Africa Outlook - Issue 69 by Outlook Publishing

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AFRICA

ISSUE 69

BUSINESS

Made Easy ORANGE 10 How Orange is facilitating technological transformation

BUSINESS TRAVEL GUIDE 20 South Africa: A destination for all occasions

ALSO FEATURING: M I N I N G

I N D A B A

How the Gabon Special Economic Zone attracts local and foreign investors thanks to its straightforward setup and strategic location

RAUBEX INFRA 74 The story behind South Africa’s adaptable construction custodian

B A K E X

VODACOM 92 Reinventing telecommunications through intuitive innovation and creative investment

M I L L E R S

P R I M E R O

BUSINESS TRAVEL GUIDES

S O U T H

A F R I C A

AFRICA

SOUTH AFRICA Tourists the world over arrive in awe at what South Africa has to offer, from stunning canyons and mountain passes to unrivalled safari and a unique, compelling cultural history Writer: Tom Wadlow Project Manager: Joe Palliser

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nspiring landscapes, world-beating safari, outdoor adventures and a tumultuous history – South Africa has it all. Since the official end of apartheid in the mid-1990s the nation has been a favoured destination for travellers who flock to embrace its natural beauty and fascinating cultural diversity. This diversity is exemplified by its physical setup. Major cities are spread far and wide, some being thousands of miles from key settlements in other African countries. Another nuance of South Africa’s formation is the fact it has not one, but three recognised capitals – Pretoria is home to the country’s executive, Cape Town its legislature and Bloemfontein the judiciary. This, adding in the fact that Lesotho is landlocked inside South African territory, makes the nation one of a kind. South Africa also comes into its own in terms of its hugely varied and extraordinary terrain. From the enormous Blyde River Canyon to Table Mountain and dramatic coastal roads to the Karoo and Kalahari deserts, this is an outdoor lover’s paradise. Visitors would also be encouraged to learn about South Africa’s past to fully appreciate the country’s identity and cultural fabric, whether it be exploring one of the many fascinating museums and galleries that can be found in every major city. Throw in a largely comfortable temperate climate that sees plenty of sunshine, and you will find the complete tourist package.

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A complete guide to Africa’s leading business travel destinations

See page

20 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, Ryan Gray or Jordan Levey to find out more. joe.palliser@outlookpublishing.com

+44 (0)1603 959 676

ryan.gray@outlookpublishing.com

+44 (0)1603 959 672

jordan.levey@outlookpublishing.com

+44 (0)1603 959 668

W E L C O M E EDITORIAL Editorial Director: Tom Wadlow tom.wadlow@outlookpublishing.com Deputy Editor: Jonathan Dyble jonathan.dyble@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

BUSINESS

AFRICA

Incentivising investment Gabon has emerged as a Central African flagbearer for foreign investment. Having declared itself an independent nation in August 1960, it has utilised its natural resource base and is developing into a stable place to do business. Gabon Special Economic Zone (GSEZ) encapsulates this and forms the focus of this edition’s cover story. Set up in 2010 and based just 20 kilometres away from capital city Liberville,

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 Callam Waller callam.waller@outlookpublishing.com Joe Palliser (Business Travel) joe.palliser@outlookpublishing.com TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Eddie Clinton eddie.clinton@outlookpublishing.com SALES MANAGERS Jordan Levey (Business Travel) jordan.levey@outlookpublishing.com Ryan Gray (Business Travel) ryan.gray@outlookpublishing.com PROJECT MANAGERS 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

GSEZ is a partnership between Olam International Ltd, the Gabonese government

ADMINISTRATION

key messages and takeaways as she already looks ahead to next year.

Finance Director: Suzanne Welsh suzanne.welsh@outlookpublishing.com Administrative Assistant: Sophia Curran sophia.curran@outlookpublishing.com Office Manager: Karla Doyle karla.doyle@outlookpublishing.com Digital & IT: Hamit Saka Helpdesk: James Le-May

and Africa Finance Corporation, operating with a mandate to develop infrastructure, enhance industrial competitiveness and build a business-friendly ecosystem. We spoke to CEO Jasveer Singh, who details the latest developments and success from the bustling economic hub. This is one of a huge number of exclusive insights in a packed issue, featuring leading executives from industries as diverse as construction, agriculture, transport, mining, energy, healthcare, logistics and technology. The latter also forms the theme of our first main feature at the front of the magazine. Global giant Orange is driving transformation across the continent, and Senior Vice President of Orange Middle East and Africa Elisabeth Medou Badand details some of the work the organisation is doing to bring the benefits of digital to African consumers and business. This month’s topical focus comes from Mining Indaba, the prestigious industry event held in Cape Town, South Africa. With the dust just settling on 2019’s instalment, we heard from Head of Marketing Joanna Kotryba who discusses the Staying in South Africa, another feature looks into the nation’s space industry, thought to be the most advanced on the continent, while the first of our business travel guides dives into the incredible tourism offering on display. The second guide explores Livingstone, the

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Zambian basecamp for many visitors to the

Managing Director: Ben Weaver ben.weaver@outlookpublishing.com CONTACT Africa Outlook 69-75 Thorpe Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR1 1UA, United Kingdom. Sales: +44 (0) 1603 959 652 Editorial: +44 (0) 1603 959 657 SUBSCRIPTIONS Tel: +44 (0) 1603 959 657 Email: tom.wadlow@outlookpublishing.com

stunning Victoria Falls. The largest of its kind in the world at 1.7 kilometres wide and 360 feet tall, this natural wonder on the Zambezi River is a haven for thrill seekers and sightseers. Finally, be sure to note our busy events section, detailing some of the most significant shows

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coming up across a range of sectors over the next Tom Wadlow Editorial Director, Outlook Publishing

few months. Enjoy the issue!

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In this issue...

SHOWCASING LEADING COMPANIES Tell us your story and we’ll tell the world

GABON SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE Business Made Easy

Driving investment into Gabon’s economy

ALEXANDER FORBES BOTSWANA Fundamentally Transforming Finance

Accelerating inclusion, innovation and modernisation across Botswana

6 8 F

NEWS

CONSTRUCTION

EXPERT EYE

ENZA CONSTRUCTION Building on Success

RAUBEX INFRA Remaining Relevant

BEGLIN WOODS ARCHITECTS Kenya’s Agile Architects

Around Africa in seven stories Advancing Angola: Three sectors to watch in 2019

A T

A construction industry differentiator and a true social enabler

TECHNOLOGY Africa’s Digital Advocate

How Orange is facilitating technological transformation

AEROSPACE Watch this Space

South Africa’s bid for universal stardom

TOPICAL FOCUS

MINING Mining Momentum Looking back on the 25th instalment Mining Indaba

BUSINESS TRAVEL

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A hands-on approach to architectural practice

SOUTH AFRICA

A destination for all occasions

LIVINGSTONE

The epicentre of Zambia’s jawdropping natural beauty

The story behind South Africa’s adaptable construction custodian

LYT ARCHITECTURE An Award-Winning Agenda

A South African standard-bearer in architectural design

AFRICA T E C H N O L O G Y

SHIPPING & LOGISTICS

176

VODACOM SOUTH AFRICA Typifying Innovation

Reinventing telecommunications through intuitive innovation and creative investment

138

HALADJIAN GROUP Exemplifying Operational Excellence The beating heart of industry supply chains

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144

YARA INTERNATIONAL The Farming Facilitator Combining local knowledge with world-leading agronomic practices

BAKEX MILLERS Milling Made Modern

A family business that continues to rise

T R A N S P O R T

Setting the transit standard across SA’s wine industry

ENERGY & UTILITIES MINING & RESOURCES

A G R I C U L T U R E

ORANGE RIVER TANKERS Transforming Transport

MAURITANIAN COPPER MINES Mining for Mauritania Extracting potential from the Guelb Moghrein copper-gold mine

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Tackling regional power shortages through biogas, biomass and solar development

H E A L T H C A R E

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Ensuring ‘Life is On’ in African mines and mining communities

154

PW MINING The Partner of Choice

HEALTH PARTNERS LTD Helping Innovate Health Insurance Driven by a commitment to service excellence

SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC MMM Powerful Prospects

AFRICA CLEAN ENERGY SOLUTIONS LTD The African Energiser

PETRODA MALAWI Fuelling Malawi’s Development

A mission to become the leading marketer of petroleum products

E V E N T

F O C U S

198

MINING TECH AFRICA

200

AFRICA ENERGY FORUM: OFF THE GRID

ECCBC CABO VERDE Adding Fizz to Cape Verde

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REGIONAL ENERGY CO-OPERATION SUMMIT: EAST

DEMATECH SOUTH AFRICA Building Breweries

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LPG WEST AFRICA 2019

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SECUREX WEST AFRICA

A E R O S P A C E

208

FUTURE BANKING TECH WEST AFRICA

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SYNOPSIUM MINES GUINEA

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PRIMERO TSL Operating the Lagos Fast Lane

Placing bus rapid transit systems on the public transport map

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EASY COACH Redefining Kenyan Coach Services Driving up standards in passenger and parcel transportation

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A mainstay of West African mining

STIBIUM MINING Seizing an Opportunity Operating the largest antimony deposit in the western world

F O O D & D R I N K

166

Building on a market-leading position to drive development

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A one-stop beverage solutions shop

AERO CONTRACTORS COMPANY OF NIGERIA A Triumph from Turbulence Rebuilding to serve Nigeria’s aviation needs

The foremost technologyfocused mining event in South Africa

Pooling power for disconnected communities

Raising the profile of East Africa energy infrastructure Discovering ways to reduce reliance on biomass

A regional forum for security innovation

Fintech comes to the fore

Addressing the challenge of Guinea’s sustainable development

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Around Africa in seven stories…

FINANCE

OIL & GAS

Sonatrach-Algeria commissions $1 billion gas plant projects

Tanzania’s economy set to grow by 7.3 percent in 2019 The Tanzanian Central Bank has published a report which predicts a national GDP rise of 7.3 percent this year. Public infrastructure projects and favourable weather conditions were among the reasons for the strong growth forecast, which builds on the 7.2 percent expansion estimated for 2018. Despite efforts from the country’s

government to create a mixed economy, 40 percent of Tanzania’s population is engaged in some kind of agricultural activity. The country’s main export cash crops include coffee and cotton, although efforts are being made to build up domestic manufacturing and processing of agricultural produce – what is known as import substitution.

TECHNOLOGY

China’s Huawei to build two SA data centres Chinese tech giant Huawei has revealed plans to construct two data centres in South Africa. The move is part of the firm’s bid to expand its cloud services offering

Sonatrach has awarded a contract to India’s Larsen & Toubro to build three new gas plants in the Ardar province of Algeria. The Hassi Ba Hamou and Reg Mouaded Field, Hassi Tidjerane Field, and Tinerkouk Field will be constructed with pre-fabricated modules made at the Indian firm’s manufacturing facilities. In 2018 Algeria produced 135 billion cubic metres of gas, and it is expected that when completed these three new facilities will generate 11 million cubic metres a day. Larsen & Toubro is a multinational engaged in technology, engineering, construction, manufacturing and financial services with $18 billion in revenue derived from operations in over 30 countries worldwide.

across the continent, the first data centre slated for Johannesburg and the second for Cape Town. Once built, Huawei’s services will be available to both South African businesses and organisations in neighbouring countries. Having recently hit the headlines in the USA amid security concerns, the Chinese company is now looking to compete with American heavyweights Microsoft and Amazon in what is a rapidly developing market.

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M A N U F A C T U R I N G

TECHNOLOGY

Airtel Networks Kenya and Telkom Kenya set for merger

Groupe Hasnaoui and Nissan to build car assembly plant in Algeria Japanese automaker Nissan and Groupe Hasnaoui has entered a joint venture agreement to build a new car assembly facility near Oran, western Algeria. The plant will employ 1,800 people and have the capacity to build 63,500 passenger cars and light commercial vehicles annually, and will produce several models Peyman Kargar, SVP and Chairman of Nissan’s regional business, said:

“Working with Groupe Hasnaoui, we already have a strong heritage of excellent products and services in the country. Using our Japanese engineering expertise, we will build a manufacturing hub and work to develop the supplier industry.” Algeria is forecast to be the secondlargest car market in Africa by 2021 and has targets to raise production to 500,000 cars a year.

Telkom Kenya, the country’s thirdlargest telco, has agreed to merge with Airtel Networks Kenya, a subsidiary of Indian company Bharti Airtel. The firms will combine their mobile, enterprise and carrier expertise and operate under the name Airtel-Telkom, although no further details have been disclosed at this stage. Together the new business will attempt to take on Kenyan market leader Safaricom, although the closure of the transaction is subject to regulatory approval. Presently Telkom Kenya is 60 percent owned by private equity firm Helios and 40 percent owned by the Kenyan government. HOSPITALITY

Radisson plans to ramp up Africa hotel expansion

CONSTRUCTION

in 6th of October City, and will serve as customs clearance of containers handled through the Alexandria and Dekheila ports, designed to ease container traffic. Egypt’s Elsewedy Electric leads The Egyptian government has drawn one of the bidding consortiums, up a shortlist of three consortiums which includes Schenker Egypt and from which it will select to build a $100 Egypt-based 3A International. The other parties are led by Container million dry port just west of Cairo. The public-private partnership Corporation of India and the UAE’s development will be built on 104 acres DP World.

Three consortiums in the running to build dry port near Cairo

Global hotel operator Radisson wants to grow its Africa portfolio to 130 properties by 2022, the company confirmed in a statement. In early February the group signed an agreement for six new hotels in Egypt as part of a portfolio deal across a number of its brands. Ramsay Rankoussi, Vice President, Development, Middle East, Turkey and French Speaking Africa said: “Our strategy will most certainly reinforce our presence in key markets not only in the Francophone markets, but across Africa, as we continue to focus on delivering on our expanding pipeline.” Other global hotel heavyweights like Hyatt and Marriot International have also been increasing activity on the African continent.

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ADVANCING ANGOLA:

Three sectors to watch in 2019 Zandre Campos of ABO Capital highlights three sectors that encompass both Angolan potential and opportunity for the year ahead Written by: Zandre Campos, CEO and Chairman, ABO Capital

he future is bright for Angola’s citizens, businesses, and investment community, as the country has seen steady improvements across infrastructure and technology developments, legislative reform, and strengthened ties with allies. Diversification is now more achievable than ever before, and it remains a priority for Angola’s strategic economic growth and prosperity. This will prove to be beneficial for local businesses, trade, and investment opportunities. This past year, Angola’s government leaders passed revisions to the country’s private investment law, which removed the requirement for foreign investors to partner with Angolan citizens, public capital companies, or Angolan companies, and hold at least a 35-percent stake in the share capital of the companies. The move is favourable toward Angolan workers because the revisions open up job opportunities and require sufficient training, salaries and social conditions for workers. Additionally, Angola strengthened its alliance with China when President João Lourenço recently visited Beijing for the first time and secured $2 billion in financing from the China Development Bank. Other countries, like Israel, have also invested in Angola’s growth, particularly the agricultural sector, which accounts for a big proportion of Africa’s workforce,

ABOUT THE EXPERT Zandre Campos is Chairman and CEO of ABO Capital, an international investment firm that focuses on the healthcare, energy, transportation, hospitality, education, technology and real estate sectors throughout Africa. ABO’s mission is to create global value for developing countries in Africa, while contributing to their economic development.

and greatly supports the country’s diversification efforts. The people of Angola, along with all the initiatives we are experiencing in a post-civil war era, are helping to foster healthy growth in our country and make Angola a hub for businesses and opportunity. Three sectors where I see positive investment potential include tourism, mining, and healthcare.

Tourism

The travel and tourism industry is booming in Angola, and it’s also creating jobs across hotels, travel organisations, airlines, and more. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council’s Travel & Tourism

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Economic Impact 2018 report, the industry generated 110,500 direct hospitality jobs in Angola last year. Angola needs to focus more on promoting the great destinations it has to offer, including more than 1,000 miles of beach coastline, national parks, and up-and-coming hotels. Leisure and travel spending generated approximately 70 percent of direct travel and tourism GDP last year, while business spending generated approximately 29.2 percent, according to the report. It’s likely we’ll see a boost in domestic and foreign business spending in the future, especially with all of the latest initiatives that will open up our economy down the road.

Mining

Angola is the world’s fifth-largest producer of diamonds, and we are on track to becoming one of the top three. In much of the world, diamond trends are decreasing because mines are becoming too old, however, there is still much to discover in Angola. President Lourenço is looking to boost the mining sector with new policies aimed at protecting the interests of producers and establishing the right channels for diamond flow. Just recently, Lucapa Diamond Company made several big discoveries in Africa, including a 46-carat pink diamond from the Lulo mine in Angola, but much of the country has yet to be explored due to the civil war.

There is also an opportunity to explore for iron ore and copper, as Angola borders Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia, Africa’s top copper producers.

Healthcare

From 2004 to 2014, Angola had only spent an average of four percent of its GDP on health, according to the World Bank. Investments toward Angola’s healthcare sector are vital for improving health technology, infrastructure, education, medicine and pharmacies, and health insurance. Most pharmacies in Angola are located in Luanda, and basic over-thecounter medicine can be expensive. More complicated surgeries and procedures typically present challenges without the right resources or specialists. Organisations like Sphera Global Health Care are helping to bring together high-level hospitals, clinics, doctors and technologies.

‘Diversification is now more achievable than ever before, and it remains a priority for Angola’s strategic economic growth and prosperity’ As patients demand more, including the best professionals and the most thorough information communication technologies in this market, such as video conferencing, telemedicine, virtual platforms, apps, and mobilehealth, help meet those demands.

In addition to improving communication, these technologies also guarantee the delivery of quality healthcare and reduce unnecessary hospital or clinical visits. These continued advances will drastically transform Angola’s health system in providing more people with the care that they need. While all these sectors are flourishing, the most important thing we can do in Angola is to continue investing in our people. A strong education system presents a strong workforce. A strong workforce presents strong opportunities. By devoting our time, resources and enthusiasm into our schools, programmes, and language arts, we’ll continue to see drastic improvements in the development and execution of big ideas and initiatives that will drive our country forward for years to come.

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O R A N G E

AFRICA’S

Digital Advocate As the world of transformative technology continues to be unveiled to the continent, Orange is positioning itself as a key facilitator, aiding implementation and enablement Writer: Jonathan Dyble

uch like 2018, it seems that digital transformation will remain a defining agenda across Africa for the coming year. New technologies are opening the continent’s eyes to new ways of working, communicating and learning, allowing regional economies to blossom as ever-greater numbers

of people continue to become better connected. However, despite the successes, progress remains somewhat restricted by a number of elements. From a lack of cohesion in digital education to insufficient telecommunications infrastructure, Orange has lined up 2019 as the year to tackle many of these limiting factors.

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“Our goal is to position ourselves as a leading part of digital transformation for the countries and ecosystems of Africa,” explains Elisabeth Medou Badand, Senior Vice President at Orange Middle East and Africa (MEA). “With a range of established strengths, from our 900,000-strong distribution network to database of 40 million Orange Money customers spanning 17 countries, we understand that we are in a privileged position, and hope to leverage this to not only improve our own business but also extend benefits to the continent’s entire population.”

Pursuing transformation to enable transformation

These ideals filter down throughout Orange’s entire regional business structure, evident in the firm’s recent strategic adaptations that have now positioned it as a multi-service operator. “Historically, our predominant business was voice calling,” Badang explains, “but this has now been replaced by data and services. “We work in markets where digital solutions can make a real difference, namely in sectors that are emerging or not yet fully established. We at Orange understand that we need to change our culture from one centred around pure connectivity to one of mobile uses and services – a process that will enable us to expand our customer base.” Pursuing this revitalised model, the firm is relying primarily on the

ACCORDING TO BADANG, ORANGE’S AFRICAN GROWTH LEVERS ARE: Financial services “40 million Africans have opened Orange Money accounts. It is a major change, from storing money anywhere to putting it safely in an account where it can be sent to anyone, or pay for groceries, road tax or school fees, for example. We are now expanding our mobile financial services with complementary services (loans and insurance) and we will be launching an African Bank in 2019.” Energy “Equally, we’re looking to enable the supply, distribution and payment for electricity access solutions by future Orange prospects and customers in partnership with solar home system manufacturers. Our Orange Energy service has already been launched in seven African countries – the DRC, Madagascar, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Mali, Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire.”

financial services, energy, agriculture and education industries, four sectors that it has deemed to be ripe for digital transformation across Africa. “By 2030, we are confident that revenue from these services will be equal to, or even greater than the revenue streams from our connectivity business,” adds Badang.

Leveraging the power of learning

Improving the continent’s access to digital education in particular is an issue that Badang advocates with a passion and is something that Orange is looking to address with vigour. The firm ensures that it works to improve both teaching and vocational training, two fronts that the Senior Vice President believes will be crucial in winning when it comes to implementing a successful digital transformation strategy across the continent.

Agriculture “Orange is offering a dozen mobile services for farmers across eight countries in cooperation with over 15 partners that include NGOs, ministries, chambers of commerce, local industries, universities and startups. For instance, our X-agri service leverages computer data, allowing farmers to better manage their production by making more informed and accurate decisions. This solution runs on a mobile phone and uses 2G to collect data. This 2G connection is important as in some rural areas it is sometimes the only one available and data packages can be either useless or too expensive for farmers.” Education “Our ‘African Digital School’ project is designed to face the challenge of education headon by delivering online courses, training in digital trades and by training teachers in new technologies.”

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“Digital is the only way to quickly train millions of people, vital for ensuring Africa’s independent and long-lasting development,” she explains. To this end, the company is running its African Digital Schools project, an enterprising programme that aims

to tackle this challenge head on with the delivery of online courses and the incorporation of new technologies. “We are also opening training centres for digital skills and trades,” adds Badang. “These include the Sonatel Academy, the first free programming school in Senegal that is open to 18-30-year olds, and the Orange Developer Centre in Tunisia, set up to teach young people IT development techniques. “To date, the Tunisia centre alone has trained 11,000 developers throughout the country.” Combined with its CNED and OpenClassrooms mobile services that have been built to provide easy-to-access and quality educational content, the firm hopes to roll out such transformational schemes across the continent for years to come.

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Today, on a rapidly-growing continent with nearly 1.5 billion inhabitants, it is clear that digital transformation poses enormous challenges...”

Partnership power

Similarly, alongside its own initiatives, collaborations are another area that Orange is actively exploring in the aim of achieving its CSR goals, evident in its agreements with the Virtual University of Tunis (VUT). Within this partnership, VUT has agreed to provide Orange with access to its courses and training in the African countries where the carrier is present, allowing a broad range of people from all backgrounds to gain access to higher education materials on a digital basis. “After Tunisia, we hope that more virtual universities will be created on

Equally, the firm has also partnered with KaiOS Technologies, a firm aiming to create an ecosystem of affordable digital products and services, with the pair looking at democratising access to digital services on the continent. Beginning 2019, Orange customers in Africa will have access to a new category of smart feature phones powered by KaiOS’s operating system, allowing them to use Google’s digital assistant in French, English and Arabic.

Leading the charge

This vast array of internal and external initiatives combined, Orange aims to not only bolster its own network and connectivity business, but equally is taking a renewed approach, aiming to lead the charge when it comes to the enablement of digital transformation throughout the region. The company currently invests

approximately €1 billion every year across the continent and provides connectivity services to 135 million people throughout MEA, putting it at the forefront of digital transformation. However, in the eyes of Badang, a lot more is still to be done, and this is just the beginning. She concludes: “Today, on a rapidly-growing continent with nearly 1.5 billion inhabitants, it is clear that digital transformation poses enormous challenges, which may not have been faced before. Africa has launched into the digital revolution, and Orange intends to be a leading partner in the digital transformation of the African continent by developing digital services in partnership with other key players. “We will continue to explore the potential of connectivity and prepare for the arrival of 5G.”

ELISABETH MEDOU BADANG Currently standing as Senior Vice President at Orange Middle East and Africa, Badang oversees the company’s operations in three countries.

the continent,” states Badang. “Through this initiative, hundreds of thousands of young people, students, professionals and job seekers will be able to follow dozens of international and African universities and learn a trade, particularly in areas involving new technologies with a high potential for employment. “With online training, digital has rarely been such an opportunity for an entire continent. We are proud at Orange to be the ones who are making it possible to turn this opportunity into reality.”

Previous to this, she acted as CEO of Orange Cameroon for four years, helping to implement a turnaround strategy that allowed it to secure its position in the market and regain leadership in several domains. This included extending internet penetration via mobile broadband access, an initiative that helped to cover more than 60 percent of Cameroon’s population with 3G and 4G in less than two years. Equally, she also led Orange Botswana for four years and is the first African woman to manage an Orange affiliate.

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A F R I C A

Watch this

Space As the world continues to reap the benefits of space exploration and commercialisation, South Africa aims to become a globally-recognised contributor within the next decade Writer by: Tom Wadlow

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umans have been fascinated by space for thousands of years. From the first astrological charts created by the Babylonians in the second millennium BC to the discovery of Mars in the 1600s and launch of the Sputnik mission in 1957, the universe has forever been a source of intrigue. Is there life to be found beyond Earth? How long will the sun support our existence? What other planetary formations and galaxies exist beyond the solar system and Milky Way? While these are the sorts of questions that have fuelled rigorous debate throughout human history, much attention nowadays is paid to the astronomical commercial opportunity to be reaped from outer space. Today it represents one of the most lucrative industries globally. Valued at $360 billion in 2018, the space sector is projected to grow at an annual average of 5.6 percent and reach $558 billion by 2026, driven in no small part by the massive demand for nanosatellites and re-usable launch vehicle systems from the likes of China, the USA, Russia and the European Union. In Africa, the space industry is somewhat smaller but one that is developing fast given its comparatively lower spend. This spend is not insignificant, however. According to Space in Africa, around $3 billion has been spent on space projects across the continent since the launch of NILESAT 101 by Egypt in 1998, defying the view that Africa is home to little or no space activities. South Africa has emerged as something of a regional flagbearer. While the exact size of the country’s space industry is unclear, the national aerospace sector as a whole is worth $1.8 billion, and many commentators believe it is a sector primed for growth. “South Africa has one of the oldest

space agencies in the world and has always been an active role player in the global space sector,” comments Davis Cook, CEO of the Research Institute for Innovation and Sustainability (RIIS), an innovation consultancy that works closely with the South African National Space Agency (SANSA). “Although still relatively small, the SA space sector is well positioned for significant growth in future. The availability of highly skilled engineers, data scientists and other innovators with a good understanding of African, emerging market challenges, means that we have a higher probability of solving real local issues.”

A universal influencer

The explosive growth of space monetisation can be largely attributed

to the enormous variety of use cases being explored and developed. Be it telecommunications, GPS, mapping or data access, there is barely an aspect of the modern world that is not in some way impacted by extraterrestrial technologies. SANSA’s ambition is for South Africa to become a recognised player globally over the course of the next decade. Mandated in 2008 by the country’s government, it is recognised as the primary, but not sole implementer

of South Africa’s National Space Programme to direct the government’s investment in space science and technology. Cook describes some of the collaborative work which is helping to realise this mandate. “Through SANSA’s Earth Observation (EO) challenges we help to identify novel uses for space technology,” he explains. “Over the last few years, we have helped organisations solve problems as diverse as human rights, logistics, land ownership, communicable diseases, banking and insurance, agriculture, and even video games. All of this is achieved through a combination of data acquisition, data analytics, and the development of platform-based data delivery systems for EO data. “The role that space sciences, and earth observation in particular, can play in solving social, environmental and economic problems is unmatched. It is therefore critical that we as a group build a collaborative, open space technology ecosystem across South Africa and Africa.”

According to Space in Africa, around $3 billion has been spent on space projects across the continent since 1998

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The EO programme is the primary way in which RIIS assists SANSA in building an innovative and entrepreneurial ecosystem for the country’s space industry. “RIIS has delivered a series of innovation programmes every year since 2015, focused on identifying promising technologies and entrepreneurs working in earth observation and space sciences,” Cook continues. “Over this time, more than 70

innovators and technologies were identified, received training, and have been further supported in growing successful businesses together with various partners such as Airbus and DigitalGlobe.”

Supporting startups

The most recent EO Challenge organised by RIIS saw more than 20 entrepreneurs develop technologies across three major focus areas which have been crucial elements of the UN’s

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“I think the SA space sector has enormous potential – it is the most advanced such sector on the African continent”

Sustainable Development Goals – land use and planning, water security, and agriculture and food security. From here, startups will be further supported with DigitalGlobe’s GBDX Platform to provide high resolution multi-spectral data to further their activities. “With new launch capabilities being developed from such diverse organisations as SpaceX and Rocket Labs, the diversity and number of space-based platforms is only likely to increase dramatically in future,” says Cook.

SANSA’S MAJOR ACTIVITIES The South African National Space Agency’s work can be divided into four major programme areas. Earth Observations The major objective of this programme is to collect, assimilate and disseminate earth observation data to support South Africa’s policy-making, decision-making, economic growth and sustainable development initiatives. Space Operations Provides state-of-the-art ground station facilities and services, including satellite tracking, telemetry and command, as well as launch support, in-orbit testing, mission control and space navigation. Space Science Established to be a central pillar for space science research, knowledge creation and utilisation, as well as human capital development, science advancement and public engagement. For example, it hosts the only Space Weather Warning Centre in Africa and maintains several space science and space weather projects in Antarctica. Space Engineering Designed to lead space system and subsystem development activities, aligned with South Africa’s strategic drive to become self-reliant with its own satellite system development capabilities, unique technologies and related skills.

“Our ability to develop and design solutions that utilise these platforms to solve our own developmental and economic needs is therefore critical, and these will be best addressed through the development of local technology entrepreneurs.” And it is this nurturing of local spacebased innovation which Davis believes will lead South Africa to a global standing in the future. An optimist for the coming years, he concludes: “I think the SA space sector has enormous potential – it is the most advanced such sector on the African continent, and with access to the best infrastructure and data architecture. “We have all the ingredients for success, but need to add to it political will, ambitious innovators and dynamic entrepreneurs. We have all three, and so my view is that the sun is just beginning to rise on this industry.”

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M I N I N G

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MINING Momentum

Having just wrapped up the 25th edition of Mining Indaba, the event’s Head of Marketing Joanna Kotyrba looks back on what she believes has been the most successful to date Writer: Tom Wadlow

ny event that runs for 25 years must be one that is worth going back to. For Mining Indaba, held at the start of February in Cape Town, 2019’s instalment has been the biggest and best yet with 6,000-plus delegates contributing to a lively forum and helping to steer a path for what is a crucial industry for Africa’s overall development. This year’s event also saw two heads of state in attendance – Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa and Nana Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana – as well as several CEOs from leading mining enterprises. Looking back on a packed week, we caught up with Joanna Kotyrba, Mining Indaba’s Head of Marketing, to find out more. Africa Outlook (AfO): Now the dust has settled on 2019’s Mining

Indaba, tell us how the event went overall? Would you define it as a success? Joanna Kotyrba (JK): Even though the Investing in African Mining Indaba has been going on for 25 years now, the 2019 edition was the best one yet. It cemented and expanded on the successful revamp of the event in 2018 and attracted even more delegates from our key audiences – governments, major mining companies, junior miners, investors and service providers. One of the biggest highlights for the 2019 conference was the event attendance by two heads of state from Ghana and South Africa, with Nana Akufo-Addo and Cyril Ramaphosa respectively as well as 37 ministers. And yes, we certainly believe the event was a huge success. Our job is to bring investment to the mining industry in Africa as well as all the key

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players for collaboration, dialogue and deal-making. We believe that last week we did just that, and in the words of His Excellency President Ramaphosa: “this platform provided by Mining Indaba strengthened our collaborative efforts aimed at regional integration”. Investing in African Mining Indaba is an investment conference and we certainly accomplished the objective of acting as a catalyst for driving investment into Africa’s mining sector. This was illustrated in the more buoyant mood at the event which will have helped drive more investment into the continent. The event also has sustainability at its core and through improved engagement with community groups, we acted as the platform to overcome these issues. AfO: What are some of the key statistics to take away from this year’s Mining Indaba?

JK: Mining Indaba 2019 saw well above 6,000 delegates attending, including close to 500 government delegates, 350 plus mining companies, 22 junior mining companies participating in the Investment Battlefield and the highest percentage of female speakers and moderators at Indaba to date. We also saw 212 companies exhibiting and 43 sponsors including Anglo American, Newmont Africa, Vedanta, South32 and Rio Tinto to name just a few.

AfO: What were some of the key messages and themes discussed during the event? JK: There were several major topics discussed, which included: • Sustainability development of the mining industry in Africa (the core of Mining Indaba) and improved engagement with community groups. • Investment and the role Mining Indaba plays in driving it into Africa’s mining sector. • The Young Leaders Programme and developing and investing in young talent. • Collaboration, cooperation and consensus building. • The importance of diversity in the mining sector.

AfO: Did you feel a sense of optimism about Africa’s mining industry from the discussions and interactions? JK: Certainly. A noticeable change this year from 2018 was the mood and sentiment amongst all delegates – much more optimistic and upbeat, signalling a positive shift in the mining industry and growing confidence globally in the mining sector, improved commodity prices and a more positive regulatory environment in South Africa. Thousands of meetings took place and millions of dollars’ worth of deals were secured. We believe that Mining Indaba remains the number one deal-making forum for the mining community and always reflects the general mood and trends in the industry. AfO: Are you already looking ahead to next year’s edition? How are you planning to make Mining Indaba 2020 the best edition yet? JK: Yes, we have already started to work on the 2020 edition and can’t wait to run it again next February. We are working on a few new features for 2020, on both content and technology fronts, however we don’t want to spill the beans just yet – stay tuned for more information! What we can say at this stage is that like with everything we do, the new features we’re currently developing are set to further improve our clients’ experience. We will also see an improved offering for lawyers and insurers at the 2020 conference, specifically focused around risk management and a greater involvement from Chinese investors and companies.

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AFRICA

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The Business End THE LATE 1800s saw South Africa’s economic picture take a dramatic turn thanks to the discovery of gold and diamonds, which sparked an influx of foreign investment. Following the end of apartheid, the country’s economy rebuilt as foreign capital returned, with major industry contributors to GDP and employment today comprising agriculture, mining, manufacturing and tourism. While recent years have seen something of an economic slump, the tourist trade is gathering increasing momentum as South Africa seeks to make the most out of its formidable attractions. In 2017, one in every 22 employed people in South Africa were

working in the tourism sector, totalling 722,013 individuals, around 4.5 percent of the 16.2 million people making up the national workforce. The tourism sector contributed 2.8 percent (or R130 billion) to South Africa’s GDP in 2017, making it larger than the agriculture, forestry and fishing industry. Foreign trade is another key contributor to the nation’s income, with China, the USA, Germany and Namibia alone accounting for more than a quarter of exports. Key export products include precious metals, agricultural goods and military equipment, while South Africa’s major imports include chemicals and motor vehicles.

Buskers are a common sight on the streets of Johannesburg

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FACTS & FIGURES

Capitals: Pretoria, Cape Town, Bloemfontein Number of official languages: 11 Area: 1,220,813 km2 Population (2017): 56,875,000 GDP (2017): $349.4 billion Currency: rand (R) Time zone: South Africa Standard Time (GMT+2) Dialling code: +27 Internet TLD: .za Climate: Temperate

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Out & About SOUTH AFRICA IS revered for its offering to those looking to explore the great outdoors. It is one of the world’s best safari destinations, with lions, leopards, buffalo, elephant and rhino accessible in parks and reserves, with visitors able to drive into the heart Kruger, Kgalagadi and other parks around the country. The diverse physical landscapes also offer abundant opportunities for adventurous activities, be it surfing off the Eastern Cape coast, rock climbing in Cederberg or abseiling down Table Mountain to name but a few options. Hikers can also enjoy long treks through nature reserves and deserts. Those looking to understand and embrace South Africa’s cultural past

and present should pay a visit to the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg, made up of 22 individual exhibition areas that form a dramatic emotional journey that tells a story of a statesanctioned system based on racial discrimination. Further, a visit to a township like Soweto or Langa will add to any attempt to engage with the country’s history and where the nation finds itself today. In terms of food and drink, South Africa’s culinary scene is unsurprisingly diverse, a reflection of its multiculturalism. From African staples to internationally-acclaimed seafood and grill restaurants, there is something for everyone.

A pride of lions drinking at a watering hole

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Tourists on safari watching buffalos crossing a road in the savannahs of Kruger National Park

A giraffe walking in the African savannah of Entabeni Safari Wildlife Reserve with a butte geological rock formation in the background, Limpopo Province

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Outlook Recommends “Black-maned lions framed against Kalahari dunes; powdery beaches lapped by two oceans; star-studded desert skies; jagged, lush mountains – this truly is a country of astounding diversity” – Lonely Planet

HOSPITALITY & EVENTS

NATIONAL PARKS

FOOD & DRINK - DURBAN

Kruger National Park

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Golden Gate Highlands National Park

9th Avenue Bistro

Augrabies Falls National Park

Joops Place

Mantis Collection A family-run collection of five-star properties around the world, Mantis specialises in boutique hotels, game reserves, eco lodges, ski lodges and chalets and yachts. Mantis has several properties in South Africa, most concentrated on the southern coast with others based in Johannesburg and Pretoria.

Durban International Convention Centre Situated in the centre of Durban, Durban ICC is a versatile venue flexible enough to meet any need. All kinds of events are held here, from international conventions and sporting events to concerts and bespoke special occasions. Fitted with state-of-theart technology, Durban ICC will not disappoint its visitors.

Umlilo Lodge, St Lucia The Oyster Box Ghost Mountain Inn

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South African Tourism HELPING TO PROMOTE the country as a go-to destination for travellers is South African Tourism, the official tourism marketing arm of the South African government. Sisa Ntshona is the organisation’s CEO, and here he answers our questions on the work carried out by the body and the current industry backdrop in South Africa. Africa Outlook (AfO): Can you firstly talk me through the origins of the South African Tourism, how it came about, and its initial vision? Sisa Ntshona (SN): SA Tourism’s mandate is to promote the country domestically and internationally, whether for leisure, business or events tourism. SA Tourism’s goal is to make tourism the leading economic sector in South Africa and, by doing so, promote the sustainable economic and social empowerment of all South Africans. Our beautiful country is an integral part of Africa, particularly the subcontinent of Southern Africa, so we actively focus our marketing to promote this fact. AfO: Since inception, how has the South African Tourism developed and progressed in terms of its key objectives and the messages it tries to get across?

“We invite the world to the source of business inspiration, South Africa. Meet here. Grow anywhere.” – Sisa Ntshona SN: We have made great strides to introduce and market South Africa not only to our own people, but also since the dawn of our democracy in 1994, to the world. The organisation has grown from a few offices around the world to having operations in 11 international markets, with a mandate to market and share all that is unique, warm, and beautiful about South Africa.

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AfO: How would you say South Africa has developed in recent years as a business travel hub and what are the key reasons behind its growing appeal? SN: SA’s reputation is a destination that punches above its weight to provide world-class business events across our major cities in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. We have done this by connecting our audiences with the right capabilities and people, to help them grow in their field such that they can then export the world’s next big ideas. As the most developed country in Africa with a broad value proposition for potential investors, not only is our country a safe and secure destination, over the years we have proven record in hosting successful business events. SA offers accommodation and event venue options that meet global quality standards. Something about our country grooms the most inspired and inspiring people in the world. If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. AfO: Why, in your opinion, should someone visit South Africa? SN: In South Africa, there is a story at every turn with our unique blend of cultures that gives visitors a sense of discovery. From nature and safaris to adventure and culture, urban living to authentic township and rural encounters, South Africa’s leisure and business travel offerings and experiences are worldclass, affordable, and for all to enjoy. An all-year destination, our country is not only an affordable, value-for-money destination for the international traveller, but also offers a unique and distinctive value proposition: South Africa has a unique, diverse, valued travel offering for all

people around the globe. South Africans are warm, friendly and hospitable and they stand ready and eager to welcome more visitors to our shores. We are the gateway to the rest of Africa. AfO: What trends are transforming the tourism industry in South Africa at present? How are you responding to these trends? SN: BLesiure – the practice of combining business travel and leisure travel into one trip. Although most travel domestically is for business, on average, there is nearly equal likelihood domestic and international business trips will turn into bleisure. We are increasingly tapping into this as a way to maximise business travellers’ stays in our beautiful country. Technology is constantly altering the tools we use. Every industry, tourism included, needs to utilise technological advances to not only stay competitive, but to survive. This presents us with an opportunity to exploit technology whilst focusing on selling an experience versus a destination. Inclusive tourism is opening a completely new world in terms of how business owners in the tourism industry approach their offerings. We need to ensure that tourism is

AFRICA

accessible – and inclusive – for all when tourism is often understood and experienced as an exclusive activity. Products, services and destinations that are tailored for individuals with special needs generate considerable returns to businesses, and wider benefits across the economy. Responsible tourism is all about making better places for people to live in and better places for people to visit. South Africa is one of the foremost responsible tourism leaders in the world, with dozens of gorgeous destinations where communities are uplifted and the environment is protected. Visitors will return home with a higher awareness of the interconnection between people and the earth, plus memories of a great time. Additionally, South Africa is ranked 34th in the world for business events hosting capabilities and as a country we are listed in the world’s top 10 longhaul business events destinations, a trend we want to keep improving next to our global counterparts. In line with our vision to position South Africa as an exceptional tourist and business events destination that offers value for money and a quality visitor experience that is diverse and unique, we call upon you to visit our country.

AfO: How do you see South Africa developing as a business travel hub over the next year to two years? SN: South Africa National Conference Bureau (SANCB) is the cornerstone in growing South Africa’s reputation as a destination that punches above its weight to provide world-class business events. Getting more business event organisers to increase the number of business events hosted in South Africa through collaborating with the SANCB is a priority. Additionally, over the next two years, we aim to continue building our relationships across the globe with decision makers who operate in sectors in which South Africa’s business event hosting capability is not well known. We invite the world to the source of business inspiration, South Africa. Meet here. Grow anywhere. AfO: Are you optimistic about the future of the tourism industry in South Africa? SN: Definitely. As a business and travel destination, South Africa offers multiple inspiring opportunities to learn new things. While we do believe that there is a lot of perception management that remains our responsibility to address, we remain excited by the possibilities that lie ahead with government’s reaffirmed commitment to bolstering tourism through destination marketing and reducing regulatory barriers, as articulated in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation address last year. This will make it easier for any traveller to come and experience South Africa. Lastly, South Africa’s scenic beauty, magnificent outdoors, sunny climate, cultural diversity and reputation for delivering value for money have made it one of the world’s fastest growing leisure – and business – travel destinations. Visit South Africa Tourism website: www.southafrica.net

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Transport Links

Johannesburg buses

Cape Town International Airport

perhaps the obvious and most flexible option. Regionally, South Africa offers some tremendous cycling opportunities. Hills, views and campsites are in abundance, while bikes can be taken onto most trains. Local bus networks are extensive and usually cheap to use.

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PHOTO: PASCAL KOBEH

SOUTH AFRICA IS home to a number of budget airlines such as CemAir, Kulula, Mango and FlySafair that serve most domestic routes at competitive prices. It is an easy way of getting from one major destination to another, especially given the long distances between some of the major cities. Shosholoza Meyl offers regular train services, including a popular overnight journey between Cape Town and Johannesburg that allows passengers to take in the vastness of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s landscapes. Travel by boat between the coastal settlements of Port Elizabeth, Cape Town and Durban and onto the likes of Mozambique present an alternative way of getting around, with car hire

In terms of international air travel, OR Tambo near Johannesburg is the major hub, with other significant airports to be found in Cape Town and Durban. National carrier South African Airways operates an extensive network of long-haul flights to destinations all over the world.

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Landmark Attractions

PHOTO BY DIDIER B (SAM67FR) CC BY 2.5

Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve

Table Mountain

“Around 600 million years old, and a canvas painted with the rich diversity of the Cape floral kingdom, Table Mountain is truly iconic. You can admire the showstopper of Table Mountain National Park and one of the ‘New Seven Wonders of Nature’ from multiple angles” – Lonely Planet

PHOTO BY LUKAS KAFFER, CC BY-SA 3.0

“The Blyde River Canyon Reserve extends along the Blyde River Canyon’s winding path, which at every turn offers more and more impressive views over sheer edges droper personing 800 metres into the riverbed” – Mpumalanga Tourism & Parks Agency

Apartheid Museum

“The Apartheid Museum opened in 2001 and is acknowledged as the pre-eminent museum in the world dealing with 20th century South Africa, at the heart of which is the apartheid story” – Apartheid Museum

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PHOTO BY ANNETTE KURYLO - OWN WORK, CC BY-SA 3.0

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

“Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is acclaimed as one of the great botanic gardens of the world. Few gardens can match the sheer grandeur of the setting of Kirstenbosch, against the eastern slopes of Cape Town’s Table Mountain” – South African National Biodiversity Institute

L I V I N G S T O N E

nce the Capital of Zambia when it was better known as Northern Rhodesia, Livingstone lies along the country’s southern border with Zimbabwe, just north of world-famous Victoria Falls.

A bustling European settlement in years gone by, evident in the city’s widely visible Edwardian buildings, Livingstone was named after Dr David Livingstone, the explorer who famously toured the southern reaches of the African continent in search of

the source of the Nile. Fast forward to the present day, Livingstone now largely serves as a major tourist hub, surrounded by some of the world’s most amazing national parks including Mosi-oa-Tunya, Lake Kariba, Livingstone Game Park, and the

LIVINGSTONE Situated just 11 kilometres north of Victoria Falls and in close proximity to some of the world’s most stunning national parks, Livingstone is propelling Zambia’s tourism industry Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Ryan Gray

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Kafue and Hwange reserves. The main event, however, is the nearby Victoria Falls. Stretching across the national border, the UNESCO World Heritage Site has often been described as the world’s largest waterfall at 1.7 kilometres wide and

360 feet tall. A place defined by natural beauty, described by Dr David Livingstone himself as providing views that must have been “gazed upon by angels in their flight”, Livingstone and the surrounding region is a relaxed yet

AFRICA vibrant region, and one that has understandably become a backpacking hotspot on the continent.

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L I V I N G S T O N E

The Business End

WITH A PRESENT population of almost 140,000 people, Livingstone is comfortably one of Zambia’s larger cities and a key contributor to the national economy. Zambia’s national economic troubles very much mirror those of many other Africa nations, heavily depending on copper exports that have tethered the country’s success to fluctuations in the metal’s price for decades. In fact, it is estimated that as much as 80 percent of its export earnings come from copper. However, known as the tourist capital of Zambia, Livingstone itself is playing a key role in helping to diversify national revenue streams, with the city’s ecosystem and employment generation very much owed to the ever-growing tourism scene. More than 250,000 travellers the world over visited the city during 2018, up from the 183,000 that was recorded

for the previous year. Accelerated by increasing marketing and product development efforts from organisations such as the Livingstone Tourism Association, the city’s and wider country’s prospects are looking fruitful as a result of this surge in tourism. Essentially, Livingstone is actively harnessing this as a vehicle of economic development and sustainability.

FACTS & FIGURES

Languages:

Market stalls and trader

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Area: Population (2014): Currency: Time zone: Dialling code: Internet TLD: Climate:

English, Bemba, Nyanja, Tonga 25.8 km² 139,509 Zambian Kwacha (ZMK) GMT+2 +260 .zm Tropical

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Out & About ALONGSIDE ITS STATUS as the tourist capital of Zambia, Livingstone is also known as the adventure capital of Africa, named as such due to the substantial number of adrenalineinducing activities on offer. Many of these, as expected, are centred around the Zambezi River and Victoria Falls – two highlight attractions of the region. Tourists can enjoy a host of activities, from river boat safaris, canoe trips and white-water rafting to micro flights, helicopter flights and even bungie jumping over the falls. A particular highlight for many is a visit to Devils Pool. Often described as the world’s most amazing infinity pool, visitors can swim on the edge

of Victoria Falls. It’s not for the faint of heart, but for those looking to capitalise on Livingstone’s offerings of adventure, this is a must-do bucket list experience. The region’s aquatic scene aside, Livingstone is home to a number of extensive on land offerings. Outside of the city centre, quad bike and horseback trails are widely available and a great way to explore some of the region’s plains, while a variety of national parks nearby provide the opportunity to see some of Africa’s most revered wildlife, from elephants to lions. The city itself is less of an attraction, largely serving as tourism hub for the wider region. The Livingstone

Museum, however, is worth a visit with it being the oldest museum in the country. Within its walls, the building showcases the story of Zambian colonialism and independence from a more nationalistic perspective, alongside a room dedicated to Dr David Livingstone and information about Zambia’s 73 recognised tribes.

Local people at the Zambezi Boat Club

Bar with a beer advertisement on the roof on the banks of the Zambezi River, near Livingstone, Zambia

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L I V I N G S T O N E

Victoria Falls IT’S TAKEN THOUSANDS of years for erosion of Victoria Falls to appear as it does today, now 1.7 kilometres wide and 360 feet tall. It is twice the height of Niagara Falls and several times longer. It is known by natives as Mosikalamosikala, meaning ‘the smoke that thunders’. “Watch the water plummet over the edge from just a few feet behind the Eastern Cataract, or cross the sliver of a bridge to Knife Point Island for that in-the-thick-of-it feeling” – Rough Guides “As the mighty Zambezi River crashes over a basalt rock ledge and drops 354 feet or 108 metres down into a powerful whirlpool, it forms the largest sheet of falling water on the planet: the Victoria Falls” – Go2Africa “All visitors to Victoria Falls will share one thing: the unforgettable exhilaration of being in one of the most beautiful places on earth” – Extraordinary “Not only can you see it, but you can hear it (from about a mile away), feel it, smell it, and taste it” – National Geographic

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L I V I N G S T O N E

Outlook Recommends “The relaxed and friendly town of Livingstone, set just 11 kilometres from Victoria Falls, is a fantastic base for visiting the Zambian side of the natural world wonder” – Lonely Planet

HOSPITALITY

ACTIVITIES

TOURS

Asenga Executive Lodge

Safpar Rafting

Batoka Sky Mukuni Big 5 Safaris Local Cowboy Cycle Tours NATIONAL PARKS

Tongabezi

Royal Livingstone Express

Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park Kafue National Park Camp Nkwazi 38

Devil’s Pool

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Hwange National ParkTours

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Asenga Executive Lodge A cozy and enchanting Lodge, just about 5 miles or 10 km away from the spectacular Victoria Falls. We will make your stay the most memorable! +260 96 3774237 | reservations.asenga@gmail.com

@ barotsetigercamp angle.zambia1

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L I V I N G S T O N E

Transport Links

International Airport, Livingstone, Zambia

links to Victoria Falls, renowned for its top-notch hospitality. For those hoping to get around by road during their visit to Livingstone, there are equally plenty of options available. The use of taxis is arguably the

PHOTO: PASCAL KOBEH

HOME OF THE Harry Mwanga Nkumbula International Airport, Livingstone is serviced by domestic, regional and international airlines. Flights to Livingstone tend to be cheaper than the alternative Victoria Falls Airport, so it is worth bearing this in mind if you are planning on visiting the region, particularly with Victoria Falls being situated less than 20 kilometres from both airports. Meanwhile, the city is well connected to the rest of Zambia by rail, the main line being the link between the city itself and Lusaka, the capital, with many stops in between. Meanwhile, for those who prefer to travel in comfort there is also the Luxury Rovos Rail that provides direct

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easiest way to navigate the city, with its world-famous blue vehicle fleets easy to spot and found in an abundance across its streets, providing cheap transport at ease. Between Livingstone and the Zimbabwean border, a taxi ride will generally cost between 60 and 80 ZMK, equating to around $5-7. Buses and car hire are also recommended, particularly for longer journeys. The route between the capital city Lusaka and Livingstone is ideal for driving, with comfortable bus providers offering one-way trips for just $11, while the road equally lends itself to being self-navigated, with high-quality tarmac found throughout the 470-kilometre stretch.

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Landmark Attractions Victoria Falls

“Victoria Falls presents a spectacular sight of awe-inspiring beauty and grandeur on the Zambezi River, forming the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. It was described by the Kololo tribe living in the area in the 1800’s as ‘The Smoke that Thunders’. In more modern terms Victoria Falls is known as the greatest curtain of falling water in the world” – Zambia Tourism

Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park

“Just upstream from the mighty Victoria Falls facing the Zambezi National Park on the other side of the Zambezi River, lies the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, home to buffalo, impala, zebra, giraffe, warthog and the endangered white rhino” – Victoria Falls Guide

Zambezi River

“The Zambezi River is Southern Africa’s ‘River of Life’. The fourth largest river system in Africa, it drains seven countries and supports millions of people, who make use of its rich fisheries, forests, water, and rich floodplain soils” – International Rivers

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Tell us your story and we’ll tell the world. AFRICA OUTLOOK is a digital and print product aimed at boardroom and hands-on decision-makers across a wide range of industries on the continent. 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. We reach an audience of 185,000 people across the continent, bridging the full range of industrial sectors: agriculture, construction, energy & utilities, finance, food & drink, healthcare, manufacturing, mining & resources, oil & gas, retail, shipping & logistics, technology and travel & tourism. 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. To get involved, please contact Outlook Publishing’s Managing Director, Ben Weaver, who can provide further details on how to feature your company, for FREE, in one of our upcoming editions. www.africaout

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eti

Opportu ng nity

ISSUE 69

GABON

SPECIAL

ECONOMIC

ZONE

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AFRICA GABON SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE

Driving investment into Gabon’s economy

BUSINESS

Made Easy

Economic How the Gabon Specialforeign and Zone attracts local its straightinvestors thanks to strategic location forward setup and

BUSINESS

Made Easy

REFERENCES COULEURS

Since formation in 2010, Gabon Special Economic Zone has attracted local and foreign investors thanks to its straightforward setup and strategic location

PANTONE REFLEX BLUE C : 100

M : 73

J:0

N:2

PANTONE 124 C

Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Josh Mann

ORANGE 10facilitating technological How Orange is transformation

ALSO FEATURI

RAUBEX INFRA South Africa’s adaptable

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Made Easy Since formation in 2010, Gabon Special Economic Zone has attracted local and foreign investors thanks to its straightforward setup and strategic location Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Josh Mann

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AFRICA

Aerial blueprint of the GSEZ

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n August 17, 1960 Gabon declared itself an independent nation following centuries of foreign intrusion and colonial conflict. A momentous event, and one which is marked by a national holiday every year, independence from French rule has led to the development of a relatively stable political and social environment. Fast-forward to the present day, and Gabon is emerging as something of a regional flagbearer for foreign investment. With the

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continent increasingly opening up to international enterprise, the Central African nation is proving itself as an enticing place to do business. This is backed up by figures from Santander TradePortal, which show that foreign direct investment in 2017 neared $1.5 billion, up significantly from the $1.24 billion seen in 2016 and $990 million a year earlier. Gabon is resource rich, notably in oil and forest, and the country has been recognised for its efforts to make doing business straightforward. Santander, for example, cites special

FORESTRY AT THE FOREFRONT Wood product exports are big business for Gabon and wood products accounts for around nine percent of all exports, second only to oil and manganese. Some 85 percent of the country’s landmass is covered by forest, and of these 21 million hectares around half is allocated as concessions for commercial production. According to Singh, Gabon has the capacity to produce approximately 3.4 million cubic metres of round logs annually from the forests currently under harvesting, and this figure is likely to go northward when the all the forest concessions of 15.8 million hectares goes under logging. He adds: “With long term sustainability of operations in mind, there is still a scope for another 120-150 more wood processing units to settle in GSEZ, or within Gabon. “Moreover, the species and quality of wood required by veneer units, saw mills, furniture manufacturers and flooring companies are different, so they are not competing with each other for the raw material. “GSEZ, as part of its business facilitation mandate, started a log supply chain by sourcing logs from third parties at the beginning of 2017 to facilitate the availability of raw material to all wood processing units at the site. “All the wood processing units in Nkok exported around 160,000 cubic metres of veneer and 120,000 cubic meters of sawn timber in the year 2018, excluding the plywood and furniture. So, roughly around 700,000 cubic metres of wood was processed last year by the unit in Nkok SEZ.”

SGS INSPECTION SERVICES GABON S.A.

GS Inspection Services Gabon S.A., is a member of SGS Group S.A. the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company, SGS is setting the global benchmark for quality and integrity across a broad selection of industries. With more than 97,000 employees, SGS operates a network of over 2,600 offices and laboratories around the world. SGS provides competitive advantage, drive sustainability and deliver trust. At SGS, we are continually pushing ourselves to deliver innovative services and solutions that help our customers move their businesses forward. Powering this are the firm’s core services are: • Inspection – helps to control quantity and quality and meet all relevant regulatory requirements across different regions and markets. • Testing – reduces risks, shortens time to market delivery and tests the quality, safety and performance of products against relevant health and safety requirements. • Certification – demonstrates that products, processes, systems and services are compliant with national, international and customer-defined standards. • Verification – ensures products and services comply with global standards and local regulations.

The services that SGS is providing to Olam Gabon, and its subsidiaries include Xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx certification of lifting equipment, verification of loading of raw material, tank inspection, commissioning etc. SGS INSPECTION SERVICES GABON S.A. (Nouveau Port) B.P. 2932 - POG T (+241) 01 56 85 79 – 06 00 26 75 E ogc.gabon@sgs.com SGS INSPECTION SERVICES GABON S.A. (Bd Triomphal, rue de l’IFG, Imm. Olam, Bloc D, 2ème étage à gauche) B.P. 13161 - LBV T (+241) 01 77 09 63 – 02 97 54 21 E gis.gabon@sgs.com

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• Oil & Gas • Industry • Mining

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Our philosophy — Independence, Impartiality and Quality SGS IS THE WORLD’S LEADING INSPECTION, VERIFICATION, TESTING AND CERTIFICATION

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SGS INSPECTION SERVICES GABON S.A. Boulevard Triomphal Galerie Tsika, Block D BP 13161 – Libreville Tél.: +241 01 77 09 63 Fax: +241 01 77 09 86 E-mail: gis.gabon@sgs.com www.sgs.com

WHEN YOU NEED TO BE SURE

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economic zones where companies have tax advantages, preferential customs duties and simplified customs procedures.

Realising a vision

One such commercial safe haven lies at Nkok, 27 kilometres from the nation’s capital, Libreville. Amounting to some 1,350 hectares of prime space for businesses to setup and grow, Gabon Special Economic Zone (GSEZ) has emerged as a goto place for many organisations, especially those specialising in the manufacturing of wood-based products. Set up in 2011 by a partnership between Olam International Ltd, the Gabonese government and Africa Finance Corporation, it operates with

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a mandate to develop infrastructure, enhance industrial competitiveness and build a business-friendly ecosystem. Commenting on what stands GSEZ apart, CEO Jasveer Singh says: “Single point government clearance and the single window approval system is the best feature of GSEZ. “We have 17 government departments in one building which is situated inside the SEZ. All approvals typically required to set up and run a unit, like company registration, industry licenses, work permits, custom exemptions, VAT exemptions, etc., are all processed at one location and there is no need for an investor to run from one office to another. These approvals are thus given in a timely manner.

AFRICA RAIL

frica Rail is one of the Gabonese industry leaders in railway related works, with a team of highly esteemed personnel providing the basis for this reputation. With almost 15 years of experience in the industry, we have consistently delivered multiple high-profile projects for globally renowned clients, priding ourselves on maintaining the highest levels of customer satisfaction. We’ve already laid more than 20 kilometres of track as part of our cooperation with GSEZ in various regions across Gabon, and we are proud to help GSEZ participate in national development initiatives.

T +241 01 70 28 97 E secretariat@africarailsarl.com

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FUGRO

ince 1962 FUGRO has focused on lifecycle project solutions for clients, from conception through decommissioning, providing the people, equipment, expertise and technology that support the exploration, development, production and transportation of the world’s natural resources, providing the technical data and information required to design, construct and maintain client infrastructures in a safe, reliable and efficient manner. FUGRO expertise in geotechnical, survey, subsea, geoscience and geoconsultancy services, providing optimised solutions for each project, continues to support oil & gas, power, mining and building and infrastructure development throughout the world. Africa enquiries: LAURENT PRONIER

Land and infrastructure intelligence Senior Advisor

T +33 467 592 644 M +33 672 079 330 F +33 467 592 842 E l.pronier@fugro.com

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Unlocking insights from Geo-data, for a safe and liveable world. Fugro creates value by acquiring and interpreting earth and engineering data, providing associated consulting services and project lifecycle solutions for client assets from conception through decommissioning.

SERVICES: • Land and Marine Site Characterisation • Geoconsulting • Asset Integrity • Geotechnical • Geophysical • Surveying • Geospatial • Subsea • Seabed Geosolutions

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“Further, GSEZ has two sources of quality power supply and an independent sustainable source of water.” Currently, the site is home to more than 155 investors from 17 countries, a number which is set to grow as it boosts its profile as a West Central African manufacturing hub.

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“Single point government clearance and the single window approval system is the best feature of GSEZ"

of December, and the availability of logs during this period goes down since those harvested in the forest Gabon Wood Hub Indeed, Gabon Special Economic Zone cannot be evacuated in heavy rains.” In order to ensure availability of logs has grown into the largest furniture all year round, including during the production hub in Central Africa. It houses more than 40 workshops rainy seasons, GSEZ has developed a well-equipped 30-hectare log yard at and a 1,000 square metre common machine room, facilities backed up by a its railway siding. “This allows handling of two million 1,000 cubic metre kiln dryer unit, 3,000 cubic metres of logs per annum and square metres of showroom space, and a 2,000 square metre packaging ensures a steady supply,” Singh continues. “The other logging, forest facility. harvesting and trading companies will Also vital to a smooth-running be also be able to rent space in this enterprise is a well-drilled logistical log yard to conduct direct trading with operation, and GSEZ provides this thanks to a dedicated 4,000 square the wood processing units in GSEZ, ensuring fair market competition.” metre area. Another challenge addressed is Business benefits Gabon’s seasonal climate. Further incentive for manufacturers, Singh explains: “Gabon’s rainy season extends from March to April and what Singh has already eluded and then from October until the middle to, is the seamless nature in which

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business can be established and conducted at GSEZ. Single window clearance enables the creation of a company within 24 hours and issuance of exemption certificates, along with technical approvals, entry authorisation and compliance certification, within a week. This quick turnaround time is supplemented by a number of financial benefits, including zero percent corporate income tax, zero percent property tax and exemption from VAT and custom duties on machinery imports. Another advantage highlighted by Singh is Gabon’s competitive transport setup. “The country has far better transport infrastructure than most of its peers in Africa,” he observes. “The government has made huge investment in the last five years to

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further improve transport links as part of Gabon’s economic growth strategy.” Gabon’s transport network currently includes more than 10,500 kilometres of road, 670 kilometres of Transgabonais Railway line and 3,000 kilometres of navigable inland waterways. However, shortage of rail rolling stock is a constraint, one which GSEZ is doing something about. “We are investing around $70 million in the development of five railway sidings along the Transgabonais Railway line, four railway engines, 200 wagons and 120 trucks to ensure smooth transportation of logs from forest to factories inside the SEZ,” Singh continues. “To ensure adequate supply of logs at these five railway sidings, GSEZ has

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tied up with reputed logging and forest harvesting companies which operate between them a forest concession of three million hectares. “We believe that the availability of such logistical infrastructure will not only ensure required supply of raw material, but will gradually bring down the price of raw material even though the demand will increase.”

Driving sustainable growth

Such an increase in demand will also be managed sustainably, another vital element for Singh and GSEZ moving forwards, along with efforts to reduce illegal logging activity. “We are currently working closing with the government to formulate a centralised system to curb and eradicate illegal logging,” he says.

SOS ELECTRONICS

eadquartered in Libreville, Gabon, SOS Electronics has satisfied its customers since 1991 with a wide range of services and complete solutions. Complementary services are offered in the field of new information and communication technologies and their many applications. Services include the sale or rental of computer equipment, supplies and consumables, wiring and installation of computer networks, maintenance and repair of computer equipment and advice, assistance and training. SOS Electronics maintains a collaboration with its customers and partners based on mutual respect, professionalism and performance. T +241 72 24 87, +241 56 03 39 E servir@sos-electronics.net

www.sos-electronics.net

TEREA

longstanding player in environmental and forestry consulting in Gabon for more than 15 years, TEREA is recognised for the quality of its expertise and its knowledge of the local market.

"GSEZ has two sources of quality power supply and an independent sustainable source of water”

Privileged partner of the GSEZ since its creation, TEREA carries out impact studies and offers environmental and social expertise, training, advice, and support for compliance with national and international standards. TEREA also supports companies in the wood sector in carrying out supplier analysis, management of forest concessions, and preparation and support for certification.

T +241 01 44 34 94, +241 04 15 14 09 E gabon@terea.net

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LIBREVILLE Tel : +241 01 72 24 87 - 05 40 56 46 325 Avenue BOUET PORT-GENTIL Tel : +241 05 40 56 47 E-mail : servir@sos-electronics.net

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“With respect to wood processing in GSEZ, we intend to bring in further efficiency in the raw material utilisation"

“This will involve the use of the latest technology like RFID and GPS to track the movement of logs from the point of harvesting to the processing site and finally the end point of use.” This work will only help GSEZ to broaden its appeal to other Gabonese and foreign entrepreneurs looking to invest, the site’s first phase already passing the 90 percent occupancy mark.

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Work on the second phase is an ongoing priority, and Singh once more targets sustainability as a focus for attracting new custom. He concludes: “With respect to wood processing in GSEZ, we intend to bring in further efficiency in the raw material utilisation. “Around 35-40 percent of the wood coming to the site for processing is being discarded as waste, and we would welcome entrepreneurs who can bring in technology and products which can utilise the waste being generated by other wood processing units.” REFERENCES COULEURS

Gabon Special Economic Zone Tel: +241 06 00 5888 / 5608 gabonsez@olamnet.com www.gsez.com PANTONE REFLEX BLUE C : 100

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Fundamentally TRANSFORMING Finance

Emphasising financial well-being above all else, Alexander Forbes Botswana is acting as a key proponent of inclusion, innovation and modernisation for the country Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Josh Mann

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AFRICA

POLOKO MASITARA AND ALEXANDER FORBES A chartered accountant by profession, with an ACCA qualification and Bachelor of Accountancy degree from the University of Botswana, Poloko Masitara has led a fruitful career in the financial services industry. Having started out as an External Auditor at PwC in 2004, she then joined the Alexander Forbes Group in May 2010, holding a varied number of roles in the nine years since. Most recently Masitara was appointed as CEO of Alexander Forbes Botswana. The wider Alexander Forbes Group itself is renowned as a leading specialised financial services company headquartered in South Africa, with a footprint in SubSaharan Africa, the UK.

Global markets are increasingly becoming fragmented as the traditional sense of work is being replaced by modern systems and technology. In Botswana we are not immune to such developments, and as a developing nation we must take greater notice of these changes, ensuring our services and products are relevant to our client needs.” Traditionally, Botswana is seen as one of the world’s development success stories. Having found itself as one of the world’s poorest nations following independence in 1966, the country successfully tapped

into its abundant mineral resource base, meanwhile establishing good governance and sound economic management. As a result, it today stands as a middle-upper income nation with the fifth best GDP per capita of the 54 countries across Africa. However, for Poloko Masitara, CEO of Alexander Forbes Botswana Group Holdings and the proponent of the opening statements, there is still significant work to be done. An organisation that has played a crucial role in bolstering the country’s financial industry since its inception 23 years ago, Alexander Forbes Botswana

Within this, the Botswana subsidiary, based in Gaborone, has been operational since 1996 and currently employs 80 specialised employees. “Alexander Forbes was one of my top preferred organisations due to the good reputation it had and continues to have in the industry, so when an opportunity presented itself to join them, I took it on wholly,” Masitara reveals.

is taking the reins to this end, fundamentally transforming financial security for the nation’s people and bringing the region in line with international standards. “This is what our model is built on,” Masitara states. “A specialised financial services company, we are proudly committed to having a positive impact on our clients’ lives throughout their lifetimes. “We are continuously evolving and introducing products and services that our clients utilise as they continue assisting their members and consolidate their financial well-being.”

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Defining differentiation

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What truly stands the company apart in its ability to achieve these ambitious goals are its broad range of services and emphasis on innovation. From employee benefits administration, accounting services, consulting and actuarial services to beneficiary trust, asset consulting and financial planning services, Alexander Forbes Botswana has become synonymous with the progressive side of the country’s financial industry, something that Masitara is particularly proud of. “I see our proven track record within the industry, our unique understanding of the employee benefits landscape, our product diversity and our cultural pillars of being caring, educational and results orientated as competitive advantages,” she states. “Much of our reputation has been built up on our ability to solve problems and provide appropriate

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expertise to our clients. We pride ourselves on the delivery of a concise and on-time service, and the flexibility of these services to deliver any promise in a smooth and effective manner.” Key to this are Alexander Forbes Botswana’s staff, something that the firm both recognises and embraces, actively fostering an environment that ensures its employees retain responsibility and adopt a duty of care for each and every company client. Such is evident in the company providing education and personal development opportunities via its internal group-wide Degreed training platform. “It is quite apparent that our greatest asset is our people,” Masitara adds. “They are the heart of the Alexander Forbes engine and through them we are able to stay ahead of the curve, continuously evolve our service offering and remain a market leader.”

BOTSWANA INSURANCE FUND MANAGEMENT (BIFM)

otswana Insurance Fund Management (BIFM) began life in 1975 as a pensions administrations company when Botswana had no stock markets, government debt and no allowance for offshore markets – business was not what it is today. Today BIFM is a wholly owned subsidiary of Botswana Insurance Holdings Limited (BIHL), one of the largest listed companies on the Botswana Stock Exchange. It is a pioneer in asset management and manages in excess of P23 billion in assets across a number of classes, including equity, fixed income, property and alternative investments. BIFM has also invested in non-traditional assets like in the healthcare industry, tourism sector through KYS Investments, and property development activities. The core of the company is to provide financial solutions to individual and institutional clients. These solutions include investment, asset management, liquidity, alternative investments, savings and linked products, property asset management and capital market activities. BIFM has been at the centre of a number of breakthroughs in Botswana. For example, it invested in the country’s first private hospital, the second five-star hotel and in some of the first shopping malls.

What stands Alexander Forbes Botswana apart from the competition is its broad range of innovative services, from accounting to actuarial to consulting solutions, amongst others

Among its latest investments include support the Railpark Mallxxxxxxxxx and Airport Xxxxxxxx of xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx Junction Shopping Centre. “Effectively, BIFM uses Botswana savings to build Botswana – and that’s great news for our economy.”

T +267 395 1564 E retailservices@bifm.co.bw

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To think it all started with a little brick Nothing great just happens, you’ve got to start somewhere. Put your money to work with our investment professionals. They will find the right investments for you. Contact us. Telephone +(267) 395 1564 • Fax +(267) 390 0358 Email retailservices@bifm.co.bw www.bifm.co.bw

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Innovation and adaptation

Leveraging the expertise and skills of this well-established team, the firm has equally positioned itself a leading authority and recognised body of financial excellence for Botswana. It has continued to amass an unrivalled finance database that provides an insightful outlook on the national economy, utilised vigorously

THE ALEXANDER FORBES TRUST With the ambition of providing its members with a lifetime of financial well-being solutions, Alexander Forbes has set up both the Individual Member Retirement Fund, allowing members to augment existing retirement plans, and the Africa Fifty Three Fund, which allows expatriates and contract employees to save for their retirement in and easy and efficient manner. “However, during that journey a member may pass on and leave behind their beneficiaries,” states Masitata. “To give members a peace of mind in these instances, we have established the Alexander Forbes Trust to protect the dependants and beneficiaries’ benefits.”

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not only to ideally-align its own offerings with market fluctuations, but also by other local and international entities who aim to gain a better understanding of Botswanan market. “This is not all,” Masitara reveals. “Additionally, we are currently the market leader within the private pension fund administration space, with a market share of 58,826 members and assets under administration of almost seven billion Pula ($667.4 million). Moreover, we currently manage the largest umbrella fund with approximately 1.45 billion Pula ($138.5 million) in assets under administration, consisting of over 160 participants.” Alongside this, the firm continues to pioneer market innovation by committing substantial resources to an extensive investment programme, a programme that has paid dividends with the firm’s upcoming launch of Lifegauge, a newly developed digital platform that will open a doorway for

The Trust guarantees: • Financial security. • Flexibility, catering to the individual needs of each beneficiary. • Proper provision, care and management of funds. • Support and counselling for beneficiaries, both on social and financial issues. • No minimum amount or minimum fees required to establish a trust. • Annual audit procedures, ensuring the effective management of trusts.

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CONTINUITYSA ContinuitySA celebrates a decade of investment in Botswana ContinuitySA has been helping public and private-sector clients in Botswana become more resilient, and so more competitive, for more than 10 years. Our expert advisors leverage our 30 years’ experience to help clients create appropriate business continuity management programmes, while our fully operational recovery centre offers a full suite of services, including work area recovery, providing them peace of mind in the event of a disaster ContinuitySA is a Gold Partner of the Business Continuity Institute (BCI) and was inducted into the prestigious BCI Hall of Fame in 2016 and we are also Gold partners of Veeam. Our business is keeping you in business.

“We pride ourselves on the delivery of a concise and on-time service, and the flexibility of these services to deliver any promise in a smooth and effective manner”

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The company has aligned many of its socio-economic development initiatives with the Botswana Vision 2036

conversation and two-way interaction between trustees and consultants. Utilising an actuarial project model in order to visually represent potential retirement futures for fund members, this model embraces a goal-based methodology that measures the degree to which each member will achieve a retirement income that will sufficiently match their unique lifestyle. “The client can then construct whatif scenarios to investigate the impact of the various financial levers that influence future outcomes,” Masitara explains. “They will be in a position to uncover the hidden dynamics that shape the fund’s future, and devise strategies for implementing practical solutions to increase memberreplacement strategies.” For Alexander Forbes, the increasing implementation of such advanced, technologically-enabled platforms will

be crucial, not only for the company’s continued success, but for the economy’s wider transformation and modernisation. The CEO continues: “As an organisation we are continuously investing in technology, as technology and financial services are becoming synonymous, and as innovation is heavily reliant on technology. Our clients’ technological landscape is changing, and so we too must adapt to remain relevant.”

A higher purpose

The company’s forward-thinking mindset aside, Alexander Forbes Botswana equally recognises the need for a multitude of different socio-economic development efforts, aligning itself with the second pillar of Botswana’s Vision 2036. To this end, the organisation

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ensures that it contributes towards disadvantaged communities in Botswana, providing assistance in the form of donations to different communities. “This has included financial support to a house in Malotwane and a French classroom for the Ledumadumane School, a donation call for the Dignity Foundation Trust, providing movies to Old Naledi opharns, a blood donation drive which happens at least twice every year, as well as the Teach a Child to Save initiative,” explains Masitara, highlighting the breadth of the company’s efforts. “Further, our Corporate Social Responsibility Committee that oversees these initiatives is also working on a “sponsor a school” project, a Ministry of Education poverty eradication and social responsibility initiative where different

Alexander Forbes Botswana readily partakes in a number CSR initiatives, helping to uplift local communities in a multitude of different ways

This has included providing financial support to educational facilities, powering a blood donation drive, and operating its very own Teach a Child to Save initiative

“Our Corporate Social Responsibility Committee that oversees these initiatives is also working with the Ministry of Education on its Sponsor a School project”

“Our higher purpose is about having a positive impact on the lives of all of Botswanans”

organisations are encouraged to give back to the society by nominating a school in remote areas and provide assistance once the needs of the school have been identified.” A key local activist in providing benefit to the Botswanan people, the company has equally recognised the need to address declining antiunity rates offered on retirement packages – a process that is resulting in the unfortunate outcome of creating old age poverty. “As more and more people withdraw their retirement benefits for short term gratification at the expense of future incomes, coupled with increased longevity, the likelihood of an increase in old age poverty in Botswana is a grim reality,” Masitara states. “And as old age poverty intensifies, the need for social security grants increases and the burden on the future middle-aged population heightens. “Considering this, as a society and as an organisation, we need to take cognisance of these effects on our social structure and the possible impact this has on future generations and the state.” This economically sustainable outlook, combined with the firm’s overriding efforts to innovatively adhere to its clients’ needs and continually provide the platform for its employees to excel, Alexander Forbes Botswana stands to retain its status as a financial services leader for the country looking ahead. “To reiterate, our purpose is about having a positive impact on the lives of all of Botswanans,” Masitara concludes.

Alexander Forbes Botswana Tel: +267 3651984 www.alexanderforbes.co.bw

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Building on

SUCCESS Emerging as a key player within the national infrastructure industry, Enza Construction continues to make strides as a key differentiator and a true social enabler Project Manager: Eddie Clinton

018 was a challenging year in the construction industry, with a number of the country’s founding developers succumbing to ongoing pressures that the industry has been facing with the demand for build falling significantly, resulting in decreased margins, stiffer

Clinton Crowie, Executive Director

competition and a decrease in market capitalisation. “At the moment the South African construction industry is very unsettled,” states Clinton Crowie, Executive Director of Enza Construction (Pty) Ltd. Due to a lack of spending and deteriorating economic growth, the situation for many companies has become bleak. However, despite this gloomy backdrop, Enza Construction itself remains very optimistic for the future. “We’ve taken a different approach and have managed to grow substantially in the last three years,” explains Crowie. “We’ve remained a solutions orientated business, allowing us to stay much more sustainable in the current environment when compared to our peers.”

Standing apart

Leveraging an extensive background in construction and property development, having secured a

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Enza has maintained a strong stream of work despite operating in a challenging market

Bachelor of Science in Construction Management from the University of KwaZulu-Natal coupled with multiple years of experience across different industry segments, Crowie and his brother, Rowan Crowie, Chief Executive Officer of Enza Construction, launched their own business in 2000. “Initially we started out as a project management consultancy business called Crowie Projects.

Enza Construction was launched in 2003 to service the group’s internal construction needs and has since evolved into one of the leading black construction companies in South Africa, with a turnover in excess of R1.5 billion and including a civils, housing and turnkey design and construct division,” Crowie explains. While the firm has proudly executed a number of projects on a traditional

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procurement basis, its Enza Plus division allows it to come into its own as a value-added contractor. Enza Plus is a progressive, holistic business concept, new to the construction industry. It has taken the traditional approach to meeting clients’ needs and revolutionised the thinking behind this, now offering turnkey design and construct solutions. Design and construct

contracts have the benefit of de-risking the project for the client while still providing price and delivery certainty. A collaborative approach at the onset of the project ensures that opportunity is not lost, risk is mitigated and the commercial benefit of the project is substantially improved for all parties. “This is where we see ourselves now and is something we hope to further capitalise on in future.”

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PRECOOL MANUFACTURING Precool Manufacturing – 50 years of quality insulated panels Precool manufactures and supplies insulated panel systems and doors throughout Africa. Insulated panels have several applications which can range from solutions for smaller insulated telecom shelters and server rooms to very large food processing facilities and freezer complexes (sometimes at sizes of 20,000 square metres) like In2Foods’ new mega centre in Kempton Park built by Enza Construction. Precool has successfully completed projects across Africa sending our skilled crews and experienced team leaders to assist and complete all our quality projects. Enza’s projects cover multiple industries

Project perfection

Providing an extensive range of solutions, from retail shopping centres and commercial offices to healthcare and education facilities, this alternative approach has paid dividends on multiple fronts. Such is evident in Enza Construction being recognised at the South African Institutes of Black Professionals (SAIBPP) Awards where it secured the Disruptor award for its iconic R1 billion Steve Tshwete District Hospital Project in Middelburg, as well as the African Property Awards “Public Services Development South Africa” Award for Council Chambers together with our client The City of Joburg Property Company. A 220-bed public hospital situated in a small mining town 150 kilometres east of Johannesburg, the facility is currently under construction, with Enza set to deliver end-to-end solutions on a turnkey design and build basis.

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For us it’s exciting to be able to take the government’s challenges and provide a onestop solution for the Department of Health. In 2020 we will be handing over a hospital that is truly revolutionary, fully operational and includes state-of-the-art equipment”

In addition to the above, Precool Manufacturing also designs and creates insulated panels for the poultry industry, large freezer facilities, fish processing plants, insulated pack houses, meat processing facilities, retail and commercial cold and freezer complexes, staff housing for mines, and sizeable construction projects. Specialised fruit drying technology is also available. Our insulated doors add a dimension of quality to complete our offering for our clients. This quality finish can be seen in the door gear we use, which has been from the same supplier for over four decades and is supplied by Fermod – a leading company in the production of advanced door hardware for the temperature controlled sector. Xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx

Precool is honored to be associated with Enza Construction who has chosen to partner with us for their insulated panels requirements, and we wish them much continued success with their other African ventures.

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“For us it’s exciting to be able to take the government’s challenges and provide a one-stop solution for the Department of Health,” explains Crowie. “In 2020 we will be handing over a hospital that is truly revolutionary, fully operational and includes state-of-the-art equipment. Likely to attract substantial efforts from Enza during the year ahead, the Steve Tshwete District hospital will become part of the company’s

expansive portfolio that already includes the Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Hospital in Kwa Zulu Natal, which is the construction of a 450-bed, Level 1 District Hospital, as part of the infrastructure development Hospital Revitalisation Programme. The hospital will provide primary healthcare and a full AVR referral service to Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu communities of the eThekwini Municipality.

SPECIALISED COMPANY HALF VIDEO PAGE EDT SOLUTIONS

pecialised Video Solutions has been designing, installing, integrating and maintaining CCTV, access control, fire detection, gas suppression and public address systems since 2003. The company specialises in complex, high-end solutions designed to ensure the safety of those utilising a facility while providing vital insights into on-site behaviour. The ultimate goal is to assist management in reducing risk while improving operational processes. Recent developments in artificial intelligence technology and the internet of things has introduced other exciting elements to its portfolio as business intelligence packages can now be used to generate marketing insights and predict behavioural patterns, thus utilising the vast amounts of data being created and captured by the various security systems. The verticals in which we operate include casinos, retail outlets, national key points, telecommunications, mining, warehousing, city surveillance and light industrial developments. With a footprint throughout South Africa, as well as Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique, Zambia, Tanzania and the Seychelles, the emphasis placed on client relations combined with technical expertise has led to a fruitful partnership with Enza Construction, and a partnership that we hope to continue Xxxxxxxx to grow. xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx

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South Africa’s social enabler

Enza has a proactive approach to assisting in the development of communities and the implementation of localisation targets which many have seen as challenging. The company’s approach is holistic as it tries to implement initiatives that address community needs together with corporate citizenship. In 2018, the firm launched the Enza Training Academy, a first for a company of its size but most importantly an academy that primarily services the community. The Enza Training Academy is a mobile academy, currently based in Middelburg since it launched in July 2018. It offers bricklayer and plasterer trades, both of which are accredited with the relevant South African regulatory framework, as the academy is competency based. Enza has also applied for two additional trades and once approved, the mobile academy will rotate the trades amongst its different projects, enabling both multiskilling of communities as well as diverse trade offerings to the communities.

ENZA CONSTRUCTION’S PROJECT PORTFOLIO INCLUDES, BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO… Statistics South Africa, Head Office, Gauteng Private public partnership with the Department of Statistics South Africa, providing them with new office accommodation (40,000 metres squared GLA) for 1,400 people, as well as a new data processing centre. Valued at R1.3 billion. Bridge City precinct, Kwamashu A 650,000 square metre development including a turnkey retail shopping centre, associated transportation facilities, residential facilities and more, valued at approximately R1.5 billion over a five-year period. Council Chambers, Johannesburg Includes the construction and entire fit-out of a building that suitable accommodates 400 people. This project was completed in 2016 and was valued at around R300 million. Bokpoort Concentrated Solar Plant, Upington Awarded an EPC contract for the design and construction of a 50 MW solar plant, Enza Construction helped to deliver the largest thermal storage system for a plant of its size and capacity. This project, valued at around R3.3 billion in total, was completed in 2015 and set a new African record for the continuous supply of electricity. District Hospital, Middelburg Currently under construction, this project will include a 220bed hospital, training centre, 600-set auditorium, 332 beds for student and staff accommodation, and associated recreational facilities. It is estimated the total cost of the project will exceed R1 billion. Mpumalanga International Fresh Produce Market A project valued at approximately R1.2 billion, this facility is currently under construction, but upon completion will provide local farmers with the opportunity to start trading commercially, helping to transform their lives.

Enza Construction was founded in 2003 and has remained a South African mainstay ever since

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JHB City Council Chambers

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Enza’s team conducting groundworks

Community building is a vital part of the company’s work

“We have also employed specialised social facilitators to try and understand the frustrations of local people and provide solutions to these, allowing disadvantaged individuals to thrive in areas where they would not normally be given opportunities,” states Crowie. “This has never been a regulatory requirement for us, but rather a core value of the business. “From supporting old age facilities, aiding schools and backing local

sports team, we try to give back in each of these communities,” adds the Executive Director. “We feel it’s important to do so in a country such as ours where there are often limited resources. “To see these communities and organisations grow alongside our business over the past two decades has certainly been exciting and rewarding.” The true embodiment of a social

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enabler and innovative business, the future remains bright for Enza as it moves into 2019 and beyond.

Enza Construction Tel: +27 11 803 7000 info@enzacon.co.za www.enzacon.co.za

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Remaining

RelevantÂ Championing diversity in adversity, Raubex Infra has shielded itself against a challenging industry backdrop by building its reputation as a go-to contractor on alternative energy infrastructure projects Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Eddie Clinton

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The future prospects for companies to survive and grow in this current volatile market are bleak… every year that spend is limited on infrastructure is another year that South Africa falls behind in upgrading and developing new services to the broader population and to business. “The poor economy and its effects have played a part in this decline. Protests and civil uprising have impacted our markets, raising questions from international investors, and this has had a knock on effect on projects not rolling out.” It is no secret that South Africa’s construction industry is battling

through strong headwinds. In need of public and private investment to stimulate an upturn in fortunes, companies operating in the sector are facing uncertain futures and limited prospects while these economic and political conditions prevail. However, the current climate can also be a catalyst for diversification, adaptation and innovation. The opening words come from Ean Steekamp, Managing Director of Raubex Infra, a firm which has managed to futureproof itself by doing just this. “We are currently in a more stimulated market than where most construction companies find themselves,” he continues.

RAUBEX INFRA – AN INTRODUCTION Raubex Infra was established in July 2012 by founders Louis Raubenheimer and Dirk Lourens, who had a vision to create a leading company in both South Africa and across the rest of the continent. The founders believed hard work would make this a reality and wanted to leave a legacy for future generations of professionals. Today Raubex Infra is a success story built on shared values and ambition, recognised for excellence in the construction industry. The firm has grown substantially over the years after starting as a small company, diversifying constantly and following the market. Raubex Infra offers: • Turnkey civil and general infrastructure solutions. • Electrical and renewable energy specialist contracting, the company being a major role-player in the REIPPP programme. • Solutions for the rollout of telecommunication and fibre networks. • Steenkamp comments: “Diversification in operations, its people, and having the backing of the Raubex Group behind it and specialists in many varied working environments stand us apart. We embrace new technologies and are future focussed and driven. We are a BEE level 1 company embracing change and are striving to develop future construction industry specialists.”

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“The alternative energy market has provided us with work opportunities which has helped Raubex Infra to have a positive outlook into the next few years. This in itself has made our work environment exciting and provided a focus on not only working hard, but working smart.”

Moving with the times

This dynamic, forward-thinking culture played an important part in luring Steenkamp to Raubex Infra in 2014. “Proactive rather than reactive, we are at the forefront of new specialties and advantageous expertise,” he says. “We are here to enhance people’s lifestyles and the economy through our services.” Such services include a full suite of turnkey civil and general infrastructure solutions, contracting for electrical and renewable energy projects and support in rollouts of telecoms networks.

“Our services are distinctive because they are continuous,” Steenkamp adds. “Our adaptability and the solid communication between the Raubex Group of Companies mean we deliver results against all odds and external challenges. “Indeed, the level of service and anticipation of market development are what shape us. Why? Because we are dedicated to making sure the customer is satisfied no matter how large or small their projects are.” Although Raubex Infra is a relatively young enterprise, it has built up a solid reputation and takes full advantage of the expertise and presence of its powerful parent firm. This has resulted in official recognition for excellence, the company being a proud carrier of ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OSHAS 18001 international standards certificates. It has also identified and acted upon certain nuances in the market.

ACTOM

CTOM is proud to be associated with Raubex Infra in SA’s renewable energy programme

ACTOM Electrical Products, the ACTOM group’s distribution arm, which operates a network of branches around southern Africa, is responsible for the supply chain management for the wind and solar projects that are being undertaken by Raubex Infra in South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP). Equipment and products supplied by ACTOM Electrical Products via its REIPPPP Centre of Excellence in Bloemfontein mainly comprise equipment for the “balance of plant” portion of the projects. They include a range of ACTOM HV and MV equipment and cables and accessories. In addition, ACTOM business unit Satchwell has recently been contracted by Raubex Infra to supply solar geysers to replace conventional geysers in houses being renovated by Raubex Building at the Overberg Airforce Base in Bredasdorp in the Western Cape. ACTOM is proud to be associated with this world-class blue chip company. ACTOM (Pty) Ltd is a level 1 B-BBEE Contributor with 51.30 percent Black Ownership and 34.66 percent Black Women Ownership. It is the largest manufacturer, solution provider, repairer, maintainer and distributor of electro-mechanical equipment in Africa, offering a winning and balanced Xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx combination of manufacturing, service, repairs, maintenance, projects and distribution through its 38 outlets throughout Southern Africa. It also holds numerous technology, distribution and value added reseller agreements with various partners, both locally and internationally.

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ACTOM, proud partner to Raubex Infra

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ACTOM (Pty) Ltd: 2 Magnet Road, Knights, 1413 | PO Box 13024, Knights, 1413 Tel: +27 (0) 11 820-5111 | Fax: +27 (0) 11 820-5044 | www.actom.co.za

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“During our professional practice as a construction company in South Africa, we became aware of the scarcity of national construction companies specialising in multidisciplinary projects that measure up to high international standards,” says Steenkamp. “There was a shortage of players that could undertake the much-needed technical construction in a specialised environment in the fields of building, construction, telecommunication, civil and electrical engineering infrastructure markets.”

Reenergised

It is the latter subsector in which Raubex Infra has reaped particular reward in recent times. The company is busy working on several projects in different regions of South Africa, including the 34-turbine Copperton Wind Farm in the Northern Cape, a development which will connect to the ESKOM grid network. Raubex Infra is responsible for completing the balance of plant works to allow for the delivery and erection of the 34 wind turbine generators (WTG)

BUILDING COMMUNITIES In George in Western Cape, Raubex Infra is carrying out works on a housing project, Syferfontein Phase A. Slated for completion in the second half of 2020, the firm’s scope of work includes bulk earthworks for roads and house platforms, installation of a sewer network, a storm water network, cable ducts, segmented paving, and the building of 173 single-storey housing units and 52 doublestorey units. Steenkamp comments: “The positive impact of this project lies in the fact that we are providing housing for people who previously either did not have a home or were living in the squalor of the shacks in townships. “People will be able to live in overall comfort compared to their past living conditions. We see our work as impacting people’s lives directly and making a difference.”

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and connection to the grid network. The work, due for completion in mid-2021, includes foundations for the WTG, the relocation of MET Masts, construction of all access tracks, site entrances, crane pads and the drainage system. The company will also be completing the collection system circuits (medium voltage and communication by optic fibre), and wind farm substations including warehouse, control room, sub-transmission line and grid connection substation.

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Raubex Infra has diversified into renewable energy infrastructure projects, a move which has shielded it against a challenging industry climate

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Despite a tough industry backdrop, Raubex Infra has a steady pipeline of projects

“Through the completion of our works on this site, we will be impacting positively on all South Africans as this contributes to making cheaper electricity by adding to the availability of electricity on the grid,” says Steenkamp. “Further, as well as having a positive environmental impact, we are providing work and transferring knowledge to the local community.” A second project in Northern Cape due for completion in early 2020 involves the civil and electrical

construction works for the Droogfontein PV Plant, while in North West Province Raubex Infra is working on another solar development, the Bokamosa PV Farm.

People and partners

Raubex Infra’s diversification strategy has led to the development of a formidable knowledge pool across many construction subcategories, a key differentiator for the business in the eyes of Steenkamp. “We have focussed on retention

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of staff over the years and have built on in-depth technical knowhow to become a leading construction company, and the evolution of our expertise hasn’t stopped,” he says. “We are committed to developing our in-house expertise to address the changing needs within our industry and those of the South African and international landscapes.” The company has a dedicated training budget which covers staff at all levels within the organisation, who receive legal, medical, regulatory, and

is completed then the partner relationship kicks off,” continues Steenkamp. “If viewed as a supplier that fits our profile, then we tend to build long term relationships with them, thus offering us more competitive prices and secure delivery times.”

Cautious optimism

Pre-cast components are becoming commonplace on construction sites

client- and activity-specific tuition. Raubex Infra, being a BEE level 1 status firm, also needs to factor in budget spend on black-owned companies, helping to not only empower local people through employment, but others through continued support of these enterprises. Such external partner companies help ensure the smooth delivery of Raubex Infra projects, and Steenkamp explains some of the criteria in the supplier approval process. “In the initial stages of vetting

suppliers and partners, quality of product is key to any form of relationship,” he says. “Price and level of service are then evaluated.” Key suppliers will be visited and a questionnaire completed, indicating to Raubex Infra that they have the necessary resources and output to achieve its delivery goals. Through its financial system, Buildsmart, the supplier is vetted for all necessary documentation needed through regulatory standards. “Once this vetting process

An improving political and economic picture will further help to enhance Raubex Infra’s network of suppliers and partners as more opportunities arise. Steenkamp is cautiously optimistic regarding the future of South Africa’s construction industry, and calls for red tape in various institutions to move forwards and help steer the sector back into a phase of growth. “Only then will the industry experience a revival and projects be opened for development,” he adds. “If all goes well in 2019 the future looks bright for construction in South Africa, not only in terms of maintaining existing services, but developing new and innovative solutions.” Regarding his priorities for Raubex Infra, the MD concludes: “Focusing on our core business and our model of diversification we, as leaders in our industry, have the vision of remaining leaders going forward. “We will also measure our markets on a yearly basis and evaluate ourselves to remain relevant. Further, we will assess the changing environment and ensure that we adapt and develop our company, so as to align ourselves with changing technology and the needs of the construction industry.”

Raubex Infra Tel: +27 51 011 1593 info.infra@raubex.com www.raubexinfra.com

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Kenya’s Agile Architects Beglin Woods, founded as a merger of two one-man bands in 1991, has built up a portfolio of hundreds of projects and continues to play its part in the ongoing development of the East African nation Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Eddie Clinton

here is reason for optimism in Kenya’s construction scene at the moment. Consultancy giant Deloitte recently published its annual Africa Construction Trends report, a study which places Kenya second only to Egypt in terms of the number of ongoing projects worth more than $50 million. As of mid-2018 the country had 41 such developments underway, combining to generate $38.2 billion in value, double that of Ethiopia. “Kenya is a very busy market at the moment, and one which is embracing higher standards brought in by players from Europe, Asia and elsewhere,” comments David Beglin, Partner at Beglin Woods Architects. “The old days of locally-assembled curtain walling and kitchen joinery are over. You can now go to the most sophisticated manufacturers in the world for pretty much every element of a design. The world of architecture has been completely opened up in recent years. “Le Corbusier famously said in the 1930s that the house is a machine for living in, and we are only just starting to see this realised now.

“There is so much going on in Kenya specifically. We are in desperate need of low-cost housing and hospitals, while there is also a glut of offices being built and 30-year-old buildings like hotels being renovated. The developing world is entirely different to the developed world – it is very busy, very lively and very interesting. I could go on for hours.” Beglin’s energetic appraisal of the industry is backed up further by Deloitte’s forecasts, with Kenya poised to play a central role in the wider East Africa region’s projected growth of 6.4 percent for the mid2018 to 2019 period.

Project pride

Beglin Woods Architects has been contributing to this improving picture since the early 1990s, and has built up a sizable portfolio of projects of all shapes and sizes during the past three decades. Asked if a particular development stood out, Beglin is quick to state that every project completed or ongoing is special in its own way, receiving equal attention to detail from start to finish, from a tiny offgrid single household to a 20,000 square foot premises for the United Nations. The latter, based in Nairobi, is something of a hallmark for the company. Completed in 2011, the UNON compound comprises four buildings linked by airy walkways which are flooded with natural light and surrounded by green areas. Solar panels cover the roofs, while 600 indigenous tree species also add

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to the sustainable nature of the site, examples of elements which combine to make this one of Beglin Woods’s most ambitious works to date. In the residential sphere, the Nova Apartments in Nairobi is a 17-storey building which has recently been completed. Containing stylish luxury residential apartments and triplex penthouses, the scheme was awarded Best Concept for ongoing projects by the Architectural Association of Kenya. This is largely thanks to its spectacular indoor and outdoor communal facilities, which include swimming pools, a cafeteria, spa, gym, games room, cinema screening room, convenience store and half-acre garden fitted with a running track and water features.

“My wife calls it the tagliatelle building because of its façade,” muses Beglin. “Every building has its own unique character, its own reasoning, its own justification, and you are only as good as your next building. “The UNON building, for instance, is renowned for its sustainable features, while at the other end of the spectrum, we have designed a house for a retired couple which is completely self-sufficient in terms of water and power. It’s so small it may not even be in our brochure.”

Personal touch

What has allowed Beglin Woods to build up this portfolio and level of trust over time is its hands-on approach with projects and clients.

TWO ONE-MAN BANDS Beglin Woods came into being partly by chance, as Beglin explains.

Beglin

Woods

“Simon and I both emigrated independently to Kenya in the 1970s, working for different firms for several years before setting up our own practices,” he recalls.

“We became friends while I was doing some lecturing work and one day I met him in town and we were looking at a premises. We each knew what the other was up to at their practice and walked past this building, thinking it would make a nice office, and agreed to move in together. “What was also clear was that clients would sometimes come back to us worried that we were just a one-man band, so combining our expertise made sense – we each had several years of experience in Kenya by this point. “We set aside two years of finance, so if no-one rang us in two years we’d pack up and go home, but on the day we opened we met a developer who wanted to renovate 100-plus rooms and a swimming pool in the hotel he just bought. It turned out to be one of the biggest jobs in the country at the time and was a big springboard for us to look for more work. “It also prompted us to pool our staff into one office and make a few additional hires, bringing us to a team of around 25 people, which hasn’t changed in size to this day.”

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EAST AFRICA INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES

AST AFRICA INFRASTRUCTURE SERVICES LTD (EAISL) is a company that provides solutions for the renewable energy industry, electrical Installations, security systems and IT services. EAISL has built an enviable reputation over the years for quality electrical installations and maintenance services, with its success attributed to its happy clients, including Beglin Woods. Besides provision of the above services, the company sources electrical, access control and CCTV equipment both locally and internationally. Equally, dealing with a variety of clientele, EAISL has the confidence and capabilities to meet its clients’ demands and consistently provide high quality services. T +254 722 756005, +254 717 027328 E info@eaisl.com ketan@eaisl.com

www.eaisl.com “Liability is such a huge thing, and we are trusted to deliver and make it happen, and will never stop being fully dedicated and available until the job is completed. Architecture is a service,” says Beglin. “If needs be, we can field a team of four directors, which translates into four hands-on designers and four administrators. We are like four separate practices under one roof, and it has turned out to be a very successful formula. “We don’t have individual egos here either, and this stems from Simon and I liking each other’s work before we combined practices. If a job comes in, we decide who is best-placed to take it.” Indeed, Beglin Woods in turn expects clients to contribute to the design process, helping to ensure every building with a company stamp on it is designed and constructed to the highest quality, on time and within budget.

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East Africa Infrastructure Services LTD (EAISL) is an enterprise founded on years of experience. Through our fully integrated services we are delivering a single solution for some of the most prestigious organization’s. RENEWABLE ENERGY ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION STRUCTURED CABLING SECURITY SURVEILLANCE PLUMBING SYSTEMS MECHANICAL AND HVAC INSTALLATIONS

Westlands Close, off Westlands Road, Nairobi - Kenya / P.O. Box 66561 - 00800, Nairobi - Kenya T: +254 722756005 / +254 717027328 / E: info@eaisl.com / ketan@eaisl.com www.eaisl.com

“We have talked about sustainability in terms of eco-friendliness, but arguably the most important aspect of sustainability for us is financial sustainability,” adds Beglin. “We have to deliver on time and within the client’s budget – we must worry about every single door handle.” This ethos, naturally, leads to extremely detailed and thorough vetting of contractors and suppliers. “This is arguably the most important part of an architect’s life,” Beglin continues. “It’s a critical and very lengthy process. We draw up a list of people who can do the project based on previous experience, so it can sometimes be a bit unfair on up and coming contractors because they can’t skip the queue. “Once we’ve drawn up a shortlist, we meet them, we interview them, we look at their workshops. Ideally, we look for partner- and director-level involvement and staff on the ground from start to finish.”

The library at the United States International University in Nairobi

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PROJECTS IN BRIEF Among the other projects completed throughout Beglin Woods’s extensive history are: Hemmingways Hotel – completed in 2018, this 5,200 square metre development comprises 52 rooms and six suites. Located in Watamu, the rooms are arranged in three-storey blocks overlooking the Indian Ocean. USIU Library – completed in 2005, the USIU Library lies at the heart of the United States International University Africa in Nairobi. The large central atrium, airflow capabilities and external windows are particular highlights of this design. Capital M Apartments – completed in 2017, this Nairobi-based mixed-use development contains retail, leisure and residential facilities in one building. Two retail floors lie underneath 10 apartment storeys with communal facilities found on the top level.

Maintaining a balancing act between local craftsmanship and technological influence is crucial for Beglin Woods

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Staying on-trend

Looking ahead, it is inevitable that practices such as Beglin Woods will be contracting out more work to specialists in new construction techniques as productivity increasingly moves up the agenda. The rise of prefabrication, for example, is something which Beglin highlights as already transforming the industry and the way in which architects go about planning a development. “Prefab is huge,” he says. “Hotels these days are being assembled on-site with rooms that are already completely made. “Procurement is no longer about walking down to a local furniture manufacturer – you have companies all over the world who have giant warehouses where you can order 500 beds and sofas at a time. If you’re putting a thousand doors into a building, you are not going to run your fingertips over a thousand doors and say that one is not up to scratch. “However, we do not lose sight of local craftsmanship… it is a balancing act between machine and human elements of a building.”

Inside the UNON building, a development designed for the United Nations

“Liability is such a huge thing, and we are trusted to deliver and make it happen, and will never stop being fully dedicated and available until the job is completed”

And it will be by staying abreast of trends such as this that will ensure Beglin Woods continues to offer relevant, reliable services in the future. “Building intelligence and automation is another big topic,” continues Beglin. “There is no limit to how much a computer can tell you about a building if you feed in the right data. Energy efficiency, maximising space, water usage – these are all trends impacting our industry. “We need to be able to absorb such technological ingenuity as and when it comes, but at the same time keep our integrity as designers and make sure we contribute sensibly to Kenya’s development as a country.”

Beglin Woods Architects Tel: +254 20 444 9146 www.beglinwoods.com

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An Award-Winning Agenda

LYT Architecture continues to set new standards in South Africa thanks to a string of recently completed projects which have been recognised with numerous awards Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Eddie Clinton

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here are thousands of architects and architectural practices earning their keep across South Africa. The South African Council for the Architectural Profession alone represents the interests of more than 10,000 registered architectural candidates and professionals, helping to drive positive transformation of the industry. A bustling, crowded space with stiff competition to secure projects in a domestic construction industry which has stuttered in recent years, architects must increasingly showcase why they are the right people for the job.

A GAMBLE PAYS OFF In April 2017 the Time Square casino complex in Pretoria was unveiled to the public, a Sun International project that LYT heavily contributed to the design of. The development in Pretoria consists of a casino, 8,000seat arena and 238-room hotel and was estimated to have cost around R4 billion. The casion is the second largest in the whole of South Africa after the GrandWest in Cape Town, with 2,000 slot machines and 60 tables.

One of the best ways of doing this is scooping awards. From sustainable credentials to memorable facades, building design awards cover almost every aspect of a project and can place an architectural practice on the map. For Johannesburg-, Port Elizabethand Lagos-based LYT Architecture, 2018 was another year of awardwinning execution of projects. Created in 2012 by the combination of TPS.P Architects and Facets Interior, LYT is a single entity carrying more than 50 years of professional practice and expertise. This includes Managing Director Guy Steenekamp, a graduate from the University of Witwatersrand who initially joined the firm in its previous guise in 1985. He then returned to the company in 1996 having worked on several major commercial projects, specialising in high rise, high technology and latterly leisure related developments. LYTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s extensive portfolio across much of the continent includes commercial, industrial, retail, educational, residential, hotel and

In April 2018 the hotel side of the scheme opened its doors, offering three-star value to five-star luxury all housed under one roof, joining the dining, retail and entertainment options that are also part of the landmark project. Work on new design approaches is ongoing

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leisure projects as well as numerous developments for the mining industry. However, it is in home nation South Africa where much of its standout work has taken place. Last year PwCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Waterfall Towers won the Corporate Developments category at the SAPOA Property Development Awards for Innovative Excellence. Based in Waterfall City, the building was designed by LYT Architecture and constructed in phases due to the unique twist design of the structure, taking 36 months to complete after earthworks began in early 2015. The project cost around R1.5 billion and is made up of 40,000 square metres of modern offices housing 3,500 PwC employees. Due to its positioning and height, it forms the tallest structure on the corridor between the central business districts of Sandton and Pretoria/Tshwane. This is one of many SAPOA awards the company has won over the years. For example, in 2008 it received the awards for best development in South Africa and best office complex in South Africa for the Turbine Square project.

LYT is a company that carries more than 50 years of professional practice and expertise

The latter was won again a year later, the 1 Sandton Drive development scooping the accoldade this time. In the realm of interior design, a project with Balwin Properties picked up an International Property Award for the Best Leisure Interior South Africa in 2018. This was for the Polofields development, also in Waterfall. A brand-new estate complete with luxury two- and three-bedroom apartments, Polofields also contains a signature Lifestyle Centre featuring among other things a wellness spa, swimming pools, restaurants, executive lounge, gym, roof terrace and convenience store. While LYTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s South African portfolio continues to be recognised by prestigous industry bodies, the company is also looking to build on this success in other countries both in Africa and further afield.

It has dedicated Director-level contacts for the UAE and Middle East, Nigeria, and the UK and Europe alongside its Sub-Saharan and South African managers. With its strong cohort of experienced architects ready to impart their knowledge in an ever-expanding network around the world, LYT appears well set to deliver even more quality and potentially award-winning developments.

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Typifying Innovation The leading player in South Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s telecommunications industry, Vodacom is pioneering change through intuitive innovation and creative investment Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Lewis Bush

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hrouded by a tense political environment and regulatory constraints during much of the late 20th century, South Africa was somewhat late to the global telecommunications revolution. Today, however, the country stands as one of the world’s most promising and exciting telecommunications sectors, renowned as the most evolved such market on the entire continent. Since competition was introduced in the 1990s, the country’s vibrant mobile market has experienced rapid growth, with market penetration standing at close to 100 percent with 47.3 million subscribers by 2010. Further, in the nine years since it is estimated that this number has almost doubled.

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From fixed-line expansion to mobile banking to international fibre connectivity, this revolution has covered all aspects of the industry, an industry that Vodacom South Africa has remained at the forefront of. “Vodacom was launched at the same time as the birth of South Africa’s democracy in 1994,” explains Jorge Mendes, the company’s Chief Officer of Consumer Business Unit. “It’s been an ever changing journey for our company in the years since, and we now serve 43 million people across South Africa, selling around 25,000 handsets monthly.” A company that holds almost half of the country’s entire market share, Vodacom SA has become celebrated

as a leading pioneer of innovative telecommunication solutions. Having initially started out as a firm that provided mobile phones and associated services, the company’s expertise now spans a wide range of segments including financial services, on demand video and traditional voice and data services. “We proudly introduced prepaid to the world, the first 3G and 4G networks in South Africa, and the first 5G offering in Africa through Vodacom Lesotho,” Mendes explains. “We continue to invest heavily in infrastructure so that we are able to effectively maintain our network advantage and deliver exceptional customer experience.”

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Vodacom currently serves 43 million people across South Africa

Driven by an all-encompassing ethos of innovation and customer care, Vodacom South Africa has excelled in the past decades, now providing the widest population coverage and distribution footprint across the country. “Since I joined Vodacom 20 years ago, the absolute constant has been the company’s commitment to always putting the customer at the heart of everything,” Mendes continues. “Ultimately, we want to be a leading digital company that empowers a connected society and lead the charge from an innovation perspective.”

Embracing innovation

These philosophies are largely powered by the company’s esteemed team, with Vodacom having emphasised talent management as a crucial factor behind its ever-growing success. “Certified as a Top Employer for Africa 2019 by the Top Employers Institute, our talent management

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LEADERSHIP FOCUS JORGE MENDES, CHIEF OFFICER OF CONSUMER BUSINESS UNIT Jorge Mendes joined Vodacom more than two decades ago, working as a Call Centre Agent at Teljoy Cellular in Johannesburg city centre. Rising through the ranks to head up one such centre, he then left the firm for one year, remaining in the telecommunications industry and specialising in SIM card and airtime distribution through a vending machine network that included Vodacom’s franchise businesses. From here, Mendes then returned to Vodacom South Africa after working multiple stints at its international operating companies in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Mozambique, serving the firm’s commercial teams. “Soon after my return to SA in 2010, I was asked to help oversee the Central Region as a managing executive,” Mendes states. “I then moved back into the head office structure a couple of years later and I am currently Chief Officer for Consumer Business Unit.”

Harnessing digital transformation to lead in ‘the new’, overcome Africa’s challenges It’s the age of perpetual disruption. Creating new revenue streams, monetising data and reaching new customers requires outcomesbased transformation. We’re helping businesses like Vodacom leverage innovation to target and release trapped value. Africa is a continent alive with potential. Digital technologies can help unlock that potential, addressing endemic challenges, giving businesses access to new markets and growth opportunities, and creating an environment in which Africa’s people can advance and thrive. To realise this prosperity, businesses and other stakeholders need to prepare the ground for digital, rethink their strategies and transform.

Digital changes all the rules In Africa, the digital opportunity for organisations – and the threat from new born-digital players – is immense. The experience that digital giants like Google and Amazon provide is resetting consumer expectations – for all brands. Their expectations have become ‘liquid’, they expect companies to be as responsive to their needs and capable of continuous innovation. It’s a hard act to follow. To remain relevant and competitive, organisations across sectors need to transform their operations, rethink their value propositions and reposition themselves to lead in this new digital era. Similarly, governments and industry stakeholders need to transform to solve big social challenges, such as access to healthcare and housing, and the delivery of basic services. But embracing digitisation comes with significant complexities.

Transform, innovate – at pace Transformation means more than just putting new technologies in place; new skills, business structures and approaches will be needed to deliver products and services faster and better, respond to new challenges and opportunities with agility, and scale innovation rapidly. In Africa, some incumbents and public sector entities are still stuck in legacy businesses with trapped value. Even exciting new digital startups are struggling to scale and grow their offerings. Accenture’s strategic objective for 2019 is to help Africa bridge these complexities. “African organisations that harness digitisation intelligently will improve their bottom lines while contributing to the economy and creating employment opportunities across the continent,” notes Vukani Mngxati, CEO of Accenture Africa. “At Accenture, we are making it our business to accelerate that journey for African businesses, starting from our base in South Africa.” Accenture helps organisations answer real business challenges and unlock economic opportunities by leveraging an ecosystem of meaningful and relevant levers.

Accenture helps organisations: • Evaluate the health of their current revenue streams and reposition for growth • Build intelligence into their operations to drive real-time decision making, exceptional customer experiences and breakthrough business outcomes • Leverage data to contextualise and understand market needs more deeply • Participate on platforms and within ecosystems • Secure their digital transformation • Deliver innovation

Are you ready for digital? Talk to us.

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Realizations is an International Who we A1L Management Consulting provider is an International presence. are with a multinational Who we A1L Realizations Management Consulting provider are with a multinational presence.

Ø Value ValueProposition Proposition

Deliver Deliver unquestionable unquestionable value value with with skilled skilled professionals and leadership committed to the success our professionals and leadership committed toofthe customer’s and growing theand future talent of success of business our customer’s business growing South Africa. the future talent of South Africa.

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Be a trusted and valuable partner in delivering digital Be a trusted and valuable partner in delivering capabilities to effectively operateoperate and transform digital capabilities to effectively and businesses transform businesses

Ø Our OurMission Mission(The (TheA1L A1LWay) Way)

Provide Provide thought thought leadership leadership along along with with superior superior products and services that delight our customers. products and services that delight our customers.

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TRANSFORM YOUR BUSINESS Enterprise Capability Orchestration TRANSFORM YOUR BUSINESS

12 940 9166 www.A1L.co.za Physical Address: Block C, Southdowns Office Park, 22 Karee Str, Southdowns, Centurion www.A1L.co.za

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EMail: sales@a1l.co.za • Phone: +27 12 940 9166 cal Address: Block C, Southdowns Office Park, 22 Karee Str, Southdowns, Centurion EMail: sales@a1l.co.za • Phone: +27

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Vodacom sells approximately 25,000 handsets on a monthly basis

framework is aligned to our business strategy, ensuring we allow our people to excel and upskill through capability building initiatives which include training and performance coaching,” states Mendes. This strategy encompasses people from all backgrounds, Vodacom SA priding itself on being an inclusive business as demonstrated in its listing on the Thompson Reuters Most Inclusive Companies index for 2019 and through its Gender Mainstreaming Awards. “Our retention strategy is anchored on a robust learning and development programme which has seen us invest over R360 million in the skills development of our employees in the last fiscal year,” Mendes adds. Further, alongside its extensive staff investments, the company has launched a number of innovative ventures such as its Just 4 You offering, providing its customers with tailormade voice and data packages based on their own usage.

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“Not only has this been instrumental in driving down the effective price of data in South Africa, but it also allows us to provide our customers with a personalised experience by creating offers that are specifically customised to suit individual demands,” Mendes reveals. Equally, the firm’s Vodacom 4U brand, established 15 years ago, has been similarly transformational. A slightly differentiated offering in terms of service and experience, the business has allowed Vodacom to better target

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a younger audience and in turn expand its footprint. “In recent times we also acquired a strategic stake in Kenya’s Safaricom, a prized asset on the African continent, and became the first telco to list in Tanzania,” Mendes adds, citing some of the firm’s other investments. “Closer to home we announced a R16 billion BBBEE transaction during the course of last year having created significant value for the Yebo Yethu shareholders that invested in our first empowerment initiative in 2008.”

1L Realizations is an international consulting and managed services provider with a multinational presence, servicing a wide variety of vertical industries, including telco, agriculture, insurance and finance.

Why A1L We deliver unquestionable value with skilled professionals and leadership committed to the success of our customers’ and growing the future talent of South Africa. We are a trusted and valuable partner in delivering digital capabilities to effectively operate and transform businesses.

The A1L Way! We provide thought leadership along with superior products and services that delight our customers. With Vodacom being a leading African communications company, providing a wide range of services to over 103 million customers across the continent, alongside A1L’s vast telecommunication experience, which has grown its services into Africa and the Middle East, the result is an A1L-Vodacom partnership that is a perfect fit. A1L’s professionals are supporting the adoption of Agile at Vodacom, enabling alignment of all stakeholders, built-in quality at a lower cost and improved transparency, resulting in higher levels of trust and more responsive programme execution. A1L’s experience in DevOps also positions it as a strategic partner to support Vodacom’s vision of creating scalable cloud solutions. In today’s digital world, businesses need to keep pace with advances in technology. At A1L, we enable our customers to better understand their business, allowing them to quickly adapt and initiate the changes required to lead and disrupt their respective verticals.

Affiliating with only the most experienced, creative problem solvers, our professionals have an outstanding pedigree and business acumen based on real world experience. We support our customers and professionals with our strategic business management platform, ECOConductor, based on ECO. Enterprise Capability Orchestration, coordinates people, process, technology and customer experience to provide an enterprise view of business, or a digital twin of any organisation. This facilitates predictions and simulations of how proposed changes will impact our customers. This A1L cloud solution drives affordable and quick-to-market adoption of strategic business thinking, incorporating digital capabilities, including team collaboration, workflow and guided user experiences. This ecosystem is designed to grow with our customers’ needs. The journey begins with a base subscription, with an ability to cherrypick additional services/cartridges from the ECOConductor marketplace. Available cartridges include: • B-ECO – manages company budgets and projects, offering an IFRS-compliant financial view of capital and operational expenditure. • K-ECO – is a KPI calculation, aggregation and reporting engine, providing real-time tracking and Balanced Scorecards. • S-ECO – merges architecture and service management, to calculate business impact. Our products and services allow our customers to understand and track their business processes, and proactively act on the resulting insights. In a world where there is no time for mistakes, ECOConductor is the answer, allowing us to transition from chaos to clarity. As we say at A1L: “We are successful if our customers are delighted!”

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Emphasising education

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Social empowerment is close to the hearts of both Mendes, himself being the company’s sponsor for the LGBT community, and the wider Vodacom Group, particularly evident in the role of the Vodacom Foundation. An organisation that has a proud history of driving social development across the country, this foundation has partnered with numerous government and private sector organisations on a multitude of different development programmes, granting over R1.2 billion

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over the past 20 years. “At the beginning of 2019 we partnered with Global Citizen, a global movement of engaged citizens who are looking to use their collective voice to end extreme poverty by 2030,” Mendes reveals. “We pledged that as part of our work to invest in education – the Vodacom Foundation will spend more than R500 million over the next five years on enhancing the education system in South Africa. “Equally, in partnership with the Department of Basic Education we

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have connected and maintained 92 teacher centres and over 3,000 schools across the country, and trained over 250,000 teachers in the use of information and communication technology in the classroom.” Education is often a core focus of these initiatives, with Vodacom also having launched its e-School platform in January 2015 – a free, unlimited online education portal that provides content to learners of all school years. To date, this alone has reached more than half a million people across the country.

Mendes continues: “What’s more, in a bid to help address skills development and job creation within the sector we established the Vodacom Youth Academy in partnership with CISCO, Microsoft, the Independent Development Trust and Mict-Set. This particular project offers free ICT skills training and has benefitted 966 trainees since its inception four years ago.” Largely aligned with both Vodacom’s other CSR ventures and its Youth Empowerment Initiative, a programme that provides individuals with the opportunity to work for an NPO of their choice in South Africa for a year, these social development strategies have been fundamental in helping the country achieve its 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development aspirations and meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals targeted to South Africa.

Looking ahead

smart retail transformation strategy. These statements and pioneering activities in mind, Vodacom South Africa retains a positive outlook ahead, seeking to play an active role in shaping the country’s telecommunications future. Mendes concludes: “We are particularly encouraged by the positive momentum on the regulatory front in South Africa following firm commitments by government and the regulator to stage an auction of 4G spectrum in the early part of this calendar year. “It is also expected that the emergence of eSIM smartphones will substantially increase due to both Apple’s inclusion of these in its latest product range and growing interest from Android providers. “However, the required network changes will be significant for all the network operators since traditional mobile number provisioning will cease to exist – something that we will be monitoring closely during 2019 and beyond.”

The company’s expansive corporate social efforts aside, Mendes and the wider Vodacom Group remain committed to ensuring that the company is driven by innovation. “The future of retail is changing, and we have to be nimble and agile enough to meet the evolving demands of our customers,” the company’s Chief Officer of Consumer Business Vodacom South Africa Unit reveals, citing the firm’s successful www.vodacom.co.za

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The Farming FacilitatorÂ Yara International is helping to tackle food security and sustainability issues across Africa through a hunger for innovation and unwavering ethical standardsÂ Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Lewis Bush

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n 1898 the President of the British Royal Academy of Sciences, Sir William Crookes, said that “England and all civilised nations stand in deadly peril of not having enough to eat.” Predicting a worldwide famine within a few decades, his speech sent shockwaves through the scientific community, and although this catastrophe did not fully materialise, many parts of Europe suffered from severe shortages of food. In 1905, seven years after Crookes made his warning, Norsk Hydro was founded in Norway by Sam Eyde and

Kristian Birkeland to help solve the problem of emerging famine. Now known as Yara International, the crop nutrition and precision farming solution specialist employs more than 17,000 people across activities in over 60 countries, generating revenues of $11.4 billion in 2017. In 2018, Yara adjusted its strategy with the goal of being the crop nutrition company of the future, focussing on providing farmers with the best solutions for their crops, not just fertiliser products. This includes innovation in key business areas, a focus on digital farming, as well

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as growing scalable crop nutrition solutions. Ten of these 60 countries are on the African continent, with Ig Ferreira serving as Regional Director for Southern Africa, responsible for operations in Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi and its major market South Africa. “We combine the world’s best agronomic practices and resources with local knowledge to tackle major challenges such as resource management, food security and environmental sustainability,” he says.

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“Our work allows farmers to increase yields, improve product quality and reduce their environmental impact, while our environmental and industrial solutions improve air quality and reduce emissions, and are key ingredients in the production of a wide range of products. “We foster an open culture of diversity and inclusion that promotes the safety and integrity of our employees, contractors, business partners, and society at large.”

Ethical empowerment

For Ferreira, it is this company culture and an uncompromising adherence to ethical standards that define Yara and everything it does. “We expect integrity and an incredibly high internal ethical standard from all employees and from everyone we deal with, be it suppliers, contractors, customers and even our communities,” he continues.

“Another factor setting us apart from other companies is our safety standards. We go above and beyond to ensure that every employee and everyone we deal with goes home safely at the end of each day. “Our operations are meticulously scrutinised to ensure that what we are doing is safe, not only for the people working at our sites, but also for surrounding communities.” Yara also believes in hiring locally, finding the best talent possible in the countries it operates in. Once hired, employees stand to benefit from the global reach of the organisation, the company offering opportunities to learn from all over the world, especially when training for key positions. This philosophy of personal development is central to a long-term career in the business and helps to explain Yara’s low staff turnover rate.

YARA IN SOUTHERN AFRICA Yara’s African head office is in Johannesburg, with Ferreira’s Southern Cluster regional site located in Paarl in the Western Cape, where the company has a fertiliser blender operation supplying high quality nitrate-based blends. In Malmesbury, also in the Western Cape, Yara built a state-ofthe-art liquid fertiliser plant in 2016, adding to the Cape Town facility which specialises in urea-based blends. In the Eastern Cape, the company opened a urea-based blender site at Port Elizabeth in 2016, with two more blenders established in Durban in 2018, providing a springboard from which to expand into the northern parts of South Africa. Regarding the rest of the Southern Cluster, Yara acquired Greenbelt Fertilizers during 2015. Currently the firm has a regional office in Lusaka looking after Zambia, Mozambique and Malawi, with customers in these countries supplied through the port of Beira in Mozambique, where Yara also invested in a blender in late 2018. Decentralised warehousing facilities in all these countries will ensure cost effective product availability to customers.

PORT STEVEDORING The link between ship and shore Port Services (Pty) Ltd - commonly known as Port Stevedoring (PS) commenced trading in Durban in 1994 and experienced significant growth in a short period, expanding operations to Cape Town and later to Saldanha, Port Elizabeth and Ngqura. In 2017 PS became a wholly-owned subsidiary of FPT Investments (Pty) Ltd which owns a number of logistics companies throughout Southern Africa. Stevedores are the key role players in the loading and discharging of cargo from ships. As all operational activities are time and rate based, the company’s expertise and focus plays a major role in the safe and efficient turnaround of ships handled. PS is a General Stevedore with the necessary expertise and equipment - all painted in the company’s standout sky-blue colour - to handle virtually any cargo, though its main activity is focused on bulk cargoes which it works through all South African ports, offering clients efficient and cost competitive services. PS has many longstanding relationships in the shipping industry and within this context, has been discharging bulk fertilisers for Yara in Cape Town for about 20 years, being proud of the reputation and relationships that it has established. The agile nature of PS has ensured that the company adapts to the everchanging landscape of the stevedoring Xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx business throughxxxxxxxxxxx innovationxxxxxxxxx and continuous investment in equipment and people. Key partnerships with stakeholders have cemented the company’s reputation as a preferred bulk cargo handling specialist.

T +27 21 401 8847 E info@portstevedoring.co.za

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Port Stevedoring operate in the following ports Cape Town | Durban | Port Elizabeth | Ngqura | Saldanha

T: +27 21 401 8847 E: info@portstevedoring.co.za www.portstevedoring.co.za

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company to a research-driven, farmercentric company,” Ferreira reveals. “The farmers have always been at the centre of what we do, but now we are able to recommend better solutions for them with the research to support the recommendations.” Yara’s R&D capacity is a key differentiator. Around 70 percent of the world’s usable water is used in Fertile ground agricultural practices, a fact which Ferreira has been working in the motivates the company to be at the fertiliser industry since 1986, formally transferring onto Yara’s books when it forefront of technological innovation so that farmers can better utilise their bought the company he was working lands. for. This enables Yara to supply quality In recent years his focus has very products – in South Africa the firm is much been placed on expanding into, eastern and northern regions of South certified as a Product Steward by the Africa, the latter area being a particular International Fertilizer Association, target for the organisation during 2018. which recognises responsible business management processes across a “It has been a very interesting, product’s lifecycle, focusing on challenging and fruitful journey that I have walked with Yara as it has moved health, safety and environmental management. from a fertiliser production-focused Ferreira adds: “I am happy to say that we have an excellent retention rate of all skills and we mostly lose skills in a position either to promotion from within Yara (in which case the skill is not lost) or to retirement, when such skills have been transferred through our succession plans.”

SASOL

asol is an international integrated chemicals and energy company. Sasol’s global chemicals business includes the marketing and sales of all chemical products, both in southern Africa and internationally. Our products are used in countless applications in our daily lives to add value, security and comfort. Through Yara, Sasol Chemicals, our Fertilisers business supplies Ammonium Nitrate Solution (ANS), used for liquid fertiliser production. Yara also supplies Sasol’s granular Limestone Ammonium Nitrate 28 percent Nitrogen (LAN 28 percent), which can be used as pure nitrogen sources or a granular build for blending operations.

www.sasol.com

Overseas projects are particularly popular Around 70 percent of the world’s usable water is currently used in agricultural practices

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SASOL LAN 28 SUPERIOR EFFICACY | LOWER RISK | HIGHER PROFIT

Now available at your nearest Agri-retailer. Sasol Chemicals, a division of Sasol South Africa Ltd. www.sasol.com

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Our bags have many advantages to other material handling, shipping, and storing alternatives currently utilized, such as, corrugated boxes, paper bags, and fibre drums. Reduced shipping costs; reduced storage space; eliminated spillage and duct problems, and flow control are a few of those advantages. Umkhombe Bulk Bags donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t rush to sell you a cheap bag, we work hard with you to make sure the bag you get is the bag you need, tried and tested by you before you place that all important order. 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

021 905 0800/1 | info@umkbb.co.za WWW.AFRICAOUTLOOKMAG.COM

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“Commercial farmers in South Africa and in other parts Africa are without doubt amongst the best in the world and use the latest technology,” Ferreira continues. “They constantly look for the best global technology and improvise to adapt or develop specific technology to local conditions.” Key to this is the close monitoring of

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trends, no easy task given the nuances of individual markets. “Trends vary widely from country to country and even within countries,” Ferreira adds. “Commercial producers are in a cost squeeze, having to become bigger and bigger to gain economies of scale – they are extremely well educated and run farms as true businesses. Their

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demands for technology, reliability, quality and knowledge are high. We focus on these influencing factors in our approach to business. “On the small-scale side of the business we find farmers are thirsty for more knowledge in order to improve their farming practices and want to use products that will allow them to

population growth and many other challenges have changed the farming environment,” Ferreira says. “It is Yara’s mission to responsibly feed the world and protect the planet. “In order to aid farmers in bettering their own lives, we use the best quality inputs in our products, and because of this, the effects are seen in the quality and yields of the crops. More, stronger, healthier crops allow for higher income for the farmers.” And it is this impact which Ferreira hopes will see Yara itself continue to grow in importance and stature across the continent. Yaya’s product development is geared towards supporting responsible agriculture processes

“In order to aid farmers in bettering their own lives, we use the best quality inputs in our products, and because of this, the effects are seen in the quality and yields of the crops”

produce more, better crops, which also guides our approach to the smallholder sector to ensure that the farmer is always at the centre of our business.” These observations have helped to steer Yara’s offerings for these farmers, the company being a leading supplier of nitrates and nitrate-based NPKs. For example, it recently developed ProCote, a product which ensures the even coating of trace elements on fertilisers, while further innovation and launch of new solutions is slated for the next one to two years in the Southern Cluster.

A sustainable future

A major focus for Yara’s product development is sustainability, its solutions geared towards supporting responsible agriculture processes. “Climate change, global warming,

Looking ahead to the future, he concludes: “I would really like to see Yara being considered as the number one supplier of sustainable crop nutrition solutions, and practices delivering value to all stakeholders while protecting the planet. “I would be happy to report back to you that Yara has been able to develop more, and even better solutions so that producers are able to grow more, using less water and not damaging the ground we use to grow in. The efforts going into research and development in order to improve our offerings to our customers while protecting our planet are great, and I look forward to the future.” Yara Africa Fertilizer (Pty) Ltd Tel: +27 21 8775300 www.yara.co.za

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Milling Made

MODERN Kenyaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bakex Millers continues to invest in state-of-the-art machinery and storage as it seeks to fulfil heightening demand for wheat-based products, a national dietary staple Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Lewis Bush

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enya’s economy and population are growing steadily. Significant political, structural and economic reforms have resulted in a decade of sustained growth, with recent years seeing upwards of 5.5 percent GDP expansion thanks in part to large investments in infrastructure and a strong tourism scene. The country has also witnessed a profound increase in population; the 2019 forecast of 52.21 million representing a marked rise on the 41 million estimate from 2011. With such economic and demographic growth comes a heightening demand for food, in particular products made from a Kenyan dietary staple – wheat. “I would say that anywhere between 60 and 80 percent of people in Kenya eat at least one wheat-based product a day,” explains Hiten Shah, Managing Director of Bakex Millers, a leading

producer of wheat meal products based in Thika Town, just northeast of Nairobi. “The past two or three years have seen many milling companies expanding their facilities as the market grows with the population, so at the moment we are serving a very high demand for wheat products.”

First of its kind

Shah has been part of the family business since it began in 1983. Starting out with a daily milling capacity of 150 tonnes, Bakex is now able to mill 625 tonnes of product a day following significant investment in new, state-of-the-art machinery. “We started to replace our original machines in 2013, beginning with a new 250-tonne upgrade,” says Shah. “In 2017 we installed another piece of the latest modern machinery which can produce 300 tonnes a day, making us one of the most modern millers in Sub-Saharan Africa.

GUARDIAN BANK LIMITED Guardian Bank Limited is an important financial services partner of Bakex Millers. The company was founded by current Chairman Dr M M Chandaria, one of the leading business houses in Kenya with commitments also in Tanzania, the United Kingdom and India. Guardian Bank incorporated in Kenya on January 13, 1992, initially as a finance company before converting into a commercial bank in August 1996. The members of the board are made up of businessmen and professional from various fields, with the Chairman holding a Doctorate from the Moi University. The bank is managed by a team of professionals with vast experience in the banking industry and backed up a dedicated workforce. Guardian Bank has nine branches covering major towns of Kenya – four branches in Nairobi, two in Mombasa and one each at Eldoret, Kisumu and Nakuru. www.guardian-bank.com

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MÜHLENCHEMIE

ühlenchemie is one of the leading companies in the flour treatment industry and its core competence is customised solutions for standardising, improving and fortifying flour. The company develops and produces enzyme systems, flour maturing and oxidizing agents, bromate replacers, emulsifiers, vitamin and mineral premixes and functional systems for ready-mixed and composite flours.

www.muehlenchemie.com

“Last year also saw Bakex diversify by investing in a new specialist mill – the pesa mill from Buhler that can produce Atta flour, the first of its kind on the continent. As the Kenyan market becomes more health conscious, this type of wholemeal flour will prove more popular, so we are preparing for this growing trend.” These new capabilities and modern equipment are a key differentiator for Shah, who believes that the quality of Bakex Millers’ products is what stands it apart in a national market containing many different milling enterprises. “My journey with the company so far has been very rewarding,” he adds. “From seeing the first silo go up to where we are now, I want us to eventually become the number one milling company. “This may see us build a new plant in four to five years’ time. If the market continues to grow, then we will be ready.”

Mühlenchemie the flour specialist

“We are proud to be associated with BAKEX group of companies, one of the leaders in flour power innovations in Kenya” Marvin Jaeger, Area Sales Manager South-East Afrika, Mühlenchemie

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Bakex Millers state-of-the-art machinery can produce as much as 300 tonnes of wheat products a day

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PRODUCT PORTFOLIO Bakex Millers has become known for its industrial and home baking flours through several brands. Its range includes: • Vitafla: A healthier flour enriched with vitamins and minerals, designed for home baking. • Bakex Bakers Flour: Ideal for baking in all types of bakeries, regardless of size. • Bakex Standard/Biscuit Flour: Designed for baking cakes and confectionaries, sold in quantities to suit domestic or industrial requirements. • Oboma Home-Baking Flour: Ideal for use in the home and in small institutions. An all-rounder which can be used for many different bakes. • Oboma Atta Mark 1: Suited to Indian cuisine such as puri, chapati, roti and naan. • Phulka Atta Mark 1: Also known as chakki atta – a product of the new pesa mill. The highest quality whole wheat flour used in making soft flatbreads such as chapatti, roti, naan, paratha, puri amongst many others. It has low glycemic which controls blood sugar release and is a good source of dietary fibre Other products made include semolina, wheat bran, wheat pollard and wheat germ, the latter used for animal feed.

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Hiten Shah, Managing Director of Bakex Millers

Storage supremacy

Any significant flour milling operation requires an equally substantial storage setup, and Bakex Millers supplements its formidable manufacturing capacity with silos ready to store its products. Indeed, Shah reveals that the company is currently expanding its storage capacity in a bid to be ready for future growth in the market, a project which will take its present capacity of 24,000 tonnes up to 44,000 tonnes. From here, Bakex distributes across Kenya using its own branded fleet of trucks comprising 30 vehicles. “We believe this is a big advantage as we have complete control over our distribution and do not rely on third parties,” Shah adds. “If a truck breaks down, we can solve the problem straight away and ensure customers receive their products on time. “Bakex supplies supermarkets and wholesalers to serve the home baking

market, and we also supply major biscuit manufacturers and bakeries, including Broadway Bakery which is owned by the Broadway Group of Companies, an organisation we are part of.” Bakex relies on a cohort of 300 employees to manufacture, store and deliver its products, with staff development a key priority for Shah and the company’s management. This is evidenced in the fact that only four of this 300-strong team are expats, with opportunities to develop skills offered through internal training courses and collaboration with the African Milling School, based between Thika and Nairobi in Ruiru.

Community company

Upskilling workers is just one way in

which Bakex Millers is imparting a positive legacy on the local community. For example, it is helping to construct new classroom facilities at a local school that will be able to cater for another 300-400 disadvantaged students, pupils who the company also supports through bursaries. “We further provide food for schools so that children do not go hungry during the day,” says Shah, “and we have also supported hospitals by donating beds. “As the business grows, I want us to maintain a family feel and continue to contribute positively to the wider community. This is an important part of our identity, not only to be a business which employs local people but also one that looks out for others, like a family.”

In its aim to become the number one milling company in the years to come, Bakex will be targeting wider Sub-Saharan Africa, building on its solid base in major Kenyan markets like the Rift Valley and central swathes of the country. By investing in state-of-the-art machinery and ample storage and continuing to act as a community custodian, the firm looks wellpositioned to embark on the next chapter of its growth journey.

Bakex Millers Tel: +254 717 080 024. +254 731 459 868 info@bakex.co.ke www.bakex.co.ke

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Bus Rapid Transit systems are providing a much-needed alternative to car travel in Nigeria’s most congested city. We caught up with Primero, the company responsible for managing the network Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Josh Mann

Operating the Lagos

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agos – the economic and cultural epicentre of Nigeria. Sprawling inland from the Gulf of Guinea across the lagoon, it is also the country’s largest city, known for its bustling culture and enviable beach resorts. However, Lagos is also notorious for a somewhat less desirable reason. Traffic. The city is widely documented as one of the most congested in the world for a variety of reasons. Not only is it home to 21 million residents (more than 10 percent of Nigeria’s entire population), some 40 percent of the nation’s cars are registered here, with the average commuter regularly spending three hours in traffic every day. This carries an enormous economic and environmental cost, one that can be at least partly addressed through much-needed investment into Lagos’s public transportation infrastructure. Enter Primero, a local transport

services provider and operator of the city’s bus rapid transit (BRT) system. Its Managing Director Fola Tinubu is Lagos born and bred and passionate about making a difference through his and the company’s work. Primero is a young firm, established around five years ago and mandated to manage the first route of the BRT network which has been up and running since November 2015. “There is a big demand in Lagos for buses,” Tinubu says. “Most of the services on offer at the moment are informal, small yellow buses that can only transport around 10 to 12 people at a time. The decision was made to change this and move to a more formal, organised system, and this is how the BRT came about. “We were able to raise the funds needed and bought the first buses in December 2014 and January 2015, so we were ready to go once the BRT lanes were built.”

BOI INSURANCE BROKERS

OI Insurance Brokers Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of Industry Limited, the leading DFI in Nigeria. The company has the vision to become a leading provider of value-added risk management and allied services to clients in both the public and private sectors across the country. BOI Insurance Brokers Limited’s team of insurance experts and professionals possess the ability and experience to define risks accurately. This is comprehensively coupled with the skill needed to obtain the insurance contract at the most favourable terms and competitive rate without any form of prejudice to the quality of cover a client has purchased or intends to purchase. The company, accordingly, offers its customers skilled and up-to-date technical expertise in addition to the following benefits: • Provision of advisory services in respect of all classes of insurance. • Evaluation of present insurance coverage to determine adequacy and make appropriate recommendations. • Negotiation of premium rates to ensure they are competitive and commensurable with risks exposures. • Placement of your insurance requirement with reputable insurers. • Effective follow-up and processing of claims to ensure you obtain full indemnity. • Record keeping of all your insurance Xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx policies. • Regular reminders on due premium to avoid premium payment build-up. • Prompt renewal to avoid loss of cover. • Professional and consistent consultancy on insurance matter. Its core values are: • Service • Integrity • Diligence • Innovation

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BOI INSURANCE BROKERS LIMITED (A subsidiary of Bank of Industry Limited) RC: 162504

We are innovative and endeavour to play the lead role in our chosen field of insurance solution brokerage service provider. Our relationship with our clients and business associates is founded on mutual trust and principle of good faith in the widest context.

We ensure at all times to provide quality service delivery which include obtaining the widest cover at reasonably competitive rate, ensuring prompt settlement of claims, handling of clients’ matters by our experienced staff with high level of professionalism and integrity.

“Authorised and regulated by the National Insurance Commission RBC No.318” T +234 815 097-0591 | +234 805 770 0725 | E boiinsurancebrokers@boi.ng

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Primero currently has 434 buses supplied by leading Chinese manufacturer Yutong in operation, its main depot based at Majidun- Awori Ikorodu and equipped with state-ofthe-art maintenance facilities. This allows the company’s services to run all day, seven days a week, and customers will soon be able to board and pay quickly using a cashless system that Tinubu wants fully rolled out by Q2 this year. The buses are also air conditioned and fitted out with complementary Wi-Fi, making it a comfortable and convenient alternative to travelling by car. “The biggest advantage of a BRT is that it has its own dedicated lane,” adds Tinubu. “This means we don’t get caught up in congestion caused by other road users, making it a much faster option.” It is Primero’s ambition to increase its fleet of buses to 2,000 and

transport four million people daily, a feat which will be achieved by securing new contracts as more BRT lanes are built around Lagos. “Lagos has 13 BRT corridors planned, and the second will be ready towards the end of 2019,” explains Tinubu. “It is under construction right now and we have successfully bid for the contract to operate the route once it is ready. “This will involve us bringing in 350 new buses later in the year, which will take us to over 750 in total. Our plan is to continue bidding for BRT corridor contracts as and when the government implements the infrastructure. “There is a big opportunity here. According to statistics produced by the government and World Bank, Lagos needs 7,000 buses to adequately cover the city and its 20-plus million residents. This needs big investment, but we are bullish about Lagos and will do whatever we can to help its development.”

Overseas projects are particularly popular

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E-PURSE SYSTEMS LIMITED

-Purse Systems Limited has been a pioneering force in electronic ticketing in Nigeria since 2011, enabling passengers pay for transport fares electronically with the use of a contactless smartcard application. The e-Purse Card is a contactless smartcard similar to a credit card with an incorporated chip which communicates with the card reader. The company, by identifying problems in the transport, government, financial and educational sectors of the economy, is enabled to become the leading provider of simple and cutting-edge e-payment solutions, thereby meeting and exceeding all customer expectations.

T +234 813 5578460 E support@e-pursesystems.com

CARDS

At the heart of tomorrow’s smart city. Africa’s ﬁrst contact-less lifestyle card.

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Further, Tinubu reveals Primero’s plans to develop and operate a new park and ride scheme near its Ikorodu terminal in the northeast of the state. The company is in the process of raising a bond with a view to starting construction later this year and opening in the second quarter of 2020, a project which will also involve careful investigation of relevant technology to ensure it runs as smoothly as its existing BRT system. Beyond Lagos and Nigeria, Primero has ambitions to become a leading transportation and allied services provider on a regional scale.

A Chinese companion

These expansion plans will serve to deepen the organisation’s fruitful partnership with Yutong, home to the world’s largest bus production base.

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The two firms have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) which involves the Chinese company establishing a local bus assembly presence in Lagos, an initiative due to start this year and one that will bring jobs and revenue to the local economy. The move should also help Primero to reduce its operational costs. “Yutong is a hugely important partner to us,” says Tinubu. “The MoU represents its first investment in production outside of China, and it will be part of the management team of the new assembly facility. “It is a big statement from Yutong and shows it believes in us and in Lagos, and we hope to start production with the firm before the end of the year. Importantly, these buses will also be environmentally responsible and use gas, making them

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less polluting than diesel equivalents.” This is not the only example of Primero’s responsible ethos. Tinubu cites other activities the company is embarking on, including its ongoing support of local schools in underdeveloped areas of Lagos. This underlines his confidence and passion in the city, a central motive to the work carried out by both Tinubu himself and Primero. Speaking about his vision for the future, he concludes: “Anything I can do to make a difference in Lagos

I will do, and I want to see about a paradigm shift in the way we think about transport here. In London, for example, it is second nature for people to step on a bus, use their Oyster card and get from A to B. “We want to get to the point where everybody is comfortable about using buses to get about and leave their cars at home. We see BRT as complementary to what the government is doing to develop local trains also. “Ultimately, it is our aim to have as

many people as possible using public transportation – however, we have to get that offering right first before that paradigm shift can occur.”

Primero TSL Tel: +234 708 060 1787 / 8 info@primerotsl.com www.primerotsl.com

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Redefining Kenyan Coach ServicesÂ

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AFRICA

Easy Coach has set new customer-centric standards since Managing Director Azym Dossa established the business in 2003, a journey which has resulted in superbrand recognition Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Josh Mann

I founded the company at a crossroads in my life. “I was inspired by my personal experience of 17 years as Chief Financial Officer for a leading passenger transport company, and my observations of how the industry can be improved as far as customer needs and satisfaction was concerned. “The service providers existing then were, although acceptable, not up to the mark. We went on to establish a company with a different concept and to create a perception of the new kid on the block, delivering what the customer deserved and should have. “Travellers grabbed the concept. We created a niche, more premium market for ourselves, and the rest is history.” Azym Dossa is the Founder and Managing Director of Kenya’s Easy Coach. Set up in 2003, its 105-coach fleet transports both people and parcels through a 37-branch network stretching across Nyanza, Western Region, North Rift, South Rift and Kampala. From scheduled passenger services to 37 destinations to a dedicated bus hire service and corporate travel for companies, Easy Coach is a go-to provider of long-distance travel solutions with a license to carry cargo inside undercarriage boots.

Azym Dossa, Managing Director

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Its services also cover a partnership with leading supermarket brands Uchumi and Naivas covering 20 outlets across Nairboi’s CBD and outskirts. “We transport approximately 1.2 million passengers annually within our network and our annual throughput for parcel and letter shipments is 1.3 million items,” adds Dossa. “This is currently carried out by our 1,000-strong workforce.” Easy Coach’s rise to prominence has earned it superbrand status from global professional services and auditing giant KPMG, a feat which instils Dossa with an immense degree of validation and pride. “It is always the desire of any company that has invested its time, energy and resources to see it blossom, and to be given a superbrand status is a sweet reward,” he continues. “It increases our ridership and

boosts confidence amongst our customers. Last year we were the only and first bus company to be in the prestigious Club 101 and we have also received commendation by Kenya Revenue Authority as the top tax compliant company in the transport sector. “Besides the honours and prestige, however, this gives us the motivation to ‘keep on walking’ and earn the respect of customers.”

Safeguarding the future

Easy Coach currently concentrates its energy on Western Kenya with routes covering approximately 900,000-1.8 million kilometres per month. However, Dossa believes there is huge potential in central, eastern coastal and regional markets like Tanzania and Rwanda, and that the company is currently conducting feasibility studies to assess the viability of its business model in these places.

Overseas projects are particularly popular

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NATIONAL OIL CORPORATION

he National Oil Corporation (NOC) of Kenya is a fully integrated state corporation under the Ministry of Petroleum and Mining, participating in all aspects of the petroleum business. In upstream exploration, NOC is tasked with operational marketing, data management and site upgrades. Meanwhile, the company has an active downstream business segment with a growing retail network spread throughout the country. NOC owns and operates a modern petroleum terminal which serves the corporation’s needs and provides hospitality to petroleum companies, and trades under the brand name ‘National Oil’ together with the ‘Supa’ branded range of products. T +254 20 695 2000 E sales@nockenya.co.ke

www.nationaloil.co.ke

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In order to successfully grow, Easy Coach will have to add to its already substantial workforce, something which should not be too difficult given the recognitions and awards previously won. “In 2016 we were listed as nominees of the prestigious FKE award,” adds Dossa. “Easy Coach encourages staff training and we carry out at least two in-house sessions annually. “Additionally, we afford time off to our staff that have joined colleges and institutions of higher learning to further their skills. We are registered with the National Industrial Training Authority and as such claim for all the trainings we undertake for our staff.” Another pull factor that helps to attract employees is Easy Coach’s approach to road safety.

Routes currently cover approximately 900,000-1.8 million kilometres per month

STANDING OUT FROM THE CROWD Easy Coach’s professional staff is what, for Dossa, is key to its current success. They help the company to ensure excellence in several key areas, identified by the Managing Director as: Attention to detail regarding customer care. Reliable services backed up by a three-year bus replacement programme and workshop equipped with fleet management systems. This has helped result in a safety record of one incident every 800,000 kilometres. Comfortable services, including seating on both buses and in waiting areas. Steady fares throughout the year which are not hiked during peak seasons.

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In 2016, Easy Coach was nominated for the prestigious FKE award

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On top of the fleet management system installed across the company’s vehicles and workshop, the coaches are also fitted with speed restrictors, safety belts and high-quality tyres which are subject to daily checks. “All our drivers undergo refresher courses on a regular basis,” says Dossa. “We developed an online interactive app that enables customers to register any feedback on drivers and driving habits, and they are responded to within 24 hours. “We maintain records and adhere to a strict eight hours of driving for our drivers to curb fatigue, which is one of the major causes of accidents in public service vehicles.” Easy Coach is a key partner of Kenya’s National Transport and Safety Authority, supporting several road safety campaigns and financially contributing towards civic education and installation of pedestrian barriers. “Motorcyclists, commonly referred to

here as “Boda Boda” riders, are rapidly growing in number, providing transport on short distances within the various CBDs in Kenya, and these have also been a major cause of accidents,” continues Dossa. “To enhance their visibility, we have donated reflective jackets which will help reduce accidents.” The company also supports initiatives that help underprivileged children, namely through direct employment and provision of free transport for children’s homes for excursions to various destinations. Further, Easy Coach assists Rotary and Lions charities by offering financial and logistical support to their pop-up eye clinics. By growing its business and simultaneously engaging with communities, Dossa and his company will continue to positively contribute to the wider development of Kenya’s towns and cities, a key motivator for the Founder and Managing Director

moving forwards. He concludes: “Transport and specifically the public commuter service sector’s future is bright because it’s a key economic mover, however, the players have to be protected or cushioned from the everincreasing running costs of fuel, spares and maintenance. “Kenya is a growing economy with ambitious plans, namely the BIG FOUR agenda, vision 2030 and transformation of its towns into 24hour economies. To make all of these ambitions a reality, the transport sector will play an integral role.”

Easy Coach Tel: +254 738 200301 www.easycoach.co.ke

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A Triumph from

Turbulence Having restructured and expanded its in-house capabilities, Aero Contractors Company of Nigeria has emerged as a resilient airline operator, local MRO specialist and aviation training expert Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Josh Mann

n August 2016 Nigeria slid into recession for the first time in more than 20 years. A profound slump in oil prices, the country’s staple revenue generator, hammered public finances and with it the naira currency, leading to shortages in the dollar. This, combined with militant attacks on oil & gas facilities decimating

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production levels, plunged Nigeria into an economic downturn which forced many businesses to either cut operations or shut down entirely. Aero Contractors Company of Nigeria was one such company to be hit by the financial storm. Having built up an esteemed reputation serving the logistical needs of Nigeria’s oil & gas industry (primarily

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through transporting workers offshore) since 1959, it was forced to drastically scale back in line with the troubles seen in the sector. It was left with a fleet of just one aircraft and helicopter, this having built up a strong inventory over nearly six decades of operations. To the outsiders looking in, Aero Contractors was in a deep crisis with little to suggest it would survive. However, in the space of just two years the company has successfully emerged from this turbulence thanks to a remarkable turnaround in fortunes. A new investor came on board and

Captain Ado Sanusi assumed the then daunting role of CEO in February 2017. “I like to tackle challenges and I was ready to move on from my role at Arik Air,” he recalls. “Having looked into Aero Contractors, I saw there was a problem that could be solved and that the company could be turned around. “A lot of people had written it off, and I must admit when I first arrived it felt like the challenge may have been overwhelming, but we looked at it systematically and it has certainly been a rewarding and interesting experience so far.”

Riding out the storm

Sanusi immediately set about implementing a stabilisation plan centred around moving capabilities in-house and managing the company within its means.

AFRICA

ABOUT AERO CONTRACTORS Today, Aero Contractors operates three main lines of business out of its hub near Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos: Airline operations: Aero has played a key role in the oil & gas sector in Nigeria and is a well-respected provider of rotary wing (helicopter) shuttle services and fixed wing scheduled and chartered passenger flights. From its Lagos hub, Aero flies to several Nigerian airports. MRO workshop: Responsible for the servicing of Aero’s fleet and that of several external clients in Nigeria and the wider West Africa region. Training school: Now able to deliver third-party educational services, the training centre aims to specialise in teaching all aspects of the aviation industry, from engineering to cabin and dispatch operations.

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CHAMPION LOGISTCS

HAMPION Logistics is a renowned global cargo services provider headquartered in Nigeria.

The company offers a broad portfolio of services including air and sea freight, railway and road transportation, custom clearance, port handling and warehousing. Its expertise also includes providing a comprehensive and tailor-made solution to meet the relocation needs of corporate and residential clients. As an added bonus to its customers, the company offers financing to assist in the importation process.

T +234 818 653 6414 E mails@championlogistics.org.ng

www.championlogistics.org.ng

One of Aero’s 737-500 aircraft in flight

The first major project involved migration of fleet checking and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) operations to its workshop based by Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, where its aircraft hangar is also situated. “We had to manage the crisis and soon realised we had no choice but to carry out all aircraft checks internally,” Sanusi explains. “Having attained approval from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority to maintain the 737500, we realised that this move would open new doors. “The MRO workshop is now profitable, and we carry out work for Nigerian and West African airlines as well as our own fleet. This is an area we would like to expand in terms of volume and being able to carry out checks on other types of aircraft.” Aero Contractors also placed heavy

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emphasis on developing its aviation training school, also based in Lagos, in order to ensure a steady stream of engineering talent passes through the organisation. Recently the company signed a memorandum of understanding with the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology to link Aero with its engineering graduates, offering potentially lifechanging education opportunities and the chance to gain hands-on experience in the MRO workshop. Crucially, Aero is also able to provide third party training thanks to approval from Nigeria’s Civil Aviation Authority. “I want this to become a regional centre of excellence,” Sanusi adds. “We are starting with dispatch and cabin operations and will be moving into engineering and pilot training. Overseas projects arebe particularly popular Eventually we will providing training on the commercial side as well.”

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Captain Ado Sanusi

Champion Logistics YOUR CARGO IN SAFE HANDS

CALL: +234 (0)818 653 6414 | EMAIL: mails@championlogistics.org.ng

Having been reduced to a fleet of just one aircraft and helicopter, Aero has revived as a major service provider

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One of Aero’s helicopters photographed mid-flight

Upwardly mobile

The growth of internal MRO and training operations has enabled Aero to control costs and open up new revenue streams, strategies which complement its staple business of providing airline services. Having been reduced to a fleet of just one fixed wing (Boeing 737) aircraft and helicopter, the company has sufficiently stabilised and is now in a growth stage once more, today operating a fleet of three apiece. Sanusi outlines plans to renew the fleet in the near future, investing in

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Technology is an enabler and we realise it can help us become more efficient and cut down our costs”

assets that will serve Aero’s long-term ambitions to grow as an airline. “This will launch us into the next 10-15 years,” he says. “Further, we plan to embark on route expansions both domestically and into West and Central Africa. Our aim is to become dominant in the Nigerian market and be a significant player in the wider region, partnering with other carriers on international routes.” Another important facet to this is a refocusing on what Aero has been famed for since 1959 – services to the oil & gas industry.

Today, Aero operates a fleet consisting of three aircraft and three helicopters

Continued investments have seen the company not only stabilise but grow substantially in recent times

“Aero Contractors has tremendous potential and has a strong brand built on reliability and safety, not only because it is 60 years old but also because it is resilient”

“A key part of our initial stabilisation strategy was to draw on our core values,” Sanusi continues. “We are strengthening our chartered offering for this sector and it will without doubt be a very important part of the business. We need to go back to feeding that industry’s requirements, a key one being access to smaller airports. “There was a time in the early days when Aero was the only company flying workers offshore and to and from the Niger delta from Lagos. The excellent safety record permitted growth into scheduled operations in other areas and

Our aim is to become dominant in the Nigerian market and be a significant player in the wider region, partnering with other carriers on international routes”

we must use this brand reputation to our advantage again now.”

Futureproofing

As well as drawing on Aero’s legacy, Sanusi is looking to the future regarding the implementation of technology that will yield further enhancements to the company’s operations. Part of a bid to become a paperless enterprise, the firm is investing in new tablets for engineers and software integration to aid MRO activities. “Technology is an enabler and we realise it can help us become more efficient and cut down our costs,” Sanusi explains. “Job information will be available to engineers, who will automatically be able to log work and generate invoices. “If an engineer spends two hours on a job that should take one hour, we will be able to identify it and thus keep control of costs. We have signed the contract for the implantation of the software and expect to have most engineers using the tablets by the end of Q3 this year.” Investments like this may have appeared as something of a pipedream just two years ago when Aero Contractors was in mid-crisis. However, thanks to a concerted effort to pool resources internally and grow out from a sustainable base, Sanusi is optimistic for Aero’s future. He concludes: “The Asset Company of Nigeria saved the firm when it took over, and the next step for us is to invite new investors on board. “Aero Contractors has tremendous potential and has a strong brand built on reliability and safety, not only because it is 60 years old but also because it is resilient. We came through the financial crisis and are ready to grow.” Aero Contractors Company of Nigeria Tel: +234 162 84140 www.flyaero.com

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est Africa is unquestionably a region on the up. According to the African Development Bank’s most recent West African Economic Outlook, it is expected to witness GDP growth of 3.9 percent for 2019, with businesses increasingly capitalising on the expansive development potential that is spanning a multitude of industries.

Heavy industry in particular is thriving, owed to the continent’s vast resource base that is providing the ideal platform for rapid growth. One such company that has identified this opportunity is Haladjian Group, an independent multi-specialist, multi-market family-managed group. Operating out of France, Spain and West Africa, Haladjian Group has sought to maximise its capacity and market potential by providing world-

renowned products and esteemed services to major players across a multitude of fast-growing sectors, from mining and construction to quarries and energy production. Motivated by its overriding goals of being a reference-setting group, a privileged long-term partner of its clientele, and a player contributing to sustained and responsible growth, Haladjian Group’s success is owed to its key differentiator.

EXEMPLIFYING

Operational Excellence Having provided pristine parts and services to heavy industry players for more than half a century, Haladjian Group continues to make strides across Africa and beyond Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Donovan Smith

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“As an independent company, we are committed to giving our customers the most suitable solutions for their applications, a customised service, and dedicated stock stored close to their operation sites,” explains Managing Director Pierre Haladjian, Grandson of the Haldjian Group’s Founder. “We want to provide a tailor-made service on a case-by-case basis that is dedicated to our customers’ unique and individual demands.”

Following in his grandfather’s footsteps, Haladjian has ensured that this core service-centric philosophy has been maintained and emphasised as it has been in the 55 years since the company’s inception.

Accentuating quality

Adhering to this ethos throughout the past half-century, Haladjian Group has continued to go from strength to strength.

Starting out as a business encompassed by the provision of optimised mobile equipment parts and services, the organisation has continuously grown and consolidated its operations, now serving its customers through three individual business units – Haladjian Mobile Equipment, Haladjian Minerals Solutions and Haleco. Each having become established as a product development specialist

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division for specific application-centred solutions, the entire group now has a global value proposition portfolio that spans entire production cycles, providing parts from reputable brands such as Komatsu, Caterpillar and Volvo. “Alongside the products we provide, we’re also able to undertake emergency diagnosis, repairs and service agreements with our specialised technicians, proactive inspections and planned maintenance schedules,” adds Haladjian. “In the mining industry, for example, we propose technical audits, performance follow-ups and productivity gain analyses. “Having excelled over the years we are now in a position where we have the opportunity to serve our clientele with a true experience, largely by leveraging our direct access to genuine technical expertise and guaranteed original constructor parts.”

Innovative investment

Established as an effectively differentiated business with an unrivalled customer-orientated approach, Haladjian Group has equally implemented an extensive investment strategy in the aim of gaining a competitive edge. This has taken a number of forms, including the deployment of an €8 million sophisticated IT system in recent years that has allowed the firm to since make tailored action plans for individual customers. “With Oracle enterprise resource planning, an in-house customer relationship management solution, business intelligence capabilities and a product information database, this system has been crucial in helping us to minimise acquisition costs,” explains Haladjian. Technology has been a key focal point of investment for the company

THE HALADJIAN GROUP “All our business units have the same mission – to help our customers optimise production costs and overall performance,” states Haladjian. Haladjian Mobile Equipment: Parts and services for mobile equipment and fleet optimisation. Products include genuine mechanical and filtration parts, repaired and remanufactured components, safety and cabin equipment, GET and production equipment upgrade, undercarriages and rubber products, BEYER land-based and floating dredges. Haladjian Minerals Solution: Parts and services for minerals processing to reduce the cost per tonne of the crushing equipment. Products include jaw and cone crushers, mechanical parts, wear parts, screens, conveyors and feeders for crushers. Services include emergency repairs, diagnostic services, service agreements and global mineral process optimisation. Haleco: Equipment and services enabling advanced industrial sites to reach a high level of security and safety. Services include risk management analysis, equipment supply and training. More generally the firm’s experts bring recommendations concerning environmental matters and risk management ensuring risk reduction.

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GOETZE® GOETZE® Face Seals Mechanical face seals carrying the GOETZE® brand from Federal-Mogul Powertrain, a division of Tenneco Inc., are found all around the globe wherever the going gets really tough: in construction, agricultural and mining equipment such as mining trucks, excavators, dozers, graders and underground mining machinery. Face seals with the special GOETZE® cast iron materials ensure lubricant retention within wheel hubs and axles, track rollers, transmissions and many more components, providing increased efficiency even in the harshest environments. GOETZE® has built up a strong partnership with Haladjian Group to supply best products and services to customers. T +49 2174 69 1771

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Sealing is a Dynamic Challenge When dealing with challenging environments a tight seal can be the difference between a routine day and a costly down-time situation. When the going gets tough in Mining, Construction or Agriculture, experts around the globe turn to the reliability of GOETZEÂŽ high performance mechanical face seals to keep their down-time minimal and the environment clean.

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Haladjian Group provides equipment to major industries

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HALADJIAN – A GOOD CORPORATE CITIZEN “Being a family owned business, we consider that environmental and social commitment is our day-to-day responsibility to prepare the future,” explains Haladjian. “Our ambition is to deploy a committed environmental strategy, limit our environmental footprint and integrate CSR criteria in the relationship with our people and business partners.” Working from this premise, the group partakes in a number of CSR activities: • Promotes diversity and equal opportunities, regardless of gender, race or disability. • Leverages sustainable resource management across product and service portfolios through dematerialisation, energy transition, the extension of product lifetimes, and bringing solutions towards the economics of sharing and pooling uses. • Provides a service for the removal of soiled materials for its clients.

and repair costs as easy-to-follow realtime guides are made available. “The lack of connectivity infrastructure in Africa can be a major hurdle on this front, but as the market continues to evolve, we make sure that we remain at the forefront of industry trends and capitalise on the broad benefits of technology.”

Proactive progression

Where connectivity remains a barrier, Haladjian Group works to continues to expand its physical presence across the continent. “An important goal for us for 2019 is to improve our turnaround time and efficiency for customers, providing them with both the parts and services they need, exactly when they need

in recent times, further evident in the introduction of an augmented realitybased training platform. Leveraging Microsoft’s HoloLens, Haladjian’s in-house technicians are able to transparently and seamlessly guide on-site technicians through repair processes from remote locations. “What we’ve witnessed from this is that it enables the field technician to be completely hands free without the need for paper-based handbooks,” explains the MD. “It reduces downtime

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them,” Haladjian reveals. “To this end, we’re looking to broaden our African footprint so that these things can be tackled through the medium of regional trade.” Having already established a warehouse in Moussala, Mali, Haladjian Group launched its Burkina Faso subsidiary in January 2019 in the aim of better serving both Burkina Faso and the Ivory Coast. Equally, following on from this, the organisation is planning to launch a similar facility in Senegal, a location that it is hoping to use to service Guinea, Mali and Senegal itself. Further, alongside its ambitions for a continued expansion plan, the company has also looked to optimise its supply chain activities in initiatives such as its Partinium Programme.

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Reliable equipment helps companies across all industries to operate more efficiently

Standing as part of Haladjian Mobile Equipment, the Partinium Programme specifically carries OEM parts only, often from reputable brands such as Perkins and NTN, ensuring that equipment is kept as close as possible to its original state. Haladjian adds: “Our product specialists guarantee that these parts are made by the OEM to fit any client’s specifications and are validated by an internal technical committee to fit the programme’s specifications. Running in tandem with the Partinium Programme, Haladjian equally operates an advanced supply chain programme for its mining customers that serves a similar purpose, providing planification and inventory management, cross trade shipment, reverse logistics and consignment stock. These things combined, Haladjian’s concerted efforts to further improve turnaround and delivery times are paying dividends, allowing the business to continue to cater to the demands of its customers, achieving improved performance and effective cost efficiencies.

Maintaining excellence

Asked about the firm’s goals moving forward, Haladjian reiterates: “Our key priority is the settlement of bonded inventories and expansion of advanced supply chain services.”

Introducing a number of new major distribution centres for the region, such as the newly launched Burkina Faso facility, Haladjian Group will continue to bolster its presence in order to better deliver its already esteemed services. “Meanwhile we want to develop service and be ready to offer all our customers emergency services and on-site maintenance,” Haladjian adds, aspirations that both the firm’s emphasis on new technologies and expanded presence will simultaneously help to enable. Both amplifying the range and volume of its parts and services and its team of technical and maintenance experts, the Managing Director is hoping that 2019 will be a hallmark

year for the company as it continues to gather momentum as an industry spearhead. He concludes: “We have always been committed to try to provide the best service and best solutions. This is what has defined us and will continue to do so over what should be challenging yet exciting years to come. “Ultimately, enhancing operational efficiency, reducing risks and increasing profitability is what we’re all about.”

Industrial Solutions

Haladjian Group Tel: (+33) 490 39 39 23 export@haladjian.fr www.haladjian-export.com/en

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MAURITANIA Through development and exploration of the Guelb Moghrein copper-gold mine, Mauritanian Copper Mines is helping to put the country on the regional mining map Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Donovan Smith

auritania’s mining industry is rising in prominence. As a proportion of governmental income, the sector’s contribution has risen from 13 percent in 2006 to 30 percent in 2016, a marked increase made possible by the growing exploitation of bountiful reserves of iron ore, gold, copper, phosphate and even uranium. It is a trend that companies like Mauritanian Copper Mines (MCM), a subsidiary of Canada’s First Quantum Minerals, are helping to steer. “The Mauritanian mining industry could be one of the most important economic drivers in the region considering the potential of its main geological units like the Mauritanides Ridge, Taoudemi Basin, Tindouf Basin, costal basin and Rguibat shield,” explains Aboubekrine Elemine, MCM’s Country Manager. “Mauritania remains underexplored, but the government is encouraging investors to come to the country to develop its mining sector. Some exploration companies are in advanced exploration stages which may lead to new mines being opened in the near future.”

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Exploration opportunities

The mine of most concern to Elemine is the Guelb Moghrein copper-gold operation, MCM’s exclusive asset located 250 kilometres northeast of the nation’s capital, Nouakchott, near the town of Akjoujt. The subsidiary was established in 2004 by First Quantum after it acquired an 80 percent stake in the project, with production commencing in 2006 and 100 percent ownership gained in 2010. Elemine has been with MCM from the outset. A chemical engineer by trade, he saw working at the Guelb Moghrein mine as an opportunity to develop a career with an international corporation and be among the first Mauritanian engineers working in the gold extraction industry. “In 2008, MCM shareholders decided to expand the plant to increase its production – this resulted in an investment of $130 million,” he says, recalling some of the most important breakthroughs made so far. “A new mill and flotation cells were added to the process and a 20 MW power plant was also built as part of this expansion.

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Mauritanian Copper Mines was established by First Quantum in 2004 after it acquired an 80 percent stake in the Guelb Moghrein copper-gold project

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“More recently in 2013, a magnetite plant was built to produce good quality iron and create added value to the mine which contains important quantities of magnetite never exploited by previous operations.” Presently the Guelb Moghrein site mines around 24 million tonnes of material a year, around 4.5 million

FACT FILE

THE GUELB MOGHREIN COPPER-GOLD MINE Type of mine: Open pit Location: 250 kilometres northeast of Nouakchott Copper in concentrate produced in 2018 (tonnes): 28,137 Copper sold in 2018 (tonnes): 27,664 Gold produced in 2018 (ounces): 45,973 Current estimated mine life: Five years Employees: Approximately 1,470 Production estimate for 2019: 30,000 tonnes of copper and 50,000 ounces of gold

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tonnes being processed through its flotation plant to produce approximately 170,000 tonnes of copper concentrate (21 percent copper content and 11 g/t of gold). “At the moment, the focus of the mine has been exploration in and near the current open pit to investigate life of mine extension opportunities,” adds Elemine. “This work continues with a dedicated team of geologists, drillers and equipment.” Indeed, in addition to the Guelb Moghrein mining licence, the company holds two exploration concessions in the area (amounting to 1,628 square kilometres).

Addressing water wastage

As MCM looks to expand its operations through discovering more reserves, the question of sustainability rises up the agenda. Mining is a resource-intensive industry, and water is critical to many processes. “As water preservation is key to sustainability, in particular to areas like Inchiri where water is scarce, MCM was the first company to find an alternative source to supply our operations,” says Elemine. “The company conducted a hydrogeological study which resulted in the discovery of a saline aquifer which provides more than 65 percent

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of our process supply.” MCM in fact supplies the whole provincial community from the aquifer which is located around 110 kilometres from the main mining site, delivering around two million litres of clean water to local people every day. “Over the last three years we have embarked on a programme to drill boreholes and equip these with solar powered pumps to create alternative and sustainable water sources for the local communities, independent from the mine,” adds Elemine. “This programme will continue to cover all the areas with potential water availability, proven through hydrogeological studies completed by the Ministry of Water.”

A social miner

This vital contribution to the surrounding community is just one way in which MCM is helping to deliver social betterment. The company seeks to employ and upskill local people where possible, working to a localisation target of 95 percent and conducting training schemes which see experienced expats pass on their knowledge before transferring responsibility. This training takes place at MCM’s dedicated centre, while courses overseas are also provisioned thanks to parent company First Quantum’s

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Excellence. Simply delivered.

The company works to a localisation employment target of 95 percent, helping to upskill surrounding communities

DHL commits its expertise in international express, air and ocean freight, road and rail transportation, contract logistics and international mail services to its customers. A global network composed of more than 220 countries and territories and 275,000 employees worldwide offers customers superior service quality and local knowledge to satisfy their supply chain requirements.

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extensive international mining operations and reach into specialised institutes and universities. Beyond direct employment, Elemine is quick to state the importance of extensive community outreach. “We consider the local community’s involvement in our operations as key to our success,” he says. “Our community development plan is intended to mitigate negative impacts and increase positive impacts of our operation on local people. “We organise regular consultations

and meetings with representatives and invest in income generating projects that are independent from mining operations to ensure we have some economic activity existing after our mine closure. “The company also carries out training and capacity building programmes for the benefit of the community to give them the skills and knowhow to run a small business and be competitive on the local labour market.” These activities further include supporting local infrastructure development. For example, MCM rehabilitated and equipped the Akjoujt hospital and widened the AkjoujtNouakchott highway. Further, the firm also provides assistance to regional education institutions. And it is this lasting legacy which Elemine is determined to impart on behalf of MCM as he looks ahead to the future. Not only is it important for the Guelb

Moghrein to continue as an economic generator, it must also facilitate the wider development of the surrounding people. Elemine concludes: “Operating a mine in any location is about being a functional part of the local community. It is about working with all stakeholders, particularly federal and local government and community leaders, and applying our creative minds to improve livelihoods for all in practical and sustainable ways. “This has been and continues to be our approach to operating in Akjoujt, Inchiri and wider Mauritania – always striving to be the ‘citizen mine’.”

Mauritanian Copper Mines S.Aa Tel: +222 45 24 48 10 Mohamednour.m’beirick@fqml.com www.mcmnews.com

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Prospects We have been in the market for a very long time and have never seen this high level of opportunity and excitement. “Mining companies have had a challenging time due to drops in commodity prices, but fortunately this has been turning around in a sustainable way for the last three years. It has been tough, but it is improving all the time.” Marc Ramsay and Schneider Electric (SE) are vehemently optimistic when it comes to the African mining industry.

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Schneider Electric, through its Mining, Metals and Minerals division, is helping African miners to maximise the potential of their assets by deploying digital, sustainable solutions

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Writer: Tom Wadlow Project Manager: Donovan Smith

As VP of Industry and End Users in Angolphone Africa for the French multinational’s Mining, Minerals and Metals (MMM) division, Ramsay is witnessing a shift in what is a very mature industry, made up of customers looking to maximise returns in the shorter term and mitigate safety risks on their aging assets. “We are very excited to see that the mining industry is transforming from the traditional major mining houses that dominated the landscape to a more inclusive environment of mid-

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through the business. It also has the most insightful commitment to open architecture and open standards in its technologies, such as the adoption of ethernet as a communication protocol, long before the market standardised on it,” Ramsay adds. “This has proven to be a significant validation of the strategy as we have seen with the latest trends relating to IoT and industry 4.0.”

EcoStruxure

sized localised mining companies,” he continues. “We also are encouraged to see the progress that has been made between government and the mining industry in working together to find long-term solutions that provide a stable base for investment, investment which will benefit the African economy and direct communities surrounding the operations.” Ramsay joined Schneider Electric in 2013, moving to the MMM unit in 2015 and bringing with him a wealth of first-

hand industry experience, especially in the realm of deploying technology across the mining value chain. Lured by the company’s commitment to sustainable industry and reputation for being an employer of choice, the two also share the same outlook when it comes to tackling pressing issues in the mining sector. “I felt that SE had the most ambitious and forward-thinking approach to addressing mining questions, like reducing carbon footprint through the efficient utilisation of energy

Ramsay’s comments on Schneider Electric’s innovative ethos is no better demonstrated than by its EcoStruxure open standard and open protocol IoT platform. An enabler of scalable digital services that can be easily accelerated via the cloud, EcoStruxure is built into all new products to ensure they are connected, integrated and automated. This facilitated two major recent usecases which help miners to optimise operations. The first revolves around application and analytics, solutions which aggregate data and convert it into operational intelligence and insights across categories including energy control, asset performance and supply chain management. Second, EcoStruxure provides a level of hardware and software interaction with connected products to allow critical real-time automation and control decisions to be made at the operational level. Such connectivity can be seen on the ground, Ramsay pointing to an example with Australian miner Roy Hill, which recently integrated its supply chain at its enormous iron ore operation in Pilbara. “SE helped build a remote operations management environment that manages the entire 55 million tonne per annum iron ore mining value chain from a remote location, approximately 400 kilometres from the mine site,” he adds.

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“Another recent project saw us work with African Rainbow Minerals for the development of a centralised control room to improve operational efficiencies, increase systems availability and redundancy and improve collaboration.”

Partners for life

Another key point of difference identified by Ramsay is the company’s ability to provision for a mine’s entire asset lifecycle. Whether it’s upstream 3D design, simulation or the building of assets, or technologies geared towards optimising operations and monitoring production, Schneider Electric MMM is expertly-placed to serve as a loyal

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partner in every stage from project conceptualisation through to mine closure. Key to this has been the recent merger of a leading British-based software firm AVEVA, and its wideranging and agile design, engineering and construction solutions capabilities, amounting to around 4,500 people in 40 countries. This, however, is just one example demonstrating the power of Schneider Electric’s network. Worldwide the company utilises the expertise of more than 55,000 partners which are already ahead of the curve when it comes to deployment of IoT solutions and other industry 4.0 technologies.

AN INTRODUCTION TO SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC MMM Schneider Electric MMM’s purpose is to assist customers in extracting the maximum value of SE technologies in the specific application of mining, metals and minerals. Its core set of products and services help to manage and optimise the use of energy in mining assets, backed up by 165,000 SE employees around the world who develop, supply, and provide aftersales services for such solutions. In March 2018, SE completed the merger of the UK-based AVEVA, a move which has greatly added to its capability to support African mining clients. The MMM division covers English-speaking Africa with more than 500 employees spread across three major business hubs and more than 15 satellite offices. The company also draws on a network of 200 certified partners that can supply, integrate, manufacture and support its range of products and solutions. “Three of our core values are diversity, inclusion and empowerment,” Ramsay adds. “Our global presence of multiple cultures and gender diversity is evidence of this commitment and we believe that it is a key differentiator, both for our ability to provide a unique, highly localised experience to our customers but also to dynamically adapt to a changing world, all the while providing a compelling employee value proposition to our people.”

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MBATINI CMIS

M Africa.

batini CMIS is a BBBEE Level 2 Company based in the Limpopo Province of South

We specialise in medium voltage substation maintenance and commissioning including periodic relay secondary injection testing and CT analysis. Our client base is all over the Africa continent and have done test and commissioning work in Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, DRC and Mali. We are proud approved service providers for Schneider Electric and have performed factory acceptance testing in Schneider factories in France and China. We pride ourselves in well trained employees, which is our most valuable asset, and top quality test equipment. T +27 15 293 0760, +27 87 086 3047 E admin@mbatini.co.za

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YOUR HEAVY CURRENT INDUSTRIAL ELECTRICAL PARTNERS WE HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND EQUIPMENT TO CONSTRUCT, INSTALL, TEST, COMMISSION AND SERVICE ELECTRICAL SUB-STATIONS We carry out construction and maintenance of industrial installations from low voltage up to medium voltage. We are highly experienced in medium voltage infrastructure installations. Apart from the general electrical installations, we specialise in Installation, factory acceptance tests, commissioning and routine maintenance of low and medium voltage switchgear and relays. (Voltages up to 33kV)

Tel: 015 293 0760 , 087 086 3047 E-mail: admin@mbatini.co.za Fax: 086 585 2842

Digital deployment

Schneider Electric MMM helps customers maximise value from the firm’s full suite of solutions geared towards the mining industry. These include: • Mine and pit: W.A.G.E.S. management and asset maintenance systems. • Material handling: Integrated systems for mining conveyors and automated slacker and reclaimers. • Processing and plant refining: Process control solutions which provide simple and seamless integration of mining and mineral processing automation, aligning business objectives with requirements across the mine. • Environmental management: Includes extensive solutions for the distribution, protection and management of electrical systems,

water management systems, solar and micro-grid technologies. Further, SE also provides solutions which monitor the environmental impact of mining operations. • Integrated operations: Solutions covering energy management, asset management, supply chain operations, weather intelligence and remote operations. • IT and facilities: Standalone or fully integrated IT infrastructure solutions, and facilities management solutions. • Electrification and power: Low and medium voltage equipment, transformers and grid automation technologies. Smart and robust power technologies, such as Masterpact MTZ and Premset, that can operate in water flooding environments.

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The MMM division in Africa also relies on partnerships, with anywhere between 1,500 and 2,000 points of sale being part of a large and structured partner network based on specialisation and technical capabilities, 200 of which are classified as top-tier and more than 50 of those specifically experienced in African mining solutions. Together, this forms an unrivalled base of localised response and knowledge through which SE can deliver for clients. “Further, in Q2 2019 we will be launching a technology market place portal called Exchange, which enables partners to develop applications and market them via our digital portal,” says Ramsay. “This is a really compelling aspect for Africa and its burgeoning hub of digital entrepreneurs.” Supporting local innovation is central to the legacy Schneider Electric wants to build on the continent, Ramsay adding: “Access to education has been improving across East Africa particular over the past five years, which is opening up opportunities for us to invest in new entrepreneurs for the new digital economy, which is very positive. But we do need to remain vigilant on developing on developing foundational skills like engineering and artisanal qualifications to maintain the stability in the core industries.”

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The building blocks are there and when utilised will lead to unprecedented prosperity for a continent that suffers from poverty but also has great wealth”

can to improve electrical safety, such as introducing more automated and remote management of power to take Corporate citizen people out of high-risk situations, and Much, if not all of Schneider Electric decentralising the electrical protection MMM’s work is carried out with some to minimise human impact.” aspect of sustainability in mind, be it Coming back to local populations environmental, social or economic. living near mine sites, Schneider Ramsay explains: “Sustainability is a large subject with many dimensions, Electric operates with a ‘Life is On’ mantra, with more optimised use of from production and operational energy and more access to energy. efficiency through to the micro“This has led us to develop easily economic ecosystem surrounding the mine or plant and the individuals within deployable products and solutions that the local communities living nearby. enhance the life of local communities,” “Safety of the people that work with Ramsay continues. “By utilising our alternative energy management electricity on mines is a concern for technologies and safe and simple us, and we are doing everything we

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distribution, we can provide individuals and households with free access to energy through the power of the sun, and sunlight is an abundant asset for many parts of Africa.” An example of this philosophy in action comes from collaboration with the University of Johannesburg to build improve lives in the local community of Gwakane in Limpopo. The two organisations worked closely together to develop local business interests such as bakeries, develop better access to water and reduce malaria infections. “The success of community outreach projects not only depends on the

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technical solution provided but also on the social and cultural acceptability of the solution and of the solution provider,” says Professor Johan Meyer, Head of the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at UJ. “Initially, we trained entrepreneurs from the village to sell and maintain our solar powered portable LED lamps, with its mobile phone charger, the Mobiya TS 120S,” adds Zanelle Dalglish, Head of Sustainable Development for Schneider Electric Anglophone Africa. “The units are especially suited for the demanding rural environment of Gwakwani, as it is an energy efficient, eco-friendly and robust portable lamp producing 120-lumen light output.” Training and education also form an important pillar of the company’s efforts to drive local sustainable development. “We have a Schneider Electric Academy here in South Africa and offer globally accredited training

Schneider Electric MMM is helping mines become more efficient

programmes,” Ramsay says. “We also provide free online and certified education through our Schneider Electric Energy University and partner with local institutions to participate in post graduate research. “It is a no brainer to advance skills, and schemes such as an upcoming hackathon-style events to help progress ideas about energy issues will generate new perspectives and do their bit to help address this dynamic environment.” Internally, the company also runs employee development programmes based on electronic online courses mixed with external cooperation with tertiary educational institutions like Vaal Technical College. “The educational aspect also applies to our mining customers,” adds Ramsay. “With all this technology coming on board, we must educate, not overwhelm, showing the true

value that digital solutions can have on a mining business. It is about framing the problem and then choosing the right technologies.”

Optimistic outlook

By continuing to work with mining players across Africa, both in educating the benefits of digitisation and deploying Schneider Electric’s industryleading power management solutions, the MMM division is primed to deliver growth across the region. Ramsay plans to extend its reach to new markets and remains optimistic about the wider picture that is the region’s socioeconomic development. Excited about the role Schneider Electric and his MMM unit can play in this, he concludes: “We are very optimistic about South Africa and Africa at large. “This is a very diverse and erratic environment which requires a longterm view and short-term agility, but there is absolutely no doubt that this continent can be the largest combined economy on the planet leveraging extended periods of peace, ongoing eradication of corruption and crosscountry collaboration. “The building blocks are there and when utilised will lead to unprecedented prosperity for a continent that suffers from poverty but also has great wealth. “We see a huge flow of urbanisation and are excited to play a leading part in providing electricity to those that do not have access, because we believe that this is a key to human development. After all, my kids remind me that without electricity there is no Wi-Fi.”

Schneider Electric Tel: +27 11 254 6400 marc.ramsay@se.com www.se.com/za/en

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PW Mining has built up a formidable reputation in West Africa for being a reliable contractor to some of the region’s most important projects Writer: Tom Wadlow Project Manager: Donovan Smith

hanaian mining is on the rise. Currently the secondlargest African producer of gold, the West African nation is also a prolific miner of bauxite, iron ore and manganese, minerals which have helped the sector record revenues of around $1.27 billion in the second quarter of 2018. This is the culmination of a steady, sustained growth period since the start of 2016, which saw Q1 income reach a comparatively modest $577 million. “One thing you can always say is that West Africa is an exciting place,” comments Tony O’Neill, General Manager (Contracts) at Ghana’s PW Mining. “There are a number of mining projects coming online, and we are chasing opportunities across quite a few.”

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PW is a leading general contractor, operating in contract mining, civil engineering, building construction and property development, with industrial construction representing another area of expertise. While current mining opportunities appear aplenty according to O’Neill, PW as an engineering operator can be traced back 70 years when it was incorporated as H&D Flinn in Ireland. “By 1963 the Company had undergone massive expansion, playing a major role in some of the largest, most prestigious civil engineering projects ever undertaken in the country,” O’Neill adds. “To reflect its developing status, the name was changed to Public Works Ltd and later to PW Ltd.” Indeed, the firm began operating in West Africa in the early 1970s before the Ghana subsidiary founded in 1995. In 2007, PW Mining was formed

as a business unit to address the ever-growing mining workload being undertaken, with its footprint today stretching from Sierra Leone to the Republic of Congo.

Striking gold with Teranga

In Burkina Faso, the Company has undertaken a three-pronged series of work for Teranga Gold Corporation at its Wahgnion Gold Project. Having tracked the potential of this site for several years prior to being awarded its contract, PW initially secured the site earthworks development which it began in January 2018. Thereafter it signed up for a concrete works package, and finally a contract for pit development in the Nangolo Pit on site, rounding off a project that demonstrates to prospective mining clients in the region the breadth of its capabilities.

TONY O’NEILL AND PW MINING O’Neill has been involved with the Company since 1997, having worked in several engineering and management positions in the Irish construction industry. “At that point, I felt that the time had come to make a change of location and career direction, in the overseas market,” he recalls. “Therefore, when I spotted the recruitment advertisement by PW, I applied for a position. “I liked the thought of coming to Africa and experiencing new culture and practices. I was hired and initially I thought I’d give the expat life a couple of years. 22 years later and I have still not returned, and I have enjoyed every bit of my career here. I’ve been able to gain experience, both professional and personal, which I would most likely not have encountered had I remained at home.”

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MACSTEEL GHANA LIMITED

acsteel Ghana Limited is a subsidiary of Macsteel Service Centre South Africa. We represent Africa’s preferred steel supplier in the West of Africa supplying from our hub in Ghana. We stock and directly ship a wide range of steel and steel consumables to meet the needs of our clientele. Our keen focus on certification and traceability has made us the preferred steel supplier to the oil & gas and mining servicing industries. We have assisted PWM and PWG with their operations since 2014 and we are poised to serve better in 2019 and beyond.

T +233 302 979291/2 E sales@macsteelghanaltd.com

www.macsteel.co.za Commenting on its upcoming pipeline of work, O’Neill adds: “We have numerous opportunities but each one will be hard fought for by ourselves and our competitors. This is a very competitive period for contractors such as us. “The most exciting project right now is the move into the Esaase operations for Asanko Gold in Ghana. This opens up a new phase on the Obotan gold mine and all contract parties involved, and the local communities and other stakeholders share our excitement, recognising the benefits this new mining front will bring to Ghana.”

Back to the beginning

The Obotan mine also represents an important historical milestone for PW. “Our first venture into open pit mining remains a precious memory,” recalls O’Neill. “Starting in 1997, we performed all contract mining at the Obotan Gold Mine for the complete lifecycle for Resolute Mining from Australia.

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Thinking Steel, Choose Macsteel.

P: +233 302 979291/2 M: +233540120998 / +233247002145 E: sales@macsteelghanaltd.com Plot No 37, Alajo Link Road, Off Olusegun Obasanjo H/way, North Alajo. Accra, Google Maps: Macsteel Ghana Ltd Accra. Digital Address: GA-064-5614

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“This project demonstrated that we had made the jump from a wellknown and respected civil engineering contractor into a fully-fledged mining contractor.” From here, the Company routinely broke into new markets and built up a formidable track record of completing milestone projects. “North Mara in Tanzania (2002), Youga in Burkina Faso (2007) and Syama in Mali (2008) were landmark projects for us, clear stepping stones which have taken PW Mining to its current position in the African mining sector,” adds O’Neill. More recently the firm secured contract mining work at Obotan from Asanko Gold, a happy return for PW

after the mine was reopened.

Standing out

For O’Neill, a key factor in PW’s successful track record is its ability to respond flexibly and make decisions quickly thanks to its relatively flat organisational structure and private ownership. “One of our key objectives as a company is to deliver top class value and service to our clients by providing cost effective, quality workmanship which is executed with due regard to all HSE parameters, and to deliver completion of our contracts on agreed timelines,” he explains. “These points are critical to us, and we strive to achieve all of them on all projects.”

PW Mining has built up a reputation for excellence across the African mining industry

“One thing you can always say is that West Africa is an exciting place... There are a number of mining projects coming online, and we are chasing opportunities across quite a few”

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I want us to strengthen our reputation to the point that our mining clients consider us to be a strategic partner – they believe that we are the best contract mining company in Africa” This value and service proposition has been boosted by the opening of a new centralised equipment maintenance workshop in Tema. Around 4,000 square metres in size, the facility consolidates operations for heavy equipment and transport and caters for in-house component rebuilding. The site also has a purposebuilt customs bonded area to improve clearing times from the port. “During 2018 we imported additional dozers, and articulated and rigid dumptrucks to support our load and haul operations,” says O’Neill. “These purchases not only serve to replace equipment reaching the end of effective service, but also to grow our fleet to enable readiness for a quick start up on newly secured projects.

“In that vein, a new CAT 6030 excavator arrived in Ghana in Q4 2018 and throughout the year the production fleet has been supplemented by further procurement of support equipment.”

People and partners

While investment in state-of-the-art equipment and facilities has been crucial to PW’s ability to serve clients, the firm is also reliant on its team of boundary-pushing employees. To ensure the Company has the best chance of attracting and retaining the requisite talent, it provides generous compensation and benefits packages, industry-leading working conditions and opportunities for training and professional development.

For O’Neill, the latter is especially important. “We have always believed in encouragement of innovation and initiative,” he says. “If staff are up for a challenge, we will recognise that and will certainly provide the opportunity to confront it. “Many of our staff recognise that PW will encourage them towards levels of performance that previously they may not have attained. By offering these opportunities we build up a loyal team of employees.” PW can also draw on a loyal base of partners that make up its procurement and supply chain network. These companies specialise in sourcing, inspecting, shipping and clearing goods across West Africa, facilitating a seamless operation, while major suppliers of equipment and materials are utilised locally where possible. “Partnerships are vital,” says O’Neill. “They should be based on all facets of the business relationship, and while cost is vitally important, we feel it is equally important not to become blinkered by this single parameter. “Time and again we observe the good-fast-cheap triangle at play. You can get any two but not all three. We have built up solid relationships with key partners, reaching the optimum position with them in terms of value, quality and expediency.” And it is this threefold value that O’Neill hopes and expects to continue delivering to its own clients in the future. He concludes: “I want us to strengthen our reputation to the point that our mining clients consider us to be a strategic partner – they believe that we are the best contract mining company in Africa, they wish to partner with us on a repeat basis and they know us for our integrity, excellence, and quality of delivery.” PW Mining Tel: +233 30518112 pwm@pwmil.com www.pwmil.com

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Opportunity Stibium Mining is examining, exploring and excavating Gravelotteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rich gold and antimony deposits, the latter said to be the biggest in the western world Project Manager: Donovan Smith

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escribed as a lustrous, silvery blue-white solid that is brittle and flaky in texture, you would be forgiven for believing antimony is an element of little value to our existence. Gold, silver, iron, coal, bauxite, phosphate â&#x20AC;&#x201C; these are all minerals that are among the most mined or sought after in the world today. Antimony will be unfamiliar at best to many a layman, more likely completely unheard of. However, unlike many minor metals, antimony is one that has been used by humans for thousands of years. The early Egyptians utilised it in the production of medicines and

cosmetics, while the earliest metallic applications of the element came in the mid-15th century when it was added as a hardening agent in cast metal printing. Fast forward to the present day, and antimony is still renowned as a highly versatile material and one that is used in a variety of progressive industry processes. Enter Stibium Mining Limited. Founded in 2012 and based in Sydney, Australia, the company has engaged in projects across both its home country and Kosovo in Europe. It also operates the Stibium Mopani mine, formerly ConsMurch, a site near

South Africa is home to a large deposit of antinomy, while China is thought to house about a third of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s supply

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Gravelotte in the northern province of Limpopo in South Africa and thought to be home to the largest deposit of antinomy in the western world. According to Mining Indaba, the mine is thought to contain a million ounces and 280,000 tonnes of antimony in SAMREC compliant resources, the company set to implement underground drilling to upgrade resources and complete integrity reviews of the shafts and declines. The Mopani mine also produces gold from retreatment tailings, with Stibium said to be looking into developing new resources in the form of an open cast project.

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Buenti Drilling (Pty) Ltd, a Level 4 B-BBEE Contributor, is a South African Registered Company established in 2007

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Messina Incorporated is a firm conducting a specialised commercial legal practice from our offices situated at 269 Oxford Road, Illovo, Johannesburg, South Africa.

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Commercial – drafting of all types of commercial agreements, corporate restructuring, advising on compliance and governance, and mergers and acquisitions; Mining law – general advisory on mining law, mining rights, environmental issues; section 11 applications Competition Law (antitrust) – merger and acquisition filings, competition issues, and advisory opinion; Insolvency – liquidation applications, interrogations, and business rescue; Commercial High Court litigation, corporate recoveries, and arbitrations; International law, including assisting with foreign investment in South Africa; Intellectual Property – trademark registration and disputes; Trusts and notarial bonds; Labour law; Notarial certification of documents and trade and investment in Africa Carlo Messina BComm LLB HDip Insolvency Law Company Law Competition Law Lopang Peacock LLB Manuela Hinz BComm LLB Cert Adv Corp Sec (notary) Rebecca Pereira BA LLB 269 Oxford Road Illovo P.O. Box 78907 Sandton 2146 South Africa Tel: +27114476535 Fax: +27112686179 www.messinainc.co.za

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A REGION STEEPED IN HISTORY Stibium Mining’s asset in Gravelotte is located in a region synonymous with mining heritage. Iron mining and smelting sites in the northeast of South Africa were used as far back as 1,700 years ago, while copper was mined south of the Limpopo River more than 1,000 years ago. The first commercial gold mining activity in modern South African history is said to have occurred at Eersteling in the mid-1870s by farmer turned prospector Jacobus du Preez. Today mining constitutes an important part of Limpopo province’s GDP. Indeed, according to the Limpopo Province Freight Transport Data Bank, the industry contributes around 30 percent of regional income. Further, looking at the Mopani district more specifically, the local government has estimated that mining development could contribute as much as R6.3 billion in direct investment, acting as a cornerstone of economic growth.

Investing in recent years when South Africa’s mining industry was struggling to attract capital, Stibium Mining is now part of a sector which has an opportunity to recover. It still accounts for around 10 percent of national GDP, or R300 billion, and employs approximately 450,000 people across communities all over the country. Development of this antinomy resource could prove a crucial

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South Africa’s mining industry accounts for roughly 10 percent of national GDP

contributor to any wider recovery, and key to this is the mineral’s potential to be used in the production of solar cells and electric vehicles. While there has been some debate surrounding the recyclability of antimony-coated solar panels, it is an important element to ensure maximum absorption of sunlight and will doubtlessly be in high demand as more and more sustainable solar

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Antinomy and gold, both mined at Mopani, are used in the production of many electrical products

projects take off around the world. Antinomy has also been proven to boost potassium storage performance in batteries, making it a viable option for developers of products such as electric vehicles. With the rise of batterypowered cars and the commonly held view that these will one day replace petrol-powered contemporaries, it seems that antinomy will be sought after for this reason as well.

Securing finance is thus a priority for companies like Stibium Mining in order for such resources to be developed and exploited to the full. The Mopani mine could well evolve into a vital balancer of power regarding the global distribution and production of antinomy. This is not least due to the fact that China currently dominates the market. According to a US Geological Survey, 2016 saw the Asian industrial

powerhouse produce some three quarters of the worldwide total. However, China is only home to around a third of the estimated reserves, with other nations like Bolivia, Australia, the USA and South Africa all containing significant deposits. Stibium Mining, therefore, could have a key role to play in the development of a sustainable, balanced supply of antimony in the future.

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Adding Fizz to Cape Verde Equatorial Coca-Cola Bottling Company Cape Verde has made important strides both in terms of its product portfolio and CSR strategy over the past 18 months. We caught up with General Manager Rodrigo Chies Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Joshua Mann

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AFRICA Until I started this job, I didn’t have experience in Africa but always had a strong interest in the region. The African continent has faced some challenges in recent times, but every long-term economic indicator will tell you that this is the place to be. And the reality on the ground is that if you are willing to do the hard work, there are always new opportunities; it is a place in constant change.” Rodrigo Chies has been a stout optimist since arriving in Cape Verde in 2017. A drinks and technology industry veteran of 20 years across Europe and Latin America in the sectors of beverage and technology, the opportunity to join one of the world’s most loved drinks brands and contribute to African development was too good to turn down. “The drinks industry is a very energetic, surprising, dynamic and demanding market and I love it,” says Chies, now General Manager for Equatorial Coca-Cola Bottling Company (ECCBC) Cape Verde. “My professional background and companies that I’ve worked for have brought me to many new places, but the dynamic of the business is often similar. “What I have learnt through my experience is that you need to understand the reality of the place where you are doing business to be able to respond appropriately and this can only be done through effective networking and, more importantly, through close connections to customers and consumer engagement. You must think quickly. You must face (and enjoy) the experience of being outside of your ‘comfort zone’ to be successful in this area. That’s how I am.” Part of the Equatorial Coca-Cola Bottling Company, ECCBC Cape Verde manufactures and distributes the likes of Coke, Coke Zero, Fanta and Sprite,

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WORLD WITHOUT WASTE ECCBC Cape Verde has set ambitious goals to take responsibility for packaging across its lifecycle and reduce ocean pollution, with recycling at the centre of its sustainability strategy. In such context, “we are developing an integrated long-term program to put in place actionable initiatives that will reduce the footprint of our business,” explains Chies. Specifically, the company is working towards Coca-Cola’s worldwide holistic plan called “World Without Waste” to address the growing problem of waste build up on land, in waterways and the sea through a renewed focus on the entire packaging lifecycle – from how bottles and cans are designed and made, to how they’re recycled and repurposed. World Without Waste is made up of three strategic pillars: REDUCE: Aspire to use packaging that contains at least 50 percent recycled material by 2030 and make all consumer packaging 100 percent recyclable by 2025. RECOVER: Reduce waste by collecting and recycling the equivalent of every bottle or can sold by 2030. PARTNER: Team up with local communities, NGOs, industry peers and consumers to help make recycling easier and more accessible for everyone by improving local recycling systems and driving policy change that supports a truly circular economy, supporting healthy, debris-free environments and oceans.

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Rodrigo Chies, General Manager

as well as water, juices and beer, across the 10 islands of Cape Verde. Established for more than 20 years, Chies is buoyant about its position as a national flagbearer. According to Chies, the company is “constantly looking at ways to provide our customers the best service, so we work hard to adapt our portfolio to the trends and tastes of our community. Our company is growing above the average in Cape Verde and we are the driving force in the beverage segment of the Cape Verdean market. “ECCBC Cape Verde is considered one of the main companies in this field and country,” he adds, “since we can offer an extensive range of products to our customers, from soft drinks to beer or water, as well as efficient performance and best practices in supplying the hotel channels, which is considered a backbone of the country’s development. “For that reason, it’s a pleasure and an honour to any professional in the beverage sector to work for The CocaCola System, especially when that partner is a consolidated company like Equatorial Coca-Cola.”

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Catching up

Chies last spoke to Africa Outlook back in October 2017 not long after he joined ECCBC Cape Verde, also known locally as Cavibel. Since then, many developments have gathered momentum and helped the firm become the driving force the GM refers to. These include the introduction of new products to its offering, chiefly in the form of low and zero sugar alternatives such as Coke Zero and Sprite Zero which have taken off in Coca-Cola’s staple markets of the USA and Europe.

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Another important focus for Chies has been the adoption of a circular economy way of working. “Circular economy is about looking beyond the current take-make-waste extractive industrial model,” he explains. “A circular economy aims to redefine growth, focusing on positive societywide benefits. It entails gradually decoupling economic activity from the consumption of finite resources and designing waste out of the system. Underpinned by a transition to renewable energy sources, the circular model builds economic, natural, and social capital.” Chies cites several ways in which ECCBC Cape Verde has adapted to this model, for example efforts to build incentives to support the development of more sustainable plastic collection and reuse systems. “We are working to drive concrete action and build incentives to support the development of more sustainable

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plastic collection and reusable systems. We are using our size, scale and convening power to make a difference, but this is not something we can do alone,” he continues. “It takes partnership. We are working with our peer companies, suppliers, bottling partners, NGOs, and local governments to create solutions in the areas where the need is greatest, and we can make a significant impact.” Another area of development over the past 18 months that Chies is eager to highlight revolves around ECCBC Cape Verde’s work in the community and improved CSR footprint, which is very important to the group’s sustainability agenda. Cavibel, as part of Equatorial Coca-Cola Bottling Company, has endeavoured to contribute to the achievement of a number of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) during the last years.

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“Our strengths have led us to focus on increasing the accessibility of clean water (SDG 6), improving health (SDG 3), empowering our communities – especially women – (SDG 4,5,10), and caring for our environment (SDG 13, 14, 15). So, Equatorial Coca-Cola Bottling Company focuses its sustainability strategy on four main pillars: water, health, empowerment and environment,” says Chies. In 2018 the company set up a partnership with MedShare and The Coca-Cola Foundation, donating around $200,000 each in medical supplies containers which will support the two biggest Cape Verdean hospitals for at least half a year. The action was part of the ShareHope programme that, since its inception, has distributed containers with medical supplies worth $1,800,000 to central hospitals in countries including Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea Conakry, Ghana and Gambia and Cape Verde. “Through our Let Your Eyes Enjoy!

project, we also brought a team of ophthalmologists and optometrists from the Elena Barraquer Foundation and Ruta de La Luz, two renowned Spanish visual health foundations, to Cape Verde,” adds Chies. “The specialists gave consultations to more than 1,500 people, carried out 401 cataract surgeries and donated 750 pairs of glasses to the community. These are amazing numbers that have never been achieved by a private enterprise in Cape Verde before and that shows our commitment with the citizens of Cape Verde and the daily life of our communities.”

Maintaining momentum

It is positive contributions like this that fills Chies with optimism for the future development of Cape Verde as a nation. Economic growth is estimated to have reached around 4.3 percent during 2018, supported by double digit growth in upcoming industries such as

tourism, a sector supported by ECCBC Cape Verde which is a key supplier to hotels and restaurants. Equatorial Coca-Cola is a key player within this scenario, as the company represents two percent of the country’s GDP and indirectly employs over 1,100 people. “The country has made significant progress over the last few decades in

economic and social development,” Chies says, “so we have a promising future ahead.” Asked about the objectives of ECCBC Cape Verde specifically, Chies responds: “We hope to have a more sustainable plant. I hope to develop our local talented team with improved professional skills as a result of all the process and educational training that we are investing in daily.” Equatorial Coca-Cola has a long history of partnering with local communities to create long-term value for a shared future, having collaborated with over 320 local providers and sponsored more than 2,000 cultural events. “We know the importance that our local communities have for our business. When they thrive, so do we,” Chies says, adding: “At Equatorial Coca-Cola, we are both proud of the work we are doing and aware that there is still much more work to do. “I hope to see the local economy growing year by year, driven by the tourism market, developing maritime infrastructure, and the creation and implementation of other policies to protect the national market – all things that are already happening and that can help us make things better both socially and economically.” The company has engaged in social projects that have impacted more than 50,000 citizens of Cape Verde within the last five years, something which Chies is proud of and determined to continue. “Our objective is to be a good employer, a responsible company respectful with the environment, a provider of a quality range of products to the consumers and a profitable organisation to the shareholders,” he concludes. ECCBC Cape Verde www.linkedin.com/ company/eccbc www.eccbc.com

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Breweries From turnkey brewing solutions to soft drink production expertise, Dematech is innovatively transforming the African beverage industry Writer: Jonathan Dyble Project Manager: Lewis Bush

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t is safe to say that there’s a growing taste for beer spreading across Africa. Despite the continent having the lowest per capita consumption of the beverage globally, currently only producing five percent of the world’s beer, expectation is that this will change in the coming years as consumers increasingly set their sights on the commercial sphere of beer. Driven by rapid population growth, increasing urbanisation and a broadly positive economic outlook across the region, recent research and forecasts are predicting that the African beer industry will continue to grow at roughly five percent per year for the foreseeable future, almost three times faster than the global average. This in mind, the continent is providing the perfect platform for prospective brewers to prosper, a platform that the beverage industry experts at Dematech are helping to support. A company founded in 1993 by Mario and Annemarie Delicio, two passionate and innovatively inclined entrepreneurs with an extensive understanding of the sector and its inner-workings, Dematech has become renowned as a turnkey solutions provider and a leading industry one-stop shop.

End-to-end solutions

For Dematech, craft beer brewing has continued to provide extensive growth opportunities, a key reason as to why the firm has established an expansive industry portfolio, providing in-house equipment and filling services through its Dema-Craft and Dema-Fill solutions. “Dema-Craft is a South African developed brewery solution aimed at craft brewers, in particular brewpubs, restaurants and taprooms,” the company explains on its website. “We offer our clients high-standard, quality services, test lines and single bottling machines and conveyor belts for various capacities.”

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From 350-litre brewing installations to the provision of semi-automatic bottle filling capabilities, Dematech has compiled a broad range of products since its inception that serve to bolster the ambitions of African brewers. Further, aside from its own-brand solutions, the firm actively collaborates with a broad network of industry specialists including Blucher, Argelith, SAP Italia, Bosch and other global brands to ensure that its clients have access to the best possible service. “Be it through one of the many agencies we represent or acting as a procurement provider, we can offer all products and services to the beverage industry,” the company reads on its website. “Whether you are looking for ingredients, single-piece equipment, a project manager, or a complete turnkey brewery or soft drink plant, Dematech can assist.” Operating in such a way, Dematech is able to go above and beyond to

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serve the needs of its customers across multiple industry segments.

Through cooperation and integration

The success of this collaborative, customer-centric model can be found in Dematech’s Technical Services, a business division that is defined by adaptability and collaboration. As part of this, Dematech actively works with Kosme, a leading packaging and beverage designing and manufacturing firm, enabling its clientele to leverage custom solutions. “The worldwide, young, flexible, highly motivated organisation will provide you with innovative solutions,” Dematech explains, referring to Kosme. “The company employs technical specialists that consult with customers and develop specific solutions for any application. “Kosme is a company that can provide you with competitive, reliable

THE DEMATCH PORTFOLIO Craft Brewing Service offering ranges from building turnkey craft breweries to providing customer solutions for any brewery need. Home & Pub Brewing Offers small scale brewing equipment, from 20-litre homebrew kits to the company’s locally developed Dema-Craft equipment. Soft Drink Plant Includes all solutions and equipment needed to start up, expand or service small to large scale soft drink plants. Beverage Development & Processing Assists with finding the best suited products, coupled with the most efficient beverage processing equipment. Raw Materials & Products Sources the finest raw materials and products for beer and beverage ingredients, resulting in top-quality end products. Technical Services Ensures that ongoing maintenance and servicing of brewing and beverage equipment remains seamless.

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FERMENTIS

ermentis is the Lesaffre business unit in charge of development, marketing and sales of innovative and qualitative products and services for the beer, wine, spirits and all other potable alcohol industries worldwide. Our mission is to create and deliver innovative and dependable Ferments and derivatives, offering sustainable technical solutions to the benefit of all stakeholders worldwide, becoming the obvious choice for brewers, winemakers and all producers of fermented beverages, helping them express their inventiveness and creativity.

www.fermentis.com

YEASTS & FERMENTATION SOLUTIONS

With E2U TM active dry yeasts, you can pitch directly or rehydrate; depending on your equipment, habits and feelings. We offer you the opportunity to make your life easier, and contribute to sustainability by saving water and energy. Any process you choose, we will be happy to ensure you the highest standards of quality, productivity and security. Discover all our solutions on www.fermentis.com

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and alternative solutions in the vast packaging and beverage industry.” Alongside this, the firm also readily collaborates with Global Network Keg Services (GNKS), a partner concept that has extensive expertise in keg-related services including cleaning, washing, etching, servicing and repair and rental. Much like Kosme, GNKS’s services equally complement Dematech’s portfolio, yet constitute just one small part of the firm’s extensive beverage industry service network.

Encompassing the continent

Remaining true to this approach, Dematech has delivered a multitude of successful projects for a range of its clients over the years, most recently evident in the firm’s work for South African firms Darling Brew and Jack Black Beer. On both these projects, Dematech was the turnkey provider for the entire facilities, supplying all of the breweries’

equipment that included the brewhouses, tanks, CIP, pasteurisers, packaging lines, drains and tiles, and necessary ancillary equipment. Further, working with Kaspar Schulz, another of its esteemed agency partners, Dematech was also involved in supplying Newlands Spring Brewing

Co. with a 20-hectolitre brewhouse, demonstrating the firm’s versatility and flexibility. Three projects based in South Africa, these make up just a slim portion of the firm’s wider successes and footprint that span across the entire continent. “Since its beginning, Dematech has had offices in numerous African countries,” the firm states on its website. “Today Dematech has two main offices in Cape Town, South Africa and Nairobi, Kenya with presence in several other locations including Ethiopia, Nigeria and Angola.” Fundamentally remaining a customer-first company, providing leading end-to-end services and impeccable after-sales attention, Dematech is perfectly positioned with this reach to continue to capitalise on the tailwinds of the world’s fastest growing beer market as it moves through 2019 and beyond.

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TRANSPORT Leveraging more than 30 years’ experience, Orange River Tankers continues to set the transit standard across SA’s wine industry

Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Josh Mann

hree and a half centuries on from the production of South Africa’s first bottle of wine, it is safe to say that national production of the grapebased beverage has accelerated

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monumentally in the years since. According to statistics from Wines of South Africa (WOSA), SA’s wine industry has maintained a compound annual growth rate of approximately 10 percent since 2003, with the country

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now home to over 94,000 hectares of cultivated vines producing wine grapes. This in mind, it is no surprise that the International Organisation of Vine indicates that national production

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exceeded one billion litres during 2017. With such vast quantities of wine created year on year, it begs the question; how does wine make it from vineyards to retail vendors? One such company that is

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operationally answering this is Orange River Tankers, a transport company with more than 30 years’ experience in the transportation of bulk wines and related products across South Africa. “Going back to the beginning,

Orange River Tankers started as a family business in 1981, set up by WHC Barnard to serve the agricultural industry in the Orange River region,” explains Arno Kock, Orange River Tankers’ joint Managing Director.

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“Since this time, the company has largely focused on the transportation of wines and grape juices, growing in tandem with the thriving wine industry alongside the Orange River.” Having joined the business back in 2003 when it was still owned by WHC Barnard, Kock has remained with Orange River Tankers throughout a majorly transformational period at the firm, namely through its rebranding following acquisition by Orange River Cellars. “During 2005 Barnard decided to retire and sold the company with 26 trucks to Orange River Cellars, which was the biggest client at the time,” the MD adds. “Thereafter I was promoted to the position of Financial Director, and during the past decade or so I have held numerous leadership positions, helping to refine the company’s strategic planning and development trajectory.”

Evolution and augmentation

16 years on from the completion of this acquisition and Orange River Tankers has continued to grow, now housing over 120 employees and 70 vehicles following a prolonged 10-fold expansion.

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A PASSION FOR TRANSPORT Orange River Tankers operates a large fleet of tankers and a number of tautliners superlink trailers that service its client base. The tanker fleet operates on a dedicated contractual basis, each custom-built with separate compartments and configured to provide specialised tautliner/flat-deck and tanker vehicles in order to meet unique customer requirements. Benchmarking itself against European standards, the firm has introduced ADR certified tankers for the transportation of dangerous goods. Further, Orange River Tankers’ vehicles are individually fitted with real-time satellite tracking, in-cab cameras and cell phone communications. These telematics investments allow the firm’s fleet managers to monitor driver behaviour and maximise productivity.

Throughout this period, the company has stayed true to its key philosophies – philosophies that Kock believes to be crucial in the success of the brand. “At Orange River Tankers we are committed to service excellence,” he reveals. “Our goal is to recruit, develop

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and retain above average people and always stay true to our core values. We aspire to never lose our passion, to go above and beyond when serving our customers and to make a positive impact in every person’s life we do business with.”

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Like good wines, good relationships get better with age. At FNB, we understand that every transport business is unique. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why FNB Insurance Brokers have been helping Orange River Tankers with tailored short-term insurance for over 20 years, and we look forward to helping them protect their business for many more years to come. It takes a bank that does more to help start, run and grow your business.

FNB Insurance Brokers A division of FirstRand Bank Ltd t/a FNB Insurance Brokers. An authorised Financial Services and Credit Provider (NCRCP20) Registration No: 1929/001225/06 FSP Licence No: 20081.

Employee engagement is a top priority for Orange River Tankers, be it through training or driver of the year awards

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Alongside the affirmation statistics, this expansion has manifested itself in a number of ways, including the opening of a new Orange River Tankers depot in the Western Cape, a region renowned as the focal point of SA’s wine industry. “The demand for the transportation of alcoholic beverages from the Western Cape to the north increased due to growing consumption in the Gauteng area,” Kock continues. “This provided us with the opportunity to further increase our market share – an opportunity we identified early and acted upon accordingly. “We decided to open a depot in Heidelberg Gauteng, 45 minutes from OR Tambo International Airport, to both capitalise on new business as more of our trucks began to run north, and equally to pursue new opportunities in South Africa’s neighbouring countries.” A key facility of Orange River Tankers, the Heidelberg outlet is one of three such ISO 22000 accredited

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In my eyes, we have no equal in the logistics industry on the African continent” depots that, combined, allow the company to serve the entire region.

Operational improvement

Alongside this emphasis on physical expansion, the organisation has equally sought to provide its staff with the opportunity to become educated to the highest level within South Africa’s logistics industry. In the face of the industry-wide skills shortages that many South African logistics companies struggle with, Orange River Tankers has introduced a skills development centre in collaboration with the esteemed Transport Education Training Authority.

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“Each of our truck drivers go through a well-developed selection process and only the best are selected for the 12-month NCPD (National Certificate in Professional Driving) learnership,” Kock reveals. In addition, Orange River Tankers ensures that each of its drivers undertakes an induction refresher on an annual basis, while the firm also runs its Driver of the Year competition – an event that both seeks to evaluate the knowledge, skills and attitudes of its drivers and promote awareness surrounding road safety. “I believe it’s important to create a culture and environment for development through learning and coaching, and we encourage all employees to take part in our skills development programmes,” Kock adds. “I’m captivated by the core values of Orange River Tankers and the culture in our company. We have a great management team and passionate employees together with nearly 40 years of experience in the bulk

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transportation of wines and related alcoholic beverages. These things give us an edge.” Focusing on continually bolstering both the performance of its employees and emphasising service excellence above all else, the company has been able to establish a number of longterm business relationships with a broad range of clients. “This attitude has contributed a great deal to the success of our business over the years,” Kock continues. “Developing and preserving relationships with our clients through good communication and honesty is of the utmost importance to Orange River Tankers.”

Making headway

Operating proactively is part and parcel of the Orange River Tankers culture, further evident in the firm being the first South African transport company to incorporate the new Iveco Stralis Hi-Way EEV into its fleet, a leading enhanced environmentally

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friendly vehicle. “For us, our planet, our clients and our profits are of equal importance,” explains the MD. “We recognise that the African continent is in many ways not ready for trucks with +Euro 5 emission standards, but we work to reduce our footprint and remain sustainable and responsible where possible. This is why we imported the first of three batches of Euro 5 emission standard trucks during 2014.” Moreover, Orange River Tankers readily focuses not only on maximising its potential through rapid expansion, but equally through maximising its efficiencies and cost effectiveness through inward critical improvement. Two prime examples of Orange River Tankers’ innovative outlook, these priorities, amongst others, will remain at the forefront of the company’s strategy moving forward as the firm looks to maintain its organic growth throughout 2019 and beyond. Kock concludes: “Our aim is to grow

our business at least two percent above transport inflation, reduce our operating costs with improved fuel efficiency and limit our maintenance cost. We will focus on less downtime and increasing payload per unit to reduce the impact of raising fixed costs on transport rates. “The current economic climate is harsh to say the least, but with our unique qualities, our commitment to service excellence and an in-depth knowledge of food safety, we hope to remain at the forefront of the transport industry. “In my eyes, we have no equal in the logistics industry on the African continent.”

Orange River Tankers Tel: +27 54 332 3107/8 info@ort.co.za www.ort.co.za

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Energiser A socially responsible and progressive clean power company, ACES is helping to tackle the continent’s energy shortages by developing transformative biogas, biomass and solar projects Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Callam Waller Our story began just over a decade ago. In 2007 my business partner Melvyn Antonie and I started investigating the clean energy industry, and when the property market underwent a huge meltdown in 2008, we decided to kick on with our renewables research.” Having spent much of his career in property development and management across Africa and Spain, Dave Kruger, now CEO of Africa Clean Energy Solutions Ltd (ACES), felt the full front of the 2007-2008 global financial crisis. However, unlike many at that time, Kruger began to strategize, viewing this as an opportunity rather than a burden.

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“As we evaluated the market, it quickly became evident that Africa in particular had a huge need for clean energy,” he explains. “Considering this as a business prospect, we realised that this would not only help to significantly improve people’s lives, but also provide the prospect of attractive returns for investors. “With the property industry very much in tatters, and with technology and skills in the renewables sphere rapidly progressing, it made sense to make the jump and become part of the launch of the ACES Group.” Set up in 2007 as a South Africabased energy solutions company, providing rooftop installations services to corporates , the ACES Group

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LEADERSHIP FOCUS DAVE KRUGER, CEO Kruger joined the ACES Board on formation of the company in 2007, becoming CEO four years later in 2011. Having transitioned from an extensive background in property development, Kruger now has more than 10 years’ experience in the renewable energy space, helping to complete numerous developments across Africa and oversee the group’s negotiations with business partners and governments in Africa.

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quickly expanded from these humble beginnings, breaking boundaries and moving into other countries off the back of substantial investigation and due diligence . An entrepreneurial story successfully realised, the ACES Group today stands as a key biomass, biogas and solar independent power producer in Africa, providing high quality end-toend solutions to governments, utilities, corporates and the wider industry, helping to tackle energy shortages across the continent. “Looking back over the past decade, considering where we are now and how far we have come, I would unquestionably do it all again,” Kruger adds.

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LEADERSHIP FOCUS MELVYN ANTONIE,

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Antonie joined the Board at ACES’s inception as an Executive Director. He brings vast experience and expertise to the role, standing as an admitted attorney with a Diploma in Banking from the Manchester Business School, and helps to oversee the company’s finances, responsible for securing CAPEX for projects. Small-scale solar projects are key to powering rural communities

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A social and economic stimulant

Established as such, ACES has amalgamated an extensive project portfolio across the continent, largely concentrating on small to medium sized plants that provide between five and 50 MW in power. Further, driven by a sound business mindset and progressive culture, many of these projects are fundamentally transforming local communities. One such example of this is the firm’s East London Biomass pilot project in South Africa – a social responsibility project situated along the Eastern Cape between Port Elizabeth and Durban that supplies electricity to the surrounding local community, largely for oven bread baking purposes. “Fundamentally, our mission is to own, construct, operate and sell the energy to the governments, utilities, corporates, industrial and mining companies,” explains Kruger, “but

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at the same time we aim to provide a strong and sustainable return to our investors, while also making a positive impact on people’s lives.” This socially responsible emphasis is equally evident throughout ACES’s construction process, with the firm similarly prioritising local partners in each of the countries that it operates in, often providing them with a minority interest in each of its projects. “Once we have completed the development stage, deciding the exact implementation of renewable technologies and its capabilities, we will appoint an EPC contractor who will be obliged to employ and train local people in the building and operations of a project,” states Kruger. “Further, after completion, we will provide permanent jobs for local inhabitants at each location. “Skills are always a challenge in Africa, and we do struggle with talent shortages working from this model.

ACES ensures local people are employed on its developments by contractor partners

Overseas projects are particularly popular

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AEC

EC has built an innate understanding in design and construction management in Africa through the execution of 300 MW hybrid and 210 MW PV solar projects. In the case of ACES Renewables’ Namibian projects, AEC was able to solve complex interface challenges by enabling optimised design and construction methodologies. Our commitment to ACES extended well beyond the EPC services by ensuring that both financial and land limitations was addressed to ensure project closure. This combined partnership approach ensured that the project could meet both their financial and technical requirements. T +27 12 004 0067 E info@autoconcept.biz

www.autoconcept.biz

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ACES PROJECTS IN DEVELOPMENT WHITE RIVER BIOMASS

Situated in Mpumalanga, South Africa, this project in development utilises biomass recovered from harvesting compartments and wood waste recovery from manufacturing plants. The wood-based biomass is then used in a boiler to power a steam turbine, in turn producing four MW of renewable energy.

UNERGY

Providing 20 MW of biogas, the Luweero, Uganda-based Unergy project uses grown energy crops to produce green energy for the grid. Energy crops produce gas through anaerobic digestion, gas that is then cleaned up and processed in a generator to produce electricity.

TANA BIOMASS

Located in Tana River County in Kenya, ACES’s Tana Biomass project is a hybrid biogas (10 MW) and solar (10 MW) project, using grown energy crops and the sun to produce green energy for the grid much like the Unergy project.

OKOTOPI VILLAGE, NAMIBIA SOLAR PV PLANTS

Reaching commercial operation in the next couple months, the Tandii Investments Solar PV Plant and NCF Energy Solar PV Plant are two five MW projects that leverage solar to produce renewable energy to the grid. Based in the Okotopi Village in northern Namibia, both are ground mounted solar PV utility scale power parks with 25 year power purchase agreements signed.

However, there is never a lack of willing and able people who are ready to be trained and given the opportunity. By merely providing them with such, we’ve found time and time again that trained locals quickly become able to operate plants once projects are ready for commercial operation, generally over a three to five-year period.” Its policy centred around engaging local people in this way, ACES is a crucial facilitator of economic and social upliftment in many rural areas across Africa.

Five years, 550 MW

Currently working on projects in South

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In this business, it’s so important to set targets that are realistic and achievable. We’ve definitely learned this over the years”

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Raising finance to continue rolling out projects is a key priority for ACES

Africa, Uganda, Kenya and Namibia, with further expansion slated for 2019 and beyond, Kruger is expecting a very active and busy 24 months ahead. “The first two of nine projects are switching on in Namibia in the next few months, while power purchase agreements in Kenya and Uganda are expected to be finalised in the first half of this year,” the Chief Exec explains. “In terms of financing these projects, we’re hoping to raise up to $35 million through equity contributions on the Stock Exchange, while loan funding negotiations are underway.” This, combined with the firm’s consistent and continual monitoring of

emerging industry technologies that will serve to make clean energy project development both more affordable and efficient, means ACES’s outlook for the coming year is measured yet optimistic. Kruger concludes: “In this business, it’s so important to set targets that are realistic and achievable. We’ve definitely learned this over the years. Decisions from governments and utilities in Africa take time to materialise and therefore planning effectively and having goals are equally important. “This in mind, over the next five years our aim is to develop 550 MW

of projects as set out in our strategy and target charter, taking into consideration all the challenges that come with the territory.”

Africa Clean Energy Solutions Ltd Tel: +27 11 530 9500 danielb@saces.co.za www.saces.co.za

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Dele Salami, Managing Director

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Innovate Health Insurance Driven by the market, its customers and a commitment to service excellence, Health Partners is redefining private healthcare financing across Nigeria Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Callam Waller

mid growing economic maturity and increasingly favourable demographics, health insurance throughout Nigeria continues to thrive more and more each year. With progressive development sweeping the West African nation on multiple fronts, some segments of society across the country have seen substantial improvement in their disposable income, a factor that has served to raise demand in private sector healthcare insurance. This in mind, Oxford Economics has projected that spending on private healthcare insurance across the country will grow at a rate of around six percent per year to $530 million by 2021, up from the $400 million recorded in 2016. A sector clearly on the up, one company poised to take advantage of the undoubted prosperity is Health Partners Ltd. A firm built on two decades of experience in the Nigerian healthcare industry, Health Partners initially began as a health management company, acting as a key enabler of institutional restructuring, recruitment, human resources development and the sourcing of funds amongst a broad depth of industry players. However, having seen some success from these beginnings, the Health Partners leadership took an executive decision to transform the company into a health maintenance organisation (HMO) in 2006, now providing managed healthcare insurance and services to many of Nigeria’s leading businesses. “At that point, it was seven years on from the company’s inception and the team recognised that the business had to expand,” explains Dele Salami, the firm’s current Managing Director and CEO. “Since the transition, our revenue has grown 15-fold and our customer base that previously constituted around 2,000 people now includes more than 85,000 people. “It’s really something we are very proud of.”

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Embodying excellence

Having joined Health Partners in 2008 as Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer at the height of this crucial period, Salami immediately began to play a key role in helping to power many of the overriding changes, setting the agenda and outlining company strategy. “Health Partners, as you would expect, was established by a team of doctors,” he explains, “and this was why I was brought on board. “I’d spent much of my career in human capital management, business development and marketing, so I was tasked with helping to provide a groupwide progressive plan, a plan that was implemented from 2009 onwards.” Largely overseeing the operational side of the business, the then ED/COO quickly identified the potential offered by the private sector of the healthcare insurance industry, a segment that quickly became a key focus of the business. As a result, today the company’s portfolio is made up entirely of private sector clients that span a vast range of industries, encompassing anything

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from construction specialists to financial services players. “Because of this specific focus we may look somewhat smaller than other healthcare insurance companies,” Salami adds. “However, it is this streamlined approach that allows us to gain maximum efficiency and value from our operations. “For us, it’s all about quality, not quantity.” This ethos filters down throughout Health Partners, allowing the firm to differentiate and remain a pioneer in what is a somewhat saturated market. Salami continues: “We’ve been working with many of our customers for over 10 years, not only meeting their expectations but surpassing them. “The success of businesses in our industry who focus on the public sector are subject to many external variables, things like administration changes. Ours on the other hand is largely dictated by our own service and subsequent reputation – something we’ve managed to establish in a positive light. “Ultimately, it’s about treating the

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customer like a king,” Salami adds. “After all, we are in the business of caring for people.”

Providing the platform

This personal approach, evident in the firm’s esteemed customer-centric strategies, can equally be found in its employment and staff retention strategies. With the intent of avoiding a high-staff turnover, Health Partners’ internal structure is very much geared towards providing its people with both opportunities and responsibilities, providing the perfect platform for both career-based and personal progression. Salami reveals: “What do we do differently? We invest in our people and allow them to grow. It’s not always about money – people don’t stay in their job long-term because of money. It’s about valuing staff and encouraging them to take part in key decision-making activities through emphasising employee involvement.” The results of this are clear to see, with approximately 20 percent of the firm’s current staff having remained with Health Partners since it became an HMO 12 years ago. “We listen to our employees’ aspirations and goals,” Salami continues, “and try as best as we can to provide them with freedoms to achieve. Some of our workers, for example, want to attend school and so we give them the option of flexitime so that they can do so.” Further to this, the company invests heavily in both internal and external training programmes that even extends to sending promising individuals to business school. These things combined, Health Partners’ structure serves to ensure that its top-performing staff remain within the organisation, again helping to maximise operational efficiency and service excellence.

CLINICS • Antenatal and Gynecology Clinic • Children’s Clinic • Resident Physiotherapist • Resident Dietician • Consultant Physician • Psychiatrist • Gastroenterologist • Cardiologist • Neurologist • Dermatologist

SERVICES • Physiotherapy • Dietician consultation • Immunizations • Optical/Optometry • Ambulance Services • Ultrasound Scanner • Mammogram • Echocardiography • In-patient Pharmacy • ECG

We are committed to providing excellent medical services both in preventive and curative healthcare. In a bid to achieve a near complete healthcare delivery, we have brought together many specialist clinics to cater for all categories of patients and clients. Head Office: 62 Stadium Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria 2348063661668, 2348129917699 | info@stmartinshospital.com www.stmartinshospital.com

Technological leverage

Today a Nigerian healthcare insurance stalwart, the company is keen to ensure that it maintains this status by remaining ahead of the curve and capitalising on industry growth moving forward. To this end, the organisation has already begun placing emphasis on the importance of technology, having been investing in the implementation of a new information technology system that will serve to link buyers, hospitals and companies. “Just look at Tesla,” Salami states. “They’re driving change in the automotive industry through the extensive use of new technologies. The healthcare industry, meanwhile, is moving at a similar pace, so equally we have to grow and adapt in line with technological development in order to excel. “There are certain problems with this in Nigeria in the way of skill shortages, but we are actively

addressing this through our training programmes and investments.” Such challenges are not a new feat for Health Partners, again evident in the fact that 2019 will be an election year in Nigeria, something that Salami expects to create significant turbulence and economic uncertainty. However, remaining true to Health

Partners’ unrivalled ethos and driven by its values, the Chief Exec is anticipating substantial improvement for the year ahead. He concludes: “I’d have to say our main challenge for the coming months is adapting to the market as required and remaining flexible in the face of any of this. “Doing so will allow us to continue to grow as we expect and bolster our margins by hopefully as much as 20 percent. However, even if we fall short of these ambitions, we’re nonetheless expecting to see improvement in our returns through the wider implementation of technology and continual expansion of our practices.”

Health Partners Ltd Tel: +234 700 004 7466 www.healthpartnersng.org

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Fuelling Malawi’s Development Petroda Malawi is nearing 20 years of operation and continues to supply petroleum products to consumers and commercial enterprises across the country Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Josh Hyland

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he last decade has seen Malawi ready itself for economic development thanks to the implementation of important economic and structural reforms, moves which have resulted in a period of much needed sustained growth. A relatively new democracy, the country is basing its development strategies on five-year plans, the latest covering 2017 to 2022 with the next elections set for May this year. While these political and economic structures are establishing themselves, the landlocked nation is still very much underdeveloped, an economy reliant on agricultural activity and vulnerable to external shocks.

OILCOM: PETRODAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PARENT Petroda is solely owned by the Nahdi family, who have established several OMCs under the trading name of OILCOM. The company is headquartered in Dar es Salaam, the capital of Tanzania, and has expanded operations into Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, Kenya, the DRC and in Malawi through Petroda. As well as retailing fuels and other petroleum products like lubricants, OILCOM engages in transport services through its fleet of more than 400 tankers and also supplies aviation fuel at major Tanzanian airports. Moreover, the Petroda brand has been expanded into other countries, for example in Zambia (from 2005) where it has built and runs several retail outlets and depots.

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Encouraging progress has been made in the realm of human development with promising trends seen in life expectancy and fertility rates, although poverty and inequality present a challenge which economic diversification needs to solve. Access to fuel will play a vital role in spreading any such development. Malawi is home to several oil marketing companies (OMCs), enterprises which ensure both domestic consumers and commercial organisations are able to purchase petroleum products and keep themselves mobile. Petroda Malawi commenced operations as the country’s fifth OMC in 1999. It is has grown steadily over the years and now manages a network of around 30 refuelling stations and

three depots, selling refined white petroleum products and motor vehicle lubricants to customers nationwide. Its major storage bases can be found in Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital city, and Blantyre in the south of country. The company operates several filling stations across both of these cities, with around half of its network found in the surrounding, more rural areas. As well as retailing quality diesel, petrol and paraffin fuels, Petroda also sells engine oils, transmission oils, industrial oils, heat transfer oil, cutting oil, greases for automotive and industrial applications, brake fluid and many other types of lubricants. Commercial customers can benefit from the PETRODA Petrol + card, an account-based system which facilitates the purchase of all products and services across the Petroda network.

AUTO & TYRE LIMITED

uto & Tyre Limited, Malawi is a subsidiary of Carbon Retail Limited, a pan-African tyre retail and distribution company, with operations currently spanning Zambia, Malawi, DRC Congo, Mozambique, Nigeria, Cote D’Ivoire and Sudan. We are one of the largest distributors of Sumitomo Rubber Industries in Africa, a manufacturer of Dunlop, Falken and Sumitomo tyres. Our company’s vision is to become Africa’s most admired, technologydriven tyre retail and distribution business. Our tyre shops aren’t just in the business of fixing and selling tyres, they are also the place customers rely on when they need to get back on the road efficiently and reliably. A car is a lifeline for those who need to commute to jobs, transport kids to school or conduct their day-to-day business. By emphasising and continuously improving customer service practices, we turn our customers’ purchases and repairs from a hassle into a reassuring experience, ensuring that they always come back to us when an essential part of their daily routine breaks down. We also educate our customers on tyre maintenance and safety through regular workshops geared especially towards transporters, minibus drivers and owners, enabling them to get the maximum life and safety out of the tyres they use. We have state-of-the-art tyre fitment Xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx centres in each of the countries that we operate, all equipped with the latest equipment and operated by highly trained technicians. Our endeavour is to provide good quality tyres at a reasonable price with excellent tyre related services to all our customers, ensuring customer delight.

T +265 997 301607 E santhosh@atlmalawi.com E santhosh.pp@carboncorp.net

www.carboncorp.net

Xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx

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Companies can set limits on spend and keep track of purchase data, the cards also coming with unique pins and security settings to counter any possible fraudulent activity. Supplying the network of stations are Petroda’s branded fleet of fuel trucks and tankers, vehicles which distribute petroleum products all over Malawi and neighbouring countries. Virtually all of these transported fuels and lubricants derive from imports, and the development of a national oil

producing industry carries the potential to dramatically transform the way in which the country’s OMCs operate. Early signs are promising. Exploration work carried out last year in Malawi’s stretch of the oil rich Great African Rift Valley has unveiled high prospects for discovery. At the moment the area is divided into six prospecting blocks with companies such as Efora Energy, Hamra Oil, RAKGAS and Pacific Oil and Gas all active participants.

PETRODA MALAWI’S VISION AND MISSION Petroda Malawi has been a mainstay in the country for almost 20 years, operating under the guidance of its stated vision and mission. VISION: To provide excellent and quality service to our customers and adequate returns to the employees, shareholders on the capital employed based on sound business values. MISSION: To be the leading marketer of petroleum products in Malawi.

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Petroda Malawi’s major storage bases can be found in Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital city, and Blantyre in the south of country. However, half of its filling stations can be found in the rural areas surrounding these major hubs

So far phase one work has involved desk studies, surveys conducted by aircraft, seismic surveys, geomapping and environmental impact assessments. Once the latter is complete, the door will be open for exploration wells to be drilled. If drilling results prove positive, the country may then be able to reap some benefit in the not too distant future.

Branching out

A significant diversification strategy has seen Petroda Malawi expand into the real estate sector, an industry which is currently experiencing mixed fortunes according to a 2017/18 report by Knight Frank. While demand for large office space is slowing and industrial output is estimated to be at 50 percent of capacity, there are some promising trends identified by the study. For example, smaller, more flexible office space is seeing an uptick in popularity and Knight Frank also states

that traditional high street retailers “continue to thrive”. Further, while industrial production is low, demand for warehousing facilities continues to be relatively strong. This paints a promising picture for the likes of Petroda Malawi, which continues to invest in real estate across the country. The company owns several stateof-the-art commercial buildings in the major cities like Lilongwe and Blantyre. Some of these are currently being occupied by international organisations and agencies from national governments and the European Union. Investments like this will help to ensure the longevity of the business and shield it against fluctuations in oil prices which have the potential to greatly impact its operations and profitability. With a stated mission to be the leading marketer of petroleum products in Malawi, in future years this may well be revised to include more of a multidisciplinary ambition.

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The foremost technology-focused mining event in South Africa

EVENT DETAILS WHEN: 7-8 March WHERE: Johannesburg, South Africa WEBSITE: www.miningtechafrica.com

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MININGTECH AFRICA is a strategic mining conference and exhibition dedicated to the role of technology in the mining sector. For the inaugural edition, it is expected to bring together 200 attendees from 15 countries to South Africa. Ministers, mining companies, technology firms, investors and service providers travel from all over Africa, Europe, Asia, North America and the Middle East for two days of partnering, networking and business matching in Johannesburg. As one of the world’s leading mining countries, South Africa is the ideal location to attract mining companies, technology companies, investors and their partners from across the entire region.

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At the conference, various topics such as key technological issues disrupting and innovating the mining sector, insights on the mining landscape, challenges for technology implementation in African mining and other topics will be discussed. MiningTech Africa will bring in top notch business thought leaders to share their insights with the delegates. The conference will also provide plenty of networking opportunities through roundtable discussions and a cocktail drinks reception. Besides the conference, the exhibition also provides a great opportunity for mining technology, equipment and services companies, miners and governments to expand connections, launch new products and forge new business partnerships. Special rates are available for advanced registration and more information on MiningTech Africa as well as registration details can be found at www.miningtechafrica.com. MiningTech Africa is organised by Spire Events (Singapore) and is part of the global MiningTech Series that has successfully spanned across Latin America, Africa and Australia. More details on the latest global conferences can be found at www.spire-events. com.

TECH 7 - 8 MARCH 2019 | Johannesburg, South Africa South Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading technology focused mining Conference & Expo

HIGHLIGHTED SPEAKERS VINAY PRAKASH

CEO- Mining and Trading Adani Enterprises

BLESSINGS RAMOBA

Founder and President Mining Forum of South Africa

DUANE PARNHAM

Chairman Broadway Gold Mining, Canada

Take Advantage of our Special Offer to Attend and Exhibit Today! Contact Mahesh at +65 6717 8500 or mahesh.babu@spire-events.com Organised by

miningtechafrica.com Follow us on social media MiningTech

MiningTech

SPIRE EVENTS MiningTech Conference

A F R I C A

E N E R G Y

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O F F

E V E N T

EVENT DETAILS WHEN: 27-29 March WHERE: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia WEBSITE: www.aef-offgrid.com

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Pooling power for disconnected communities ENERGY NET is delighted to host its third edition of the Africa Energy Forum: Off the Grid (AEF: OTG) alongside our Regional Energy Co-operation Summit: East (RECS: East) annual meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with the full support of the Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Energy of Ethiopia. ‘Africa Energy Forum: Off the Grid’ is the off-grid themed extension of June’s Africa Energy Forum (AEF), which leverages the networks of the largest global investment meeting for Africa’s power, energy and infrastructure sectors.

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The theme ‘A Sustainable Role for Mini and Off-Grid Solutions in African Energy Ecosystem’ focuses on updates on off the grid project development and innovation across the continent. In this light, this part of the event is being hosted in Ethiopia and will lend its support to the country’s government in its national electrification objectives by bringing off-grid and mini-grid solution providers from across Africa together to empower disconnected communities. Visit the website for further details or email us marketing@energynet. co.uk for any enquiries.

OFFICIALLY ENDORSED BY

Africa Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Energy, Ethiopia

OFF the

GRID

CO-LOCATED WITH:

MINI & OFF GRID SUMMIT

27-29 MARCH 2019

INNOVATION - WOMEN - ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN PARTNERSHIP WITH:

OFFICIAL ENDORSING PARTNERS:

STRATEGIC PARTNERS:

SPONSORS:

OFFICIAL PARTNERS: OFF-GRID:

MINI-GRID:

All readers of Africa Outlook are entitled to an exclusive 10% off on registration. Email marketing@energynet.co.uk using the code RECAO10.

www.aef-offgrid.com | OGS@energynet.co.uk

R E G I O N A L

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C O - O P E R A T I O N

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S U M M I T:

E A S T

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Raising the profile of East Africa energy infrastructure

EVENT DETAILS WHEN: 27-29 March WHERE: Addis Ababa, EthiopiaÂ WEBSITE: www.east-africa-summit.com

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ENERGY NET is once again delighted to host its 3rd edition of the annual Regional Energy Co-operation Summit: East (RECS: East) alongside the Africa Energy Forum: Off the Grid (AEF: OTG) in Addis Ababa, held with the full support of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Energy of Ethiopia. RECS: East is a project-focused summit that offers national and regional public sector stakeholders, developers, IPPs, EPCs and financial institutions a platform to openly discuss the evolution of regional anchor projects and business

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opportunities in energy and infrastructures projects in East Africa and beyond. The summit also provides space for private meetings to discuss investment opportunities with energy leaders in the region. Visit the website for further details or email the event organiser at marketing@energynet.co.uk for any enquiries.

OFFICIALLY ENDORSED BY in partnership with

Africa Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Energy, Ethiopia

27-29 MARCH 2019

ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA

in partnership with

MINI & OFF GRID SUMMIT

official endorsing partners

strategic partners