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www.essentialbusinessmag.com|Issue 25

Also in this issue: Motorola p22 Sage p26 Airsys p32 Rand Water p36

Rewarding

excellence Recognising the success of Ethiopian Airlines

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D I R E C T O R S

This issue has an important central theme: water. Our features on Rand Water, ERWAT, and SBS Tanks go some way towards revealing the severity of the water situation in South Africa, as well as the need for the nation’s brightest companies to be involved in alleviating a potential crisis. Other features include a discussion on African startups, an interesting pairing of Motorola and one of its most important distribution partners Airsys, as well as a return to ICT giants Sage Africa. Our lead feature in this issue analyses the success of Ethiopia Airlines, recently voted the best carrier in Africa for the second year running. While the economic climate continues to be difficult, there’s still plenty to talk about as companies prove their abilities by weathering the storm.

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Contents Press start on Africa

Can the current breed of Africa’s startups withstand a difficult economic climate?

Facilitating trade on the African continent

Is Africa adopting new ICT technology quickly enough for solutions like those offered by Sage to take effect?

An interview with Patrick Gutman of the British Arab Commercial Bank.

News round-up

Sage

The latest sector by sector business news from across Africa.

Airsys

Airsys has recently started to make itself known as distributors of industry-leading two-day radio technology.

Ethiopian Airlines

Rand Water 14

State-owned Rand Water continues to impress with its financial selfsufficiency and ability to adapt to change.

With its ambitious mindset Ethiopian Airlines continues to be one of the winners in the battle for Africa’s skies.

ERWAT

A look at the East Rand Water Care Company, responsible for treating 696 megalitres of South Africa’s waste water every day.

Motorola

Motorola is quickly becoming one of the most recognisable names in Africa’s market for critical communications.

SBS Tanks

SBS Tanks presents a compelling solution to South Africa’s dangerously scarce water supply.

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On Press start on Africa

More funding than ever is flying into startup companies across Africa, prompting endless excitement about their potential for driving sustainable development.But with red tape still plastered all over many countries, can the startup economy meet these lofty expectations?

tartups across Africa are currently benefiting from a wave of investment off the back of several years of hype.

So far in 2018, African startups have raised $168.6 million in funding, nearly a four-fold increase on the $47.2 million they attracted in the first half of last year. It appears as though the international community is waking up to the untapped potential of Africa’s startup ecosystem, as well as its necessity

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to the development of the continent, with accelerator programmes, incubators and funds being launched to support even further growth. However, while startups have a reputation for providing innovative, low-cost solutions to economic challenges, ultimately they face many of the same difficulties – for

example inflexible and complex regulation – as other African businesses, difficulties that in some cases threaten their enormous potential.

Looking for the answer Startup culture in Africa is about more than simply doing well. The most successful African startups respond to its unique economic handicaps, filling the gaps left in the market for companies with the potential to cause positive disruption. Fintech attracts the most funding out of any sector in the startup game, providing much-needed financial services to both consumers and businesses at a lower cost while manoeuvering around the issues thrown up by poor connectivity and infrastructural frailties (with varying degrees of success). Founded in March 2017, Kenya’s FlexPay Technologies is an SMS-based platform targeting unbanked and underbanked customers in developing countries, enabling them to pay for goods and services piecemeal through their mobile phones. It was recently selected for participation in the first phase of Google’s Launchpad Accelerator programme, thereby benefiting from US$3 million in

“So far in 2018, African startups have raised $168.6 million in funding

equity-free support, working space, and access to expert advisers over the next three years. But it’s not just financial services that are attracting global notice for their ability to provide a cost-effective and adaptable solution in line with their country’s development goals. Also selected for the Launchpad Accelerator, Babymigo is a healthcare startup that connects expectant and nursing mothers to services using mobile technology and was inspired by one of its co-founders’ experiences working in maternity clinics across Nigeria. “I realised that they lacked a support system during their most critical time of parenting,” Adeloye Olanrewaju told The EastAfrican.

Red tape

However, African startups are often up against the very same complications they are trying to resolve. Many countries across the continent have famously difficult economic and regulatory environments for businesses to operate in. Although the influx of funding from foreign actors will alleviate some of the financial pressures on startups, they are still faced with a mountain of bureaucracy that isn’t conducive to their long-term success. A survey by The Small Enterprise Development Agency found that a whopping 75% of startups in South Africa don’t make it, one

of the highest failure rates in the world. Meanwhile, a separate report into South Africa’s entreprise culture conducted by Xero found that 68% of businesses view economic instability as their biggest challenge. Additionally, 89% of business owners consider the Department of Small Business Development to be insufficient and 44% feel they would benefit from less red tape. This is just one country, but it’s a story that echoes across many African economies. In 2013, one report claimed that 80% of small to medium enterprises in Nigeria failed within their first five years, a figure that was partly attributed to a lack of appropriate structures. Despite the enormous role startups could play in the sustainable economic development of the continent, governments aren’t prioritising regulation that encourages their growth, or at least aren’t doing so with enough urgency to give even the best startups a good chance of success.

Future outlook

Although funding is likely to continue to snowball and it seems the current levels of interest in Africa’s startup scene is only the tip of the iceberg, no amount of financial support is a cure for a poor regulatory environment. The high amount of investment being poured into startups at the moment can be described as encouraging progress and hugely significant,

but by no means is it a guarantee that these companies will be able to fulfil their incredible potential and thrive in the long term. Fintech is likely to continue leading the charge, closely followed by other high-impact sectors including healthcare, education, connectivity and energy. These sectors aren’t only attractive to investors because of their influence or familiarity, but because there is an addressable market lacking the services that these startups offer.

“The most successful startups across the continent respond effectively to its unique economic handicaps In an ideal scenario, Africa’s startup climate would develop into something like Silicon Valley, where heads of successful startups become investors themselves in a self-sufficient cycle of funding and returns. However, money alone is not going to create an ecosystem like this. To capitalise on the progress made by increased funding, governments across Africa need to change a regulatory environment that not only undermines its established businesses, but those with the potential to define its economic future in the decades to come.

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Expert Facilitating trade on the African continent spoke to Patrick Gutmann, managing director of corporate and institutional banking at the British Arab Commercial Bank (BACB), about driving economic growth on the African continent. How exactly does BACB work to support the development of positive trade relations in Africa?

We are obviously a bank very much focused on Africa, so there is a strong coverage team that is focused on the African continent and clients. Sitting on the other side, there is a strong coverage team that focuses on Europe, but with an emphasis on supporting European corporates as they look to conduct business in Africa.

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What does a typical customer look like?

It ranges in size and scale from a typical, large global trading houses to small mid-sized manufacturers or commodity traders or service providers that specialise in niche areas that require fi nancial assistance or support in conducting business across the African continent.

What challenges in particular are your clients facing at the moment?

The main challenge they face is the continued withdrawal of many large fi nancial institutions from Africa, fundamentally limiting their ability to access international fi nancial markets. European corporates also fi nd that their main banks donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the risk appetite and knowledge to support them as they move into new markets or deal in existing markets.

What are some of the main reasons behind the withdrawal of these financial institutions?

One aspect is the heightened degree of regulatory oversight. For many of the large institutions, the rewards are simply not big enough to warrant the heightened investment required and in some cases, the heightened risk. Given that we are a smaller, nimbler institution, we have not only the skillset but the structure that allows us to extract value out of markets like these.

What new markets has BACB been moving into recently?

Traditionally, BACB has been very North Africa focused, but over the last five years, the bank has made a concerted effort in moving into a broader array of the Sub Saharan markets, starting with West and Central Africa and now encompassing most of East Africa as well, with a view to moving down to some of the South African countries.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Working with someone that has in depth knowledge, we would deem to be critical

What key opportunities do you see in these areas?

From a trade finance perspective, we’re seeing a continued effort by governments to diversify their economies from being too resourcecentric to developing some kind of value-added sector within the country. All of that will of course change some of the trading patterns over time where there is an emphasis on intra-Africa trade. With many of the recent initiatives, there’s a real push to create efficiencies in this area.

Which initiatives do you see making the greatest impact in terms of attracting investment to African markets?

Certainly the large developmental financial institutions like Afreximbank and the African Development Bank (AfDB) are putting a lot of strategic importance on driving efficiencies in intra-African trade. You also have the recent African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTFA) as well as individual, regional integration efforts, be that EAC in East Africa, or the UEMOA zone in West Africa, the ECOWAS, where there continues to be a desire to make intra-Africa trading easier and more beneficial for all of the parties involved.

Many have downplayed the potential impact of the AfCTFA. What do you think of its prospects?

I think that there’s still work to be done, particularly as some of the more significant countries have not yet signed up to it. But I would say that if one takes a short-term view, you can argue that the impact in the short to medium term might not be so significant. But I think if one takes a bit more holistic, long-term view, it’s a very important first step in the right direction.

“I think that from a European corporate’s perspective, Africa provides tremendous growth opportunities What barriers are there for European businesses trying to enter African markets?

Obviously, I think that from a European corporate’s perspective, Africa provides tremendous growth opportunities. The challenge I think many of them face is one of understanding how to go about expanding into the African markets, in many cases the availability and access to information. There is also often times a need to have some type of local partner when entering new markets, that I think is particularly pertinent in African markets.

Is working with a local partner something BACB would typically recommend?

Certainly working with someone that has in depth knowledge, we would deem to be critical. We would traditionally suggest that a company at least align themselves with someone who has in-depth knowledge of that market to get an assessment beyond just the quantitative figures they can get a hold of before they take the plunge.

What are some of BACB’s plans for growth over the next 12 months?

We continue to broaden the footprint across Africa – that’s a path that we’re already on and one that will continue. We’re are continuously looking to enter new markets and broaden the footprint that we, as a bank, operate in.

“With many of the recent initiatives, there’s a real push to create efficiencies in intra-African trade

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News Oil&gas Agriculture

n an interview with African Business Magazine Lawrence Haddad of the Global Alliance of Improved Nutrition (GAIN) has described the important role of the private sector in changing the landscape of nutrition in Africa. In describing the prohibitive costs of nutritionally valuable food on the continent Haddad describes how the private sector stands to benefit in the long run by aligning itself with the goals of GAIN, stating that “make no mistake, the private sector shapes nutrition in Africa in terms of nutritious food availability, affordability and desirability. It just does not do so in a knowing way. Nutrition improvement is an opportunity for businesses in Africa”.

ith global hunger levels rising for the third consecutive year, an unprecedented drive to collect data from 500 million smallholder farmers was announced at the recent Data to End Hunger event at the UN National Assembly. African farmers will be essential to the success of the enormous scheme, which has been designed to gather previously overlooked data and provide new insight into agricultural productivity.

n index measuring confidence in South Africa’s agriculture is reported to have reached record lows since 2016, a year that saw widespread drought. The Agbix/IDC agribusiness declined to forty-eight in the third quarter, a reading said to indicate a lack of confidence in current conditions.

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ebounding commodity prices is being turned into renewed optimism about African energy markets, according to several reports on the health of the Africa Energy Chamber.Fundraising and membership levels for the Africa Energy Chamber reached record highs over August and September, suggesting an uptick in market confidence. The organisation is known as a leading advocate for the sector, responsible for mediation between stakeholders and increasing the sector’s international reach.

018’s Africa Oil Week, happening in November, is set to be one of the most memorable, due to the recent announcement that Madagascar will be opening a bidding round at the event. Exploration in Madagascar dates back to the early 20th century, however it remains relatively unexplored compared to its mainland counterparts. Sharing a maritime border with Mozambique, a country in the same oil province as proven enormous natural gas reserves, Madagascar could prove inviting to investors looking to be involved in the renewal of its upstream oil sector.

frica Energy has announced promising results from its Cormorant-1 exploration well, currently operating offshore of the Republic of Namibia. The well is reported to have encountered non-commercial hydrocarbons and wet gas signatures in the overlying shale, indicative of the presence of crude oil.

News TECH N O L O G Y

Infrastructure The announcement from President Cyril Ramaphosa of a R400 billion instructure fund is continuing to cause rich debate among economists and political commentators.

he stimulus is planned to be injected over the next four years, a move welcomed by many as an important development for a nation currently experiencing a technical recession. However, some are pointing out that the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s record is far from perfect when it comes to implementing large development projects, citing the problems experienced by Eskom and Transnet. The team behind the stimulus, featuring several members from the private sector, is said to be the key difference between this and previous poorly managed infrastructure projects managed by the South African government.

t has been reported that a kickstart to Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s burgeoning tech industry might be coming from an unlikely source. Drone technology might be seen to be low priority for countries in sub-Saharan Africa, however recent developments have included South Africa passing commercial drone legislation, performance-based legislation being implemented in Rwanda, and a Drone Test Corridor being opened in Malawi. Africa offers unique opportunities for manufacturers and operators of drones, with the possibility of uniquely compelling use cases being afforded by its landscape and rapidly developing infrastructure.

inally, several recent stories have explored the world of female-led startups in Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa boasts the highest rate of female entrepreneurs in the world. However, digging deeper finds inequalities that show how far the continent has to go in this area, with only 9% of startups having female leaders. That said, a large amount of time and effort is being put towards redressing this imbalance, with startup ecosystems supporting women becoming more prominent in North Africa, where some of the most successful female-led startups are reportedly based.

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Ethiopian Airlines

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Excell Rewarding

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Aviation

lence

uly was a particularly busy month for Ethiopian Airlines, with the carrier receiving a number of prizes at the industry-leading SKYTRAX awards, including “Best Airline in Africa”, “Best Business class in Africa 2018”, and “Best Economy Class in Africa 2018”. The national flag carrier also topped all of its rivals among SKYTRAX’s World’s Top 100 Airlines 2018 list, moving up from number forty-eight last year to forty, maintaining its leading position for a second year in a row.

Ethiopian Airlines (or “Ethiopian” as it is commonly known) was recently named the “Best Airline in Africa” by SKYTRAX. spoke to GCEO Tewolde GebreMariam about some of the factors behind the company’s remarkable success.

The awards suggest there is something special about Ethiopian. But what is it that sets it apart from its competitors? GCEO Tewolde GebreMariam offers some insight:

“Another hugely important milestone for Ethiopian was the restarting of flights between Addis Ababa and Asmara, Eritrea

“Ethiopian always gives prime attention to offering a premium customer service, and always strives to meet and exceed customers’ expectations. We have also reached these milestones due to the continued efforts of all our employees.” Of course, it is easy to make claims along these lines, and most airlines will succeed in matching them. However, when they’re backed up by a string of awards determined by the votes of passengers, they become impossible to ignore.

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E t h i o p i a n

Vision 2025

Ethiopian is investing heavily in its Vision 2025 plan, which is geared towards its overall goal of become Africa’s premier aviation group. The company is making a huge investment in human capital, increasing the number of its employees to sixteen thousand and offering leadership and capacity building training for staff, in addition to producing aviation professionals at its aviation academy.

“The national flag carrier also topped all of its rivals among SKYTRAX’s World’s Top 100 Airlines 2018 list, moving up from number forty-eight last year to forty In terms of infrastructure, the airline has state-of-the-art aviation academy, cargo, catering and MRO facilities. Its expansion works on the Addis Ababa Airport terminal and Ethiopian Skylight Hotel project are both nearing completion. Its recent success suggests sure progress towards its already ambitious goals. In fact, the airline has already surpassed the targets laid out in its Vision 2025 plan, to the extent that it has had to revise them and set its bar even higher.

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Intra-African cooperation

Ethiopian’s expansion plans have involved a number of intraAfrican relationships (including with Malawi Airlines, Togo-based Asky Airlines, and the potential acquisition of a stake in Nigeria Air). GebreMariam told how Ethiopian feels about the importance of these relationships: “The ever booming economy of Africa has resulted in the soaring demand for air travel. This growing appetite for air travel and the uneven competition from foreign carriers, which currently dominate the African market, cannot expect a win-win using one single African airline. For indigenous African airlines to succeed and get their fare share of the market, partnerships between African airlines are a must.”

A i r l i n e s

Another hugely important milestone for Ethiopian was the restarting of flights between Addis Ababa and Asmara, Eritrea. GebreMariam describes what it was like for Ethiopian to play a key role in reuniting families and furthering cooperation between the two nations: “The re-launch of this flight was so significant for the airline that a representative of the Ethiopian Group was among the delegation led by our former Prime Minister on board the first flight from Addis to Asmara. “The immense impact of the flight was evident in the outpouring of emotions from reunited families, and the very warm reception of the Eritrean government and people at Asmara airport.”

Aviation

Ethiopian defines itself as first and foremost a pan-African airline, bringing Africa together while also closer to the rest of the world. GebreMariam notes that Ethiopian has been serving Africa in good and bad times for close to seven decades. Its positive spirit is not just good for business, but also good for African growth as a whole.

Cargo Terminal II

In 2017 Ethiopian inaugurated Cargo Terminal II, the largest air cargo terminal on the continent.

GebreMariam told us how, one year on, this has added to the airline’s capabilities: “The terminal is helping to expedite the overall shipment process. Built under the framework of Vision 2025, the new Cargo terminal will help create a fully-fledged profit center for multiple destinations.” The new terminal is helping to achieve this due to its extensive array of facilities. These include a

“Ethiopian will remain “at the forefront of Africa’s commercial aviation industry by operating the most advanced airplanes, maintaining technological leadership with the latest fleet that the technology has to offer

dry cargo terminal warehouse, a perishable cargo terminal fitted with different climate chambers and cool chain storage, a fully automated warehouse with the latest Elevating Transfer Vehicle (ETV) technology, office buildings, as well as all the facilities necessary for keeping a large number of employees comfortable while on site.

An expanding fleet

Despite recently taking delivery of a landmark 100th aircraft, Ethiopian already has clearly defined plans towards growing its fleet. GebreMariam sees fleet acquisition as “an affirmation of Ethiopian’s pioneering role in African aviation and the successful implementation of our fast, profitable and sustainable growth plan”. GebreMariam promises that Ethiopian will remain “at the forefront of Africa’s commercial aviation industry by operating the most advanced airplanes, maintaining technological leadership with the latest fleet that the technology has to offer”. The fact that Ethiopian cleaned up among African airlines in an international awards campaign voted for by passengers is itself remarkable. But perhaps even more so is its continuing ambition, met with intelligent planning and tangible results, to reach the very top.

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Motorola Solutions w w w . m o t o r o l a s o l u t i o n s . c o m

Always call W on

The name has long been associated with technological innovation in the communications sector, but Motorola Solutions isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t done with development. You could say that in Africa, the company is only getting started.

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ith a reputation formed over nearly a century, Motorola Solutions operates at the very top of critical communications. The company works with customers across the public and private sectors and constantly develops its products to achieve the highest level of impact at the moments when it matters most. Although it operates worldwide, Travis Heneveld, an account director based in Kenya, maintains that there is something unique about what the

Technology

company is doing across the African continent. Thanks to fresh opportunities, such as its recent participation at the Africa Security Symposium at the end of May, Motorola is continuing to expand its customer base and technological capabilities. “Before now, Africans have had to travel the world to meet one vendor or another, hear from industry thinkers driving product development and see where the sector is going,” says Heneveld. “Now there is a platform for public safety officials to share their experiences and knowledge. For us, this is a very important platform.”

Growth of critical communications

Africa is one of Motorola’s fastest growing regions, with a high demand for cost-efficient and high-performance critical communications solutions across

a wide range of industries. The region has the highest adoption rates of digital mobile radio (DMR) worldwide, and is becoming more and more interested in newer technologies as well.

In the moment

Last year, Motorola Solutions was a key sponsor of Mission Critical Africa, the first ever event in Africa focused on opening up access to critical communications solutions. The mere existence of such a conference conveys an everincreasing need for reliable networks and products.

“Our key remit is supporting customers the moment they become aware of an event, during its unfolding and afterwards,” asserts Heneveld. “Whether it’s for the command and control room or whether it’s for the police officer or peacekeeper, helping them be protected, efficient and proactive in the moments that matter.”

These events also open up new opportunities across Africa for industries outside of the public sector to utilise critical communications. Utility companies and large infrastructure companies, Heneveld says, are equally in need of solutions to keep their workers safe and respond in realtime to situations.

This is particularly true in the case of peacekeeping. It’s vital that the technologies it provides are able to promote security and stability from anywhere in the world, balancing multilateral operations and delivering a fast and valuable response to ongoing situations.

“This is all critical infrastructure with critical communications needs,” insists Heneveld. “If you save money, save time, save resources, you have more resources to do other things, like making sure your workers are secure.”

Whatever industry it’s operating in, Motorola’s primary objective is always to provide value at the moment of highest impact, allowing for a fast and effectual response to events or situations.

“The interesting thing for these customers is that most of the time, they’re making decisions in places where they’re not physically present,” explains Heneveld. “You’ve constantly got to think about that not just in sharing the same bandwidth or space, but making a decision and acting on it in terms of employing a mission critical network.”

“Now there is a platform for public safety officials to share their experiences and knowledge

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M o t o r o l a

S o l u t i o n s

BIPTel Pty Ltd

“Our key remit is supporting customers the moment they become aware of an event

Established in 2005 as an Information Communications Technology; BIPTel Pty Ltd has evolved into a fully fledged communication solutions provider with its core business strongly focused on providing mobility, data communication and networking solutions. We are a group of passionate Technology experts with years of experience in systems integration. We supply business communication solutions that ensure the highest level of reliability, compatibility and performance which help our clients increase their operational effectiveness and productivity. For more information visit us at:

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Developing around the core

Motorola also isn’t afraid to branch out beyond its base range of products to try and encompass everything that Africa’s critical communications sector could potentially need. It continues to deliver and outperform in its core traditional critical networks market, where there is a growing demand, all the while investing in more advanced technologies that can help make its solutions even more valuable at the point of use. “It’s more and more software application that public safety and humanitarian users can use,” elaborates Heneveld. “These applications use more advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and sensors to get data for first responders.” Motorola don’t simply implement technology for the sake of technology, however. Everything from its LXN500 ultra-portable network infrastructure, which can be linked to things like artificial

intelligence, drones and more, to increased inclusion of video in its solutions is developed with the purpose of making the mission of critical networks more straightforward. “We want our projects and successes to be really balanced between the traditional mission critical voice projects and also get ourselves into areas where the future of disaster resilience is being tested,” explains Heneveld. “Even better if those solutions can take place on the same terrain.” Indeed, aside from groundbreaking new innovations, a priority for the company is also marrying capabilities that complement each other, but are yet to work effectively in unison. With a mixture of IT and communications, Motorola can have a higher impact on the usability of its products when it matters most. “For me, that’s one of the most rewarding things about Motorola,” shares Heneveld. “We’re constantly finding the right

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balance between two areas that are not connected enough.” When it comes to responding to Africa’s evolving security landscape, Motorola Solutions is constantly renewing its commitment to effective development, whether that’s opening its product range up to new markets or implementing the right kind of technology. Through its ongoing presence at events such as the Africa Security Symposium, its position at the heart of Africa’s critical communications sector is left in no question.

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Sage

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Connecting Connecting to a digital future

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ITC

The fourth industrial revolution is coming, and it’s all about ICT. But is adoption of new technologies, like the solutions offered by Sage, happening quickly enough across Africa?

t’s no secret that modern technology opens up new horizons for economies of all sizes. By some estimations, introduction and investment in information and communication technology (ICT) has been responsible for a quarter of GDP growth in most developing countries since 2000. But progress on Africa’s digital transformation journey is inconsistent. South Africa begun this millenium as one of the 10 most connected nations in the world, but has since plummeted to 72, while its rank in Africa has slipped from first to third. The notable difference between South Africa and current continental leader Kenya is their approach and commitment to technology, as the latter has invested in technology, implemented attractive regulatory frameworks and improved its connectivity, growing its GDP by 25% as a direct result.

Sage, the world’s leading provider of HRMS for the midmarket, has a long-established reputation for delivering industryleading cloud accounting, payroll and financial business solutions to businesses across Africa, driving economic growth through technology.

Evening out the field

The growth of African businesses can be stunted for any number of reasons - from ineffective policy to lack of access to platforms and support - leaving them disadvantaged compared to their international counterparts. However, if they are able to benefit from internet connectivity, ICT can open up the same possibilities for businesses in Africa as it does for those in any other country in the world. In 2017, Sage rolled out some of its most widely used solutions across the African continent, driving growth for both the company and the economies benefiting from its products. Sage Live, also known

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JERA Consulting...

as Sage Business Cloud Financials, was launched in South Africa last August, while Sage One Payroll became available in Kenya and Nigeria, resulting in double digit growth for the Sage Group across all of these solutions. As a result, more African businesses in key emerging economies are benefiting from the same world-leading technologies, such as cloud accounting, automation and artificial intelligence, as companies operating in more developed markets.

Tapping into a growing market

Improved connectivity and access to technology has opened new possibilities for Africa’s large number of small to medium enterprises (SMEs)

and mid-market companies to expand beyond their current operations. Stephen Howe, joint managing director for South African Times 3 Technologies and top-performing Sage business partner for the first half of 2018, recently told a summit in Spain that increased digitisation stands to make African businesses more competitive and more agile. “To remain competitive, retailers need complete real-time visibility

“ICT has been responsible for a quarter of GDP growth in most developing countries since 2000

...was registered in 1988. Over the last 30 years, JERA has focused and excelled in implementing and supporting ERP systems. They have been successful in retaining most of their customers over the last 30 years by growing the company in tune with their customers’ growth. With professional services and dedicated support, they have retained the leading edge over their competitors. With more than 16 certified expert consultants, they are considered as the leaders in their field. This leading edge is supported by a tried and tested implementation methodology which is followed up by a Service Level Agreement which provides their customers peace of mind while controlling their costs during the implementation lifecycle and beyond. We are proud to provide service and systems of the highest quality. Through continuous improvement of skills and methodologies, we can provide costeffective solutions, measurable Return on Investment for our customers and skills transfers to our customers and their staffs.

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of their business processes and data-driven insight into every aspect of the business, from store or product line profitability to workforce productivity and logistic partner performance,” he added. With an all-in-one cloud-based solution like Sage Enterprise Management, Howe believes that companies can streamline their business operations and better position themselves for growth. African businesses will be able leverage technology as a means of driving efficiencies, which may help them get their foot in the door ahead of global competitors.

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Providing industry Services and systems of the highest quality JERA provides the following products and services to our clients:

The future belongs to those who see possibili�es, before they exist.

• • • • • • • • • • •

Sage Enterprise Management Sage Enterprise Management & HR Business Information Systems Documentation Archiving and Electronic Authorization Electronic Point of Sale Lean Six Sigma process analysis Business Process Improvement Consulting Customer Relationship Management systems APICS Courses and Qualiﬁcations Warehouse Logistics outsourcing Service Level Agreements

Areas where we currently support and are ac�ve in: • • • • • •

Namibia Lesotho Swaziland Congo (DRC) Rwanda Tanzania

• • • • •

Mozambique Nigeria Sudan Uganda Kenya

Africa is being supported from our head office located in Johannesburg, South Africa. We have local offices established in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Lagos Nigeria. Tanzanian clients are supported from our Dar es Salaam office and our Nigerian clients are supported from Lagos.

235 Rondebult Road Boksburg, Farrarpark South Africa Tel: +27 (0)11 913 3320 Mobile: +27 (0)76 196 1387

Website : www.jera.co.za Linkedin : Jera Consul�ng Facebook : Jera Consul�ng Point of Contact : Ryan De Kock

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“It was great to see the Finance Minister talk extensively about the hopes and concerns of entrepreneurs and small businesses in his budget speech,” said Bensch. “We welcome his acknowledgement that low market access and high barriers to entry are constraining the growth of the country’s small businesses.”

“Increased digitisation stands to make African businesses more competitive and more agile A tool for equality

With the boom in ICT adoption being called the “fourth industrial revolution”, greater access to platforms that drive economic growth has the potential to repair some social inequalities. This is particularly crucial for South Africa, which has been named the most unequal country in the world by the World Bank. The mobile nature of cloudbased technology, in particular, has the potential to give disadvantaged groups an equal opportunity to be a part of the fourth industrial revolution if they are given access to the right solutions. During her keynote address at the first Etion Digital Transformation Congress in July, Pinky Kekana, South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Communications, emphasised the importance of allowing young black Africans to participate in the country’s digital future.

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“It is a travesty of social justice that young black Africans interact with ICT tools for the first time at tertiary institutions,” she said. “We need to make sure that this digital explosion we are experiencing does not make the rich richer and the poor poorer.” Despite not living up to its full potential in recent years and falling behind other African nations, recent changes in government paint a pretty picture for South Africa’s digital future. During his budget speech in February of this year, Mulasi Gigaba, Finance Minister, spoke at length about the role of technology in the country’s future growth and the need for young people to access it, announcing 39,000 bursaries for prospective teachers in science and technology. This was news that Pieter Besch, executive vice president for Africa & Middle East at Sage, welcomed wholeheartedly.

While countries like Kenya have long since embraced the full potential of ICT and reaped signifi cant economic rewards as a result, it appears that South Africa is fi nally catching on to its transformative ability. Adoption of ICT across the African continent would create a positive and highly competitive economic environment for businesses of all sizes, while providing notable social benefi ts as well.

Business Process Solutions Your operations executed smartly Deloitte Business Process Solutions are Sage X3 implementation partners like no other. Our unique take on executing business processes helps clients achieve their vision. Our solutions are tailored to our clientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; business environment whether on a short or long-term basis, leveraging our solid African footprint.

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Airsys

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Getting people

A distributor of leading two-way radio products and systems, Airsys has seen continued growth and is now making its presence felt in Africa. Its ability to provide exceptional added value to its product range while choosing the best manufacturing partners gives the company an excellent position when it comes to growth within African markets.

irsys is a company with over twentyfive years in its chosen field. A key distributor of two-way radio units and associated systems, its focus has always been on providing its customers with the means to grow, by choosing the best products and offering market leading aftercare and added value.

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Partnered with some of the largest manufacturers in the world, including Motorola, Kenwood and Icom, Airsys has always been able to choose the right solutions for its customers, given the needs of their market. This ability to pair the right manufacturers with the right resellers, coupled with its ambition and its positive company

philosophy, have allowed it to grow and expand towards becoming a global force. Airsys Africa might be seen as an extension of the central business, based in Southampton in the UK. However, the needs of the UK market are of course completely different to those in Africa. Reliable two-way radio technology is important to the

Telecommunication

continent, especially where cellular infrastructure is unreliable or underdeveloped. As an essential distributor of Motorolaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading range of two-way radios and accessories, it provides the products behind one of the leading brands in a market which has the highest adoption of Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) worldwide.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;This focus on technical support is just one things that separates Airsys from its competitors

End-to-end service

Threaded through all of the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s offerings is that it is not simply a distributor of radio technologies. Airsys instead positions itself as an end-to-end service provider, advising on the choice of product, delivering it (shipping orders from its warehouse by the next working day), offering single point of

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contact support, as well as local demonstrations and technical training workshops. This focus on technical support is just one things that separates Airsys from its competitors. While obviously finding a lot to talk about when it comes to the individual products it distributes, throughout the company’s literature are demonstrations of how far it goes with its support, adding value at every opportunity. One example of this can be seen in its UK-based Airsys Academy, announced in August 2018. Not only do the series of classes aim to bring resellers up to speed on the hardware and software behind its products, but also (quote taken from an article by Airsys featured in Land Mobile, the only monthly publication dedicated to B2B wireless communications) to “shape ambitious sales objectives to achieve opportunities from gaining the right trust of the right people”. In other words, not only does Airsys provide the right products, and the right knowledge to sell them, but it is also actively involved with improving its

customers’ sales abilities. As its strapline states: “our goal is simple – we want to help you grow your business”.

A local company

Another string to to the company’s bow might be said to be its relationship with communities, both in its native UK and in Africa. With localised support and a strong presence in the communities it works in, Airsys aims to be a company with a local feel. In the UK the company is known to support a number of local charity events under its Airsys Community scheme.

Visibility in the defence market With a high number of attendees at May’s Africa Security Symposium, it can be seen that Airsys is looking to become a key player in this market. Providing Motorola products certainly helps with this aim, with the brand expanding all the time and becoming one of the most recognised on the continent, especially among those working in the defence industries.

“The company’s relationship with Motorola is a close one

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T e c h n o l o g y

The defence industry is one that requires solutions that must withstand extreme situations and environments, as well as technical support that eliminates the possibility of downtime, both of which Airsys has positioned itself to supply. The company’s relationship with Motorola is a close one. Since Airsys’s inception it has worked with Motorola, providing customers with far more than just reliably available and cutting-edge stock. This long working relationship buoys Airsys’ ability to provide added value to its service offering. The company can now boast twenty-six years of accumulated technical and business knowledge available to be transferred on to its customers, at the point of sale and beyond.

Choosing the right partners

In 2018 Airsys Africa announced a new partnership, with the Pushto-Talk (PTT) solutions provider TASSTA. A partnership unique to the African market, Airsys and TASSTA are together offering a modern PTT solution able to utilise all the technical capacities of ordinary smartphones. The partnerships goes further towards demonstrating Airsys’ ability to impact its customers with advanced communications solutions. Using its quarter century of knowhow and its carefully chosen partners it continues to meet its goal of helping businesses grow.

Our Soluï¿½ons Include: ICT COMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRIAL - IOT ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE GREEN ENERGY

OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS WE HAVE MADE GLOBAL STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS TO HELP PROVIDE RELIABLE COMMUNICATION OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS WE HAVE MADE GLOBAL STRATEGIC AND NETWORK SOLUTIONS PARTNERSHIPS TO HELP PROVIDE RELIABLE COMMUNICATION AND NETWORK SOLUTIONS

Samanga Solutions Limited 2nd Floor, Plot 12, Bukoto Street, Kamwokya P.O. Box 9237, Kampala, Uganda Tel: +256 41 469 7687 Cell: +256 70 317 4483 | +256 79 526 9092 Email: info@samangasolutions.com

Rand Water w w w . r a n d w a t e r . c o . z a

Staying out of hot

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Utilities

Maintaining a steady supply in a waterscarce country like South Africa is no easy task. Yet somehow, state-owned Rand Water has managed to maintain consistent resources and financial self-sufficiency for over one hundred years.

t a time when the South African government is cracking down on financial mismanagement and corruption in state-owned enterprises, Rand Water stands out as a notable exception. The utility, which operates mainly in the northern Gauteng province under the Department of Water and Sanitation, is a profitable and well-run entity that has consistently displayed a commitment to reliable water supply and sustainability. Providing water in a country that is frequently crippled by shortages is no mean feat. Yet Rand Water successfully provides over 3,500 million litres of water daily to over 11 million people, using its distribution network of over 3,000 kilometres of pipeline.

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KSB Pumps and Valves (Pty) Ltd KSB achieves Level 1 B-BBEE status

Rand Water isn’t just adequate though - it’s actually a profitable and well-run SOE. In the last six months of 2017, the company turned a R1.8 billion profit, a massive increase of 21.3%. Throughout its one hundred years of history, it has always managed to remain financially self-sustaining. Yet the company succeeds because it knows that it is a rarity, and can make strategic decisions that are in line with the challenges it so clearly faces.

“Providing water in a country that is frequently crippled by shortages is no mean feat Reliability

Rand Water’s success stands in stark opposition to many other SOEs in the country, particularly state-owned electricity company Eskom Holdings, which has long been infamous for its astronomical debt of R600 billion, frequent blackouts and ongoing allegations of corruption. But Eskom’s problems are South Africa’s problems too, and Rand Water knows it is no exception. Currently, the company relies on Eskom’s electricity to supply water through its pipeline systems, and back in 2014, a power outage cut water supply to some municipalities for

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nearly two weeks. In June, Rand announced that it had invested R300 million in emergency power supplies in a bid to ensure its ability to supply water to its customers remains uninterrupted by Eskom’s woes. “We want to go off-grid,” commented Sipho Mosai, chief operating officer, at the launch of the emergency units in Roodeport. The decision to become more independent of Eskom comes just after the protest action by Eskom employees led to loadshedding, disrupting power supply across the country.

One of Rand Water’s largest pumping system suppliers, KSB Pumps and Valves (Pty) Ltd recently announced that it has achieved Level 1 B-BBEE status following the acquisition of 30% of its holding company’s shares by a 100% black women-owned company, Insikazi Synergies (RF) (Pty) Ltd. For the German-owned multi-national, transformation is not only a strategic imperative for operating in this market, but something it embraces as a company that will soon celebrate 60 years of operating in South Africa. ‘We are proud to be the first pump and valve Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) to achieve Level 1 B-BBEE status in South Africa,” says KSB managing director for South Africa, Dr Sven Baumgarten. Insikazi has four shareholders, all highly qualified and experienced black businesswomen who will actively contribute to the KSB business, with Nonhlanhla Ngwenya and Matshepiso Finca joining the Board of Directors.

Stress headaches

Irrespective of third parties, South Africa is a water-stressed country, making Rand Water’s job a daily uphill battle. Water loss through leaking pipes, some of which are over a hundred years old, is a nationwide issue, driving up prices while limiting supply for customers. It’s estimated that South Africa loses R7 billion in water every year. Across the country, there is an urgent need for new infrastructure as well as infrastructure refurbishment projects to prevent South Africa from running out of water. Rand Water have been at the forefront of the world’s largest bi-national infrastructure project in cooperation with landlocked Lesotho for two decades.

The Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP) is a large-scale infrastructure project aimed at redirecting water from the mountains of Lesotho to South Africa, providing hydropower for the former and adequate water supply for the latter. Construction on the second phase of the project began in 2014.

Empowering the community

While improvements to infrastructure are undoubtedly necessary, Rand Water also takes a proactive approach to water loss prevention by empowering the community to take matters into their own hands. Infrastructure projects, although desperately necessary,

Sector

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Pump station rehabilitation and upgrading – state-of-the art water engineering technology

CMY

With decades of experience KSB has become a specialist in pumping station rehabilitation and upgrading in all the water sectors. From detailed planning through to implementation – KSB provides support at all stages of pumping station rehabilitation and upgrading. • • • •

Pumps Diesel Generators Plant accessories such as pipes and valves Telecommunication systems

• • •

Low and high voltage switchgear Control systems for fully automatic operation System analysis and design.

For more information on this email our Projects department on projectsalesza@ksb.com www.ksbpumps.co.za

aren’t being commissioned quickly enough and those that have begun construction may not be complete in time to avert a water crisis. As a result, Rand Water has an active Community Based Projects Department (CBPD) which partners with municipalities on projects aiming to reduce water losses. Through the work of the CBPD, community members in affected municipalities receive accredited training on the detection of leakages as well as repair work. This has not only given rise to improved water supply and fewer leakages in regions where projects have taken place,

but opened up new business opportunities for community members and empowered them to play an active role in water loss management initiatives in future to help mitigate the effects of leakages while they are still an inevitability.

Making preparations

Rand Water is not blind to South Africa’s challenges. On the contrary, its crystal-clear vision is instrumental to both its financial success and continued reliability

in terms of supplying water to its domestic, commercial and industrial customers. This ability to recognise upcoming obstacles before they become a problem continue into the company’s most recent report, where they were open about the challenges presented by climate change. However, Rand Water is already preparing to develop technology that will increase efficiency and make sure that its operations stand the test of time. If their history of adaptability and foresight is anything to go by, customers in Gauteng province can trust that Rand Water will continue to cope with both environmental and infrastructure constraints.

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ERWAT

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Changing from

RWAT was started more than twentyfive years ago as a Section 21 (non-profit) company, with its main shareholders being the municipalities of Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg and Lesedi.

A lot has changed in the last year. have a look at the new challenges faced by South Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s East Rand Water Care Company as it continues to demonstrate its ability to effect change.

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Since then it has grown to provide wastewater treatment services to roughly two thousand different industries and 3.5 million individuals with access to sanitation services, and has continuously impressed with its financial responsibility and the quality of its services, maintained during difficult economic and political times.

Utilities

ERWAT remains one of the most visible companies in South African utility and infrastructure. With its importance to the city of Ekurhuleni, a strategically essential metropolis powered by agriculture, mining and manufacturing and a future “Aerotropolis”, it has positioned itself as one of the entities at the forefront of infrastructural progress, and with exciting developments underway looks to be further extending its reach in the near future.

A changing world

last looked at ERWAT in the first half of 2017 – before the resignation of Jacob Zuma under troubling circumstances, and the subsequent election of President Cyril Ramaphosa. South Africa is a nation under strain, although there are positive things on the horizon, with recent announcements suggesting a more buoyant future for the nation’s infrastructural development. There are several powerful positives and negatives balancing South African politics and economics at this time.

Commodity prices are not at the lows seen during 2017. The mining industry – one that’s essential to the growth of ERWAT – is looking strong. However, uncertainty surrounding economic policy and a slowdown from the agriculture sector have plunged South Africa into an economic recession, with pressure on the Rand felt across all industries. Some are pointing to the new President’s attempts to alleviate this pressure. President Ramaphosa recently announced a R400 billion government investment plan, to be injected into infrastructure over the next four years. The ambitious package will be run by experts employed by the presidency as well as managers recruited from the private sector. While many welcomed the announcement, others were quick to point that the South African government do not have a flawless record when it comes to managing enormous projects such as this. Critics have pointed to the failings of Eskom and Transnet, with several expressing

“ERWAT remains one of the most visible companies in South African utility and infrastructure

“As it has shown before it combines an attitude and a service offering that affords impressive adaptability during uncertain times concern that, as well as more serious potential issues, capacity may not be high enough for such investment, and that radical policy announcements may discourage investment over the long term. ERWAT therefore finds itself in a very different situation that even just eighteen months ago. However, as it has shown before it combines an attitude and a service offering that affords impressive adaptability during uncertain times.

Continuing to add value ERWAT prides itself not just in its water treatment capabilities, but in the value it offers to customers through additional technical services, laboratory services and training.

Having increased R&D in recent years, as well as becoming more involved in academic research, ERWAT now boasts a SANAS 17025 accredited laboratory, offering the water industry a variety of important services, including

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EPCCC

chemical and biological analysis of wastewater, drinking water and food products, as well biomonitoring, assistance with legislation, and automatic liquid sample hire. Speaking to in 2017, managing director Tumelo Gopane mentioned plans for “a training centre and a centre of excellence in waste water treatment... We’re also developing an E-learning centre – this will be available to companies and individuals across Africa as there is a big need in continental Africa to train operators and process controllers.” While its training services are not quite fully realised ERWAT’s ambition is clear – to become the go-to provider for water services in South Africa, and then the continent as a whole. Adding this kind of value to already essential services is a way to get noticed in a difficult and complex marketplace.

Green Drop status

Another way ERWAT is looking towards the future is in its ongoing efforts towards gaining Green Drop certification, an incentivebased regulation focusing on wastewater. The company has announced a 83.61% Green Drop performance, with several of its plants achieving full certification. The company ensures progress with quarterly reports and an ongoing commitment toward

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improving water treatment services for all of its customers. ERWAT plays an essential role in assisting the management of wastewater, a process that has a knock on effect as wastewater is passed on from company to company – when done poorly, it can have a significant negative effect on productivity across a huge range of industries. The sanitation backlog is one often overlooked among the obstacles faced by South African infrastructure. One way the company is helping towards overcoming these obstacles can be seen in its role in the recent reestablishment of the City Water Managers Forum. ERWAT’s voice can now be heard on a platform encouraging engagement with municipal authorities, and plans are underway for Gauteng to establish its own “water war room”, ensuring the company’s influence will grow. Wherever it can be seen, ERWAT can be seen making an unprecedented effort towards improving the water treatment industry, from both outside and within.

Established in 2007 with a qualified team of 16 staff with a combined total of 35 years experience in pump electrical motor and repairing of gearboxes Using advanced designs and modern techniques, all our solutions are built to reduce your costs of pumping through minimizing downtime and energy consumption, something that is critical to all our customers nowadays. We are BEEE accredited level 1 company and registered with the Construction Industry Development Board. Grade 6ME PE We aid in Blue Drop certification. This is an indication that the water supply authority has complied with a stringent set of procedural, chemical, biological and other requirements. As well as the green drop award demonstrates that the municipality is achieving high standards in the management and delivery of an efficient waste water service.

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ERWAT - Leading the way. ERWAT is the first utility in Gauteng to implement the proven and innovative Nereda® technology. They have done so by increasing the capacity of the Hartebeestfontein WWTP by 5MLD in an ingenious retrofit application. This is an example of the innovative thinking that holds the key to unlocking the solutions to our country’s sewage treatment infrastructure backlog. The South African reality is that we no longer have the luxury of building plants without considering the optimal use of available land; Capital budgets being constrained; Energy costs rapidly increasing annually and many of our rivers, streams and dams are polluted as a result of aging and overloaded treatment infrastructure. Nereda® is undoubtedly a compelling proposition when addressing these challenges.

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Utilities

Tel: +27 (0)11 693 1749 Cell: +27 (0)74 580 3305

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6 Honda Street, Unit 33/36 Aureus Industrial Estate Ext 3, Randfontein

•Repairs to all types of pumps Email: epccc.info@gmail.com •Repairs to all makes of gearboxes Website: www.epccc.co.za •Site service and maintenance •Recondi�oning of mechanical seals CIDB GRADES: •Rewinding to all electric motors both AC and DC • 6ME PE • 5EP PE •Condition monitoring • 5CE PE • 5SO PE •Installa�on and commissioning of pumps, gearboxes and motors

A SUSTAINABLE & COST-EFFECTIVE

Nereda ® Installation at Epe

advanced biological wastewater treatment technology.

THE NEREDA ® ADVANTAGE

South Africa’s sewage treatment infrastructure is characterised by overloaded plants that consume high amounts of electricity, the cost of which is escalating rapidly each year, and a shortage of available land for plant expansion. Capital budgets are also constrained. So, how can we provide bulk sewage treatment service delivery whilst optimising CAPEX, energy consumption and land usage with NO compromise on treated effluent quality?

AFFORDABILITY Between 20% and 50% reduction in energy consumption compared to CAS and significant reductions in CAPEX requirements which together result in massive plant life cycle cost savings.

The value proposition for municipal clients… Nereda® is an innovative and cost-effective technology invented by the Deft University of Technology. Biomass in Nereda® develops as fast settling aerobic granular sludge that has excellent settling properties and therefore does not require a time consuming decant phase. All biological treatment processes and settling occur in a single tank.

FOOTPRINT Massive reduction in site space requirements (up to 75% reduction compared to CAS).

Nereda ® Aerobic Granular Sludge

COMPLIANCE Excellent treatment performance including nutrient removal and extremely robust granular biomass. FLEXIBILITY Suitable for new greenfield plants and retrofits.

NEREDA® IS A PROVEN TECHNOLOGY THERE IS NO LIMIT ON THE SCALE OF PLANT FOR NEREDA®. NEREDA® IS EASY TO OPERATE. For all enquiries on Nereda® contact Graham Hartlett graham@wecprojects.com

011 745 5500

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WEC PROJECTS (Pty) Ltd

Water

Sewage

Renewable Energies

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SBSTanks w w w . s b s t a n k s . c o . z a

Right as rain

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South Africa is running out of water. While Day Zero - the day that water supply runs completely dry - in Cape Town was pushed back to 2019, the country desperately needs short-term solutions to water scarcity. SBS Tanks may have just the ticket.

Manufacturing

ater stress is prevalent across SubSaharan Africa, with many countries suffering from inadequate or aging infrastructure and little investment in repair work. The case of South Africa can be particularly frustrating for observers, as the huge potential of its economy is suppressed by frequent droughts and its population’s inability to access reliable water supply. Unfortunately, with infrastructure that loses around 37% of its already-scarce water supply every year, rainfall is no guarantee of improvement

in drought conditions. The situation is causing demand for water storage tanks and other withholding capacities to surge in a bid to save people and industry from having to go without. SBS Tanks is a industry-leading and pioneering provider of water storage solutions to the mining, fire protecting, food and beverage, municipal and water conservation sectors. It has won multiple awards for its efforts in ensuring that South African people and businesses have reliable access to usable water, including Productivity SA’s Most Productive Company in the corporate sector and KZN Exporter of the Year.

“Unfortunately, with infrastructure that loses around 37% of its alreadyscarce water supply every year, rainfall is no guarantee of improvement in drought conditions

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S B S

T a n k s

Economic drought

Access to water is a basic human right that many South Africans struggle with due to supply constraints, but it is also an economic advantage that could be transformational for the country. The industries that contribute the most to South Africa’s GDP at the moment are agriculture, mining and manufacturing, all of which require water for some part of their operations.

Empowering rural communities

In a water scarce country like South Africa, rainfall is a precious commodity that rarely gets used to its full potential. For rural communities, this can give them vital independence. The cost of food has been steadily rising year on year in South Africa, increasing by 3.4% this June compared to the same period in 2017, which has led rural populations to rely more heavily on their own agriculture for sustenance. However, in the absence of effective water storage, they’re suffering the hardest from droughts and problems linked to ineffective supply systems. Rainwater storage tanks give rural communities the ability to be self-

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“The tanks provided by SBS store water that is of a much higher quality, limiting exposure to waterbourne illnesses such as cholera or typhoid sufficient and not suffer at the hands of food inflation. In 2016, SBS Tanks donated and installed three 112-kilolitre water storage tanks in the small agricultural towns of Lindley, Mamafubedu, and Trompsburg. These solutions not only allow communities to grow their own food, but they ensure consistent access to a healthy water supply. The tanks provided by SBS store water that is of a much higher quality, limiting exposure to waterbourne illnesses such as cholera or typhoid.

Mining and agriculture also happen to be the two of the top three sectors for water usage, taking up nearly 65% of the total between them. The use of water in these industries is nonnegotiable, and inadequate water supply is limiting their growth, and by extension the growth of South Africa’s economy as a whole. Although water storage tanks can help industrial users get the best out of every drop of rain that falls from the sky, distributing it more effectively across their operations, the intensive and heavy duty nature of the mining sector can make it hard to find appropriate solutions. SBS has made every effort to adapt to this market, enabling the mining sector to contribute its full potential to the South African economy. Every tank in the SBS Standard Tanks range comes with internal lining that minimises the ever-

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Manufacturing

CMY

Contact Head Oﬃce: +27 (0)31 705 7759 / 705 6085 Email: info@capecoaters.co.za Website: www.capecoaters.co.za present risk of corrosion in mining operations. SBS also pioneered the use of modular water storage tanks, allowing them to be quickly relocated as is often needed in the industry.

Not being treated urgently

Water storage tanks also provide a realistic near-term solution to a situation that South Africa’s government and business leaders are failing to treat with enough urgency.

It’s estimated that investment in the country’s water resources and infrastructure would need to reach R1 trillion to make the necessary maintenance, repairs and upgrades possible. Andres Nel, Deputy Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, recently estimated that for immediate rehabilitation works, R97 billion is still required.

like those provided by SBS offer a fast and effective solution for many of the regions and industries in most desperate need of reliable water supply. Modular storage tanks also have the added bonus of giving users added control over the resources contained within them, so their use can be adapted to individual, community or business needs.

Particularly when used in conjunction with other water saving initiatives, storage tanks

While water scarcity will undoubtedly continue to be a problem for South Africa, with ‘Day Zeros’ looming in the near future for municipalities all over South Africa, the solutions offered by SBS Tanks can provide a welcome alternative that makes use of natural resources to keep economies and communities ticking over while the country waits on more adequate infrastructure.

“It’s estimated that investment in the country’s water resources and infrastructure would need to reach R1 trillion to make the necessary maintenance, repairs and upgrades possible