Africa Industry Magazine Issue 01

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AFRICA

ISSUE 01 SEPTEMBER 2015 africaindustrymagazine.com

INDUSTRY MAGAZINE

Unilever Changing the face of global capitalism ALSO FEATURED: AFRICA’S MOVERS AND SHAKERS | DHL | TRANSNET SOC LTD | WILDERNESS SAFARIS

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WELCOME

A new magazine FOR A NEW AFRICA The African lion is roaring and the world is listening. Business, innovation and enterprise are fast becoming synonymous with the continent rather than the stereotype of corrupt dictatorships. Challenges remain – but that is true of all emerging markets and even some further developed. No longer can Africa be described as ‘Third World’. Natural entrepreneurship is flourishing with the help of new technologies and improved infrastructure. Industry Magazine has A frica been launched to reflect the

growing confidence and maturity across many countries, east to west, south to north. Emerging economies have many virtues, not least the spotlight being shone on the jewels of enterprise by publications such as ours. It is tempting to say that this contemporary economic landscape has produced a new breed of entrepreneurs – but this is not really true. It is opportunity that has come calling and opened the doors for many notable figures in the banking, digital and technology industries as well as more traditional mining and energy sectors. The African has always had a hard work ethic and a flair for turning a coin, but these abilities are now manifesting themselves in fresh, new companies rather than just cottage industries. In this edition, this spirit of enterprise is encapsulated in the article on some of the continent’s most influential movers and shakers. Bankers, industrialists, hi-tech experts – all are

featured in the run down. What is also noticeable about many of these successful self-starters is how keen they are to help others, through charity work and foundations. Many who came from humble roots have not forgotten that poverty and disadvantage also remain huge factors when it comes to getting on in life. Education and opportunity are necessary to create wealth-makers and a skilled workforce, but stamping out disease and hunger are also priorities. Another feature within these pages is on South Africa’s state organisation, Transnet, responsible for ports, freight rail, and gas and oil supplies. The Government has recognised that its infrastructure must meet modern demands of business and consumers, or investors will look elsewhere, so a massive programme of development is underway – we contrast this with Europe, where nations are hell-bent on squeezing spending and halting infrastructure development due to ‘austerity’. How times have changed!

Many will be aware of the huge efforts the Chinese have made in forging partnerships across Africa. It seems to have made the United States sit up and take notice as we saw with president Obama’s recent visit. There is a whole world of opportunity out there. Some countries are also endeavouring to enhance cross-border trade too. It’s all exciting news. Africa Industry Magazine is aimed at a business audience, we want to reach industry leaders, those at boardroom level as well as those running their own concerns. We are keen to engage with decision-makers and those who are making the new economy tick. The plan is to feature successful enterprises across a range of sectors and in all countries. If you would like to showcase your story, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Our platform is intended to be across print and digital media, to reach an audience hungry to learn the good news about Africa’s new economy. ■

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CONTENTS

What’s INSIDE… 06 IN THE NEWS 10 AFRICA ON THE MARCH Twenty inspiring individuals who are making their mark

15 TRANSNET SOC LTD Infrastructure investment full steam ahead

21 WILDERNESS SAFARIS A walk on the wild side

29 UNILEVER Changing the face of global capitalism

38 DHL Back to the future Operations Director: Mike Sadr mike.sadr@everestglobalmedia.com Managing Director: Jon Pope jon.pope@everestglobalmedia.com Production Manager: Ali Sadr production@everestglobalmedia.com Contributing Editor: Barry Turnbull editorial@everestglobalmedia.com Design: Helen Mathias design@everestglobalmedia.com Accounts Queries: finance@everestglobalmedia.com General Enquiries: info@everestglobalmedia.com

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NEWS

In the NEWS P

resident Muhammadu Buhari swept to power on an anticorruption ticket and has made his first move to back up his words. Bosses at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation have been sacked and a magazine publisher and lawyer has been appointed to take over. Harvard-educated Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu says malpractice will be rooted out and that profits will be properly used for the benefit of the country. Nigerians can only hope this isn’t another false dawn. Kachikwu has promised to smash NNPC’s ‘anything goes’ culture, warning that under-performing employees will lose their jobs. “At the end of the day, NNPC isn’t a public service, it is a corporation and it is going to be run like a company, generating money and profit for Nigerians,” he says. A big challenge is looming for the industry that accounts for 70% of the country’s revenue, which has been mired in murky dealings for a long time. Buhari took office on May 29 after being elected on an anti-graft ticket, pledging to recover astonishing amounts of stolen oil money and bring those responsible to book. He was actually the minister responsible for the launch of the NNPC in 1977, which is now a joint venture between the Government and multi-national corporations, including ExxonMobil, Chevron and Royal Dutch Shell. Africa’s largest economy and oil producer turns out roughly two million barrels of crude per day, but ordinary people have not benefited. Two thirds of the nearly 180 million population live on less than a dollar a day. He has ordered a review of oil-swap contracts, alleging 250,000 barrels of

New pledge on Nigerian oil assets crude a day were stolen during the previous regime, with the profits going into individual bank accounts. The Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI), a New York-based independent watchdog, said in a report that Nigeria was failing to recover the full value of oil sold by the NNPC, amid poorly structured deals and unaccountable spending. Inside NNPC Oil Sales: A Case for Reform in Nigeria is described as the first in-depth, independent analysis of the “complicated and shadowy deals” through which NNPC sells Nigeria’s oil. The report details how the corporation has been increasingly withholding large sums of money from the Nigerian treasury. It retained an estimated $12.3 billion from the sale of 110 million barrels of oil over 10 years, from a single block controlled by a subsidiary, NRGI claims. Oil buyers are often unqualified intermediaries who capture margins for themselves, while adding little value to deals, it said, while oil-for-fuel swap agreements and other contracts are opaque and contain unbalanced terms. In 2013, the treasury received only 58% from $16.8 billion worth of oil NNPC had earmarked for its underperforming refineries, NRGI said. “Oil sales are Nigeria’s biggest revenue stream, but management has worsened in recent years,” said Aaron Sayne, co-author of the report. Mr Kachikwu received a law degree from Harvard and has headed a magazine but, more recently, was a leading player at ExxonMobil Africa. ■

Mozambique planning tax on food imports could be slapped on A tax staples like rice, beans, meat

and eggs to boost domestic sales. Minister of Agriculture and Food Security. Jose Pachero, said the policy had already proved successful on sugar imports, whose surcharge has further increased. Rice farmers in particular have been complaining about imports undermining production in Mozambique as there are no restrictions on product entry, including cracked rice, which is considered to be of low quality. For sugar, the government announced a few days ago that the import benchmark price per ton of raw sugar had been increased from US$385 to US$806 and refined sugar from US$450 to US$932. The measure is intended to ensure fair competition with the Mozambican sugar industry and allow the replacement of imports with domestic production, leading companies to invest more and create more jobs. ■

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NEWS

Labor laws under fire in South Africa opposition Democratic T heAlliance in South Africa has

launched a blistering attack on new Labour reforms, saying they will legalise “wholesale corruption.” Plans to push through procurement regulations will mean a market distortion due to black empowerment rules, it’s claimed. Former DA leader Helen Zille said strengthening the BBBEE (Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment) rules was a political ruse rather than a progressive policy. She added that, under the proposals, companies with the relevant points quota could bolt on a 90% premium to procurement prices. The Western Cape premier blasted: “What it means is that, for certain categories of purchases (tenders under R10-million), we could be paying almost double for goods and services on the basis of the BBBEE points awarded. Firms that have the highest rating will get enough ‘bonus’ points to enable them to double the best market price of a firm with no rating, and still get the contract. There is a sliding scale between firms with no BBBEE status and those with ‘full’ status. If they attain only half the BBBEE status, we will pay 50% more! “So this is what Jacob Zuma’s radical economic transformation policy will mean: more cronies getting more tenders, and charging the state almost double the market value. And anyone who criticizes this will be labelled ‘racist’. “Fortunately, more and more South Africans are seeing through this ruse. They know that the ‘BBBEE’ certification under the Zuma Government has little to do with genuine broad-based empowerment (which we fully support), and everything to do with the enrichment of ‘the network’. Zuma looks after

them, and they look after him. “Let’s be blunt: the new draft regulations, if they are accepted, will legalise wholesale corruption at an even grander scale than we are currently witnessing.” She said the current inner circle of ‘preferred bidders’ will become even richer, while the poor, who depend most on efficient and effective government services, will suffer dire consequences. The Government will pay double the price for the same service. The people will have to pay more for less.

“If the new draft regulations are accepted, they will legalise wholesale corruption at an even grander scale than we are currently witnessing.” “We should no longer mince our words: this system will cause the collapse of the South African economy. It will not result in broad-based economic inclusion. It will re-enrich those who are already well entrenched; it will not lead to economic growth. On the contrary, it will destroy growth and jobs because it creates perverse incentives, rewarding inefficiency and uncompetitive pricing. And as the Government’s capacity to procure goods and services shrinks, many firms will consequently go out of business. People will lose their jobs, while the preselected few flourish.” “Fortunately we have a constitution. I cannot see how the new draft regulations will meet the requirement of Section 195(1)b (amongst others):that “efficient, economic and effective use of resources must be promoted”. And lawful “discrimination” to redress past

injustices, still has to pass the test of “rationality” and “fairness”. “We support rational and fair broad-based empowerment. Both the City of Cape Town and the Western Cape Government have an open and transparent bid adjudication process. This prevents corruption and allows for fair competition in the bidding process. More BBBEE companies have been empowered through our competitive process than was the case during the ANC’s cronybased tenure in Cape Town and the Province. We have been able to procure better services and products at reasonable rates, providing the public better value for its money. At the same time, the BBBEE companies become competitive in the broader economy. “We must take a stand against the new draft proposals from national government, even though we know that the Zuma ANC will respond by ‘playing the race card’ all the way to the 2016 local government election. “However, more people now know what is really going on than ever before. We are not heading for ‘radical economic transformation’. If we endorse these proposals, we are heading for radical economic collapse. Next year ,South Africans will have to decide whether they want to continue endorsing legalized corruption – and growing impoverishment – or whether it is time for change. In a democracy, the voters get the government they choose and it is the government the majority deserves”. ■

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NEWS

Court ruling costs thousands of jobs in Zimbabwe lost 20,000 jobs in a Z imbabwe month after a court ruled that

companies can fire workers by giving them just three months’ notice. The ruling caused a ripple of shock across the nation as employers moved swiftly. The Government is moving to amend labor laws to prevent further carnage. Businesses have been grappling with energy shortages, high finance and cheap imports, but the wave of job cuts has led to renewed anger. Japhet Moyo, Secretary General of the main Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, said that a July 17 Supreme Court ruling had opened a

floodgate for dismissals that has seen private firms and state-owned entities laying off thousands of employees. Instead of the costly process of paying severance packages, businesses now only have to give workers three months’ notice to terminate their employment. “More than 20,000 workers have lost their jobs due to the Supreme Court ruling and, as a union, we are worried that, if the situation is not urgently addressed, more workers will continue to lose their jobs,” she said. Under proposed government amendments, employers can only dismiss a worker on three months’

notice if there is agreement with the employee, or if the worker is on a fixed-term contract, otherwise they are obliged to pay retrenchment packages of at least two weeks’ salary for every year served. Busisa Moyo, President of the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI), which represents mostly manufacturers, said most businesses could not afford to pay retrenchment packages. He added that some companies, including a number of state-owned enterprises had already accumulated salary arrears of up to a year and were behind on tax and pensions payments. ■

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NEWS

Hotel Group plans expansion Hotel Group plans to open M inor five new venues every year for the

next five years. The Thai group already has a portfolio of 26 venues in Africa and sees the continent as being ripe for expansion. It opened an office in Johannesburg to represent its ten properties in Southern Africa. The opening of the new office is a strategic move for MHG, which will enable it to strengthen its position and maximise opportunities within Africa. “Now that we have set up an office in Johannesburg, expansion will become easier,” says CEO, Dillip Rajakarier, noting that the group continues to look for opportunities to add to its portfolio of 26 hotels in Africa. “Our goal is to have at least 50 hotels in different locations in the next five years,” he adds. Former Sun International Senior Executive Sir Richard Hawkins has been appointed as Regional Director of Hotel Operations: Africa. Specifically, MHG sees significant opportunity to launch its Tivoli brand in Africa because of the link between the brand’s origin in Portugal and former Portuguese colonies on the continent. Looking at the group’s current

properties, five hotels in Southern Africa were rebranded to MHG’s AVANI brand at the beginning of July. The five properties form part of the portfolio in which MHG invested a total of R679,5m in its strategic partnership with Sun International, announced in August 2014. The 212-key Zambezi Sun in Zambia has been rebranded to AVANI Victoria Falls Resort; the 196-key Gaborone Sun in Botswana has become AVANI Gaborone Resort & Casino; the 158-key Lesotho Sun and 105-key Maseru Sun – both in Lesotho – have been rebranded to AVANI Lesotho Hotel & Casino and AVANI Maseru Hotel respectively, and the 173-key Kalahari Sands in Namibia has reflagged to AVANI Windhoek Hotel & Casino. The sixth property in the portfolio, the Royal Livingstone Resort, will not be rebranded. Rajakarier is highly positive about MHG’s joint venture with Sun International, saying that, as Sun International places greater emphasis on managing casino operations and MHG’s core focus is on hotel management, marketing and distribution, there is considerable opportunity for more partnerships of this nature. “In this way, we are able to grow together,” he says. ■ AVANI Victoria Falls Resort

Online titan targets Africa online services giant G lobal Amazon is creating 250

highly-skilled jobs in Johannesburg. The company plans to recruit 250 engineers, network specialists, account managers and other technologists to service Amazon Web Services clients. The cloud-based service is a tool for customers, ranging from start ups, new businesses and government organisations. “Amazon has been an active contributor to the South African technology community for over a decade,” said Steve Midgley, Head of EMEA for Amazon Web Services. “By expanding our presence in South Africa, and through hiring highly-skilled staff, we intend to further accelerate the growth of our cloud customers in Africa and around the globe,” said Midgley. In its statement, Amazon said that its Cape Town office was established in 2004 to help it build the Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) service. The company said that the Cape Town office will continue to work on Amazon EC2 as well as on a number of other technologies. ■

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MOVERS and SHAKERS

AFRICA on the march Business, sport, politics, fighting social injustice – Africa is a roaring lion. The continent is now regarded as a foremost land of opportunity and one of the great emerging markets. More foreign investors are flocking to share a piece of the action. And, whereas once it was the foreigner who ruled the roost, now indigenous Africans are starting to provide the leadership and charisma to march the continent forward. There are many examples of inspiring individuals – we have picked out just 20 who are making their mark.

Strive Masiyiwa

James Mwangi

If you rub shoulders with the likes of Obama, Gates, Branson and Kofi Annan you know you’re in the ‘Big Cheese’ league. The quietlyspoken Zimbabwean is a modest religious man, but has a steely determination. Not many would take Robert Mugabe head on – and win. But that legal battle over the state monopoly on telecommunications also led him into exile. The young Masiyiwa’s family were caught up in Rhodesia’s struggle for independence and forced to flee over the border to Zambia. There, a Scottish family enabled him to travel to Scotland to study and later to attend the University of Wales. After returning home he started a business with $75 and now runs Econet Wireless Group. However, his connections in the world of humanitarianism and philanthropy run deep – his foundation helps thousands of destitute children, while his influence has led to invitations to organisations such as the Rockefeller Foundation. Admired as one of the most influential men in the world, he is now resident in London.

The Kenyan banker is one of the most respected figures in Africa and achieved global recognition at Ernst & Young’s Global Entrepreneur of the Year in 2012. As with many high achievers, it was a humble start that triggered his drive to succeed. Mwangi’s father lost his life in the Mau Mau struggles and his mother Grace was left to bring up seven children. Her mantra was education – and this encouragement instilled a work ethic in the young Kenyan that has never left. After gaining an accountancy qualification, he went to work at the struggling Equity Building Society and was given the task of winding it up. Instead, he energised the organisation and its workers, gave them incentives and introduced computers. The transformation was astonishing and it became Equity Bank and was quoted on the Kenyan stock exchange. Mwangi had many ideas, but his focus on customer service and offering micro-finance to small businesses helped shape the financial landscape. Now the bank has footholds in many African territories and a customer base of around nine million. He has received many honours for his contribution to Kenyan society.

Mike Adenuga Mike Adenuga, Nigeria’s second richest man, has investments in mobile telecom and oil production. In 2003, he founded Globacom, which has more than 27 million subscribers in Nigeria, making it the second largest mobile phone network in the country after South African giant MTN. It also serves customers in Ghana and Republic of Benin. Recently he has also launched a $600m bid for Cote d’Ivoire which has 900,000 subscribers in the Ivory Coast. Adenuga is also the founder of oil exploration firm Conoil Producing, which operates six oil blocks in the Niger Delta; about half of which produce oil. Adenuga made his first fortune trading lace and Coca-Cola after returning from his studies in the United States. He made key friendships with top Nigerian military personnel and earned lucrative state contracts along the way.

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MOVERS and SHAKERS

Regineld Mengi

Tony Elumelu

An influential and respected figure and a recipient of the Martin Luther King award in the USA, Mengi’s humble beginnings in Tanzania did not hold him back. He studied in the UK as an accountant and returned to his homeland to work for Coopers Lybrand, rising to Chairman. He is now the biggest media mogul in Tanzania, with interests in Coca Cola, bottled water and mining. A committed philanthropist, he helps hundreds of children receive specialist heart treatment.

In common with many modern African industrialists, Elmelu is crusader for the continent’s development. Indeed he says: “Africa’s development is a personal mission.” His view is that charity is old hat and that a new philanthropy encouraging long term investment for jobs and wealth creation is required. The Nigerian billionaire has stakes in Transcorp and real estate. However he made his mark in banking, acquiring the former Standard Trust Bank and restoring it to profitability. Later came a merger with Bank of Africa. More recently he established Heirs Holding, an investment company for African enterprises.

Isabel Dos Santos For a lady who avoids publicity, the billionaire daughter of Angola’s president makes a big noise. Africa’s richest woman, African of the year, business supremo… according to some. She clearly has a flair for dealmaking; at aged six, she sold chicken eggs to feather her young nest. Born in Azerbajan, the 40-year-old face of African female entrepreneurship studied electrical engineering at King’s College, London, then returned to Luanda to pursue business interests. These included the Miami Beach bar and restaurant and a trucking business. She has a network of interests and telecommunications is a major pursuit, with interests in Portugal’s Zon and Angola’s Unitel. The latter has joined up with Google to build a fibre-optic submarine superhighway from Africa to Brazil. Dos Santos’s marriage to a Congolese art dealer is reputed to have cost $4m.

Ben Magara Cyril Ramaphosa An influential, sometimes controversial figure in South African business and political landscape, Ramaphosa helped dismantle the apartheid regime, built up the powerful National Union of Mineworkers and founded the Shanduka Group. He is currently the Deputy President of South Africa and holds several non-executive positions as well as being a member of Unilever’s African Advisory Council. More recently he took on MacDonald’s African operations.

Chinedu Echeruo On leaving university, Nigerian Chinedu Echeruo worked for J.P. Morgan, before branching out on his own. Ten years ago, he founded Hopstop.com – a mobile and online application providing mass transit directions – and pocketed a reported $1bn when Apple snapped up the business this year. He also created Tripology.com, an interactive travel service, acquired in the USA by Today Travel Media. Harvard-educated Echeruo wants to drive forward small business development in Africa, encouraging other entrepreneurs, and believes that what works well for entrepreneurs elsewhere can be just as effective on the continent.

Boss at Lonmin, the world’s third largest platinum producer, the Zimbabwean was brought in during a difficult period; a time of strikes, violence and fatalities. With his assured approach, he has calmed things down and defused grievances. With world commodity markets in a spin, mining remains a challenging environment, but Magara says it is a long-haul business. Still, Lonmin has been forced to take action with the falling prices. Several mines are to be mothballed and platinum production is expected to fall by 100,000 ounces over the next two years. Jobs will also be cut, but the objective is to create a sustainable long-term business. Clearly Magara has his work cut out.

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MOVERS and SHAKERS

Mamadou Toure

Theophilus Danjuma

Being an influential leader is not all about having billions of dollars at your disposal. At 19, the Cameroonian showed his drive by mobilising African students across Europe. Later, he founded Africa 2.0, a lobby group that forges links between emerging African leaders and the wider diaspora, now with a foothold in 26 countries. He is also a businessman and heads up Ubuntu Capital, a leading investment and advisory firm. Previously, he was MD of General Electric Africa and also worked in banking, dealing with private sector investments. He has worked on advisory assignments in more than 20 countries and been involved with transactions valued at $30bn.

Ty Danjuma is a former Nigerian general, minister of defence, philanthropist and millionaire businessman with many interests. He sits on the board of publicly quoted and private companies and is the founder of NAL-Comet Group and South Atlantic Petroleum. In 2008 he set up a foundation in his name with an endowment of $100m to alleviate poverty in impoverished communities. The statesman is held in wide esteem for his business and philanthropic works.

Simdul Shagaya The tech entrepreneur is the founder and CE of Konga.com, Nigeria’s leading online shopping mall. He also runs DealDey, a daily deals operation. Konga has really taken off, but it wasn’t always a smooth path. Previously, he attempted online portals for dating, jobs and classified, but says these were before their time, whereas now Nigeria is a market with growing mobile traffic and fast-expanding internet access. In 2013, Shagaya won the All-African Business Leaders’ award for top entrepreneur. The Harvard graduate says he hit on the name Konga as in Nigeria it means water well and more and more people are dipping into this particular shopping well every day.

Orji Uzor Kalu It’s hard to avoid politics in business, but Kalu embraced the challenge; as a minority Igbo he believes in political equality and, as State Governor, he faced this head-on amid allegations from opponents. As a young man, he was expelled from university for inciting riots so, with just $35, started trading commodities, and was a millionaire at age 20. Lucrative contracts followed. He now owns a group focusing on fuel, finance, real estate, trade, manufacture, insurance and two newspapers.

Folorunsho Alakija One of the most powerful and richest women in Africa, Folorunsho began her career as an executive secretary in Lagos, before moving on to the former First National Bank of Chicago and then establishing her tailoring company, Supreme Stitches. As Rose of Sharon House of Fashion, it rose to fame, promote Nigeria through fashion. Folorunsho’s Rose of Sharon Foundation empowers widows and orphans through scholarships and business grants. In 2013, the Nigerian Government inaugurated the National Heritage Council and Endowment for the Arts, making Alakija Vice Chairman. Nigeria’s Minister of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation, Edem Duke, said Nigeria had identified 100 new heritage sites, which “are unique and uncommon assets that we intend to preserve and promote.”

Kola Karim Kola Karim is group managing director and CEO of Shoreline Energy, a Nigerian conglomerate with many interests. The City University, London, graduate heads an operation that straddles the energy and infrastructure sectors; construction, commodities, oil and gas, and engineering. In 2012, it joined with Heritage Oil, acquiring a stake in a Nigerian oilfield for $850m. Mr Karim was Young Global Leader 2008 and is an active member of the Global Agenda Council on emerging multi-nationals of the World Economic Forum. He has delivered papers at conferences, business schools and universities. He aims to develop pioneering operations, contributing to the development of sub-Saharan Africa.

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MOVERS and SHAKERS

Patrick Motsepe

Aliko Dangote

South Africa’s first black billionaire is cut from the same cloth as US business giants Bill Gates and Warren Buffet. He has signed the same philanthropic pledge – to give half his fortune to good causes. But he doesn’t live like a miser – the mining magnate splashed out R68m on a luxury Cape Town retreat set in 12,000sqm of private grounds. Motsepe is Chair of African Rainbow Minerals, a public firm that mines iron, manganese, chrome, platinum, copper, nickel and gold. In addition, he has stakes in a finance company and Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club. Starting out as a lawyer, in 1994, he bought a low-producing gold mine and turned it into a profitable enterprise. He has also benefitted from BEE laws that stipulate that companies must be at least 26% owned to get a government mining license. Motsepe’s largesse includes giving $1m to fight ebola.

Reckoned to be Africa’s richest man, with a fortune estimated at $18.6bn. Interests of the Dangote group include cement, sugar and telecommunications, and it is currently building a $9bn oil refinery in Nigeria. Dangote started by selling sugared sweets at school – now he produces 800,000 tons of sugar annually. He has been honoured by the Government for business activities and donations during the ebola crisis. A keen fan of Arsenal Premier League FC, he hopes to gain a shareholding in the London football club in the future.

Mohammed Dewji Group Chief Executive of Mohammed Enterprises, Mohammed Dewji graduated from Georgetown University and is now Tanzania’s richest man, with a fortune of around $2bn. The company began as a small trading family business and slowly grew across East Africa. Now it has interests ranging from real estate and agriculture to finance and manufacturing, revenues of over $1.3bn and employs 24,000 people. Dewji is also an MP in the National Assembly. He is hungry to see Africans exploit their potential and is always on the lookout for new businesses – especially those that have struggled, or are poorly managed. His strategy is to bring them back to business health. He is bold and ambitious and an influential man both in Tanzania and across the continent. The 40-yearold says he has many more plans to put into operation so strap in – it should be an interesting ride. The MeTL group was actually formed by his grandmother and his roots are in India, but he is now firmly planted on African soil.

Ashish Thakkar The Ugandan is founder and MD of Mara Group, a $1bn company with interests across Africa, India and the UAE. Sectors include financial services, communications technology, manufacturing, real estate and agriculture. He also runs Mara Online, with a portfolio of applications, and Mara Foundation, a social enterprise that mentors young Africans. As a young man, his family were forced to flee Uganda under Idi Amin’s reign of terror and settled in the UK, but yearned to get back to Africa. They settled in Rwanda, but were caught up in the genocide, so were forced to flee again – back to a safer Uganda. Thakkar borrowed money as a 15-year-old to import computer parts from Dubai and his small I.T. business expanded into a wide-ranging business empire. In 2013, he was featured in Fortune magazine’s 40 under 40. Along with former Barclay’s former chief Bob Diamond, he founded Atlas Mara to support banking institutions in Africa. The company floated on the London Stock Exchange, valued at $325m.

Naguib Sawiris Since joining Orascom, the family business, in 1979, Sawiris has helped to make it what it is today – one of Egypt’s largest and most diversified conglomerates and the country’s largest private sector employer. Sawiris established the railway, information technology, and telecommunications sectors of Orascom. In the late 90s, the company was split into separate operating companies: Orascom Construction Industries (OCI), Orascom Telecom Holding (OTH), Orascom Hotels & Development and Orascom Technology Systems (OTS). Holdings include ownership of the world’s sixth largest mobile telecommunications provider, serving 181m customers, following a merger with Vimpelcom Ltd. Sawiris is a towering figure on the Egyptian map and a fierce opponent of the Muslim Brotherhood. ■

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TransneT Soc Ltd

INFRASRUCTURE INVESTMENT full steam ahead

Many Western economies are leading the charge towards austerity – the imposition of strict public spending limits in the face of growing debts. But the miseries inflicted by this sort of policy have been spurned in South Africa, where the national Government is banking on serious investment to underpin the country’s growth strategy. This is encapsulated by the massive capital expenditure programme at Transnet Soc Ltd, the State-owned, freight rail, ports and pipelines utility. so far, so good. Last year’s A nd impressive annual financial

figures have been eclipsed by the latest set, with both revenues and profits driving forward. It’s an early vindication that stagnation and under-investment cannot be the foundation stones for economic prosperity. Of course, heavy financial spending also poses a challenge, but the regime

is satisfied that its arrangements with German and Chinese banking partners are manageable and sustainable. The Market Demand Strategy, launched four years ago, set out a cohesive plan to radically improve the country’s infrastructure as well as offering hope to businesses and thousands of unemployed people. There was also a firm commitment to

The current seven-year programme is ambitious in its scope; R336bn overall, triggering massive improvements to services and ensuring that South Africa is open to business, both at home and abroad. ■ Hundreds of new locomotives being built. ■ 633,000 jobs created or sustained. ■ 19% of port container traffic growth forecast. ■ 555km of new pipeline. ■ Huge shift of freight from road to rail.

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TransneT Soc Ltd

The MDS marks a definite move to demonstrate the role we should play in the development of our economy. Acting CE of Transnet, Siyabonga Gama Siyabonga Gama

empowering black businesses. Acting chief executive of Transnet, Siyabonga Gama, said: “This is the fourth year of the MDS and our unprecedented programme to expand and revamp South Africa’s rail, port and pipelines continues to break records. Spending increased to R33bn, taking total spend to R93.2bn over the past three years. Last year, we announced that we had awarded a R50bn contract for the building of 1064 locomotives to four global equipment manufacturers. In

March this year, we celebrated the successful completion of the first batch of 95 electric locos, 85 of which were completed at Transnet’s Koedoespoort facility and the rest in China.” The company sees a battle looming in its efforts to take freight off the roads. Hauliers are not happy, but roads, especially in rural areas, have been plagued by 58-tonne monster lorries, leaving the network at breaking point. And that is before taking into account the massive 12,000 annual death toll on the roads. Currently, rail transports around 200m tonnes of freight, but there is room for huge gains as the market is around 1.2bn. This is just one element of a multi-stranded approach to tackling infrastructure issues. The arteries have to be free-flowing, says Mr Gama. He described overall investment plans as “simply staggering”, adding: “The MDS is a revolutionary transition in the life of Transnet. It marks a definite move to demonstrate the role that we should play in the development of our economy. We are also creating employment, enhancing local suppliers and

Transnet is building hundreds of locomotives with China South Rail and China North Rail

Transnet’s progressive march forward can even be measured in numbers. For the governmentowned body recently published its latest annual financial figures, and they make impressive reading. ■ Revenue up by 8% to R61.2bn. ■ EBITDA increased by 8.2% to R25.6bn. ■ Overall growth in rail volumes of 7.7% to 226mt. ■ Export coal up 11.9% to 76.3mt. ■ Iron ore and manganese up 10.7% to 69.6mt. ■ Operational efficiency up 16.6%. ■ Seven-year investment programme revised upwards to R336bn. ■ Cash generated from operations, after working capital changes, increased by 21.1% to R30.6bn. ■ Gearing improved to 40% and cash interest cover at 3.6 times. ■ Training spend increased by 3.7% to R644.1m. training for critical skills.” Strong growth in rail volumes led the way, with further inroads into market share. During the year, capital spend at R33bn took the three-year running total to R92.8bn. Bulk cargoes surged, with an 8.1% increase at the ports, while Pipelines’ petroleum volumes rose by 3.6%. Transnet Engineering increased sales to customers other than Freight Rail by 6.3% to R1.7bn, mainly driven by a

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Transnet Soc Ltd

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strong focus on sales of locomotives and wagons to the rest of the continent. Container volumes at the ports remained flat, however, with commodities affected by global demand. One area of note is in efficiency gains, where a creditable 16.6% improvement was reported across the business. The group incorporates Rail Freight, Pipelines, Ports and Engineering arms. FUNDING One of the cornerstones of the development plan is finding the capital to underpin it. The recent deal with Germany’s KfW bank has pumped R2.8bn into new rail rolling stock, a 15-year agreement includes a five-year period of grace with only interest payments. This comes on top of a R30 billion loan facility agreement with China Development Bank (CDB) – for the funding of hundreds of locomotives the company is building with China South Rail and China North Rail as its build programme gathers momentum. Transnet will be drawing the first slice of R18 billion over four years. The loan between CDB and Transnet came about as part of a bilateral memorandum of understanding between South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma and his Chinese counterpart President Xi Jinping. The two heads

The current seven-year programme forcasts 19% port container traffic growth

of state signed a $5 billion MOU in December 2014, cementing bilateral relations between the two partners. The proceeds of the loan will be used to fund the company’s 232 diesel and 359 electric locomotives it is building with CNR and CSR respectively. These locomotives are part of Transnet’s record-breaking 1064 locomotives acquisition programme. These deals have been made possible due to wellmaintained fiscal policies, while much of the world remains in turmoil. And it also augurs well for the future, as South Africa has a solid framework covering commerce, labour and maritime issues. This will be important as Transnet aims to become an increasingly important player in the local and subSaharan markets.

FUTURE PLANS The ambitious seven-year growth programme aims to consolidate and create more than 600,000 jobs across Transnet’s network of activities. Revenue growth is forecast at 18.5% by next year. There are a series of leading objectives, such as addressing capacity constraints, improving rail systems and developing supply chains. Alongside these, will be robust measures to gauge and review performance – vital aspects on large infrastructure projects. As well as 1,000 new locos, there will be an additional 60,000 rail wagons and much increased container capacity at ports. Investments include R210bn in freight rail, R52bn at the National Ports

Transnet’s busy container terminals are regular ports of call for the global shipping trade

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TransneT Soc Ltd

Transnet carries all fuel and gas via its Pipelines Authority, R51bn in port terminals and R13.9bn in pipelines. Transnet has eight ports and also carries all fuel and gas requirements via its pipes. It has five operating divisions; Rail Freight, the National Ports Authority, Port Terminals, Engineering and Pipelines. Transnet Port Terminals handles sea-route freight imports and exports, operating facilities in Richards Bay, Durban, East London, Ngqura, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town and Saldanha. A R1.9bn investment is taking place at Ngqura. It is envisaged that container traffic can increase by 19%. Implementation of Transnet Value Chain Co-ordination is also underway – this sets out to improve collaboration between operating divisions as well as

systems and processes. One ongoing project is edging nearer to completion. The New Multi Products Pipeline runs from Durban to Gauteng, carrying different grades of fuel, but it has been dogged by delays and rising costs for years. There have been environmental concerns, detours and costs have spiralled to R23bn. Although the pipeline has been laid, further pumping stations are required. However, when at full capacity it will deliver 1m litres per hour, meeting demand needs up to 2030. The business handles 16bn litres of liquid fuel and more than 450m cubic metres of gas. Revenues were up 4.2% on the back of a 5.1% rise in delivery prices charged to customers.

Transnet places huge emphasis on training and skills

AFRICA STRATEGY Transnet is not just focussed on delivering an enhanced service for businesses within its borders, it is also looking at cross-border pollination and overseas opportunities. There was an encouraging rise of cross-border revenues to R2.55bn in the past year. The ports of Durban and Ngqura are seen as natural growth hubs for transhipments to West and East Africa. It is hoped this will open up further connections to Angola, Namibia, Mozambique, Mauritius and Tanzanian ports. Also, freight rail has offices in Swaziland and Lesotho and hopes are high for business in the Maputo east-west and north-south corridors. Transnet would also like to be the preferred locomotive manufacturer for sub-Saharan Africa. The country’s membership of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India and China) will also help to fuel potential overseas opportunities SKILLS Transnet places huge emphasis on training and skills. It has earmarked R7bn for this, along with providing

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TransneT Soc Ltd

Transnet sees positive outcomes for the company – and the wider economy – by fostering links with local businesses

Durban is seen as one of the natural growth hubs for transhipments to West and East Africa

another R1.1bn in bursaries. It has schools of excellence for engineering, maritime, rail and pipelines. The intention is to grow the workforce to 67,200 by the end of the seven-year development plan. It has to ensure that skill shortages do not hinder the pace of progress. The Transnet Academy is committed to developing a competent workforce, with its schools having a focus on technical, operational, security and leadership skills. SUPPLY CHAIN PARTNERSHIPS The clear target in supplier development has been in helping small firms grow. These businesses are the backbone of an economy and Transnet sees positive outcomes for the company – and the wider economy – by fostering links with local businesses. This closely follows the government strategy on Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment, which is designed to transform the economy, putting black businesses and entrepreneurs to the fore. According to Minister for Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies, progress was

being made and must continue: “In the automotive sector, government support has taken the industry from the production of 356,800 units in the year 2000 to over 566,000 units in 2014. This support has grown auto exports from 11,000 units in 1995 to over 270,000 units in 2014; 300,000 jobs have been created in the automotive sector. Dr Davies reiterated that the Government’s intervention, aimed at arresting the decline of the clothing, textiles, leather and footwear sector, resulted in 68,0000 jobs being retained in the sector and 6,900 new jobs created since 2010. By the end of March this year, a total of R3.7bn support of the private sector had been approved since the inception of the Clothing and Textile Competitive Programme in 2010. Since 2009, the Department of Trade and Industry supported agro-processing industries to the value of R1.2bn through various schemes. Minister Davies said that what the Government has achieved so far, through the implementation of previous iterations of IPAP, shows that the policy is working. However, there is a need

to scale up industrial development in the country. “We need to scale up the impact of our industrial policy as we are not yet where we need to be. In order to achieve this we need stronger conditionalities to be attached to existing incentive programmes when it comes to competitiveness raising, Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE), supplier development and localisation. We also need to roll out the Black Industrialists Programme and also develop new, sector-specific, incentive schemes, which have proved to be effective in leveraging investment,” he said. WHY TRANSNET IS CRUCIAL South Africa is a diverse emerging economy that forms part of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, China, India) consortium. The country has a wealth of natural resources, an established manufacturing base and a growing skilled workforce. However, to exploit these potential advantages is not so simple and having an infrastructure that runs smoothly is vital. There have been a number of issues around energy supply, while Transnet’s much-hyped, multi-purpose fuel pipeline has been subject to lengthy delays. Foreign investors in particular are keen to see that any deficiencies of this nature are ironed out. The huge public investment strategy should now begin to have a positive effect. ■

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WILDERNESS Safaris

A walk on the WILD SIDE

Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe

Wilderness Safaris offers thrilling wildlife adventures, filled with intoxicating landscapes and exotic animals. Safari excursions and lodges in remote terrain help holidaymakers’ dreams come true, while also helping to spread the word about conservation.

company ethos is based on T hefundamentals of ecotourism,

with community partnerships, environmental awareness and preservation at the top of the agenda. The sensational death of Cecil the lion in Hwange made headline news, but has not affected occupancy levels at its lodges in the area. In a year which did have an adverse influence due to the Ebola virus, the company still managed to increase revenue and profits. But there are still challenges remaining. Chairman of Wilderness Holdings,

Parks Tafa, explained: “Potential travellers in our key source markets in the northern hemisphere chose not to travel. The resulting hype caused a great disservice to ecotourism and community empowerment. “However, we cannot miss the opportunity that Ebola has given us to educate the world. It is our vision and underlying blueprint and values that keep us progressing. It is also this environment of purpose that ensured that, in the midst of the Ebola hangover, we managed to help facilitate the largest ever cross-border

move of critically-endangered black rhino from South Africa and Zimbabwe into Botswana’s Okavango Delta. In so doing, making a major contribution to the long-term conservation of this species, so under siege currently from poaching and wildlife crime.” Operating some safari camps and lodges, as well as scheduled overland safaris in Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, the Seychelles, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe, Wilderness Safaris is run primarily by a group of like-minded wildlife enthusiasts who came together to build a successful safari business.

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WILDERNESS Safaris

Wilderness Safaris employs 2,600 staff from more than 20 different ethnic groups, looking after approximately 35,000 visitors each year However, it is not a charitable venture – their aims also include fair returns for shareholders and stakeholders Wilderness Safaris operates luxurious, environmentally-friendly lodges and camps, situated in some of Africa’s best wildlife and wilderness areas across seven countries. They strive to operate the best safari camps, in the best locations, with the best service and guided experiences possible, whether this be in the Namib Desert, the Okavango Delta, Hwange or Mana Pools National Parks, Etosha, Damaraland, or Kafue National Park. “In order to host our guests, and therefore ensure the sustainable protection of the wilderness areas in which we operate, we have built a selection of small intimate safari camps across Africa. Of paramount importance to us is that our camps cause as little impact on the environment as possible”, said Mr Tafa. Wilderness Safaris is also a touroperating business, with its main booking office located in Johannesburg and with established relationships with some 2000 agents in the travel industry across the world. It prides itself in creating unique experiences and journeys for guests, employing the motto: “Our journeys change lives.” Investment Wilderness Safaris is investing heavily in expansion as it retains its core belief in the future of African ecotourism. New facilities in Namibia, Rwanda and Zimbabwe will enhance its portfolio.

Cheetah in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe

Exploring the Okavango Delta

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Of paramount importance to us is that our camps cause as little impact on the environment as possible. Chairman of Wilderness Holdings, Parks Tafa

On safari from Linkwasha Camp, Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe

The construction of two lodges in Rwanda marks its first incursion into this country. Situated along the Albertine Rift and one of Africa’s most biodiverse regions, it is a haven of rainforest, with its most celebrated wild mammal being the iconic mountain gorilla of the Virunga Massif. The country’s forests are also home to another of Africa’s great apes, the chimpanzee, as well as a multitude of other primates, such as the striking golden monkey, a littleknown, but magnificent inhabitant of the bamboo forest. It is around these rare and threatened great ape and primate species that Wilderness Safaris Rwanda will build its new lodge circuit. “The opportunity to use the Wilderness Safaris model of responsible ecotourism to contribute to positive

Elephants are easily seen around Linkwasha

WILDERNESS Safaris

conservation and community empowerment in such a unique and exciting environment is exactly why we do what we do”, said Keith Vincent, group CEO. “More than that, we have found the Rwanda Government, ecotourism industry and conservation community to be nothing but welcoming and hospitable, in partnering with us to pioneer a new kind of ecotourism in this inspirational country.” Bisate Lodge, expected to comprise approximately nine rooms, will be set adjacent to the Volcanoes National Park, boasting spectacular views of the brooding Bisoke, Karisimbi and Mikeno volcanoes. The lodge will offer the perfect base for mountain gorilla trekking and Bisate Lodge will also be a visionary conservation and community project, with its first phase focusing on indigenous reforestation of a core 26-hectare site. This will be done in close partnership with the newly constituted 320-member Tuzamurane Cooperative. The lodge, sited within the natural amphitheatre of an extinct volcanic cone, is a new addition to Wilderness Collection and will officially open to guests in 2016. “We are also in discussions with the Rwanda Development Board to develop

Mountain gorilla in Rwanda

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WILDERNESS Safaris

Linkwasha Zimbabwe

a lodge in the nearby Gishwati-Mukura National Park, just a 15-minute helicopter flight to the south and even more ambitious in the scope of its vision to use responsible ecotourism to effect far-reaching and positive environmental change,” continued Vincent. Just 12 guests, staying in six rustic forest cottages, will have the privilege of exclusive access to the habituated chimpanzee and golden monkey communities of Gishwati Forest. All revenues generated from these forest activities will go towards the conservation of the brand-new Gishwati-Mukura National Park and the establishment of a connecting forest corridor between the two forests of Gishwati and Mukura. By linking the two, currently separated by 16km, a combined area of nearly 6,000ha of Albertine Rift forest and a whole host of endemic mammals, birds, insects and plants will be protected. This will more than triple chimpanzee habitat and allow growth in the population of this vulnerable great ape. The news follows the opening of the Linkwasha Camp in Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park. Mr Vincent explained: “Our decision to invest in

this destination and open a new camp was based on our tremendous belief in Zimbabwe as a major player in Africa’s tourism industry. We are excited to deliver not only an exceptional wildlife experience, but also a new level of luxury, on a par with what guests would associate with our Botswana camps”. With over 18 years of experience in Hwange, Wilderness Safaris has two private concessions in the most productive wildlife areas of the Park. Situated on the same site as the old Linkwasha, the new camp is perfectly located; far away from public access areas, but close to the well-known Ngamo Plains, which offer fantastic summer game viewing – to add to the excellent winter viewing within the Linkwasha Concession. Activities make the most of the exceptional year-round wildlife-viewing opportunities the area has to offer, with regular sightings of large herds of elephant and buffalo, prides of lions, and an abundance of plains game and birdlife. The concession’s savannah grassland habitat is the ideal environment for walking safaris and interpretative game drives led by highly experienced Wilderness Safaris guides.

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WILDERNESS Safaris

Hoanib Namibia

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game-viewing opportunities. The area is home to desert-adapted elephant, as well as gemsbok, giraffe, springbok and occasionally lion and rhino. For itineraries of three nights or more, guests can visit the world-famous Skeleton Coast and its seal colonies and pebble beaches. In line with Wilderness Safaris’ ongoing commitment to Namibia’s Community-based Natural Resource Management policy, the 20-year concession is a joint venture alongside the neighbouring Community-based Conservancies of Anabeb, Torra and Sesfontein.

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Last year, the company added Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp in Namibia. Mike Wassung, Wilderness Safaris Namibia CEO says, “Its location in the isolated Kaokoveld makes it an ideal option for adventurous travellers looking for an off-the-beaten-track destination and the opportunity to see a variety of desert-adapted species.” Activities make the most of the diverse landscapes, with guests exploring the area on foot, by vehicle and by air, along with expert Wilderness Safaris guides. Unique attractions include true desert oases found in the Hoanib floodplains, as well as unique

We are excited to deliver not only an exceptional wildlife experience, but also a new level of luxury on a par with what guests would associate with our Botswana camps. Wilderness Safaris Group CEO, Keith Vincent

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WILDERNESS Safaris

Wilderness Safaris currently operates seven camps using 100% solar power and five camps with solar generator hybrid systems Ecotourism and conservation Tackling climate change impact and implementing sustainable solutions is part of the Wilderness way of life. The company is committed to protecting the planet’s precious natural and cultural resources. Sustainable energy usage is therefore a natural priority for the business and great strides have been made in this arena, with seven of Wilderness Safaris’ camps currently operating on 100% solar power. Further to this, there are five camps with solar generator hybrid systems, reducing generator usage by about 50%. The company also has 597 solar geysers, or solar thermodynamic geysers, in place throughout its operations, further reducing the need for reliance on generators or electricity. “Regular geysers may typically operate for two hours a day in our wilderness camps, and would usually contain a 2kW electrical element. This means that the introduction of solar geysers results in a 4kW/h saving per day, which has translated into a substantial saving across the business of 71,640 kW/h. We are extremely proud of our dedication to sustainable energy and doing what we can to combat the effects of climate change”, says Brett Wallington, Wilderness Safaris Sustainability Manager.

When considering the energy savings generated by the use of 100% solar plants and hybrid plants, and working on six hours of energy production per day (the standard for the southern hemisphere), this works out at 55,800kW/h for 100% solar-operated camps and 22,860 kW/h for those operating on hybrid plants each month. Once again, this is substantial in terms of energy saving. Tallying these savings up results in a combined saving of 1,803 600kW/h each year, translating into an estimated 658,348 litres of diesel fuel saved on an annual basis. This is certainly a significant move away from reliance on fossil fuels, which is a key priority for Wilderness Safaris. Finally, as a result of the energy efficiencies Wilderness Safaris has put in place, the business is saving 1,731 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent annually.

passenger numbers, and an additional contributing factor was the higher fuel costs that peaked at nearly US$130 per barrel in mid-2011. This led to the implementation of new initiatives in 2012 that included reduced flying, better usage of empty seats – by combining staff movements with guest transfers – and a greater focus on eliminating dead or empty legs. The result is that, over the last three years, total kilometres flown have reduced by 7% with the passenger count remaining relatively flat and EBITDA increasing by 44% over 2014, from a loss in 2013.

Conservation Wilderness Safaris successfully translocated a founder population of

The four ‘Cs’ – Commerce, Conservation, Community, Culture

Commerce Although Wilderness Safaris is an enlightened eco-company, it is also a commercial operation. The global economic crisis in 2009 deeply affected the company’s flying business, Wilderness Air. Reduced demand out of target markets resulted in lower

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WILDERNESS Safaris

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Our journeys change lives

rhino translocations ever undertaken in the history of conservation. In Namibia, Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp, situated in the Palmwag Concession, opened in 2014 – the first 100% solar-powered camp in Namibia, following on from the success of the solar conversions in Botswana.

Community and Culture

critically endangered black rhino to the Okavango Delta World Heritage Site in a joint collaboration with the Governments of Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe. This is part of an ongoing conservation project to establish a core population of this species in Botswana and will be followed by further translocations from Zimbabwe and South Africa this year. Wilderness Safaris, in partnership with the Botswana, South African and Zimbabwean Governments, has successfully completed the largest ever cross-border translocation of criticallyendangered black rhino – the latest phase in a collaborative project that spans over 15 years and has grown to become one of the most important

Wilderness Safaris’ non-profit Children in the Wilderness (CITW) won an award for community engagement. The company also developed and finalised a comprehensive Wilderness Safaris Ethics Charter and Code of Conduct for Cultural Tourism, which will be the guide for cultural engagement. There is much more that needs to be done, however, which is why, some 20 years ago, Wildlife Safaris created the Wilderness Wildlife Trust, an independent entity that supports a wide variety of wildlife management, research and education projects throughout Africa. These projects address the needs of wildlife, seek solutions to save threatened species and provide education and training for local communities. This has made the company’s journey more meaningful and they’ve reached more people and places than before.

Botswana rhino relocation project

Conservation of animals and plants is only as strong as the people who live in their vicinity. If they’re not interested, protection is likely to exist only on paper. That’s why Africa’s future lies in its children, and why the Children in the Wilderness programme aims to educate the youth of the country, inspiring and helping them to appreciate and protect, their magnificent natural heritage. Every year, some camps are closed for a week at a time and groups of 16 to 25 children, between the ages of 10 and 14, are invited, giving them the opportunity to experience these wilderness areas and their wildlife. Annual report Despite a year of challenges, Wilderness increased revenue by 12% to P944.5m and profits after tax by 57% to P76m. Occupancy rates were also up, although cash generated from operations fell. The annual statement concluded: “Our products are luxury and discretionary purchases. Demand for them is sometimes depressed by factors beyond our control, especially when economic shocks are experienced in our source markets. “The impact of the Ebola virus along with the new visa requirements that the South African authorities have announced are expected to have a negative effect on the coming financial year. However, we remain hopeful that the impact on high season will be subdued. “One of the more obvious opportunities for the Group is to increase utilisation of existing capacity. The bednight sales in the current year represent overall bed capacity utilisation of 65% for the properties that we own. Although this is up from the 62% equivalent for 2014, it is evident that there is potential for improvement.” ■

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UNILEVER

Bangkok, Thailand. Unilever House head office building. Unilever is a leading consumer products manufacturer in Thailand

Changing the face of GLOBAL CAPITALISM

It is rare for a global corporation to look itself squarely in the mirror and ask searching questions. Unilever, South Africa’s biggest employer and one of the world’s leading manufacturers, has done just that with the publication of its inaugural Human Rights Report.

company has been a vigorous T heproponent of corporate social

responsibility for a long time, but so far-flung are its tentacles, that ensuring every part of the business conforms to desired standards has proved to be a big challenge. Some years ago, one of its biggest suppliers in Asia ransacked a village of

indigenous peoples as it bulldozed its way through a rainforest. Further back in time, its factories in the Congo, based on forced labour, remain a part of the British and Belgium colonial enterprises that is still remembered today wit horror. So, many might argue, it’s about time. But the document Unilever has

produced is far-ranging and ambitious in its scope and aims to lead the way in demonstrating that, perhaps, global capitalism does have a heart. The document outlines Unilever’s aim not only to respect human rights, but to advance them across all areas of its business. It details areas where the company has taken significant steps

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UNILEVER

forward, and assesses some of the challenges ahead. Paul Polman, Chief Executive Officer, of the Anglo-Dutch consumer giant, said at its launch: “Business can only flourish in societies in which human rights are respected, upheld and advanced. People are our greatest asset, and empowering them across our supply chain is not only the right thing to do, but also ensures a sustainable future for the business. “As we look ahead to the agreement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals in September and to the prospect of a global climate agreement in Paris

at the end of the year, it is a fitting time to open an honest discussion about human rights. “The effects of climate change threaten us all, with expected impacts hitting the poorest people and communities the hardest. They are often also those most at risk from negative human rights impacts. It is no longer enough for businesses to merely respect human rights. Our role must be far more active, to ensure we succeed in our commitment.” Unilever became the first company to adopt the UN Guiding Principles Reporting Framework; which is the

The company has 172,000 employees, 76,000 suppliers and sales in more than 190 countries across the globe, with varying cultural sensitivities and socio-economic challenges. Here it outlines its commitments: ■ We endorsed the women’s empowerment principles. As part of our Unilever Sustainable Living Plan (2013), we have set out our commitment to empower five million women by 2020. ■ We launched our Responsible Sourcing Policy (2014), embedding our commitment to conduct business with integrity, openness and respect for human rights and core labour principles. ■ Safety is integral to Unilever’s operations and we’ve achieved our target of halving the number of accidents in our factories and offices since 2008. ■ We are committed to a transparent and accountable approach to addressing human rights issues across the business. That’s why we invited Oxfam to research our Vietnamese operations in 2013, to help us better understand how to implement the UN Guiding Principles. We will be publishing a progress update later this year. ■ We have a zero tolerance of forced labour and are conducting legal reviews of The UK Modern Slavery Act 2015 to assess the effectiveness of our processes. We’re strengthening our training programmes on prevention of human trafficking for employees, suppliers and distributors, and are establishing reporting mechanisms. ■ The goals in the Human Rights Report are to provide safe working conditions, fair wages, equality of opportunity and freedom from discrimination.

cornerstone for operating within a fair and sustainable environment. But Mr Polman concedes: “Today, the risk of systematic human abuses exists across our chains and that of others. The process of developing this report has been inspiring and humbling. We have documented stories that show progress is possible and have taken significant steps forward to eradicate human trafficking, sexual harassment and gender-based violence.” Sue Garrard, Vice President of Sustainable Businesses, said: “This report is a crucial step in holding up the mirror to ourselves.” John Morrison, of the London-based Institute of Human Rights, commented: “First, the report makes explicit the process the company went through to decide which were its most salient human rights impacts – not just for the company, but for those impacted. Unilever’s new Home Care Liquids factory at Khanyisa

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The effects of climate change threaten us all, with expected impacts hitting the poorest people and communities the hardest. Paul Polman, CEO, Unilever

“Second, some impacts are directly out of the company’s hands, so this is a fundamental leadership point. “Third, I am pleased to see the issue of workplace harassment given particular prominence.” New investment in South African factory Unilever has been a leading employer in South Africa for generations. Today it supports 3,500 full-time workers at

five factories and eight sales offices. The most recent development is a factory at Khanyisa, part of Unilever’s R3bn ‘Capacity Transformation Project’ investment, in line with Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan (USLP) – a plan that reduces the carbon footprint, while aiming to double the size of the business. The Khanyisa site will deliver a 50% reduction in the carbon emission footprint and a 70% reduction in water usage per tonne. Khanyisa is one of several major

UNILEVER

projects in South Africa – and Africa as a whole – as part of an overall strategy to upgrade the supply chain to world-class levels. This investment will ensure a 67% increase in production capacity, from 90,000 to 150,000 tons annually. The new factory will produce popular brands like Omo, Handy Andy, Domestos, Comfort and Sunlight amongst others. Mr Polman said, “Transforming our production capacity is one of four critical initiatives that we are driving to meet expected growth in demand. The Home Care factory will enable us to better serve our consumers with

The four critical initiatives for the Khanyisa factory are:

■ Increasing capacity to meet growth ambition. ■ Improved efficiency to reduce cost. ■ Improved technology to improve quality. ■ Improved technology to reduce environmental impact.

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UNILEVER

Unilever’s Indonsa factory

South African Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies

innovation and green technology, whilst simultaneously improving service levels for our customers. Our aim is to have the right stock at the right place in record time, matching the quantities expected by the shoppers.” The brand new factory includes many green technologies and forms part of a strategy to double business, while reducing the environmental footprint and increasing positive social impact. Speaking at the launch, South African Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies said that green technology, innovation and energy efficiency are the

kind of investments that South Africa welcomes as part of climate change and industrialisation aspirations. He said the success and growth of Unilever’s investment projects in the country will continue to communicate the message that South Africa is an ideal location for investment in Africa. “We are focussing on upscaling our manufacturing sector, footprint and full-scale industrialisation. With the roll out of the Black Industrialist Programme, Unilever’s investment could play a key role in knowledge sharing, technology and skills transfer to black industrialists in the FMCG and chemicals sector, thus creating an opportunity for emerging companies to be able to participate in main stream economy,” said Davies. He added that Unilever could work with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in deepening the supply chain, especially with black industrialists – through backward linkages in agriculture and the FMCG sector, as well as building regional value chains on the African continent. The Khanyisa investment is one

of many that have been supported by the DTI’s 12-i Tax Allowance Incentive scheme. The Incentive scheme is used by the Government to support greenfield investments (new industrial projects that utilise only new and unused manufacturing assets) and other projects that benefit the planet as a whole.

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UNILEVER

Unilever history

producing brands like Sunlight soap, Lux, Dove, Domestos, Knorr, Vaseline and Lipton. The company regularly tops the polls of South Africa’s biggest and best businesses. The R1.4bn Home Care factory at Khanyisa follows a R211m investment at Indosa. Unilever South Africa is the market leader in 14 out of 17 brand categories in which it operates

South African operations Unilever’s roots in South Africa stretch back to the dawn of the 20th century, when company founder William Lever visited the country to open up new cheaper manufacturing bases for his palm oil-based products business. Initially, plants were opened in Durban and Cape Town and now there are five manufacturing bases –

In the 1880s in northern England, William Lever began manufacturing a new soap product called Sunlight, and invented the first corporate mission statement – to make cleanliness commonplace and to lessen work for women. In no time, he was serving up 450 tons of soap each year from his factory. To combat rising costs, he looked further afield for raw materials and production – hence the move to South Africa in 1904. Two factories were opened and, later, he acquired WB McIver in West Africa in 1910. At the same time the Van Den Bergh brothers were creating a margarine empire from their Dutch base. The United Africa Company was also created, comprising the activities of several companies, many very old with slave trade links. There is little doubt that, during these years, the labour

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UNILEVER

Aerial view of Unilever’s Indonsa factory

force in West Africa was badly treated, with forced labour rife and prices for farmers kept down. The company’s role was to export from Africa and import manufactured goods from Europe. It controlled 60% of the exports of palm oil, 45% of palm kernel and also substantial chunks of the peanut and cocoa trade. Independence movements swept many companies out of Africa,

but Unilever stayed put, even though it had to adapt to new trading conditions. In South Africa it remains one of the dominant players on the industrial scene. Now its multi-pronged approach to creating a better, sustainable business should have benefits for both employees, suppliers and consumers. Unilever became the leading manufacturer of margarine, a product

designed to be a cheaper and healthier alternative to butter. It ruled the roost for years – until now. Growing realisation that former health advice may have been flawed has seen a surge in sales of more natural foods like butter. Unilever has conceded defeat on this and has begun introducing butter into several of its spreadable margarine brands.

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UNILEVER

Supply partners – by invitation only Unilever is making a profound effort to ensure its suppliers meet their exacting standards. The procurement team is purchasing from tens of thousands of suppliers worldwide and is following the strategic decision to introduce a global Supplier Qualification System (USQS) to manage the complexity of supplier information. The procurement organization first selects suppliers, then those selected are invited to register in USQS. This system ensures that suppliers are qualified to do business with Unilever. One of the main drivers for the Unilever Supplier Qualification System is to make the process of doing business globally less complicated. The use of the USQS will enable the company to standardize and streamline engagement with suppliers, no matter

where they are located. It is a single system that allows all suppliers to demonstrate their capabilities. Being invited to join the system enables selected suppliers to qualify to work with Unilever and gives visibility throughout Unilever’s global business. However the organisation is keen to stress that membership is strictly by invitation only and that suppliers must adhere to company principles. ■

The Unilever Supplier Qualification System enables the company to standardize and streamline engagement with suppliers, no matter where they are located

ory

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DHL

Back to THE FUTURE The pace of change in the delivery and logistics sector is breakneck; new technologies are constantly shifting boundaries and customers’ expectations. A few years ago, who would have thought that you would be able to literally track a delivery right to your doorstep? But guess what industry experts reckon will be the biggest factor in retaining business? None other than good, old-fashioned customer service.

L

et’s be honest, although every major firm pays lip service to the concept, many also fail to deliver; call centres in other countries, supermarkets that insist you serve yourself – and they call this progress! Global freight and mail giant, DHL, has put these factors under the microscope as it faces serious challenges now and in the future. On the one hand, it is examining cuttingedge technologies, but on the other it is reassessing how to interact with clients, particularly in the business-toconsumer field. So, for instance, in some warehouses, it has been experimenting with Google

Glass, the search giant’s internetconnected spectacles. As another ground-breaking idea, it sends parcels to the boots of car owners. But all the technology in the world will have little impact, if the core expectations are not met – deliveries on time and communicating what is happening when that standard cannot be achieved. Fatima Sullivan, Vice President of Customer Services for DHL Express Sub-Saharan Africa, says, “If the customer is not the key focus in all activities, whether it is improvements in delivery times or query resolution processes, efforts are wasted.

Customers know what they want, and how they want it. You just need to listen to them.” She points to the recently released report, Customers 2020, which reveals that, by 2020, customer experience will overtake product and price as the key brand differentiator, and therefore more emphasis will need to be placed on the experience a company delivers to create a competitive advantage. “The voice of the customer is an important element to consider when planning your strategies. Customers want to engage with companies who can provide a service, but are also able to tailor-make solutions and respond

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If the customer is not the key focus, efforts are wasted. Fatima Sullivan, Vice President of Customer Services for DHL Express Sub-Saharan Africa

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It’s not just about problem resolution, but, more importantly, about determining the root cause, and ensuring that the problem does not occur again. Fatima Sullivan, Vice President of Customer Services for DHL Express Sub-Saharan Africa

quickly to changing demands. In the logistics industry, where unforeseen delays may arise, it’s important to be able to react quickly and proactively communicate with your customers. Engaged customers understand that things go wrong sometimes, but they need to trust that you are able to recover from it in a fast and professional manner,” added Sullivan. “It’s not just about problem resolution, but, more importantly, about determining the root cause and ensuring that the problem does not occur again. “Customers should also be able to access various escalation channels easily – there’s nothing worse than situations where frustration levels are high and you cannot track down the right person to assist you. In DHL’s case, we introduced a best-in-class feature to our website, which we refer to as ‘Straight to the Top’ (STTT). This allows customers to have access to the DHL Express senior management team, including the Africa management

board. It’s all about accessibility and speed of query resolutions. “We need to make sure that every individual in the business understands the impact they can have on the customer experience, and focus on the smaller details that drive quality. A customer-centric culture can only be achieved, if all employees have the same goal in mind – to delight the customer at every opportunity. “We service over 40,000 customers across sub-Saharan Africa and the only way we are able to provide the service quality that our customers have been accustomed to, is by having a team of over 3500 Certified International Specialists, all focused on the same thing. Your people are the golden thread that keeps it all together. You can have the best customer feedback tools and CRM systems, but if you don’t

have the right people analyzing the data and implementing the solutions, your business cannot move forward,” concludes Sullivan. Brave new world German delivery powerhouse, DHL, has seen business boom in the consumer sector with the huge increases in online shopping. It is delivering more parcels to the customer in the street than ever before – currently 45% of all commerce. This brings a specific challenge as it is not dealing with its own customers, but those of Apple or Amazon. Sumesh Rahavendra, Vice President of Sales for DHL Express sub-Saharan Africa, explained: “The burgeoning middle class and abundance of SMEs in Africa present great opportunities for financial services companies to provide retail banking services to individuals, as well as trade finance to SMEs. We see SMEs as the engine for growth in Africa and the lack of access to finance

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DHL

new international standards. “The local retail banking sector is increasingly making use of new technology, such as ‘Mobile Money’ platforms. Consumers have started to move away from physical cards, instead using their mobile phones to conduct day-to-day banking transactions. “In addition to mobile money solutions, most African countries have made a concerted effort to improve their transactional security by moving away from the traditional ‘swipe card’ form of retail banking to ‘chip and pin’. “From a logistics point of view, while banking sector documents continue to present significant shipment volumes intra-Africa, with the new technologies available, there is an increased need for equipment such as servers, ATMs and supplies to be moved into and around the continent, as banks expand into new countries and rural areas. As technology and requirements change,

can often hinder their development. With one of the fastest growing middle classes in the world, there is a wave of consumerism for all types of goods and services such as FMCG, electronics and pharmaceuticals.” The Future Shape of Financial Services in Africa 2015 report by PwC states that financial services are a riskier prospect in Africa than in some other regions of the world. “While most international banks are moving towards e-commerce, in Africa, a number of local banks still share information and conduct business with hard copy documentation,” adds Rahavendra. The Accenture report, African Financial Services Come of Age, suggests a promising future for the region’s banking sector. It reveals that the development of consumer payment networks took years to become fully functional in mature economies, while many countries in Africa are now beginning to expand their traditional payments infrastructure to adapt to

so do our supply chains, and we work very closely with our customers to ensure that we offer them the best possible solutions. “In 1978, the financial sector fueled DHL’s expansion into Africa, when global banks needed to get documentation to the country, and it continues to help shape our service offerings on the continent as the sector matures. As the only logistics company to be present in every

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DHL

country and territory in Africa, we not only have front row seats to witness the impressive growth of the sector, but are fortunate enough to work with some of the largest and emerging financial institutions on the continent – and play our part in their growth story”. Innovation Frank Appel, CEO Deutsche Post DHL Group, states: “I believe that, while capital and experience are undoubtedly important, it is innovative ideas that will steer our future. At Deutsche Post DHL Group, customer-centric innovation is key to two of our major ambitions. First, to play a pioneering role in spearheading the global evolution of logistics, which is at the core for the sustainability of our planet, and second, to remain the logistics leader by

DHL has its very own innovation centre, designed to speed development of gamechanging new services. ■ The Internet of Things alone will give the logistics industry an US$1.9tr boost, generating US$8tr worldwide in value over the next decade. ■ Global distance selling of €616 billion (in 2013) will grow annually by 10.7% until 2018; innovations in e-commerce to change the way we live. ■ The group commits to extending its logistics industry leadership position in innovation, with its structured Trend Research Value Chain development approach.

innovating products and services that our customers need most – whether that is to make an e-commerce delivery, design a global supply chain or ship temperature sensitive pharmaceuticals. To achieve this, we will continue to look far into the future, where our goal is to continually strive to convert our innovations into marketable solutions, to make our customers more successful.” It’s not all work and no play… DHL and SOS children’s Villages have developed a partnership over five years to improve the employment prospects of disadvantaged young people across 11 African countries. The concept was launched in South Africa and Madagascar, 2010, but has spread rapidly. “Education and employability are highly important topics for Deutsche Post DHL Group and, through our GoTeach program, play a central role in our Corporate Responsibility strategy,” said Christof Ehrhart, Executive Vice President, Corporate Communications and Responsibility, Deutsche Post DHL Group. “We are keen to support the

direct development of future logistics talent, but we also firmly believe that education and employability make an important contribution to stability and prosperity in the world. Through five years of partnership with SOS Children’s Villages, we have already seen first-hand the benefits and positive impact that engagement between business and charities that create opportunities for young people can have. “Empowering youth and improving their employment prospects is the objective of the international partnership between SOS Children’s Villages and Deutsche Post DHL Group. The success of our partnership is rooted in the commitment of our employees who volunteer their time to mentor youths aged 15-25 and to help them get ready for their foray into the job market,” said Christoph Selig, Head of GoTeach Program, Deutsche Post DHL Group. “Employees mentor youths from both SOS Children’s Villages and SOS Family Strengthening Programs, and organize a variety of tailored career development activities that deliver tangible results

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The company’s mission statement has four main elements: ■ We want to simplify the lives of our customers. ■ We make our customers, employees and investors more successful. ■ We make a positive contribution to the world. ■ We always demonstrate respect when achieving our results.

We are successful when you are We strongly believe that pursuing all of these goals is in our interest and in the interest of all of our stakeholders; customers, employees, investors and the planet as a whole. We add value to people’s interaction with us, whether with excellent services or products, by engaging our employees and nurturing their talents, or by being a solid, longterm investment on the stock market. And we show concern for our world and our communities with our various corporate responsibility programs under the motto of ‘Living responsibility’.

for the mentees,” he added. “It really has been a joy to see the partnership and correspondingly, our outreach to young people, grow. To date, our employees have engaged with over 3,500 youths in Africa.” In 2014, DPDHL Group volunteers organized more than 160 different activities – reaching more than 1,600 young people from socially disadvantaged backgrounds – offering over 100 internships and eventually permanently employing 25 young talents. DHL vision DHL offers national and international express delivery for parcels and envelopes as well as freight transport across air, ocean, rail and road. It offers tracking, electronic proof of delivery and a variety of other services for business customers, such as security and insured goods. Its mission statement emphasises the desire to be “The logistics company for the world.” This goes beyond the simple fact that, “as a global company,” says the company, “we are present in over 220 countries and territories, or that we are often the very first logistics company to enter new markets. Our vision stresses that we want to be the logistics provider people turn to – their first choice, not only for all their shipping needs, but also as an employee or investor.”

Green technologies Optimized transport routes, vehicles with alternative drive systems and energy-efficient warehouses; there are many ways to reduce climate-damaging CO2 emissions and other environmental impacts in the transportation and storage of goods. Working with its customers, the company wants to leverage this potential. At DHL, they call this GOGREEN, believing that environmental protection and business success are not just compatible, they are closely interlinked. With expertise and global presence, DHL can offer business customers a broad portfolio of green products and services. By providing detailed Carbon Reports, they show where they stand in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. Although CO2 emissions have the biggest impact on climate change within logistics, other greenhouse gases (GHG) – like methane or nitrous oxide – are also reported. And, in accordance to the internationally recognized, cross-sector standard, Greenhouse Gas Product Lifecycle Accounting and Reporting, DHL also takes upstream emissions into account – those that originate in the production and transport of fuel and energy. “In our Green Optimization service,” says the company, “we work with customers to identify areas for

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DHL

The logistics company for the world

improvement and ways to achieve a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. We analyze our customers’ entire logistics chain, and work with them to optimize trade routes and transportation modes. Additionally, we suggest ways to improve their overall environmental performance. To compensate for unavoidable emissions, we offer Climate Neutral services. Participating in the voluntary emissions trading scheme, we purchase carbon credits from selected projects, reducing emissions and benefitting local communities. Since January 2014, not only do we offset CO2, but other greenhouse gases, like methane or nitrous oxide, as well, taking GOGREEN from carbon neutral to climate neutral. Based on the new GHG Protocol for Products, we also include upstream emissions from the production and transport of fuels and energy. Researching customer needs The DHL Trend Research team is dedicated to researching and leveraging trends in the logistics industry. The researchers capture the top logistics developments on a yearly basis in

DHL’s Logistics Trend Radar. The dedicated Trend Research Value Chain outlines a structured approach towards sustainable and innovative business solutions; starting with the identification of relevant topics in the Logistics Trend Radar, followed by more detailed Trend Reports on certain themes, which thereafter will be translated into Proof of Concepts as well as tangible exhibits in the Innovation Center. At the end of this process, these products and solutions will be completely handed over to the respective business units for implementation into their operations or business processes. Only recently, DHL Supply Chain, together with its partner Ricoh, has successfully tested smart glasses and augmented reality software in the Netherlands – the resultant warehouse picking process improved by 25%. And now, DHL is exploring the use of wearables in additional areas and in collaboration with further partners. Another promising innovation was covered by the trend report on SelfDriving Vehicles in Logistics. This highlights the key elements and significant potential of autonomous technologies in the logistics sector, with

various best-practice applications from different industries. It also examines concrete examples of self-driving vehicles across the entire logistics value chain, from autonomous transport and assisted picking in warehouses, to lastmile delivery. Awards for excellence

DHL Global Forwarding, the air and ocean freight specialist within Deutsche Post, has scooped the award for Africa’s International Freight Forwarder of the Year for the third time. Roger Olsson, CEO, DHL Global Forwarding Sub-Saharan Africa, says, “DHL offers tailor-made solutions to businesses in Africa and it’s a service that’s second to none. It’s a tribute – to be named number one by STAT Time’s readers – to DHL’s strong African team, that their dedication to excellence in international freight forwarding has been recognised yet again. DHL has been supporting the business in Africa for more than 35 years, but what’s most important is that we have continued to anticipate, adapt and create services that clearly meet Africa’s fast-evolving business needs and help fulfill its vast potential.” According to the 2014 year-end report by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), trade activity across the African region remained positive, despite the major economies of Nigeria and South Africa underperforming for parts of 2014. Regional growth supported demand for air freight and capacity rose just 0.9% for the year as a whole, helping to strengthen load factors. African carriers’ freight tonne kilometers (FTKs) grew by 12.2% in December and 6.7% for the year as a whole. Globally, the air cargo business is growing again, after several years of stagnation, with demand growth up 4.5% compared to 2013, measured by freight FTKs. ■

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Council™ certification in August 2010 places us at the forefront of the environmental commitment still needed in the printing industry. We promise our customers will receive paper products sourced from wellmanaged and sustainable sources. Our carefully selected suppliers abide by our green ‘Supplier Code of Conduct’. Our ‘Easy to Use… Easy to Choose’ range of Office papers, as well as our FSC™ certified range of Fine Text and Covers, specialty boards and papers, and our latest range of Visual Communications Media for Sign and Display, includes fabrics, vinyl, boards and more – making us your partner of choice. Our experienced Paper JunXions sales staff and paper consultants assist our customers to make the right choice from our extensive range. To showcase our wide range of papers, we provide various sampling systems to both the printing and the advertising industry. Furthermore, as leading suppliers to the graphics industry, we offer state-of-the-art technology, packaging software, digital equipment, grand and wide format printers and an array of consumables to help them to bring paper to life. In addition to this, our highly qualified specialists offer outstanding support, advice, unmatched service through a combined

experience of over 100 years. Antalis South Africa (Pty) Ltd forms part of Antalis International which is fully owned by Sequana, listed on the Premier Marche of the Paris Stock Exchange. It has an annual turnover of more than €2.7b, operates in 44 countries worldwide and facilitates access to world-class paper manufacturers. Included in the group are the Arjowiggins Paper Manufacturing divisions. Antalis South Africa (Pty) Ltd has a 20% Black Empowerment Equity shareholder as well as a 5% ‘Employee Trust’. Today, in addition to our wide range of green, certified and recycled paper products and boards, Antalis South Africa (Pty) Ltd offers a range of packaging solutions that is a natural fit for our business. This includes bubble wrap, tapes, cartons and a host of other products. In addition, we offer logistic solutions, warehousing and distribution. We employ almost 390 people, in eight sales and warehousing facilities throughout Southern Africa, as well as an export arm that services subSaharan Africa. Paper, board, graphic equipment and consumables, together with other strategic and innovative services, are all delivered with passions because the men and women of Antalis offer their talents with enthusiasm to service their clients. ■

Find out for yourself… Just ask Antalis! For further information: Tel: +27 (0)11 688 6000 Visit: www.antalis.co.za Email: marketing@antalis.co.za 46 AFRICA INDUSTRY MAGAZINE September 2015

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