that we stay ahead of the curve in an increasingly competitive industry.

Terence Moodley, COO

As Chief Operating Officer, Terence Moodley is responsible for the day-to-day operations of Link Africa. With over 20 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, Terence is a seasoned executive who is adept at managing complex operations and driving efficiency and effectiveness. He is focused on ensuring that our network infrastructure and connectivity services are reliable, scalable, and secure, and on delivering exceptional customer service at every stage of the process.

Rajesh Bux, CFO

As Chief Financial Officer, Rajech Bux is responsible for the financial management of Link Africa. He brings over 20 years of experience in finance and accounting to the role, with a track record of success in driving growth and profitability. Rajesh is a strategic thinker who is committed to ensuring that our financial resources are managed effectively, enabling us to invest in our infrastructure, people, and technology to drive growth and innovation.

Romita Chetty, CHRO

As Chief Human Resources Officer, Romita Chetty is responsible for managing our most valuable asset – our people. With over 15 years of experience in human resources, Romita is a skilled and experienced HR professional who is passionate about creating a positive and productive work environment. She is committed to attracting, retaining, and developing top talent, and to fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning.

Together, our leadership team is committed to driving growth, innovation, and customer satisfaction at Link Africa. With their experience, expertise, and passion for success, we are confident in our ability to continue to deliver world-class digital infrastructure services to businesses and organizations across South Africa.

G4S KENYA

Technology Transition Toughens G4S Kenya

In Kenya, the adoption of technology in security operations is setting the best apart from the rest as G4S leads the market in terms of quality service.

MD

Laurence

Okelo tells Enterprise Africa that by including an increasing amount of sophisticated tech in the wide offering, manned guarding is vastly improved to the delight of value-conscious clients.

PRODUCTION: James Davey

Laurence Okelo, MD

//Security on the continent remains big business. Global and local companies compete for a share of a large pie, and those that can deliver enjoy considerable spoils. The largest private company in Africa is G4S, globally recognised for securing major international events and significant landmarks around the world. Previously, President of G4S Africa, Mel Brooks, told Enterprise Africa about the various challenges operating across varying markets and managing an employee base larger than 119,000 people. “Our ever-growing customer base in Africa and globally continues to trust in the quality, integrity, and expertise of our employees, products, and services,” he said.

But, while the trust remains, the product and service portfolio is slowly

changing. This is clear in Kenya, a driver of African technology, where G4S is a powerhouse in premium private security. Managing Director, Laurence Okelo tells Enterprise Africa that post-pandemic pressure on cost and amazing new technologies are changing the game for security providers. He is keen on embracing this change, grabbing opportunities tightly, extending the arms of G4S around more clients, providing them with significant value – beyond just a manned guard. By providing an integrated solution, the company can and is delivering quality beyond what was previously possible. Four main offerings come in the form of security, cash solutions, technology, and secure logistics. The company also provides a fire response service, bolstering its strong range.

“In Kenya, in line with the G4S global strategy, we are an integrated security solutions company,” he begins.

“Manned guarding is the key offering in terms of revenue. The market in Kenya is very competitive and is largely price-driven. We play in the premium space and that is a segment that has been under a lot of pressure because organisations across all sectors are looking to manage their costs. In order to achieve growth, we have to look at technology and integrate solutions. Although manned guarding provides around 50% of our revenue, going forward the growth in security will come from technology. In secure logistics, growth is coming from distribution of pharmaceuticals and ecommerce. In cash, even though cash in circulation is going down, we

are using Cash 360, our own innovative system for heavy users, such as supermarkets and petrol stations, where money is moved into a safe which is integrated to the customer’s bank and is immediately credited to their account.”

PROVEN PRESENCE

G4S Kenya is well-recognised around the country, and the services of the company are utilised in different proportions depending on location, industry sector, and client preference. With multi-million-dollar annual revenues, the company is deeply embedded in client operations and is exposed to success and failure of its customers.

employees in the country and most of those are front line because of the nature of our services,” says Okelo.

“There is one other international company in Kenya and that is our big competitor as they play in the same segment. There are also a whole host of other competitors, mainly medium-sized local security firms. We are the market leader with the greatest number of guards.”

Clients include numerous embassies and high commissions from around the world as well as foreign militaries with bases in Kenya. Here, manned guarding is essential. In heavy industries including manufacturing, agriculture, telecoms, and pharmaceuticals, there is a need for a blended service, incorporating traditional services with modern

integration of technology. But for the big banks, where G4S supports almost the entire industry, there is a need for both comprehensive manned guarding and technology services.

“The value we give our banking customers comes from them opening up to us; some of the banks use all of our services and we are able to tailor specific offerings rather than an off-the-shelf solution.

“There will always be a place for our people,” he adds. “There are many areas where human interface is still required. Technology certainly has its limitations. Employment will never go away in the security space. In the longer-term, there may be a small dip there will be a place for the vast majority

labour intensive and costs are driven by labour. Our customers are saying that they no longer want to pay beyond a certain point and the only way we can bridge the gap is through technology. We can reduce manned

guarding but increase technology, giving a better value proposition, but at a lower cost. The reality is that that is where the industry is going.”

However, as industries around ecommerce and delivery of pharmaceuticals boom in Kenya, there will be a need for growing numbers. During the pandemic, G4S Kenya grew its secure logistics offering, retaining its position as the leading provider in the country. Delivering products to those in need, often in rural locations, was a boon for the company, and it continues to thrive in this space today.

“There is a direct link between our staff base growing and our revenue. We aim to grow and we see more people coming on board in peri urban and rural areas where there

are opportunities. Across all of our business, if we are growing, we will need more people. We start with the end in mind – for example, if we were doing a risk assessment on a new factory, we would advise on optimisation of guarding and technology so that we don’t have a situation further down the line where we could have done things better,” explains Okelo.

HIGHEST STANDARDS

In Kenya, the Private Security Regulatory Authority announced in January that just 183 firms were authorised to operate representing just a small portion of the country’s 700,000 private security guards. The message to the public and businesses was to choose registered and vetted providers,

// WE HOLD OURSELVES TO THE HIGHEST STANDARDS AND WE BELIEVE IN APPLYING THE LAW IN A WAY WHICH IS FAIR AND WHICH IT IS INTENDED //

adhering to the Sh27,000 per month minimum wage. If security companies are not registered and given a license, it will be illegal for them to operate.

G4S Kenya is fully compliant and leads the way with its code of conduct and ethics. In Africa, G4S is one of the only companies in security to have been labelled as a Top Employer, displaying its commitment to a positive working environment against stringent conditions.

“Some of the other companies do not adhere to the minimum wage and pay structure that we do,” details Okelo. “We hold ourselves to the highest standards and we believe in applying the law in a way which is fair and which it is intended. Many other companies choose a different interpretation, making their cost base lower than ours and that puts

THAT BRING RESULTS

pressure on pricing and margins.”

Despite this, the company is still prominent across Kenya, active in all 47 counties. Thanks to the company’s presence, it continues to reinforce itself in the minds of all as a brand associated with quality. Importantly, the G4S history in Kenya eclipses that of its rivals.

“We don’t take things for granted – customers and consumers have options,” admits Okelo. “The strength of our brand is our heritage. We have been in Kenya for many years and people remember us for transitioning through Securicor to G4S. We have customers who have been with us for more than 60 years. Our visibility comes from our frontline staff. We have couriers in 145 different locations across Kenya, and many of those are guarding and cash branches alongside courier services. We have more than

800 vehicles in the country from trucks to motorcycles, and we have a lot of customer interaction everyday.”

This significant local presence is headed by Okelo – a leadership pro, with senior experience across Africa - and run by those with an understanding of the local market. International interference is nonexistent and the only input from the global business is complementary, ensuring strategy is aligned.

“G4S was acquired by Allied Universal in 2021. That combination saw the strength of G4S around the world together with Allied Universal in North America giving us a global presence,” highlights Okelo. “We report to G4S International led by Ashley Almanza. We run day-to-day operations from here but we remain in line with global strategy. We seek

INDUSTRY FOCUS: SECURITY

out opportunities and determine our growth locally in terms of how we can apply technology, but it is always consistent with global strategy.” This also goes for the onboarding, upskilling, managing, and progressing of people.

Okelo sees growth opportunities for G4S Kenya and its people away from the main commercial centres of Nairobi and Mombasa, and he is confident that the company’s people will deliver local knowledge to keep the team at the industry’s cutting edge when it comes to prospects.

“We are comfortable with our footprint but what we do see is the growth of business in some of the more remote locations. A significant proportion of our business is still within the main regional centres of Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Kisumu and Eldoret and that reflects the nature of the country as that is where the vast

majority of GDP is generated,” he says, adding that the country has a national vision to devolve and give more power to local counties and assemblies. “I see our growth coming from that rather than being focussed only on the competitive market of the large towns

and cities. That is where we have an advantage as we are already present in those other areas. We also have the visibility and intelligence from all of our branches. We have the ability to see and hear first-hand whether there is a new factory or business opening.”

WHERE THE FUTURE IS

Right now, the company is busy introducing new technology to its portfolio. Everything from modern alarms, asset tracking, fire suppression technology, cameras, AI entry systems, infrared monitoring, and state-of-theart command centres are all well-tested, but brand-new body cams, drones, and even wearable technologies are being put into place by G4S.

“It is happening across the board,” says Okelo. “Our market still has a number of customers that like to see the physical presence of a security guard - and there is a place for that.”

But the future is an environment where security personnel are proactive rather than reactive, and involved rather than disengaged. Globally, the company is rolling out a “Connected Officer” programme to deliver these types of important service improvements.

“Today’s security consumers demand a proactive, data-driven, intelligent, and informed approach to operational delivery. Security providers must supply their customers with clear and transparent performance

data in real time, to drive better decision making,” details G4S Academy International Director, Noah Price.

“It’s about moving away from just guards and having cameras run by AI, or going as high-tech as the customer wants. It enables clients, for the same cost or less, to not need a physical presence. Information can come into a control room as assistance can be dispatched as and when it is needed rather than needing 24/7 people. That lowers the cost for everyone and improves security quality.”

This is being tested with a major agricultural client, with many thousands of hectares of land under management. Drones can be used to survey the site, piloted remotely from a control centre. Any disturbance can be reported with officers deployed when necessary. A system where hundreds of people patrol the land, in vehicles, is becoming outdated and expensive.

“Drones for us are important in security,” suggests Okelo. “There is only so much you can do with vehicles or people patrolling. We are piloting drones on site now, to monitor and give comfort that we can respond as necessary.”

He adds that drones are also entering the distribution market, with potential to deliver products to those in rural areas quickly and affordably.

“We don’t yet work in this space but we have relationships with those who do. They can provide pharmaceutical products to very remote locations. We can do the pointto-point and drones can then cover the last leg to people in rural areas.

“Technology in general –using cameras, detection, AI, drones – is where the future is.”

With rising inflation in the country, and a remaining global hangover from the Covid-19 pandemic – further fuelled by the crisis in Ukraine – the economic situation for global corporations is challenging. Thankfully in Kenya, G4S has carved out a niche and is continuing to pick up new opportunities. The

country is expected to grow by 5.3% (according to the IMF), and this will help drive new requirements for G4S. Relative political stability and long-term strategy in Kenya also make the nation a favourite for FDI, with many international organisations –who already know G4S – choosing to set up African operations from the country. This is why Okelo remains confident in the scope at disposal.

“Our optimism comes from the portfolio we have,” he smiles. “Secure logistics grew during the pandemic. In cash, we are growing by bringing technology developed in-house by G4S. Security is under pressure and we will look to manage that by leveraging technology and optimising growth in other spaces. I am an optimist and I see the positives in a market that is very challenging.

“It’s fair to say that there are opportunities,” he concludes. “On the security side, the business outlook is a direct reflection of the outlook of our customers. If they feel pressure, they look to cut costs. Security is always up there when they look for savings. That is why we are talking about the opportunities for technology to play a strong role.”

As the company grows, Okelo points out that one thing is for sure, the quality of service delivery from G4S will never change as it lives its vision: serving and safeguarding customers, communities, and people around the world.

Growing SA Metallurgical Business Steeled for Future

Helping industrial clients to optimise and improve, Ex Mente has grown to become an integral player in the pyrometallurgical industry. By providing expertise based on science, the company is helping to drive CO2 emission reductions while building a culture of excellence internally. Founder and CEO Dr Johan Zietsman tells Enterprise Africa more about greening steel while adding value.

According to the World Economic Forum, the international steel industry accounts for around 8% of total global CO2 emissions. With most countries and companies around the world looking for opportunities to decarbonise and drastically reduce emissions to achieve net zero targets, steel has been under the spotlight, with much production still happening

in coke-based blast furnaces.

Steel is the most common metal in the world, used across almost all industry sectors from general consumer through to heavy industrial. Production is not only high in emissions, but also hungry in energy consumption. While many see problems with this vital industry, some see opportunities. Steel is strong, reliable, and highly recyclable, and the industry employs

millions of people around the world. The challenge is generating the current output but without the input of fossil fuels. Some prospects are being closely examined, such as the use of hydrogen and using green electricity in modern arc furnaces, but the ideas that will provide true change will be underpinned by the laws of physics.

Developing these ideas is Ex Mente, a South African pyrometallurgy

PRODUCTION: Eleanor Sarbutt-King

INDUSTRY FOCUS: PYROMETALLURGY

company with an international presence and a team of the best minds in the business. With experience built in the country’s large mining and steel production industries, Ex Mente has been learning and growing for 22 years.

“I like difficult things and I thrive on challenges,” smiles CEO Johan Zietsman, who holds a Ph.D. in metallurgical engineering and supervises postgraduate students at the University of Pretoria.

“Ex Mente is Latin for ‘from the mind’ – it is a very apt description of who we are. We think a lot and we think together, specifically with our clients,” he adds.

FROM THE MIND

Ex Mente is focussed on the scientific principles behind the metallurgical space, and is actively looking to push

boundaries to enhance the sector, both from an environmental perspective and a productivity angle. The company boasts some of Africa’s most important minerals companies as its clients and deals daily with platinum, ferrochrome, ferromanganese, and other essential elements. Today, specialist consulting, process engineering, computational modelling, and technology development are in high demand from this business based in Pretoria in South Africa and in Ede in the Netherlands.

“Our primary market is South and southern Africa – it is a wonderful country and we want to make a substantial positive contribution here. Many of our clients are based here and they feel the same. Our secondary market is Europe and we established an office in the Netherlands in 2022. We have been working in Europe for several

years; it is in the same time zone, we can get there easily, it is compatible with our culture, and we have good relationships there,” explains Zietsman, talking of recent expansion against a backdrop of tough economic conditions.

“We have been through rapid and sustainable growth for the last four years - even through Covid, we were growing. Our annual growth has been in excess of 30% on average, and that has been nice to see. The team has grown by more than 50% over the past two years.”

But significant growth has come from the desire to expand and change the industries served rather than focusing on our own interests. Pressures to achieve efficiencies but do so in a sustainable way have helped Ex Mente to retain clients and build new relationships as forward-thinkers look for out-of-the-

box solutions in the challenges of climate change and sustainability.

“The green steel boom in Europe is what we have been involved with over the past two years. Internationally, the headline topics – CO2 and the circular economy - are driven by climate change. For us, our biggest involvement across these two areas is through the green steel movement with international producers,” details Zietsman. “In South Africa, we have an electricity crisis, changing raw materials, and the carbon tax – which is currently not being diverted back into industry to contribute where it should. As a result, the projects that we are involved with are the development of new technologies to produce green steel with improved circularity, improved environmental credentials, reduced reliance on electricity, and they are adapted to changing raw materials.”

The pressure is high, with many countries aiming for a 50% reduction in emissions from steel production by 2050, and the current system is well-established, seeing two billion tons produced globally each year.

“The existing route is highly efficient, and we are working on some of the new steps in the process to enable our clients to cope with changes. If you get it wrong, you can ruin a steel company. It’s a high volume, low margin business and it is not like other commodities where there is leeway to absorb losses. In steel production, the plant would be closed down. The risk is excessive, and we need to reduce that and give clear direction to our clients on where to go next. It’s about new ways to produce hot metal like that from the blast furnace, by smelting of direct-reduced iron ore.”

By adding hydrogen to the process, significant emission reductions can be achieved. But green hydrogen must be used – availability of which is scarce and requires significant capital investment into hydrolysers. Using blue hydrogen – created using fossil fuels and storing CO2 underground – emissions are

reduced but not removed entirely.

“We focus on the science and the internal physics within these processes, and it is remarkable how few people do this,” says Zietsman, advising clients around the world on process advances at very high temperatures.

“It’s all new,” he adds. “New raw materials, reducing low-grade iron ore to iron in the solid state with predominantly hydrogen, and then we have to turn it into molten hot metal, while doing so within your existing plant infrastructure - that is a big challenge. People don’t want to scrap capital equipment and they don’t want to take risks that could paralyse operations.”

Ex Mente removes risk for clients by delivering a truly thorough understanding of how these high temperature processes behave.

“If our clients get it right, they shape the future of low-CO2 steel production and, if we get it right as a community, the impact is enormous. Together, we face the risks and challenges head on to ensure the number of mistakes made in the future is as small as possible.”

ADDING MEASURABLE VALUE

As a building block of modern life but a driver of climate change (currently), steel is vital in the fight against global warming. The energies of the future, renewable green power that will come from the sun and wind, all require steel as part of the mix. Decarbonising production is where Ex Mente will thrive in the future, and Zietsman says this will come in the form of digital solutions that optimise and enhance performance.

Dr Johan Zietsman, CEO

INDUSTRY FOCUS: PYROMETALLURGY

“Sustainability and digital transition is part of why we exist,” he says. “That is what pushes the need for new technology. The very first project we did in 2001 was what would today be called a Fourth Industrial Revolution project – that is not new to us and it is only in the past two or three years that some clients have started approaching us about this. Previously, we had to push it and gaining the adoption was hard. It is no longer just a ‘nice to have’. Raw materials are more complex and

that makes it difficult to manage.”

He highlights a recently started project in the ferroalloy space where the client hopes to produce the same level of high-quality output while changing the input to use waste materials in a bid to do more with less.

Outside of SA, in Europe, where 10% of the world’s steel originates, Ex Mente’s new office will help it to access new partnerships and new funding. Through this, significant value will be added to the sector by the company.

“We have worked with several new clients in the past two years, in the USA, Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands. Many of them are related to steel production technology. We are now able to collaborate with other companies in Europe to access European funds. Some of the developments we do are highly technical and very expensive. Our presence in Europe gives us another degree of freedom to get the funding needed to fuel our development work required to serve the industry into the future,” details Zietsman.

“Our core vision is, by the end of 2026, to be in a position to add R1 billion of measurable value to the industry. We don’t frame it in terms of profit or turnover, we want to gear

// WE WANT TO GEAR OURSELVES TO BE INVOLVED WITH DIFFICULT, LARGE MAGNITUDE CHALLENGES AND TO MAKE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS //

ourselves to be involved with difficult, large magnitude challenges and to make significant contributions. In terms of how realistic that is - that is the figure that one of our clients needs to save due to Eskom tariff increases in one year, on one of their sites,” he adds.

By combining science, a strong team, and digital technology, Ex Mente will be able to deliver services at scale which is something that the industry is desperately calling for.

“We are a team of technical specialists and we sell our knowledge,” says Zietsman, explaining that packaging this knowledge in a way that can be utilised at all times buy onsite personnel is key. “It’s about building all of these very sophisticated

scientific and technological ideas into the plants to effect, influence, and improve production day-today. That is how we want to see Ex Mente go from a consulting firm to something completely different.”

EMBEDDING INTELLIGENCE

In many industries, the answer to productivity improvement is automation and technology. While there is obviously space for these tools to be exploited, there remains a certain requirement for human input as AI and machines can only thrive on available data. At 1700 degrees Celsius, there is little collection of data and not much can be measured, meaning there is a struggle for input

to AI or machine learning systems.

“We need to understand and have insight because, if you can’t measure then you need to have extra capability to operate these processes well. The embedded intelligence and the science that you build into your plant can directly help you to consume less energy and improve yield,” says Zietsman.

“We build digital platforms for clients that are not typically AI or machine learning-based but it is the fundamentals of science, thermochemistry, and the theory upon which these systems rest. They are much stronger indicators of the behaviour of the process than what AI could generate from the data it

INDUSTRY FOCUS: PYROMETALLURGY

is given,” he adds. “We can rapidly progress with this model – with our green steel ideas we are literally going into the unknown and AI cannot do that because you need a lot of known data as a foundation. We use the laws of physics as our base which is incredibly useful and immensely challenging. It is not always something that young people are drawn to, but it is certainly something they should consider.”

Attracting people into the industry and growing the skills of the future that will build on today’s ideas around green steel and climate change is a big challenge for the metallurgical industry

and the wider community. In South Africa, skills shortages are a high priority for government and Ex Mente has taken a proactive approach, mentoring post graduates to assist in the advancement and development of new concepts.

“One aspect that is spoken about too little when we discuss sustainability, climate change, and the future, the only way we can face challenges is if we develop, grow, and challenge people so that the next generation can stand up and do these things. This is part of what we are doing at the University of Pretoria,” says Zietsman.

“Society is still so very dependent

on what this industry produces – the metallurgical industry is not going away. We can do it so much better through science, practical technology, and strong people working together.”

GREAT FUTURE AHEAD

South Africa emitted 435 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (MtCO₂) emissions from fossil fuel combustion and industrial purposes in 2021, and many expect key climate targets to be missed as the country battles with an energy supply crisis. But the vision of Ex Mente is long term, and the people in the business understand

WE BUILD DIGITAL PLATFORMS FOR CLIENTS THAT ARE NOT TYPICALLY AI OR MACHINE LEARNING-BASED BUT IT IS THE FUNDAMENTALS OF SCIENCE, THERMOCHEMISTRY, AND THE THEORY UPON WHICH THESE SYSTEMS REST //

that success will not be achieved overnight. Importantly, the company’s contribution in the metallurgical and steel sectors will be achieved through partnership and mutualism, and Zietsman – an industry veteran and technical mind, who was part of Iscor (today ArcelorMittal) before starting his own consultancy – is clear on the reasoning for Ex Mente’s

existence: “Our industry, our world, our clients – not us,” he says.

“Our values describe who we are, and we are clear on our role – we guide our clients, we share in the value, but the major victories sit with our clients.”

After significant growth in recent years, and several significant milestones over the past two decades, the business is prepared to reach for things bigger than the sum of its parts to achieve goals in an industry with heavy impact.

“If we do the right things, for the right reasons, and we do these things consistently, then success will follow. We have made mistakes along the way, but we certainly have a lot more success than failure.

“We are still learning a lot. Guiding and leading people to do things that are way beyond what you could ever do

on your own is vital, and our industry calls for that. It’s not a small industry and it has an enormous influence in the world,” highlights Zietsman.

Looking to the future, the entrepreneur is sure that pyrometallurgy remains an essential and beautiful part of sustaining society, and is excited about the opportunities that are being created as the industry changes.

“The fact that it is difficult and there is a lot of negativity doesn’t mean there is not a great future ahead of us.

“When the challenges arise, we invariably innovate,” he concludes.

// THE FACT THAT IT IS DIFFICULT AND THERE IS A LOT OF NEGATIVITY DOESN’T MEAN THERE IS NOT A GREAT FUTURE AHEAD OF US //

Sustainable Impact at the Core of Its Purpose

Driven by the ambition to provide resources that are critical in any energy transition, Exxaro exists to produce resources that power a clean world. “Powering better lives in Africa and beyond is our purpose,” Exxaro states, with a sustainable growth and impact strategy underpinning this transformation into a diversified company from a coal base to a minerals and renewable energy solutions business.

PRODUCTION: Chris Bolderstone

INDUSTRY FOCUS: MINERALS

For more than 15 years Exxaro has stood as one of South Africa’s largest and foremost black-empowered and diversified mining companies, developing along the way a global asset portfolio comprising coal operations and investments in iron ore, renewable energy such as wind and residual base metals. With a vision as simple

as it is invaluable, Exxaro exists to make a positive impact on the world, powering better lives in Africa and beyond by responsibly investing in commodities that will ultimately sustain life on the continent.

“Everything we do today is geared towards ensuring a safer and more productive tomorrow,” is how the company condenses down such a formidable purpose for who success means nothing if it is not equally beneficial to society as a whole. “This goal is being realised by fulfilling basic and primary needs, the things that keep us functioning as a society, through energy, water, and food. We manage to do all this through our commodities and investments in renewable energy, which we are using to fuel our future.

“Through our growth and innovation, we are working towards becoming an unstoppable source of endless possibilities.”

JUST TRANSITION

It was on entering the final phase of its previous strategy, successfully concluded in 2020, that Exxaro reflected on every aspect of its purpose, prospects, and social obligations in such a drastically changing operating context in order to sculpt this future path. “As a major coal supplier,” the company outlines, “we understand the importance of a just transition to a low-carbon world, and our journey includes incorporating small-scale renewable energy solutions into our existing portfolio to reach this milestone by 2050.”

The implementation of this strategy is made all the more urgent by its recognition of this being a rapidly narrowing opportunity, exacerbated by the growing external risk as the world accelerates to a net-zero carbon economy. “We have long understood the need to balance the country’s

// THROUGH OUR GROWTH AND INNOVATION, WE ARE WORKING TOWARDS BECOMING AN UNSTOPPABLE SOURCE OF ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES //

socio-economic development, which relies on coal generated power, with the need to support the transition towards a low-carbon economy to reduce carbon emissions and the harmful impacts of climate change, thus contributing to humanity’s sustainability.

“These are major changes that will raise future challenges and increase external risks for those who do not adapt, but will present significant opportunities for those who are able to evolve.” This evolution has been both pronounced and sustained in Exxaro’s case, as it seeks to, “build on an existing successful platform leveraging our skills and differentiation with a long-term vision to develop a sustainable, growth-orientated, value-driven company, a leading international renewable solutions provider by the end of the decade.”

Exxaro’s renewable energy journey commenced back in 2009

when it initiated the development of a wind project in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province, culminating in the establishment of Cennergi alongside Tata Power in 2012.

Cennergi’s aim is to be a leading international renewable energy

solutions business for utilities and private clients in South Africa, while diversifying into other markets, and Exxaro acquired the company outright in 2020 in order to propel its diversification into renewable energy. In June last year Cennergi welcomed the

INDUSTRY FOCUS: MINERALS

registration of its 80MW Lephalale Solar Project (LSP) by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) and the Regulator Executive Committee, the first phase of the decarbonisation of Exxaro’s flagship Grootegeluk mine

at Lephalale in Limpopo province.

“The team worked incredibly hard to ensure LSP was one of the first large renewable energy projects to receive registration through the streamlined NERSA process in a record time of 47 days,” beamed MD of Energy at Exxaro & Cennergi, Roland Tatnall, at this milestone in the bid for carbon neutrality by the midpoint of the century. “Following the announcement of our renewable energy strategy to the market in September 2021, we have developed a significant pipeline of multi-technology - wind, solar and storage - solutions that will provide decarbonisation, energy security and cost reduction benefits to Exxaro and other private customers.

“We are advancing a

comprehensive renewable energy solution for Exxaro’s presence in Mpumalanga, which we hope will provide a blueprint for the just energy transition in the province.”

TOP POSITIONS

First receiving the award in 2014, and again in 2021 and 2022, now for the fourth time Exxaro has been honoured by the international Top Employers Institute for its Human Resources (HR) policies and practices and officially designated an elite company to work for. “To be recognised for the fourth time as a top employer on the global stage is a great honour that we do not take lightly,” summated Hemuna Bhola, Acting Executive Head HR at Exxaro.

“It is through the hard work of

// MAINTAINING HIGH STANDARDS IN TERMS OF EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION AND RETENTION ARE THE MAIN REASONS FOR EXXARO’S CONTINUED SUCCESS //

Creating value through partnerships

Tamela’s longstanding relationship with Exxaro since 2006 and its technical capability resulted in Tamela’s sponsor division being appointed as Exxaro’s joint JSE Equity Sponsor since 2020.

As well as sponsor services, Tamela’s advice has covered equity capital markets, financial structuring, debt restructuring, capital raising and general corporate finance.

CREATING VALUE THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS

Tamela

CONTACT

CONTACT Tshepisho Makofane

Tshepisho Makofane

Tel: 011 783 5027/4907

Tel: 011 783 5027/4907 Email: tshepisho@tamela.co.za

Email: tshepisho@tamela.co.za

Web: www.tamela.co.za

Web: www.tamela.co.za

everyone at Exxaro that we always consider our people as our greatest asset. Investing in our workforce and company culture remains a top priority. We will continue to serve and deliver our best work to our stakeholders while developing expert talent. Maintaining high standards in terms of employee satisfaction and retention are the main reasons for Exxaro’s continued success.”

Again, decorated for the fourth time, but this time consecutively, Exxaro Resources was also able to proudly announce its inclusion in the 2023 Bloomberg Gender Equity Initiative (GEI), a testament to a resolute commitment to gender equality and inclusion. Various global experts assert the Bloomberg social survey to be evaluated on the achievement or adoption of best-in-class statistics and policies, due to a standardised

global reporting method to acquire comprehensive workplace gender data.

“We aim to inspire beyond our commercial output,” assessed Bhola of this grading which could inspire others in the mining and energy sector to strive for equity for all genders. “Our goal is to have a gender balanced workforce and to achieve demographic parity.

“Creating a safe, diverse and equitable working environment is of paramount importance for our business,” added Dr Nombasa Tsengwa, Exxaro Resources CEO.

“It is encouraging to know that we maintain such a high gender equity score, especially as a company in a traditionally male-dominated industry.”

With so much attention fixed elsewhere on the looming 2050 deadline, there can be a temptation to neglect the here and now; not so

at Exxaro, where today’s success is quickly followed by thoughts of how to better it tomorrow. “The future is built on what we do in the present,” the company sums up as it carefully balances South Africa’s economic development needs, ecosystem protection and social adaptive capacity in the current transition.

“We are actively contributing to a cleaner world and a future of powering possibility, driven by our vision of resources powering a clean world and better lives for future generations.”

Your Dream. Our Reality

acted as Corporate Advisor to Main Street 333 with regards to the unwinding of Exxaro’s 2006 BEE transaction as well as the implementation of the Exxaro replacement BEE transaction. The combination of Tamela’s longstanding relationship with Main Street and technical capability enabled Tamela to deliver on this intricate mandate.

Tamela provided advice over a period of more than two years on transactions totalling more than R25 billion on equity capital markets, financial structuring, debt restructuring, capital raising and general corporate finance.

Your Dream. Our Reality

WANAWAKE INDUSTRIAL SUPPLIES

Powerful Player Provides Purposeful Progress

Supplying hydraulic and pneumatic tooling solutions to the African market, Wanawake Industrial Supplies is helping to keep economies moving. A high growth business in a lucrative market, this experienced and innovative organisation is demonstrating what is possible with carefully crafted strategies built around good people. MD Sean Sandham tells Enterprise Africa more about exciting expansion in recent years.

PRODUCTION: Eleanor Sarbutt-King

Sean and Saretha Sandham

INDUSTRY FOCUS: HEAVY INDUSTRY

Coming out of a challenging set of circumstances, this enterprise has boomed, seeing fantastic growth while others have scaled back, pessimistic about economic outlook.

The pair established Wanawake Industrial Supplies in 2018 when HiForce Hydraulic Tools, a UK company – where Sean had served as a regional director for a decade – required a solution to a local problem. Receiving strong business from South Africa, supplying high pressure hydraulic maintenance tools to the mining and energy industries, Hi-Force could not access big contracts because of BBBEE scorecard requirements.

opportunities for growth where they might have otherwise been missed.

“It was started as a solution to a local challenge,” smiles Sean. “Originally, membership of the company was all women and they became the enterprise development partners locally. Over the next two years, all BBBEE-sensitive deals were pushed through the enterprise development companies, growing to become around 15% of the business.”

structure arranged by Sean and Saretha Sandham has allowed for an easy route to Africa for manufacturers, and a worldclass product portfolio for clients. And the two entrepreneurs achieved this through some of the toughest business conditions in living memory.

“In 2020, through Covid, Hi-Force UK decided to sell off the local SA company as it was an extra level of cost,” remembers Sean. “We bought the

// WE HAVE A FOOTPRINT THROUGHOUT AFRICA AND BY THE END OF THE YEAR WE HOPE TO HAVE A PRESENCE IN EVERY COUNTRY //

company and we took over all assets. From mid-2020, Wanawake became the sole importer and distributor for Hi-Force Hydraulics. Over the next two to three years, we added more distributorships. Initially, we were solely a regional office for Hi-Force but now we are sole importers for Hi-Force, Sygma, Alkitronic, and more, and we have added some local companies to fill niche markets including Metabo, Milwaukee and more.”

Now, a jet service technician at the airport, or a railway worker, or a mining headgear engineer, or an oil and gas technician will use tools provided by Wanawake, allowing them to do their job quickly, efficiently, to a high-quality standard, and most importantly, safely.

ENTREPRENEURIAL

Establishing Wanawake was a bold move, but Sean saw the benefit and was keen to multiply this beyond his own office.

“The gap is widening between the have and have nots,” he says of a tough situation in SA that sees 32.7% of the population officially out of work. “It is very important from a socioeconomic perspective that we do all we can to allow people to thrive. We hope that in the future, one of our seed companies will grow and create a big network of their own companies – that would be an amazing story.”

As an entrepreneur, Sean has witnessed the power of people and is keen to harness the potential through modern structures.

“One thing that sets Wanawake apart from any other company that I know of is that we are probably the first company to take over an existing operation and retain staff and protect jobs,” he says. “We passed the mantle onto our staff. We went to everyone and said that we would take over the business, but they must benefit from it. All the area managers and sales reps were given the opportunity to start their own businesses. A lot have kept the Wanawake name and we funded

those businesses, helping to grow, and carrying the book for them. We got area managers to go into their local provinces and find a suitable BBBEE partner who could be made the owner of the business and could be supported. Now, all of our staff work for themselves and any BBBEE business we get is passed to those companies. That has worked out very well. It is now a long-term business and people have a vested interest in.”

This set-up provides the quadruple win – Wanawake grows, partner businesses receive investment, manufacturers can access harder-toreach SA markets, and clients gain access to world-class equipment. In the past two years, Wanawake has doubled its staff count and is busy expanding into new geographies to bolster its

already strong African presence.

“When Hi-Force have a reseller or distributor, Wanawake becomes part of the equation to add other noncompeting products,” explains Sean. “We have a footprint throughout Africa and by the end of the year we hope to have a presence in every country. We have branches in Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and we are expanding into West and North Africa at the moment. In SA, we have branches in Cape Town, Durban, North West, Johannesburg, and Mpumalanga.”

YOUR LOCAL PARTNER

It is collaboration and shared success with local partners that fuels this expansion, and the trust placed in relationships is vital. Sean is certain that regional colleagues understand

INDUSTRY FOCUS: HEAVY INDUSTRY

market conditions in a deeper way than he could from head office and so they are given autonomy over activity in their space.

“We are predominantly a support and technical back up company,” he qualifies. “Our model is that

we specialise in importation and distribution – that is our speciality, but we use local partners in SA or across the border to get a foot in the door locally.”

When doors are opened, Wanawake brings a unique and powerful product portfolio, and complements with service that is often unparalleled.

“We try as best as we can to offer something that is not currently available. We know what the needs are in the industry and we are proactive in looking for solutions globally,” Sean details. “I spend a lot of time speaking to suppliers around the world, trying to identify what we can bring that will add value to our local economy. We try and get direct contact with factories. Our currency is weak and that makes importing expensive, so we try and fill

the gap. We go to OEMs in their native countries and position ourselves as partners for them to access Africa, at the lowest cost. That means we rely on smaller margins but that is our service, getting products from factories and to users in the shortest route possible.”

Turnaround times are constantly in focus for Wanawake, and during a time of supply chain and trade disruption the company has found alternative solutions to ensure customers are delighted.

“I can get an order on a Wednesday afternoon and have it in South Africa for the Monday. We pride ourselves on this, and it is what differentiates us from others. We choose to fly in a lot of products because of the congestion and wait times with sea freight. Customers do not always worry

// I SPEND A LOT OF TIME SPEAKING TO SUPPLIERS AROUND THE WORLD, TRYING TO IDENTIFY WHAT WE CAN BRING THAT WILL ADD VALUE TO OUR LOCAL ECONOMY //

World’s No. 1 Choice for industrial bolting applications

www.wanawake-is.co.za

too much about the logistics cost, they want it today and need it today. That is what we deliver,” says Sean.

STRENGTH TO STRENGTH

Because of the commitment and originality that Sean and Saretha Sandham have instilled in Wanawake, the company has shown fantastic expansion to date, and Sean is hungry for further success. South Africa is home to much potential in heavy industry, and with a potential blossoming of the energy exploration and production industry in sub-Saharan Africa only set to further this trend, the company is well-placed to create a significant and valuable offering.

“We have gone from strength to strength. April 2020 was a disaster but since May 2020, we have grown strongly,” smiles Sean. “Our turnover

has increased and the business is in a really good place. This is because of the industries we service which must always continue. Companies are spending a lot more time and effort on maintenance of existing assets rather than buying new. That is where we specialise as we provide maintenance tools to the industry. Even during the tough times that we are going through, it has benefitted us as a company.

“Wanawake is in a blessed position as we operate in what is almost a recession-proof industry. We are in mining and power generation and oil and gas – those industries will always be around and they can’t slow down too much otherwise everything comes to a halt.”

The target through the rest of 2023 and beyond is further growth and development. This will come in the form

of new partnerships, new brands for the portfolio, new regional markets, and new sectors. All the time, Wanawake will continue to nurture industry.

“We want to grow further this year. We have upped our game in marketing and reach out aggressively on social media, through our website, and other digital platforms,” Sean concludes.

If you need leading brand industrial tool supplies or rental, with training and repair and maintenance, that come with proven aftersales service, and fast turnaround times then look no further than Wanawake Industrial Supplies, and know that you are investing in the people behind the tools.

alkitronic® bolting solutions are available through our authorized partner “WANAWAKE“

PENBRO KELNICK

Tailormade Solutions to Optimise Performance

PRODUCTION: Eleanor Sarbutt-King

The leading manufacturer and supplier of power resistors, battery chargers, transformers, and Uninterrupted Power Supply systems (UPS), has brought to market another game-changer. Well-positioned with healthy growth coming year-on-year, now Penbro Kelnick has launched a next generation battery management system which uses cloud-based infrastructure services to optimise both performance and longevity, and keep batteries operating at peak efficiency.

INDUSTRY FOCUS: ENERGY

utilities and large power users such as mining and industries, integrated as an independently operating division.

LOCAL LOYALTY

The astronomical growth of the business and an ever-broadening customer base sparked a significant change in 2015, with the arrival on board of an international partner to align the business even more closely with world-class standards. In stepped the Italian Telema Group to purchase a 76% share in Penbro Kelnick and implement a more streamlined product strategy, together with stringent business processes and procedures.

“We felt that this was a good time to also execute the change in direction that we knew would help to realise growth and future potential that we saw in the business,” Massaro explains. “We enjoy the best of both worlds in the fact that we are a standalone, independent entity but equally know that we can always count on the support of the Group, and have access to new and alternative products and resources.

//Renowned for tailor-made solutions assisting its doting customers with often niche, specialised requirements, Penbro Kelnick has a long operational history dating back to its foundation in 1951 and is now a fully autonomous, leading, and established South African supplier of specialised electrical products that play a major role in sectors including railway, telecommunications, utilities, mining, and industrial.

Today, this offering spans battery chargers, UPS, large resistors, transformers, and magnetics; anything and everything under the umbrella of power electronics and electromechanical components for industry. “100% of our equipment and products are custom-made for specific applications and customer needs,

which means that we have a dedicated engineering department working hand-in-hand with the customer to find the best possible solution in each instance, in terms of both performance and price,” sets out MD Felice Massaro.

To complement its existing range, 2016 saw Penbro Kelnick acquire Strike Technologies, a leading developer, manufacturer, and distributor of medium to high voltage protection relays, surge protection, and protection test equipment predominantly for

“We run our own business here, with our own processes, solutions, and technology, but still have the backing of a big group. Everything that we can find locally is sourced and manufactured locally, and as a general rule I would say that our products are at least 65% local content - sometimes even 100%. Continually, we strive to develop and manufacture innovative and high-quality worldclass products, which are competitive locally and suitable for export.

“All our products are designed and manufactured in-house in South Africa,” he furthers. “We are committed to continuous improvement and our

// WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE A HIGHLYSKILLED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT DIVISION THAT HAS KEPT US AT THE FOREFRONT OF INNOVATION AND DESIGN //

Felice Massaro, MD

philosophy is, simply, ‘Quality’. This is central to our business because we value our customers and all employees have a responsibility within their own areas of work to help ensure that this is embedded within the whole of the company. We strive to provide our customers with products and services which meet and even exceed their expectations.

“We are very fortunate to have a highly-skilled research and development division that has kept us at the forefront of innovation and design. In today’s world it is imperative to move with the fast pace and adapt our products and services to the ever-changing needs of our customers, and our products are re-engineered at regular intervals to keep them at world-class standards for all our customers on all continents.

“It is very rare still, in South Africa, for a company to reach this grand old age,” beams Massaro. “I strongly feel that our key to success lies in attracting, retaining, and developing top quality people; our low staff turnover, meanwhile, speaks to the fact that we don’t only pay lip service, but truly care for our people and look after them well.”

NEXT GENERATION BMS

Despite an obviously extremely challenging set of recent circumstances, Massaro is able to share hugely positive reports regarding Penbro Kelnick’s resilience and current position. “This is the fourth consecutive year in which the business has experienced growth,” he relays. “Due to both Covid and the state of the market, we underwent some reorganisation and are now reaping the rewards with growth

of upwards of 20% each year.” This trend-bucking success is in no small part down to Penbro Kelnick’s unique ability to find opportunity in crisis.

“The current energy situation is a national and international problem,” Massaro identifies, “but the flip side of it is the openings it creates for renewable

// WE STRIVE TO PROVIDE OUR CUSTOMERS WITH PRODUCTS AND SERVICES WHICH MEET AND EVEN EXCEED THEIR EXPECTATIONS //

BMS Controller

INDUSTRY FOCUS: ENERGY

energies and energy production. These take time to develop, and we are not yet involved in these spheres, but it has also created immediate opportunities for energy storage and battery management systems (BMS).”

Responding to this cry, Penbro

Kelnick has just launched its next generation BMS - PENBRO NG-BMSdesigned to optimise the performance and longevity of Pb and Ni-Cd battery systems and ensure that they run as best they can at all times. “PENBRO NG-BMS allows you to monitor and manage batteries in UPS systems at industrial level,” Massaro unpacks, “as well as to make use of cloudbased, digital infrastructures to transfer all of that data and monitor what is happening in remote areas at any time. In this way, users can identify any issues early on and take appropriate action to prevent damage and prolong the life of batteries.

“From mission critical applications to renewable energy systems and more, our NG-BMSTM is the perfect solution for anyone looking to maximise the

performance of their battery systems.”

Maintenance challenges associated with lead-acid and Ni-Cad batteries number water loss, corrosion, overheating and temperature sensitivity, all of which can significantly reduce battery life and performance if not properly addressed. To overcome these challenges, Massaro further details, a specialised system such as the PENBRO NG-BMSTM can be implemented to effectively monitor and manage the battery’s performance and prolong the battery’s lifespan. This is a unique product, Massaro highlights, and no competition exists in its space. “It affords the assurance that batteries are operating at peak efficiency, both saving money and reducing the risk of downtime,” he stresses. “Its development came from our identifying a gap in the market; the

// OUR NG-BMSTM IS THE PERFECT SOLUTION FOR ANYONE LOOKING TO MAXIMISE THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR BATTERY SYSTEMS //

entire planet is focussing on lithium batteries, and most people seemed to have forgotten that the biggest power installations make use of old, lead acid battery technology, the most common installed all around the world, which is exactly where we are focussed with our product.”

Seeing the inevitable onset of the current energy crisis some years ago, Penbro Kelnick set about formulating

its response to best help the industry whilst seizing a sizeable opportunity itself. “That is where, and how, this product came to be, that had never existed before in the form that we created,” Massaro proudly states. “Besides filling the void that existed in the market prior to our launching the PENBRO NG-BMSTM, it is, at its root, a personal passion of the engineering team, and truly a fun, enlightening and edifying thing on which to embark.

“At Penbro, we pride ourselves on our highly skilled and experienced engineering and service team, and our team is extensively trained and equipped to handle the design and installation of batteries and BMS, as well as other related equipment,” says Massaro with understandable contentment. “We have the expertise and knowledge to ensure that battery

systems are installed correctly and efficiently, minimising downtime and maximising performance.

“The Penbro team understands the importance of proper installation and maintenance of battery systems. We work closely with our customers to understand their specific needs and requirements, ensuring that the system is tailored to meet their unique needs. Overall, this expertise and commitment to customer service makes us trusted to provide the best possible solution for all backup power needs, ensuring that systems are installed, maintained and operated correctly.”

Manufactureroffoldedcoresand stripwoundcores.

// WE WORK

CLOSELY WITH OUR CUSTOMERS TO UNDERSTAND THEIR SPECIFIC NEEDS AND REQUIREMENTS //

NEW AGE ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS

Where Quality is Not the Exception, it is the Rule

New Age Engineering Solutions has spent close to two decades serving and providing turnkey solutions for some of the foremost players in the petrochemical, power, mining, overhead track equipment (OHTE) manufacturing, and engineering industries. As it grows and thrives New Age Engineering Solutions aims to ensure the same for others around it, a proudly Level 1 BBBEE company supporting communities and trainees alike while pushing for engineering excellence.

PRODUCTION: Tommy Atkinson

INDUSTRY FOCUS: ENGINEERING

//Founded in 2003, New Age Engineering Solutions rapidly approaches its 20th anniversary having become recognised as one of the top and most trusted structural, mechanical, electrical, instrumentation and piping (SMEIP) construction companies in South Africa.

Key offerings number plant shutdown and maintenance services, turnkey project management solutions, on-site mechanical services and welding solutions, and shop fabrication services across all industrial markets, and fullyfledged operations allow it to deliver the full scope of these competences across Northern Free State, Western Cape, Mpumalanga, Gauteng and Limpopo.

Over the two decades that New Age Engineering Solutions has been setting the standard for SMEIP construction services, excellence has become a deeply-ingrained habit. “We live, breathe and work by the ancient words of Aristotle: ‘We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit,’” the company outlines. “Whilst this may sound clichéd, our long-standing portfolio of best-of-breed

clients, and our sterling track record of successfully completed projects that reduces total cost of ownership for these clients, are a testimony to exactly that.

“In fact, we are never satisfied with just completing a project to expectation, but we always strive to deliver well beyond this through excellent, quality by using cutting-edge technology and methods to enhance customers’ equipment integrity and availability.”

// WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS BASICALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO ATTAIN PERFECTION, BUT WHILE WE CHASE PERFECTION, WE KNOW WE WILL AT LEAST CATCH EXCELLENCE //

20 YEAR LANDMARK

There is a vital realism to the company’s admirable bid to excel, which helps it remain grounded and approachable as it is not aspiring to the unattainable. “We understand that it is basically impossible to attain perfection, but while we chase perfection, we know we will at least

catch excellence,” New Age Engineering Solutions condenses. “We are therefore completely uncompromising about the integrity of the process engineering principles we apply to eliminate defects in any fabrications and repairs.”

Not only qualified as a Metallurgist and International Welding Engineer, but also having completed master’s degrees in both these disciplines, Founder and CEO Joseph Zinyana’s beginnings in the industry came as a Metallurgist at Mintek, from where he progressed to ArcelorMittal, and then Welding Engineer at Sasol, where he was responsible for quality control and plant welding maintenance activities for many years.

Joseph Zinyana, CEO

// WE ARE NEVER SATISFIED WITH JUST COMPLETING A PROJECT TO EXPECTATION; WE ALWAYS STRIVE TO DELIVER WELL BEYOND THIS //

INDUSTRY FOCUS: ENGINEERING

“The entrepreneurial bug finally bit when I founded New Age Engineering Solutions in 2003,” he admits, “and I remain actively involved in the strategic running of the business.”

What started out as a company that sold welding rods, with just a handful employees, is now a successful service provider in the SMIEP sector providing mechanical and welding engineering solutions to the oil, gas, fossil fuel, mining, and nuclear industry

and with clients including Astron Energy, Eskom, and Sasol, among others.

“Having founded the organisation personally and grown it to what it is today, I think it is a great milestone to achieve two decades of execution and service offering to different industrial players,” Zinyana effuses, never having doubted the business’s ability to succeed. “It is still rare for black-owned businesses in South Africa to prosper for 20 years, and it is truly something to

celebrate. If anyone had any negative comments along the way, this would have been simply ‘noise’ in my ears.”

CRITICAL OPERATIONS

A lot of its success is down to the specialised, multifaceted nature of New Age Engineering Solutions’ service offering, Zinyana opines.

“We deal with critical operations,

Continues on page 56

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The SAIW is a welding one stop shop geared towards training, certification, NDT and laboratory and technical services from its world-class headquarters in City West Johannesburg South Africa which offers these expert services across the continent.

WELDING TRAINING – WORLD-CLASS CAREERS

The SAIW’s 48-bay welding school offers world-class practical welder training benchmarked against local and international welding standards and programmes. As such the SAIW offers a range of International Institute of Welding (IIW) courses. In terms of Welding Technology training, the SAIW offers a range of Welding Supervisor courses namely Welding Practitioners, Specialists and Technologists as well as separate courses for Inspectors, Competent Persons, Symbols and Codes amongst many others.

NDT TRAINING – ‘DOCTORS OF STEEL’

The SAIW NDT division provides a flexible customised service to its clients, where training and examination can be provided at a company’s premises (dependent on suitable class facilities). Examinations can also be arranged ‘24/7’, 365 days a year, dependent on demand and location. This industry-centric approach stems from the fact that the SAIW is driven by its members who are leading industry representatives and our courses and content - while compliant with international norms and standards - are based on local industry needs and requirements. To find out more about these initiatives and the SAIW’s NDT services please call +27 11 298 2100 or email jansenh@saiw.co.za

CERTIFICATION - QUALITY COUNTS

SAIW Certification draws from the collective training and technical expertise of the broader Southern African Institute of Welding in which it operates. The SAIW has been in existence since 1948 as a founder member of the International Institute of Welding (IIW) and specialises in a variety of welding and NDT-related services.

SAIW Certification is now the only ISO 3834 certification body recognised by the International Institute of Welding (IIW) as an Authorised Nominated Body for Company Certification (ANBCC) in South Africa.

For more information email ISO3834@saiw.co.za.

MATERIALS TESTING & TECHNICAL CONSULTINGCOMPREHENSIVE, INTER-DISCIPLINARY SERVICES

The SAIW Materials Testing Laboratory conducts both non-destructive and destructive testing and supports the consulting services offered by the Institute. The facility is fully equipped to perform mechanical and non-destructive testing of weld samples, either welded in the welding school or to assess welder performance or welding procedure qualification.

Highly specialised technology and experienced staff accelerate performance with state-of-the-art laboratories that test the quality of materials, solve performance issues, investigate failure concerns and support product development with a global reach.

Services include welding procedure and welder performance qualification, failure analysis/weld analysis, troubleshooting welding problems, implementation of new welding technologies in the industry, welding consumable testing, post-weld heat treatment simulations and technical information and support.

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INDUSTRY FOCUS: ENGINEERING

Continued from page 54

working with the likes of Koeberg, the only nuclear power station in the country and boasting the largest turbine generators in the Southern Hemisphere. We also do a lot of work on the petrochemical side and some in the energy sector, with coal-fired stations, for example, and are targeting expansion within this in the near future having identified real opportunities within the hydrogen space.

“For me, hydrogen is the key buzzword on the horizon. People are saying that Sasol will the first to join the hydrogen field but we are way ahead here, having already executed a contract with France’s Tractebel Engie to oversee and manage one of the first hydrogen projects in South Africa. This is a specific market which is perfectly suited to our own service offering,” Zinyana affirms, revealing his keenness to participate in another of the energy industry’s critical arms in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate change.

“The government is wanting

to implement solar energy to meet baseload by introducing battery systems, which is a very exciting prospect and something in which we feel we could be a valuable participant,” he explains. “We feel that this is particularly applicable to the industrial market, where there exists a gap between the 10 to 20KV and the 100KV capacities, and we want to be able to service this segment.”

Zinyana is unequivocal on the direction in which he sees the industry

unavoidably and inevitably heading. “Although we still have between 30 and 40 years’ worth of minerals remaining within our systems, while we pursue these we must of course refine the emissions produced and push for the decarbonisation of these plants,” he assesses. “I collate all of these projects and developments, including the abundant potential of nuclear, under the heading of the ‘industrial revolution’ in South Africa’s energy sector, that is due to take place imminently.”

UPSKILLING SA YOUTH

“At New Age Engineering Solutions we aim to help others grow, as we grow, with whatever means we have at our disposal,” asserts Zinyana. “To this end, we have a number of ongoing initiatives to give back to our communities, including a mission to help our children walk with pride and stay warm through the donation, by New Age Engineering School, of at least 100 complete uniforms, including shoes and jackets, to a school from a disadvantaged area during every winter season.”

In the face of an impossible to ignore shortage of technical skills countrywide, New Age Engineering Solutions is now committed to training the youth of South Africa through its Internship, Upskilling and Workplace (IUW) programme. To date, the company has recruited almost 100 trainees based at the company’s workshop in

HPIA was established in 1997 as a Government Approved Inspection Body. The company has a non-destructive testing and inspection orientated structure. 51% of the company’s shareholders, board of directors and management fall within the BEE status.

We provide services country wide with offices in Bethal, Johannesburg, Durban and Mossel Bay to construction, fabrication, engineering, oil and gas on/off shore, power generations and mining sectors by testing and inspecting process piping, plate structures, pressurized equipment, vessels, turbines ect. whether newly manufactured or in-service to establish integrity and detect flaws that may jeopardize the integrity of plant equipment.

High Profile Inspection Authority (Pty) Ltd Government Approved Inspection Authority

Evander and at the Sasol Secunda fuel plant, both in Mpumalanga, assigned to trades spanning mechanical fitter, welder, quality control and pipe fitter.

“The company’s purpose is to serve, solve and uplift and it hopes to uplift the youth through this programme,” explains Zinyana. “This year we increased the graduate intake

High Profile Inspection Authority (Pty) Ltd Government Approved Inspection Authority High Profile Inspection Authority (Pty) Ltd Government Approved Inspection Authority

because every year there are more people who are without jobs and New Age Engineering Solutions has a duty to expose graduates to the workplace environment. The IUW programme is also a vehicle to facilitate and accelerate skills transfer within the company.

“Our organisation is growing and requires our employees and young trainees to be placed in different geographic areas within the business. For this to happen, technical and company system knowledge is required and can only be transferred from long-standing company members,” Zinyana states, passionately believing that it is through such training programmes within the company that New Age Engineering Solutions will achieve longevity.

“We humbly believe the four main pillars that our success has been built

on,” Zinyana offers by way of conclusion, “are our team’s demonstrated pursuit of excellence, our integration of progressive technology for enhanced efficiency, our approachable attitude that enables us to deliver solutions that are on-point with our clients’ requirements, and the fact that we have some of the most brilliant minds in the industry around our table, guaranteed.

“We strategically recruit the most qualified, the most experienced, and the most talented, and I can assure the industry that New Age offers more than a decade’s worth of experience in big shutdowns, and we have the capacity and capability to execute to our highest client requirements.”

// AT NEW AGE ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS WE AIM TO HELP OTHERS GROW, AS WE GROW, WITH WHATEVER MEANS WE HAVE AT OUR DISPOSALS //

MACKAY MARINE SA

Dynamic Mackay Positions for a Steady Course of Growth

Leading seller and installer of communication and navigation equipment for seafaring vessels, Mackay Communications, dba Mackay Marine, has acquired South Africa’s Dynamic Marine Systems and is integrating the company to bolster its service portfolio. Combining DMS’ – now Mackay Marine South Africa’s – expertise in dynamic positioning systems, with an enhanced line of Nav/Comm equipment, provides a broader selection of products and services for efficient navigation and to augment overarching safety objectives in offshore operations.

PRODUCTION: Tommy Atkinson

In the global maritime industry, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) require vessels to meet certain standards to ensure safety and effectiveness. This is not only applicable in the construction of a vessel and its structure, but also essential in the rollout of technology installed on the bridge. Navigation and communication (Nav/Comm), satellite, radar, guidance, and various other controls must meet certain requirements, and for specialist ships, dynamic positioning (DP) is critical. The offshore energy space is fraught with risk – the environment is harsh, and the hazards are common.

Far from the shore, in cold, bleak, choppy seas, vessels must take up precise positions to undertake crucial work - surveying, drilling, diving, etc. By using specialised computer systems to control propellers and thrusters, combined with sensors and reference systems to determine the attitude and position of the vessel, the DP system controls three of the six elements of motion to ensure precise positioning

when traditional anchoring or tying up to a platform is not possibleespecially in challenging conditions. But DP is not an out-of-the-box solution. Installation and maintenance of complex Nav/Comm equipment is complicated. Knowledge and experience are required – and this is not something you can gain instantly.

Typically, a Nav/Comm engineer has achieved significant time, both practically and theoretically, in the field – even more so is required for a DP specialist. Time spent on vessels, alongside senior personnel, learning and adapting, and understanding the wave of different DP requirements makes for an arduous and lengthy training process. It’s not for the feint hearted.

Mackay Marine, is a leading global Nav/Comm provider, headquartered in the USA. With 55+ locations around the world. When vessels need maritime electronics equipment sales and servicing, a trained Mackay technician has likely been dispatched by Mackay’s 24/7

Marine World Service (MWS) to meet the vessel and is prepared to assist.

However, in 2020 Mackay

Communication’s President Jeff Schlacks was busy pursuing international growth and searching for opportunities to build on not only a strong footprint but create further depth in the service portfolio. Through a thorough feedback process and extensive client consultation, Mackay had identified DP as a sticking point for customers. A glaring skills shortage and a cost challenge resulted in DP services being hard to come by.

At a manufacturer’s conference in Germany, Schlacks met Waldo Fourie, then Director of Dynamic Marine Systems (DMS), based out of Cape Town. With little presence on the African continent, Mackay was keen to expand, taking advantage of significant projects in offshore energy and the nature of African port geography at the centre of the global trade routes. Quickly, synergies were found and Schlacks and Fourie went about establishing a relationship that would see DMS become part of the Mackay family.

CHANGE OF RECIPE?

“I asked Jeff what he did. He told me he was a banker. I told him that I was not interested in selling to a banker. He wouldn’t know the industry and he’d try to change things for maximum profit and not for what is needed to provide a long term, sustainable operation,” Fourie tells Enterprise Africa.

“I told him I would not lose people and if he bought the company, he would be getting a brilliant team. He stopped me and said, ‘I do not buy the bagel shop and change the recipe, I buy a bagel shop because I like the bagels the shop makes.

“When Jeff did buy the company, there were no changes – nothing. He kept the company exactly the same; management in place, personnel the same, and all employment contracts remained South African. That is how we still operate today.

Jeff primarily added more funding to expand new offices, recruit people and increase stock,” Fourie smiles, “coupled with a broader Nav/Comm portfolio and international customer base. It has been a win-win for all.”

Since establishment in 2015 and owned by two partners, DMS grew into a recognised DP service provider, but DMS remained a small business. To develop substantially, capital would be required for premises, people, and products.

“Jeff purchased a readymade recipe in a box – very low risk. He bought a technical sales and service team with knowledge of clients. The only risk was he was in another continent, and he had to trust the management team here,” explains Fourie.

Nick Pope, Managing Director of Mackay Marine Europe & South Africa says that the acquisition of DMS was a positive step forward for the global company, and new opportunities are already surfacing.

“DMS were experts in a part of the marine sector that Mackay

wasn’t. Dynamic positioning is highly specialised and it is still taking us time to learn from our South African colleagues. The pool of people who know about DP is limited but DMS have that in abundance, and are knowledgeable about expansion opportunities on the African continent.”

GQEBERHA

In November 2022, Mackay South Africa opened its fourth location, in Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth), with the goal of servicing more vessels, more efficiently, while being closer to customers. Previously, the company had flown technicians from Cape Town (or driven 800km during the pandemic). Fourie saw the opportunity to set up a permanent presence as a spill over from Durban and access to more African markets was appealing.

“Durban is the biggest port in SA, but Gqeberha sees around a third of the traffic. We were busy there but we had to bill clients for our time on the road,” he admits. “It made business sense to open an office there and it

took us just 26 days from discussing the idea to getting the door open. We have targets that marine service technicians should meet every month, and we’ve exceeded that every single month so far. Gqeberha is strategically well-located for the east coast of Africa too. We’re looking at expanding there with more personnel to service a very diverse market.”

Clients are delighted with the service and stockholding. Mackay promises to ensure quality of the highest standard, delivering the same excellence to a small fishing vessel as it does for a large deep-sea tanker.

During the pandemic, this quality level of service was called on like never before since out-of-country technicians were barred from South Africa because of lockdowns. Shipping was an essential service and continued at pace. Vessels required servicing, and equipment and technology maintenance was not optional. In Mackay’s other global markets, the situation was similar, and the company was relied upon to provide on-demand and planned services across

Nick Pope, Managing Director, Mackay Marine

Waldo Fourie, Director of Dynamic Marine Systems (DMS), now Mackay Marine South Africa

the port cities where it had a presence.

“We operate in the energy sector, and that is also an essential service. Many clients supported of us with letters of request for our services and so we were allowed to work,” says Fourie. “We could travel, but no one else was allowed to travel into our region. External contractors could not get here as there were no flights, so people had to use us – obviously our service level is good as well. We drove all over the country while keeping our rates the same.”

Today, Mackay has 55 locations

globally, growing from 42 in September 2020. The pandemic and ensuing economic challenges have not dampened ambitions within this eager organisation.

“Mackay grows in an organic manner,” states Pope. “We don’t have bank loans and we’re not an investment company – we want to grow our ‘family’. Waldo has done an unparalleled job of growing the business in South Africa, and he has assembled a very experienced team.

“We are looking forward to continuous growth but attracting technically competent people into the industry will be our challenge. Our natural pool of personnel, which were seafarers coming ashore, has pretty much dried up. We must attract new blood.”

NEW BLOOD

According to Fourie and Pope, there is no doubt about the challenge for Mackay going forward. Even with large offshore discoveries documented regularly, and with offshore wind gathering pace around the world, supporting vessels and the wider

maritime industry is facing a personnel shortage and a lack of skills.

A lengthy and costly process, bringing fresh talent into the industry – specifically around DP – is a hurdle that must be overcome by Mackay, and the wider industry.

“Going back more than 25 years, we were already aware there was too few seagoing personnel to meet the manning needs of vessels sailing around the world. The situation has not improved since then and we’re desperate for people to come into our industry,” details Pope, adding that the industry remains a tough one in which to work.

“If you turn up late to a factory with a spare part, you’ll have an angry manager as they will have lost hours of production. If you arrive late to a vessel with your spare part, the vessel has potentially moved to another port and if so, the part and technician now need a complete re-set. It’s like working with a moving target. There are multiple factors that contribute to making our industry very fluid.”

In 2021, a BIMCO/ICS Seafarer Workforce Report warned of a

// WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUOUS GROWTH BUT ATTRACTING TECHNICALLY COMPETENT PEOPLE INTO THE INDUSTRY WILL BE OUR CHALLENGE //

significant shortage of officers coming into the industry by 2026 which will have an impact on the global merchant fleet. Earlier this year, a shortage of vessels was highlighted as a potential challenge for the UK’s lofty offshore wind rollout ambitions. In Nav/Comm and DP engineering, there is already a personnel shortage.

“The average employee expects to work hard, maybe work some overtime, but they know they’ll go home each night. We’ve had people deployed into Africa, alone, on 12-day assignments… and 47 days later, they return home. In Africa, there’s a lot of

red tape and it’s hard to get the skills, so when you’re there they want to keep you to align with their schedules. We have a joke where our technicians say, ‘I’ll be gone for five days, or maybe 50’. There is no such thing as just working for eight hours. It’s demanding work and there aren’t a lot of people willing to do it,” explains Fourie.

So, why would you want to become a DP and Nav/Comm technician?

“For dedicated team players who are technically savvy and keen to learn a broad spectrum of technologies, there’s job security and high demand for your skills,” highlights Pope.

“Techs with an appetite for travel to unique locations, with a good earnings potential, can be assured there’s no monotony in this job! An immense amount of satisfaction is gained from repairing critical equipment which is depended upon by a whole crew and vessel owners for safe navigation,” he adds.

“The key to providing and retaining a robust DP and Nav/Comm Technician team is training and practical exposure that drives continual improvement of skills,” says Fourie, an industry veteran of a quarter century.

Training is expensive and time

// IF YOU ARRIVE LATE TO A VESSEL WITH YOUR SPARE PART, THE VESSEL HAS POTENTIALLY MOVED TO ANOTHER PORT AND IF SO, THE PART AND TECHNICIAN NOW NEED A COMPLETE RE-SET //

consuming. A DP technician will require extensive theoretical and practical training before assessment. Advances in technology, and the drive to deliver the safest operation possible, do mean regular updates in DP operations and the evaluation of systems. This is where being a member of guidance authority, such as IMCA, is very important to stay abreast of the latest developments.

For personnel who do make it through this process, there is a strict shadowing period where senior technicians/surveyors impart knowledge before a junior person is ever allowed to work alone. Because of the nature of the industry, Nav/Comm and DP systems are part of the wider focus on safety and risk management –and expertise here is non-negotiable.

A DP surveyor has the potential to take a vessel off-contract with an ‘A -Finding’. This places a significant responsibility on the company to ensure personnel are properly trained, up-to-date on the regulations, aware of changes in the regulations, and have an in-depth understanding of vessel systems and the integration thereof in a DP vessel.

“If you want to survive and be

successful, you must train and be willing to take risks with new technical personnel. This year, we are starting with apprenticeships. We hope to keep people with us, as we treat them well, but we know not everyone will stay. As we expand into Africa, we want to recruit people from certain countries in order for them to work in those countries for Mackay. The challenge is about managing quality and ensuring a vessel will get the same level of service throughout Africa as it would in Cape Town or UAE or Rotterdam or Houston,” details Fourie.

DP CAPABILITY

The low number of accredited DP practitioners in Africa is alarming. “Waldo probably knows most of the certified DP technicians on the continent,” jokes Pope. With major opportunities off the coast of almost every ocean facing nation around east, west and southern Africa, manpower is essential. But specialised skills, as detailed as a requirement by the IMO, remain difficult to obtain. Even so, in the offshore energy market, DP knowledge is imperative.

“You will not be able to approach

any rig or offshore platform for operations unless you are a DP vessel. All your offshore handlers and platform service vessels have DP. It is a different sector – in the normal commercial space, you can go from one port to another and complete a service. But with DP vessels, they are contracted to a region and that is where they stay for the duration of the contract. Service firms must adapt to their schedule and work around them. If they have maintenance days, you must be there on the maintenance day. You cannot just schedule a day that suits you. It’s a high-pressure environment and you cannot take a vessel out of commission because you are slow,” reminds Fourie.

“If you are working in deep water, it is preferred to keep the vessel in place with DP. It’s all about accuracy. The margins are generally sub-meter but can go down to sub-decimetre accuracy. When laying pipe, you typically have a pipe end-target touchdown point of 80 x 80 cm on the seabed in water depths of a few 100 meters. When drilling in deep water (4000 feet), ultra deep water (7000 feet), or carry out construction operations at depths that make it impractical or very costly to fix a structure to the seabed, you use dynamic positioning. You cannot have a vessel floating around doing its own thing. It’s the same with dive

// YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO APPROACH ANY RIG OR OFFSHORE PLATFORM FOR OPERATIONS UNLESS YOU ARE A DP VESSEL. ALL YOUR OFFSHORE HANDLERS AND PLATFORM SERVICE VESSELS HAVE DP

operations, ROV operations, offloading, and many other activities – everything links back to DP as a sector on its own.

Highlighting the importance of DP as an element within the wider technology portfolio of a vessel, Fourie’s desire is to work with Schlacks and the relevant Mackay Service teams to build out comprehensive DP offerings beyond South Africa.

“We’re keen to position Mackay as a leader in DP services globally. Just looking at the locations we have around the world, we’re not talking about a large shift for the business, but a valued add-on for many of the company’s worldwide client-base. The capacity and quality systems are there, it’s just about setting up centres of excellence, in the right places, at the right times.”

POSITIVE PEOPLE

At all times, Mackay is busy searching for new technology partners and inking new service agreements that keep its client’s vessels moving seamlessly. Mackay is an established installation and service partner of Anschütz (previously Raytheon-Anschütz), Cobham Satcom, Danelec, Furuno, Inmarsat, JRC, Jotron, KVH, Netwave (S.O.S.), Yokogawa, Zenitel, and more. In 2022, they were awarded preferred service provider for Intellian in the Asia/Middle East region and a Worldwide Sales Partner.

Going forward, it is quality products from world-leading partners, alongside deep industry knowledge that will ensure Mackay grows with quality at the bow.

“We are ISO rated and audited by a number of major class societies - they certify that we are up to standard,” confirms Pope.

“We are optimistic about Africa and other key regions,” he adds. “Mackay talks to customers. They tell us where they have challenges securing reliable services. We listen and we often act on those hints. We do have aspirations to grow in regions around the world and we’ll diversify if we hear the needs from clients. We know our business

and when we add locations we don’t just jump in. Having someone locally who knows their business area and whom we can trust is imperative. It is why we invested in DMS.”

Fourie underscores Mackay’s membership in IMCA as an important consideration for potential clients looking for a partner in Africa when vessels need maintenance, inspection, or product installation. Mackay is an active participant in IMCA’s thought-leadership forum, and our teams examine IMCA guidance closely to ensure best practice.

“They have an amazing overview of the industry. Many of the major operators will ask about our IMCA status before engaging with us at all. We have access to all IMCA documents, and we study those forensically. For work in the offshore industry, engagement with IMCA is vital.”

Mackay Marine South Africa is demonstrative of the international group; searching for new opportunities alongside clients and working with the best products in the market to ensure growth. Emphatic growth over the past few years, even against a very stormy backdrop, shows that

Mackay is a business that is inspired working through the rough seas.

“We are positive people working in a healthy company. We’re all connected very closely, and encouraged to be transparent, which makes our commitment more personal,” says Pope.

Schlacks is also confident about the route forward and has his compass set on quality service delivery at every opportunity.

“Combining DMS with Mackay’s extensive global footprint, abundant inventory, commitment to training, and breadth of Nav/Comm partners, will elevate both organisations to better serve current and future customers,” he said of the acquisition.

By listening to the market and filling in gaps, when it makes strategic sense, Mackay’s growth will continue to be robust, as it solidifies its position as an industry leader.

Content sponsored by Mackay Marine SA

KAMOA COPPER

Modern Mining Exemplified in the Heart of Africa

Ivanhoe Mines began its explorations in the Democratic Republic of Congo a quarter of a century ago. Since the landmark discoveries of Kamoa in 2009 and Kakula in 2016, the company has wasted no time in developing the Kamoa Copper Mining Complex into the world’s next great copper producer and aims to be a global leader in the supply of this critical green metal.

PRODUCTION: James Davey

INDUSTRY FOCUS: MINING

//Copper is commonly known as the king of ‘green metals’, and with the sizeable and urgent global shift towards decarbonisation, demand will most likely increase markedly in line with the transition towards clean energy and transportation technologies. “The move from a high carbon economy to a low carbon economy is effectively a shift to a ‘copper economy’ because of the important role that this metal plays in clean energy technologies,” Kamoa Copper asserts.

Uniquely positioned along the Central African Copperbelt, where substantial undeveloped gold, cobalt and high-grade copper deposits exist, the Democratic Republic of Congo plays host to some of the highestgrade copper reserves globally giving the country a central role in the

energy transition as a critical supplier of this so-called green metal.

“Rooted in the heart of Africa, we are positioned to become one of the world’s largest copper producers,” Kamoa Copper sets out of the Kamoa-Kakula complex, a joint venture between Invanhoe mines, the Zijin Mining Group, the DRC government and Crystal River Global, which each owns stakes of 39.6%, 39.6%, 20% and 0.8% respectively.

“Our newly-published independent Integrated Development Plan (2023 IDP) demonstrates the bright future and vast potential for the Democratic Republic of Congo and its people and outlines how Kamoa Copper, in partnership with local governments and communities, will become a world leader in the responsible supply of high-grade copper metal.”

BRIGHT FUTURE

The 2023 IDP encompasses a prefeasibility study (PFS) for the Phase 3 and 4 expansions of the Kamoa Copper Mining Complex, which will result in a staged increase in nameplate production up to a total of 19.2 million tonnes per annum over a 33-year life. Second is a preliminary economic

Continues on page 70

// ROOTED IN THE HEART OF AFRICA, WE ARE POSITIONED TO BECOME ONE OF THE WORLD’S LARGEST COPPER PRODUCERS //

INDUSTRY FOCUS: MINING

assessment (PEA) that envisions a further nine-year extension to the mine life of the Kamoa Copper Mining Complex to 43 years overall, maintaining production from the Phase 1 to 4 concentrators beyond 2060.

“This integrated development plan demonstrates the bright future and vast potential for the Democratic Republic of Congo and its people, which is ready to become a world leader in the responsible supply of vital electric metals required by governments around the world to enact policies to combat climate change,” said Robert Friedland, Executive Co-Chairman of Ivanhoe Mines. President Marna Cloete spoke of the prospect of Kamoa Copper Mining Complex becoming, “an example of how modern mining must be done, with an unwavering focus on transparency and environmental, social and governance best practices.

“The Democratic Republic of Congo is blessed with exceptional hydropower potential, world-class geology, and a young, vibrant population ready to enter the workforce as the next generation of accomplished engineers, geologists and skilled technicians.” Kamoa Copper has generated over 12,000 jobs from its operations and construction

activities, with over 95% of those positions filled by Congolese nationals.

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of Kamoa Copper, Ben Munanga, also shared that the first two phases of development of the Kamoa Copper Mining Complex are powered entirely by 100% green and renewable energy, from the Mwadingusha hydroelectric plant, whose rehabilitation and modernisation were facilitated in 2021 by a partnership between the National Electricity Company (SNEL) and Kamoa Copper.

“We conduct IDPs like this to maximise and optimise stakeholder value by considering all of the resources and mineral inventory that we have on the property, relayed Riaan Vermeulen, MD of Kamoa Copper. “While operating Phase 1 and 2 and seeking to improve on operational efficiencies, we are progressing well with the major construction activities for the Phase 3 expansion,” he furthered. Expansion to 14.2 million tonnes per annum of processing capacity includes the ongoing construction of a new fivemillion-tonne-per-annum concentrator, set for completion in Q4 of 2024.

“Kamoa Copper is, too, continuing its excellent track record of local employment and training with the construction of the Kamoa Centre of Excellence,” Vermeulen said. “The Centre will create a sustainable and

community-focused higher learning environment, offering international degrees and diplomas in the heart of the Lualaba province in the DRC, with an inaugural intake of 40 students.”

EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS

Kamoa Copper produced its first copper on 25th May 2021, and it will be among the world’s lowest greenhouse gas emitters, per unit of metal produced, once it reaches a steady state of production. “Our overarching vision is to create one of the largest, lowest cost copper mining complexes in the world, and contribute to the sustainable transformation of the DRC and its people.

“We aim to pioneer a new standard for environmentally and socially responsible mining in the DRC and produce the green copper which will fuel low-carbon technological advancement.”

Straining right at the upper-end of its production guidance range of 290,000 to 340,000 tonnes, Kamoa Copper produced 333,497 tonnes of copper in 2022, a year-over-year increase of 215%. Approximately 7.1 million tonnes of ore, at an average feed grade of 5.5% copper, was also milled last year.

Copper production for this year is targeted even more ambitiously, at

// WHILE OPERATING PHASE 1 AND 2 AND SEEKING TO IMPROVE ON OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCIES, WE ARE PROGRESSING WELL WITH THE MAJOR CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES FOR THE PHASE 3 EXPANSION //

between 390,000 and 430,000 tonnes of copper in concentrate, following the anticipated completion of the debottlenecking program early in the second quarter of 2023. “The program will increase the combined processing capacity of Phase 1 and Phase 2 concentrator plants to approximately 9.2 million tonnes per annum,” the company explained, “and increase the rate of annualised production to 450,000 tonnes of copper

in concentrate once completed.”

Production at the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex was principally behind the record annual profits reported by Ivanhoe for 2022 - $434m, compared with $45m for the previous year. KamoaKakula itself saw a record revenue of $2.15bn in 2022, and income from the joint venture made up $405m of Invanhoe’s 2022 profit. Phase three of the 500,000 tonne-per-annum on-site expansion is currently well underway and due to be completed by late 2024, to include a direct-to-blister copper smelter and the refurbishment of the site’s hydroelectric facility.

“Phases 1 and 2 have allowed us to sustain 9.2 million tonnes per annum; we are well on track to take that production level up to 14.2 million by early 2025,” rounds off Vermeulen.

“I am confident that we will be able

to take this project even further, to 19.2 million tonnes per annum, once phase 4 has been successfully studied and commenced, to position the company as the world’s second largest copper mining complex.

“We will embrace our differences and create an organisational culture rooted in respect, engagement and inclusivity – where the sum is greater than the parts. In an environment that promotes development, health, safety and wellbeing, we set out to create positive change safely, responsibly and with integrity.”

// WE AIM TO PIONEER A NEW STANDARD FOR ENVIRONMENTALLY AND SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE MINING IN THE DRC //

TRI-STAR CONSTRUCTION

Sparkling Tri-Star Thrives Through Tough Term

PRODUCTION: Eleanor Sarbutt-King

Leading construction contractor, Tri-Star Construction, is coming out of three years of challenge with an optimistic outlook as it expands across SA and into Africa. CEO Derek Wheals, who has led the business for more than 25 years, tells Enterprise Africa about growth ambitions in a unique time.

Derek Wheals, CEO

INDUSTRY FOCUS: CONSTRUCTION

A quarter century ago, Tri-Star was purchased by Derek Wheals and Billy McNeil. A decorating and renovations business, founded in 1979, Tri-Star underwent a period of change at the hands of the new owners. Wheals, a Quantity Surveyor, and McNeil, a construction industry specialist, quickly moved the company into the commercial construction space, and a year later starting on multi-unit housing jobs.

The following decade saw the company expand quickly and heavily, responsible for some of Gauteng’s most notable developments but recognised first and foremost for quality, on-time delivery much to the delight of clients who were eager to see a mid-tier partner emerge in the market which became dominated by giant corporates in the run up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Today, the partnerships endure,

and Tri-Star Construction is a trusted, reliable, multinational contractor. Head office buildings for the likes of BHP Billiton and Clientele, and industrial and commercial sites for DB Schenker and Crusader Logistics stand among hotels for Radisson and Marriot as some of the company’s flagship developments.

“When we bought it, it was turning over around R7 million per year,” CEO Wheals tells Enterprise Africa. “From there, we have grown the business to where it is now, in excess of R1 billion per year company. On average, each day there are 5000 people employed on our sites.”

But achieving such success has been no easy feat, and the company has had to be nimble but solid, and robust but flexible in recent years when economic conditions locally and globally – fuelled by the pandemic – have been unsteady.

BAD YEARS

The Covid years, where sites were closed and the flow of money dried up as investors and developers paused to take stock amid wild market conditions, were challenging for construction firms. Many had to adopt new structures to ensure safety, and others were simply left without work.

“Obviously 2020 was a bad year and 2021/22 was also a bad year because it put a lot of the developers who give us our work behind,” says Wheals.

Thankfully, the scale and professionalism built within Tri-Star allowed the company to manage through.

“The good thing is that we did come out fine – surviving and doing quite well,” explains Wheals. “A lot of our competitors have ended up in liquidation and have closed down. We have managed to survive and we

increased our turnover last year by 50%. Most of that work is negotiated work because we are reliable and experienced delivery partners, we have great quality, we have good teams on the ground, we have good systems in place, and we produce really good work. Because of that, a lot of clients want to work with us and that is a good position to be in.”

In fact, the past two years, while challenging for the industry, have been very interesting for Tri-Star as it has taken on a number of fresh challenges even against the backdrop of a weak economic situation.

BUILDING, EXPANDING

Tri-Star is now active in Cape Town, taking on a number of significant projects across different industries.

The office in the Western Cape opened with an initial focus on housing, and progress has been significant.

“We are building a big social housing project there (R400 million)

and we are doing a lot of other housing projects in the Cape. We have been growing there at a good rate and we see it is a sustainable business opportunity,” says Wheals.

INDUSTRY FOCUS: CONSTRUCTION

by a major international mining house, busy developing its site for significant production.

“We have entered into negotiations with a Canadian mining house for the project on one of the biggest copper mines in the world,” enthuses Wheals. “They are looking to roll out infrastructure and they have asked us as a contractor to come up and start building there for them. We have done the groundwork and we have been awarded our first contracts there, and we are now dispatching teams to go and start work there. That is very positive and we are looking forward to expanding our horizons in Africa.”

exposure to a new market.

Locally, Tri-Star is thriving in its home market around Johannesburg and Pretoria. In 2020, the government promised 62 significant Strategic Integrated Projects (SIPs) and the development of various mega cities were part of this.

“It is a serious growth node in South Africa right now. It is expected that the population there will grow by 800,000 over the next five years and we see that as a good opportunity. We established a business there and that is going very well.”

Also in geographic expansion, Tri-Star was approached to work further afield, in the DRC,

Often the next step for those that have seen significant success in SA, a step into Africa is a lucrative but risky jump. Wheals is using the project as a marker for future expansion on the continent, conscious of the Dollar-based nature of the work and the ever-risky Rand exchange rate. Currently, the project is exciting and will give the company good

PRECAST CONSTRUCTION SOLUTIONS

Echo and Topfloor Prestressed Precast Slab and Stair Technology has become the “go to” solution for Tri-Star and is proving particularly valuable for those who are engaged in large, high density residential developments which are widening the urban boundaries of South African towns and cities.

Tri-Star and their professional teams look to the Echo Group to supply solutions, which go way beyond merely delivering a floor slab and stairs to site. We offer genuine cost savings and design opportunities which simplify and economise projects. The perception of high density housing is that they are mostly dreary and uninteresting, but that doesn’t have to be if you involve the Echo Group in the early design stage. The group’s technical teams with decades of experience, have developed ways for architects and engineers to incorporate features such as balconies, lofts, columns and steps, adding appeal to an otherwise featureless building without necessarily adding to building costs.

“In Gauteng, we are getting into the development side, rolling out big housing projects and mega cities. We are working on one mega city near Pretoria – around 12,000 units and all of the ancillaries that come with it such as schools and hospitals – and another in Potchefstroom that is around 9000 units. We have been appointed as partners with government in a public-private partnership (PPP). These do take a while to roll out and we see them as 10+ year projects but they are a good stream of work going into the future.”

The Department of Human Settlements estimates that there remains a shortage of around two

Continues on page 78

Given the magnitude of some of the Tri-Star projects, only hollow-core technology can cope with the volumes required to meet the fast-track programs, saving the contractor P&Gs and enabling the developer to give early occupation to consumers, again saving on finance cost.

Examples of the latest projects done by Tri-Star and Echo Gauteng: Fleurhof which has been an ongoing project for several years and will still continue. Jabulani, similar to Fleurhof and also ongoing. South Hills and a very large development called Malibongwe Ridge. All of these projects are 3 and 4 storey blocks.

The Tri-Star list of Topfloor projects are:

• Belhar Pocket 1a Residential Development

• Belhar Pocket 8a Residential Development

• Belhar Pocket 13 Residential Development

• Maitland Social Housing

• Goodwood Station Residential Redevelopment

// WE ARE GOOD DELIVERY PARTNERS, WE HAVE GREAT QUALITY, WE HAVE GOOD TEAMS ON THE GROUND, WE HAVE GOOD SYSTEMS IN PLACE, AND WE PRODUCE REALLY GOOD WORK

INDUSTRY FOCUS: CONSTRUCTION

Continued from page 76

million low-cost houses – enough for 12 million people. With a reputation for delivery, Tri-Star is a perfect partner to assist in this national challenge.

QUALITY FOCUS

As much as attention around quality is placed on the end product for

Tri-Star customers, the company has forever been sure to invest in quality in the supply chain so that its delivery remains as smooth as possible.

“We choose reliable, qualitybased suppliers to ensure we get what we need on time,” affirms Wheals. “There are issues and some backlog getting supplies from China but it is not business-critical at this stage. The bigger problem locally is Eskom and loadshedding. That interrupts our supply chain as manufacturing is held up. That is a problem that we are feeling the effects of as it impacts the cost of goods that we receive. All businesses have to have back up supply in place and all of these things come with big costs which are passed onto the end consumer – that is a big problem.”

Since the beginning of the pandemic, and subsequently furthered by the Russian invasion in

Ukraine, global shipping costs have skyrocketed and the supply of raw materials that feed the construction industry globally has dried up, adding to pricing woes. This is a smaller but important driver of the Tri-Star investment into building local capacity, growing South African SMMEs to become sustainable contributors in the industry’s value chain.

“We have made significant and successful inroads working in the communities where we work. We do a lot of work in townships and previously disadvantaged areas. One of the requirements here is to employ local and incubate and mentor local people into SMMEs. We have had a great deal of success working in communities and building up SMMEs. That gives us great satisfaction when we see these companies established and sustainable as contractors,” smiles Wheals.

Mitigating the energy problems

// A LOT OF NEWER SYSTEMS ARE EXPENSIVE AND SOUTH AFRICA SIMPLY CAN’T AFFORD THEM – CONCRETE, BRICKS, AND MORTAR WORK BEST HERE //

is not a simple fix and even for large corporate structures or international brands, installing modern renewable systems or building with green materials and techniques is still expensive in South Africa. Even when efficiency systems are put in place, they often still require significant ongoing maintenance and some dependence on Eskom reliability, and this is not realistic.

“A lot of newer systems are expensive and South Africa simply can’t afford them – concrete, bricks, and mortar work best here,” Wheals states.

TURNKEY FUTURE

Despite the challenges of the past three years, Tri-Star is expanding and solidifying its reputation. Where many thought that 2023 could be a year of imminent collapse for the construction industry in South Africa, The SA Construction

Market Report, from Construct Africa, predicts sector stabilisation at an annual average growth rate of 3% for the next three years.

With this is mind, Wheals and TriStar are committing to further growth.

“We have started an electrical and plumbing business in the past two years and the focus there is roll out of turnkey solutions which include solar panels, inverters, and batteries for business and residential units. It is a focal point and is something new for us,” he says. More widely, consistent, stable, and sustainable expansion is on the cards. “The plan for the next three to five years is to grow the business organically as we currently are. We want to be a contractor of choice that developers negotiate with rather than a run of the mill builder. Building relationships with clients is an important focus for us, allowing

us to grow organically through SA and into the DRC,” he adds.

Today, Tri-Star is a far cry from the business of 26 years ago, and Wheals is a pleased with what has been achieved. However, typically entrepreneurial, he is ambitious for more.

“Growing our business in tough times is going well and being resilient in the past two years is a positive thing. Growing into the Western Cape, the DRC, and locally in Gauteng is something we are proud of. We always continue to inspire and uplift our people,” he concludes.

AMDEC PROPERTY

Pioneering Spirit Unlocks Global Property Prowess

Founded in Cape Town in 1989 by father and son duo John and James Wilson, the Amdec Group has gone on to experience exponential growth over the last 10 years and expanded to achieve global reach. Now boasting a real estate portfolio in excess of 500,000 m², 274,000 m² of commercial space, and more than 2000 residential unit with a further 1653 under construction, Amdec’s showreel is one of the best and most varied around.

PRODUCTION: James Davey

//Ultimately, the Amdec Group exists to bring people together through built environments that pave the way for the formation of thriving business, residential, social or retirement communities, it explains. “The Amdec Group has spent 30 years honing its skills and expertise in order to deliver iconic large-scale developments that transcend the generic and raise the bar for others to follow.

“In so doing, it continuously seeks to address challenges linked to urbanisation, densification, safety, security, mobility, and transport. Our buildings and public spaces foster enjoyment and social interaction, and enhance quality of life.” A shared vision by father and son John and James Wilson of a better way of living, working, interacting, and relaxing was fortified by the belief property provided the key to connecting people and creating

thriving community environments. With John’s civil engineering background and wealth of property development expertise joining Chartered Accountant James’s strategic thinking and leadership, a formidable entrepreneurial spirit has driven exponential growth, built a prestigious portfolio of property assets and engineered a company profile that includes diverse real estate entities throughout South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the USA.

PASSION FOR PEOPLE

Several hallmarks unite the heterogeneous nature of Amdec’s Group developments. Exceptional locations form the backbone,

carefully selected on the basis of accessibility, desirability, visibility, and functionality, while the ensuing project will always seek to mitigate the challenges of modern life by bringing people, lifestyle, nature, and the built environment into balance. Safety and security are paramount, and smart technology is deployed to deliver enhanced connectivity, environmental sustainability, and cost efficiency.

“As a founding member of the Green Building Council of South Africa,” the company says, “we have pioneered many sustainable development initiatives including the harnessing of sun light for solar power generation, rainwater harvesting and storage, water recycling, back-up generator

// OUR BUILDINGS AND PUBLIC SPACES FOSTER ENJOYMENT AND SOCIAL INTERACTION, AND ENHANCE QUALITY OF LIFE //

power and waste management. We ensure that our built environments are sustainable and energy efficient, all designed and intended to reduce our carbon footprint.”

Above all else, it is the Amdec Group’s unwavering passion for people that continues to set it apart most. “Our buildings and public spaces are designed to bring people from diverse walks of life together and provide them with opportunities for social interaction, community engagement, enjoyment, fulfilment, and financial reward. This is why we adopt a customer-centric approach when conceptualising, designing, constructing, maintaining and continuously managing our built environments.

“We remain invested in our properties long after the real estate is completed and occupied.”

In its earliest years, the Amdec Group’s projects comprised residential renovations and refurbishments in

Cape Town’s south peninsula. These grew in scale to enable the company to take on bigger and more complex new builds, including apartment complexes, gated residential communities, commercial office developments, and mixed-use precincts, before branching

into commercial developments such as Virgin Active, Westlake Lifestyle Centre, and Steenberg Office Park in Tokai.

Securing a 50% share in the iconic Melrose Arch mixed-use precinct in Johannesburg in 2005 proved a dramatic turning point, adding a

INDUSTRY FOCUS: PROPERTY

the introduction of Evergreen Lifestyle, a brand that would go on to become South Africa’s premier retirement name.

AMBITIOUS ADDITIONS

flagship property to the portfolio and allowing the Amdec Group to hone its expertise as a leading developer of new urban lifestyles. The credit crunch of the late 2000s sparked a diversification of its assets and expansion nationally and also brought

“The Amdec Group has experienced exponential growth in the last 10 years,” it then affirms, perhaps most obviously shown by global expansion with the establishment of offices in London and Atlanta, USA. Its developments and brands embody this progress; Melrose Arch has more than trebled in size, while the Evergreen Lifestyle brand has expanded nationally to include seven completed villages and a further six under construction.

Two multi-billion Rand mixeduse developments - One on Whiteley at Melrose Arch, and The Yacht Club in Cape Town – have been added

to the national portfolio, followed by the purchase of Sitari Country Estate outside Somerset West and the acquisition of a 30% stake in the Val de Vie and Pearl Valley luxury lifestyle estates in the Cape Winelands.

In 2017, meanwhile, a R16 billion mixed-use mega-development was launched in the form of Harbour Arch in Cape Town, an ambitious addition to the Cape Town CBD. Last year it was revealed that the first of six towers had ‘topped out’ on the 23rd floor, 95 metres high and just 30 months after breaking ground. With completion due this year, it has taken around three million man hours to reach this point, with tens of thousands of people including builders, technicians, engineers and architects working to bring this iconic landmark to fruition.

// THE AMDEC GROUP HAS SPENT 30 YEARS HONING ITS SKILLS AND EXPERTISE TO DELIVER LARGE-SCALE DEVELOPMENTS THAT TRANSCEND THE GENERIC

Expanding skywards requires growth experts

“Reaching the highest point of Tower 1 at Harbour Arch represents a significant milestone in our construction journey,” said Nicholas Stopforth, MD of Amdec Property Developments. “Despite an unforeseen delay following the outbreak of Covid-19 in 2020, work has advanced at pace and is on schedule for completion in May next year. A multi-billion Rand project of this magnitude requires the technical skill, expertise, and dedication of a highly specialized multi-disciplinary team.”

The internationally recognised Sitari Country Estate currently under development by the Amdec Group represents one of the most iconic lifestyle estates in the Helderberg basin, and the wider Cape. Offering a contemporary country lifestyle in beautiful surroundings, these are

premium homes giving family-oriented purchasers easy access to a first-rate security-conscious lifestyle estate.

“Today, the Amdec Group is recognised as South Africa’s leading developer of new urban lifestyles, a trusted brand with a proven track record, a large and diversified global real estate business underpinned by a common vision and shared set of core values,” summarises this South African property powerhouse.

“This reputation, along with the iconic developments on which it is based, is founded upon our belief that there is a better way of living, working, relaxing and interacting. Our buildings and public spaces focus on lifestyle, enjoyment and connectivity, helping to build happy communities while also offering energy efficiency, sustainability and convenience.

“The pioneering spirit of our founders lives on in our consistent delivery of ground-breaking projects on a large scale as we aim to inspire better ways of living, working, relaxing and interacting. We design and deliver ambitious developments that reshape the property landscape and focus on quality of life. Consistently diversifying and expanding our portfolio, Amdec Group is a proudly South African company which remains invested in, and optimistic about, the future of our country and seek to play our part in securing a better future for all.”

Future-proof organisations need sustainable solutions. Through innovative financial solutions, we are working with our clients to build businesses and the continent.

PRETOR GROUP

Game Changing Pretor One Opens New Doors

The Pretor Group has invested heavily in the development and refinement of its Pretor One software which allows for an efficient, streamlined approach to the property management and administration sector. The result of this project is Pretor claiming industry-leading status and thriving during tough times. MD Giles Von Broembsen talks to Enterprise Africa about the success and challenges along the way.

PRODUCTION: Eleanor Sarbutt-King

South Africa’s Pretor Group is a leading provider of diversified property services with a reputation for delivery of the highest standards. Managing residential, commercial, and retail properties, the company has vast experience of the industry and can provide confidence and certainty in a market crowded with challenges.

Because of the value of assets in the property space, special care and attention is required when it comes to management and sustainability. Whether it’s rent collection, tenant sourcing and screening, levy collection, and the management of gated communities or organising financial services to protect and support a portfolio, Pretor Group can assist.

MD Giles Von Broembsen tells Enterprise Africa that investment into new IT systems alongside refinement of target markets has helped Pretor to grow and thrive during a time of weak economic performance in South Africa. He is confident that partnership with the company can only drive success for clients, allowing them to focus on what they do.

“We are a relatively niche property

manager and we have redesigned our commercial offering around the market. We do not manage big retail centres anymore as institutional buyers generally have inhouse management but rather focus on providing a full house service to individuals or consortiums that privately hold properties. In residential letting, we have a portfolio of around 1500 units. What has developed into the biggest part of our business is the management of gated communities or housing schemes. There, we have around 60,000 clients.”

To manage such a large portfolio, innovative and industry-leading software is required, and this agile business has developed its own.

“We are one of the few property companies in SA that has built a system to cater specifically for South

// THE BIG DRIVE FOR US IS ALLOWING CLIENTS TO HELP THEMSELVES ANYTIME

African Sectional Title and Home Owner Association requirements that is based on SAP Business One as the back end, but the functionality is ours alone,” says Von Broembsen of the impressive offering. “Pretor One is our custom built, client facing IT system, operating in real time and is our second biggest expense after salaries with a team of in house developers who constantly improve that.”

Today, Pretor is home to 160 people, all experts in the industry, with deep knowledge and expertise across a wide range of related functions. This number has grown, and will continue to grow as the company’s influence develops. More than 24,000 homes in estates, 36,000 sectional title homes, 1500 rentals, and 24,000 homes insured trust Pretor Group to provide service

excellence and, by investing in cutting edge technology, that is exactly what Von Broembsen is aiming for – but always in an efficient manner.

“I did a calculation and worked out that, at if we were running the

business now in the same way we were in 2003, we would need 360 staff,” he says. “Digitisation has made an enormous difference, as well as integration with the banks. The big drive for us is allowing clients to help

Giles Von Broembsen, MD

themselves anytime of the day or night. If you compare our industry to banking, previously, you would go to a branch, deposit a cheque, deal with a teller, stand in a queue – everyone hated it. Now, you do it at your own pace in your own time and it fits. Innovation has changed the banking experience. That is what we want to get to, where people can transact with us in their own time, at

the own convenience. It’s a constant driver of our development processes.”

This type of digital-first approach will allow property stakeholders and even individual vendors to communicate with Pretor quickly and easily, 24/7 access to clear financial information, managing payments and receipts while having a clear picture of the health of assets at any time. Following the pandemic and with ongoing economic turmoil and fallout, this kind of clarity and certainty is required for effective decision making.

“In the commercial space, there are lot of well-developed systems and we use one of them. In the rental space, our system is efficient but it is not yet ground-breaking. In the community scheme space, there is nothing in SA that can deliver the same functionality,” explains Von Broembsen.

BEHAVIOUR CHANGE

Property was perhaps one of the key, major industries impacted by the pandemic because of the global changes in people movement as a result of lockdowns and restrictions. Office spaces were abandoned, warehouses and factories closed, and even some residential spaces like student accommodation left dormant. For Pretor Group, the period was unusual but not damaging because of changes in behaviour.

“Covid has driven foot traffic to local shopping centres and we are finding that is our swing space. We manage a number of smaller shopping centres and so we have been very productive. That is a behaviour change that will take some time to undo,” suggests Von Broembsen. “People still don’t want to be in confined spaces

// WE HAVE ENJOYED AGGRESSIVE EXPANSION AND OUR CLIENT BASE IS SIX TIMES WHAT IT WAS 20 YEARS AGO //

that are highly populated. They like the convenience of shopping somewhere where you can park in front of the shop.”

Servicing these spaces – many of which are home to food retailers that stayed open throughout the pandemic – was essential.

“There has been pressure on the economy as a whole but because we are a service industry, owners still need to pay levies to continue to pay for security, garden services, lights and water. We have seen an increase in debtor numbers but not something that has materially impacted our portfolio or our clients. On the rental side, we did see an impact through Covid as a lot of people moved in with family members where possible. Now, we are finding that there is a stronger demand for rentals again and with the increased return to office, the market

is more robust. In the management space, Covid has been less impactful than in the property development space,” details Von Broembsen.

Managing through the period without staff cutbacks is viewed by most as a success and the size and scale of Pretor Group helped it to navigate smoothly, not only surviving but building a robust base for future growth.

“We have enjoyed aggressive expansion and our client base is six times what it was 20 years ago. We are not looking to expand geographically but we do see a lot of growth opportunity in our current market,” says the MD, hinting at exploration to further integrate utility services across large complexes with the goal of convenience, cost saving, and achievement of environmental goals.

“Loadshedding is making the

energy transition more complex,” he adds. “Solar panels work wonderfully well but you cannot currently feed back into the grid with excess supply. Storage is expensive and difficult to carry through a full loadshedding period on a complex – which necessitates a generator. There was a lot of traction

// WE WANT TO GIVE THE CLIENT A ONESTOP SHOP, WITH A WIDER RANGE OF SERVICES RATHER THAN TRYING TO GROW INTO A BRAND NEW SPACE //

INDUSTRY FOCUS: PROPERTY

for solar to supplement electrical services on a number of complexes but lack of storage capacity during loadshedding has made that more difficult. That is the next step on our IT journey – managing all aspects in one system, including notifying people of when there could be a leak or when there could be over consumption.

“We want to integrate with multiple service providers and pull through the data correctly so that we ca provide functionality correctly. We want to give the client a one-stop shop, with a wider range of services rather than trying to grow into a brand new space.”

As this concept builds momentum, a complex or community owner will enjoy ever increasing service

offerings and added functionality when entrusting the management to Pretor Group, on a modern system, which leaves nothing to chance. This is not something easily replicated.

“There are competitors but it is difficult to enter this market because of the start-up costs. You need a bulk of clients to make it viable and that takes time. The regulatory requirements are very high and there is a lot of reporting and specialised knowledge required,” explains Von Broembsen.

RED TAPE HURDLES

Pretor Group is an active industry participant and commits a significant amount of time and energy to regulatory and governance compliance.

Devoted to excellence, energetic in upliftment, and building a legacy as a responsible corporate citizen, the company faces challenges head on. Most recently, the introduction of the Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority (PPRA) - under the Department of Human Settlements –has driven a fresh need to reorganise and Von Broembsen explains that for the property management industry, there remains a lot of confusion.

“While we fall under the ambit, it is centred around estate agents which is not our business at all. There are multiple challenges because of that, and it creates further barriers to entry,” he says. “You want regulation that is thought through and applicable.

Right now, there is no clarity on who has to register as an agent – we have 160 staff and we don’t officially know who will need to register. If someone has to register, then you

have to complete exams, and these are geared towards estate agents, which is not relevant to our staff. In the long run it will be good, but in the short term it creates uncertainty.”

Thankfully, Pretor Group has unrivalled experience in the industry and is able to deal with changes quickly and effectively. Despite being a larger employer, the company remains nimble and flexible, with employees and clients at its heart. Going forward, Von Broembsen’s personal ambitions are to continue striving to foster warm and inclusive workplace.

“In the past 12 years, we have transitioned from a business that was ‘family run’, to a corporate structure where you need to implement governance structures. With 50 people, you can develop relationships with all employees and leverage the growth

through those relationships. With 160 people, you have to bring in structures and systems that entrench values into the business. You need to ensure people represent and live those values, and you have to be very transparent,” he says.

By taking a digital approach, and by placing speedy service quality at the top of the agenda, Pretor has built a list of delighted clients and will continue to grow as the community housing scheme industry continues to boom across SA.

Choosing Pretor frees you up for what matters most –your life, while protecting your property assets at all times.

// IN THE PAST 12 YEARS, WE HAVE TRANSITIONED FROM A BUSINESS THAT WAS ‘FAMILY RUN’, TO A CORPORATE STRUCTURE WHERE YOU HAVE TO IMPLEMENT GOVERNANCE //

Developments Continue at Super Nova

Established in 2011 through the assimilation of a number of smaller, independently-owned companies, Nova PropGrow Group (Nova Properties) independently renders comprehensive property management and development, accounting, tax, and company secretarial services to a self-owned property portfolio. Owning and controlling assets worth more than R2.5 billion, Nova Properties’ is an unequalled mix of commercial properties and mixed-use residential developments throughout South Africa.

PRODUCTION: Jamie Waters

Flora Shopping Centre

INDUSTRY FOCUS: PROPERTY

At its heart, explains CEO Dominique Haese, Nova Properties is a specialist management company that itself owns a packed portfolio of residential, commercial, and mixeduse property, and fulfils a particular and specialised rental collection and administrative function towards all of the many properties therein.

These take in primarily office and retail spaces, toward which Nova is charged with the critical

task of working with a vast range of tenants and business sizes, from one-man-band outfits to some of the biggest names in industry, such as Pick n Pay, Checkers and Dischem. The residential arm of the business is concerned with development, where the land is paid for, rights and infrastructure and architectural plans in place, and all feasibilities have been compiled, analysed, and completed.

“Over the years, this portfolio has proven itself to be versatile

and sustainable,” Haese lauds.

“Testament to Nova Properties’ focus on strategic re-development, planning and stringent management measures, our portfolio is consistently well-maintained through mainly internal funding, targeting efficient tenanting and value enhancement.”

COMMERCIAL CONCERNS

Mostly Gauteng- and Nelspruitbased on the commercial side, the residential portfolio concentrates on eight geographical hubs, all selected for their development and growth potential. Within this section there lies a sharpened focus on three models, namely build-to-sell, re-zoning, and rental stock, which aims to unlock long-term bottom-line value from this primarily land-based asset portfolio.

“For a decade the Nova Properties has been fortunate to be able to surround itself with teams of highlyskilled, passionate, and dedicated professionals and partners in driving these projects and readying them for when funding lines become available,” Haese tells Enterprise Africa. “We have actually consciously reduced our footprint as time has gone on, moving away from coastal areas where we were previously, for example in Cape Town and Durban, in order to be much more central and hands-on.”

When it comes to commercial property a holistic approach is taken, Haese goes on, with 15 propertyowning subsidiaries working together

// OUR PORTFOLIO IS CONSISTENTLY WELL-MAINTAINED THROUGH MAINLY INTERNAL FUNDING, TARGETING EFFICIENT TENANTING AND VALUE ENHANCEMENT //

Dominique Haese, CEO

including Geo Sphere Developments, which itself owns three further ancillary companies. “In the commercial property space, Nova Properties aims to consistently rejuvenate and maintain its portfolio of assets in order to attract a tenant mix that is both relevant for the location and long-lived, in order to create stable, yet outstanding consumer experiences for the communities that are served by them,” Haese unpacks.

“This is realised by a strong, experienced management team, while external contracted service providers expertly take care of accounting, finance, tax, and legal and stakeholder administration services.

Broadly speaking,” says Haese, “these service providers focus on reducing tenant vacancies to maximise capital growth for Nova Properties.

“In this way, under-performing tenants are actively reduced, while each property’s tenant mix is analysed to optimise trading density and growth. Indicators like ‘spend-perhead’ and ‘feet through the door’ are monitored as reflections of trading density, which shows year-on-year improvement across the portfolio.”

Working collaboratively and cohesively, the combined resources and management and industry expertise of these providers facilitate advanced

asset redevelopment planning. “This long-term planning, as an enabler for reducing tenant vacancies by enhancing the value proposition and reducing the impact of redevelopment, contributes directly to enhancing our bottom-line - one of our primary aims as a Group.”

SECURELY ANCHORED

Having sought and acquired such a broad and varied range of tenants helped Nova Properties to navigate through the tricky waters of recent years, Haese delineates. “The huge anchor tenants, which form a large part of our centres like Pick n Pay, were allowed to continue throughout,”

INDUSTRY FOCUS: PROPERTY

she says, “which prevented us from losing any turnover.

“We are also affording a much longer grace period to some of our other tenants because it has been a real battle for them to simply remain open and trading; our policy is to only as a last resort, put a tenant out, and this is something we firmly believe in. We have also offered rent reductions, and while these factors do impact on our

short-term cashflow, we are recovering in stable fashion with our existing centres and the good relationships that we enjoy with our incredibly mixed array of tenants make a real difference.”

Haese is confident that Nova Properties is securely positioned and ready to grow, having successfully negotiated the most prevailing of any potential risks to its future profitability or prosperity. “I cannot foresee any

great threat in the immediate term for the Group; on the contrary, I believe that the opportunities for expansion are great, specifically because we have land that we must develop, that is ready to go, and we also have centres that have been constructed that need to be finalised to tenant them and fit them and ensure that we receive that income.

“We are very fortunate in that everybody will always need to go shopping, for essentials like groceries - we are not surrounded by huge malls suddenly showing lots of vacancies. Our model is very much more on the convenient access mall side, where everybody dashes in to avail of their favourite cafe, or supermarket, or cell phone shops.

// NOVA PROPERTIES AIMS TO CONSISTENTLY REJUVENATE AND MAINTAIN ITS PORTFOLIO OF ASSETS TO ATTRACT A TENANT MIX THAT IS RELEVANT FOR THE LOCATION AND LONG-LIVED //

“We also have centres that are not located competition-wise with any infringements, because they are in already built-up areas and we complement the neighbourhood; this all combines to insulate us far more from any prospect of potential peril.”

SOUND SUSTAINABILITY

Great importance is placed at Nova Properties on good corporate citizenship and this extends far beyond the bounds of its everyday operations into the very fabric of the industry and country. “Exemplary corporate leadership is primordial for Nova Properties, and we are firmly of the belief that it is imperative to leave a healthy footprint if you operate anywhere within construction,” Haese submits. “We are very careful when it comes to selecting who we partner with, and only engage with partners with whom long-term collaboration is going to be feasible.”

Nova Properties enjoys a unique opportunity to support with employment, too, Haese identifies, through tenanting and its ability to offer entrepreneurs the opportunity to come into centres and trade.

The Group clearly has massive scope to contribute to efforts around going green; the staggering hikes in electricity rates over the period from 2000 to 2019 - from around R5.24/ m2 to more than R33/m2 – could

have impacted massively on tenants’ payment profiles and proved calamitous to the Group’s cash-flow. “To mitigate,” Haese explains, “a number of Nova Properties’ commercial property assets have been retro-fitted with solar installations, including at the Flora, Carletonville, Waterglen, Village, Courtside Centres and Del Judor Mall.

“Energy-efficient lighting and pre-paid electricity meters are in place alongside generators, to reduce the impact on both tenants and consumers in the event of power outages, and rainwater catchers are utilised to reduce day-to-day water consumption and act as a buffer against potential shortages.”

In this way, tenants are assured that their leases remain affordable and that consumers’ shopping experiences remain reliable, convenient, and enjoyable. “We do not gain anything from implementing something like this; it is our tenant

that benefits solely from the reduced rates and retain the opportunity to trade, and these are things that we are continually looking at.”

For Haese, the overarching vision for Nova Properties is clear. “Like any company, we want to be around for as long as possible and we want to leave a good carbon footprint,” she summarises, a clear and all-encompassing, yet overtly achievable vision, for this forward-thinking property organisation. “Confident that we have done everything in our power to secure the best possible value creation, we are committed to continuing building on the positives achieved over the past decade and more.”

// I CANNOT FORESEE ANY GREAT THREAT IN THE IMMEDIATE TERM FOR THE GROUP; ON THE CONTRARY, I BELIEVE THAT THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPANSION ARE GREAT

An Education to Unlock Your Future

Eduvos is one of South Africa’s largest independent private higher education institutions, with 12 campuses across the country and over 27 internationally recognised and fully accredited qualifications on offer. Record intake and the opening of a brand-new campus location have been cause for recent celebration, with a record number of new-starters setting their sights on graduate employability of almost double the national average.

PRODUCTION: Eleanor Sarbutt-King

Siegie Brownlee, CEO

INDUSTRY FOCUS: EDUCATION

Eduvos has a long history in South Africa as a credible private Higher Education institute in South Africa. After many years in different shapes and forms the choice to settle on today’s moniker for the institution came as the result of a change of ownership, and a renewed focus on high-quality, blended learning across Africa.

A South African education is notoriously a prized commodity and highly-valued due to the strict quality assurance to which institutions such as Eduvos subscribe; its belonging to the South African Qualifications Authority

(SAQA) and Accreditation by the Council on Higher Education (CHE) that ensures the international acceptance and recognition of Eduvos degrees. These are offered across the four futurefacing faculties of Applied Science, Commerce and Law, Humanities, and Information Technology.

RECORD INTAKE

“An education is one of the most important investments to raise socio-economic status and long-term earning potential of an individual,” Siegie Brownlee, CEO of Eduvos, opines. “It is also the gateway to having the

skills to successfully create change, organise, and to operate across various industries.” Continuing to increase access to higher education is incredibly important for South Africa and its young population, comprising 22.2 million under the age of 19 currently with young Africans expected to make up 42% of the world’s youth by 2030.

“Private Higher Education Institutions have the growth capacity to help meet the demands of this expanding and changing population who will one day be the leaders of Africa,” Brownlee pronounces. Historically, Eduvos’ focus has been on the school-leavers market in tertiary education - but since Brownlee’s arrival in 2019 it has also taken an active interest in part-time adultlearning and corporate spaces.

“We are very mindful of the shortage of education providers in South Africa from a university

// PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS HAVE THE GROWTH CAPACITY TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF AN EXPANDING AND CHANGING POPULATION WHO WILL ONE DAY BE THE LEADERS OF AFRICA //

perspective and we are very wellplaced to help, but equally we are abundantly cognisant of the everchanging nature of the external landscape, and as such people are continually looking to reinvent and upskill themselves, and as such we have branched out into these other areas.”

“This year, we are looking to enrol around 12,000 students in Eduvos, the majority of which are in the fresher market, however there are also close to 1,000 students who have enrolled for part-time studies, so this is a fast-growing market.” In its Block 1 intake for 2023 Eduvos was in fact left celebrating a record intake, enrolling a first-year cohort of almost 10,000 students, breaking last year’s previous best and sustaining growth of over 50% year-on-year since 2021.

“Our growth is a testament to our commitment to providing quality, affordable higher education to all

students,” Brownlee assesses, “regardless of their background or circumstances. It is further indicative of our staff’s passion and commitment to our purpose of shaping potential, student by student, towards Africa’s prosperity. It gives us such joy to grow the talented, resilient,

and wonderful youth we have in Africa.” Young South Africans continue to bear the burden of unemployment, according to the Democracy Development Program: only 30% of South African university graduates on average find employment after

Our Specialised Industry Services

graduation, while in contrast, Eduvos prioritises employability, with its own dedicated Employability Centre having helped 62% of the class of 2021 finding employment or furthering their studies.

“At Eduvos we prioritise the employability of our students,” Brownlee beams. “We understand that Eduvos is only the first step in our students’ professional paths, and our academic staff comprises a combination of academics and industry professionals who know what it takes to succeed in the working world. We are dedicated to developing knowledgeable and skilled graduates.”

CAMPUS

Eduvos’ 12 campuses are longstanding and historic; the bigger of them naturally sit within metropolitan areas and major cities such as Cape Town and Gauteng, while smaller towns like Potchefstroom and Mbombela each also has its own. “Interestingly, what we tend to find is that almost all of our students come from a radius of about 150km surrounding the campus itself,” Brownlee reports. “Of course now with the new blended learning approach, which gained massive traction with Covid, we are able to accommodate people from much further afield as well, but our physical attendees are overwhelmingly local.

“Our country has become a destination for international students looking to expand their educational opportunities, and we continually welcome many students from across the continent annually.”

Eduvos started 2023 by being able to proudly announce, not only the growth of the Potchefstroom campus, but the official opening of a brand-new location for its Nelson Mandela Bay campus. Those arriving at 96 Second Avenue, Newton Park were greeted by the unmistakable ‘Edu-vibe’ and an excited team of Eduvos staff eager to showcase the new space. Brownlee was joined by NMB Campus General Manager

Bidvest Prestige provide excellent, on demand customer service.

Bidvest Prestige is the leading contract cleaning specialist in South Africa with an industry footprint in the commercial, retail, hospitality, education, healthcare, industrial, mining, auto care and food hygiene sectors.

Bidvest Prestige

Bidvest Prestige PeopleOfPrestige

Dr Tony Matchaba-Hove and Kevin Lazarus, Tyger Valley Campus General Manager, to conduct the ribbon-cutting ceremony this unique opportunity to upgrade and ensure the growth of higher education in the Eastern Cape.

“Being in Nelson Mandela Bay, we find it apt to quote Nelson Mandela himself as he always spoke of education and the power education has to change the world,” effused an emotional Dr Matchaba-Hove. “That is why we are here, to shaping potential ,student by student , in our special and unique way.”

Another step in Eduvos’ enhancement of its offering is a pioneering move into the virtual reality and experiential learning side to enhance education. The introduction of Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality technology will prepare Eduvos students for the ever-changing world and equip them with skills to navigate these new technologies and use them

in the workforce. “We have signed a partnership with EON reality, a global organisation represented in over 100 countries around the world, and we are going to begin to utilise and embed its software in addition to learning from a virtual and experiential perspective into our already fully digital curriculum. It has been exhaustively proven that when somebody is immersed into the learning itself, this creates a very different and, ultimately, superior learning experience.”

Next up in Eduvos’ expansion plans is what Brownlee terms ‘cloud campuses’, smaller sites which provide a venue with facilities to be utilised, but not a fully-fledged campus itself. “With this venture we are trying to accommodate students who want the flexibility of a blended learning mode, but who may battle with data and a PC infrastructure, and as such the cloud campuses are able to cater for and help those students even

more,” she explains, “This is a global phenomenon that we are seeing all over.”

The logical progression, according to Brownlee, is a move into Africa, not only through the distance learning or online mode, already continually broadening its reach, but also physically. “At the end of the day, we truly believe in making Africa a better place,” she says. “One of our founding directors always says: ‘Africa is just too rich to be poor’. The continent has so much of the world’s arable land, so many minerals, and 640 million people that need to be educated. For us, it is not just about providing an education; it is about changing lives, and we do it with a deep, innate passion to change the world through education and, more than anything, to change the African continent.”

Traveller Confidence and Demand Continue to Skyrocket

Speaking with Enterprise Africa last year, BidTravel CEO Lidia de Olim Folli was buoyant about the prospect of a return to pre-Covid levels of travellers and re-establishing South Africa as a premium tourist destination. While there have been obstacles to overcome in the interim, the assessment is overwhelmingly positive as both arrivals and departures ramp back up and renewed confidence allows the industry to take off once again.

PRODUCTION: Jamie Waters

Lidia de Olim Folli, CEO

//A proudly Bidvest company, BidTravel, through its 11 companies, provides industry-leading travel management services to corporate businesses and leisure travellers through an extensive local, regional, international, and online network.

The return of Chinese tourists to Africa combined with a full resumption of operations on international routes by African airlines are the latest indicators of a rebounding tourism industry decimated by the Covid-19 pandemic two years ago. In February China picked three African countries— Egypt, Kenya, and South Africa— among 20 across the globe for piloting outbound group tours, with the United Nations World Travel Organisation’s latest World Tourism Barometer confirming that would push Africa’s international arrival numbers back to 2019 levels.

“We are upbeat as all indications are that our tourism sector is on a fast highway to recovery,” was the take

of South Africa’s Tourism Minister, Lindiwe Sisulu as the country’s arrivals from January to October 2022 were recorded at 4.5 million, with the international tourism boom looking even brighter in 2023 due to the resumption of entire operations and re-introduction of higher capacity aircraft on African routes.

BUOYANT RETURN

“Things are going well, and we have certainly seen travellers returning in their droves,” agrees BidTravel CEO Lidia de Olim Folli. “South Africa came off most countries’ lists in around late April or early May22, after which things absolutely skyrocketed. The consequence of this, though, was that airports internationally were unable to handle all such a sudden increase and this severely dented our ability to return to a pre-Covid normal.

“It has been extremely buoyant, however, to the extent that capacity has been available. We have found that our premium cabins have been the first to sell out, interestingly,

with economy class seats remaining, and this was very pleasing to see.”

De Olim Folli puts this rush, and desire for a more luxurious experience, down to the sheer exhaustion universally felt from the endless online calls and meetings of the epoch and the abject removal of face-to-face interaction, causing people to dash back at the first opportunity to begin to reclaim some semblance of normality.

“Both domestically and

// WE ARE NOW BACK IN A POSITION WHERE WE CAN BEGIN TO LOOK AT EXPLORING AREAS IN WHICH WE DO NOT CURRENTLY OPERATE IN THE TRAVEL ENVIRONMENT

internationally, air capacity and flight availability were still down at the end of 2022 compared to the 2019 numbers,” she qualifies. “But we have nonetheless seen a good return and increase in travellers with the removal of lockdowns and air travel returning. One of our local airlines, which accounted for around 30% of the entire seat capacity in South Africa, fell into liquidation last June, and while some competitors did start adding capacity it was not until later, in October or November, so we do not have a like-for-like picture domestically.

“Realistically, though, we have recovered to a point we would be happy to have reached had we been at maximum capacity throughout.

“We are now back in a position where we can begin to look at exploring areas in which we do not currently operate in the travel environment - perhaps by way of an acquisition,” de Olim Folli outlines of Bidvest’s imminent intentions for its travel arm. “I cannot say

INDUSTRY FOCUS: TOURISM

that I have identified anything concrete as yet, but at least we do have the scope now that the industry has come back, and there will be opportunities out there.

“When we do decide to grow in a certain sphere of travel there is now access to these new environments.”

LESSONS LEARNED

This contrasts markedly with the approach of just last year, which was very much concerned with hunkering down and building up the defences to protect the various facets of the business. “We were very much focussed solely on our own internal recovery,” de Olim Folli stipulates, “and now that we can see that everything has opened up around us we are keeping our eyes and ears open to what is out there in the near future.”

There have been valuable lessons learned from the turmoil of recent years, de Olim Folli shares. “For the last two years we have zeroed in on how to trim down,” she explains, “but our takeaway from having volumes increase again as quickly as they did

is the realisation that in order to grow really quickly, there are a number of moving parts to be aware of.

“It is imperative to ensure that not only are we scaling up those operating on the front end, such as revenue generators and travel experts, but that every aspect of the business receives similar attention in order to support them - increasing administrative, IT and HR resources, for example, to ensure that we meet clients’ expectations based on their historic experiences with us. It takes much longer, and far more resources, to onboard people en-masse, and we feel much richer in a business practice sense for having learned the valuable lessons that have come from these situations and circumstances.”

As the hospitality sector in its

// WE FEEL MUCH RICHER IN A BUSINESS PRACTICE SENSE FOR HAVING LEARNED THESE VALUABLE LESSONS //

entirety has regained its popularity and, subsequently, familiarly chaotic nature, holes are being uncovered where senior, skilled individuals have been forced to move out of the industry and source alternative forms of employment when the world shut down. “It has been difficult to recruit everybody back,” de Olim

Folli admits, “and those that had worked in the industry for a long time possibly felt slightly burnt because we had to shut down so quickly. They have then had experience in other sectors where they were able to then chose direction.”

It has lent to the upskilling and training of people, highlighted by de Olim Folli as critical when speaking with Enterprise Africa last year, a whole new level of importance. “We recognise that we are simply never going to claw back some of that skill,” she accepts, “but we are continuing to invest strongly internally in order to upskill and ameliorate our personnel.”

Tourism has long been known to be a key part of the South African economy, and all of BidTravel’s many constituent

parts are thriving and performing strongly on the bounce back of the last year, de Olim Folli concludes.

“As economic pressures back home ease, in significant markets for us like the EU and the UK, and the likes of China continue to open up, it can only help us to welcome tourists back to southern Africa and make the world accessible again to South Africans.”

Work or play, we have you covered in Southern Africa all the way!

// WE ARE CONTINUING TO INVEST STRONGLY INTERNALLY IN ORDER TO UPSKILL AND AMELIORATE OUR PERSONNEL //

THE BEEKMAN GROUP

Family Business Flies SA Flag High

PRODUCTION: Eleanor Sarbutt-King

Wayne Beekman, Executive Director at the Beekman Group, tells Enterprise Africa more about managing and growing a major tourism business during tough times locally and globally. By sticking to core principles and aligning behind a vision, the company has grown and it excited about future opportunities.

Beekman House

INDUSTRY FOCUS: HOSPITALITY

//South African tourism has long been recognised as a vital sector in the country’s challenged economy. The opportunity for quick, scalable, sustainable business growth has been appealing to the government –always on the lookout for chances to build prospects. But with the Covid pandemic came a mayday for the industry. International visitor numbers crashed after a decade of positive growth. Even with the country’s rich cultural heritage and mix of major attractions – including 10 UNESCO World Heritage sites – there was no lure or price that could overcome a legislated nationwide lockdown. When tourism did bounce back, domestic business has been key in unlocking

potential. In the second quarter of 2022, domestic tourism revenue sat at R24.4 billion and international revenue at R11.1 billion. The sector continues to represent a significant

percentage of the country’s GDP. For those active in tourism and hospitality, the past three years have been tough. But sustainable, diversified, well-managed organisations have

Cayley Mountain Resort

managed to survive and thrive. The Beekman Group, a historic South African holiday business, hunkered down through 2020 and 2021, and is now experiencing growth in new avenues.

A family business with an impressive national footprint, the Beekman Group was established in 1981 after founders Bram and John Beekman moved to Durban from Johannesburg, building a presence in the vacation ownership industry after selling their successful contracting business. The pair went about developing and marketing property for resorts in KZN under the Suntide brand, creating a trusted and exciting offering. As the business grew, expanding into new sectors, its reach became powerful, attracting visitors from around the

world, building a portfolio of significant value. The business is award-winning, claiming top regional, national, and international awards for excellence.

It’s a legacy that sees the Beekman name forever associated with the tourism industry in South Africa. Today, the second generation heads up the company, and Executive Director Wayne Beekman tells Enterprise Africa more about the company’s modern structure. Split into five components, the business has a deep knowledge of hospitality, tourism, property, construction, and management.

“Commercial property is growing into a significant property portfolio,” he begins. “Hospitality property management is just under 30 resorts in Southern Africa with an additional

seven in Australasia. Our property development is leisure-focused, and we develop and sell off the units, which the owners use for both holidays and as an investment by placing them into a rental pool which we manage on their behalf. On top of that, we have a few timeshare clubs which is part of the origin of the business. There is also a timeshare exchange arm where people can swap or move their access within the year.”

Companies under the Beekman Group include the Beekman Managed Portfolio, the Holiday Club, iExchange, Beekman Holidays, Beekman Leisure Portfolio, Body Bliss, and the Private Residence Collection. As domestic tourism thrives, and as a strong emphasis is placed around regenerating international arrivals,

INDUSTRY FOCUS: HOSPITALITY

“We have a lot on the go,” says Beekman. “Where we have tried to position the resorts, our holiday experience is family orientated and we have put a lot of effort to get firstof-their kind facilities at our resorts. In our industry, we are leading the way with facilities and experiences.”

having a diversified group, spread across multiple centres of activity, makes for a very strong offering.

A LOT ON THE GO

Right now, South Africa is looking to new markets for visitors. The hope is to attract travellers from China and India to complement core markets of the USA, UK, Germany, and Australia. Competing against the likes of Egypt and Kenya for international arrivals into Africa, the country must promote its modern infrastructure, and the Beekman Group is an expert in this regard.

At the World Travel Awards in 2022, three Beekman Group resorts were recognised as industry leaders. The Cayley Mountain Resort was named South Africa’s Leading Lifestyle Resort; Dikhololo was lauded as South Africa’s Leading Family Resort; and the San Martinho Beach Club was highlighted as Mozambique’s Leading Family Resort 2022. At the awards ceremony in Nairobi, the best in the business came together to acknowledge industry excellence.

“The success of the work done by the team at the resorts is impossible to quantify in one achievement alone.

From the quality feedback expressed by our guests to the consistent financial returns enjoyed by our Resort Owners, to awards and acknowledgements such as this one, we are tremendously proud of the holistically innovative culture at the resorts that is reflected in our acceptance of this award,” said Beekman. A South African company, dealing with South African partners, catering to South African customers as well as a strong international client base, the Beekman Group understands the local market and knows how to make things happen. From head office in Port Shepstone, KZN the Beekman Group team continues to build a strong culture of excellence.

Celebrating further success, the company was praised as the province’s top Family Business for 2022 at the Standard Bank KwaZulu-Natal Top Business Awards. The function in Umhlanga saw Wayne and cousin

San Martinho Beach Club and Hotel

// IN OUR INDUSTRY, WE ARE LEADING THE WAY WITH FACILITIES AND EXPERIENCES //

Neville claim another award that the pair dedicated to the founders, Beekman family, extended family, and all employees and their families.

LOCAL BUSINESS

The company’s local roots are a key part of this success. 1100 people are employed by the Beekman Group

23 years of experience in mattress manufacturing

across its divisions around the country but the KZN coast is home.

“Our head office is in a holiday town, an hour and a half from Durban. We started off with an office on a holiday resort and the business grew and expanded. We grew here and we had to employ the skills locally. When we started, there were no digital tools, and recruitment was a challenge. It wasn’t easy to travel and get specialists to come here so we recruited and trained people from the local area,” Beekman explains.

“We aim to promote local community upliftment. A lot of the service providers that we use are generally from our area and they are happy to work anywhere in South Africa,” he says, adding that wherever possible the company insources to keep strict control over quality.

When Wayne’s father and uncle founded the company in 1981, they had already been in business together since 1970. Over the past 50 years, the Beekman’s have ridden the rollercoaster that is the South African economy and know about standing up to challenges. But the Covid-19 pandemic was a new type of problem and required strength. Resort managers around the country were kept busy perfecting sites for when customers could return, but it was a difficult time.

“We came through it ok,” says Beekman. “We kept all our staff employed and we made plans to mitigate impacts where we could. During Level 5 lockdown in South Africa, we were forced to close the resorts and refund clients, which hurt financially. We did get through it, and since the pandemic subsided, we have

All our mattresses are handcrafted using only the best locally sourced components. We offer high-quality products at factory-direct prices.

Spring Mattresses | Mattress Toppers | Foam Mattresses

// ON THE SECTIONAL TITLE INVESTMENT SIDE, WE HAVE REALLY GOOD RETURNS FOR GUYS THAT INVEST IN THE PROPERTIES THAT WE DEVELOP //

INDUSTRY FOCUS: HOSPITALITY

surpassed our pre-Covid figures and we are back on the growth path.

“Our mix has helped us,” he adds. “Where we had traditional owners with the rental arm, owners were still paying their monthly levies. That buoyed us through that period.”

He also highlights the very real and demonstrable returns that were achieved by clients over recent years as a factor which kept people interested, even at the bottom of the rut. This is also a strong indicator of the quality of developments from the Beekman Group.

“On the sectional title investment side, we have really good returns for guys that invest in the properties that we develop. A net return would be up to 13% which is a lot higher than what you’d find elsewhere.”

INVESTING

To capitalise, the company is busy with new developments that will add to an already impressive portfolio.

“We have two new developments that should come out of the ground this year. We are waiting for one sign off in Pretoria, and the other is in Franschhoek,” confirms Beekman. “There are also a number of resorts where we are busy adding new phases to the existing developments, these include The Kingdom Resort, Cayley Mountain Resort, and San Martinho Beach Club.”

Here, the company will offer its traditional timeshare, sectional title and fractional ownership, options which entitle clients to all the benefits of the Beekman Managed Portfolio.

At the same time, responding quickly to new demands in the

market, the company is busy rolling out a glamping offering at select resorts, putting up semi-structured accommodation for those looking to experience a camping getaway but with the convenience of modern amenities.

Technology is also playing its part in the company’s growth, with Wayne Beekman – who started in the IT department in 2000 –pushing for constant innovation.

“We have been working behind the scenes of the software and digital expansion. We are centralised with our own project development team that run with conceptualisation and project roll out internally.

“We have just launched a kids app for the resorts where kids can use phones to scan during the different resort activities they do and interact

EXCLUSIVE ALUMINIUM: STRONG ALUMINIUM BUSINESS READY TO BUILD

Following a successful partnership on the Royal Atlantic Hotel in Cape Town, Exclusive Aluminium, a leading manufacturer of aluminium windows and doors, is poised for ongoing expansion alongside the Beekman Group. With a reputation for excellence and a track record of successful projects, this company is ready to take on any project, big or small, across South Africa.

Located in the heart of Cape Town’s chic Sea Point district, the Royal Atlantic Hotel is part of the Beekman Group’s Holiday Club brand, offering a towering high-rise with modern amenities and comfortable rooms to suit any traveller. Recently, the hotel underwent a meticulous renovation project in which Exclusive Aluminium replaced all the windows and doors to improve, protect, and sustain the building.

A second-generation family business with decades of experience, Exclusive Aluminium knows how to deliver quality for clients. “We measure everything - it’s included in our service,” says Pieter Herbst, the Managing Director of Exclusive Aluminium. “Even if a building has 500 windows, we measure each one individually. Some companies only manufacture standard sizes, which can result in price penalties for non-standard projects. We adapt to any project, and if the deadlines are tight, we simply manage it and always go beyond to meet the requirements of our clients.”

The planning process was lengthy and required transportation of custom-made goods across the country, but Herbst says that all feedback was superb. “It took a few months and it went very well - our service was excellent; we are used to operating under pressure.”

Exclusive Aluminium is a trusted supplier to property developers, construction firms, home builders, and the general public. While the company is strong in the residential space, they can also deliver projects in the hospitality, commercial, and industrial sectors. They recently completed a project for a lodge in Kruger Park, and are currently busy with significant townhouse developments, amongst others.

“We’ve worked with our clients for many years, and we’re focused on building our brand to become more visible to the public. We’re optimistic and looking forward to continued growth,” Herbst says of the company’s future plans.

Whether the project is complex and large-scale or bespoke and individual, Exclusive Aluminium can deliver on time, every time. To learn more about their products and services, call them today at 0765489990 or email pieter@exclusivealu.co.za.

with entertainment coordinators on the resort. It’s a kind of kids club, with treasure hunts and other activities, and the kids can compete against each other. We’ve had good feedback on that and we are looking to roll it out across more resorts. It all adds to the family experience that we look to create,” he says.

FAMILY TRAILBLAZERS

Just as the company is a family business, promoting a family culture; appealing to families – both domestic and international - is a significant underlying strategy. Taking holidaymakers away from the well-trodden path and into memory making resorts feeds in the Beekman Group vision of ‘making extraordinary holidays the standard’.

“We are striving to trailblaze in family holidays,” states Beekman. “We have resorts in holiday areas and not in the cities where most of the other big chains are based and want to use that to our advantage. We are rolling out software to improve guest experiences, as well as the kids app, and a Digital Butler – an in room tablet through which you can both call on or digitally order from the restaurant and book appointments in the spa. It eliminates the need for any type of phone system and gives a full breakdown of facilities

and specials on the resort. Our resorts are large, and taking a quick walk to reception is not always easy.”

Beekman resorts are rich in amenities and regularly receive investment to ensure best-in-class status. In August 2022, the San Martinho Beach Club was upgraded to a four-star luxury accommodation status by Mozambique’s Instituto Nacional do Turismo (INATUR) –highlighted for impeccable cleanliness, on the sunny white sandy beaches – a perfect escape for families.

The Beekman family is taking no breaks for the time being. As a beacon of possibility for the tourism industry, there remains much to do to ensure ‘brand South Africa’ is portrayed in the best possible light against a tough backdrop. In July 2022, Stanlib labelled the tourism industry as ‘a

major growth opportunity with the ability to add significant employment, given its high level of labour intensity’. The Beekman family believes in the industry and will continue to devote its expertise to ensure long-term prosperity for all stakeholders.

“It’s rewarding working with family, and while it does have its challenges there are certainly more rewards than drawbacks,” Beekman concludes.

In this resilient and potentialpacked sector, the Beekman Group is showing innovation and creativity, achieving growth, and delighting clients. With outcomes like this, further success is surely on the horizon.

// WE ARE STRIVING TO TRAILBLAZE IN FAMILY HOLIDAYS. WE HAVE RESORTS IN HOLIDAY AREAS AND NOT IN THE CITIES WHERE MOST OF THE OTHER BIG CHAINS ARE BASED AND WANT TO USE THAT TO OUR ADVANTAGE

SA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

Positive Future Prognosis After Pandemic Turmoil

In an environment full of challenges, against a backdrop of negativity, certainty and comfort have been difficult to come by, but they should be at the heart of a national healthcare system. South Africa’s Department of Health is doing all it can to rebound and revitalise following the Covid-19 pandemic and a range of other challenges. An ongoing successful vaccination programme combined with a focus on tech from a dedicated workforce is helping in the recovery.

PRODUCTION: James Davey

INDUSTRY FOCUS: HEALTHCARE

//Time have never been tougher for the National Department of Health. Following the Covid-19 pandemic, and re-emergence of the economy after some of the world’s strictest lockdowns, there is a hangover, with the virus still in circulation (South Africa faced the largest share of infections on the continent), vaccine issues, and a wave of new challenges hitting the front lines each month.

Against the backdrop of a stretched budget as the Department tries to push its rollout of the National Health Insurance, loadshedding plaguing all industries, and with economic conditions weak, when the country needs stability from somewhere, it should come from healthcare. South Africa’s Department of Health is

responsible for a plethora of health and medical care issues. Its reach covers all provinces and several public entities, statutory bodies, and various institutions. Represented in Government by Minister Joe Phaahla, the Department’s mission is ‘To improve health status through the prevention of illnesses and the promotion of healthy lifestyles and to consistently improve the healthcare delivery system by focusing on access, equity, efficiency, quality and sustainability’.

Foster Mohale, Spokesperson for the Department, tells Enterprise Africa more about driving progress through difficult conditions which are not conducive for growth and expansion.

“There is not enough money in the public health system to address all the needs while catching up with the

services and infrastructure backlogs (the collective public sector budget has been reduced year-on-year),” he begins.

“Staffing remains a challenge (and there are many facets to this) but without any increase in funds allocated for Conditions of Employment (COE), and no allowance for increasing posts in the sector, this is likely to be a continued challenge.

“The cost of private health care has rocketed and as a result many who insure themselves are downgrading packages of cover and increasing their vulnerability. This is a concern as those who cannot afford the Out-of-Pocket payments will move to the public sector which is already stretched.

“All health departments have heightened attention to pandemic preparedness and watch the effects

of climate change. This can add a burden to budgets,” he details.

However, there are a number of initiatives underway to bolster and improve the industry and the service provision, and the Department is keen on catching up with priorities that were pushed out during 2020, rebuilding capacity in the system, and remaining prepared for any future shocks.

“As always there are many programmatic goals. The key goals are stated in the Annual Performance Plan which will be tabled in

Parliament once it has been signed off. All of the goals have at least three-year targets,” says Mohale.

“This year, it is expected that the NHI Bill will be passed in Parliament so there is an increased effort to build the technical capacity to manage the Fund.

“There is renewed effort to improve hospital management in the public sector and capital works is focussing on sustainable electricity in the health facilities.

“Projects that lost impetus through Covid are being revived, such

as the Mine Worker Compensation, and pandemic preparedness is still centre-stage so revival of the National Public Health Institutes of South Africa (NAPHISA) is receiving attention,” he adds, describing just a few high-level strategies that are being driven right now.

VACCINATION PARTNERSHIP

Importantly, the vaccine rollout, in partnership with some of the world’s most important healthcare companies such as Abbott, was key in halting the pandemic and allowing for some return to normalcy. A public-private partnership was key here as the government embraced involvement from companies with global expertise.

“The Covid-19 vaccination programme was unique in that it was a mass campaign executed very

// THE COST OF PRIVATE HEALTH CARE HAS ROCKETED AND AS A RESULT MANY WHO INSURE THEMSELVES ARE DOWNGRADING PACKAGES OF COVER AND INCREASING THEIR VULNERABILITY //

Foster Mohale, Spokesperson

INDUSTRY FOCUS: HEALTHCARE

quickly across public and private sectors. There was a single digital record system – the Electronic Vaccination Data System (EVDS). This has been extremely positive and created capacity for additional improvements in data management going forward,” explains Mohale.

Everyone over the age of 12 can enrol, and the system allowed for digital verification of vaccination status. This progress remains vital as the fight against Covid is far from over – the virus is still a threat to many different groups of people, especially

in developing countries. And catch up to relieve backlogs on health systems remains a serious concern. All of this while South Africa faces a fresh outbreak of measles and cholera. For businesses and employees, ongoing care and knowledge around vaccination is vital, not just from a Covid-19 perspective, but a wider health concern.

“The routine vaccinations took a bit of a knock, so we are now experiencing a measles outbreak. We are increasing the responses to all vaccinations but with immediate focus on Covid and Measles,” says Mohale. “The Department

MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTICS: ALINITY

M HIGH RISK HPV

has reviewed the organisational support for vaccines and vaccination programmes and is moving them all to one centre of management. It is critical to keep vaccination coverage high so that there is sufficient immunity in the risk pool. Catch-ups are difficult and distract from other programmes so should be avoided.”

TIRELESS PATIENT CARE

Following the pandemic, hard work has been required to normalise the industry while remaining cautious and well-prepared for any further

In November 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) launched the Global Strategy to Accelerate the Elimination of Cervical Cancer, in which 194 countries committed in solidarity to this preventable cause.

The program highlighted 3 key pillars to eliminate cervical cancer:

1. Vaccinations 2. Screening 3. Treatment

To meet the following targets by 2030, committed countries on the path toward elimination will need to achieve the following:

90% of girls fully vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by age 15

70% of women screened using a high-performance test by age 35 and again by age 45

90% of women with pre-cancer treated and 90% of women with invasive cancer managed

RECOGNISING HPV DNA TESTING AND STRENGTHENING THE LINK BETWEEN TESTING AND TREATMENT

Access to HPV DNA testing onsite and at the point of care is crucial to eliminating cervical cancer in South Africa. WHO recommends HPV DNA testing as the first-choice screening method for cervical cancer prevention. 1 HPV DNA testing is the most effective screening method for all women living with human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV).2, 3 HPV DNA testing does not detect cancer; it detects high-risk HPV genotypes and enables cervical cancer risk stratification. Therefore, greater data-led advocacy work in co-ordination with The National Department of Health is crucial to achieving nationwide access to HPV DNA testing.

REFERENCES:

1. WHO, “WHO recommends DNA testing as a first-choice screening method for cervical cancer prevention,” WHO, 11 September09 2021 [Online] Available: https://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/noncommunicable-diseases/cancer/news/news/2021/9/who-recommends-dna-testing-as-a-first-choice-screeningmethod-for-cervical-cancer-prevention [Accessed 27 February 2022]

2. London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, “HPV-DNA testing most effective approach to detect cervical precancer among women living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa,” London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, 5 March 2021 [Online] Available: https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/newsevents/news/2021/hpvdna-testing-most-effective-approach-detect-cervical-precancer-among-women [Accessed February 2022]

3. A.Marc, M.Simon, E.Peeters, and et.al., “2020 list of human papillomavirus assays suitable for primary cervical cancer screening,” Clinical Microbiology and Infection, vol.27, no.8, pp.1083–1095, 2021

 Genot yping of HPV 16, HPV 18, HPV 45 as well as two HR HPV pools for enhanced risk-based stratification

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G et in touch with your local A bbott representative or email us: molecular-emea @abbott.com

For more information please visit our website https://ww w molecular abbott /int /en/products/infectious-disease/alinit y-mhr-hpv-assay

“The public health programmes did experience setbacks but there is evidence of recovery now that resources are redirected to the programmes,” says Mohale. “All programmes and the service delivery components in the health departments have ‘catch-up’ plans which are being implemented.

“Digital health capacity received a major step up during Covid and will enjoy more attention in 2023. There are low-hanging fruit from the

connectivity (linked to load-shedding).”

He adds that not all technology adds significant value, and each project much be reviewed and examined in detail to ensure its contribution.

“We have started to implement Health Technology Assessments so that there can be evidence-based decision-making,” Mohale confirms.

With this is mind, and considering the asset base boasted by the system, the South Africa Department of Health

work tirelessly to look after patients and who rise to every occasion which presents. This against an increasingly difficult environment where civil society has lost trust in leadership and the establishment,” concludes Mohale.

// WE ARE EXTREMELY PROUD OF THE MAJORITY OF HEALTHCARE WORKERS WHO WORK TIRELESSLY TO LOOK AFTER PATIENTS AND WHO RISE TO EVERY OCCASION WHICH PRESENTS //

ZUID-AFRIKAANS HOSPITAL

World-Class Care at Its Heart

Pretoria’s independent private hospital of choice, Zuid-Afrikaans Hospital (ZAH) is committed to providing superior patient-centred care while advancing towards world-class clinical innovation. From humble beginnings in 1904 as a six-bed nursing facility, to a facility today boasting 181 hospital beds, the hospital and its more than 430 employees offers state-of-theart equipment and theatres alongside exquisite nursing care.

ZAH has become renowned for the unique healing environment it offers, where patients have access to welcoming outdoor gardens and recreational facilities that are all designed to promote and prioritise health and wellbeing. Pragmatically, this is twinned with a far-reaching reputation for the state-of-the-art equipment it deploys and cuttingedge theatres, all wrapped up with the very best in nursing care and top-

class doctors providing expert care, actively involved with their patients.

A holistic setting boasts outdoor gardens and verandas to offer the additional restorative benefit of being able to sit outside, rest, and recuperate amid beautiful surroundings. Biokinetic rehabilitation facilities are offered at the hospital, while staff from therapeutic fields provide guidance for prevention, rehabilitation, pre- and post-operative care.

The overarching mission of this

private, independent, and non-profit hospital is to maintain a caring and healing hospital culture, and sustain a tranquil environment that promotes all-round patient recovery.

SUPERIOR SERVICE

“Our specialist doctors and staff strive to offer specialist service of superior quality, whilst advancing toward world class clinical innovation,” relays ZAH of this tireless bid for the best. “Although the building façade of the hospital has

PRODUCTION: Chris Bolderstone

INDUSTRY FOCUS: HEALTHCARE

changed, the service and very high standards that generations of families grew to know and trust can still be found at Zuid-Afrikaans Hospital.

“It remains a specialist hospital of choice for our patients and specialists that offers the highest level of patient-centred care.”

Coming up to 120 years at the beating heart of Muckleneuk in Berea Street, the birth of one of the oldest private hospitals in South Africa in fact came about as a direct result of the bloodiest war ever fought on South African soil, namely the Anglo-Boer War between 1899 and 1902. In 1904, the ZAH’s doors opened on the site where it still stands today, as a facility with a six-bed capacity boasting an operating theatre and X-ray facilities. Ward A was built in 1951, giving the hospital a capacity of 53

beds, in the same year that the Bronberg Pharmacy was added, X-ray facilities extended and three extra surgical theatres constructed.

Over the next 35 years a children’s ward was adjoined and the facility’s kitchen was extended. More beds were added to Ward A, and Ward C joined it, as well as two further operating theatres. One of the first crèches at a South African hospital was then started for the children of hospital staff and an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) arrived. The hospital then ramped up even further these improvements to commemorate its 100th operating year by unveiling an entire new wing, containing a brand-new entrance, pharmacy, Cardiovascular Unit and 18 ICU beds.

More recently, the hospital has cut the ribbon on state-of-the-art

QUALITY OF

new Paediatric and Multi-ICU units, and completed and commissioned a replacement, upgraded Biplane Cathlab. “We look forward to serving our patients with cutting-edge technology,” ZAH enthused at the time, of this fully integrated Electro Physiology Laboratory (EP Lab) which includes a new 3D mapping system to create a multidimensional image of the heart’s anatomy. No stone is left unturned, no detail overlooked in refining and uplifting this already foremost, forward-thinking of facilities, right down to the upgrading of the main parking area in order to improve the ease of entering and exiting via a one-way flow. The newest, and arguably most visible and prominent, developments came to the hospital’s physical capacity, as it stands today proudly able to accommodate some 181 patients in a first-class facility; 42 of these new beds followed a rather extraordinary allocation on the part of the Department of Health, which regulates the total number of beds that can be offered.

CARING HEART

When it comes to hospital choice, of course, everything hangs on the quality of care and the overall healing culture on show, and here there is a wealth of key services and procedures which the hospital’s array of expert practitioners are on hand to deliver.

// WE REMAIN A SPECIALIST HOSPITAL OF CHOICE FOR OUR PATIENTS AND SPECIALISTS THAT OFFERS THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF PATIENTCENTRED CARE //

// OUR SPECIALIST DOCTORS AND STAFF STRIVE TO OFFER PATIENT-CENTRED CARE OF SUPERIOR QUALITY, WHILST ADVANCING TOWARD WORLD CLASS CLINICAL INNOVATION //

Core disciplines range from cardiology and cardiothoracic and orthopaedic through to plastic and reconstructive surgeries and ear nose and throat (ENT) surgery, alongside paediatric services, and internal medicine.

There is one area where ZAH is especially eminent, though. “The hospital is renowned for its cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery to our well-respected patients,” it explains. “Our cardiologists have interests in diverse aspects of cardiology, and highly-skilled surgeons serve patients with conditions related to the heart and lungs.” It is estimated that around 11,000 South African children are born with a heart defect each year, with congenital heart disease the most common type of birth defect.

Approximately 4,500 of this number require life-saving surgical intervention, and through prompt and proper treatment, the prognosis for most of these children is outstanding, with at least 85% of them expected to survive to adulthood. Survival is, however, entirely dependent on a timely diagnosis and urgent medical intervention.

“We have so many children with heart problems, and who need our help,” was the response of Professor Lindy Mitchell, cardiologist at ZAH who in February came together with medical technology firm Vertice and Operation Healing Hands, a medical welfare organisation, to

help several children access lifesaving procedures as part of a special project to mark the end of Congenital Heart Disease Awareness Week.

With all medical personnel offering their services for free, ZAH sponsored theatre time and hospital facilities, while Vertice funded the closure devices. The aim is to hit a total of 20 children helped in this way over the course of 2023, in a bid to begin to change the fate of those suffering for the hereditary heart condition reliant upon the capacity and availability within government hospitals. “The state can only help up to a point, and there is such a long waiting list of children who need this heart surgery,” Professor Mitchell told Maroela Media.

“We have been working with Vertice for years to make this

dream of helping come true.”

Well over a century since its establishment and with ZAH today closing in on 200 bed, boasting modern theatres and technologicallyadvanced equipment to underpin its care with patients’ needs firmly at its core, there is little doubt that this will remain the hospital of choice for several centuries to come. “The hospital has received the Discovery Top 20 Private Hospitals award for several consecutive years,” ZAH closes, “and we constantly strive to remain one of the top 20 hospitals of South Africa. A journey to healing begins the moment that patients choose Zuid-Afrikaans Hospital.”

CLIMATE NEUTRAL GROUP

AgriCarbon to Grow Ambition in Genuine Climate Change Projects

PRODUCTION: Eleanor Sarbutt-King

Climate Neutral Group (CNG), a global carbon advisory business, has launched a pioneering programme in South Africa – AgriCarbon – to help farmers protect valuable topsoil while improving yields and building their environmental credentials. At the same time, local carbon credits will be developed for sale in local and international markets. Director for South Africa, Franz Rentel, tells Enterprise Africa more about the fantastic work underway and how it will help to solve the big problems of our time.

//There is both a problem and opportunity across the agricultural heartlands of the world, where our food is grown and our emissions can be absorbed. The problem – the soil is quickly becoming inept and unproductive, and the amount of carbon being locked away is low. The opportunity – modern farming methods and new technologies can improve soil which leads to better growing conditions, improved yields, and importantly, increased sequestration of CO2.

Regenerative agriculture is a muchneeded nature-based solution that can play a vital role in addressing the global climate crisis and agriculture’s climate change vulnerability. But it is not easy. In South Africa - an agricultural powerhouse - farming practices have been developed over generations, and over-ploughing, heavy use of fertiliser and pesticide, and intensive production methods have left topsoil in a sorry state.

According to the WWF, 50% of the world’s topsoil has been destroyed in

the past 150 years because of poor management. 95% of the world’s food comes from the uppermost layer of soil, and without strong and healthy topsoil we lose the ability to filter water and provide people with a vitamin-full diet. Topsoil must be rich in organic matter to perform the key functions that humans rely on. But it is disappearing faster than it is being redeveloped. And investments in improvement can often take years to show any result.

Protecting soil is key in the fight against climate change and

Franz Rentel, Director

INDUSTRY FOCUS: ENVIRONMENTAL

regenerative agriculture will be a catalyst for real change.

To achieve sustainable change, farmers and the agricultural industry need more than hope and goodwill. Big money is required, and a structure to see projects implemented must be facilitated.

One part of the solution comes in the form of carbon credits – funding mechanisms that corporates, and individuals, can purchase to help offset their emissions, providing funding for certified activities that support community development, protect ecosystems or install efficient technology to reduce or remove emissions from the atmosphere.

In South Africa, a leader in the carbon credit and carbon tax space is Climate Neutral Group, an international organisation headed locally by Country Director, Franz Rentel.

He tells Enterprise Africa about the

company’s AgriCarbon™ programme, a unique and innovative system designed to help generate carbon credits in South Africa through encouragement of improvement in farming practices while locking carbon away into the soil.

“In October 2019, Verra - the world’s largest carbon credit issuing body, released a new carbon credit methodology specifically for agriculture,” he says of the global standards organisation for climate action and sustainable development. “It was unique as it combined rotational grazing, cover cropping, no-till agriculture, and a range of regenerative agricultural practices all in one methodology. That was a catalyst for us, and in March 2020 we launched AgriCarbon which is our flagship carbon farming programme. It is the first in SA and one of the first globally that will issue carbon credits soon.”

A complicated process sees

Climate Neutral Group glean data from farmers, capture and process that data correctly, run it through modelling tools, take soil samples from every field that is enrolled, engage with farmers about process, and a range of other activities. The purpose of the project is to create carbon credits locally through strict criteria. In the initial phase of the project, CNG partnered with agricultural sustainability organisations, Trace & Save and Intelact. This phase saw around 39 dairy farmers across the Eastern Cape and KZN, covering approximately 20,000 hectares and which, under Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) methodology, has resulted in significant yields of around three tons of carbon per hectare, per year.

“That is a very good result from these farmers and we see huge potential around transforming the agricultural sector globally to make it

AgriCarbon Audit

more sustainable so that we can feed more people. We need healthy soil – it has been mismanaged for decades, all over the world,” says Rentel.

Climate Neural Group is expecting to issue the first payment to participating farmers in the middle of 2023 while opening up the third round of intake for new growers to join AgriCarbon.

“We are already looking to make changes in the South African agricultural space and we have already enrolled around 180,000 hectares in the past two years. The next sign-up window opens in June and we want to sign up a lot more farmers. We will soon have paid the farmers who signed up last year their money from the sale of the carbon credits, so that should attract more to sign up,” Rentel says, adding that the average pay out across the first

tranche is R1 million per farmer – a significant figure which can go a long way on South African farms, including buffering against loadshedding.

“The better you have farmed, and the better your soil, the more carbon you will absorb and

the bigger pay out you get.”

The credits generated in the initial phase of AgriCarbon have been sold to a soon-to-be-named multi-national company. This buyer has purchased these removal carbon credits to support their global

INDUSTRY FOCUS: ENVIRONMENTAL

decarbonisation strategy. Rentel was happy, as this organisation has deep roots in South Africa with diversified operations around the country.

GLOBALLY RELEVANT

Climate Neutral Group is headquartered in the Netherlands, focussing on carbon advisory and carbon offsetting. Founded in 2002, growing into SA in 2012, the company’s mission is to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy by helping companies measure, reduce, and offset their carbon footprint. Climate Neutral Group works with a diverse range of customers, from small businesses to multinational corporations, to develop and implement customised climate strategies that align with various goals and values.

The company also provides training and education to help businesses and individuals understand the impact of their activities on the

climate and identify opportunities for reducing their carbon footprint. Additionally, partnerships have been built with local organisations and communities in South Africa to support sustainable carbon offset projects that have positive environmental and social impacts.

50 people in the Netherlands, and 20 people in SA have produced fantastic results for Climate Neutral Group and the company was acquired in 2022 by the UK-based Anthesis Group. For Rentel, this is a positive for the future with Climate Neutral Group offerings complemented by a larger global operation.

“They acquired because they wanted to expand their footprint in Benelux and Africa, and they didn’t have any offerings in the carbon credit advisory space. They also did not do carbon credit development. As CNG, we have a carbon credit certification scheme where we can add a logo to products that are carbon neutral. They wanted this capability and it made complete sense to join forces,” says Rentel. A global shortage of carbon credits is helping the South African arm of the business to grow quickly as the country is home to so much potential. Rentel, a Namibian/South

// THE MARKET OPPORTUNITY IN SOUTH AFRICA IS SO HUGE AS THERE IS SUCH A HIGH DEMAND FOR CARBON CREDITS. THE WHOLE MARKET ALONE SITS AT AROUND EIGHT MILLION. THE SUPPLY IS ONLY A FEW HUNDRED THOUSAND, IF THAT //

Carbon Farming, Soil Conservation & New Technologies Conference 2022

African native, returned to the country from the Netherlands in 2012 to help CNG realise the significant opportunities he knew were available.

“In 2019, we were able to sell our whole portfolio of carbon offsets to some of the big emitters, for use under the South African Carbon Tax. Through our extensive global network, we managed to source more credits so that we could satisfy the demands of our clients up until end of 2022. However, currently we have sold out all our stock and unfortunately there are very few South African carbon offsets left on the market. That is why we have had to throw ourselves into finding new projects that can be developed and we can get carbon credits from,” he explains.

At the end of December 2022, only around 6% of the world’s biggest

businesses said they would decarbonise without using offset projects, according to Net Zero Tracker. This demonstrates the need for responsible, sustainable project development globally, and this is where CNG can thrive.

“The market opportunity in South Africa is so huge as there is such a high demand for carbon credits. Sasol alone need five million tons of carbon credits per year. The whole market sits at around eight million tons per year. The supply is only a few hundred thousand tons per year, if that. The result is that the carbon credits will trade for five to 10% under the applicable carbon tax rate. If you are developing a project locally, it’s a great market to be in as someone will always buy your credits. You also know where the price will sit and there are no surprises there. You also have a

Scaling sustainable agricultural carbon credits.

Protecting our soil is critical to solving the climate crisis and agriculture plays a vital part. AgriCarbon TM is South Africa’s leading carbon farming programme offering verified, high-quality removal carbon credits at scale, while supporting farmers on their sustainable land management journey.

relatively good line of sight over where prices are developing. The playing field is good for local projects,” details Rentel.

“The problem is finding projects locally that could qualify,” he adds, reminding of the strict criteria that projects have to meet as part of the South African carbon tax scheme as well as Verra methodologies.

DIVERSIFIED OPERATIONS

With AgriCarbon the immediate focus, Rentel and CNG are busy as clients demand more credits. But, as further integration with the Anthesis Group is achieved, more services will become available locally, and the company will be able to provider a wider sustainability portfolio as more and more clients look for guidance.

The main driver is the commitments made in the 2015

INDUSTRY FOCUS: ENVIRONMENTAL

Paris Agreement as well as consumer demand switching to brands and businesses that can back up their climate change promises with real action.

“Right now, we have been fully focused on carbon credit development and we are selling these credits to big corporates locally and globally. Our team in the Netherlands can look at operations in the supply chain for big companies and help to reduce emissions, that is not the core focus in SA. We are looking at getting more into consultancy in the near future – not just carbon and carbon tax, but broader sustainability advisory. Most of the work we are doing is finding the projects that could qualify for carbon credits and we do the all the paperwork and calculations

and get it through the audit and managing all of that,” explains Rentel.

An attractive proposition for clients and potential clients, as well as participants, as CNG takes care of all the costs. “Typically, if you’re looking at something like a biogas plant, we take care of the carbon and the project owner takes care of the engineering and development. In agriculture, we have to be a lot more involved. We have to advise on farming practices and increasing carbon yield and much more. That is why it is essential that we work with service providers in the agricultural sector who know farming and know farmers,” Rentel adds, stating that there are large opportunities in South Africa across industries including waste-to-energy, low carbon transport, and renewable energy.

“The whole greening of the transport sector – that is a major opportunity for developing carbon credits.”

AFRICAN EXPANSION

Longer-term, continental coverage is an important goal for CNG. The African market is home to significant growth potential from a business perspective but also with carbon credit development.

“Africa has been neglected on the global carbon markets for some time,” highlights Rentel, “and there is a big opportunity to develop and gain African carbon credits, and that is a space we want to be active in.

“Internationally, there are more companies active in our space, and that is good. We would certainly like to see ourselves as a leading

Dr. Stephano Haarhoff, Agronomist - AgriCarbon

supplier in the space, from South Africa and in Africa,” he declares.

Removal projects, where carbon is actively taken out of the atmosphere – like AgriCarbon and other naturebased projects such as forestry and blue carbon – are brilliant in nature and, crucially, the carbon credits sell for high prices internationally. Africa is a wide-open market for this type of development - South Africa alone is home to around 95 million hectares of agricultural land.

“It is very much worth it when you see the impact that is created by these projects and how it impacts the farmers. We will definitely continue to scale AgriCarbon further into Africa focusing initially on commercial farmers and gradually branching out into the smallholder farming sector. Sub-Saharan Africa alone is home to 38 million small scale farmers.” ensures Rentel.

“Our vision is to have one million hectares signed up by the end of 2025. That would equal around two

million cumulative tonnes of carbon. And that also means we would be getting closer towards R250 million annual revenue as a SA operation, and that is significant,” he furthers.

“The longer-term trend is very strong. Overall, the market is growing strongly as companies look to meet the Paris targets. Carbon credits will be a necessary tool to help in that. They cannot be the only tool, but as part of a mix, they are a very valuable tool.”

CNG is becoming an important player in the South African market, and its influence will grow further as carbon credits and carbon tax becomes more widespread and compliance becomes more intense. Thankfully, CNG has more than two decades of experience behind it, making it the perfect partner for growth and development in this complicated and challenging industry. Recognised as a problem solver and opportunity taker, CNG is now a quickly growing business.

“McKinsey estimates that demand

for carbon credits could increase by a factor of 15 or more by 2030, and by a factor of up to 100 by 2050. Overall, the market for carbon credits could be worth upward of $50 billion in 2030. Our vision is to be one of the leading providers of nature-based carbon credits globally with a big focus on Africa,” concludes Rentel.

And AgriCarbon will play a big part in not only CNG’s growth but also the advancement of soil improvement. Some estimates suggest that the world’s remaining topsoil will be completely depleted in 60 years – meaning just 60 more harvests – unless changes are made. Encouraging and rewarding those changes is CNG’s longstanding goal.

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Witness Netshitumbu - Carbon Project Developer

BUILD IT

Quality Materials Ensure That No Place Is Like Home

PRODUCTION: Eleanor Sarbutt-King

The Build it Group’s phenomenal growth is founded on an exemplary low-price, high-quality model, which has taken it across Southern Africa within a footprint now exceeding 400 stores. Quality products and community involvement are the order of the day, details National Marketing Manager Chris Quayle, as Build it looks to cement even further the successes and expansions of recent years.

Chris Quayle, National Marketing Manager

INDUSTRY FOCUS: CONSTRUCTION

//Supplying quality building materials and supremely serving communities has been Build it’s purpose for more than 35 years. Born of humble beginnings, the Group has enjoyed an explosion of growth in this time to now preside over 404 stores across Southern Africa. Now representing a vital division of the SPAR Group SA, Build it operates on a voluntary trading model of over 10 000 employees across a chain of individually owned stores throughout South Africa, Namibia, Swaziland, Lesotho and Mozambique.

“Under this model, each of our members’ stores is their own legal entity and business,” explains Chris Quayle, National Marketing Manager, “and we as an organisation look after the brand and arrange the channel to market.” Retail members sign up with Build it to furnish an exhaustive suite of building materials, from cement, structural timber and roofing material to concrete and anything else used in house-building, all the way through

to finishings, plumbing, electrical goods and decorative products.

“For us at Build it, it’s become about more than just making home building simple,” Quayle states, outlining the ‘mission possible’ of this formidable group of retailers. “Our sales for the period until September were in the region of R17.5 billion, which in itself would make us the number one retailer of building materials in the country.”

DREAMS INTO PLANS

“For us at Build it, it’s become about more than just making home building simple. We set out to turn ‘no’ into ‘yes’ and ‘can’t’ into ‘can’, and our customers’ dreams into plans,” Quayle underlines.

“That is why we have adopted a spirit of positivity, a can-do attitude, a powerful essence and a culture that we live by. So, when customers ask if we can provide the best service, a great range and excellent advice, our answer is always and without doubt: yes we can.”

“For Build it, it is about giving all of our customers hope, always making

a plan for them and making things possible, but most of all, it’s about providing them with positive direction and taking the stress out of the building process so they can enjoy it for the wonderful experience that it is.”

As an essential retailer, Quayle goes on to delineate, Build it’s performance during the very worst of the pandemic far exceeded its predictions. “After the full lockdown we were fortunate to be among the first industries allowed to reopen,” he recalls. “We were expecting a slow ramp-up, budgeting for maybe 35% of our usual budget, then 50%, and so on - we were very wrong. We were hitting between 120%-150% of our budget every month thereafter throughout 2020, and into 2021.

“This was not true only for us; there was a massive boom in the building materials sector, with people spending so much more time in their houses and identifying things which needed to be done, coinciding with an increase in disposable income with so much else restricted. For us, though, it translated

to record sales month-on-month nothing up big, big numbers, and while the bubble burst slightly after the end of 2021 we have managed to maintain levels comparable to those that we had prior to the advent of Covid.

“At the end of our 2022 financial year we showed a retail growth of around 3.5%, which we see as an admirable performance in the context of a market that was generally in decline by something like 8%-10%, effectively meaning that we had succeeded in holding onto the market share we gained through the pandemic period.” For Build it, the biggest concern is each of its individual retailers, not being propped up by a large cashflow making the profitability of each store of primordial importance.

CHANGING TACK

“If there is something of a slide backwards into negative growth for some,” qualifies Quayle, “although this does present a concern, when we wind back the clock to 2019 and look at a

standard inflationary growth curve we would still be ahead of that in every store. Human nature is to adapt to the current challenge and many of the stores have done this, increasing their stockholdings to cater to the bigger volumes that were requisite; now, they are having to readjust and change tack on their approach to market in line with the slightly reduced demand.

“It is still highly feasible for all of these stores to remain in positive territory with regards profitability, and this is now our main focus while gaining as much market share as we can.”

Plans are in place for another 12 to 15 stores to be opened this year across the country, as Build it looks to expand its footprint while retaining full focus on its core business. “This

INDUSTRY FOCUS: CONSTRUCTION

will likely be a tough year, with people reluctant to spend,” Quayle admits, “but we will batten down the hatches and make it through. We need to ensure that we are operating lean and mean: cutting overheads, ensuring that we are keeping expenses to a minimum and while a slide in top-line sales and turnover might be inevitable, there is no reason for it to drag profitability down with it.

“It gives us a great opportunity to make sure that we are running a more efficient business overall, and that our stores are increasing their own efficiencies in turn. Riding the wave is the name of the game; both the building materials and construction sectors are extremely cyclical by nature, which entails veritable peaks and troughs. It is all about how

one balances them out, toughing out the low periods and capitalising on the highs while constantly investing back into the business.”

SUPREME QUALITY

Build it’s core values of family, entrepreneurship and passion bleed through everything it does, and are evinced perhaps most explicitly in its giving back to the communities that have supported it ever since its inception. “We do this through initiatives such as our ongoing sponsorship of Under 13 soccer development in Southern Africa,” Quayle reveals. “The youth are our future and by nurturing a healthy lifestyle through sport, we are building a better future for us all. Our contributions to community projects such as school and home renovations

are also a massive priority for the group.”

On a more localised, microcosmic scale it is an ethos which also ensures that Build it provides only the best, at all times, to its valued clients.

“In developing markets like South Africa,” says Quayle, “where many of the customers that we serve have limited resources and funds, we come under major threat from fly-by-night retailers selling substandard materials. This makes quality a big pillar for us. We want to make sure that if our customers materials from a Build it store, they can rest assured that these have passed quality standards and are not going to fail at the first test.

“Customers are cash-strapped, and the tragedy is that they are having to do the job twice, or three times; we are steadfast in adhering to and

not dropping strict standards and encourage our stores at every turn to stick to a quality offering. Price and quality go hand in hand; as soon as the pressure is applied to lower the price, so the quality is eroded.

“If I could wave a magic wand, it would be to enforce far stricter regulations in the building sector, especially in the informal market, where people are building houses under the impression that they are using proper materials, erroneously. It is a big factor for us to encourage our stores to stick to quality, especially when it comes to bigger products like cement, lintel and reinforcing steel - the things put into the infrastructure of the house which simply cannot be allowed to fail, but which, if of inferior quality, very much can.

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“We are intent on supplying quality products in a market which is very price-sensitive, where quality is disappearing at every turn,” Quayle reiterates. “in a lot of instances, our competitors may seem a more costeffective option, but when quality drops the only losers are the end users. What we want to maintain in our Group is top-quality materials at an affordable price, while playing an integral role in the communities that we serve.”

SHOPRITE GROUP

A Future-Fit Force for Good

For the Shoprite Group, South Africa’s largest retailer by all of market capitalisation, sales, profit, and number of employees and customers, key decisions taken some years ago are now bearing significant fruit. The Group is operationally, structurally, and financially much stronger today, with nine strategic drivers providing a robust framework for growth and assuring the future fitness of the business.

PRODUCTION: Eleanor Sarbutt-King

//Since the opening of its first stores in 1979, Shoprite Holdings has maintained the same bold vision for the future, which has enabled it to become the dominant food retailer today in South Africa and further afield, into nine other African countries. “Over the past 40 years,” Shoprite underlines, “we’ve proved our resilience and value by creating brand trust, recognition and goodwill in the countries where we operate.

“With more than 3,152 stores across Africa and over 152,000 employees, we will strive to seize new opportunities for growth in the years to come.”

Shoprite pinpoints an unmatched ability to leverage an invaluable leadership position in South African food retail, alongside heavy investment into digital transformation initiatives,

as having been pivotal to unlocking additional ecosystem opportunities to date to keep the business fully future-fit. “We believe that by remaining focused on optimising our business in its core South African market and investing in ecosystem adjacencies that are of value to our customers,” Shoprite then furthers, “we will unlock significant opportunities to grow our business and carve out complementary revenue opportunities in the future.”

PIVOTAL PILLARS

Underpinned by nine strategic drivers that furnish Shoprite with its framework for growth, while ensuring the business remains relevant within its existing operating context and from a best-inclass global retail perspective, are three strategic pillars: A Smarter Shoprite,

Closing the gap in key segments and Winning in the long term. The first entails smarter decisions, fewer mistakes and being truly optimised for customers, with future-fit channels

// TECHNOLOGY WILL AMPLIFY OUR ABILITY TO CONTINUE PROVIDING OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE AND OUTSTANDING CUSTOMER EXPERIENCES //

Black Friday at Petshop Science includes savings of up to 50% both in-store and online

enabling precision retailing.

“We then focus on closing the opportunity gaps in areas where we have headroom for revenue growth,” Shoprite unpacks, “with trusted, profitable private labels, by growing our share in premium and fresh food and building a stronger franchise offering. In the long term, technology will amplify our ability to continue providing operational excellence and outstanding customer experiences.” In doing so, Shoprite aims additionally to unlock alternative revenue, source future-fit talent and leverage a considerable platform advantage.

“Customer-centric decisionmaking is driving our leadership in retail,” Shoprite delineates in more detail. “It keeps us focused on what our customers want in our

core business activities. Customer data powers decision-making at all levels of the organisation and drives continuous improvement. Customer insight is improving our business processes and helping our supplier partners improve our products and services to benefit our customers more rapidly than ever before.”

To close those all-important opportunity gaps, Shoprite will continue to make use of its sheer scale and size to afford access to trusted, profitable private labels. “Our scale allows us to build a meaningful private-label brand portfolio and supply chain,” it clarifies. “We develop and distribute products more efficiently, offering unrivalled choice and affordability, creating win-win partnerships with suppliers.

“We have established leadership

positions in both our value and premium tier private-label brands, while our franchise brands offer entrepreneurs in South Africa and neighbouring countries access to a franchise proposition, which leverages the Group’s buying power and supply chain capabilities.”

To secure continued victories and success over many more years to come, a platform of just short of 25 million engaged customers in South Africa, combined with investment in digital commerce presents huge opportunity to unlock alternative revenue in the digital and services space. “Customer data powers the design of products that customers love and allows us to make better, more affordable options available to customers through new adjacent verticals.

// OUR MULTI-YEAR STRATEGIC TRANSFORMATION JOURNEY HAS DELIVERED 40 MONTHS OF CONSECUTIVE MARKET SHARE GAINS //

“Emerging retail technology trends and rapidly changing consumer expectations require talent that is skilled in new digital technologies,” Shoprite identifies. “Experienced data and technology talent is in high demand and we have made great inroads into new and agile ways of working to ensure we achieve fit-for-the-times outcomes.

“Our retail teams are at the centre of a changing in-store customer environment and are equipped for the demands of new retail.”

TRANSFORMATION JOURNEY

The upshot of this multi-year strategic transformation journey has been

results and performances which, without exception, serve to set the Group apart from the crowd. In the 2022 Deloitte Global Powers of Retailing survey, Shoprite Holdings was listed as the largest retailer in the Africa and Middle East region, while rising seven places to the 100th position in the global rankings. Sales followed suit for the 52 weeks to July 2022, increasing by 9.6% to R184.1 billion producing a gross profit of R45.1 billion.

There has been significant progress against aspects of the Shoprite strategy, too. It has achieved a 75% share of the grocery delivery market since launching from eight stores in November 2019.

1,285 new products were launched in

2022 across the full range of its private labels compared to 717 in the year preceding, while it inaugurated both Petshop Science and Little Me, ended the year with 22 stores and one store at year end respectively, and a further at year end, 19 and 10 planned for 2023.

“Our multi-year strategic transformation journey has delivered 40 months of consecutive market share gains while closing gaps we had identified in key segments,” outlined Pieter Engelbrecht, Shoprite CEO. “The initiatives underpinning our commitment to unlock alternative revenue streams are beginning to reflect positively on our returns and profitability.”

2022 was probably the most challenging year Shoprite has ever faced from an external environment perspective; only customary expert planning, exceptional teamwork and seamless execution on all fronts enabled it to achieve its primary objective

Checkers Sixty60 launches new delivery guarantee – an SA retail first

THE SOUTH AFRICAN BREWERIES SEES VALUES IN PARTNERING WITH ITS KEY ACCOUNTS

In 2022, the South African Breweries(SAB) recently repositioned its corporate brand with a brand-new logo and a purpose that aims to get South Africans to see beer differently by ‘dreaming big to create a future with more cheers’.

Leading the charge towards this new ‘future with more cheers’ is SAB CEO Richard Rivett-Carnac who said, “our big dream is to contribute meaningfully to the growth of the South African economy, creating jobs and building thriving communities”.

Part of this strategy is working closely with its Key Accounts such as Shoprite to ensure that, not only does SAB grows responsibly, but that its key accounts also grow.

In October 2022, SAB hosted a number of Key Account partners at their Head Quarters in Bryanston as part of its efforts to work more collaboratively and to find mutual growth opportunities.

“As markets mature, we naturally see that shoppers move towards key accounts. Shoppers are looking for outstanding shopping experiences- which means great store layouts, nice stores to shop in, stores that have great price as well”, said Rivett-Carnac.

Rivett-Carnac who has been a CEO for more than a year has a dream to not only make SAB grow responsibly, but to ensure that there’s scale and efficiencies that are realized from the growth. “In growing SAB, we grow the country as well as the economy and the role that both SAB and the Key Accounts plays in that cannot be underestimated. “My dream is to ensure that we can supply our customers with the stock that they need, and as such we will continue to work tirelessly to increase production and increase the efficiency of our business, so that we can meet all of our customer and consumer needs”.

SAB’s intention is to ensure that the business grows with its key account partners. Rivett-Carnac concludes :Our vision is to have a triple win- its important for shoppers to win- to have a great shopping experience and to derive value while they shop. We also want our key retailers to win- so that their businesses can grow. It’s ultimately important for SAB to win.

of bringing customers food at the best prices possible while extending its position as market leaders.

We are now positioned to amplify our platform advantage with unrivalled customer scale, store footprint and data,” Englebrecht assessed. “We continue to work on creating a Smarter Shoprite and using our leadership position as a ‘force for good’. We are further embracing digital opportunities and enhancing our operational capabilities. While we believe we can

still achieve organic growth in our core markets, we will continue to close the gap in the growth segments in which we are under- represented.

“We are first and foremost authentically customer-centric, guided by low prices and range in Shoprite, which dovetails with Usave to offer our core mid-to-lower segment customers value and accessibility, and choice, extended fresh offer and value in Checkers. Coupled with this is our desire to improve our customers’ experience

across all our brands and, in this regard, our strategic road map is completely aligned with our purpose: to uplift lives every day by pioneering access to the most affordable goods and services, creating economic opportunity, and protecting our planet.”

COLCOM

80-Year-Old Colcom Looking Forward to Bright Future

PRODUCTION: James Davey

Colcom has developed a strong blueprint for operating a quality-focused food production business in a challenging economic climate. As Zimbabwe’s leading producer of pork products, this important organisation continues to grow organically and sustainably. CEO Dino Tumazos tells Enterprise Africa more about ambitious growth plans.

INDUSTRY FOCUS: AGRICULTURE

//In Zimbabwe, major economic threats (or opportunities) are creating unique and open spaces for private sector success. Traditionally an agricultural nation – once labelled the ‘breadbasket of Africa’ –Zimbabwe has struggled with economic challenges for many years, but beyond the headlines, in the country’s busy business community, there is much happening as companies work hard to meet strong demand for products and services from a growing local market.

According to the World Bank, Zimbabwe is home to excellent human capital, comparable to that of upper-middle-income economies in Sub-Saharan Africa and abundant mineral and natural resources that, if well managed, can support the country’s development objectives.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN further highlights the country’s immense natural-agri resources where 33.5

of 39 million hectares are used for agricultural purposes and where approximately 70% of workers are employed in agriculture. As a percentage of GDP, agriculture represents more than 8% of Zimbabwe’s offering, and there are many that would like to see this grow to become prominent once again.

Dino Tumazos, CEO at Colcom – a leading producer of fresh and processed meat products – is under no illusions about the challenge of building a more resilient agricultural sector, but he is optimistic thanks to eight decades of brand history and a deep understanding of the local market.

Enterprise Africa asked the CEO to explain about the importance of Colcom’s position in Zimbabwe in the year of its 80th anniversary.

“Colcom is a division of Innscor Africa Limited,” he begins. “The Colcom division has two major operations; Triple C Pigs and Colcom Foods. Triple C, the sole supplier of

pigs to Colcom Foods, employs 660 staff and produces an average of 2,500 pigs a week from five farms situated with a 100km radius of Harare. Colcom Foods is situated in the Workington light industrial area of Harare and comprises the abattoir, processing facility, distribution operations, our flagship Colcom Shop and administrative functions.

“This operation is fuelled by 790 staff and is complemented by a 650ton capacity cold store in Ruwa as

// DURING PERIODS OF RELATIVE STABILITY, DEMAND FOR PRODUCT IS INSATIABLE. WHEN IT TURNS, DEMAND SEEMS TO SIMPLY DISSOLVE //

well as a retail outlet and Distribution Centre in the eastern border town of Mutare. For the FY ending June 2022, Colcom posted revenue figures of $56.7 million, coming largely from the company’s key categories: Fresh pork (45%), ready-to-eat Colcom pies (16%), smoked and cooked sausages (11%), polonies (15%), bacon and ham, frozen uncooked sausages and cooked meats making up the remainder.

“Our pig production represents 58% of the pigs slaughtered through government approved abattoirs each week. We sell approximately 50% of the pigs we receive into the market directly as carcasses,” says Tumazos, adding that the company boasts 65% of the carcass market and 80% of the market in remaining categories.

EXTRAORDINARY PLACE

Despite the strength of Colcom’s infrastructure, the company is still exposed to the unpredictable nature of Zimbabwe itself. After

Export Quality Approved Pork Primal Cuts

INDUSTRY FOCUS: AGRICULTURE

is overseen without the worry of relying on external players. If more can follow the Colcom example then growth of the industry as well as growth of the country’s wider agriculture space can be reignited.

“Despite its mineral wealth, Zimbabwe has always been an agriculture-based economy,” reminds Tumazos. “The failure of agriculture over the past 20 years (reasons for which are well-documented) has contributed immensely to the slow growth of the economy. To an extent, that trend has started to reverse over the past couple of years with more of the key raw materials for animal feed, on which we are heavily reliant, being produced locally.”

TRUSTED BRAND

overcoming the Covid-19 pandemic with no major shutdown or decline, the company remains cautiously hopeful about the immediate future. An experienced team, and a strong local workforce provides a robust base for growth.

“Zimbabwe is an extraordinary place,” highlights Tumazos. “Economic conditions are volatile at best. During periods

of relative stability, demand for product is insatiable. When it turns, demand seems to simply dissolve. Management remains agile to respond to either condition in the most practical way. It’s far from ideal but it is how we have learned to operate.

“Based on current per capita consumption, we see huge opportunity for local growth,” he adds, highlighting encouraging trends in the pork industry, known for high levels of protein, iron, and a range of vitamins. “Our strategy starts with producing the pigs. It is capital-intensive but the only way we see to grow the market is to grow the pigs. As pig production is all in-house, reliability and consistency are managed internally.”

Thanks to this system, quality

Colcom remains committed to Zimbabwe after building a deep-rooted organisation that is recognised and reliable. Pig farming is not the easiest form of agriculture, and to do it at the highest standard for so long is testament to the structure that has been put in place over the years – a structure that continues to be manipulated for ongoing growth.

“We pride ourselves in having a brand that has stood the test of time. The Colcom brand name is trusted, valued and respected by the Zimbabwean consumer,” says Tumazos. To continuously strengthen the brand, the business regularly invests in independent market research to gauge brand perceptions and understand evolving consumer behaviour. In a market like Zimbabwe, where more than 50% of population is still not digitally connected, this is challenging but essential. “This research guides product development and enables us to develop adaptive marketing strategies that are on the pulse of the market to keep us relevant.”

Tumazos details that, even with ongoing branding efforts and

// DESPITE ITS MINERAL WEALTH, ZIMBABWE HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN AGRICULTURE-BASED ECONOMY //

// WE PRIDE

OURSELVES IN HAVING A BRAND THAT HAS STOOD THE TEST OF TIME. THE COLCOM BRAND NAME IS TRUSTED, VALUED AND RESPECTED BY THE ZIMBABWEAN CONSUMER

an ever-changing range (currently home to more than 160 SKUs), there are a number of non-negotiables embedded in Colcom culture. “We don’t compromise on quality and we don’t compromise on food safety,” he says. “We produce all of the pigs we sell on our own farms. We only buy raw materials from known and trusted sources. There is an element of trust associated with our brand in the products we sell. We have developed our route to market to ensure nationwide availability of our products while maintaining affordability for our customers and our consumers is high on our priorities.”

Recent new additions to the Colcom portfolio include ranges suitable for the informal sector locally – a new 110g polony, Russian-style smoked and cooked ready-to-eat sausages in cater pack formats, a new Country-style Burger, a boneless rib burger in both retail and cater pack formats, and a new cooked pet food product.

FUTURE GROWTH

Going forward, Colcom has set its sights on industry domination and will employ new technology as well as fresh bricks and mortar investment to help it meet demand while becoming more efficient.

INDUSTRY FOCUS: AGRICULTURE

“We have committed to the purchase of a property on which a piggery has been partly developed in the Norton area (30km from Harare, and 15km away from our

main facility),” explains Tumazos. “On completion of the development this will be a 1,000 sow unit, looking to deliver 550 pigs a week. If all goes according to plan, the

first pigs from this unit will be delivered in November 2024.”

As part of the National Development Plan Strategy 1, Zimbabwe will require 22,000 tonnes of pork from registered abattoirs annually. Demand is rising and the government is supportive of consumption of pork. Colcom is an important link in this chain and is stepping up alongside strong partners such as New Quip, the leading provider of equipment for poultry and pork farmers.

“Triple C Pigs will develop a multiplier unit with a design capacity of 500 sows, located on the same property as our main facility. In the first instance we will look to populate it with 350 pure line sows and focus production of all of our TN70 pigs (Topigs breed) for all of

our pig production facilities. This will ensure dedicated and committed production to the best gilts for our herds, currently run separately on four of our units. This will naturally free up 350 sow places in the existing facilities which will add another 190 pigs per week to the weekly deliveries,” says Tumazos, adding that this unit will be up and running by the end of 2025.

Total capacity will be increased over the next decade as part of a strategy that will improve and upgrade equipment and drive efficiency in the slaughter, processing, and packaging departments. There will also be new stores at factory locations (firstly in Ruwa), and a continued drive to penetrate the informal market sectors which are becoming more important

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for all businesses in Zimbabwe.

“We are also looking at design options to increase our refrigeration capacity on site for raw materials, finished goods, and despatch handling. We expect this will unlock a 46% growth in capacity, improved product quality and lower production costs.

“As the business continues to experience and foresee future growth, we are committed to ensuring we can meet that requirement,” says Tumazos.

Colcom is certainly a business looking back favourably on major success over its 80 years while remaining focussed on the path forward with ferocious appetite. There is a sense of responsibility and ambition in the company, and Tumazos is sure that Colcom will

move forward, taking opportunities, with the same determination around quality that has created the tasty position it enjoys today.

“Investments in new equipment are planned alongside improvements to product quality and processing methodology to ensure the highest possible food quality and food safety achievable,” he concludes.

CHEMICAL PROCESS TECHNOLOGIES

Innovation and Combined Capacity Leave CPT Uniquely Positioned

Situated on a sprawling 10,000m2 industrial site in Waltloo, Pretoria, Chemical Process Technologies (CPT) is an innovative chemical synthesis company exporting various products to more than 15 countries across five continents. MD Hannes Malan describes the abundant successes among the travails of recent times, and reveals how a focus on quality and the ability to develop and commercialise technology keeps setting CPT apart from the rest of the field.

PRODUCTION: Jamie Waters

INDUSTRY FOCUS: MANUFACTURING

Established in 2001 and now consummately staffed by 74 permanent employees, Chemical Process Technologies (CPT) is a private chemical synthesis company within the animal health

industry, also supplying fine chemicals to various other industries. The company specialises in the synthesis of several fine chemicals and formulates numerous end-user products, which are exported currently to countries in Europe, South America and Africa.

“The combined capacity,” opens MD Hannes Malan, “to synthesise active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and formulate products positions CPT uniquely, in the Southern African animal health context.” CPT is, additionally, the parent company of CPT Pharma, which was granted a licence by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) to manufacture APIs for human medicine back in August 2020 in a significant leap forward for the SA pharmaceutical industry.

“CPT animal health, meanwhile,” explains Malan of the key distinction between the two entities, “is focussed on the manufacturing of the active ingredient as well as the conversion or manufacturing of final products - a combination of chemical synthesis and contract manufacturing.”

ACTIVE GROWTH

“CPT is an innovative chemical synthesis company: we pride ourselves on our capacity and ability to develop and commercialise competitive organic synthesis routes.” CPT has the capacity to synthesise various molecules, Malan describes, and in developing its own process technology there is a great emphasis placed on current and environmentally responsible processes.

// THE COMBINED CAPACITY TO SYNTHESISE AND FORMULATE PRODUCTS POSITIONS CPT UNIQUELY IN THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN CONTEXT //

Manufacturing Cubicle in Endo Plant

Typical chemical manipulations include oxidation, amidation, alkylation and heterocyclic chemistry, while technology for the commercial manufacturing of water-based nano-materials also exists within the company.

“We are in the process of commercialising another API,” Malan reveals, “and somewhere in the region of 75% of the way through developing the technology for a further three which we would like to manufacture locally and then export.” On the API side there are significant opportunities for growth. The number of animals in South Africa is staying largely the same,” he reasons, “and as a result, from a final product point of view, the market is almost fixed.

“We are still able to improve our

market share, nonetheless, by providing our renowned excellent service and also by means of the quality system that we have implemented and embedded within the company.

“From a growth perspective, however, there is not a lot of expansion left, but where we do still see a lot of possibilities and prospects is in the provision of active ingredients,” Malan says of the company’s priorities. “Because these are not used only in South Africa, but also in a fair number of other countries in the Southern Hemisphere, that is the area on which we are arguably most keenly focussed, in order to commercialise the technologies that we have developed as quickly as possible so that we can supply

more and more to these countries.”

Such idiosyncratic specialisms are going to prove ever-more crucial to distinguishing CPT from the strong

// CPT IS AN INNOVATIVE CHEMICAL SYNTHESIS COMPANY: WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON OUR CAPACITY AND ABILITY TO DEVELOP AND COMMERCIALISE COMPETITIVE ORGANIC SYNTHESIS ROUTES //

Endo Plant Warehouse

INDUSTRY FOCUS: MANUFACTURING

players around it on both of the distinct arms of the business. “On the formulation side, it is with local formulators for final product that we are having to compete,” Malan assesses. “Again, the quality systems that we have implemented are really important in keeping us ahead.

“Multinational companies have the

same quality system and standards on the animal health products as on the human side, and we have moved a long way down that route ourselves. We are in the process of executing a project to upgrade one of our facilities to be GMP-compliant - set to be executed by Q3 of this year - which will set us apart from any of our competitors in

South Africa at this moment, most of whom are still adhering to far more lenient local regulations.

“This willingness to invest and continually improve our systems will stand us in excellent stead, and the GMP facility will also open up

Continues on page 164

METAL TANK INDUSTRIES: Locally Manufactured Stainless Steel Solutions for CPT Plant Expansion

Metal Tank Industries has more than 25 years’ experience in the fabrication and delivery of stainless steel plant, equipment and process solutions, including tanks, vessels, pipework, and supporting infrastructure. MD Rob MacGregor explains that strong partnerships are the foundation of the business, and he hopes to continue working hand-in-hand with longstanding clients through thick and thin.

At the Chemical Process Technologies (CPT) site in Pretoria, expansion is underway and long-serving partner, Metal Tank Industries, is taking the impressive facility to the next level with a number of significant upgrades.

“Currently, we are involved in two projects – one is an additional pharmaceutical plant that required a number of very specialised stainless steel reactors as well as stainless steel vacuum vessels and condenser units,” says MacGregor, adding that this turnkey project, which began last year, is starting to be delivered.

“Secondly, they are upgrading their pharmaceutical blending facility and that is a specialised HVAC facility for mixing various wet pharma products,” he continues. “We completely redesigned three cubicles in the wet plant and we are busy building new equipment for these cubicles – a specialised set of pharmaceutical blending vessels, pre-mix units, and reworking all the pipework in those cubicles to meet the latest Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards.”

Removal of the existing stainless steel vessels & equipment in these cubicles, installed 15-20 years previously, has helped both companies to realise the level of quality innovation involved in these processes, and highlights the extent of a deep, local partnership.

“CPT is a very specialised Processor and not all of the equipment for their needs can be manufactured in SA,”

admits MacGregor. “But they have strong support for local manufacturing and everything we are producing is fully manufactured in SA, supporting a local supply chain, while proving that the SA skillset in the manufacturing space does exist in the stainless and specialised plant space.”

The reputation for excellence built over the past two decades has seen Metal Tank Industries remain busy, even through tough times, and the company is using all of its experience to overcome challenges.

“We have been very busy, across the SADC region, with food manufacturing, chemical, and brewery projects. But the manufacturing industry feels the pains from loadshedding. Commodity prices are very volatile and there has been stock shortage worldwide.

“Our mentality as a business, working in Africa in relatively tough conditions, means that you have to be inventive to thrive. Partnering with the likes of CPT is exactly how we want to expand, working together over long periods of time and following the growth,” he says.

When Metal Tank Industries began working with CPT, the site was just a few hundred square meters. Today, the world-class facility covers thousands of square meters and boasts some of SA’s best stainless steel production infrastructure.

INDUSTRY FOCUS: MANUFACTURING

Continued from page 162

further export opportunities which are currently not available to us.”

MAINTAINING COMPETITIVENESS

Malan also highlights the flexibility built into CPT’s manufacturing system as crucial to the success of the company’s formulation side. “Although it comes at a price,” he admits, “we also understand that our business is seasonal, and it is almost impossible to forecast when rain will come and therefore when customers will need our product. This makes things difficult, as the lead times on a lot of the raw materials that we import can be anything from six to

12 weeks, and opportunities do not wait around for this sort of timescale.

“We have built and tweaked certain aspects of our business to give the flexibility to ensure that we continually have enough of those required raw materials in place, aided by good relationships with our suppliers assisting us in short lead times for local deliveries. Our willingness to adjust our production plan to align with our customers’ priorities has, in turn, positioned us superbly well in the South African industry.

“From the chemical synthesis point of view, there is nobody else doing what we do in South Africa,” says Malan, of another vital differentiator.

“Our competitors are all located in India and China. How we set ourselves apart from them is through the technology that we develop. We still have to import most of our raw materials from the same supplier that they are using, therefore our approach typically is to look at

// HAVING THE ABILITY TO DEVELOP AND COMMERCIALISE TECHNOLOGY IS WHAT WE USE TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE //

Packing Area in Endo Plant

the molecule that we believe to be of value and then see if there is anything we can do around the technology to allow us to manufacture the product cost-competitively in South Africa.

“Having the ability to develop and commercialise technology is what we use to remain competitive against these companies,” Malan analyses. “Going through the process of scaling up and commercialising is a painful, challenging route, but we believe that it is the only real way to maintain independence and competitiveness from a chemical manufacture point of view.”

The last few years have, for CPT,

been largely and mercifully free of the hardship and torment that has permeated around it. “For us, it has been good on the agricultural side - food supply has of course been very important and there have been very favourable conditions in the whole industry, with growth of around 24%, and we really benefited from that. We are still limited by the number of patients, of course, so our growth was modest, but still there.

“On the human side,” Malan closes, “what was most significant was the boom in interest in local manufacturing; we have had a lot of interest from the South African

government, and also from donor organisations who would like to ensure the Africa’s independence when it comes to pharmaceutical products.

“From that perspective, too, it has been incredibly positive, and we have established a wealth of new relationships and a large number of projects across the API manufacturing sphere, and we are incredibly excited to explore these.”

CPT AH API plant reactors

PIERRE CRONJE

Masterful Crafting Behind Breathtaking Bespoke Designs

For more than three decades Pierre Cronje has set the benchmark in hand-crafted quality solid wood furniture and well-proportioned aesthetic design. Combining tradition, craftsmanship and a love of solid wood, each of the company’s furniture designs reflects Cronje’s own unbending commitment to artisan, imperfection, and respect for the raw material.

PRODUCTION: Kim Berrystone

INDUSTRY FOCUS: MANUFACTURING

//What springs to mind upon hearing the name Pierre Cronje? For most it is a blend of artisan, creative, and exclusive - an emblem of aspirational living and the type of wares to be passed along generation after generation, century after century. More than 30 years ago master maker Pierre Cronje launched a local business specialising in furniture restoration and fine reproduction pieces in the classic English style. His skills, care, and craftsmanship led to his establishing a reputation for a singularly innovative vision, which in turn produced a growing demand for high-quality, custom designed and hand-crafted solid wood

furniture. The business expanded both locally and internationally thanks to Cronje’s unique ability to incorporate South African heritage in the kind of new designs apt to fit a contemporary lifestyle, and today, Pierre Cronje is widely recognised as synonymous with top-quality builds and design excellence.

Pierre Cronje designs straddle a huge gamut of inspiration, ideas, and idiosyncrasies: from the designs of the Cape Dutch Settlers and French Huguenots to more Shaker-style simplicity, each of these traditions is refined into unique, iconic furniture pieces. “On the opposite side of the spectrum,” continues Cronje, “sits

our contemporary furniture, which borrows elements from all styles and eras, making it truly iconic.

“The end product is often a breath-taking piece of art.”

// UNIQUE DESIGN AND A GREAT RESPECT FOR THE RAW PRODUCT IS WHAT MAKES OWNING ONE OF OUR FURNITURE PIECES SO SOUGHT AFTER //

RAW BEAUTY REVEALED

“Unique design and a great respect for the raw product is what makes owning one of our furniture pieces so sought after,” sums up eponymous MD and craftsman extraordinaire Pierre Cronje, who evokes a rare passion for the importance of the root material and an equally rare appreciation of the non-perfect. “We only make solid-wood furniture and we only use quality timber - timber that I personally select.

“At Pierre Cronje we transform and reveal new beauty in form and finish, sourcing entire trees from sustainable forests and sawmills around France and Knysna. We lean towards extreme cuts and the interpretation

of a design is decided upon by the stature and wane of the tree.

“Many of our bespoke French Oak, Yellowwood, Mahogany, American Walnut, and European Ash pieces display the untrimmed outer contour of the tree, simply to celebrate its raw origin.”

It is an approach that has been highly effective, and Pierre Cronje has established a very faithful clientele, both private and corporate, predominantly based in the Western Cape and a large number of wineries. Because of the cost of making the furniture, this tends to be a rather specific a clientele of some means with the ability to afford these investment

pieces. “Clients often want perfection, though, but I stand by the belief that art cannot be perfected,” Cronje stresses. “There lies beauty in imperfection.”

The upshot of making by hand is that the processes and functions which underpin the creation of this fine furniture remain largely immune to the inevitable modernisation and industrialisation which comes //

INDUSTRY FOCUS: MANUFACTURING

with time and progress. “The core business and the operation as a whole remains largely unchanged, even with such a long passage of time,” Cronje tells Enterprise Africa.

“The hand-crafted furniture production process is labour-intensive and takes time, and although we have a large, highly-skilled and well-equipped factory, we are committed to never compromising on the high standards and fine quality of our work as well as our design principles and attention to detail. Equally, we are adamant that there will be no relaxing of standards or reverting to mass production.”

TRUE VOCATION

“A true dedication to craftsmanship – hand-made, escalated work set apart by quality – is integral to the Pierre Cronje philosophy. It relies on our artisans being dedicated to their materials and workmanship and continuing the Pierre Cronje tradition. As such, many of the craftsmen at Pierre Cronje’s workshop in Cape Town are apprenticed by master artisans.”

So dedicated has Pierre Cronje remained to his artisan, selective ethos that he has adopted a very unique approach to aspirations surrounding the size of his company. “Our staff count today is around 64,” he details. “five

years ago we were double the current count, and this organic shrinking of our number has a lot to do with the current transition currently underway whereby my son is slowly taking over from me, and he identified that we were simply trying to chase too much work.

“Instead, we prefer to stick just to the work that we want to do, that can make a profit and allow us to drop our overheads. It has been a conscious decision to change our priorities and helped by natural attrition; we have not had to let anyone go or make anyone redundant at any stage. We find that this focus on quality over quantity in every area has made it so much easier over the years to keep the standards where we want them.

“The work that we do is very complex and highly bespoke, not the same old thing over and over where you can make one, or two, or ten in a

// WE MAKE FURNITURE BECAUSE WE LOVE IT - IT IS A PASSION WHICH HAS BEEN WITH ME THROUGHOUT MY LIFE //

row, each item is very individual, and our success depends very much on the extent to which we and our artisans are focussed. We have found that in taking on too much, we lose focus and then each item is less profitable.

“Basically, we make furniture because we love it - it is a passion which has been with me throughout my life, and it is primarily this that has kept us here for all these years. The integrity of our design, together with the construction and the use of only solid timbers are the distinguishing characteristics of all Pierre Cronje furniture.”

CONTINUING THE CRAFT

Asked what has changed most during his long stint in the furniture manufacturing business and Cronje answers without pause. “One of the biggest differences is that, when I started, I was part of a fairly large group of competent artisans. Over the years trends have shifted to people now wanting to be more office-based in their careers and livelihoods, and seeking higherpaid and higher-profile roles. It has become incredibly difficult to be able to keep hold of good artisans.

“Having said that, there are those who still really like woodwork. With us we have people who could easily be behind a computer but are thriving in this noble vocation. Obviously, it is only right that we in turn pay them well, to recognise their talents and also for this to remain a viable vocation.”

Fittingly, Pierre Cronje has indentured more budding craftsmen than the rest of the Western Cape furniture industry combined. “Aspiring artisans with requisite background skills in joinery, are each apprenticed to a master artisan who oversees the

honing of their skills,” Cronje details. While he has done his admirable best to resist it, even the great Pierre Cronje is powerless to the eventual effects of time’s inexorable march. Whilst his son has begun to assume some of the everyday running of the business, allowing its founder to indulge in other passions like drawing, the incredibly niche, esoteric nature of this work does not make it applicable to or even feasible for everyone, but Cronje has a plan.

“We have been in discussions with a number of our top people, and it is to them that I would like to hand over the business in due course.

“They are much younger than I am, they are dedicated and incredibly skilled in production and I truly believe that they can successfully take on and take over the company in the manner

that I would wish.” What is glaringly obvious when talking with Pierre Cronje is that he would only entrust everything that he has built up to those in whom he has absolute faith and confidence, but he is not quite ready to let go yet, he makes clear in parting.

“I will continue to consult with them for as long as I am physically able to, doing drawings, checking over things and giving advice, which I hope will be for many years yet. I still insist that every single product comes past me, not because I feel I must, but because this is what I love and enjoy and I only want the very best to be leaving the doors of this workshop.”

// THE WORK THAT WE DO IS VERY COMPLEX AND HIGHLY BESPOKE //

IMAS FINANCE

Invaluable Advice When and Where It Matters Most

A co-operative offering a huge breadth of affordable and competitive financial solutions to individuals across South Africa, iMasFinance is a famed caring financial wellness partner on a mission to empower individuals on their financial wellness journey through training, education, and employing the very best in innovation.

PRODUCTION: Manelesi Dumasi

INDUSTRY FOCUS: FINANCE

While the majority of us would still flinch, to a greater or lesser degree, at the prospect of rewiring our house, identifying and fixing a leak or rebuilding walls - we even employ the services of a personal trainer when we decide to get fit - in the age of DIY-everything it is easy to mistakenly believe that it is possible to apply the same

logic and go-it-alone attitude when it comes to financial planning. Although there are many perceived barriers to appointing a financial adviser, in reality almost everyone could benefit from professional financial advice. In this period of high inflation, market volatility, and economic uncertainty, there has probably never been a better

time to seek specialist advice. Being increasingly time-poor, while ever-more information overloaded, are two of the most compelling reason, as well as the peace of mind that financial services is one of the most heavily regulated industries in South Africa. An independent advisor is able to wade through the myriad areas covered by financial planning to succinctly identify key needs, narrowing down the available options and sifting through the abundant extraneous noise. The ability to personalise financial management and goals, make well-informed decisions and optimally structure a portfolio all factor

// OUR PURPOSE IS TO EMPOWER OUR MEMBERS TO LIVE FINANCIALLY WELL WHILE CREATING SHARED VALUE FOR OUR MEMBERS //

highly in making this financial oracle indispensable, but above all, for most, is the potential for money saving it entails.

LIVE FINANCIALLY WELL

In addition to benefiting from the more favourable fees and structures that have emerged as the financial planning industry has matured, employing the services of an advisor can avoid expensive financial planning mistakes such as not making use of available tax breaks or investing too conservatively. Everything conspires to push this previously-thought luxury to being of paramount importance, and one South African specialist is waiting in the wings with the very best in financial wellness solutions, fulfilling all financial services needs.

“We are a trusted and authorised financial services provider that cares about the financial wellbeing of our members. Our purpose is to empower our members to live financially well while creating shared value for our members,” iMasFinance states, “enabling them to benefit from shared value through providing innovative financial solutions.”

The iMasFinance offering entails its entering into agreements with supportive, progressive companies, “those wanting to invest in their greatest assets, their employees.”

“In essence, we invest in your employees by offering complimentary financial wellness training as well as short-term financial advisory services, housing solutions, personal loans, purchase cards and vehicle finance.” Through its unique operating model, customers subsequently become members, and, as a financial co-operative, receive a share of profits through the iMasRewards programme. “They become a

part of our organisation through our membership,” the company explains. “At iMasFinance the core of our existence is shared value.” Also on offer is a businessto-business value proposition that includes insurance, group schemes and building loyalty and rewards programmes for other financial institutions. “We strive to be the most rewarding workplace financial services provider, enabling our members to benefit from shared value through providing innovative financial solutions.”

The spirit of cooperation, support,

and power in partnership bleeds through everything that iMasFinance continues to achieve for its members. “We understand that strength lies in numbers and as such, we work collaboratively to achieve our goals,” the company sets out. “We pride ourselves in being experts in our field; hence, we continually learn and grow to keep up with the latest innovations.”

INCLUSION SUPPORTS GROWTH

iMasFinance has undergone a major evolution in recent years, embarking on a wholesale re-positioning and rebranding journey from Iemas Financial Services Co-operative, in a move designed to epitomise accelerating digital capabilities alongside several further initiatives. “iMasFinance’s commitment to its customers - better known as its

// WE WANT TO ENABLE OUR MEMBERS TO BENEFIT FROM SHARED VALUE THROUGH PROVIDING INNOVATIVE FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS //

INDUSTRY FOCUS: FINANCE

members - and employer affiliates is out priority and remains a key strategic focus,” the company, synonymous with affordable and trusted financial products and services across a litany of sectors and

industries, was at pains to stress.

“The rebranding strategy reflects the Co-operative’s purpose which is to both empower and protect members to live financially well while creating shared value,” assessed

Banie van Vollenhoven, Group CEO at iMasFinance. “Our refreshed iMasFinance brand strives to get closer to our members through digital solutions and fulfil their financial needs. We will also continue to empower them with financial health while creating the kind of shared value proposition that is relevant for the African market.

“Our business excellence model prides itself in offering solutions that are almost unmatched when it comes to affordability and personal financial services offered in the work environment,” van Vollenhoven added. “The reputation and equity created under our brand is a valuable asset; we are building on this as we pursue new segment opportunities, digitisation and future business growth for the benefit of our members.

“With a rich legacy spanning over

84 years, iMasFinance has been helping employers with affordable employee benefits by providing solutions that promote financial inclusion.”

This is set to be the key, furthered iMasFinance National Manager: Group Brand Ambassador, Eddie Brandt, determining the future of

financial services in South Africa and the rest of the continent: digital enablement and financial inclusion.

“Managing your finances at anytime from anywhere has become the norm,” Brandt stresses. “However, financial services have to be accessible in rural areas as well, and that is why we have recently invested in the revamping of our regional offices so that we can service our members better in the areas where they work and live. Major banks have also expanded their physical presence in the last few years by opening more regional branches.”

This balance is crucial: while we may be increasingly and unavoidably immersed in a digital era, investment in these branches as bastions of a channel-of-choice strategy, allows customers to personally interact with advisers in their preferred way,

and easily access digital channels. Everything about iMasFinance’s new visual identity relates to its diverse customer base and better expresses the Co-operative’s purpose, van Vollenhoven concluded.

“The new logo features a shield which represents financial security and wellness while the striking purple will continue to be the prominent colour. Our brand drives Value Reimagined, representing our undertakings to build value for our customers. This is the golden thread that will be carried through all aspects of our business and our stakeholders can look forward to enhanced customer journeys experiences.”

// WITH A RICH LEGACY SPANNING OVER 84 YEARS, IMASFINANCE PROVIDES EMPLOYERS WITH EMPLOYEE BENEFITS THAT PROMOTE FINANCIAL INCLUSION //

VM AUTOMOTIVE

Formidable Fusion of

World-Class

Equipment and Expertise

In this momentous 10th year since the business’s founding, VM Automotive continues along what has been, to date, a rapid and multifaceted journey to providing world class blanking manufacturing of aluminium and steel parts. “VM is committed to the continuous achievement of international norms on quality, delivery and competitive products,” declares the only 100% black-owned automotive blanking company and proud BBEEE Level 1 contributor.

PRODUCTION: James Davey

INDUSTRY FOCUS: MANUFACTURING

The automotive industry is South Africa’s most important manufacturing sector, with approximately one-third of value addition within the domestic manufacturing sector derived either directly or indirectly from vehicle assembly and automotive component manufacturing activity. While this positions the industry and its broader value chain as a key player within South Africa’s industrialisation drive, it nevertheless represents a continuous work in progress.

At a national policy level, it has been heavily supported by the government in the form of the Motor Industry Development Programme, from 1995 to 2012, and more recently the Automotive Production and Development Programme until 2020.

The domestic market has stagnated since its vehicle consumption peak in 2006, however, while imports have surged as global vehicle assemblers have aggressively pursued markets to fill production capacity. As a result, opportunities within the South African automotive value chain have been tightly constrained, with 73% of the domestic passenger vehicle market and 19% of the light commercial vehicle market supplied by imports in 2015.

It cannot be denied that the industry exhibits substantial potential, though. At only 0.68% of global vehicle production and operating in a market with low levels of vehicle ownership and a growing middle-class consumption base, the future of the industry looks poised to be extremely bright. “It is within this context that VM Automotive

was born,” says the company, with a South African Automotive Master Plan in place to guide the development of the entire value chain through to 2035. Six key development aspects have been identified as being central to the realisation of a globally competitive and transformed industry

// WE ARE THE TRANSFORMED SUPPLIER OF CHOICE OF ALUMINIUM AND STEEL PRODUCTS FOR THE SOUTH AFRICAN MARKET //

that actively contributes to the sustainable development of South Africa’s productive economy, creating prosperity for industry stakeholders and broader society alike. Growing South African vehicle production to 1% of global output, increasing local content in South African assembled vehicles to up to 60% and improving automotive industry competitiveness levels all feature highly within this mutually supportive package of objectives.

FOREMOST FACILITIES

“We are the transformed supplier of choice providing world-class blanking manufacture of aluminium and steel products for the South African market,” VM Automotive announces, perfectly placed to capitalise on the pressure currently faced by OEMs to improve their transformation and localisation strategies.

An original plant located at Rosslyn catering to OEMs’ every blanking and press tooling requirement has been joined by a second, state-of-the-art Berlin site, where VM Automotive has become the proud owner of the first Schuler Laser Blanking Line in the Southern Hemisphere and master of only the sixth such machine in the world.

“Ready for tomorrow’s industrial production,” is how Schuler bills this highly flexible and extremely productive manufacturing system, in which the line cuts blanks out of a moving sheet metal coil that are then later formed into car body parts; as fibre lasers are used for the cutting process, no dies are required in contrast to conventional blanking lines. “Laser blanking lines with DynamicFlow Technology (DFT) are a highly flexible, productive manufacturing system,” VM Automotive stresses.

“They use extremely powerful fibre lasers for the continuous cutting of coiled material. The result is a high production rate, a superior cutting quality and an excellent contour precision, even for sensitive outer-body-

40 HIGH QUALITY BLANKS PER MINUTE

DIGITAL BLANKING BY LASERS

Outer Body & Hotforming Blanks

REDUCE CAPITAL EQUIPMENT INVESTMENT: Die-free blanking

No press foundation, no loop-pit, no die cranes, no die logistics Can be installed in storage building Low noise emissions

VERY COST-EFFECTIVE PRODUCTION:

Precise check-to-flatten leveler technology

High capacity cutting by two lasers on running material

Smart Track & Trace technology –Schuler’s Digital Suite solution

SUITABLE MATERIALS:

Automotive steel grades

Aluminum

Stainless steel

INDUSTRY FOCUS: MANUFACTURING

of experience with the specific requirements of the automotive industry, laser blanking lines with DynamicFlow Technology delivers an impressive package of incredibly flexible production conditions at comparatively low investment costs.

blanks.” The flexible blanking method means that product changes can be made with almost no set-up time, simply by loading the corresponding cutting programme, while material can be saved by optimising nesting and coil waste is markedly reduced.

“Backed by Schuler’s years

“This makes them a legitimate alternative to conventional, die-based blanking systems in the blanking shop.” VM Automotive’s facilities are, additionally, the only blanking services in South Africa that have the capability to process both aluminium 6000 and 5000. “Our new Berlin plant has a competitive advantage, offering the first Schuler Laser Blanking Line 2.18 in the Southern Hemisphere,” the company proudly states.

INJECTION INITIATIVE

The brainchild of Gibson Njenje, a former spy boss previously the head of domestic intelligence for the State

Security Agency, VM Automotive was founded in 2013 and in 2019 began its investment into a R450 million factory and Schuler laser blanking line. It now becomes one of the latest local manufacturers to be contracted to supply aluminium and steel blanks to Mercedes-Benz. The automotive industry remains a pivotal sector in the Eastern Cape economy and is seen as a crucial factor in growing its economy, with job creation top of the agenda as the province grapples with an unemployment rate of more than 49%. VM Automotive’s venture forms an integral part of a wider effort to revive the ailing economy of the Eastern Cape, with it having set up in the small industrial town of Ntabozuko, formerly known as Berlin, 50km inland from East London.

“We are already doing blanking work for Mercedes-Benz in East London

// OUR NEW BERLIN PLANT HAS A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE WITH THE FIRST SCHULER LASER BLANKING LINE 2.18 IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE

© VM Automotive

and BMW in Rosslyn, Pretoria,” explains VM Automotive CEO Gibson Njenje. “We broke into the automotive market when we bought a 100% stake in a plant owned by MA Automotive Tool & Die that is located in Rosslyn and took control of their contracts with BMW.

“We are doing work with MercedesBenz on the W205 series, which is the outgoing C Class series. This ended in

2021 and we have signed a separate contract for the W206 series, which began in 2021 and ends in 2028. The cycles are usually seven years. Early in 2019 we were awarded the W206 contract and this is why we started to build in Berlin. We have now completed the building, which is a superstructure building for the Berlin area,” Njenje adds, estimating the cost

of the factory’s construction at R100 million including offices, workshops, testing areas and cleaning facilities.

“Our expansion will have to start here at home first,” rounded off Njenje of the company’s plans to grow and diversify its footprint in the immediate future. “We have got to target many other OEMs first. Currently we are supplying to Mercedes Benz and BMW from our Rosslyn plant in Pretoria. There’s VW, there’s Toyota, there’s Isuzu that we’re still talking to.

“That’s our approach in terms of here but we also want to look beyond the automotive sector to other users of metals. The company’s objective is to develop the local economy and specifically the rural economy, and most importantly ensure employment opportunities for the impoverished youth.”

© VM Automotive

EXHIBITION CALENDAR

KEY UPCOMING EVENTS ACROSS THE REGION

Important events and exhibitions taking place across sub-Saharan Africa, giving brands a platform to tell their story.

MAY 8

AFRICA’S TRAVEL INDABA 2023 MAY 8 - 10 | DURBAN

Africa’s Travel Indaba is an iconic African leisure trade show, owned by South African Tourism, with the specific objective of creating market access for our vast array of African leisure tourism Products. Africa’s Travel Indaba is a 3-day trade show preceded by a dedicated Business Opportunity Networking Day (BONDay) which seeks to create a platform for thought-leadership, knowledge sharing and obtaining the latest in global trends and local insights. The BONDay programme is developed in close collaboration with the global tourism organisations, continental experts as well as industry associations. The trade show exists to provide the ideal platform for African tourism exhibitors to showcase their offerings to international and local buyers, destination marketing companies and leisure tourism services partners. It is the most formidable platform on the continent for you to meet face-to-face with the most influential buyers in the world, and to gain access to Africa’s excellence and its endless possibilities. These are the business opportunities and quality connections that will shape Africa’s tomorrow.

MAY 3

MAY 8

MAY 16

MAY 16

MAY 23

JUN 5

JUN 6

MAY 16

NAMPO HARVEST DAY MAY 16 - 18 | BOTHAVILLE

A showcase of the newest trends and technology innovations is NAMPO’s promise to visitors at the 55th presentation of the Harvest Day from 16-19 May 2023. Since its inception, the NAMPO Harvest Day has been the leader in showcasing agricultural innovation and providing that one stop platform to agricultural enthusiasts in South Africa. After an extremely successful and long-awaited return to the agricultural calendar last year, the 2023 NAMPO Harvest Day promises to exceed all expectations once again! The theme ‘Agriculture Innovated’ confirm the positive role attributed to the Harvest Day and its contribution to the future of agriculture. It will showcase agriculture’s latest technology, machinery, innovations, and productivity solutions.

MAY 16

ENLIT AFRICA MAY 16 – 18 | CAPE TOWN

Enlit Africa hosts Africa’s entire power & energy industry in this premier conference and exhibition space. As the leading platform, we gather Africa’s energy community for three days to meet and inspire each other in Cape Town from 16 – 18 May 2023. Enlit Africa includes live and digital events, exhibitions, and exclusive one-onone interviews with leaders in the energy sector.

SIGN AFRICA

CAPE TOWN | MAY 3- 4

TRAVEL INDABA

DURBAN | MAY 8 - 11

ENLIT AFRICA

CAPE TOWN | MAY 16- 18

NAMPO HARVEST DAY

BOTHAVILLE | MAY 16 - 18

DEVCONF

CAPE TOWN | MAY 23

AFRICA AGRIBUSINESS AND SCIENCE WEEK

DURBAN | JUN 5 - 8

PORTS & CUSTOMS WEEK AND BORDER SECURITY WEEK

CAPE TOWN | JUN 6 - 7

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