Africa Outlook - Issue 61

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AFRICA ISSUE 61

Bonitas Medical Fund continues to assist the region’s healthcare industry as part of overriding goal to improve quality of life in South Africa

LC PACKAGING 56 Providing a committed, reliable and loyal service

MINCON WEST AFRICA 66 Better quality equals better cost efficiency

CRESTA SHOPPING CENTRE

An iconic retail destination

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XARIS DEVELOPMENTS 94 Finding opportunities, delivering value

ALSO FEATURING: ONE AFRICA PLACE | UNITY HOMES | HARLEQUIN INTERNATIONAL (GHANA) LIMITED

Business Travel Guides

A complete guide to Africa’s leading business travel destinations

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UGANDA Uganda is growing in popularity as a tourist destination, with thanks to support from its Government and a vision for the future from the Uganda Hotel Owners Association Writer: Phoebe Calver | Project Manager: Ryan Gray

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ganda is beginning to emerge from the shadows of its long history, reaching out to improve upon the former glory it held as the ‘pearl of Africa’.

The country is privy to spectacular landscapes, excellent wildlife watching opportunities and welcoming locals, considering the relatively small size of the county it packs a punch against its larger neighbours. Home to the Rwenzoris - Africa’s tallest mountain range - and the source of the Nile, you will be spoilt for choice when it comes to finding ways to spend your free time.

Although the climate is technically equatorial, it is not as uniform as you would expect and therefore it is advisable to pack for a wide range of weather possibilities. You will find that Southern Uganda is more often than not more wet, with rain spreading widely throughout the year. On the

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north-side this is more predictable, with rain predominantly falling from March to June and throughout November and December.

Uganda is both accessible and an affordable option in Africa, making it the perfect destination for business travel. Although the country still has a way to go when it comes to the standards set by slightly more mature destinations such as Kenya and South Africa, it has an authenticity that makes it both an exciting and enjoyable place to spend your trip.

Since 2016 when travelling to Uganda you are required to apply for an online visa prior to your visit to the country, and a single entry tourist visa will last between 30 and 90 days and will cost $50.

Upon entrance to the country you will find that English is widely spoken at varying levels of fluency, as well as lingua franca, making it easy to navigate your way around during your trip.

FACTS & FIGURES

Languages: English, Luganda Area: 236,040 square kilometres Population (2016): 41,490,000 GDP (2017): $88,610 billion Currency: Ugandan shilling (UGX) Time zone: UTC +3 Dialling code: +256 Internet TLD: .ug Climate: Equatorial

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18 See page

Our Business Travel section not only gives executives the complete guide to the world’s most popular and populous locations, but also gives said locations the perfect opportunity to showcase their own businesses, events, venues and services to a truly international audience and readership of more than 185,000 each month.

To share in this unrivalled exposure and to put your own offering on our map, then please contact our Sales Managers, Joe Palliser or Ryan Gray to find out more.

joe.palliser@outlookpublishing.com

+44 (0)1603 959 676

ryan.gray@outlookpublishing.com

+44 (0)1603 959 672

W E L C O M E

AFRICA

Live Your Best Life AFRICA Striving to ‘be the best’ is a theme encapsulated within Africa Outlook’s philosophy, as is epitomised by the Bonitas Medical Fund continues to assist the region’s healthcare industry host of industry-leading companies as part of overriding goal to improve quality of life in that grace each month’s publication.

South Africa However, striving to ‘do what’s best’ for others is a whole other prospect, and this month we are headlined by a Company that looks to balance both of the above ambitions.

Bonitas Medical Fund’s personable approach to healthcare fulfilment and upliftment has been a comforting everpresent in South Africa for 36 years; evolving from an initial membership base comprised of black civil servants, to the widespread open medical scheme it exists as today.

Amid challenging conditions and in the face of increasing societal pressures to alleviate the strains of poor health on a growing population, the Company continues to encourage all to “live their best life”, and the Company’s Principal Officer, Gerhard van Emmenis spoke with our Deputy Editor, Phoebe Calver about Bonitas’ approach to medical solutions in the present day.

“At Bonitas we have 12 plans available, each designed to perfectly meet the needs and budgets of South Africans from all walks of life,” he emphasises.

Continuing the theme of ‘being the best’, we continue this month with our fourth instalment of post-Mining Indaba profiles focusing on the sector’s exciting pan-African recovery. This time around it’s the turn of Mincon West Africa, Gecko Namibia (Pty) Ltd and Buffalo Coal to share their success stories and views on the wider industry; leading nicely into an overview of the recent Sahel and West Africa Mining Conference and Exhibition which took place in London in early May, which facilitated refreshing perspectives on African mining from experts outside of the continent.

Rounding up our monthly showcasing section are sustainability pioneers, LC Packaging; iconic Jo’berg retail outlet, Cresta Shopping Centre; Australian infrastructure specialists, Xaris Developments; and our old friends from the oil & gas space, Harlequin International (Ghana) Limited, to name a few.

So we sign off this May with a reminder to live your best life; an apt message that Africa Outlook would like to especially extend to Nigeria, Senegal, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia as their football teams head to Russia for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. www.africaoutlookmag.com

ISSUE 61

LC PACKAGING 00 Providing a committed, reliable and loyal service

MINCON WEST AFRICA 00 Better quality equals better cost efficiency

CRESTA SHOPPING CENTRE

An iconic retail destination

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XARIS DEVELOPMENTS 00 Finding opportunities, delivering value

ALSO FEATURING: ONE AFRICA PLACE | UNITY HOMES | HARLEQUIN INTERNATIONAL (GHANA) LIMITED

EDITORIAL Editorial Director: Matthew Staff matthew.staff@outlookpublishing.com Deputy Editor: Phoebe Calver phoebe.calver@outlookpublishing.com

PRODUCTION Production Manager: Daniel George daniel.george@outlookpublishing.com Art Director: Stephen Giles steve.giles@outlookpublishing.com Advert Designer: Devon Collins devon.collins@outlookpublishing.com Images: Thinkstock by Getty Images

BUSINESS Sales Director: Nick Norris nick.norris@outlookpublishing.com Operations Director: James Mitchell james.mitchell@outlookpublishing.com Project Directors: Joshua Mann joshua.mann@outlookpublishing.com Tom Cullum tom.cullum@outlookpublishing.com Head of Projects: Kane Weller kane.weller@outlookpublishing.com Training Development Manager: Eddie Clinton eddie.clinton@outlookpublishing.com Sales Managers: Joe Palliser joe.palliser@outlookpublishing.com Ryan Gray ryan.gray@outlookpublishing.com Project Managers: Callam Waller callam.waller@outlookpublishing.com Donovan Smith donovan.smith@outlookpublishing.com Josh Hyland josh.hyland@outlookpublishing.com Lewis Bush lewis.bush@outlookpublishing.com Matt Cole-Wilkin matt.cole-wilkin@outlookpublishing.com Vivek Valmiki vivek.valmiki@outlookpublishing.com

ADMINISTRATION Finance Director: Suzanne Welsh suzanne.welsh@outlookpublishing.com Office & Finance Manager: Sophia Curran sophia.curran@outlookpublishing.com WEB DESIGN: Hamit Saka IT: James Le-May

OUTLOOK PUBLISHING Managing Director: Ben Weaver ben.weaver@outlookpublishing.com CONTACT Outlook Publishing Ltd Woburn House, 84 St Benedicts Street, Norwich, Norfolk, NR2 4AB, United Kingdom Sales: +44 (0) 1603 959 652 Editorial: +44 (0) 1603 959 655 SUBSCRIPTIONS Tel: +44 (0)1603 959 655 Email: matthew.staff@outlookpublishing.com

www.africaoutlookmag.com Like us on Facebook - facebook.com/africaoutlook Follow us on Twitter - @Africa_Outlook

Matthew Staff

Editorial Director, Outlook Publishing

Enjoy the issue!

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In this issue...

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NEWS

All the latest stories from across Africa

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OIL & GAS A Better-Balanced Oil & Gas Hub

Standard Bank analyses Africa’s ongoing love affair with oil & gas

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AGRICULTURE Africa’s Agricultural Outlook

SilverStreet Capital shares its continental farming forecast

S E C T O R F O C U S

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CONSTRUCTION One Africa Place

Construction in Namibia is establishing its creative flair

BUSINESS TRAVEL GUIDE

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UGANDA Emerging From the Shadows

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SHOWCASING LEADING COMPANIES

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MANUFACTURING

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LC PACKAGING Sustainable Vision

Providing a committed, reliable and loyal service

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(GHANA) LIMITED Setting the Benchmark

The preferred engineering services provider

BONITAS MEDICAL FUND Healthcare to Live Your Best Life

Making the most of your medical plans

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Tell us your story and we’ll tell the world

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AVIATION 110 TRADEWINDS SERVICES

GECKO NAMIBIA (PTY) LTD A Vision for a New Namibia

Flying High

Kenya’s ground handler of choice

Identifying and unlocking value

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BUFFALO COAL Quality Coal

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MINING FOCUS Sahel and West Africa Mining Conference and Exhibition

Creating a sustainable business culture

Africa’s largest mining event in Europe

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MINING FOCUS Mining Indaba 2018: Africa’s Premier DealMaking Forum

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CRESTA SHOPPING CENTRE Growing People, Growing Places

SHIPPING & LOGISTICS CENTRAL 114 CUMMINS SUPPLY CHAIN OPERATIONS Lean Logistics

An iconic retail destination

Powering a more prosperous world

The event that the African mining industry needs

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INSURANCE 128 AFRICA & REINSURANCE CONFERENCE 2018

Innovate to Capture Growth Potential

ZAMBIA 130 8TH INTERNATIONAL

MINING & ENERGY CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION

ENERGY & UTILITIES

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MINCON WEST AFRICA The Driller’s Choice

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SOMIKA S.P.R.L (SOCIETE MINERE DU KATANGA) Harmonious Mining

Better quality equals better cost efficiency

Maintaining environmental and ecological balance

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XARIS DEVELOPMENTS Nimble Infrastructure

Finding opportunities, delivering value

CONSTRUCTION

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UNITY HOMES A Safe and Modern Community

Providing a professional and attentive service

Shaping a sustainable growth path

& 132 POWER-GEN DISTRIBUTECH AFRICA Powering up a continent

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REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT 2018 Reviving Mozambique’s property market

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in 2016 for $3.1 million in cash plus $6 million in Thor shares.

He promises rapid payback on the investment once production starts and Thor Explorations’ stock has climbed 50 percent this year while gold prices have only risen around one percent.

The World Bank has provided around $150 million to the Nigerian Government to kickstart non-oil sectors after the economy was hit by a fall in oil prices, which are now recovering.

The Bank’s funding is meant to help the Government formalise the artisanal mining sector, improve environmental practices and support infrastructure improvements for larger scale mines.

Mining provides only around 0.5 percent of GDP, according to World Bank figures, as the sector has struggled to attract foreign investment and to meet domestic RCES needs, forcing costly imports.

The oil sector accounts for an estimated 8.7 percent of GDP and is critical for foreign exchange and fiscal revenue.

The World Bank has said that gold “offers good prospects” although many miners say other metals, such as iron ore, are more useful.

Martin Wood, CEO of Australianlisted Kogi Iron, would not put a date on when the Company could Explorations’ Segilola Gold Project, begin production in Nigeria, but located in Osun State, which CEO, said it was looking for investors to Segun Lawson says aims to produce provide around $350 million. gold in the first quarter of 2020 and The Company plans to build a has probable gold reserves of around steel plant using local iron ore and 500,000 ounces. coal.

“Thor is currently developing the While a project in landlocked country’s most advanced gold mine,” Kogi state, is not well-positioned Lawson said recently. He says he has a to export, it has the infrastructure mining and exploration licence and is to sell domestically and could considering his options for raising $72 envisage 100 percent profit margins, million to get the mine into production. while reducing Nigeria’s import Lawson bought the Segilola project dependency, Wood said.

Thor Explorations Aims to Lead Nigeria’s New Mining Pack Canada-listed junior miner, Thor Explorations aims to bring Nigeria’s first large-scale gold mine online in early 2020, its CEO said, as the West African country seeks to diversify its economy away from oil & gas.

Following the commodity price crash of 2015-16, the World Bank in April, 2017 said it was providing funds to help the Nigerian Government develop its neglected mining sector.

Projects underway include Thor

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AFRICA ENERGY & UTILITIES

downgrades.

“Cabinet has approved the appointment of Mr Phakamani Hadebe as the new group Chief Executive of Eskom. This is a reflection of the excellent work he has done over the past few months at the institution,”

Public Enterprises Minister, Pravin Gordhan commented.

Eskom has not had a permanent CEO since Brian Molefe resigned in November, 2016 after a report linked him to the Gupta family, whose relationship with Zuma is the subject of a South African judicial inquiry into state corruption.

The Guptas and Zuma deny wrongdoing.

Under Hadebe’s watch as interim CEO, Eskom averted a liquidity crisis by securing billions of rand in emergency funding from banks.

Hadebe is the former head of investment banking at Barclays Africa and before that was CEO of Land Bank.

Despite a shortage of coal at some power stations, Hadebe said this month that there would be no power blackouts this year.

Hadebe has said he aims to deliver a turnaround strategy for Eskom by September which could include the disposal of some assets.

wearing a sweatshirt with the slogan “coolest monkey in the jungle”.

H&M apologised for the ad and removed it from its marketing.

Amelia-May Woudstra, H&M spokewoman in South Africa, said company executives would visit Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban, but

that the assessment, which would consider partnerships with local suppliers, was still in its early stages.

“We have started with an assessment of South Africa as a potential sourcing market,” she said.

H&M, which has 18 stores in South Africa, currently imports all its clothing into the country, so a decision to produce clothes locally would be a big boost for the domestic textile industry, which competes with rivals such as Ethiopia and Swaziland.

“If H&M were to source garments in South Africa, it would be a huge vote of confidence in the sector. We definitely have the capacity locally to supply them and it can be turned on particularly quickly with basic commodity items such as underwear,” a textile industry source added.

South Africa Confirms Hadebe as CEO of Struggling Eskom The South African Government has appointed Phakamani Hadebe as Chief Executive Officer of struggling state power firm, Eskom, ending a string of interim appointments that stretches back to 2016.

Hadebe has been leading efforts to stabilise Eskom, a company at the heart of corruption scandals surrounding ousted President, Jacob Zuma as interim CEO since January after an intervention by then-Deputy President, Cyril Ramaphosa.

Ramaphosa, who replaced Zuma as South Africa’s president in February, has made reforming stateowned firms a priority as he seeks to bolster economic growth and stave off sovereign credit ratings

RETAIL

H&M Scouts Potential Suppliers in South Africa H&M is looking at South Africa as a potential supplier, with executives from the world’s second largest clothing retailer visiting some of the country’s main cities.

South Africa’s Government helped to broker the H&M visit as part of efforts to boost the textile sector which has been hit hard by Chinese clothing imports that led to factory closures and thousands of job losses.

H&M faced protests in South Africa in January, 2018 this year over an advert which featured a black child

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Ghana to Award Nine New Oil Blocks off the West Coast Ghana is set to award nine new upstream oil blocks for commercial exploration off its western coast beginning this year, the energy ministry said.

The West African country plans to award six of the nine blocks this year while the remaining three will be given out next year through a mix of open competitive tender and direct negotiations, the ministry said in a statement.

It said state oil Company Ghana National Petroleum Corporation will acquire one of the blocks to explore in partnership with a strategic partner to develop its technical capacity and become an operator.

Ghana, which began commercial crude production in late 2010, currently produces around 180,000 barrels per day mainly from three fields offshore the western coast, including its flagship Jubilee reserves operated by UK’s Tullow Oil Plc. The Government named a 23-member committee to oversee the allocation of oil blocks to local and international companies through evaluation and negotiation.

OIL & GAS

Nigeria Draft Oil Reforms Seek to Establish Powerful Industry Regulator Nigeria’s Government plans to create a powerful energy regulator with broad oversight of the oil & gas sector, according to draft versions of sweeping reforms known collectively as the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).

The draft laws, posted on the Nigerian legislature’s website on 30 April, are the versions intended for the Senate, the upper house of parliament.

TECHNOLOGY

Kenya’s Safaricom Pilots Messaging App Safaricom, Kenya’s biggest telecoms company, is piloting a social messaging app that will link to its mobile money platform in an attempt to move the Company into the application business, the Company said.

Bonga, meaning ‘chat’ in Kiswahili, will be integrated with the Company’s popular financial services platform, M-Pesa to enable the almost 28 million of its users to communicate beyond sending money to one another, transforming the platform into a type

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The PIB aims to improve transparency, attract investors, stimulate growth and increase Government revenues.

After being debated for well over a decade, the unwieldly and contentious legislation was broken into sections to help it pass into law.

The governance part of the bill was passed by both houses of parliament in January. However, that section has not yet been signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari, who is also Nigeria’s oil minister.

The inability to pass the law and uncertainty around taxation has stunted investment in the West African nation, particularly in deepwater oil & gas fields.

of social network.

The idea stems from the “hypothesis that there’s an intricate connection between conversations and transactions, payments especially”, Kamal Bhattacharya, Chief Innovation officer at Safaricom, said.

“It’s one thing to share information with somebody it’s another thing to make a payment, to send money to somebody,” he said.

Bhattacharya said that M-Pesa users will be able to message each other on Bonga in three ways: user-to-user, user-to-business and fundraising through “social groups” much like the group function on WhatsApp.

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AFRICA MINING & RESOURCES

MINING & RESOURCES

Eskom in Talks over Supplies from Optimum Coal Mine

Miner Petra Diamonds to Raise $178 Million to Cut Debt

South Africa’s state-run power utility Eskom said in a recent statement that it was in talks with the business rescue practitioners working to save the Optimum coal mine and was considering a proposal to reduce the volumes of coal it takes from the mine.

“Eskom is currently considering the business rescue practitioners’ proposal to reduce the monthly coal supply tonnage from 400,000 to 200,000

Mining firm, Petra Diamonds said it would raise $178 million from investors to cut debt after it was hobbled by a strong South African rand, delays in production, strikes and a confiscated consignment of diamonds.

Workers at Petra’s South African operations downed tools in September over wages and the Tanzania Government confiscated a consignment of diamonds, which has still not been returned.

There were also delays in ramping up production at its Cullinan and Finsch mines in South Africa and a lack of refunds on value-added-tax (VAT) from the Tanzanian Government.

New shares would be offered at 40 pence, a 35.6 percent discount to the theoretical ex-rights price of 62.15 pence calculated in reference to the recent closing price.

tonnes for the remainder of the contract period given the precarious financial position of Optimum coal mine,” Eskom said.

OIL & GAS

Sudan in Talks with Saudi Arabia for Fiveyear Oil Aid Agreement FOOD & DRINK

South African Food Producer’s Earnings Hit by Meat Recall South Africa’s biggest food producer, Tiger Brands said a recall of cold meat products in response to a deadly listeria outbreak has cost it R365 million ($29 million) so far and weighed heavily on its halfyear earnings.

The Company suspended production in March at four plants in South Africa that produced polony and other cold meats that were linked to the world’s largest ever listeria outbreak, which has killed 200 people since early 2017.

Those facilities are likely to stay closed for much of the second half of the year, the Company said, as it completes remedial work and awaits guidance from the Department of Health.

Sudan is in talks with Saudi Arabia for an oil aid agreement that would have the Kingdom supply its oil needs for five years on credit, Sudan Oil Minister, Abdulrahman Othman said in a recent statement.

Othman said the deal would provide about 1.8 million tonnes of oil a year to Sudan, which has been hit in recent months by fuel shortages that have forced people to queue at gas stations for hours.

A source in the presidency’s office in Sudan said the final agreement is expected to be signed within a few days.

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A Better-Balanced Oil & Gas Hub

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ew prospecting drilling and refining technologies combined with increased global energy consumption supported by Africa’s increasingly positive demographic and legislative environments are breathing new life - and significant investment - into Africa’s growing oil & gas sector.

The increased costs of oil & gas production and beneficiation are seeing global energy majors build production and refining capability closer to new sources of oil & gas and fast-growing markets. Since many of these new finds are in Africa’s fast-growing emerging and frontier markets, Africa’s rapidly growing consumer and infrastructural opportunities “adds to the rationale for locating new oil & gas developments on the continent, close to tomorrow’s fastest-growing consumer markets”, says Dele Kuti, Global Head of Oil & Gas for Standard Bank Group.

“It makes economic sense for oil

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However, a host of new finds (gradually entering into production) across Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Senegal/Mauritania, Tanzania and Uganda, have significantly boosted sub-Saharan Africa’s (SSA) traditional upstream players. Exploration is also continuing in a number of other prospects. This has transformed the continent’s energy outlook as well as its relevance to global energy markets, especially in East Asia.

Writer: Matthew Staff When traditional oil & gas giants like Nigeria and Angola are added to the majors and leading independents, mix, “Africa emerges as the globe’s next big oil & gas energy play”, says comprised of a group of the world’s Kuti. This view accords with the longlargest oil companies, to pursue opportunities across the oil & gas value term energy projections (to 2040) that chain within the African economies each of BP, ExxonMobil and Shell (for in which these resources are found,” LNG) have issued in Q1 of 2018. explains Kuti.

Future oil & gas capacity Change has been rapid and Standard Bank Group’s presence widespread across Africa’s oil & gas landscape. Until recently, for example, and transactional capability in Kenya and many other African most of such markets means that, countries were solely oil importers and “we are well placed to identify the client opportunities - as well as the had no gas reserves of substance.

Technology, capital and market dynamics focus attention on the world’s last energy frontier, and Nigeria will be one of the leading exponents despite its over-reliance on the sector in the past

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broader economic development potential - presented by Africa’s rapidly emerging oil & gas industry”, says Kuti. “Alongside our longstanding partnership with the Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, we present a powerful partnership proposition to both local and global energy players eager to participate in the development of the world’s last oil & gas frontier,” he adds.

Although initial capital investments into this sector will accrue to nondomestic manufacturers, the impact thereof will lead to developments of new domestic sectors and new supplier networks.

The successful development of these projects will boost fiscal revenues, enhance national capital formation and positively impact the balance of payments. The respective oil discoveries in Uganda and the gas discoveries in Mozambique have consequently led to further developments such as a potential refinery in Uganda and a fertiliser plant in Mozambique, to name a few.

Similarly, as with the example of

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cellular technology, Africa has the potential to benefit from a number of industry technological developments; for example, floating LNG (FLNG), floating storage & regasification units (“FSRUs”), and modular product storage. Taking them together, one begins to understand the full potential of the investment and development synergies likely to arise as more oil majors bring investment and expertise to building Africa’s future oil & gas capacity and synergies,” explains Kuti.

Vast oil & gas potential

That said, in the short-term, local African players are likely to emerge gradually in the upstream space as the costs of projects are relatively high and prices subdued. They also, typically, have very long timeframes.

In the meantime, as the oil majors reposition to develop new oil & gas projects in Africa, opportunities will emerge for local participation in Africa’s downstream sector. Existing examples of indigenous players in South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria will in time be supplemented by other players.

“We believe that leveraging this opportunity requires the expertise of an African bank literate in the legislative, business and transactional realities of the continent, coupled with extensive international networks”

As the continent’s population increases, coupled with growing employment and incomes, “we expect to see a rapid increase in domestic demand for refined products as, for example, more people own cars, and increased economic activity leads to increased transportation”, says Kuti.

Over time, and supported by the right legislation, this is likely to see Africa’s emerging downstream operators acquire the capital and expertise to become tomorrow’s upstream investors and developers as new African oil majors are born.

Uniquely in Africa, neither oil nor gas are sunset industries. Africa’s huge energy deficit, coupled with its continuing exploration discoveries, mean that, “in Africa the oil & gas market is likely to grow - in tandem with renewables - for at least the next 20 years”, says Kuti.

For now, however, the declining cost of oil & gas projects (since peaks in 2014) means that Africa’s industry landscape presents a substantial capital opportunity to a world achieving rarely-synchronised global growth.

“We believe that leveraging this opportunity requires the expertise of an African bank literate in the legislative, business and transactional realities of the continent, coupled with extensive international networks,” says Kuti.

Beyond raising capital, the capability to execute across the whole value chain is, in fact, often the biggest challenge for local businesses and global majors alike when seeking to tap into Africa’s vast oil & gas potential.

“This is exactly where Standard Bank Group’s presence in 20 markets and our 155-year history of growing African businesses and navigating the continent for clients makes us relevant to supporting and sustaining Africa’s tremendous oil & gas future,” Kuti concludes.

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Africa’s Agricultural

Outlook Gary Vaughan-Smith of SilverStreet Capital LLP provides an African agricultural analysis for 2018

Commodity prices Commodity price z-scores

Written by: Gary Vaughan-Smith, Chief Investment Officer, SilverStreet Capital LLP

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onditions in the first half of 2018 are setting up for very interesting investment opportunities in the agricultural sector and these opportunities look uncorrelated to the world’s major equity and bond indices.

At their lows

Agricultural commodities are generally down around 40 percent from their 2012 peaks and have demonstrated their lack of correlation with equity and bond markets, both of which were

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in the throes of a bull market until February of this year.

Commodities in general are at the bottom end of their ranges as illustrated in this chart which shows the current levels (the diamonds) compared to the long-term ranges for the key commodities. The chart illustrates the extremely low levels of agricultural commodities relative to their histories.

These historic levels are important because producing food has a cost per tonne and if the price drops enough then more and more production is

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taken offline and hectares are planted into other crops. The price will not go to zero and ultimately reach a floor.

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The ‘double La Nina’ anomaly

An unusual weather anomaly combines to make this a pivotal point in time for agricultural commodities. The anomaly is that we have just finished two back-to-back La Nina’s over the Northern Hemisphere winter. This has only occurred 10 times in the past 100 years and the evidence suggests that the second La Nina is more intense than the first leading to more extreme versions of La Nina weather.

The key impact is in the US Midwest where the US is a major producer of grains and soya. The Midwest experiences dry weather in a La Nina and this is exaggerated in a double La Nina as we are now seeing unfold. Major multiyear rallies in grains and soya prices seem to often originate in a double-La Nina period or where a single La Nina is very strong: five of the past six strong rallies since 1970 seem to be related to this weather feature. Combine that with the current low commodity prices and the risk/reward looks very interesting.

Implications in Africa

West Africa typically experiences low rainfall in La Ninas and we are seeing this reflected in the powerful rally in cocoa prices, now up around 40 percent since the lows in January.

Southern Africa tends to receive higher rainfall in La Nina years which will be a welcome change in many areas.

We have seen strong rains in Southern Zambia and Botswana for example in the latest rainy season. This leads to the interesting situation where farmers in Southern Africa can produce excellent crops of grains and soya in these La Nina years just when world shortages emerge and prices rise. Given that much of the maize is grown by smallholder farmers we should hopefully see improved profits on these farms where additional income can have a major, positive social impact.

The laggards

There are crops that have fallen

substantially this year and these price anomalies can also be explained by La Nina. Any crops grown on scale in Southern Asia tend to see higher harvests in La Ninas because of higher rainfall. The key ones typically impacted are sugar (down 30 percent in the past year) which is produced to large scales in India, and robusta coffee which experiences similar production levels in Vietnam.

Sugar is worth a special mention because its price is 11.5c/pound at the time of writing versus a long-term range of 10.5c to 36c.

Most sugar producers will struggle to make a profit under 15c/pound. India has huge surpluses and has started to export sugar, increasing inventories and putting pressure on the sugar price.The EU is ramping up sugar production following the lifting of quotas in September last year.

next few months.

Sugar is produced across Eastern and Southern Africa and is a big employer. In South Africa for example, some 250,000 people are said to be employed directlly or indirectly because of sugar production. We are expecting the South African Government to increase tariffs on sugar to help protect the industry this year and next. A bottoming and rally in the sugar price over the next couple of years would benefit profits and the employment of a large number of people; and would be a welcome bonus for the industry in Africa.

Conclusions

In summary, agricultural markets represent an interesting and immediate investment opportunity and, an uncorrelated alternative to the main asset classes, now looking increasingly vulnerable.

Ethanol options Agricultural commodity prices are Brazil is the largest producer of close to their long-term lows and the sugar and its refineries are set up to ‘double La Nina’ weather anomaly produce ethanol from sugar as well could lead to upsides for crops grown as for normal food production. These in the US Midwest such as grains, refineries can tilt one way or another cotton and soya plus those grown in and have been increasingly switching West Africa, like cocoa. production from sugar to ethanol this It is interesting to note that these year. The ethanol price is linked directly crops are produced largely by to the oil price which has been strong smallholder farmers in Africa and we this year and is now around $75/barrel. should hopefully see more money in the The ethanol ‘equivalent’ price is around pockets of these farmers if this scenario 17-18c/pound so there is a big gain pans out. With 60 percent of the for the refineries to switch as much population in sub-Saharan Africa living production to ethanol as is feasible. on these smallholder farms, this will be This should lead to a bottoming a welcome boost to the incomes of this process for the sugar price over the broad-based and low income group.

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Africa, including facilities for hydraulic parking, façade systems and biometric access control. Each of the public areas have been designed by an awardwinning international firm that is usually responsible for luxury hotels.

It shows what can be achieved when we combine local capabilities and ambition with international Written by: Phoebe Calver technology and best practice, led by and the quality of implementation.

Kenyan developers and architects that have utilised expertise and technology The Kenyan construction market is extremely conservative and in many from across the world. This is a truly international building, from its façade ways resistant to change, therefore, system designed in South Africa and wherever we couldn’t find the necessary expertise, skill or technology manufactured in Italy, to the German parking technology made in India. locally, we would bring it in from Developments such as this send abroad. out an important message, clearly demonstrating that things are AfO: One Place Africa has been happening in East Africa and we are labelled as part of the new wave of high-value projects that is reshaping open for business and aiming high.

African business, so could you provide We believe that Nairobi’s skyline will be unrecognisable in 10-15 years time, us with some details of what the and subsequently the scope for similar project will give to the business world projects is immense and exciting. specifically?

AL: Our project set new benchmarks AfO: On a general note, what across the board for design, would you say defines One Place engineering and construction in East Africa among new developments in the market?

AL: One of the common mistakes Africa Outlook (AfO): Throughout made by developers in the region is that they rely on the visual impact the project’s evolution, what of a building, rather than on the have been the main continuous substance of the building. There are improvement strategies and many buildings that look good from a philosophies of One Place Africa to achieve the success that it has done? distance, but as you move closer and begin to look inside the inefficiencies Andrey Lyubimov (AL): The main become obvious. For example, strategy was to remain true to the impractical floor layouts, low ceilings, scope we had defined at the beginning mediocre finishes, non-soundproofed of the project, taking no shortcuts during the process. glazing, inadequate building services, compromises on fire safety, low We strived to maintain the highest parking ratios and a general lack of international standards in design, Andrey Lyubimov attention to detail. choice of materials, technology ne Africa Place is a development management firm with more than 10 years of experience in delivering market-leading products, providing the Kenyan construction market with excellent service.

The site owners wanted to build an iconic office of the future, creating a building that wouldn’t be out of place in New York or Hong Kong both visually and functionally. The original brief provided to the architect was to design something that a passer-by would stop in their tracks to look at, and in addition they were tasked with building an office that would deliver for tenants in providing productivity, image, convenience, efficiency and sustainability.

Once a conceptual direction for the project was settled on and the development organisers put together a design and engineering team that could deliver on both these fronts, the project was taken from concept to completion in five-and-a-half-years.

Andrey Lyubimov of One Africa Place talks us through the plans for the future of the development.

The One Africa Place development is transforming Nairobi’s skyline and providing its residents with a truly iconic business address

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BUILDING FEATURES Unrivalled location in the heart of Westlands Triple height entrance lobby Double-glazed solar efficient glass (energy saving of –35 percent) Granite/Marble lobbies on all levels Six high-speed lifts (3m/second) of 21 passenger capacity; average waiting time (36 seconds) in-line with European standards EN 81.1 and EN 81.2 Male/Female WCs on each floor Rainwater harvesting as standard Onsite treated bore-hole Three standby generators for 100 percent load back up (2 x 500 KVA + 1 x 350 KVA back-up capacity) Conventional and mechanised parking systems giving 333 spaces) Sky Café State-of-the-art gym

When designing One Africa Place we were keen to address these issues and now we can proudly say that our development is not only an architectural landmark that is reshaping the Nairobi skyline, but a truly grade A building. One Africa Place has an abundance of parking, excellent high ceilings, efficient and flexible floor plans, state-of-the-art security and fire safety systems, located in arguably the best location in Nairobi.

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“...we can proudly say that our development is not only an architectural landmark that is reshaping the Nairobi skyline, but a truly grade A building”

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AfO: Looking forward, if we were to speak again in three to five years time, what would you hope and expect to be able to report back in terms of project development?

AL: Firstly, we would hope that One Africa Place is able to meet customers’ requirements, providing them with the best working experience possible.

The tenant experience is what matters and in three to five years we hope that One Africa will be a bustling hub for

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We then hope to see far better connectivity and integration with our neighbours and the wider area, but in order to achieve that developers and property owners need to work closely to improve the overall experience for residents in Nairobi.

Being able to seamlessly walk from One Africa Place to the IBIS Styles and Westgate would add vast amounts of value to residents’ lives,

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and subsequently stimulate economic growth. In order to achieve that we will create well-lit secure footpaths and bridges, direct access between buildings and improved traffic flow; all of which will be implemented in a three to five-year time-frame.

Lastly, we expect other developers to try and match or exceed the standards set at One Africa Place in their own projects; competition is healthy and will inevitably lead to growing

professionalism across developers, contractors and consultants alike.

We are working on two projects at present that are even more ambitious than One Africa Place, and we are excited to see how they progress from here.

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U G A N D A

UGANDA Uganda is growing in popularity as a tourist destination, with thanks to support from its Government and a vision for the future from the Uganda Hotel Owners Association Writer: Phoebe Calver | Project Manager: Ryan Gray

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ganda is beginning to emerge from the shadows of its long history, reaching out to improve upon the former glory it held as the ‘pearl of Africa’.

The country is privy to spectacular landscapes, excellent wildlife watching opportunities and welcoming locals, considering the relatively small size of the county it packs a punch against its larger neighbours. Home to the Rwenzoris - Africa’s tallest mountain range - and the source of the Nile, you will be spoilt for choice when it comes to finding ways to spend your free time.

Although the climate is technically equatorial, it is not as uniform as you would expect and therefore it is advisable to pack for a wide range of weather possibilities. You will find that Southern Uganda is more often than not more wet, with rain spreading widely throughout the year. On the

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FACTS & FIGURES

Languages: English, Luganda Area: 236,040 square kilometres Population (2016): 41,490,000 GDP (2017): $88,610 billion Currency: Ugandan shilling (UGX) Time zone: UTC +3 Dialling code: +256 Internet TLD: .ug Climate: Equatorial

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AFRICA north-side this is more predictable, with rain predominantly falling from March to June and throughout November and December.

Uganda is both accessible and an affordable option in Africa, making it the perfect destination for business travel. Although the country still has a way to go when it comes to the standards set by slightly more mature destinations such as Kenya and South Africa, it has an authenticity that makes it both an exciting and enjoyable place to spend your trip.

Since 2016 when travelling to Uganda you are required to apply for an online visa prior to your visit to the country, and a single entry tourist visa will last between 30 and 90 days and will cost $50.

Upon entrance to the country you will find that English is widely spoken at varying levels of fluency, as well as lingua franca, making it easy to navigate your way around during your trip.

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The Business End IN RECENT YEARS Uganda has been gaining a lot of attention both regionally and internationally, with thanks to its growing tourism sector.

Jean Byamugisha, Executive Director at the Uganda Hotel Owners Association explains the meteoric rise of Uganda’s tourism industry: “In recent years we have won accolades from international press such as CNN and Lonely Planet magazine. We have been very lucky to have the backing of an incredibly supportive Government that is heavily invested in road infrastructure to destination areas, as well as tight security within the country that has boosted our tourism industry onto its upward trajectory.”

With such renewed interest in Uganda and its tourism industry, the country is positioning itself as the new MICE destination in Africa. At present Kampala is home to major international big name brand hotels such as the Hilton, Marriot, Radisson and it has massively increased its appeal for both the business travel

industry as a whole and MICE. Alongside the growth of its tourism industry and more specifically business tourism, the county has also experienced consistent economic growth in recent years. The country has largely untapped oil & gas reserves as well as a sizable agriculture industry, with coffee as its main export.

A tree-climbing lioness in Queen Elizabeth National Park.

The bottom of the Murchison Falls waterfall

However, with the growing tourism sector in the country, the agriculture sector is on course to be surpassed by the services sector which accounted for more than half of the country’s GDP last year.

Kampala, Uganda’s capital

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Mountain gorilla in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

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Plot 11, Nambi Road Manyago, Entebbe T: +256 751 123450, +256 750 999 555 E: reservation@saffroneal.com directorsaffroneal@saffroneal.com

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Special Rates Suite – 2 (Room no. 5 & 6) $ 150 Bed & Breakfast Min. 1 Pax – Max. 2 Pax

Executive Room 1, 2, 4 $ 100 Bed & Breakfast Min. 1 Pax – Max. 2 Pax

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U G A N D A

The Uganda Hotel Owners Association THE UGANDA HOTEL Owners Association (UHOA) was founded by Dr. BM Kibirige in May, 2000 when he came to the realisation that hotel owners in Uganda needed to come together and create an atmosphere conducive to business.

Until that point in time hotels had been largely ignored by the Government, despite the fact that they had always been the biggest investors within the tourism sector. 18 years later, UHOA now boasts more than 500 member hotels, is well recognised by the Government of Uganda and holds a seat on the Uganda Tourism Board, Uganda Wildlife Authority and Private sector Foundation.

Jean Byamugisha, Executive Director of the Uganda Hotel Owners Association tells us about her vision for the future, and the Association’s support for the tourism industry as a whole.

Africa Outlook (AfO): Since inception, how has Uganda Hotel Association developed and progressed in terms of its key objectives and the messages it tries to get across?

Jean Byamugisha (JB): Since May, 2000, UHOA has grown in leaps and bounds and expanded its vision for the future. When UHOA was first created, it was purely limited to the needs of the hotel sector. Today UHOA is an advocate for the Ugandan tourism industry because we realise that for the hotels to grow, the entire tourism industry must grow as well.

So today, much of our key objectives and messages are for the overall development of the tourism sector in Uganda with key emphasis on the investment and growth of the

Murchison Fall National Park

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hotel sector. UHOA is also passionate about the capacity building and general welfare of the hotel staff. As the biggest employers in the tourism industry, we aim to create a precedent and lead by example in terms of staff welfare.

AfO: Taking a more general industry stance, how would you evaluate the tourism sector in Uganda now compared to its condition when the Association began?

JB: The easiest way I can explain this is the comparison of night and day; 18 years ago, tourism was largely ignored both by the Government and the private sector. Not only did we receive minimum funding from the Government, tourism was also housed under the Ministry of Trade receiving a lot less attention. Today, Tourism has a standalone Ministry, the Ministry of

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Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities and receives quite considerable funding to support most of the marketing activities for the sector. Tourism is now the biggest foreign exchange earner for Uganda as well as the second biggest employer second only to agriculture. Tourism has also been recognised by Government as one of the three sectors that will drive Uganda’s economy into the middle income status.

AfO: What is in store for Uganda over the course of 2018 and beyond to continue the good work already commenced and to enhance its reputation as a tourism and business travel hub further in the future?

JB: We are putting plans in place for a lot more lobbying and advocacy.

Uganda will continue to lobby and advocate for the tourism sector especially at the international forums in regards to positioning Uganda as

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a MICE destination. UHOA is very passionate about ensuring that we have much better occupancy rates for the hotels in 2018 so we shall be carrying out many domestic tourism campaigns to make sure we have more Ugandans and foreign residents visiting the country. UHOA will also be participating in many international events to meet international hotel investors and encourage them to come and set up hotels within the country so as to facilitate the MICE market of travellers.

AfO: Finally, looking forward, if we were to speak again in three-five years’ time, what progress and development would you hope and expect to be able to report back, both in regards to the Uganda Hotel Association as an entity, and in regards to the business travel industry in Uganda as a whole?

JB: I would imagine that in threefive years time UHOA will have more than 1,000 member hotels. UHOA will be the strongest private sector association in Uganda and the biggest advocate for the tourism industry. In the next five years, I really hope to see Uganda as one of the biggest MICE destinations in Africa. We should be able to compete with giants like South Africa in this regard.

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Out & About

Take the road less travelled...

Lake Bunyonyi in Uganda, Africa

UGANDA IS ESPECIALLY recognisable for the array of spectacular wildlife that can be found across its equally incredible landscapes, both of which have served as a major driver of employment and investment.

With tourism providing such a major driver for growth in the country, it is also being used to fight poverty. You will notice a large number of specific tourism companies during your time in the country, often selling traditional products such as arts and crafts and traditional attire.

Some of the most popular tourist attractions in Uganda are found in the form of game reserves, historical sites and natural tropical forests with endless surprises to be discovered.

When exploring in your spare time, you will discover that Uganda truly has a prime location within the African Great Lakes region, with a number of water bodies that are increasingly popular spots for tourists.

Due to its extensive bodies of water, boating is an increasingly popular pastime that is commonly carried out on Lake Victoria, Lake Mburo, Lake Bunyonyi, Kazinga Channel and the River Nile.

This offers the perfect opportunity to see the sites and explore the local nature, including the likelihood of spotting buffaloes, hippos, crocodiles and birds.

As well as a spectacular array of activities just waiting to be discovered, Uganda will also surprise you with the level of its hospitality. Depending on the requirements of your stay, there is something for everyone and particularly the ever-increasingly popular business tourism industry.

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Plot 5 Binayomba Avenue, Bugolobi, Kampala, Uganda +256 414 251 182 | +256 787 433 710 info@safariuganda.com | info@wildplacesafrica.com www.safariuganda.com | www.wildplacesafrica.com The Uganda Safari Company | Wildplaces Africa

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Excluded in the Price • Visas and all international • Gorilla and chimp Permits • Any other activity / service not mentioned in the itinerary

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Outlook Recommends “Tourism has also been recognised by Government as one of the three sectors that will drive Uganda’s economy into the middle income status.” - Uganda Hotel Owners Association

HOTELS

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Kampala Serena Hotel

Source of the Nile Hotel Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Sheraton Kampala

Speke Resort Munyonyo

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Murchison Falls National Park

Kidepo Valley National Park

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oyager African Safaris will give you an inside out tour of Uganda, best described

by Sir Winston Churchill as the “Pearl of Africa”.

Our personalized services will leave you feeling as though you are a part of a typical African extended family!

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Outlook Recommends MUSEUMS

RESTAURANTS

Uganda Museum

WILDLIFE SANCTUARIES

Bamboo Nest Batwa Cultural Heritage

Paradise Grill Restaurant

Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary Uganda Wildlife Education Centre Budongo Forest Reserve RETAIL

The Acacia Mall Victoria Mall Social Innovation Museum

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7 Hills Revolving Restaurant

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Freedom City Mall

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+256 790 911 318

www.sourceofthenilehotel.com +256 702 515 602

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Marianah Tourist Hotel Services Tour Activities • Board Riding • Bird Watching • Nature Walk • Camping Facilities • Accomodation (Self Contained Rooms) • Restaurant • Bar services • A 100 people seater shelter tent • Gardens for parties and recreation

The House of Love was born after some members of the Yesu Ahuriire Community went to South Korea for the 1st Holy Spirt Conference of World Youth in July 2006. The experience enhanced, encourages and became a ground for action on which the initiators of the House of Love children’s village decided to take up the challenge of setting up a home; as a call to bring God’s love to the sick with AIDS, poor, needy and abandoned children and youth.

Email: houseofloveafrica@googlemail.com Website: https://sites.google.com/site/houseofloveafrica/contact-us

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Transport Links

UGANDA IS SURPRISINGLY nimble when it comes to transportation and finding your way around the country, with the most popular method being through booking with one of the many companies available to transport you from meeting to meeting in your own car or bus depending on the size of your party.

If you were to choose this manner of transportation, you are likely to save copious amounts of time that could have been wasted in looking for where to go and arranging transportation.

Of course there are many other

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options available. In Kampala in particular - as well as other destinations - the boda-boda is a very good way to get from place to place.

Perhaps more recognisable as the mode of transport for the adventurous type, these small moped type vehicles with cushions on the back are a cheap form of transport often used by locals.

Although it will provide you with an authentic experience, do take caution if you choose to try this as they are often involved in accidents.

Depending on the area in which you are staying, you will find that

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Uganda has a good public bus system that runs on fixed routes in the form of minibuses or commuter vans. You will find that both forms are relatively cheap and efficient when running between the major centres.

The roads you are met with in Uganda are in good condition in comparison to many located in subSaharan Africa, although they have deteriorated in patches. Many of the minor roads are made of hard-packed soil and although predominantly fine, if there have been heavy rains then they can quickly become treacherous.

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Katwe Tourism Information centre (KATIC) P.O.Box 99, Katwe – Kasese – Uganda Tel: +256 752 618 265 +256 753 393 450 +256 752 397 354 Email: katic.org@gmail.com Wek: www.katic.info

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UPENDO

AFRICAN ART & CRAFTS Be Proud Of Your Culture – Be Proud Of Your World

KATIK is a community tourism enterprise formed in 2005 with the aim of conserving the surrounding natural resources for sustainable tourism with the intent of enhancing economic and conservation benefits for the community.

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS: • Lake Katwe - learn about the skill of salt mining as well as a chance to directly interact with the salt miners • Lake Munyanyange - a saline lake is just outside the national park’s boundaries but belongs to Kazinga Wildlife Sanctuary WHAT WE OFFER • Bird Watching - Katik offers experienced bird guides to take you around Lake Munyanyange, • Village Walk - The tour to Katwe Salt Lake gives a unique insight into the fascinating, yet tough process of salt mining which provides an alternative income for the community UPENDO is an association based on love for humanity. UPENDO Art & Craft wants to ensure that the vulnerable social group members become self sustaining and has engaged its member into income generating activities through discovering their hidden treasures / potentials and use them to improve their livelihood.

www.katwe-council.com

Amajambere Iwacu Community Camp Providing eco-friendly accommodation at the foothills of Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Amajambere Iwacu Community Camp P.O Box 280, Kisoro, Uganda Phone, Manager: +256-774-954956 / +256-782-306973 Email: info@amajamberecamp.com

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A beautiful home far away from home

Exquisite accommodation for gorilla loving tourists including bird watching, local community tours in the beautiful mountainous villages of western Uganda

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Landmark Attractions

Murchison Falls National Park

“Murchison Falls Conservation Area ( MFCA ) comprises of Murchison Falls National Park, Bugungu and Karuma Falls Wildlife Reserves. This is where the Nile explodes through a narrow gorge and cascades down to become a placid river whose banks are thronged with hippos and crocodiles, waterbucks and buffaloes. The vegetation is characterised by savannah, riverine forest and woodland. Wildlife includes lions, leopards, elephants, giraffes, hartebeests, oribis, Uganda kobs, chimpanzees, and many bird species.”

- murchinsonfallsnationalpark.com

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

“Home to almost half the world’s surviving mountain gorillas, the World Heritage–listed Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is one of East Africa’s most famous national parks. Set over 331 sq km of improbably steep mountain rainforest, the park is home to an estimated 340 gorillas: undoubtedly Uganda’s biggest tourist drawcard.” - Lonely Planet

Lake Bunyonyi

“Lake Bunyonyi, also called the place of many little birds, is located in south western Uganda, between the two districts of Kisoro and Kabale close to the border of Rwanda.”

- lakebunyonyiuganda.com

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Mengo Palace

“Built in 1922, this small palace is the former home of the king of Buganda, though it has remained empty since 1966 when Prime Minister Milton Obote ordered a dramatic attack to oust Kabaka Mutesa II, then president of Uganda. Led by the forces of Idi Amin, soldiers stormed the palace and, after several days of fighting, Mutesa was forced into exile. The building’s interior cannot be visited, but the notorious underground prison here is open to tours.” - Lonely Planet

Luxurious Accomodation • Delectable Food • Corporate Conferencing • Spectacular Service NILE VILLAGE HOTEL & SPA 48/49 Kiira Road Jinja, Uganda

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Source of the Nile River

Kasubi Tombs

“The birthplace of the mighty Nile river (or one of them anyway…), here the water spills out of Lake Victoria on its journey to the Mediterranean flowing fast from the get-go. It’s estimated no more than 5 percent of water here will end up in Egypt. There’s a landmark identifying the source and a few restaurants and bars, which can make for a nice place for a sunset beer. Exploring the source by boat (per person USh50,000) is another popular option.”

- Lonely Planet

“Situated on Kasubi hill, within Kampala, Uganda, the Kasubi Tombs site is an active religious place in the Buganda Kingdom. To the Baganda the Kabaka is the unquestioned symbol of spiritual, political, and social state of the Buganda nation. As the burial ground for the previous four Kabakas, therefore, the Kasubi Tombs is a place where the Kabaka and others in Buganda’s complex cultural hierarchy frequently carry out important centuries-old Ganda rituals.” - Kasubitombs.org

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With content compiled by our experienced editorial team, complemented by an in-house design and production team ensuring delivery to the highest standards, we look to promote the latest in engaging news, industry trends and success stories from the length and breadth of Africa.

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In joining the leading industry heavyweights already enjoying the exposure we can provide, you can benefit from FREE coverage across both digital and print platforms, a FREE marketing brochure, extensive social media saturation, enhanced B2B networking opportunities, and a readymade forum to attract new investment and to grow your business.

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AFRICA

eti

Opportu ng nity

ISSUE 61

Bonitas Medical Fund the continues to assist industry region’s healthcare goal as part of overriding of life in to improve quality South Africa

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Best Life Bonitas Medical Fund is demonstrating its stability in a difficult market, providing a range of plans and joining forces with other market leaders in pursuit of the best possible service and benefits for its members Writer: Phoebe Calver | Project Manager: Josh Mann

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Providing a committed, and loyal service

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CENTRE 00 CRESTA SHOPPING destination An iconic retail

ENTS 00 XARIS DEVELOPM delivering value

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Making the most of your medical plans

he vast majority of businesses in South Africa are required to be extremely agile when it comes to adapting to a changing environment, and the healthcare industry is no exception to this rule.

Having just entered its 36th year in the healthcare industry, Bonitas Medical Fund is a great success story.

The Scheme has evolved over the years from an initial membership base that was comprised exclusively of black civil servants, to the open medical scheme it is today.

“The important change to an openscheme occurred in 1995 and since that point we have gone from strengthto-strength,” explains Gerhard van Emmenis, Principal Officer at Bonitas Medical Fund. “We are currently the second largest open scheme in South Africa and cover more than 700,000 lives.

“Although our Scheme has grown in terms of numbers, we have also developed to progressively offer innovative benefits to our members to ensure that healthcare is both more affordable and accessible for all.”

Finding opportunities,

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Better quality

NG: ONE AFRICA

(GHANA UIN INTERNATIONAL HOMES | HARLEQ PLACE | UNITY

) LIMITED

+44 (0) 1603 959 650 ben.weaver@outlookpublishing.com

www.africaoutlookmag.com/get-involved

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Healthcare to live your

Best Life Bonitas Medical Fund is demonstrating its stability in a difficult market, providing a range of plans and joining forces with other market leaders in pursuit of the best possible service and benefits for its members Writer: Phoebe Calver | Project Manager: Josh Mann

he vast majority of businesses in South Africa are required to be extremely agile when it comes to adapting to a changing environment, and the healthcare industry is no exception to this rule.

Having just entered its 36th year in the healthcare industry, Bonitas Medical Fund is a great success story.

The Scheme has evolved over the years from an initial membership base that was comprised exclusively of black civil servants, to the open medical scheme it is today.

“The important change to an openscheme occurred in 1995 and since that point we have gone from strengthto-strength,” explains Gerhard van Emmenis, Principal Officer at Bonitas Medical Fund. “We are currently the second largest open scheme in South Africa and cover more than 700,000 lives.

“Although our Scheme has grown in terms of numbers, we have also developed to progressively offer innovative benefits to our members to ensure that healthcare is both more affordable and accessible for all.”

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Our services

Customer Services Outsourcing

We are client focused and pride ourselves in our flexibility and hands-on approach when developing quality and cost-effective solutions and services. It is standard practice for us to regularly audit and review our various stakeholder providers to ensure that our clients receive optimal levels of service and pricing. As part of the process we use our economies of scale to obtain better value for money for our clients.

EOH Customer Services Outsourcing (CSO) defies the mould of traditional customer service related functions and services.

EOH is passionate about creating value for our customers through the provision of harmonised end-to-end solutions, customised systems and quantifiable outcomes.

These outcomes are aligned to our customer’s business strategy and objectives, and are underpinned by service excellence, risk management and technological proficiency.

We help our customers operate at optimum efficiency through the various fields in which we specialise.

These include business efficiency services, employee benefit advisory services, communication, outsourcing and the integrity verification, APO and legal services.

Employee Benefit Consulting (Retirement Funds & Group Schemes) Group Risk Benefit Healthcare Consulting Personal Financial Planning Wealth Management Commercial & Personal Short-Term Insurance Investment Consulting Estate Planning & Administration We are client focused We have the expertise, infrastructure, capacity, capabilities and effective processes embedded within the foundation of our client-centric approach to support the suite of consulting and support services on offer to clients.

Why EOH Advisory Services?

In our opinion our key differentiators from our competitors are as follows: Long term solutions driven - Client centricity and commitment, hands on management approach Transparent and ethical orientation – remuneration, independent compliance audits, BBBEE Governance and compliance – legislative and operational Flexibility – non-alignment to particular providers and strong relationships across the Financial Services industry, ability to implement required changes effectively and efficiently Expertise and experience – in-house, broad spectrum, forward thinking Our ability to link our consulting expertise and solutions across disciplines to optimise the client experience at no additional cost EOH has presence in all 9 South African provinces, including major city centres such as Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town

Business Efficiency Services EOH CSO develops and maintains, on behalf of clients, bespoke and comprehensive query logging systems across multiple industries providing abilities covering: • CRM and query logging • Wellness and fitness Screening • Logistics Management • The Health Journey and ROI Model • Cloud telephony solution • Web development and hosting • File integrity verification • Social media management The Business Efficiency Services value proposition is in the ability to bring solutions to market in a highly efficient scalable manner. Solutions are built on industry leading technology platforms and architectures ensuring optimal performance and functionality.

The solutions are generally web based for easy deployment and remote management and include functionality such as role-based permission structures and full audit functionality.

Solutions are applied in industries including: • Health • Wellness • ICT • Financial services • Government CRM and Query Logging The CRM and query logging solution offers: • Query logging • Query auditing • Correspondence tools including: o SMS– including the ability to automatically pull SMS

T: +2711 554 1900 | E: info@eohas.co.za | www.eohas.co.za

into the CRM system and attach it to the relevant query o Email – including the ability to automatically pull email into the CRM system and attach it to the relevant query o Telephony integration for call recording and caller identification • CRM functionality including full profiling of customers • Advanced integration capability including SFTP, manual file upload and API • Auto-dialler functionality • Comprehensive reporting including reporting dashboards Logistics Management The events and logistics management system provides the ability to manage large scale event driven logistics by supporting: • Event creation • Event management • Resource allocation: o Human capital o Assets • Online event booking • Business Intelligence reporting dashboard

spend within an organisation by evaluating historical spend, organisational commitment and previous health wellness data.

The ROI tool is continuously calculated with real-time results and is flexible to organisational constraints such as data availability. The ROI model provides concrete measure for businesses to understand the effects of interventions on staff wellbeing.

The ROI model is best suited to clients that are utilising other EOH CSO services however, the ROI is available as a standalone.

Cloud Telephony Solution

This industry leading wellness and fitness screening tool for use in the health and wellness environment offers: • Industry leading risk stratification methodologies including predictive algorithms for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes • Advance integrations with external source systems • Automated individual and group reporting • Communication channels via SMS and email

The cloud telephony solution facilitates the management of calls within organisations. The software enables users to make referenced, recorded calls at no cost to the caller within a structured rule based environment providing: • Workflow management • Call cost containment • Use of existing cell phones, cellular network and landline infrastructure • Access to the system uses caller authentication (only accessible to registered users) • Failover contacts can be programmed according to roster • Calls are recorded for quality assurance purposes • Automated reference numbers • No cost to caller, centrally billed • Direct user code dialling or a prescribed IVR message • Capacity for 1000 concurrent calls (scalable) • Extensive call reporting available • Custom developed web-based management solution • On-going targeted SMS training

The Health Journey

Website Development and Hosting

The Health Journey is a consumer facing website which presents consumers with a holistic view of their health and wellness data in one place. The Health Journey accommodates: • Web based system with secure login details per user • Wellness data view • Fitness data view • Integrations with fitness tracking devices such as Fitbit and Jawbone • Direct integration with the EOH CSO wellness and fitness screening database for immediate display of data • Ability to integrate with third party wellness and fitness data providers

The creation of bespoke websites based in the latest web technologies ensuring websites are hosted and maintained in a secure environment, ensuring high availability of the site whilst providing: • Custom CMS (Content Management System) • Audit and approval functionality on content • Analytics and reporting • Project management of design

Wellness and Fitness Screening

ROI Model EOH CSO has developed a ROI model to evaluate the return on health, wellness and other employee benefit

Social Media Management Social media management and engagement services are offered across all social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram including: • Advertisment campaign management • ROI reporting • Lead generation including integration with the CRM solution

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Perhaps the biggest challenge facing the private healthcare sector at present is the rising costs surrounding it, and subsequently medical schemes need to be proactive in curtailing those fees.

“Healthcare inflation continues to outpace general inflation by approximately five percent, which we recognise is reaching a point that will endanger medical aid by making it prohibitively expensive for the public,” continues Van Emmenis. “We cannot simply say that this is not our fault or our problem, instead we need to constantly be looking for different methods in order to contain the costs as much as possible.”

“The healthcare industry is an increasingly complex entity, while also being increasingly competitive. We have witnessed negative growth for the industry in recent years primarily due to healthcare inflation escalations.

This has subsequently created a cutthroat environment in which we

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Although our Scheme has grown in terms of numbers, we have also developed to progressively offer innovative benefits to our members to ensure that healthcare is both more affordable and accessible for all Gerhard van Emmenis, Principal Officer at Bonitas Medical Fund

OH Advisory Services (Pty) Ltd is an independent financial services provider offering professional guidance and customdesigned solutions based on value creation.

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objective of integrating and consolidating wellness initiatives aimed at ensuring the wellbeing of mutual clients’ employees.

Inherent in its approach is its recognition that no individual can be a specialist in all facets of the financial services market and thus the architecture of its business model comprises an integrated team of professionals each specialising in their respective market segments.

Without the cooperation of Bonitas, the EOH initiatives around EAP, screening and wellness events, occupational health, executive wellness, absenteeism management, disability and incapacity management, onsite gyms and wearable medical technology would have been that much more difficult to bring to market.

EOH Advisory Services, recognising the unique challenges facing clients and the turbulent landscape in which companies operate, endeavours to harness the expertise inherent in its multi-talented business model to release quantifiable value and leverage for clients.

EOH Advisory Services prides itself on a “right first time” approach to business. And being a customer and people-centric organisation, its approach to business relationships is firmly embedded in its philosophy of “Partner for Life”.

This business philosophy, adopted and practiced

by EOH Advisory Services, is underpinned by its utilisation of best practice standards and methodologies, all fully compliant with the FAIS Act and industry regulations.

When one considers the corporate philosophy that sets it apart, it should come as no surprise that it envelopes clients with an approach to service that speaks to the core principles of guidance, education and protection.

This approach to business is duplicated by Bonitas and is a critical catalyst in the close relationship between the two companies which has developed over the years.

Bonitas has played a key role in assisting EOH to develop healthcare policies with the

The EOH value extraction process sets it apart from competitors and is made possible via the use of qualitative and quantitative analytics tools and methodologies.

In short, a key attraction is that it offers clients in the healthcare and retirement funding landscape a single vendor, end-toend employee benefit solution without the inherent downsides of traditional “one-stop shop” providers that are so prolific in the insurance and financial services industry.

In conclusion, EOH has the capacity and expertise across a broad spectrum of corporate business activities from IT to HR, to employee benefits. And its ability to deliver a combined end-to-end human capital and employee benefit solution via the EOH BOP (Business Process Outsourcing) business model places it ahead of its competitors in a market starved of lowcost high-value solutions. We are proud to be associated with Bonitas as meaningful players in the medical aid landscape.

info@eohas.co.za +2711 554 1900 www.eohas.co.za

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are all fighting to produce the best possible product at the lowest-rate.”

Core specialities

At present the core focus for Bonitas is to ensure it offers members medical aid that best suits their lifestyles and finances; to that end there is a wide selection of options available including traditional options, savings options, income-based options and hospital plans. Unlike the rest of the financial services industry, Bonitas prides itself on offering plans that are simple to use, easy to understand and designed specifically for the South African market.

“At Bonitas we have 12 plans available, each designed to perfectly meet the needs and budgets of South Africans from all walks of life,” adds van Emmenis. “These plans are covered under the umbrella of management of healthcare for our members, with two particular focus areas that specifically include cost containment and preventative care.”

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At Bonitas we have 12 plans available, each designed to perfectly meet the needs and budgets of South Africans from all walks of life

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edscheme has consistently delivered innovative medical aid administration and health risk management solutions for more than four decades. We form close partnerships with our clients that include leading medical aids and large corporate companies in South Africa, Africa and internationally; driven by our vision of ‘Creating a World of Sustainable Healthcare’.

Today, Medscheme is South Africa’s largest health risk management services provider and second largest medical aid administrator. We reach more than three million people through our network of branches conveniently located throughout South Africa, as well as Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and Mauritius.

Our proven combination of client-centricity and expertise is founded on excellence in corporate governance and world-class information technology. These attributes position Medscheme as the ideal business partner for corporate clients and medical aids that seek to offer quality health risk management and affordable health insurance to their members and employees.

Medscheme offers a comprehensive range of fully outsourced quality solutions, including managed healthcare, medical aid administration and health risk management.

Medscheme’s offerings cater to medical aids as well as large corporate clients.

Our clients include AECI Medical Aid Society, Barloworld Medical Scheme, Bonitas, Fedhealth, Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS), Horizon Medical Scheme, Hosmed Medical Scheme, MBMed Medical Aid Fund, Medshield, Namibia Health Plan, Nedgroup Medical Aid Scheme, Old Mutual

Staff Medical Aid, Fund Parmed Medical Aid Scheme, SABC Medical Scheme, SAMWUMED, Sasolmed and the South African Police Service (POLMED).

In 2017, Medscheme was awarded the Titanium Award for Service Excellence in Administration and the Titanium Award for Service Excellence to members of Closed Medical Schemes.

Other Medscheme awards include Africa best employer brand awards for Human Capital Strategy, talent management and promoting health in the workplace; as well as Think money awards for the best overall, best for service, best payouts and best for cover.

Over the past eight years, we also received the following awards: • Hello Peter awards for achieving the highest compliments and lowest complaints ratios • Ask Afrika awards presented us with the best service award • Diamond Arrow Award for Excellence for two consecutive years • IRMSA awards for Health Care Risk category Customer experience is not only driven by a strong focus on efficient payout of claims, it is underpinned by convenient touch points. These touch points include instant messaging, web services, email communication and a network of walk-in centres spread across South Africa as well as the customer contact centre which is manned by highly competent agents.

Medscheme is sound management of fraud, waste and abuse, through its data analytical capabilities, Medscheme is enabled to not only provide strong end to end health administration and managed care but also to deal with fraud efficiently.

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GILDENHUYS MALATJI ATTORNEYS

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ildenhuys Malatji Attorneys is honoured to be among the service providers who share in celebrating Bonitas’ 35th birthday. We have walked the path with Bonitas since 2007 and Bonitas is a client with which we share a deep connection through shared values and similar vision – we both seek to make our mark within the South African landscape so as to contribute meaningfully to society and to the benefit of our people.

As previously mentioned, with thanks to the inflation costs currently being experienced by the industry, cost containment has become a major point of interest.

Van Emmenis continues: “During the 2016 financial year, the Scheme experienced an increase in the utilisation of healthcare services, particularly hospital admissions and related benefits. Towards the end of the year we embarked on a hospital negotiations strategy, resulting in savings of R242 million the following year and all without compromising members’ access to quality healthcare.

“We will continue to negotiate robustly in this manner, containing costs wherever possible and negotiating the best possible rates for members.

“This year we will be carrying out a secondary initiative in order to identify hospitals on our network that are not cost-effective and work towards

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We are currently a level 2 BEE contributor and strive to organically bring about transformation through organic growth and empowerment. Since inception, we have reached many diversity milestones.

Presently, 31 percent of our Directors, 61 percent of our lawyers and 64 percent of our complete staff are black. We are committed to gender as well as racial equality, and this shows in the fact that 17 of our 49 lawyers (35 percent) are industry-leading women.

Towards the end of the year we embarked on a hospital negotiations strategy, resulting in savings of R42 million the following year and all without compromising members’ access to quality healthcare

Our firm has been in existence for more than 30 years, and in that period, we have sought to distinguish ourselves by ensuring that our professional skills are only trumped by our ethical approach – we put our clients at the forefront of our business and seek in every way to ensure that their business initiatives and strategies are carried out in an efficient and ethical manner.

As Bonitas works to ensure the best possible care for its members, we take care of Bonitas’ legal health and hope to be a partner to Bonitas for many years to come.

PRETORIA OFFICE: T +27 12 428 8600 F +27 12 428 8601 E pretoria@gminc.co.za SANDTON OFFICE: T +27 11 068 5900 F +27 11 068 5901 E sandton@gminc.co.za

www.gminc.co.za

GMI is a unique firm of empowered individuals.

It is grounded by integrity and draws strength from its diversity.

We strive to invent the future by providing innovative solutions to our clients.

PRETORIA OFFICE: GMI House Harlequins Office Park 164 Totius Street Groenkloof Pretoria S25°46’1.803” E28°13’14.838” Tel: +27 12 428 8600 Fax: +27 12 428 8601 pretoria@gminc.co.za P.O. Box 619, Pretoria, 0001 South Africa, Docex 4 Pretoria

SANDTON OFFICE: Sandton Office Katherine & West Building 114 West Street Sandton Johannesburg S26°6’29.566” E28°3’32.762” Tel: +27 11 068 5900 Fax: +27 11 068 5901 sandton@gminc.co.za P.O. Box 619, Pretoria, 0001 South Africa

www.gminc.co.za

With 30 years behind us, we continue to invent the future

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DENIS Bonitas’ dental partner of choice since 2005 As a specialised managed care company DENIS harnesses its expertise to navigate the complexity of the dental discipline. We provide our clients with a world-class dental managed care programme and deliver innovations that enhance their dental offering to 3.2 million lives.

Range of services offered by DENIS Dental benefit management with dental claims assessing and comprehensive claims managed care: The unique DENIS Tooth Chart system – a key DENIS innovation - provides the cornerstone of how we manage dental benefits.

This proactive approach enables us to focus on eliminating unnecessary and wasteful expenditure while it also ensures that all treatment rendered, is clinically appropriate.

improving their efficiency. During the next few years ahead, we will likely seek to identify other options that will ensure we grow and retain our existing membership base, this will include the possibility of amalgamations as well as the development of new distribution models and channels.”

The Scheme’s managed care programmes also play a vital role in both the development of Bonitas and in ensuring that it can compete in the market.

“With the increase in prevalence of lifestyle diseases and the rising cost of treatment, there has been a trend towards prevention and managed-care protocols,” affirms van Emmenis. “At Bonitas we cover a range of areas including cancer, diabetes, mental health and HIV/AIDS through specialised managed care programmes.

“These programmes include vital tools that will enable our members to achieve the best possible clinical

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Data analytics and fraud detection: DENIS focuses on fraud prevention, and shares industry leading expertise and resources with key stakeholders to ensure that ethical practices are followed and fraudulent practices eliminated.

At Bonitas we cover a range of areas including cancer, diabetes, mental health and HIV/AIDS through specialised managed care programmes

Network management services: DENIS manages three dental networks which consist of more than 55 percent of all claiming dental providers in South Africa. Network practitioners are encouraged to provide clinically appropriate treatment that addresses the needs of well-informed members.

“Not only does this lead to member satisfaction, it also improves the oral health well-being of those members.”

Pre-authorisation services for specialised dentistry and in hospital case management, clinical advisory and benefit design services, and call centre services “Our approach is member centric to ensure that we have happy members and providers, while always ensuring sustainability for our medical scheme clients.”

T +27 21 528 5300

www.denis.co.za

DENIS is your Innovative Dental Partner of Choice “We are passionate about dental and strive to continuously exceed your expectations.

Now that is something to smile about.�

Looking after your smile A Bonitas Partner since 2005 www.denis.co.za +27 21 528 5300

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outcomes through quality care and ongoing wellness support. They offer access to clinical support as well as educational material to empower members to take control of their health.”

Key improvements

In 2017, Bonitas was bolstered by the introduction of the Bonitas Diabetes Management Programme, the success of which was underpinned by the Scheme’s ability to identify potential diabetic patients and enrol them on the programme while also actively managing them through support, testing and education.

Van Emmenis continues: “This year we have introduced a managed care programme that focuses on mental health, while also exploring the available options to introduce alternative reimbursement models for procedures such as knee and hip surgery.

“Connecting with our customers still

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This year we have introduced a managed care programme that focuses on mental health, while also exploring the available options to introduce alternative reimbursement models for procedures such as knee and hip surgery

• Innovation via a telemedicine programme that combines both ophthalmologic and optometric skills in delivery world class primary care • Quality management by ensuring the delivery of premium quality lenses to Bonitas members by Iso Leso is unique in that it is owned by the majority of leading optical laboratories via our VisionPartner optometrists that serve the Bonitas member community.

Programme.

This has allowed for the development of a direct relationship between the members, optometrists and These principles are echoed in the Bonitas philosophy, network over the past four years. As direct owners of and Iso Leso is an ideal partner as we share in similar Iso Leso, the optometrists are motivated to deliver the philosophies. highest levels of professional care to Bonitas members.

Iso Leso Optics Ltd, is a leading network of optometrists that is proud to be associated with Bonitas Medical Scheme since 2015 as a designated service provider.

Iso Leso is unique in subscribing to five pillars of excellence: • Ownership by optometrists to drive service excellence • Efficient Benefit Designs that cater to comprehensive clinical care and savings to member and scheme • Practitioner Enhancement Programme (PEP) is a first in South African healthcare that actively promotes clinical excellence in line with global standards

Currently, Iso Leso provides comprehensive optometric cover to Bonitas members and has met or exceeded their expectations. Our partnership over the past four years has resulted in the development of innovative optometric programmes that are now industry benchmarks.

Iso Leso is a proud partner of Bonitas Medical Fund and look forward to delivering greater innovation and value to an industry icon.

203 Beyers Naude Drive Northcliff Randburg, 2115 E: info@isoleso.co.za T: 0027 11 340 9200 Option 1 - Benefit Department Option 2 - Accounts Department

www.isoleso.co.za

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GLOPIN

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t takes a special kind of people to build a sense of community in the business world. We would like to congratulate Bonitas on their 36th anniversary and applaud their success and dynamic innovations in the medical aid industry.

Glopin is proud to be in a working relationship with an industry leader that not only understands the market, but shows empathy and respect to its members and service providers. Bonitas continues to stand side by side with Glopin Healthcare Consultants in the sector and more specifically our focal market of Local Government.

Glopin Healthcare looks forward to another 36 years with Bonitas in the medical aid sector.

T 041 374 3899 E maxine@glopinpe.co.za

www.glopin.co.za remains a key focus area, as we seek to improve upon our digital capabilities in the hope that it will better our members’ experience while also communicating effectively and keeping them informed and engaged.”

The Scheme aims to use best technology available in order to make things more simple and effective for the customer.

“We have also implemented an Electronic Health Record which enables our members to track their healthstatus, while also making proactive changes to improve their general health and quality of life,” states the Principal Officer. “It will also help us monitor chronic conditions in order to stop them from developing or worsening.”

Member retention

For organisations such as Bonitas, technology and enhanced infrastructure is an area that needs to be closely studied in order to make the required regular improvements.

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WELLNESS ODYSSEY

We have also implemented an Electronic Health Record which enables our members to track their health-status, while also making proactive changes to improve their general health and quality of life

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ellness Odyssey is a subsidiary of the AfroCentric Group, established in 2012 with the purpose of facilitating wellness interventions for corporate clients.

The Company uses practical interventions such as Wellness days and technology to enable clients such as Bonitas Medical Fund to promote health awareness to their members and integrate interventions with managed care solutions.

Throughout its partnerships with Bonitas, Wellness Odyssey has enabled positive outcomes that include: • Identification of non-communicable clinical risk • Increased awareness on prevention of non-communicable diseases • Improved retention and growth of current client business membership base

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MEDICAL AID BROKER Glopin Healthcare Consultants have specialised in providing professional medical aid advice for more than 18 years.

Operating in both the local government & private sector, Glopin’s range of contracted medical aid schemes is diverse & well suited to the more than 6,800 members we service. Glopin has established a remarkable footprint across South Africa that includes it’s head office in Port Elizabeth, a branch office in Cape Town & satellite support services throughout the Eastern, Western Cape & Gauteng. Our new service offering in Kwazulu Natal further extends our ability to provide excellent service to more members across South Africa.

Glopin is proud to provide professional medical aid advice in a market that can at times seem rather daunting and has forged long term relationships with all its customers oevr the years. Our ability to provide independent advice & our direct access to medical aid adminstrators on the service front ensures that our customers recieve on the spot service & our commitment to the highest service levels.

Our highly trained sale & administrative staff are there for you and waiting to provide excellent service.

Port Elizabeth (Head Office)

Cape Town

T: 041 374 3899 | F: 041 373 2222 E: maxine@glopinpe.co.za

T: 021 914 1854 | F: 081 914 1856 E: nathalia@glopin.co.za

www.glopin.co.za

Proactive management of health and prevention of disease is key in today’s healthcare approach, this is the value that Wellness Odyssey brings in a practical manner to all our clients.

Our work with Bonitas ensures that individuals can quickly pick up potential health challenges and they can do something about them immediately, in that way it saves the medical scheme funds in the long term but more importantly it helps the members to have a better quality of life

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“Finding meaningful ways to connect with our members, while also empowering them to take care of their health is a critical factor in our services,” continues van Emmenis. “In addition, there is currently an increased prevalence of chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension and mental health and we are closely studying ways to improve the disease burden and clinical outcomes for each individual with these conditions.”

In order to keep carrying out this research and improving its service, new members are a critical factor to the sustainability of any medical scheme. In October, 2016 Bonitas amalgamated with LMS Medical Scheme (formerly Liberty Medical Scheme) concluding the largest transaction of its kind in the industry, with an excellent migration rate.

“We are delighted that during the amalgamation more than 90 percent of the LMS members utilised one of the 12 plans that we offer, providing

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The amalgamation of Bonitas and LMS followed an increasing trend within the healthcare industry to create stronger and more sustainable medical schemes, with the hope that they would provide enhance cover and benefits for members

us with a much higher retention rate than anticipated,” explains van Emmenis. “The amalgamation of Bonitas and LMS followed an increasing trend within the healthcare industry to create stronger and more sustainable medical schemes, with the hope that they would provide enhanced cover and benefits for members.”

Since it came to fruition, Bonitas has received numerous awards for its service expertise and excellence, most recently demonstrated when it received the Ask Afrika Orange Index, Kasi Star Brand Award and the Icon Brands Survey award in the same year.

“Our members are aware that when things get tough, we are more than capable of handling the smaller details to ensure they receive the best care in the business,” concludes van Emmenis. “We continue to explore and implement solutions that will help to curtail costs and allow our members to derive real value for money.”

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BRINGING HOPE TO THE PEOPLE

• Limpopo • Mpumalanga • Northwest • Gauteng, • KZN • Northern Cape • Lesotho Avoir Corporate Healthcare is 100% black owned broking company established in 2006, with an aim to provide one stop medical aid consulting service rendering an objective, independent and professional medical aid related advice to both individuals and Organizations. Our core business is Healthcare and our aim to assist our client to derive the maximum benefits from their total healthcare budget. We ensure that a single entity is responsible for coordinating a selection of schemes, ensuring that objective advice and assessment of schemes in terms of benefits, effectiveness of administration, cost, financial stability and data warehousing is provided.

T: +27(12)3456505 | F: 012 345-1196 | enquiries@avoir.co.za | www.avoir.co.za

Outlook Creative Services

Outlook Publishing’s awardwinning in-house team is now utilising its extensive production skills to offer a full and bespoke range of editorial, design and marketing services via its new Outlook Creative Services division.

Afrocentric Distribution Services has been a proud partner of Bonitas Medical Fund for over 10 years and wishes them a long and successful future.

Services offered: • Sales • Distribution channel management • Business development • Marketing • Public relations and communications • Event management

F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N V I S I T: www.outlookpublishing.com/creative-services

The Greens Office Park, Building L, 26 Charles de Gaulle Crescent | +27 (0) 12 001 2500

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Sustainable

VISION In its 95th year, LC Packaging continues to demonstrate theinnovation and drive that has cemented it as the industry leader we see today Writer: Phoebe Calver | Project Manager: Vivek Valmiki n the year that LC Packaging celebrates its 95th anniversary in the industry, there are many reasons to celebrate a meteoric rise to multinational status which now comprises more than 1,100 employees and a €170 million turnover in 2017.

LC Packaging is a family business through and through and that is one aspect that has been retained since it was first established in the Netherlands.

Now in its fourth generation, the Company has grown extensively from its initial operations in the purchase, sale and modification of jute bags.

“Both our range of services and our footprint have expanded considerably since the early days of our Company, however, it is still centred around the packaging industry,” explains the Regional Director for Southern Africa, Richard Green. “We have grown from an importer of packaging, to a well-respected manufacturer and distributor with four of our own manufacturing facilities in 16 countries spread across Europe, Asia and Africa, with our head office still located in the Netherlands.”

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Understanding requirements

The Company has remained true to its roots as a committed, reliable and loyal packaging entity, while also never being afraid to reinvent itself as a trailblazer in the industry.

The Director continues: “Making a move from a distributor role to that of a producer was key in completing the loop between understanding the customers’ requirements, and the production partners’ limitations in finding ways to bring the two closer together.

“We have had a constant obsession with quality and the strict adherence to UN protocol in regard to the transportation of hazardous goods, as well as the resources to invest in stateof-the-art equipment that has ensured LC Packaging is the supplier of choice when it comes to bulk packaging of high-value commodities.”

With a production facility in South Africa, warehousing in Namibia and Northern Zambia, an office in the Ivory Coast and representation in North Africa, the Company has the perfect footprint to service the bulk packaging needs of the African continent.

“The ability to achieve this has stemmed from building long-term

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ST JOHN FREIGHT SYSTEMS

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t John Freight Systems is a 3PL/ supply chain management company headquartered in India; boasting a presence in 20 countries with 58 offices across four continents comprising more than 1,400 professionals.

The Group handles transportation in all forms be it air, sea or land, and incorporates services including freight forwarding, customs clearance, warehouse management, trucking, bulk vessel handling, chartering, stevedoring, and port management. With a fleet of more than 5,000 containers and special equipment’s, the business is having its own NVOCC operations in IPBC & Middle East Regions.

Its subsidiary St. John Marketers can name Lenovo, HP, LG, Xerox, CISCO and Motorola among its many high-profile partners;

partnerships with both our customers and production partners alike,” adds Green. “We certainly prefer to develop and grow in a unified manner, sustainably and over a long period of time.

“Our customers are predominantly blue-chip and due to that fact, health & safety is at the top of their list of priorities.”

With that in mind, LC Packaging has made significant strides in fabrics used for the packaging process and is now widely regarded as a leader in the field.

“The advances we have made that utilise a variety of baffle solutions, mean that we are able to offer a variety of products with a near perfect profile to improve and maximise transportation efficiencies,” continues Green. “Our facilities are also able to offer food-safe and pharma-clean environments that are state-of-the-art within the industry, meeting FSSC, SA8000 and ISO22000 certified production facilities that few producers can match.”

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Leveraging its logistics services expertise for commodity traders, St. John has expanded across Africa, over the past decade. Entering Nigeria in 2008, the majority of West Africa is now accounted for, and the East has since been breached through operations in Tanzania, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi and Mozambique as well.

Making significant strides in fabric

Identifying new markets

LC Packaging’s African entity covers South, West, Central and North Africa, through to offices in Johannesburg a production facility in Pietermaritzburg and Warehousing in DRC, Zambia and Namibia.

“We understand that it is incredibly important to be in close proximity to our customers, which is why we don’t hesitate to invest in warehousing facilities or shy-away from opening in areas that other companies might avoid,” affirms Green. “We don’t view Geography as an obstacle, but instead an opportunity.

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St. John’s association with LC Packaging dates back to 2010, when the Company’s Rotterdam office started handling LC Packaging shipments out of India, Sri Lanka & Bangladesh, in to The Netherlands. The association has since grown to handle LC Packaging’s global air & sea freight logistics requirements; to facilitate PO management, shipment tracking, data handling and crisis management; and to enable advanced real-time shipment data through the launch of an iOS and Android app.

St. John Group takes pride in being a valued and trusted logistics and supply chain partner for LC Packaging Group and is committed to growing the relationship by providing them with costeffective, comprehensive, technologically advanced logistics solutions combined with a personalized service.

www.stjohngroup.net

1400 + Experienced Multilingual Professionals Across the Globe

Logistics & Shipping

58 Own Offices in 20 Countries across 4 Continents Strong Africa presence focussing multiple commodities & serving 20+ Countries, covering West & East Africa

Mauritania

Port of Bissau

Senegal Gambia Guinea Bissau

Mali

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Benin Nigeria Togo Ivory Coast Lome Lagos Ghana

Abidjan

Tanzania

Mozambique

Asia : +91 461 2342500 Africa : +234 14600 500 Middle East : +971 4 3426500

Europe : +32 3 2332214 UK : +44 208 507 7889 USA : +001 732 283 2121

Email: Africa enquiries : commodities.africa@stjohnlogistics.net Global enquiries : stjohn@stjohngroup.net

www.stjohngroup.net

Belgium | Benin | Canada | Cote d’Ivoire | Germany | Ghana | Guinea Bissau | Hong Kong | India | Malaysia | Netherlands | Nigeria | Singapore | Srilanka | Tanzania | Thailand | UAE | UK | USA | Vietnam

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“When it comes to identifying new industries, our team is constantly analysing the bulk packaging requirements of the market and will subsequently present solutions when we believe that we have a package that will reduce the total cost of ownership.

We are fortunate in our ability to draw on a wide range of production partners that are able to assist us in exploring various alternatives, while also pushing the boundaries.”

During its 95 years of experience, LC Packaging has been fully embraced as a partner by an abundance of companies operating throughout Africa. Initially the Company was viewed by many as a distributor of high-quality products, however, since investing in production capacity and warehousing in Africa has been embraced by the industry.

Operational development

The Company also has a production facility located in Bangladesh that supplies Africa having recently embarked on an expansion project; it will increase the capacity extensively and this additional capacity will be targeted towards more complex markets.

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“The aforementioned project started in November, 2017 and is on schedule for completion by January, 2019,” explains the Director. “Upon completion the development of these operations will have created more than 500 new jobs, 300 of which are specifically for women.

“Our operations in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, has also completed phase one of its expansion project, resulting in the doubling of the available capacity. This was achieved through a mixture of capital expenditure, as well as the creation of employment for a further 65 individuals within the facility.”

The next expansion phase of the facility is already underway,

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in which capacity looks set to double again. This stage of the project will be more capital intensive but will still result in the requirement of a further 40 employees.

Green continues: “The third expansion phase is still being kept relatively quiet although it has been fully planned and looks set to be implemented towards the end of 2019 or early 2020. We are incredibly excited by this phase as not only will it result in further employment, but will also positively impact our input costs while also ensuring that we are 100 percent in control of our supply chain.”

Unique integrity

The employees at LC Packaging are a pivotal component to the success witnessed by the Company, with the technical staff playing a particularly prominent role.

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ULTIMATE IN QUALITY PACKAGING

Integrated FIBC Manufacturing Facility • Experienced workforce • Self-reliant through backward integration • 100% traceability & Well documented quality control • Long experience in export market • Reputed brand image in Europe • Strategically placed near sea port TUTICORIN • Quicker adaptability to buyer needs • Answers to all queries within 24 hours VICTORY TICKET 991 cc VAT Reg. No. 4800258693 Co.Reg. No. 2010/166515/23

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“A large part of the manufacturing process within our Company involves sewing,” adds Green. “It is an art and this skill is immensely valued at LC Packaging. We spend a lot of time, effort and money on the training required to retain this skill for our future.

“Our business model is unique, and we believe that is a testament to the integrity of our organisation, as we are able to be a successful producer with production partners worldwide and the ability to distribute throughout Europe and Africa.”

The Company has access to a plethora of information that keeps it at the cutting edge of technology and ensures it remains true to its central philosophy of supplying high-quality and safe products to the market.

“We are constantly building upon our eight central strengths with an international approach and local support,” concludes Green. “We have a strong sustainability policy, our own

POLYSPIN EXPORTS LIMITED, 1,Railway Feeder Road, Cholapuram South, Rajapalayam, Tamilnadu, INDIA. T: +91-4563-284503/504 | E: fibc@polyspin.in

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production, dedicated production partners, an innovative approach to packaging, an in-house quality control department; and we have been a leading player since 1923, as well as a financially stable partner that builds long-term partnerships with our stakeholders.

“With particular reference to our African operations during the next few years, we hope to have unveiled the third phase of our expansion programme which will provide us with a truly exciting and world-class development.”

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Mining Indaba 2018:

AFRICA’S PREMIER

DEAL-MAKING FORUM When mining companies source investment, not only do the companies themselves benefit, but Africa does too; and no event facilitates such widespread, continental industry progression than the annual Investing in African Mining Indaba Writer: Matthew Staff

ince Euromoney acquired the Investing in Mining Indaba conference, the esteemed gathering’s credence has escalated to new heights, and in 2018 the upward trajectory continued as a 15 percent increase in attendees came together to discuss the biggest trends in continental mining and resources.

Arriving from as many as 95 different countries - again an increase on 2017’s 84 - the global significance of the event is affirmed beyond doubt in a climate crying out for knowledge sharing and innovation. Diversification of attendees

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was a similarly positive trend as well though, with 37 percent emanating from the mining executive world, 17 percent comprising investors, and 25 percent from Governmental positions; something which Managing Director, Alex Grose believes contributed to the best instalment of Mining Indaba yet.

“Since Euromoney acquired Mining Indaba, the event has undergone significant changes and investment to take it back to a focused deal-making forum while supporting the needs of Africa’s mining industry,” he says.

“In 2018 there was a more deliberate balance between investors, mining

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companies, government and service providers, and this really came to fruition with features like the Junior Mining Showcase where 50 junior mining companies, all with projects in Africa, were for the first time hosted in the middle of the event in a focused deal-making area.”

Head of Investor Relations, Kael O’Sullivan adds: “The Investor Relation programme was also expanded in 2018, providing investors with even more meetings with mining companies across the week.”

For the first time ever, Mining Indaba also worked in tandem with

community and civil society groups in 2018 to define a common vision for sustainable development in the continental sector.

“This meant the 2018 event played host to even more dialogue than ever before,” enthuses Head of Content, Harry Chapman.

Africa Outlook spoke with Grose, O’Sullivan and Chapman about the key take-home messages from this year’s groundbreaking Indaba.

Africa Outlook (AfO): What specific industry trends dictated the key talking points at this year’s

event and in what ways did the event address these?

Alex Grose (AG): The themes of any year are driven by the research done with all the key stakeholder groups in the months leading up to the event.

This year the industry told us that exploration projects were beginning to shoot up across the continent once more, which is why our overriding theme for the whole event was providing a platform for sustainable junior, mid-tier and major growth.

For that reason our Investment Battlefield was expanded to enable 22 junior mining companies to pitch

their projects to leading investors, and hosted the final on the Main Stage.

Harry Chapman (HC): Sustainable development was a key theme at the 2018 Mining Indaba, being discussed not only at the packed Sustainable Development day on Tuesday, 6 February, but also featuring in many conversations throughout the event.

Addressing the lack of trust between communities and mining companies, looking ahead to community engagement and working together to define a sustainable vision of Africa’s mining sector, these themes came up regularly throughout the week, and is

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clearly going to continue to be a big theme going forwards.

Given the changing political landscape across the continent, a key theme at the event was cooperation and knowledge sharing between governments. The Intergovernmental Summit hosted panel sessions between African and non-African governments, to ensure that African governments have improved interaction with governments outside the continent.

AfO: Could you also talk me through some of the speakers at Mining Indaba 2018 and what you feel they brought to the table in terms of industry knowledge and international expertise?

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“For five days the world’s most influential investors, CEOs from the world’s largest mining companies, mining ministers from a majority of African nations, government representation from key countries, and top media brands all meet to share insight and knowledge with each other.”

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HC: For 2018 the Main Stage moved away from static presentations, and instead focused on interviews with industry visionaries to give the audience the opportunity to really delve into their wealth of experience.

We were delighted to host a fireside chat between Anil Agarwal, Group Chairman, Vedanta Resources, and Evy Hambro, Chief Investment Officer, Natural Resources and Managing Director, BlackRock, where they discussed strategies for long-term shareholder value and where growth can be found in the mining sector.

One highlight included H.E.Olusegun Obasanjo, the former President of Nigeria and Chairman of the Brenthurst Foundation and author of the Zambezi Protocol, who delivered a keynote

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address entitled “Partnership: A New Narrative for Africa’s Mining Industry”.

AG: With the introduction of the Intergovernmental Summit, Mining Indaba saw the number of ministers speaking on the programme increase from 28 in 2017, to 36 in 2018. African countries represented included Angola, Malawi, Ghana, Zambia, Botswana and Senegal, with global representation from Venezuela, Russia and Ecuador.

Kael O’Sullivan (KOS): 2018 also marked the introduction of Mining 2050, focusing on where companies should be investing in the age of disruption. Industry leaders such as Michelle Ash (Chief Innovation Officer, Barrick) and Donovan Waller (Group Head of Technology, Anglo American) discussed the latest disruptive technology and innovation strategies.

issues unfolding over the next 12 months?

AfO: What other new and fresh AG: This is an extremely exciting impetuses were added to the time for mining in Africa: President Indaba schedule this year?

Mnangagwa has recently said AG: The Junior Mining Forum that Zimbabwe may lift the 51 provided emerging mining companies percent ownership/ “indiginisation” with the opportunity to present and requirement for platinum and diamond take part in panel discussions with mining companies. In Angola, newly leading experts across the three days. elected President, Joao Lourenco HC: 2018 also saw the Franco-Mine has also made moves to win the trust programme move to within the Mining and support of the global investment Indaba programme, a platform for community. Angola sent a ministerial exchanges in French, discussing recent delegation to Mining Indaba. or planned changes to mining codes Of course, in South Africa, Cyril in African countries, as well as recent Ramaphosa returned from the developments and best practices.

World Economic Forum saying that KOS: Additionally, the World Gold “Investors are applauding the dawn Council took part in Mining Indaba for of a new era and are waiting for us the fir st time in many years, hosting to follow through with reforms and a session and reception highlighting policy changes”. He has also said that gold’s value as a strategic asset and its SA cannot afford to miss out on the positive contributions to economies commodities boom that could unlock and society, attracting key figures from the mining industry. across the African mining sector.

Our aim at Mining Indaba is to provide a platform where the sector AfO: From a more general industry can debate the big issues, to enable perspective, what do you feel are connections to be made, and most the biggest challenges and trends importantly to create the ‘space’ for influencing the mining industry in Africa these engagements. We are mining at present, and how do you see these event professionals, not mining analysts.

However, we bring together many commentators and experts at Mining Indaba who discussed this and made predictions about the year ahead.

AfO: Similarly, from the Mining Indaba’s perspective, what are your aspirations and expectations for Mining Indaba moving forward and how would you like to see it grow from 2018 onwards?

AG: Mining Indaba is a global platform. For five days the world’s most influential investors, CEOs from the world’s largest mining companies, mining ministers from a majority of African nations, government representation from key countries, and top media brands all meet to share insight and knowledge with each other. No other event creates the networking platform that is Mining Indaba.

Looking to the future, we want to continue to deliver the event that the African mining industry needs, and connect mining companies with investors. We believe that when mining companies source investment, not only do the companies themselves benefit, but Africa also benefits.

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incon West Africa was incorporated in August, 2010 in Senegal, forming one of the branches of the Mincon Group PLC

family tree.

With the combination of the parent company’s four decades of engineering expertise and that of Managing Director, Martin van Gemert, with his hands-on experience of the mining industry, has ensured the success of Mincon West Africa.

“We opened the West African office with the aim of using our first-hand knowledge as an excellent sales tool for the Mincon Group’s world-class down-the-hole (DTH) hammers and bits,” explains the Managing Director.

“What started out as a small homeoffice quickly blossomed and we achieved an increase in turnover of 523 percent in just two years; by our third year, our dedication to customer service and high-quality products ensured we became a well-known name in the region’s drilling and mining supply industry.

“Our staff complement grew and with that our sales and profits, with an increased turn over of 18 percent by the end of the third financial year. This was all achieved despite the difficult trading conditions at the time, calling for us to branch into a dedicated office space in Dakar.”

Since fruition, Mincon West Africa’s key value proposition and success driver is customer service focused, with both the Managing Director and his team making themselves available to customers on a 24/seven basis.

Fast-forward three years to 2016 and Mincon West Africa had made a strategic move to the Canary Islands, which kept it close to its customers’ West African operations.

“This move ensured we wouldn’t negatively affect our customercentric approach or delivery times,” continues van Gemert. “The move to the European port has created an

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The Driller’s Choice

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Mincon West Africa has built a reputation upon years of firsthand industry knowledge, creating an excellent opportunity to expand its operations in the future Writer: Phoebe Calver Project Manager: Donovan Smith

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ease with which we are able to receive shipments from Mincon factories across the world, while also stocking the products in a customs-bonded warehouse to ship them to West African customers as required.”

In its present-day form, Mincon West Africa has a well-established multilingual team of experts and engineers that are ready to meet the needs of the growing customer base in the region. van Gemert adds: “Alongside our focus on customer satisfaction, Mincon West Africa’s reputation has grown dramatically with thanks to the established reputation of our parent company. Both the quality and reliability of these Irish-engineered products has significantly improved the productivity at customers’ operations.”

Technical competence

As well as its customer-centric approach to the market, the Company invests significantly in both personnel and machinery for its research & development (R&D) department, ensuring that it has the resources for constant innovation and evolution in its product lines.

“These changes are informed by the feedback we receive from customers, demonstrating a testament to the facilitation of excellent relationships,” van Gemert affirms. “Of course, our ability to interpret the feedback and define what is and isn’t possible is incredibly important and this comes back to the technical competence of our engineering team, made up of a good mixture of both practical and theoretical disciplines.”

With thanks to the integration of Mincon Group PLC’s recent acquisitions, it is merging both systems and processes in all factories to ensure that we have one standard for the successful manufacture of its technologically advanced products.

“One iconic example of our strengths in the market has to be our involvement in the rescue of the

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33 Chilean miners in 2010,” explains van Gemert. “Following the cave-in, engineers at our headquarters in Ireland worked closely with the mine and rescue team to develop a solution that used our reverse circulation technology, which was used to drill the holes that led to the rescue of the trapped miners.

“We have also developed horizontal directional drilling solutions for successful hard-rock trenchless installations and enjoy a strong presence in the Swedish geothermal market; more recently we have helped develop cutting-edge drilling solutions for magnetite iron ore drilling at the Citic Pacific mine in Cape Preston, Western Australia.”

MIRAIR CARGO

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ver the past few years, Mirair Cargo Canary Islands have established perfect coordination and a great relationship with Mincon West Africa.

From booking requests to back up documents, and everything in between, the Company receives courteous and timely assistance from Mincon’s great team.

Representatives from Mirair Cargo from the Canary Islands congratulate Mincon West Africa on their knowhow and the success they have achieved, and we look forward to a bright future in cargo.

Expansion plans

In the current climate, many global markets are on the up, occurring off the back of a variety of macroeconomic factors. As a result of this, the appetite

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T 0034 928 575034 E miraircargo@gmail.com

www.miraircargo.com

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CONNECTING CANARY ISLANDS AND AFRICA TO THE REST OF THE WORLD

Europa

America del Norte

Canarias

Africa

America del Sur

Representatives of Air Companies for cargo. We sell the wineries of the aircraft to third parties, Customs Agents, Forwarders or Exporters.

T: 0034 928 575034 E: miraircargo@gmail.com

We look for the best routes and prices to move the goods, whether perishable, large, small, dangerous or sensitive.

www.miraircargo.com

Mincon West Africa has a multi-lingual team of experts at its disposal

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for exploration, mining and construction on the continent are on the rise.

The Managing Director continues: “With our current expansion plans we will be prepared to meet a significant share of this demand, especially in West and sub-Saharan markets.

“Rock drilling has many complex challenges within it and is an energyintensive process to undertake; at Mincon we are working on technologies to make the process far more efficient moving forward. We continuously work with our customers to overcome their challenges, as well as lowering the operating costs and improving efficiency.”

In order to achieve and overcome challenges for its customers, Mincon greatly values all of its team members and places emphasis on the importance of professional and

personal development in all areas relevant to its business.

“Since we started this branch of the organisation, we have recruited some of the industry’s best supply chain and logistic specialists, as well as technical support and sales engineers to provide us with expert consulting and advice to customers both remotely and onsite,” van Gemert describes. “Where it is necessary, our new members are introduced to the global team and production facilities, ensuring a close familiarity with products from design to manufacturing.

“As we are a global organisation at Mincon, we have internal training programmes that enable us to both develop and nurture talent. We pride ourselves on having some of the most qualified and knowledgeable staff in their respective industries, serving

Mincon has expansion plans in place to meet market demand

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C/Presidente Alverar 67 CP 35007 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Canary Islands Spain

Servilog is a provider of international logistics services locate in the Canary Island and specialises in the West African region.

T: +34 690 104 454 | E: info@servilog.com.es |www.servilog.com.es

our clients in English, French, Spanish, German and Portuguese.”

The widely experienced team includes the Operations Manager, Angel Bouzas who brings many years of experience in logistics and customer support in the West African region. Technical Sales Manager, Pedro Cavadas, a qualified mining engineer with in-depth knowledge of the industry and Support Engineer Victor Gomez, a qualified mechanical engineer, have all proved to be invaluable assets to the Company.

Backing up this already excellent technical team are the dedicated administrative staff comprising Leticia Diaz, Imane Drissi, Nestor Santana and Mary Castillo, all of which are experts in finance, sales and logistics.

Solution-based skill

Over the years Mincon has specialised in providing products within the drill-segment, rather than the capital

...At Mincon our engineers are dedicated to developing the best rock-drilling solutions in the world, ensuring we remain the leading choice in the market

equipment such as drill rigs.

The Managing Director continues: “Our focus on drilling technologies is backed up by our on-site customer support and sound technical advice. At Mincon our engineers are dedicated to developing the best rock-drilling solutions in the world, ensuring we remain the leading choice in the market.”

The Company is proudly known for its exceptional approachability and innovative solution-based skill, outrivalling its competitors by offering them round-the-clock support in the pursuit of developing tailored solutions.

“Moving forward we hope to be the region’s preferred supplier for downthe-hole drilling solutions, with more than 50 percent of the market share,” concludes van Gemert. “We know that this will be made possible with support and product development from Mincon Group PLC, as well as our own team’s customer-centric attitude.”

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Harmonious Seamless

MINING REALITY Somika’s dedication to continuous improvement is helping to realise a better tomorrow, both for the Company and for the wider DRC economy Project Manager: Donovan Smith

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Vinmart Group “While trudging towards fulfilling the initial objective of supplying essential commodities to key nations across the African continent like D. R. Congo, Zambia, South Africa, Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Burundi, Vinmart has kept a watchful eye on emerging trends in the world economy. Pursuing with a pragmatic vision and persistent journey, it has added a handful of local and international professionals to its core team in the process of building up a strong distribution network and to diversify its activities.

“Gradually, it has opened up operations in various countries across the globe; namely a Toronto office in the year 1999, and a China-Guangzhou office in the year 2000. With a strategic intention of consolidating its position in African countries and reaching out to the promising markets of Middle East, Vinmart has further setup its sourcing centre in Dubai, UAE in the year 2001.

“Now, both China and Dubai operations serve as the most decisive sourcing centres for a vast range of products such as mining /plant machineries and spares, heavy and light earth moving equipment, chemicals, agricultural equipment, hardware, building material, furniture including prefabricated house, and much more.”

argely virtue of a strong business partnership with Vinmart Group, Somika S.P.R.L (Societe Minere Du Katanga) continues to evolve as one of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)’s foremost mining and mineral processing entities; setting benchmarks across industrial operations and wider local upliftment.

Established in 2001, the Company is now renowned for its production

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Presently, Somika is distinguished among the leading exporters of cobalt and copper products in the DRC

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of high quality copper and cobalt products, compounded by an internal structure that boasts the very best in modern-day machinery and equipment.

“Equipped with a state-of-the-art laboratory for the procurement and processing of minerals, grading, crushing, drying and packaging, Somika sets global standards for the mining of cobalt and copper,” the Company affirms on its website.

“Presently, Somika is distinguished among the leading exporters of cobalt and copper products in the DRC.” Much more than this though, Somika’s strongest attribute comes from its role as a social enabler, the business’s continuous growth lending to numerous employment opportunities and peripheral sector enrichment.

As many as 1,500 local citizens are employed by the Company, while Somika also offers business opportunities to service sectors around its local region of Lubumbashi, including banking, insurance, transport, sampling, and inspection agencies.

“Apart from its strong business relationship with Vinmart, Somika is also committed to various business associates in different regions across the globe, such as South Africa, Zambia and Tanzania; to Hong Kong, China, Dubai and India,” the Company continues. “With such strong business relationships, a global logistics network, and years of experience in the mining and mineral industry, Somika endeavours to ensure continuous improvement.”

And such levels of continuous improvement naturally translate into almost unrivalled business success.

Spread across the Katanga Province of the DRC, Somika continues to capitalise on one of the largest copper and cobalt belts in the world; and the 20 million tonnes (10 percent of the world’s resource) of copper metal unit comprised within.

A better tomorrow

“Our interest in copper and cobalt started from the year 2002, when we first setup a cobalt processing plant in Lubumbashi, the Capital of Katanga province and the hub of the mining

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PROTEA MINING CHEMICALS

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rotea Mining Chemicals is a member of the Omnia Group, which is a JSE (Johannesburg Stock Exchange) listed diversified provider of specialised chemicals and services.

Protea Mining Chemicals has extensive experience and an intimate knowledge of production processes employed in the mining industry, which allows for an invaluable service and assistance to be offered to customers facilitating process troubleshooting and problem solving.

Integral to Protea Mining Chemicals’ growth strategy, is a commitment to establishing preferred partnerships with key customers, thereby allowing opportunities to identify and optimise certain aspects of production processes and improve overall profitability.

T +27 11 323 3000 E info@proteaminingchemicals.co.za

www.proteaminingchemicals.com

industry,” the Company adds. “Our facility is now spread over 120 acres in Lubumbashi with an inhouse power plant of 22MW for plant operations which are controlled through PLCbases systems.”

Striving for efficiencies as well as quality across this facility, Somika has – since day one – stayed true to a set of core philosophies, procedures and policies to achieve optimum utilisation of both natural and human resources.

This, in turn, has helped leverage the rise of a country whose economy comes with its challenges but has abundant opportunities.

“D.R. Congo is a developing economy, and there are certain challenges. However, the founding shareholders of Somika’s strong commitment to success and development have satisfactorily overcome these obstacles.

“The Company is well-connected with its committed business associates, and with an established

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logistics network across the globe, coupled with years of operating experience in D. R. Congo, Somika is poised to enhance its mining and mineral processing operations for a better tomorrow.”

But the better tomorrow doesn’t necessarily mean just a better tomorrow for Somika, rather for the DRC as a whole, and perhaps the Company’s greatest, and most commendable asset derives from its numerous local community programmes across areas of health, education and civic amenities.

Commitment to excellence

Mining inevitably “impacts the local ecological balance and environmental conditions”, and Somika has therefore taken it upon itself to try and mitigate this direct impact by adopting a greener, more sustainable and innovative approach to mineral processing; while indirectly influencing the local region via all aforementioned

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CREATING CUSTOMER WEALTH THROUGH PROCESS INNOVATION

• Comprehensive product offering • Manufacturing capabilities • Technology solutions • SHEQ services • Project services

www.proteaminingchemicals.com + 27 11 323 3000 info@proteaminingchemicals.co.za

social avenues.

“Somika believes sustained and progressive improvement is the way of life,” the business explains. “[We want] to keep our most important asset and qualitative base of human resources live and competitive in the dynamic world, and we have a global corporate plan for continuous upgradation and development.”

Ultimately, this harks back to an overriding mission and vision which was established upon Somika’s inception back in 2001 and that remains as pertinent as ever today.

The Company concludes: “Somika has always focused on quality and believed that without quality there is no survival. Our mission has always been geared on the road to our commitment to excellence.

“Our vision is to be among the privileged global market leaders of the mining and mineral processing industry by means of consistent and channelled efforts towards excellence.”

Somika believes sustained and progressive improvement is the way of life

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Gecko Namibia is balancing its privately owned wholly Namibian status with a focus on internationally-lucrative joint ventures in order to become a fully-fledged mining house on the continent Writer: Matthew Staff Project Manager: Donovan Smith

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for a New Namibia

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eveloped as a diverse, private, proudly and locally-owned company operating across the mineral resources industry, Gecko Namibia (Pty) Ltd’s fully-integrated exploration and mining proposition is on course to realise the Group’s vision for a new Namibia.

Built up of subsidiaries focused on greenfield exploration, mining and mineral beneficiation, and general mining services including drilling, exploration, lab work, plant construction, processing and contract mining; the Windhoek-based entity’s consequent portfolio continues to make waves not just domestically, but on a continental level.

“Together with Gecko’s sister companies in South Africa, the Group comprises a workforce of more than 1,000 employees that are led by a broadly skilled team of 30-plus professionals,” introduces Managing Director, Pine van Wyk. “The Group enjoys a solid reputation for identifying and implementing projects across the industry in Namibia and Southern Africa; embracing a long-term view of establishing itself as a diversified and integrated Namibian mining company.”

Gecko currently operates a large portfolio of mineral rights within the country, virtue of a series of exploration activities enacted by its skilled team of geologists.

The resultant identification of previously unknown large-scale mineralisation opportunities in the Kunene region of Namibia – revolving namely around cobalt-copper, barite and zinc-lead discoveries – has turned the Company into a locally significant economic and social protagonist.

“Gecko is trying to utilise local opportunities effectively to develop projects in the African mining sector,” van Wyk continues. “The Group’s diversified portfolio, which includes a broad spectrum of service companies, enables us to fast-track projects costeffectively.

“One example of Gecko’s regard for trying to grasp local business opportunities has been through the country’s ideal climatic conditions for solar salt production. Our coastline and the adjoining Namib Desert facilitates the evaporation of seawater and the production of salt by crystallisation. It was therefore only logical for Gecko to try and establish itself as a producer of highquality Namibian salt. In doing so the Group endeavours to add value to Namibia’s mineral resources, thereby developing the country’s resource potential to full fruition.”

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Internationally recognised

Numerous exploration and mining projects have been entered into as a consequence of the Group’s ability and track record of identifying and unlocking locally-relevant value.

Additionally, Gecko also owns and operated various services companies, epitomising its ongoing search for diversification, which include contract works internally but also to third parties in the wider region.

Such widespread influence can only derive from a highly skilled and knowledgeable team though, as van Wyk emphasises: “Gecko is endowed with a strong, internationally recognised management team: entrepreneurs; exploration and mine geologists; processing and mining engineers; and a strong in-house legal team.

“Initially, Gecko Namibia concentrated purely on projects in the industrial minerals sector, but because of these in-house capabilities, the

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Group’s portfolio has broadened to now include greenfield exploration; operating mines with downstream value addition; mining and mineral beneficiation; and the provision of services to the mining industry (drilling services, laboratories, plant construction, processing, contract mining).”

Naturally serving as a differentiator over less well-rounded competitors, Gecko has reaped the rewards of its strategy not just through its core portfolio but also by heightened interest across the market from prospective joint venture partners.

Van Wyk explains: “The Group owns two profitable mining operations and has engaged in a number of joint venture agreements in production and exploration projects, to advance its widespread critical minerals portfolio.

“One such example is Gecko’s JV with Namibia Rare Earth, now called Namibia Critical Metals; which governs the companies’ endeavours for

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seeking future projects in Southern Africa. The core focus of this JV is to explore battery minerals. With the rapid growth of EVs and other energy storage technologies, battery minerals have seen huge increases in demand and associated prices. We believe it is now the time to focus on what we call the ‘future metals’ that will be needed in a technologically advanced world.”

A strong position

This balance between privately-owned status and JV optimisation has and will continue to open numerous doors for Gecko Namibia on its quest for business growth; such opportunities facilitating a level of funding and portfolio enhancement that might have otherwise been difficult to achieve.

“Through its various JVs the Group is driving its cobalt-copper exploration programme in the Kunene region of Namibia. We are in JVs with Namibia Critical Metals (ex-Namibia Rare Earth

Inc) and Celsius Resources on these projects, and Gecko Exploration and Gecko Drilling are providing all of the exploration services to these JVs,” van Wyk details. “Every project is important, and we’d like to see ongoing developments across the entire property suite.”

Boosting capital, human resource skills, technologies, and competitive stature, project success is all but

Part of the Atlas Copco Group

assured for Gecko as a result of its agile, entrepreneurial and driven outlook.

The Group is fully established in the Namibian mining environment, thus offering strategic benefits to any foreign enterprise looking to join Gecko in its Namibian adventure.

“Gecko Namibia (Pty) Ltd, with a broadly mixed portfolio, is pursuing many projects in the fields of chemical production, mineral exploration, mining and production of industrial minerals; as well as upstream valueadding to some of the country’s mineral commodities,” van Wyk affirms and concludes. “The diversified portfolio, together with an internal capacity to move projects forward, rapidly puts us in a strong position to take advantage and react to changing market conditions.

“And resultantly, within the next five-10 years, Gecko aims to establish itself as a new mining house on the African continent.”

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Quality Coal

Buffalo Coal has strengthened its operations in South Africa, working closely with the local community and providing quality services Writer: Phoebe Calver | Project Manager: Donovan Smith

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ver the years Buffalo Coal has consistently produced high-quality thermal and metallurgical coal, successfully running its operations in Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa.

Its portfolio includes two operating mines named Magdalena and Aviemore - both of which contain substantial coal resources - the Company is then able to use its resources to supply thermal coal, anthracite and calcine into both domestic and export markets.

“In the present-day Buffalo Coal is a recognised TSX and JSE-listed coal producer,” explains Rowan Karstel, Chief Executive Officer at Buffalo Coal.

“Eight years ago, Forbes & Manhattan Coal took on the acquisition of both the Magdalena and Aviemore mines after taking over ownership from Slater Coal, a South African company.

This led to the alteration of our name, firstly to Forbes Coal and then to Buffalo Coal Dundee.”

A few years later between 2013 and 2015, Resource Capital Fund - a US based and resource focused private equity fund - saw enough potential within the Company to provide it with a US$29 million convertible loan facility, at which time it was rebranded to become Buffalo Coal in 2014.

“We also needed to increase our environmental compliance, which we managed to combat through project managing the key issues we were faced with. Initially we needed to update our mine closure and rehabilitation fund, which had not been updated for more than two years,” affirms Karstel. “We found that community relations were also proving to be a challenge and because of that I have personally spent a lot of time within our local area to truly understand and work to the structures in place there. Buffalo Coal has established the Dannhauser and Dundee Mine Community forum which feeds into the Ubuntu Development Trust.”

Buffalo is working on a BEE Restructuring project to give the Ubuntu Development Trust and Employee Share scheme nine percent each equity stake in Buffalo Coal Dundee Pty Ltd.

Technical Competence

Lifting the technical competence within Buffalo Coal has been a great turning point for Karstel, enhancing its knowledge in the complexities of mine-planning within the industry.

Buffalo Coal embarked on an intensive exploration programme to understand

Sustainable business culture

In order to achieve success in a market that is already heavily saturated, Buffalo Coal needed to initially work to create a sustainable business culture that would set it apart from its competition.

“In the past we needed to work on aspects such as our health and safety record, ensuring that they ran like a well-oiled machine,” the CEO continues. “We went onto introduce behaviour-based safety strategies, such as VFL and appointed an exBHPBilliton HSEC senior manager to aid our team.

Rowan Karstel, Chief Executive Officer

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Coalfields Anthracite wash plant

the complex geology better and it will also assist with the Reserve Statement work currently being done.

Karstel adds: “A great example of this is the Avie North project, which we are currently taking through the proper project value chain. The feasibility study showed that the capital cost to build the adit will be in the order of R240 million. The adit project will increase the Aviemore mine’s life from two to 15 years. To repay the capital and improve the NPV value add we are also planning to double the production numbers at Avie within the next three years.”

Alongside its technical expansion through the value chain, the Company has also introduced intelligent processcosting to better understand the key business drivers that allow for a more diversified strategy.

Marketing

Buffalo Coal supply thermal and anthracite coal to the export and

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Calcine Plant Coalfileds

inland market and the Company makes use of rail and road transport and ports of RBCT and Navitrade are utilised.

Karstel describes: “We wanted to be seen as a truly diverse producer in terms of our products, marketing and logistics strategy.”

Export marketing is done through a coal trader and coal is sold on a FOR (free on rail) basis in Rand terms. This strategy reduces the risk on the balance sheet since the rail, port and exchange rate risk is taken by the coal trader.

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Buffalo Coal also has a Calcine Plant that supplies product into the lucrative manganese smelter market. Now the Company is focusing on its work with buy-in coal to maximise the wash plant capacity and reducing the fixed cost.

Balance Sheet

Buffalo Coal still owes Investec R170 million and the challenge is to repay the loan during the medium-term.

Fortunately production during Q1 2018 was excellent and it helps making the

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repayment process easier.

In order to reduce its capital burden on the balance sheet Buffalo makes use of contractors carrying out mining at the Magdalena site.

People

“We carry out a lot of training for all parties involved within the Company, spending an increasing amount on HRD projects,” continues the CEO. “Another factor that we find increasingly important is the key focus on introducing more women into mining, and having recently appointed a female mine manager we feel very optimistic moving forwards.

“When it comes to the people working at Buffalo Coal, the Companywide philosophy to treat people the way they would want to be treated and dignity and respect are always key factors that we work to retain.

“Retention of key skills within a business is extremely difficult, especially in a market where there

A team philosophy built around individual promotion and dignity

is a shortage of experienced people - particularly at a high level - and subsequently we appreciate the importance of taking care of them.

“We have worked hard to develop a unified management style that fosters a culture of innovation, encourages smart risk taking and driving change for the betterment of both our Company and the industry.”

For a junior mining company, the challenge is always cash flow

management and in Buffalo’s case the repayment of its debt to Investec.

One of Buffalo Coal’s core strategies is to consolidate the junior mining sector around Dundee by focusing on buy-in opportunities.

“We hope that moving forward we will continue to grow in an upward trajectory, having successfully executed our current remit of projects such as Aviemore North Project,” concludes Karstel.

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Sahel and West Africa Mining Conference and Exhibition As Africa’s biggest mining event not hosted domestically, fresh perspectives were given on one of the world’s most lucrative mining regions Writer: Matthew Staff

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“WE ARE DELIGHTED to welcome you to the first ever Sahel and West Africa Mining Conference and Exhibition. In a few months, this mustattend event has rapidly developed to become the largest mining event on Africa in Europe… Over the course of the next two days, this showcase of developments in African mining will feature excellent solo presentations and panel discussions by government officials, mining companies and African mining experts. The Sahel and West Africa Mining Conference is unique in Europe as it gathers Ministries of Mining from Nigeria, Ghana, Mali, Senegal, Guinea, Burkina Faso, together with African-focused financing institutions, geological research houses, and a multitude of African producers, developers and explorers; while keeping intact this

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intimate atmosphere that guarantees high quality business discussions.”

These were the introductory words of Hussein Allawi and Jawad Allawi, the CEO and Head of Investor Relations of Frontier Exchange, the hosts of this year’s Sahel and West Africa Mining Conference and Exhibition, which took place at One Whitehall Place in London, UK on 8-9 May. While, on the continent, numerous events and expos attract the leading decision makers across enterprise and government to discuss, troubleshoot and even do business in some cases; the location of this particular event shines a light on the globalisation of certain sectors and indeed the growing influence of African economies on the rest of the world. And of course, one of the leading drivers of such economic prevalence in Africa - especially West Africa - is mining.

To this end, the two days of thoughtsharing and productive dialogue that took place in early May in London proved to be a resounding success as different regional experts gathered together to pinpoint the challenges, successes, lessons and potential of Sahel and West African mining.

One overriding topic of discussion derived not from an overview of the region as a whole, but from an analysis of the region’s leading protagonist, Nigeria.

‘Following the oil price crash, Nigeria has made a point of diversifying its economic drivers, with mining one of the key industrial domains turned to as a consequence’

Following the oil price crash, Nigeria has made a point of diversifying its economic drivers, with mining one of the key industrial domains turned to as a consequence. Naturally, the country has already attracted a lot of foreign direct investment, and thanks to outstanding growth in minerals, and an easing of the licence issuance process, the country can look forward to a positive trajectory ahead.

Issues surrounding challenges and opportunities, technology’s influence, sustainability, and finance formed the crux of much that was talked about over the 48 hours, but perhaps the most fascinating thread was facilitated by having an African-centric event taking place in Europe.

This revolved not around internal views on successes and challenges, but around the rest of the world’s perception of West African mining’s successes and challenges. A very strong and honest panel discussion gave new perspective on where the region really is in comparison to other parts of the world, lending to an extent of knowledge sharing that is difficult to achieve from African-hosted expos.

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Growing People

Growing Places s one of the largest shopping centres in South Africa, Cresta has evolved to become an icon of Johannesburg’s retail scene, growing since its inception in 1976 to now boast more than 260 stores and a host of value-added services across its vast facility.

Balancing the best of traditional, nostalgic South African values with a willingness to adopt the very latest technologies and innovations, Cresta has consequently formed an emotional

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Cresta Shopping Centre’s expansion and renovation plans remain in-keeping with an overriding mission to enrich the Johannesburg community and to create an unrivalled shopping experience

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Writer: Matthew Staff Project Manager: Lewis Bush

connection with people who frequent the Centre; attracting adults and children alike and facilitating their own progressions through life.

General Manager, Virginia Bester introduces: “Cresta connects to the hearts of our shoppers, being the place they would go as little kids for an outing or to purchase their backto-school gear; and now, having the opportunity to share the experience with kids and grandkids of their own.

“Our aspirational retail offering features a hub for fashion, food,

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décor, tech and services, contributing to Cresta’s classification as a superregional shopping centre that features a diverse mix of stores.”

These include anchor stores such as Woolworths, Pick n Pay, Checkers, Game, Edgars, Ster-Kinekor, Mr Price Emporium; in addition to noteworthy brands such as Zara, iStore, Barnyard Theatre, Lindt, Lush Cosmetics, Palladium Boots, Carrol Boyes, Le Creuset, Paul’s Homemade Ice Cream, Art Jamming, Nespresso, Lindt and South Africa’s largest Dis-chem.

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Wholly-owned by Pareto Pty Ltd and managed by Mowana Properties, the Centre’s operations, finance, leasing and marketing departments combine with ‘Cresta’s face’, the frontline team, to keep the shopping centre “on course” and true to the founding mission that helped to attract such high-profile brands in the first place.

Bester affirms: “Our mission statement is to create a superior customer experience through our world-class properties. Through this, we generate sustainable and

diversified total returns for our shareholders. Therefore, in line with this, we believe in focusing on the shopper experience.”

Investing in a good experience

This shopper experience addresses more than 16.5 million people every year; each greeted by more than 260 tenants across 114,545 square metres of floor space.

“The customer is the reason for our existence. Hence, to ensure that our shoppers return to Cresta, their

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journey from the moment they enter our booms until they leave our parking lot must be a pleasant one. In the uncertain economic times that we are in, have been in, and possibly will continue to be in, our shoppers make a conscious decision to spend their hard-earned resources (be it money or time) at Cresta.

“It is thus our responsibility to do everything within our power to prove to our shoppers that their time and money is well spent at Cresta, to even go so far as to say that it was an investment in a good experience.”

As part of an ongoing continuous improvement strategy to this end, Cresta aligns the notion of the customer journey to its research activities; which in turn have led to numerous internal enhancements.

A revamp of the look and feel of Cresta’s interiors and exteriors has recently epitomised this approach, realising that the aesthetics of the

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Centre were every bit as important as the stores within it.

“We found that the look and feel of Cresta did not resonate with the modern times in which it operates and felt like it was stuck in a bygone era. As such, the upgrade presented a fresh, cleaner space that introduced more natural light into the Centre, bringing it into the new millennium. The exterior matched this with a modern façade on all entrances,” Bester describes.

“During the revamp project, we also expanded Cresta to incorporate a multi-level Food and Entertainment Court while, on a functional level, we have recently implemented a free Wi-Fi service in all common areas, and have introduce three-hour free parking in all open parking areas as a thank you to shoppers.

Further ‘thank-yous’ appear in the form of a free parking initiative for senior shoppers, the unveiling of special parking bays to address

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WALRAS

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alras is an emerging leader in the engineering, construction and maintenance of first-class real estate and infrastructure assets in Africa.

Through its consistent service delivery, innovative approach and commitment to improving the sustainability of the built environment, the Company is making a difference for its clients, employees and communities.

The Company’s comprehensive abilities enable it to deliver fully integrated solutions, across a wide range of sectors, through the construction and maintenance of the built environment.

T 0027 11 463 3479 E info@walras.co.za

www.walras.co.za

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16 Anslow Ln, Bryanston, Sandton, 2191

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DRIVING YOUR DIGITAL FUTURE

• SKIDATA www.skidata.com SKIDATA South Africa installed a new SKIDATA POF revenue generating parking solution at Cresta Shopping Centre in July 2015, when the landlord decided to “ring-fence” the entire centre’s car parks.

The solutions consists of 42 Entry Columns, 42 Exit Columns with Spike Security Barriers integrated into the columns, plus 30 Automatic Payment Machines.

The challenge was to incorporate the existing two undercover parkades

with the various open park areas, creating a single parking solution.

It has been a pleasure working with the General Manager, Virginia Bester and her team at Cresta Shopping Centre, especially Mandla Dlamini, Operations Manager, over the past few years in delivering a world class revenue generating parking solution for the benefit of the landlord and the parkers.

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the diversity of ages and physical capabilities of its visitors, and improved access and mobility within the main Centre as well.

Finally, “dubbed as an oasis for parents, we created a Family Room which is one of its kind in the Food and Entertainment Court. Equipped with a kitchenette, trolley parking, play area, nursing room with a rocking chair, and family bathrooms, this facility was introduced as a haven for parents with young children, from new-borns to toddlers”.

Proudly South African

Cresta’s focus on individual satisfaction doesn’t simply revolve around the direct shopping experience. Under a motto of ‘growing people, growing places” the managing Company understands that enrichment must

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be a constant theme throughout the Centre’s structure; from the employment process, throughout all required business partnerships, and into areas of social upliftment as well.

Regarding the former, employee retention is of paramount importance, and is achieved through the same aforementioned environment that is fostered for the sake of its customers.

“We look for people that are not only capable but buy into our vision of growing together, value teamwork and are motivated to take Cresta to the next level,” Bester elaborates.

“As a proudly South African company we align our policies and processes with a greater picture in mind. We believe in transformation and want to do our part to help and support our country in achieving its goals. We believe in building and investing in the

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A positive local impact

entrepreneurial spirit and supporting SMMEs where we can.

“We believe in positively impacting the environment in which we operate and focus as much as we can on benefiting the immediate catchment area. As part of our Annual Festive Campaign (the most important time in the retail calendar) we incorporate a CSI element. This strategy enables Cresta Shopping Centre to not only support and uplift the community that serves us, but to also facilitate our shoppers in paying it forward.”

A host of corporate social responsibility-driven initiatives have been entered into as a consequence of this ethos, chief among them being the 2016 Magical Disney Toy Tree campaign in collaboration with Disney Africa; the 2017 Festive Charity Tree investment drive; the Centre management

team’s participation in Mandela Day activities; and a recent customer-driven participation in a Charity Mall Walk to raise donations for charity.

The iconic destination

Back inside the building itself, there is an equally concerted focus on staying ahead of the industry curve, not just in terms of the tenants operating under Cresta’s roof, but on a more intricate level across the usage of advanced technologies.

The Centre’s Building Management System and generator services ensure this ongoing monitoring and tweaking of mechanical equipment and software; once again contributing to the overall goal of providing an optimum shopper experience.

“We have structured our services and amenities to cater to our

shoppers’ needs as much as possible and we concentrate on bringing oneof-a-kind experiences to people when possible. Examples of this include a free Masterchef Australia Judges Meet & Greet and, as part of our Festive Campaign, we were privileged to receive approval to host the premiere of Disney’s new movie, Moana. This was a special treat for us as we invited the children from the SOS Children’s Village to attend the screening. SAMA award winning singer, Lira - whose song featured in the movie - also attended the launch.”

Bester concludes: “These are just a couple of examples of how we resonate with the minds of our shoppers, and indeed the greater market at large, as the iconic destination of choice for unique experiences and retail offering.”

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Nimble Infrastructure Xaris Developments’ expertise across areas of project development in power plant and energy infrastructure is mirrored by its ability to drive such services in challenging environments Writer: Matthew Staff | Project Manager: Matt Cole-Wilkin orne out of industry experience and a steadfast mission to evolve the world’s energy infrastructure, Xaris Developments is making waves across Africa, the Middle East and South Asia especially, alongside pivotal partners, CJM Management Consultancy and Thomassen Service Middle East; both operating out of Dubai, UAE. The Australia-based Xaris Group subsidiary identified Africa in particular as an interesting opportunity across areas of power plant development and energy industry consultancy off the back of collective, regionally-specific knowledge attained over many years by the Xaris Developments team, and especially its Chief Executive Officer, Hennie Steyn.

He introduces: “Many of us who initiated Xaris back in 2010 had collective experience not just of this kind of work but of the regions we were looking to enter; especially Africa. We had worked on numerous smaller power generation projects and other complex infrastructure-based works and decided to accumulate this knowledge together in order to enter the market.”

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“I’ve been to most countries in Africa and spoke with many of the continent’s people. We understand the politics of many countries well and while it’s not always an easy place to do business, there are many opportunities to be realised if you know the best way to work with the continent’s people.”

The key to Xaris’ success in Africa was derived from a clear strategy and focus designed to mitigate some of the challenges inherent with doing business in the region. Instead of going through often lengthy discussion processes at the genesis of any potential process, the Company will only take on a project if it owns the working relationships in those countries.

Steyn explains: “This way, we can make sure the right discussions are being had, aligning the project’s potential to our own vision and approach, and we have had significant success in conducting operations this way.

“Each country has its own regulations of course, but one thin line that cuts through all nations is international finance standards and once you have a solid project you

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can usually approach them from this perspective and they will accept that.

Then, added to that, we have an internal knowhow from our various experiences to learn from countries’ previous issues and offer what is required to move forward.”

Ultimately, the ability to analyse opportunities and then approach them in the most customisable

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and befitting way enables Xaris to accelerate countries’ infrastructural developments; a skill that derives largely from the Company’s key business partnerships with CJM Management Consultancy and Thomassen Service Middle East.

Sharing ideas and knowledge in terms of skills transfer and component optimisation, Xaris has been able

to leverage each partner’s industry influence on an international scale to make the business as nimble as it is today.

The next level

“Where Xaris goes, CJM-MC and Thomassen go with full support, which really helps us to make the difference when it comes to being

nimble and when it comes to our intellectual property; two of our key differentiators,” Steyn affirms.

Naturally, this also translates into project saturation and success, making Xaris one of the leading exponents of achieving bankability of utility projects in Africa.

Steyn continues: “Many utility providers have lost their bankability and

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have no credit-worthy ratings to use for finance structure projects, so that has become one of the four main criteria for us to start working on a project.

“Secondly, is the aforementioned ownership of working relationships in each country to ensure we can take a project in the way we feel is best.”

The third consideration when analysing potential projects – whether it’s for Xaris’ self-funded developments, developments for other parties, or across its consultancy operations – is the extent of demand. For instance, in South Africa where there is an oversupply of power at present, the Company understands that openings are limited, whereas in Tanzania or Namibia where its flagship Walvis Bay project sits, the need for an offering such as Xaris’ is real and urgent.

“This leads into the fourth component we address, in terms of what resources exist in each particular country. In Tanzania for instance, power supply is insufficient, but they have a lot of

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Xaris Developments’ VISION: “To be recognised as an industry leader and distinctive developer of infrastructure development projects.”

resources,” Steyn picks up. “They’re probably at 30 percent of where they should be, so penetration is low and it represents a market where we will be able to make a difference.”

Of course, it can be very challenging to align such market opportunities to these specific components and visions, and African politics – which Steyn states is not for the “faint hearted” – contribute further, complex variables to the melting pot. But despite this, Xaris’ reputation in the sector and service expertise has already ensured the pipeline for developments for 2018 in Africa, the Middle East, Australia and Pakistan, to name a few.

“When we look for projects, we look at these aforementioned components and see if it’s bankable,” Steyn clarifies. “If these criteria match, then we can reach any corner in the circle of the regions mentioned.”

And Xaris can be selective too.

Steyn continues: “Our experience and portfolio means we can actually say no to people, and still have a project list as long as our arm. We’ve worked with liquid fields, with gas, with nuclear, and of course we have experience with renewables now too.

“We have longstanding relationships with important equity and debt funders and are never short of opportunities to push forward a number of projects to the next level.”

Developing in the right direction

The aforementioned relationship with companies such as CJM-MC also goes a long way in facilitating the sourcing of projects to begin with, leveraging their equally wide base and knowledge before applying Xaris’ full development approach.

“This approach embraces all the elements you need to look at to do a full power station development,” Steyn notes. “We’re basically divided up into components, so if you take the commercial side for example, we have honed our own skills into our own

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ENERGY TO GROW

THOMASSEN GROUP OF COMPANIES Thomassen Service Middle East LLC (TSME) is a specialized gas turbine maintenance company with a primary business objective to provide a complete package of Operations & Maintenance Services on gas turbine – generator units and Balance of Plant Equipment installed with Utilities and captive power producers

CJM Management Consultancy is a specialized company established in Dubai to answer the real business challenges through innovative thinking and deep industry knowledge in the Energy and Power Sector. Our dedicated team has 25+ years of knowledge and powerhouse of cutting-edge business solutions. We serve across borders - ranging from Africa, Middle East and South-East Asia with a diverse business portfolio of power production and conventional fuel including HSFP, Diesel, Gas, Coal, LNG and the latest green developments including Solar, Wind and Hydro.

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O&M Services include: • Project management • Shutdown planning • Engineering • Repair of hot gas path components • Supply of spare parts and materials for gas turbines, generators and other related equipment • Specialist services for scheduled & unscheduled maintenance and emergency call outs www.thomassen-me.com

specific models. Bankers and lenders will always ask for open-sourced models so we have developed a model that works in accordance with this, to then be able to play it in any direction, with the necessary technologies and skills.

“Then, we also have our own audit function, to ensure we have very little comebacks from external auditors across our own models.”

The second component addresses regulatory and environmental issues; studying and understanding the ins and outs of various markets and comparing them to Xaris’ current structures before adapting accordingly.

“That can often prove to be the difference, especially when adding in our third component which is our technical functions,” Steyn continues.

“This includes being able to do everything in-house and looking at all aspects of concept design in close collaboration with our partners.”

The fourth component is contractbased, Xaris having built up a track

In Modern day business ecosystem, corporations need to constantly reinvent themselves. At CJM Management Consultancy we follow an innovation-led approach to “imagine and re-invent” future possibilities. We act as a catalyst - we combine our capabilities to invent, develop, and deliver creative innovations, and to expand and scale them faster with our well crafted solution architecture.

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Xaris Developments’ PROMISE: “Xaris Developments’ unrelenting focus on quality, our wealth of knowledge and our proven expertise ensure that we deliver solutions which are forward looking, agile and sustainable.”

record that accounts for nearly all types of proposed project agreements.

This means that the Company’s time to market is much quicker than most competitors’.

Such an attribute is very attractive on a continent that still craves innovative, ground-breaking developments in the energy space.

Steyn concludes: “This is what we want to do in terms of developing more and influencing the market more.

Not just in Africa, but we want to ensure the global market is developing in the right direction.

“More than that though, we want to promote a balance. Certain countries are solely driving renewables and others are still relying on traditional sources, but you can’t have one and not the other.

The way we want to make a difference is to help people understand that there needs to be a balance, and if we’re doing that, then we will also continue to be successful as a money-making business as a result.”

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A Safe and Modern Community Unity Homes is building exclusive communities in Kenya, looking to take its mission for the creation of safe and secure homes further afield in the near future Writer: Phoebe Calver Project Manager: Eddie Clinton

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n 2013 Unity Homes was incorporated with the mission of creating happy, beautiful communities that could provide a wide array of professionals and their families with affordable, highquality homes. The Company is still in its developmental stages, establishing its place in the Kenyan construction market.

“At the minute we are purely located in Kenya, but plan to be in more African countries as we expand in the next few years,” explains John Latham, Chief Executive Officer of Unity Homes. “We aren’t regional yet, however, there are plans in motion to achieve that soon; we certainly do a lot of work regionally and at some point we will expand our efforts.

“We are overwhelmingly driven by achieving quality and striving to

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create a product that is standardised.

Since inception we have achieved this by selling relatively low-cost houses, ensuring that they are high-quality but at a smaller size.

“In terms of the final standards that we aim to achieve, we want to provide the sort of high-quality that you would expect to see in a European house.”

During the next few years the Company plans to build smaller houses, and during the last few phases of its current project it has moved down from 90 square metres, to 80 and the next project will be 50.

“By creating smaller square metres, we ensure the price of a house is almost directly proportionate to the number of square metres we work with,” explains Latham. “However, when you build cheaper houses, you have to sell and build twice as many and subsequently act in a very systematic manner.

“We have created our homes with a modern family in mind and because of that each home is built to accommodate three to six people, in an environment that allows families to flourish.

“Each of our Unity Homes are built with high-quality fittings as a standard method of practice, with all goods, fixtures and equipment sourced from ISO 9001 registered suppliers and engineers that have stringent quality control methods in place.”

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Alongside the high-quality and family-focused attitude, Unity Homes has built all its homes with designs that minimise energy and maintenance expenses for the homeowner. It has incorporated features such as highefficiency light bulbs and solar water heating-systems that are fitted within the homes as standard practice.

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The Company’s largest project to date has involved it building 250 houses on the Eldoret Estate, named Unity Gardens.

“With thanks to this prime location in Eldoret, we were able to build an exclusive community that is situated halfway between the airport

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and the centre of the main town,” adds Latham. “Our Unity Gardens estate offers our investors the rare opportunity to purchase a high-quality property with a clean and secure title deed, located within a high-end gated community that provides excellent potential for growth.”

With this type of residential

development in the country, it is increasingly important to ensure the safety of each resident.

“Unity Gardens is a fully-serviced community that enjoys exceptional around-the-clock security,” Latham affirms. “Centrally located within the estate there are top-class facilities that include a fitness centre,

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umkang Kind Co., Ltd. is a construction materials company established in 1979 in Seoul, South Korea. It is one of 20 companies under the Kumkang Kind Group, with a presence in more than 30 countries and seven branches across the world and – the first and currently the only formwork company to have a branch in Kenya – Kumkang Kind East Africa.

We are a public listed company with more than 500 employees worldwide, and US$600 million in sales annually.

Having seven factories in Korea and one factory in Malaysia, Kumkang Kind’s unrivaled manufacturing capacity produces more than 1.9 million square metres of aluminium formwork, 26,000 tonnes of aluminium billets, and 12,000 tonnes of scaffolding and special formwork every year.

swimming pool, restaurant, shops and recreational park.

“We decided on creating these facilities in order to save our residents time on driving to town during their day-to-day activities, while also helping to provide them with a relaxed and blissful setting to enjoy their downtime.”

At present the Company is in the final stages of this development and is planning to move into a new location, named Tartu City where it already owns land.

“First and foremost we are a developer, buying land to bank and turning it into housing for the masses,” explains Latham. “In Africa our planning permission requirements are far less rigorous than places like the UK; we are still growing very quickly as we urbanise so there is a large scope for activities such as ours to be successful.

“Developers will often come in and purchase around 2,000 acres,

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beginning by designing and building the required infrastructure such as roads, sewage and the master planning that decides on where the houses and schools are going to be placed.

“This land is then chopped up in order to sell onto developers such as ourselves, which has happened in Tartu City on the edge of Nairobi and will be our largest project to date.”

Community-centric

With the exception of the CEO himself, everyone working within the Company at present is Kenyan and the team tend to avoid hiring expatriates.

The CEO continues: “We require an exceptional team around us and aim to achieve high-quality with thanks to their hard work. Due to the fact that we are operating in a relatively young and developing country, we are able to achieve these high-quality projects on a budget which makes the houses a more realistic purchase for our customers.

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In Africa, Kumkang Kind has 26 existing and upcoming jobsites using our formwork including Unity Gardens Phase II and III in Kenya. Managing Director of Unity Homes, Mr. John Latham, recently built and transferred an 80 residential unit project in less than a year, and has embarked on the third phase of Unity Gardens in Eldoret using the same durable Kumkang Kind Aluminium Formwork. The construction of Unity Gardens is a perfect example of how our formwork system promotes social empowerment. Mr. Latham took advantage of the ease of use to employ the services of local unskilled citizens who were trained and worked on the jobsite to completion.

Kumkang Kind is proud to be associated with Unity Homes Kenya!

HEADQUARTERS Kumkang Kind BLDG., 16, Hyoryeong-ro 60-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul, Korea Tel. 82-2-3415-4154 kkkorea@kumkangkind.com KUMKANG KIND EAST AFRICA Office 15A, Mezzanine 2, The Mirage, Chiromo Rd, Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya Tel. 254-2-0250-0882 kkafrica@kumkangkind.com

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Kumkang Kind BLDG., 16, Hyoryeong-ro 60-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul, Korea Tel. 82-2-3415-4154 kkkorea@kumkangkind.com

Kumkang Kind East Africa Office 15A, Mezzanine 2, The Mirage, Chiromo Rd, Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya Tel. 254-2-0250-0882 kkafrica@kumkangkind.com

” Kumkang Kind wants to work with you.

Looking for Local Partners.

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“The majority of people living on our estates are lawyers, doctors and politicians and we are keen to build the feeling of community within the development.”

In order to achieve that, the Company has worked tirelessly to ensure that there is zero crime within its estates.

“Of course, the quality is a key factor in achieving a desirable living area, however, the vast majority of people are looking for a safe community

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where their kids are able to play on the streets,” adds Latham. “We are motivated and passionate about creating a safe space for children and every resident, as we want our developments to be a place that people will thrive in.

“The general landscaping of the estate and creation of green areas has all come together as part of our developmental achievements; in the end there is only so much a person can afford and we hope to provide them

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with as much as possible for their money.”

The Company differentiates itself through its ability to provide its customers with a new way of life to enjoy, giving them what is essentially a microcosm of the West in a small and safe town environment.

“We like to joke with our customers that we are selling them a European visa without having to do the paperwork, which is a testament towards the relationships we build

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and the standards we are able to provide them with,” concludes Latham. “In the future we hope to continue to provide excellent service to the market while reaching an increased target of 1,000 houses a year.

“Due to the expense of a mortgage in Kenya - almost double the price of rent - we are looking into partnering with pension funds to rent our houses in the future, linking into our new target pursuit.”

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BENCHMARK arlequin International (Ghana) Limited is a widely-respected market leader in fabrication, mechanical engineering and hydraulic services in Ghana, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to delivering the best possible level of workmanship and quality service.

The Company owner, Barry Williams, has made Ghana his home for the past 20 years and has driven the success of the limited liability organisation from the core.

“We have a stringent reinvestment

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Harlequin International (Ghana) Limited provides a marketfocused, process-centred service, developing and delivering exceptional engineering solutions to customers through its flagship facilities Writer: Phoebe Calver Project Manager: Josh Hyland

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policy to increase the competence within our team, as well as our infrastructure and tools used to execute the job,” explains Scott Thomson, Operations Director at Harlequin International. “This ensures that our work is always right the first time, utilising the correct tools and instruments, as well as listening to and taking notes of customer issues and improvement suggestions.”

Until the creation of Harlequin International (Ghana) Limited in 1998, hydraulic component repairs and servicing were predominantly an imported service.

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Thompson continues: “Aspects such as order lead-times, shipping delays, expensive airfreights and other structural factors attendant to the importation of services has exacerbated downtime costs greatly.

“Subsequently, local companies were compelled to lock-up their scarce capital in high-insurance stock and sub-assembly units against anticipated emergencies to reduce downtime cost.”

Harlequin was officially commissioned for business in September, 1998 and has since gone from strength to strength as a truly successful engineering and hydraulic facility in Ghana.

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“In May, 2005 we relocated to our own specialised premises, which demonstrated our competence in firstworld operations of this nature in Ghana and Africa,” adds the Operations Director. “This new facility comprised a 2,000 square metre factory and 400 square metre office block, located in Tema, Light Industrial & Commercial Area.”

Project completion

When it comes to project implementation and completion, more often than not each development will take more than a year and within the oil & gas sector it can take a number

Genting HK, Zouk

of years.

Clark Quay, Singapore “Each project will begin with an RFI (request for information) and a customer will carry out an evaluation on the Company, working from a QHSE perspective and then a technical perspective,” Thomson affirms. “The assessment may also include an audit of the management systems to establish whether they are compliant.

“The following RFQ (request for quotation) enables us to complete and submit a tender or bid package, normally within limited submission deadlines and will include a technical and commercial bid offer.”

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SMART PROCUREMENT AND LOGISTICS

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stablished in 2011, Smart Procurement & Logistics Ltd has grown to become a one-stop supplier of industrial, power, oil & gas, and mining consumables to mining and heavy-duty industries and companies in Ghana and West Africa.

Along with its head office in Ghana, the Company has branches established in UK and Johannesburg, South Africa as part of strategies to become a multinational firm to serve a wider market niche.

Call on us for all your personal protection requirements in mining as well as the oil & gas industries. We stock welding and cutting consumables, instrumentation tools and gadgets, carbon steel and stainless steel flanges with matching gaskets and fittings, steel pipes and fittings, mining and oil valves, conveyor belts, rubber lining sheets and general merchants.

T +233 27 234 44 40, +233 24 488 9419 E info@smartpnl.com

Harlequin’s newly improved facility

www.smartpnl.com

After these processes have been completed a bid review will take place, including an assessment or evaluation visit by the customer, as well as a detailed study of the shortlisted suppliers for the project.

“At that point the approved supplier will submit the required documentation and the next phase of work is able to begin,” continues Thomson. “Our main focus area for these projects is Ghana, however, we do carry out work in the West African region when the project proves to be a worthwhile mission. In terms of repair or manufacture of components, there is no limit placed on how far-reaching our footprint will go.”

Workshop operations

The Company does not shy away from undertaking large-scale projects, perfectly demonstrated by its recent development of the Takoradi operations which was first established in 2003.

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“Early this year our Tema Workshop was incorporated within the aforementioned Takoradi operations,” adds Thomson. “The workshop personnel were also transferred, leaving the Linde material handling equipment work, process control and other corporate support functions at the head office still located in Tema.

“Our newly improved Takoradi site is complete with three main workshop buildings, the first of which is the main fabrication workshop and consists of three extensive working bays.

“Each of the three bays has the capacity of 15,000kg, 30,000kg and 60,000kg of overhead cranage with a floor-to-hook height of 10,500mm lift, covering a total floor space of 4,650 square metres.”

The second workshop in the facility plays host to the CNC machine shop with a range of CNC lathes, CNC milling machines and a variety of equipment such as overhead cranage of 15,000kg with a floor-to-hook height of 5,500mm

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“Early this year our Tema Workshop was incorporated within the aforementioned Takoradi operations.”

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lift covering 800 square metres. Lastly the third workshop houses the hydraulic repair facilities with machine tools, a test bench, honing machine and a variety of equipment together with overhead cranage of 15,000kg, with a floor-tohook height of 5,500mm lift covering 800 square metres.

Continuous improvement

“As a company our approach is to get the job done right the first time, resulting in a key investment in people

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to increase the competence with which we can deliver our services,” Thomson describes. “We place emphasis on ensuring that our staff are the most knowledgeable in the market, which subsequently cements us as a top-class Company.

“A good example of this is when we purchase equipment, after which we will either send our staff abroad or bring a manufacturer inhouse to ensure the correct training can be done properly and with

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efficiency,” explains Thomson. “Our employment strategy is carried out by using a mixture of ‘new-blood’ and experience, while also promoting from within and providing internal-training.

“Of course, it is common that this decision will tend to depend on the competence, requirements of the role and availability of personnel at the time.”

The Company’s employees are trained to provide a one-stopshop approach to its services, with

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“As a company our approach is to get the job done right the first time...”

“We are successfully working in a first-world style facility, that is both under cover and with adequate lifting capacity.”

“We have plans for additional workshop space with a lift capacity of 150 tonnes and 16 metres of floorto-hook height.”

fabrication, machining and hydraulics all housed on one site.

“We are successfully working in a first-world style facility, that is both under cover and with adequate lifting capacity,” continues the Operations Director. “This has attracted a great collection of key suppliers and partners that have been identified and assessed, who we work together with and collaborate in order to achieve continuous improvement for both parties.”

With thanks to its new and extensive facilities, the Company’s growth trajectory over the coming years looks set to be exponential.

“We have plans for additional workshop space with a lift capacity of 150 tonnes and 16 metres of floor-tohook height,” concludes Thomson.

“We hope to be able to continuously improve with the implementation of additional management system certification to work above the current ISO 9001:2015 certification for quality.

“This exciting process has already started and by the end of the fourth quarter of 2018, we will have certification in place for ISO/TS 29001:2010 for quality management systems in oil & gas operations, ISO 45001:2018 for occupational health & safety management systems and ISO 14001:2015 for environmental management systems.”

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Flying High Despite soaring above its competitors,Tradewinds Aviation Services is very much keeping its feet on the ground in the search for continuous improvement and client satisfaction Writer: Matthew Staff Project Manager: Vivek Valmiki

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tarting as a freighter company back in 1987, the past 30 years has seen Tradewinds Aviation Services evolve from its headquarters at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya to become a multi-faceted, wellestablished ground service operator in Africa’s aviation industry.

Accounting not just for ground services, but also meet and assist, logistics and training provision across Kenya, the business’s influence has gone from being local, to national, and now even international virtue of its high-profile client base.

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“Tradewinds has increased its countrywide footprint to include Mombasa, Kisumu, Malindi, Lamu, Ukunda, Wajir and Isiolo Airports,” elaborates Commercial Director, Clive De Souza. “[From these bases] we are capable of handing all types of aircraft with more than 800 trained and certified staff working in accordance with international standards.

“As such, Tradewinds Aviation prides itself on providing world-class ground handling services and aviation solutions and has acquired affiliations and certifications with leading industry organisations including ASA, IATA, NBAA and RA3.”

In 2011, this impressive CV was bolstered by the acquisition of IATA – ISAGO certification, which has since been renewed; compounding the private

Company’s overall significance within the sector across its three divisions - Tradewinds Aviation, Tradewinds Logistics and Tradewinds Training Services.

De Souza enthuses: “We have, over the past decade especially, built a formidable enterprise serving both local and international markets in the fields of ground handling and logistics, and now we have added specialised aviationrelated careers training to our remit.”

Above and beyond

This latter proposition was introduced as a result of high demand for affordable aviation training, which itself derived from increased traffic seen at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

Leveraging the expertise formulated within Tradewinds over almost 35 years, the ability to pass on this knowledge to the next generation across Kenya seemed a natural step and has allowed the Company to spread its core values more concertedly throughout the industry.

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“What defines us is our passion for what we do which is driven by our organisational culture and built from our values of integrity, safety, teamwork and quality,” De Souza explains. “We go above and beyond to ensure customer satisfaction and I can tell you that with confidence because we currently handle the most difficult and challenging clients at JKIA. “Holding certificates like ISAGO and RA3 shows our commitment to meeting international standards while the continuous training of our staff helps us maintain our quality standards and services.”

Continuous improvement not only manifests in terms of service expansion and diversification, however. In recent years especially, it has been evident on more intricate levels, incorporating areas of technology advancements, equipment improvements, facility upgrades and an overall strive for efficiency.

De Souza continues: “The Company has really invested in transitioning and improving systems that cater for daily operations for our clients. Passenger check-in system training for staff and close IT support for all our clients is done to meet international standards; and there is also a strong emphasis on maintaining all digital communication channels with various service providers to ensure the SLAs are met for ease of information flow between us and our clients.”

The additional introductions of new tractors and passenger buses,

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a new training academy to train external clients, and an enhanced organisational structure to streamline the business have been pivotal on an internal note. But they have also reaped rewards externally, as Tradewinds’ client portfolio becomes vaster and more esteemed.

The likes of Magma, DHL, Astral and the UN alone epitomise this notion.

Ahead of the competition

Not only does such investments and improvements make Tradewinds Aviation Services a business partner

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Busia Road, Building # 23 T: +254 20 2327535 +254 20 2327635 E: sales@crystalimpex.co.ke

Meeting your requirements on time every time

www.crystalimpex.co.ke

and provider of choice, but also an employer of choice.

Renowned as an equal opportunity employer, the Company’s astuteness as a training provider has only strengthened the Company’s position, and a healthy relationship with a number of aviation training institutions continues to compound this attribute.

“Then when it comes to training and retention, this is taken very seriously,” De Souza picks up. “Staff undergo mandatory training for a week before being assigned duties, and then attend refresher training every two years.

The board of directors hold quarterly meetings with staff to ensure they are working under good conditions, and their personal development is encouraged at all times through our training facility.”

Themes of localisation and internal promotion are achieved as a consequence, fostering a family feel within the overall business that

can then translate into a personable relationship with customers and airports.

“We believe our workforce is our greatest resource, so we ensure that they are continuously trained to ensure we maintain our standards and surpass clients’ expectations,” De Souza affirms. “In the aviation industry, we experience a lot of disruptive technology inventions, so need welltrained staff to be able to monitor other ground handlers, as well as traffic through JKIA, new technologies, new ground service equipment, improved systems, and necessary investments so that we can stay ahead of the competition.

“If we meet these requirements, then we will not only grow to have representation in the whole of East Africa as a ground handling company, but we will also become a training institute of choice in the region as well.”

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LEAN LOGISTICS

Cummins Central Supply Chain Operations is leveraging almost 100 years of global experience, and more than 70 years of continental ingratiation to bring optimum supply chain solutions to Africa Writer: Matthew Staff | Project Manager: Eddie Clinton

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ummins has instilled itself as a responsible, effective and successful industrial operator in Africa for more than 70 years and continues to leverage this almost unparalleled knowledge and experience. A crucial success factor that underpins this current and future success is the Company’s investment in and development of a world-class supply chain that is both flexible and resilient to the trade flow and operational risks of the region.

Incepting on the continent in 1946, the wider group has been a pioneer and innovator across realms of engines, generators, gas generation, industrial services and parts, and social enrichment; later becoming a wholly-owned distributor in South Africa in 2000 via Cummins Southern Africa. Going on to replicate this model through joint ventures in Nigeria and Ghana as well, the organic growth that the organisation has enjoyed

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has culminated in one of the most impressive turnkey portfolios in Africa. And through the introduction of Cummins Central Supply Chain Operations (CSCO), Cummins can truly claim to be a leading player at every stage of the industrial value chain.

“As part of a global and African strategy execution, we first decided to establish regional distribution centres (RDCs) in Africa, starting in Ghana (2014) and then South Africa (2015),” recalls Supply Chain Director, Gerald ‘Ged’ Mackell. “Overall, the Africa operations fall within the ‘AfricaMiddle East’ region which comprises 11 wholly-owned distributors, two joint venture distributors, and four independent distributors; in addition to the two wholly-owned regional distribution centres.

“With the establishment of CSCO in Africa, we brought world-class order management, warehouse management and materials planning systems to the continent. This has

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Cummins Values INTEGRITY: Doing what you say you will do and doing what is right DIVERSITY & INCLUSION: Valuing and including our differences in decision making CARING: Demonstrating awareness and consideration for the wellbeing of others EXCELLENCE: Always delivering superior results TEAMWORK: Collaborating across teams, functions, businesses and borders to deliver the best work

CivMaq Projects is a proudly South African construction and engineering company, established in 2007.

We have experience accross a variety of industries. Our head office is located in Gauteng with branches in KZN, Cape, Mpumalanga, and Kimberley.

CIDB, NHBRC, Master Builders BBBEE Level 1

CORE SERVICES: • GENERAL BUILDING • CIVIL ENGINEERING • MECHANICAL ENGINEERING • ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • INDUSTRIAL PLANT CLEANING • FACILITIES MANAGEMENT • FIBRE OPTIC INSTALLATIONS

Our Clients: SARS, Ekurhuleni, JRA

WWW.CIVMAQ.CO.ZA Head Office: Tel No.: 011 917 6469 Address: Unit 15, N12 Airport Industrial Park, Dr Vosloo Drive, Bartlett, Boksburg, Gauteng, 1459

ENVIROMONGZ ENVIROMONGZ--YOUR YOURRELIABLE RELIABLEFACILITY FACILITYMANAGEMENT MANAGEMENTPARTNER PARTNER

Our Clients include: Cummins, Eskom, PRASA EnviroMongz Projects is a multi-disciplinary company specialising in the provision of comprehensive services.

Our management and operations teams are experienced, dynamic and highly-skilled in all facets of the facilities services industry, allowing our company to thrive, as we believe that our human resources are our most valuable assets.

We are accredited with PSIRA, SAMFA, CIDB, & BBBEE level 1.

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Facilities Management | Energy Management | Security Services Landscaping | Occupational Health & Safety | Hygiene Services & Cleaning Engineering Services | Waste Management Head Office: Tel No.: 011 917 0474

Address: 28 Serfontein Street, Libradene, Boksburg, 1459

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AMERICAN EXPRESS GLOBAL BUSINESS TRAVEL SOUTH AFRICA The travel future behind Cummins American Express Global Business Travel South Africa, the chosen Cummins Global Logistics travel management partner, delivers high quality and cost-effective travel solutions to every Cummins traveller.

The importance of innovative and ground-breaking technology is critical for Cummins, making our partnership one that holds tremendous synergy. As the travel management company that introduced and continues to develop the leading online travel management solution, Travelit, American Express Global Business Travel South Africa is able to adapt and change according to suit the needs of Cummins Global Logistics, continuously ensuring compliance with specific global approval processes and requirements.

Cummins brings innovative ideas to the industrial landscape

increased the breadth and, selectively, the depth of inventory on the continent and has also brought global processes in order processing and warehouse management to Africa.”

As has been proved by all of Cummins’ previous expansions and diversifications throughout the decades, such solutions not only bring innovative new ideas to an everchanging industrial landscape; but are also flexible enough in their own right to be applicable to the entire continent, rather than just an isolated national hub.

Mackell continues: “Through network studies we can determine the best locations to serve our distributors and end customers, always with the aim to reduce lead times, to improve availability, and to capitalise on economies of scale to reduce overall logistics costs.”

With this driving mission in place, Mackell goes on to pinpoint four key competitive advantages that will

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stand CSCO in good stead in the years to come: “Treating all our customers on an equal footing by using clearly communicated, standardised processes; demanding continuous process and cost improvements; offering a wider range of services; and greater levels of integration and collaboration with our third-party logistics partners.”

Significant growth opportunity

To fully understand the reason behind Cummins Africa’s success and continuously growing influence, you need only to look back at the history of the wider Cummins Group. Initially formed in 1919 as the Cummins Engine Company out of Indiana, USA, the business immediately established a reputation as a trailblazer, as one of the very first diesel engine manufacturers.

Following numerous diversifications and remit broadenings, the name was finally changed to Cummins Inc in

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Cummins Global Logistics has made the decision to move to a full end to end travel management solution, by using our local American Express Global Business Travel online travel management technology, hereby continuously driving significant cost savings in their travel programme.

Our online solution offers one solution to simultaneously search all airlines, car hire and accommodation, including hotels, bed and breakfasts, and guest houses. A simple yet powerful layout effortlessly displays a price comparison that includes private, public, corporate and web rates.

By introducing our online travel management solution, American Express Global Business Travel South Africa online - Managing and booking travel will be faster, more efficient and cost-effective.

Contact Shelley Summers for more information: T +27 11 790 0000 E sales@travel.co.za

www.gbtsouthafrica.com

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AGILITY

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gility is funding and developing 50 International standard warehouse parks across Africa to facilitate trade and economic development and also support Multinational and SME companies looking to enter grow and expand their business.

Agility Distribution Parks (ADPs) focuses on creating a reliable infrastructure which provides undisturbed power, IT connectivity and security for tenants.

Agility also offers a $0 capital upfront investment “Built to Suit” (BTS) warehouse(s), factories, retail office space and/or light industry options against a commitment of up to 10 years.

Currently we are operational in Ghana with facilities under construction in Mozambique, Ivory Coast and Nigeria due to open at the end of 2019.

Cummins is both efficient and effective in its service

2001, safely entrenched in the global industrial fabric as a global power leader that designs, manufactures, distributes and services diesel and natural gas engines and related components.

Accounting for areas of filtration, aftertreatment, turbochargers, fuel systems, controls systems, air handling systems, transmissions and electric power generation systems, Cummins’ significance to OEMs was and is obvious; and it therefore became equally obvious to then account for the supply element between provider and user as well.

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www.agility.com/africa “We serve our customers through a network of approximately 500 wholly-owned and independent distributor locations and more than 7,500 dealer locations in more than 190 countries and territories,” the Company explains. “We have four complementary operating segments: Engine, Distribution, Components and Power Systems. These segments share technology, customers, strategic partners, brand recognition and our distribution network in order to compete more efficiently and effectively in their respective markets.

“Our products compete primarily on the basis of performance, fuel economy, speed of delivery, quality, customer support and price.”

Net sales for 2017 reached US$20 billion, with the distribution segment accounting for 27 percent of this figure; an indictment of this arm of the business and how pivotal it has become in complementing the Company’s traditional revenue drivers.

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INTERIORS FOR CHANGE

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ummins Middle East & Africa relocated to Waterfall City and appointed Interiors for Change to design a space in line with the Cummins’ Global Standards.

The following criteria was met based on the client brief.

• Open plan environment was provided for all employees including the leadership • Flexible neighborhoods allow people to work at any workstation and include facilities such as formal and informal meeting spaces, bike/ treadmill desk and standing/seated workstations • Percentage of time spend at the desk will determine allocation of sedentary/nomadic workstations • Nomadic employees have been allocated with storage lockers

www.i4c.co.za

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L O G I S T I C S

Agility is proud that Cummins chose an Agility Warehouse Park for their Regional Distribution Centre.

Funding and Developing Warehouse Solutions for Africa

Agility Warehouse Parks: Now in Accra, Abidjan, Lagos and Maputo

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EQSTRA

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qstra Fleet Management is a leading integrated fleet management solutions provider in sub-Saharan Africa, offering the full spectrum of passenger and light commercial vehicle fleet-management outsourcing solutions; long-term full maintenance rentals; stand-alone maintenance products; rentals; warranties and service plans; insurance and accident claims management; and vehicle management and tracking solutions.

Eqstra’s integrated system is designed to manage all components of fleet management using Microsoft Dynamics AX - an enterprise resource planning system allowing customers to view all fleet costs against a single vehicle record - reducing costs and administration while optimising fleet efficiencies.

Regular shipments are delivered to customers

T +27 11 458 7555 E info@eqstrafleet.co.za

www.efm.co.za

“Our global distribution segment consists of 28 wholly-owned and 10 joint venture distributors that service and distribute the full range of our products and services to end-users,” the Company continues. “Our whollyowned distributors are located in key markets, including North America, Australia, Europe, China, Africa Russia, Japan, Brazil, Singapore and Central America, while our joint venture distributors are located across South America, the Middle East, India, Thailand and Singapore.

“The Africa Middle East region is primarily a distribution business formed from the recent 2017 merger of the Africa and Middle East regions and represents a significant growth opportunity for Cummins and is the focus of multi-year investments.

Sales revenue here is expected to reach US$1bn in the next three years with planned CAGR of more than 10 percent.”

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Power and resources

Since its inception, CSCO has strongly emphasised the need to improve the overall customer experience by improving service levels using worldclass standardised processes as part of a more all-encompassing, lean continuous improvement strategy.

Ultimately enacted through a dedicated Global Logistics Improvement Group (GLIG) team, these lean methodologies display clear overlaps from Cummins’ successful engineering operations through an enhanced reliance on robust Six Sigma improvements (including the use of Voice of Customer and KJ studies), value stream mapping, value stream transformation, and strategic A3 improvements.

Tangibly, Mackell has seen this approach result in a number of successful rollouts, project successes and partnership establishments across Africa.

“Firstly, more customers are being

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Corporate social responsibility “Corporate Responsibility is one of Cummins’ six core values. Far more than just philanthropy, corporate responsibility means not only making responsible business decisions, but affirmatively reaching out to help our communities and engage our workforce in addressing community needs.

served directly from local RDCs, bringing the power and resources of Cummins to the continent,” he says. “There has also been more regular shipments to customers to improve overall product availability and reduce the bull-whip effect; expanded localised kitting capabilities;

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A master in control

Eqstra Fleet Management lets you manage your fleet on a central platform for absolute control and flexibility.

FLEET MANAGEMENT For a no obligation assessment of your fleet needs, info@eqstrafleet.co.za +27 11 458 7555

efm.co.za

Outlook Creative Services

Outlook Publishing’s awardwinning in-house team is now utilising its extensive production skills to offer a full and bespoke range of editorial, design and marketing services via its new Outlook Creative Services division.

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QSK50 Tier 2 Red 3qtr Fuel

an updated material planning system; improved inter-connections across systems to reduce errors and improve information flow; and for 2019, we will see an upgrade of our Red Prairie warehouse management system as part of its global rollout.”

Additionally, a network study is already being carried out to decide whether a third RDC will be introduced in the region, compounded by an already decided-upon Ghanaian transition which will see the Company move into a new state-of-the art leased facility.

Mackell adds: “Capital investmentwise, we will also see a relocation of our South African distributor to a new greenfield facility comprising a more modern warehouse; a relocation of our Nigerian distributor to an equally contemporary brownfields facility; the establishment of a new distributor in Morocco with a new warehouse; and - on the tech side - the design of each aforementioned, new warehouse via

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Cummins has a long history of corporate responsibility, based on the framework of linking the impact on our stakeholders to responsible business decisions

the utilisation of FlexSim warehouse design and optimisation software.”

“Cummins has a long history of corporate responsibility, based on the framework of linking the impact on our stakeholders to responsible business decisions. Our employees have invested talent, passion and resources into trying to solve problems in our communities and society since the Company’s inception in 1919.

“Our corporate responsibility activities in Africa are governed by a Corporate Responsibility Council consisting of eight members.”

Supply chain integration

Capital expenditures aren’t solely enacted in an attempt to expand and become more advanced though; rather they are done so in line with the very latest industry and customer trends that Cummins is better equipped than most to identify given its copious experience across multiple industries.

Further examples in more recent

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The Company strives for greater end-toend integration

times have also encouraged CSCO to move many of its applications to the cloud while minimising customisations in order to provide smoother upgrade paths.

Mackell adds: “We’ve also aligned supply chain systems to enable outcomes and processes that our customers require - i.e., improved responsiveness and a better information flow.

“We continue to strive for greater end-to-end supply chain integration.

This is both internally across our business and with our suppliers.”

‘Integration’ is an apt term when analysing many facets that make Cummins the successful, multinational business it is today. From a human resource perspective, especially in Africa, the Company has made a concerted effort to embed itself as an intrinsically local entity; an ideology which can only be achieved through the hiring of local artisans, before providing them with the

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Training and retention is key... The use of our e-learning based supply chain academy therefore helps to develop technical skills, while we concentrate on social enrichment through a focus on aspects like gender diversity to increase the number of women with careers in supply chain

requisite training to ultimately build a sustainable talent pool on the continent.

To this end, each Regional Distribution Centre in Ghana and South Africa is staffed by individuals emanating from each respective country, even despite the end services being much more global in their nature.

“Training and retention is key, especially in markets where these skills are not readily available,” Mackell emphasises. “The use of our e-learning based supply chain academy therefore helps to develop technical skills, while we concentrate on social enrichment through a focus on aspects like gender diversity to increase the number of women with careers in supply chain.

“Consequently, this ethos helps us to better collaborate with our customers and partners on a more personable level; to then expand both their and our business profitability through providing supply chain value-added services at competitive costs.”

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AFRICA INSURANCE & REINSURANCE CONFERENCE 2018

E V E N T

F O C U S

Innovate to Capture Growth Potential EVENT DETAILS WHEN: 20-21 June WHERE: Villa Rose Kempinski Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya WEBSITE:

http://aidembs.com/insurance_conference/

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PLANS ARE UNDERWAY for the 8th Annual Insurance and Reinsurance Conference 2018 to be held on 20-21 June, 2018 in Nairobi, Kenya at Villa Rosa Kempisnki Hotel. The conference themed “Innovate to Capture Growth Potential� will be a combination of an experiential conference bringing together the entire value chain with the aim of exploring opportunities that will enhance insurance penetration levels in Africa.

Renowned industry experts that have confirmed so far include Justus Mutiga, C.E.O, ICEA; Ashok Shah, CEO, APA Insurance; Ezekiel Owour, Managing Director, CIC Life Assurance Ltd. JacqulineKarasha,

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Head of Corporate Business, Sanlam; S. Chalapathi Srinivasan, Director, General Insurance and Reinsurance, Avon Insurance Brokers Dubai; YannGroeger, Regional Manager for Africa, BlueOrchard; Thomas Njeru, Associate Director Actuarial and Insurance Consulting, Deloitte; Kizito Makatiani Founder &CEO Turnkey Africa; and Karen Miller, Managing Executive, ABSA Insurance Hassan Bashir, Chief Executive Officer, Takaful Insurance of Africa Limited will be speaking on Islamic Insurance. Another topic will be on bancassurance, a topic that will be covered by Manoj Kumar, President, Bancassurance Consultants Worldwide Limited & Lydia Kayonde, Head Bancassurance, StanbicBank (Uganda).

Alongside the conference will be an exhibition which will function as an outstanding showcasing where local, regional and international players can engage and evaluate promising &investable business solutions.

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F O C U S

Shaping a sustainable growth path FOR SEVEN YEARS, ZIMEC has played a pivotal role in shaping a sustainable growth path for the development of Zambia’s mining and energy sectors.

The 8th Annual Zambia International Mining and Energy conference and exhibition (ZIMEC 2018) will once again bring together government, industry players, and other stakeholders to connect, share ideas and continue strengthening the country’s economy.

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Organised by AME Trade Ltd (www.ametrade.org), for more information on the event, visit the ZIMEC website.

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F O C U S

Powering up a continent

EVENT DETAILS WHEN: 17-19 July WHERE: Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa WEBSITE: http://www.powergenafrica.com

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POWER-GEN & DISTRIBUTECH Africa is the electricity industry’s forum that brings together international business leaders and technical experts committed to POWERING UP A CONTINENT. The event takes place at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa on 17-19 July, 2018.

Featuring a comprehensive conference programme and extensive exhibit floor, the event spans all aspects of centralised and distributed power generation along with leading technologies in power transmission and distribution. Put simply, it’s where the industry meets to do business.

Expect high-level debate and analysis on topics such as electricity industry strategy, thermal power generation, renewable energy, and

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power delivery & customers.

Africa’s leading power sector stakeholders will convene in Johannesburg in July for the annual POWER-GEN & DistribuTECH Africa 2018 conference and exhibition. This event, attended by more than 3,000 power industry stakeholders, utilities and sub-Saharan government officials, has become the power sector’s key hub for information-sharing.

In addition to presenting industryleading conference tracks, exhibition space showcasing international solutions and extensive networking opportunities, POWER-GEN & DistribuTECH Africa 2018 facilitates a sub-Saharan African VIP programme which brings key buyers from across Africa to the event as part of the SSA VIP delegation.

Exhibitors and delegates also benefit from a free B2B matchmaking service which will pre-organise meetings with key industry decision makers based on each business’s marketing objectives. In 2016, more than 259 meetings and 80 percent of attendees said the service was successful in meeting their objectives.

Download the POWER-GEN & DistribuTECH Africa 2018 Preliminary Event Guide to find out how you and your organisation can benefit from attending Africa’s largest gathering of international power industry professionals. Download the Preliminary Event Guide at www. powergenafrica.com For further information on POWER-GEN & DistribuTECH Africa Conference & Exhibition 2018, please visit www.powergenafrica.com where registration is open and you can SAVE on the conference delegate fee with our early bird offer before 15 June, 2018. Plus, entrance to the exhibition as a visitor is FREE. Make sure you join us in Johannesburg by booking your place today.

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POWERING UP A CONTINENT

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2018

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R E A L E S TAT E D E V E LO P M E N T S U M M I T 2 0 1 8

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F O C U S to C-level decision makers including developers, investors, architects, designers, contractors, consultants, quantity surveyors and construction companies under one roof who are responsible for more than 3,000 projects across Africa.

Reviving Mozambique’s property market REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT EAST AFRICA EDITION

EVENT DETAILS WHEN: 29 June WHERE: Nairobi, Kenya WEBSITE: https://www.redevelopment summit.com/

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ECONOMIC GROWTH HAS been singled out as being the key driver of change in Africa. Now with Fortune 500 Investment companies from Europe, China, Middle East and USA pouring in around $200 billion into the African market, it has led to the development of several residential, commercial and hospitality properties with around 1,000 live projects and another 2,000-plus more being in the pipeline.

East Africa is opening its doors to the world and demand for investment in African real estate is to reach a fever pitch in 2018 and beyond, as the continent’s markets turn to growth after years of trying trading conditions.

We are hosting The Real Estate Development Summit 2018 on 29 June in Nairobi, Kenya where we will assist you to engage and portray your vision

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Key Features of The RED SUMMIT-2018: • Attendance of more than 200 buyer profiles where you can pre-determine the type of profile you would like to interact with, so that you can tailor-make your presentations accordingly • Minimum of 1,200 face-to-face business meetings therefore streamlining months of business to just one day • Prior Notification of 400-plus residential, commercial and hospitality projects with their requirements, budget, contact details and a lot of key information regarding their projects • An opportune experience to build long-term relationships with the buyers, hence repeated business • A chance to personally present your products and services to more than 200 decision makers (a speaking slot) • A key account manager personally designated to you where we will assist you in maintaining your visibility and nurture your prospective buyers • A cocktail dinner where you can network and mingle with the “Crème de la Crème” of the real estate business fraternity • Panel discussions revolving around sustainability, affordable housing and technological advancement in east Africa This summit offers an impeccable platform for businesses to grow and gain traction in an evolving market.

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RESHAPING THE FUTURE OF REAL ESTATE The Real Estate Development Summit will bring to the forefront exemplary thought leaders and movers and shakers such as Owners, Developers, Architects, Designers, Consultants, Suppliers, Technology Consultants and Investors - with the intention of making a difference in the way stake holders engage with one another to complete projects,analyze the opportunities and challenges in the real estate market, examine best practices and explore new deal making strategies. All of this is accentuated by cutting edge panel discussions, face-to-face meetings and carefully selected attendees to create value at every level of participation.

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