Africa Outlook - Issue 31

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CONTINENT

On the

Move

Barclays’ Corporate Banking CEO, John Winter analyses the role of Africa’s sleeping giants in driving future trade opportunities

EMRC OVERVIEW 12 Dissecting the continental economic outlook on the eve of AFIF 2015

FUCHS SOUTHERN AFRICA 66 A foremost supplier of ultra-high quality lubricants

MRE SOUTH AFRICA 80 Cool, calm and collected growth continues in 2015

GRANDE CÔTE OPERATION 128 ERAMET and MDL steers TiZir’s Senegalese project towards international prosperity

AFRICA OUTLOOK ISSUE 31 FEATURING: AON KENYA | BENTEL ASSOCIATES INTERNATIONAL | RETAIL CONGRESS AFRICA

BICS delivers best-in-class international voice and roaming solutions to telecommunication operators worldwide.

With 15 years of experience in Africa providing its comprehensive and innovative suite of solutions, BICS continues to be the preferred partner of Africa’s mobile operators.

www.bics.com

W E L C O M E Banking on Continental Trade Potential

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EDITORIAL

“Various nations across Africa increasingly present major economic opportunities given growing consumer markets, relatively under-developed natural resources and widespread political and economic reforms.”

CONTINENT These are the words of Barclays’ Chief Executive of Corporate Banking, John Winter, who brings with him Barclays’ Corporate Banking CEO, John Winter the role of Africa’s sleeping giants in invaluable experience at the helm of one analyses driving future trade opportunities of the world’s most influential financial institutions, as he analyses the trade potential of “a continent on the move”.

Winter believes that, amid global influences and domestic economic trends, Africa should focus more on broadening its focus, capitalising not only on the hotspots of South Africa and Nigeria to drive continental trade, but also tapping into the “sleeping giants” of Ethiopia, DRC, Mozambique, Tanzania and Kenya in the years to come.

The latter nation is also the focus of our leading company showcase this month, as Barclays once again takes centre stage and we evaluate the business’s role in the country’s ongoing economic rise on the continent.

Aon’s influence in Kenya’s financial domain is also explored this month, while KPC rounds off what is sure to become a familiar saturation of Kenyan industry success stories in our profile segment over the coming months.

Our second core focus this September is manufacturing, with industry insight and business prominence covered at both ends of the issue.

Nick Crasner’s indictment of Africa’s silicon savannah kicks-off proceedings as he analyses the sector’s role in generating wealth, and is complemented by the likes of Pienaar Bros, Aliboats and MRE South Africa as examples of businesses currently exploiting said economic potential.

Habot Oil and Fuchs Southern Africa add to the exposure as two of the world’s leading manufacturers in the lubricant domain; once again emphasising the continent’s industrial influence on the global stage.

Elsewhere, we round off the issue with an always concerted foray around the remaining industry stalwarts; comprising an overview of Bentel Associates, CMM Property Group and GPM Services as construction representatives; Lesedi Nuclear Services in the energy space; and United Pharmaceutical Distributors bridging the Matthew Staff healthcare-supply chain gap.

Editorial Director,

On the

Move EMRC OVERVIEW 12 Dissecting the continental economic outlook on the eve of AFIF 2015

FUCHS SOUTHERN AFRICA 66 A foremost supplier of ultra-high quality lubricants

MRE SOUTH AFRICA 80 Cool, calm and collected growth continues in 2015

GRANDE CÔTE OPERATION 128 ERAMET and MDL steers TiZir’s Senegalese project towards international prosperity

AFRICA OUTLOOK ISSUE 31 FEATURING: AON KENYA | BENTEL ASSOCIATES INTERNATIONAL | RETAIL CONGRESS AFRICA

Outlook Publishing

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Enjoy the issue!

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BARCLAYS BANK OF KENYA Kenya’s ‘Go-To’ Bank Helping people reach their ambitions

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AON KENYA Knowledge without Borders

Gathering global expertise to deliver local solutions

MANUFACTURING

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HABOT OIL Keeping the Cogs Turning

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PIENAAR BROS. Hands-on Approach to Safety

Educating South Africa in the long-term benefits of fully synthetic oil

International PPE brands at locally competitive prices

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NEWS

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EMRC OVERVIEW Finding the Key to Africa’s Macroeconomic Growth

All the latest top stories across the month from Africa

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FUCHS SOUTHERN AFRICA Lubricants. Technology.

People.

A foremost supplier of ultra-high quality lubricants

Dissecting the continental economic outlook on the eve of AFIF 2015

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BARCLAYS REPORT Unlocking the Trade Potential of a Continent on the Move

CEO, John Winter analyses Africa’s sleeping giants in driving future trade

S E C T O R

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MANUFACTURING Africa’s Silicon Savannah Taking advantage of a key wealth-producing engine in Africa

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ALIBOATS Enjoying Life on the Water

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MRE SOUTH AFRICA Tip of the Iceberg

The friendly aluminium boat people

Cool, calm and collected growth continues in 2015

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

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BENTEL ASSOCIATES INTERNATIONAL (BAI) Landmark Architecture in Africa and Beyond

Capitalising on the infrastructure boom in emerging markets

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CMM PROPERTY GROUP Total Service Solution in Property Consultancy

MINING & RESOURCES

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Fostering good relationships in Africa and beyond

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GPM SERVICES Building Relationships with Honesty and Integrity Striving for market leadership on an international scale

GRANDE CÔTE OPERATION GCO Ramps-Up for Record-Breaking Production

ERAMET and MDL steers TiZir’s Senegalese project towards international prosperity

T E C H N O L O G Y

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TIGO CHAD At the Centre of Chad’s Digital Transformation Turning exciting, innovative ideas into real, digital lifestyle opportunities

SHIPPING & LOGISTICS

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BOTSWANA RAILWAYS Seamless Logistics Solutions

Trans-Kalahari project could change the face of rail transport in Botswana

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KENYA PIPELINE COMPANY International Expansion in the Pipeline Transforming lives as one of Kenya’s first state-owned international operators

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SOLEWANT NIGERIA LIMITED Commitment to Quality

Providing end-to-end protection of oil & gas assets

ENERGY&UTILITIES

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H E A L T H C A R E UNITED PHARMACEUTICAL DISTRIBUTORS Delivering Healthcare Across a Broadening Footprint

F O C U S

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WEX AFRICA 2015

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WORLD SUSTAINABILITY CONGRESS

LESEDI NUCLEAR SERVICES Powering and Empowering South Africa

A turnkey EPC leader placing quality as the name of the game

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E V E N T

Working with industry leaders to meet the growing demand for water, energy and sanitation

‘If Not Now, When...?’ is the theme as awareness is raised across the globe’s business leaders

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RETAIL CONGRESS AFRICA

Bringing together 300 domestic and international retailers to analyse the growth market of the future

Business agility paves the way for future expansion

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TECHNOLOGY

Facebook Grips the African Continent During the Mobile Revolution It has been more than a year since Facebook launched Internet.org to many African nations, and monthly active users of the social media site are on the rise as mobile penetration grows on the continent

acebook has shared new statistics revealing that 2.2 million Kenyans use Facebook every day and 4.5 million each month, while 7.1 million Nigerians use Facebook daily and 15 million are active every month.

What’s interesting is that almost all of these people are coming to Facebook on a mobile device, with 100 percent of Nigerian monthly users and 95 percent of Kenyan

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monthly users accessing the social media site from their mobile devices.

The statistics follow the recent announcement that Facebook’s active user population in Africa grew 20 percent to 120 million in June 2015, up from 100 million in September, 2014. More than three quarters of these people access Facebook from their mobile phones and these users represent more than half of all those connected on the continent.

Nunu Ntshingila, newly appointed Head of Africa at Facebook, commented on the figures: “At Facebook, we have a saying that we’re only one percent done, and this couldn’t be truer for Facebook in Africa. I’m only just beginning this journey, and I’m already incredibly inspired by the power of connection; from the smallest moments to fostering global conversations. Everyone on Facebook has a story, and I can’t wait to hear the stories from Kenya and Nigeria firsthand.”

Ntshingila continued: “The mobile revolution is not a trend; it’s the fastest adoption of disruptive technology in the history of communication. It’s also an incredibly personal device regardless of where a person lives or how they connect; and businesses need to reach people where they are, not where they were, in an authentic, personal and relevant way. I look forward to spending time with businesses across Africa to understand how we can work together.”

Facebook recently opened its first office in Africa to further the Company’s commitment to help businesses connect with people and grow locally and regionally. The new office is the next step in furthering Facebook’s investment in Africa and its people. The team in Africa plans to initially focus on East Africa, West Africa, and Southern Africa.

Ari Kesisoglu, Facebook’s Regional Director for MEA, said: “We are committed to creating solutions tailored to people and businesses in Africa. We continue to spend time with businesses to learn about how we can work together to create better, more flexible and less fragmented ways for businesses to reach people in Africa.”

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Infrastructure and Migration: Prevention vs.

Reaction In what has been coined the worst migration crisis in Europe since the end of the Second World War, hundreds of thousands of migrants from the Middle East and Africa have flocked to Europe in seek of help.

According to the African Infrastructure Development Partnership (AFIDEP), through investment in infrastructure, many of the issues driving the migrants to flee their home countries could begin to be resolved. While this is certainly not a fix-all solution, it is a good start. Because when there are no economic opportunities at home, the risk of losing one’s life on the

Investment in African infrastructure could begin to improve the migrant situation

journey to Europe becomes worth it.

“By promoting infrastructure initiatives on the African continent, we can begin to address the roots of poverty, thus commencing the long journey to wide-scale social and economic improvements across

ENTERTAINMENT

Digital Fuels Growth in SA’s Entertainment Industry After more than a decade of digital disruption, the African entertainment and media industry has entered a new landscape, one where the media is no longer divided into distinct traditional and digital spheres. This is according to PwC’s Entertainment and Media Outlook 2015 - 2019.

The report forecasts that South Africa’s entertainment and media industry is expected to grow from R112.7 billion in 2014, to R176.3 billion in 2019, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.4 percent. Digital spend is expected to fuel the industry’s overall growth.

Moreover, South Africa’s internet access market will rise rapidly from R32.5 billion in 2014 to R76.2 billion in

Vicki Myburgh, Entertainment and Media Leader for PwC Southern Africa

2019, far ahead of any other consumer spend category, making it the largest contributor to South Africa’s total entertainment and media revenues.

Vicki Myburgh, Entertainment and Media Leader for PwC Southern Africa, said: “This year’s Outlook shows

African countries. The construction, maintenance and development of large-scale projects require a vast number of staff. But how can we ensure that investment will produce beneficial results? This is where we turn to public private partnership (PPP) and build, operate, and transfer (BOT) models,” said AFIDEP. In October, AFIDEP will hold a global convention in Zurich, Switzerland to address the issue head-on. Speakers from around the world, including delegates from the African Development Bank, will come to make a case for PPPbased development in sub-Saharan Africa and the world at large. The conference invites investors, project owners, industry experts, and government officials to meet in one unified location.

For more information visit: www.afidep.com. consumer demand for entertainment and media experiences will continue to grow, while migrating towards video and mobile…Consumers are choosing offerings that combine an outstanding and personalised user experience with an intuitive interface and easy access. This includes shared physical experiences like cinema and live concerts, which appear re-energised by digital and social media.”

Aside from the internet, the outlook predicts that the fastest growth will be seen in video games, business-to-business and filmed entertainment. “But it is internet access itself that is acting as a driver of revenues in video games and film, creating new revenue streams by making over-the-top/streaming or social/casual gaming viable to more consumers and thereby cancelling out physical falls,” added Myburgh.

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Africa Mining Summit to be Held in Turkey in November

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Africa Real Estate Growth is Being Powered by Rapid Urbanisation A growing consumer middle-class, powered by rapid urbanisation and shifting demographic trends, is driving both property demand and growth opportunities in the real estate industry across the African continent, says Standard Bank.

“Increasingly, both foreign and local investors are seeing the growth potential of Africa, spurred by rising consumer spending of Africa’s developing middle class,” said Gerhard Zeelie, Head of Real Estate Finance (Rest of Africa) for Standard Bank. “Economic growth and ongoing investments in infrastructure are opening up previously inaccessible markets.”

Some of the key African countries that are realising opportunities for real estate investment include Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique and Zambia. “Although lower commodity prices had impacted on growth forecasts for some of these countries, there is still a shortage of quality real estate assets,” Zeelie noted.

However, investing in Africa is by no means a one-size approach; the first step is understanding that each market has its own specific dynamics and opportunities.

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Istanbul is to host the first Africa Mining Summit on 25-26 November, 2015, with the theme ‘Africa: Towards Better Mining Practices’.

Organised by GRV Global Ltd in collaboration with The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources in Turkey, the Summit will bring together African ministers in charge of mining as well as high profile CEOs and thought-leaders in the industry; development partners, financial institutions, technology providers, experts from the private sector and national sectors, among others.

“The Summit is aimed at introducing African state representatives to practical solutions that tackle the challenges

facing the mining sector. Industry leaders gather in recognition of the urgency of the Summit as Africa is at the stage of building its infrastructure on both a national and regional scale. Africa Mining Summit is geared towards achieving a sustainable future for Africa,” the event organisers explained.

For more information, visit: www.africaminingsummit2015.com

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African Brokers Key in Commercial Insurance Space With tough market conditions providing little opportunity for growth, commercial insurers are starting to focus on brokers at the more profitable end of the market, either through niche products, or by working with regional community brokers who typically know their clients better, resulting in more profitable business.

According to the recent white paper, while 51 percent of SMEs are still using brokers for their commercial insurance needs, 28 percent are likely to switch at their next renewal date, with more than half of microenterprises set to use aggregators.

“All of the factors covered in the

Clinton Brown, SSP Business Development Manager

report are leading to a more digital commercial landscape, which mirrors the transformation that is taking the personal lines world by storm. We’re seeing different buying behaviours from consumers who are more aware of the need for cost-effectiveness coupled with transparency, ease of doing business and faster turnaround,” commented Clinton Brown, SSP Business Development Manager.

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SHIPPING & LOGISTICS

Reinhardt Technology Research Preps VTOL Aircraft for 17-Country Journey

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Centurion Law Group Opens Cameroon Office Centurion Law Group is continuing its pan-African expansion with the opening of an office in Cameroon’s largest city and wealthiest business hub in Central Africa, Douala.

Centurion will extend to clients a range of services in all its practice

areas, including arbitration and commercial litigation, corporate and finance law, labor and employment, and oil & gas. The office represents the first move by an international law firm into Cameroon.

The Douala office will be staffed with eight lawyers from Cameroon with academic and professional credentials from North America, the UK, France, Nigeria and Cameroon.

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Remco Building Systems Reaches 100,000m² Milestone Since 2010, Dutch construction Company, Remco Building Systems has completed around twenty projects in Nigeria, the DRC, Gabon, Senegal and Rwanda, breaking through the milestone of 100,000 square metres of commercial premises in Africa with its latest order for four buildings in Ethiopia.

Jan van Vulpen, Managing Director of Remco Building Systems said: “Due to our broad and internationally-minded approach, we are in an excellent position to achieve further growth over the next few years. With large projects in Cameroon and Morocco on our

Reinhardt Technology Research Ltd. (RTR), as featured in July’s issue of Africa outlook, is preparing to launch a 60-day multi-country journey with its 1:4 scale model of a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, the TU 523. The project comes on the heels of ever-increasing interest from African countries in RTR’s latest commercial transportation ventures.

The epic trip around 17 countries will focus on the western regions of Africa and is set to reach the final destination of Cape Town at the end of its journey.

RTR plans to set off in the spring of 2016.

Nigeria and Angola Emerge as Oil & Gas Production Hubs

radar, we expect to have passed the barrier of 200,000m2 in Africa in the next five years.”

According to new analysis from Frost & Sullivan, Nigeria and Angola present attractive growth and operational expansion opportunities for manufacturers in the offshore oil & gas paints and coatings market. With raw material availability and local manufacturing capabilities catalysing production and supply lines, the two countries are rapidly emerging as the African hub for the offshore oil & gas paints and coatings market.

The market earned revenues of $675.1 million in 2014 and estimates this to reach $1,131.4 million in 2019. The applications covered in the study are offshore oil & gas facilities, dry docks and fabrication yards.

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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 165,000 people across the continent, bridging the full range of industrial sectors: mining; oil & gas; logistics; resources; manufacturing; construction; engineering; technology; food & drink; retail; finance; and healthcare.

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.

W W W. A F R I C A O U T LO O K M A G . C O M Tel: +44 (0) 1603 959 650 Email: ben.weaver@outlookpublishing.com

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Finding the Key to Africa’s Macroeconomic Growth With 2015’s Africa Finance & Investment Forum on the horizon, EMRC’s Ines Bastos addresses one of the key continental trends set to be discussed, with the private sector and SMEs earmarked as potential game-changers Writer: Ines Bastos, Senior Programme Manager, EMRC

ccording to OECD/AfDB forecasts, Africa should grow to levels close to the ones reached before the 2008/09 global economic crisis. In fact, considering the current predicaments that have befallen Africa - such as the Ebola epidemic, a drastic drop in oil prices and uncertain global conditions - the continent’s growth levels have not dropped accordingly, but are getting closer to levels witnessed before the financial crisis.

Africa’s GDP growth is expected to go up to 4.5 percent in 2015 and five percent in 2016 but there is obviously still a high level of uncertainty about the future, especially in African countries that are vastly interconnected to economies

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that don’t have such promising growth rates.

But nonetheless, we are witnessing some positive trends; the most important one being the international development community’s willingness to finally regard the private sector as a critical and essential player in ensuring the African continent’s sustainable future.

The past couple of years has seen an increase in the number of international financial institutions (IFIs), development financial institutions (DFIs) and foundations that are moving away from simply offering aid and looking to fund business opportunities. This simple change in attitude can bring important and fundamental medium and longterm results to the private sector.

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At EMRC, we strongly believe in the power of Africa’s private sector, as we see it as an engine of sustainable and inclusive growth. SMEs in particular play an instrumental, but often underrecognised role in private sector growth.

The rise of the SME sector across Africa is essential. When considering the economies of high-income countries, SMEs are responsible for more than 50 percent of GDP and upwards of 60 percent of employment. However, in developing countries, SMEs represent less than half of that; 30 percent of employment and 17 percent of GDP. Many African economies are

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built around a large number of microenterprises and large companies with the SME sector lagging far behind.

The main reason for this is that SMEs face obstacles in obtaining financial capital for growth and expansion.

Local, traditional financial systems do not sufficiently provide the solutions to the needs of small and medium businesses.

As Dirk Harbecke, CEO, ADC (African Development Cooperation) highlighted in 2014: “Efforts to develop the financial sector in Africa should focus on enhancing depth, access, efficiency and stability.

“Few banks engage in long-term lending and bank balance sheets tend to be dominated by short-term deposits,

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Over the past several years EMRC has initiated countless forums and B2B sessions

resulting in an unmet demand by small and large corporations alike for credit lines longer than a 12-month term.”

Belief in the African market

Although historically SMEs have lacked access to financial products - particularly longer-term debt instruments and financial services there is an increasing consensus that the SME market can be a profitable segment to banks and others sources of finance.

By employing a range of measures such as risk adjusted pricing, credit scoring models and SME-tailored nonlending products, banks are slowly but

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surely developing ways to mitigate risks, lower costs and increase their revenues from SME banking.

Over the past several years EMRC has initiated countless forums and B2B sessions to ensure that sound SMEs hailing from Africa can access investors and financial institutions that are ready to finance a sector which was until recently still considered risky.

By showcasing innovate solutions and alternative sources of finance that allow the mitigation of the Missing Middle gap, a resounding number of international partners, financial institutions and leading experts have partnered with us to highlight the needs to support and develop this part of the private sector.

Every year with our “Africa Finance

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G R O W T H

& Investment Forum” EMRC brings together all ‘those’ that in our opinion can contribute to the development of a “sustainable private sector”. We put together on the one hand the “responsible” investors, the DFIs, the IFIs, the Foundations, and Family Funds that are looking at projects to invest and work through local intermediaries to stimulate capital provision to SMEs. And on the other hand, African projects are also introduced to for-profit investors from all over the world that have the funds, but are not getting good return on their investment in the “North” and are willing to get introduced to good projects.

Nowhere is this more effectively showcased than during the

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Entrepreneurship Award, which presents to an international audience a select number of African-based entrepreneurs who have established innovative and successful local or regional enterprises.

Their stories are most often based on their own personal belief in the African market. Over the years, each and every African entrepreneur when addressing the AFIF audience has clearly stated that it is also about time that the rest of the continent and international community believes in the rise and importance of local enterprises. An increase in local and strong enterprises means an increase in jobs and incomes.

The next step forward

Providing pragmatic platforms for discussion and for business-matching is one of the many interventions that can be made to reduce the gap in access to finance. Other more structural changes need to be done and this includes: improving the right business environment and for that, governments and public sector are key to the discussions; and the promotion of regional integration and south-

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‘Emphasis should also be placed on the qualities of entrepreneurship, which is slowly happening, with the likes of US President Barack Obama giving a keynote speech at the 5th Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2015 held in Nairobi’

south/north-south relations.

For this interconnected global economy to work, international and regional conventions need to be strengthened, otherwise all the efforts in making African SMEs grow will not work.

Emphasis should also be placed on the qualities of entrepreneurship, which is slowly happening, with the likes of US President Barack Obama giving a keynote speech at the 5th Global Entrepreneurship Summit 2015 held in Nairobi, implying that this is the next step forward for Africa’s economies.

As seasoned African entrepreneur, Allon Raiz, Founder and CEO of Raizcorp- which offers business support services and entrepreneur programmes to South African start-ups - says: “The three fundamentals that I have learnt about entrepreneurship in Africa are; entrepreneurship is on the rise, and it’s become very important – part of the zeitgeist of Africa, infrastructure and skills are the key inhibitors of growth in Africa, and infrastructure and skills are the greatest opportunities (both sides of the same coin).”

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UNLOCKING THE TRADE POTENTIAL OF A CONTINENT ON THE MOVE

Unlocking the Trade Potential of a Continent on the Move Barclays’ Corporate Banking CEO, John Winter analyses the role of Africa’s sleeping giants in driving future continental trade opportunities Written by: John Winter, Chief Executive Corporate Banking, Barclays

resident Obama’s heralding of Africa as a continent ‘on the move’ highlights a region characterised by economic growth and where business is playing a positive role in lifting millions of people from poverty.

Various nations across Africa increasingly present major economic opportunities given growing consumer markets, relatively under-developed natural resources and widespread political and economic reforms.

‘On the move’ also works as a description for improvements in trade across the region. Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in particular has made major inroads into market openness. East Africa, to provide a clear example, is well-established as a bustling trade hub with Kenya at its heart.

Yet it is also clear that progress is not uniform across the region, with the World Bank estimating that, on average, it takes 54 days, 10 documents

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John Winter

Barclays’ Corporate Banking CEO

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and costs nearly $8,000 to import a single container into the Republic of the Congo, compared to 21 days, six documents and $2,080 for a similar container into South Africa.

The region as a whole has also experienced a major shift in terms of trading partners, with the conventional narrative of trade with Africa in recent years being a story of major investment

by Asian trading partners.

The region received 19 percent of its imports from Asia in 2004, but this had risen to 32 percent by 2013. Other

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trading partners across the Middle East, the UK, Europe and the US are keen to become more involved; look no further than President Obama’s trade visit and the renewal of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) as evidence.

Much of this interest is directed at South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria as SSA’s three largest economies, but SSA is much bigger than these three giants and, as evidenced by the Republic of Congo example, not only does the ‘size of the prize’ in terms of market

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opportunity differ, but so does its ease of access in the form of physical infrastructure and softer enablers of trade such as tariff policy, border management and access to mobile networks and internet services.

With a potential slowdown in China refocusing attention on SSA’s future growth and trading partners, Barclays has studied trade openness and market opportunity across SSA to provide a comparative perspective on the opportunities ahead. The research demonstrates:

Sub-Saharan Africa is characterised by the potential of five sleeping giant economies

Ethiopia, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana and Tanzania have significant potential with young and growing populations, under-developed natural resources and a future that we believe will boast steadily rising incomes, growing middle classes and much-larger and more sophisticated consumer markets.

Within the next five years,

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UNLOCKING THE TRADE POTENTIAL OF A CONTINENT ON THE MOVE

‘Unsurprisingly, Nigeria and South Africa dominate the continent from a size perspective, but spin this around to consider market openness alone and a different perspective appears’

these five countries will represent a population larger than the United States and today enjoy rates of economic growth that, over the past decade, have rarely been seen outside of China.

Yet this is a story of potential. Clearly these markets are not yet as large as in countries such as Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria. However, many of the barriers to trade even within the DR Congo are relatively soft; tariff policy, corruption, border controls. The hard work of infrastructure development is well underway. Increased political will is needed and, if the launch of the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) is a guide, then this political support will be forthcoming.

Akosombo Hydroelectric Power Station on the Volta River in Ghana – an example of the region’s growing and developing infrastructure

The size of the prize; market opportunity does not always correlate with trade openness

Unsurprisingly, Nigeria and South Africa dominate the continent from a size perspective, but spin this around to consider market openness alone and a different perspective appears.

Nigeria appears in spot twelve, significantly behind other SSA nations such as Botswana, Zimbabwe or

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Senegal. These nations may not be as attractive from a sheer size perspective, but the ease of doing business changes perceptions.

It’s clear that Nigeria gets through in spite of trade policy and infrastructure, not because of it. In order to achieve a higher level of trade openness, Nigeria will need to address a range of business environment factors while investing more heavily in transport networks and power provision.

Kenya and South Africa by contrast set an example to follow. Countries such as Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe essentially support South Africa’s trade policy and logistics offer to mutual benefit.

Kenya meanwhile benefits as a hub for the East Africa region, with the region as a whole now enjoying relatively strong border administration and relatively high-levels of formal regional trade; still a novelty across much of sub-Saharan Africa.

Infrastructure remains absolutely pivotal to trade

SSA has significant potential with its young and growing populations

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SSA still suffers from a hard infrastructure ‘gap’ particularly in terms of transport and energy. The

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index shows Southern African states are leading the way, but the greatest progress over the past decade has arguably been seen in East Africa with both regions now developing planned multimodal transport investment such as the fast growing transport link across the Ethiopia to Djibouti Corridor; the North-South corridor running from the Tanzanian port of Dar es Salaam; the Nacala corridor linking the DR Congo, Zambia and Malawi to the port of Nacala in Mozambique and the Beira corridor linking the Mozambique port of Beira with its interior and landlocked countries of DR Congo, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi.

Yet the research also shows that soft infrastructure such as border controls and customs processes matter almost as much.

The trend is for less resourcedependent states to have better developed border administration, with Benin and Senegal outperforming on market accessibility. A related trend is the development of special economic zones such as those across Ethiopia, Mauritius, Nigeria and Zambia and the growth of one-stop border posts, where neighbouring countries share customs procedures such as between Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The future; new hotspots present an untapped opportunity for foreign investors

What then for the future of subSaharan Africa and trade? Undoubtedly wider global forces such as the likely Chinese slowdown will impact the rate of progress. Yet, the fundamentals are sound; growing populations, emerging consumer markets and investment into both physical and soft trade infrastructure.

Unlocking this market opportunity will take time, but it’s clear that market openness across the region varies dramatically. For now, traders with an interest in Africa would do well to broaden their focus; South

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The fast growing transport link across the Ethiopia-Djibouti Corridor

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32% 2004

19% Asian imports

Africa, Nigeria and Kenya will remain hotspots, but investing now in the sleeping giants of Ethiopia, DR Congo, Mozambique, Kenya and Tanzania may present future growth opportunities.

Rapidly developing consumer markets are not only increasing the size of the market opportunity but the opportunity is also becoming more accessible, thanks to continued progress in improving soft and hard infrastructure.

Air transport is a notable highlight with a growing number of connections transforming the air connectivity of key markets. Ethiopia, for example, now has links to 33 African destinations and Kenya has 35, both well ahead of South Africa’s 26.

Africa is evidently a continent on the move and nowhere is this more evident than in improvements in trade openness.

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Africa’s Silicon Savannah Manufacturing plays a crucial role in wealth creation, but success in developing the sector in Africa has proved elusive. That’s about to change, argues Nick Crasner Writer: Nick Crasner, CEO, Crasner Capital anufacturing is a key wealth-producing engine in any economy, and Africa is the world’s second-largest and second most populous continent.

One could therefore reasonably expect a large African workforce to be the driving force behind the wealth of the continent and the future of its economies. Yet there are big challenges, and we need to take a clear-eyed account of them while looking at the opportunities.

Very few economies have been able to develop independently, and accumulate wealth, without a burgeoning manufacturing industry; and there is a direct link between high export levels and economic success. Development of a strong manufacturing industry will therefore be pivotal in Africa’s success.

Africa produces only 1.5 percent of the world’s total manufacturing output, contrasting starkly with 21.7 percent in the Asia-Pacific region, 17.2 percent in East Asia and 22.4 percent in North America. Manufacturing accounts for only a quarter of exports from sub-Saharan Africa, again, in contrast to Asian manufacturing, which once more tops the scale at around three-quarters of exports.

Moreover, fewer than one in 10 African workers hold a job in the manufacturing sector and according to a 2012 report by the World Bank, ‘Performance of Manufacturing Firms in Africa’, the manufacturing sector accounted for only 13 percent of GDP in sub-Saharan Africa, a smaller share than any other area, bar the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

Harnessing Africa’s potential

Undeniably, Africa’s vast population of more than 1.2 billion people provides a ready market for the strong manufacturing it has the potential to develop. Increasingly, investors are re-evaluating this African consumer market, especially consumer-related manufacturing industries. Particular success stories are the automotive sector in South Africa, the leather business in Ethiopia, the Lesotho garment industry and pharmaceuticals throughout East Africa.

Several issues face the manufacturing sector on the African continent; problems not only with the labour force and infrastructure, but also conflict, corruption and instability.

Large hurdles such as these tend to deter the long-term capital necessary for the progress of manufacturing on the continent.

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Throughout Africa, labour has very low productivity compared to rates elsewhere, a direct result of relevant skill shortages owing to poor education levels. According to a KPMG report entitled ‘Manufacturing in Africa 2014’, the small economies of Gambia and Madagascar are best-rated for productivity, followed by Rwanda, Kenya and Mauritius; while South Africa, Namibia, Egypt and Algeria are at the lower end of the productivity scale.

In South Africa, this is mainly down to the political power of trade unions.

Various initiatives are underway across the continent to improve education.

However, we may have to await a new generation to assess their effect.

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Developing infrastructure

Infrastructure, in the form of roads, electricity and access to a reliable supply of water are also vital for the development of the manufacturing sector. According to the ‘Quality of Transport Infrastructure’ index, which forms part of the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Index, only 10 African countries are ranked in the top half globally. Further, only five are ranked in the top half for ‘Quality of Electricity Supply’.

Thus, while South Africa has the best roads on the continent, its lack of reliable electricity is a huge problem, particularly since November 2014 when Eskom, the public power supplier,

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reintroduced a countrywide schedule of load-shedding to relieve excess pressure on generating plant. This resulted in mines and factories reducing output, while external capital sources pulled back on foreign direct investment.

Yet utility provision is improving in certain parts of the continent. Ethiopia, the DRC, Cameroon, Zambia and Mozambique have vast hydropower plans, while Nigeria is in the process of privatising its power sector and Ghana is completing a gas processing project that will take the strain off the electricity sector, which has seen shortages.

More broadly, the age-old barriers of conflict, corruption and instability must

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be addressed to encourage investment in manufacturing and with them the needless bureaucracy that inevitably stifles job creation. These are the responsibility of African governments themselves. In Nigeria, for example, the government has taken the initiative and curtailed imports in cement and used vehicles, and this has led to a rise in domestic manufacturing of cement and automotive assembly factories.

High transport and input costs, patchy infrastructure, low labour productivity, duties and bureaucracy are all obstacles to be overcome if Africa is to create a successful, sustainable manufacturing sector. Yet, there is good reason for optimism.

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‘Undeniably, Africa’s vast population of more than 1.2 billion people provides a ready market for the strong manufacturing it has the potential to develop’

International investors

From talking to business leaders and officials in Africa, I believe there is a growing awareness of the need to address these issues head on.

Meanwhile, some of the more dynamic international operators are staking their claim. The US conglomerate, General Electric is building a $250 million plant in Nigeria to manufacture electrical gear. In Madagascar, the New York-based chocolatier, Madécasse is adding to its 650-strong workforce by turning raw Madagascan cocoa into up-market, wrapped chocolate bars. Multinational retail companies such as H&M and Primark have recently been sourcing much

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more of their material from Ethiopia.

Other forces are working to create a more dynamic and inclusive business environment, with huge implications for Africa and its future generations. On the technology front, the phenomenal success of the mobile-phone based money transfer and micro-financing platform, M-Pesa in East African countries such as Kenya and Tanzania has opened the door for technological manufacturing enhancements in the future.

Africa’s Silicon Savannah

The $14.5 billion Konza project outside Nairobi, also known as

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‘Africa’s Silicon Savannah’, is expected to create 20,000 jobs by 2018 and 200,000 overall within the next 20 years. This is a great chance to adapt a fast-developing US/European urban model and make it succeed in an African context.

In addition, small and medium businesses continue to take advantage of their local manufacturing surroundings all over the continent. In Pietermaritzburg, South Africa‘s Truda Snacks, a local corn and maize snack company, has thrived by manufacturing a lowcost product of reasonable quality using local ingredients, with high bulk density and low shelf life, in the

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process tackling competition from Asia head-on.

The World Bank has suggested that more than 80 million manufacturing jobs could migrate from Asia to Africa in the future; assuming African labour productivity continues to rise and Asian wage pressures increase. This prediction is already taking substance in Uganda, where the average cost of manufacturing has already begun to fall as a result of improved infrastructure and more relaxed global export barriers.

Africa is winning over financial investors too, such as the UK fund manager, Terry Smith. Launched

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Nick Crasner

CEO, Crasner Capital Nick has almost a decade of experience advising institutional investors, management teams and boards of companies in Africa on complex crossborder investment banking transactions.

in 2014, his Fundsmith Emerging Equities Trust is backing consumer staple stocks including, East African Breweries, Famous Brands, Fan Milk and Nigerian Breweries. The investment trust’s weighting to Africa is higher than most emerging market funds, with South Africa its biggest bet on the Continent, followed by Nigeria, Kenya and Egypt.

Growth potential

Lesotho provides a strong example of what can be achieved by adopting a strategic approach to developing a vibrant manufacturing sector.

A landlocked country of two

million people within South Africa, it generates 100 times that country’s exports of apparel to North America on a per capita basis. Lesotho made foreign direct investment attractive by putting the necessary rail and distribution infrastructure in place.

For the foreseeable future, the services sector will still generate more wealth and jobs in Africa than manufacturing. However, if Africa takes a comparable path to that of India, which for two decades has boomed on the back of services while steadily building its manufacturing sector, now could be the ideal time to explore the growing potential of manufacturing on the continent.

He is CEO of Crasner Capital, a leading corporate finance and investment banking firm with coverage across subSaharan Africa with offices in London, Lagos and Dar es Salaam. Along with his team, Nick has worked on deals across a number of high-growth sectors in Africa.

He is also Founder and Managing Director of NC Partners and is on the boards of various other companies.

Nick read Economics and Politics at the School of Oriental and Africa Studies (University of London). He speaks fluent English, French, and Indonesian and has lived and worked in the UK, Belgium, Indonesia, Swaziland, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

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is a leading business-to-business publication promoting and showcasing the leading companies across an array of sectors on the continent.

Appearing in both digital and print, the publication is aimed at boardroom members and hands-on decision makers, reaching more than 165,000 business executives.

Each month we feature leading companies and business executives by profiling their operations and success stories. Covering areas of best practice, capital investments, the supply chain, innovation and continuous improvement, we aim to promote all that is good about the industry and the region, with your company taking centre stage throughout it all.

Producing business profiles across the full range of sectors and every corner of the continent, Africa Outlook is the platform to promote your business success.

Read on for this month’s profiles.

Emily Jarvis, Deputy Editor emily.jarvis@outlookpublishing.com

If you want to enjoy the exposure and coverage we can offer, please feel free to contact us to discuss the opportunity further.

Tell us your story and we’ll tell the world.

Matthew Staff, Editorial Director Tel: +44 (0) 1603 959 655 matthew.staff@outlookpublishing.com

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‘Go-To’ Bank Barclays Bank of Kenya is on the verge of celebrating its 100th birthday, commemorating the occasion with a host of new services and digital upgrades to bring prosperity to an ever-growing customer base Writer: Matthew Staff • Project Manager: Callum Philp

s Barclays edges towards its centenary in the Kenyan banking domain, the globally renowned business continues to innovate, expand and upgrade as it retains its concerted focus on enriching as much of the country as possible.

As a major global financial services provider, the Barclays name is a household one in the majority of the developed world; spreading its engagement in personal banking, credit cards, corporate and investment banking, and wealth management to more than 50 countries around the globe.

With the vision and purpose of helping “people reach their ambitions”, the culmination of 300 years’ expertise and history continues to generate

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largely unrivalled levels of service offering and customer satisfaction as the Company continues to “move, lend, invest and protect” money for customers and clients worldwide.

The 140,000-strong global workforce is further testament to the prominence that Barclays has in the industry at large and, for countries like Kenya - which can still be classed in some cases as an emerging market - the benefits that stem from housing such an internationally powerful business is clear for all to see.

With 122 branches at present, and 300 supporting ATMs, Barclays Kenya boasts the biggest network in the country among its peers, with much of its expansion occurring in the past eight years; a 50 percent increase taking place since 2007.

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G4S KENYA LIMITED

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4S is the leading global, integrated security company, specialising in the provision of security solutions in over 120 countries and over 620,000 employees.

Drawing on more than 100 years of history, we are proud of our distinct culture and strong values that guide how we conduct our business.

We work to safeguard the welfare and prosperity of millions of people worldwide – helping to create safer and better environments in which people operate.

“Barclays Bank of Kenya is one of Kenya’s leading financial solutions providers with a history spanning nearly a century in this market,” the Company emphasises. “The Bank’s mission is to help people achieve their ambitions in the right way in order to prosper and the Bank’s ambition is to be the ‘go-to’ bank for all its stakeholder communities.”

Most prestigious bank

With a history spanning 99 years, the Company has outlined its plans for significant expenditure and further expansion to celebrate its 100-year anniversary, but this certainly isn’t a rare occurrence for Barclays Bank of Kenya who has invested heavily in the country for the entirety of its existence in the country.

With the aforementioned scale of presence bridging urban and rural communities, the 800,000-strong customer base makes Barclays one of the country’s largest banks; a factor compounded and maintained as a consequence of its vast service portfolio.

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At G4S, we believe that in every security challenge, there is an opportunity to unlock hidden benefits.

Barclays Bank of Kenya is one of Kenya’s leading financial solutions providers with a history spanning nearly a century in this market

We draw on our global resources in logistics, technology, risk consultancy and project management and our experience of managing the world’s largest force of security personnel in diverse regulatory environments across 6 continents.

As a result, our customers are able to better protect their critical assets, generate extra revenues, reduce costs and deliver an enhanced service to their customers.

T +254 711 042 333/555/999 E info@ke.g4s.com

www.g4s.co.ke

G4S Kenya Limited is the local subsidiary of G4S Plc. the leading global integrated Security Company, specializing in the provision of security services and solutions to customers.

Our mission is to create material, sustainable value for our customers and shareholders by being the supply partner of choice in all of our markets.

G4S Kenya has been in operation for 47 years, operating in over 120 locations with over 15,000 employees.

Manned Security Risk Management & Consultancy Event Security Secure Journey Management Asset Tracking Security Systems Secure Data Services Facilities Management Fire & Rescue Services Secure Logistics Cash Management

www.g4s.co.ke | +254 711 042 000 / 999 | +254 (0) 20 698 2000 / 2999

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Covering banking segments across “retail banking, business banking, corporate and investment banking, treasury advisory services and markets, Barclays has furthermore played a pioneering role in the local financial services sector as well as on the socio-economic front”.

Compartmentalising the Barclays offering even further and the range of products and services available to all demographic of customer is just as comprehensive as any western market, standardising the reputable Barclays portfolio across the board where possible.

Inevitably, regional trends and regulations are adhered to throughout this offering, but the core areas living beneath the aforementioned banking umbrellas are all present.

Supporting the staple current and savings accounts is a cast comprising loan options, a mortgage centre, a host of credit card offerings, business banking opportunities, and of course, electronic banking which represents the most rapidly developing of the divisions.

Such rapidly developing elements can take place in a matter of months for companies of Barclays’ size and subsequent flexibility, as the Bank explains: “The first half of this year saw the Bank enhance customer experience through the rollout of new products and enriched digital channel functionalities, installation of new intelligent ATMs and reduced service time at the branches through an improved queue management system.

“As a result, the Bank has received various awards such as the most prestigious Bank in Kenya, best retail Bank in Kenya and best product in Africa (Zidisha).”

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Enhancing customer experience

The foundations had already been laid for the positive start to 2015 via a 2014 which saw significant increases across all financial KPIs. Key highlights for the year included net operating income increasing to KES 28.3 billion against KES 27.9 billion in 2013; a six percent reduction in operating costs as a result of effective cost management; a six percent increase in loans and advances to customers; and the net nonperforming loans rate standing at 3.5 percent as a consequence of strong risk management.

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REGENT MANAGEMENT LTD

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egent Management Limited, Regent Valuers International (K) Ltd & Regent Estates Limited are members of the Regent Group East Africa and were incorporated in Kenya in 1995.

Regent is now a well established full service property consultancy operating at the forefront of the Kenyan property market. The Company has acquired an excellent reputation and the trust of a number of the country’s leading property owners.

Regent has offices in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda, with plans to expand to other capitals in the East African region.

As one of the most respected and reputable property firms in the country, we have the resources and capability to value, sale/let and manage all types of properties of whatever size, complexity and location.

Ultimately, our goal is to be the real estate solution providers of choice in the East African Region, and plan to achieve this by offering the highest quality of services in real estate consultancy using the most current technology and human resources.

T +254 2 2734900/2724545 E info@regent-mgt.com

www.regent-mgt.com

Your professional Real Estate Solutions Provider

Estate Agency & Real Estate Consultancy • Leasing of commercial and residential property • Development consultancy, feasibility study and property market research studies • Acquisition and disposal of development sites and properties

Property Management

Real Estate Valuation

• Management of Commercial Portfolios (shops, offices & industrial properties)

• Valuation of land, buildings, plant, machinery, equipment, farms and plantations

• Management of residential portfolios (Block of flats, furnished apartments, stand alone units & holiday homes/villas) • Common Area & Facilities Management • Asset management and strategic planning services

• Valuation for company share flotation/ privatization and accounting • Asset Valuation, Counting, Tagging and preparation of Asset Registers

• Project management

Regent Group Head Office Regent House, Upper Hill Road P. O. Box 79487-00200, Nairobi.

Tel: +254 2 2734900/2724545 Fax: +254 2 2724540 info@regent-mgt.com

www.regent-mgt.com Regent Estates Limited, Kampala Office Kisozi Complex, Off Nakasero Lane, P. O. Box 79487-00200, Nairobi.

Tel: +254 2 2734900/2724545 Fax: +254 2 2724540 info@regent-mgt.com

Regent Group Mombasa Office Social Security House, 5thFloor P. O. Box 43213, Mombasa.

Tel: +254 020 2146415 Fax: +254 041 2226884 regentmgt-msa@kenyaweb.com

Regent Group Nakuru Office Tradeworld Building, P. O. Box 3857, Tel: +254 051 2211989 Fax: +254 051 2211898 info.nakuru@regent-mgt.com

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“We have dedicated a significant portion of resources over the past two years towards improving our systems and diversifying our product portfolio in order to provide end-toend financial solutions and enhance our customer experience,” Barclays Bank of Kenya’s Managing Director, Mr Jeremy Awori said following the results’ unveiling.

Additionally, customer deposits stood at KES 165 billion, a nine percent year-on-year rise, while a strong capital and liquidity position was also maintained. A 10 percent increase in pre-tax profit was reported, amounting to KES 12.3 billion for the year, once again representing a

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notable increase from KES 11 billion recorded in 2013.

Driving such fiscal development for what is evidently already a marketleading Company is no mean feat and emphasises the scale of capital investments and strategic moves that Barclays involves itself in each year to remain fresh, modern and attractive as a banking proposition in Kenya.

For 2014, this notion also incorporated a host of new products and services to support the future growth of not just the Company itself, but of its customers and partners as well.

“We have introduced new revenue generating streams such as bancassurance, SME, fixed income

METROPOL

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etropol Corporation Limited started its business in Kenya in 1996 as a correspondent of Dun & Bradstreet International (D&B) for the East African market covering Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi.

Today Metropol is licensed in Kenya and Uganda as a Credit Reference Bureau (regulated by the Central Bank of Kenya and Bank of Uganda). Metropol is also licensed in Kenya and Rwanda as a Credit Rating Agency and is regulated by the Capital Markets Authority in Kenya and Rwanda. The company’s capabilities in ratings, credit reporting and analytics continue to deepen through continues research and customer linkages that provide comprehensive data bases that facilitate various analyses. The company now provides Credit Bureau services to Banks, Micro Finance Banks, MFIs, SACCOs and trade credit providers. In the credit rating area, the company provides comprehensive industry research and analysis, SME ratings and corporate ratings in collaboration with GCR. Other services include Business Information Reports; debt management, training, outsourcing, credit audits, feasibility studies, review, and preparation of project and funding proposals.

Metropol has established global partnerships in the area of ratings with Global Credit Rating (GCR) of South Africa. GCR provides Corporate ratings in Africa and other emerging markets; Global Credit Solutions in the area of debt management with over 120 partners in over 100 countries; and Metropol is a member of the Asiagate Group comprising of 18 APAC countries for the exchange of Business Information Reports. Other partnerships include Credit Insurers like Ducriour Del Credere in Belgium, African Trade Insurance. These global partnerships enable Metropol to provide comprehensive and customised solutions to its customers across East Africa.

As a result, the company now lies on the crest of a unique opportunity to extend its innovative products and services in the credit and capital markets. The Metropol Group’s strategic positioning and depth of capabilities are designed to achieve high profitability and market leadership in Kenya and the rest of the Eastern African region.

The Group plans to attain significant market share as it expands its operations into the rest of the African continent.

T + 254 20 268 9881 Barclays Kenya has revamped mortgage products and asset-based financing to attract customers

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www.metropol.co.ke

Metropol was established in Kenya in 1996 as a business Information and credit management company.

In 2006 Metropol partnered with GCR to provide credit rating services that enable corporates to raise capital and meet their financing needs. Metropol is also licensed by the Central Bank of Kenya to provide Credit Reference Bureau (CRB) Services to ALL banks in Kenya. Our CRB services leverage full-file credit information sharing and alternative data sources from MFIs, SACCOs, HELB, Utilities, Mobile phone companies and providers of goods and services on credit to help customers improve their access to finance and increase the credit providers’ capacity to lend profitably to more customers.

AN ASSET TO YOUR BUSINESS

Metropol Corporation 13th Floor, Hazina Towers, Monrovia Street, Nairobi Tel.: +254 202250696

Metropol CRB Head Office 1st Floor, Wing A, Shelter Afrique Centre, Upper Hill, Longonot Road, Nairobi Tel.: +254 202689881, +254 727413733 , +254 732774666

www.metropol.co.ke

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trading, investment banking and stock brokerage; and revamped existing businesses such as our mortgage offering and asset-based financing to support future growth,” Awori added.

“We have managed to keep our cost income ratio stable year-on-year, despite the significant investments which we have made to set up new businesses, rollout new systems, enhance existing technology and acquire key talent.”

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Commitment to growth

Moving into 2015 and the Bank has picked up where it left off, making significant investments into a number of new revenue streams in order to build upon the success of recent years and to further capitalise on a population eager to embrace the very latest digital solutions.

The aforementioned mortgage centre and bancassurance has been complemented in the first half of the

We have managed to keep our cost income ratio stable year-on-year, despite the significant investments which we have made to set up new businesses, rollout new systems, enhance existing technology and acquire key talent

LIQUID TELECOM

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iquid Telecom Kenya connects 10 flagship Barclays banking halls to free Wi-Fi

Barclays Bank of Kenya customers will be the first in the country to be able to access free Wi-Fi in their banking halls, thanks to a new installation by Liquid Telecom Kenya.

The Sh7.6m project has seen Wi-Fi installed into banking halls at 10 of Barclays Bank of Kenya’s flagship branches in Nairobi, and its head office.

The free Wi-Fi offers speeds of 2Mbps and is part of Barclays’ investment in value added services for its customers.

The bank is also keen to increase customers’ exposure to its online banking options.

“We are setting up Wi-Fi at the branches to enable our customers to discover what services they can access online so that they can then carry out their banking wherever they are,” said Barclays Bank of Kenya.

Among the Barclays branches being connected in the first phase of connections are Moi Avenue, Queensway, Hurlingham, Westlands, Sarit Centre, Village Market, Yaya Centre, Barclays Plaza and Muthaiga, all within Nairobi and set in the city’s most vibrant commercial districts.

“With the Wi-Fi project, we’re helping Barclays differentiate the customer experience by being the first bank in the country to offer free access to the Internet via a free connection in its halls, something they view as really important for their customers,” said Ben Roberts, CEO at Liquid Telecom Kenya.

T +07891 3557895 E info@liquidtelecom.com

www.liquidtelecom.com Nairobi, Kenya

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Connectivity without borders Africa’s super-fast fibre network

Liquid Telecom run Africa’s most advanced fibre optic network spanning borders throughout eastern, central and southern Africa. We’ve built where no fixed network existed and now connect people and businesses with super-fast fibre, into Africa and across the world.

Building Africa’s digital future www.liquidtelecom.com

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SYBRIN

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t Sybrin we take pride in our ability to supply innovative, market-leading solutions.

Everything we deliver is based on our specialist, first-hand knowledge of the global payments, information, and document management industries. Sybrin focuses exclusively on developing, implementing, and supporting end-to-end systems providing the optimum delivery of business solutions to our customers.

We market and deploy our solutions through our own sales force, as well as via our growing Business Partner Network. Our service offering includes system design and architecture, implementation and integration, as well as specialised custom software development.

www.sybrin.com Barclays mortgage centre is yielding positive results

year with a new Asset Finance Centre of Excellence, as well as an enhanced push into agribusiness as a new revenue stream in order to boost its overall balance sheet growth.

“The launch of the Barclays mortgage centre in the first half of 2015 is already yielding positive results for the Bank,” stated Awori during the Company’s latest quarterly report.

“As of June, the value of mortgage applications recorded was almost double what the Bank recorded during the whole of 2014.

“On its part, Bancassurance, although still in its nascence, is showing great promise and we expect that it will be a major contributor of our non-funded income line within the next two-three years.”

“The Bank is also rolling out a robust SME strategy to enable it to play a bigger role in the development of this important sector of the economy,” the report continued. “As a demonstration of its commitment to support the

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HAVELOCK NDUATI & COMPANY ADVOCATES

H The launch of the Barclays mortgage centre in the first half of 2015 is already yielding positive results for the Bank

avelock Nduati & Company Advocates is a full service law firm providing a broad range of legal services to both commercial and private clients across Africa and the rest of the world.

We provide businesses with legal guidance that works in a commercial environment and give clients legal advice which is appropriate to their circumstances, developing strong relationships to ensure that we understand their requirements and focus on providing pragmatic and plainspeaking advice.

The firm has also have developed a broad network of partner legal firms and advisors in across East Africa, allowing us to provide one stop services across the continent.

www.hnc.co.ke

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Banking for the Future

Looking ahead to make a difference

Corporate, Commercial and Intellectual Property Law Trusts Property and Estate Planning Civil Litigation Client Support and Value Added Services

www.hnc.co.ke +254 20 3860637; 3860642

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growth of this sector, the Bank has set aside a KES 30 billion kitty to lend to local enterprises.”

A KES 30 billion sum is significant even for a financial entity the size of Barclays, but it emphasises one of the primary facets of the Company’s philosophy; to enrich the lives of people the length and breadth of Kenya.

Complementing its new apps, new service offerings and enterprise support, the Company’s ongoing corporate social responsibility efforts sets the business apart from its market counterparts, involving itself extensively in school and educational programmes as well as in the health sector and all-important rural and farming community.

The Company continued: “Barclays is set to announce a partnership with the Ministry of Devolution and Planning to provide LPO financing to women, youth and persons living with disability.

THE SARIT CENTRE

Barclays is set to announce a partnership with the Ministry of Devolution and Planning to provide LPO financing to women, youth and persons living with disability

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hree decades on, The Sarit Centre continues to justify its slogan City within a City. The first-ever enclosed shopping centre in East Africa, it opened in 1983 with just two shops.

However an expanding and diversified tenant mix quickly made it a favourite venue with Nairobi’s communities, one Christmas Eve registering over 50,000 visitors! Increasing demand resulted in a second phase opened in 1997. This doubled retail area and today it has a steady daily footfall of 25,000.

Over the years it set many other firsts including the ever-popular Christmas prize promotions, a strong shopper loyalty programme, paid parking and trade and consumer exhibition initiatives. The trend continues.

Demand for additional retail space from local and international retailers has made further expansion imperative.

To meet this demand The Centre will commence construction of its Phase 3 in early 2016 – which is part of a much larger master plan.

This phase will once again more than double the size of the existing mall and includes provision for a 40,000 square feet state-of-art international exhibition centre and a roof-top food court which will be the envy of many. An additional 900 parking slots will be provided for its shoppers and tenants.

The shopping centre “bible” reiterates location as what defines mediocre from the rest and in this respect The Sarit Centre location is unbeatable. Going forward and despite competition it will surely remain the preferred shopping, entertainment and exhibition venue within the City.

T 3748662, 3747408/9, 3740329 E info@saritcentre.com

Barclays supports loacal educational programmes

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“The Bank has also set up an agribusiness unit to tap into the significant potential in this space.”

Personnel development

The Bank has set aside a KES 30 billion kitty to lend to local enterprises

To facilitate such widespread external prominence, as with any large enterprise, the work that goes on behind the scenes to make internal procedures as efficient as possible is of paramount importance. This is no different for Barclays Bank of Kenya who incorporates its own employees’ satisfaction into its wider dedication to the nation’s population.

With more than 3,000 employees distributed across the entire branch network, the importance of standardising hiring, training and retention methods is vital, in order for customers to receive the exact same, high quality service in one corner of Kenya to one in the opposite corner of the country.

To achieve this challenging feat,

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Barclays adopts both internal and external methods, subsequently bridging the gap between local regulations and considerations, and international standards of service provision.

Internally, staff are promoted from within, often from graduate age, engaging them with the Barclays brand and engraining a loyalty amongst its workforce from day one.

Training doesn’t just stop there either, as each member of staff is required

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to move as quickly with the industry trends as their employers are.

The continuous introduction of new products, services and technologies further demonstrates the necessity for such continuous personnel development, and this is similarly complemented by its external training schemes.

Leveraging the wider Barclays Group is something that each national arm of the organisation is encouraged to partake in, and the Kenyan division

The continuous introduction of new products, services and technologies further demonstrates the necessity for such continuous personnel development, and this is similarly complemented by its external training schemes

IKM ADVOCATES

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KM is one of the leading and fastest growing full service corporate and commercial law firms in Kenya. IKM is a member of the DLA Piper Group, an alliance of global legal practices, and also a member of DLA Piper Africa. This allows IKM as a firm to offer seamless services across Africa in particular and tap into international expertise.

IKM consistently achieves the highest rankings in leading directories such as Chambers Global, International Financial Law Review (IFLR1000), Legal 500 and World Trademark Review (WTR).

T +254 2773 000 E info@ikm.co.ke

www.ikm.co.ke

Internally, staff are promoted from within, often from graduate age

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IKM is one of the leading and fasted growing full service corporate/commercial law firms in Kenya. We have an extensive global reach through our alliance with the DLA Piper Group and strong local market knowledge which helps to deliver legal services to a broad range of clients including banking and financial institutions, project sponsors, multinational corporations, governments, parastatals and private clients.

Key Practice Areas Legislative drafting Bank Securities and Finance Dispute Resolution Capital Markets Private Equity Commercial and Corporate Law Public Procurement and PPPs Competition and Monopolies Law Tax Conveyancing/Real Estate Mergers & Acquisitions Employment & Immigration Projects & Infrastructure Intellectual Property Trusts & Estates IKM has been recognized as a leading corporate and commercial law firm in Kenya by Chambers Global, IFLR 1000, Legal500 and World Trade Mark Review.

Tel: +254 20 2773000 Fax: +254 20 2773111 E-mail: info@ikm.co.ke www.ikm.co.ke

Iseme Kamau & Maema Advocates is a member of the DLA Piper Group, an alliance of leading independent law firms working together in association with DLA Piper, both internationally and across Africa.

Waruhiu K’Owade & Ng’ang’a Advocates was established in 1965 and registered as a Partnership under the Laws of Kenya. It carried on business under the business name of Waruhiu & Muite Advocates until 1998 when it changed to its current name Waruhiu K’Owade & Ng’ang’a Advocates.

The Firm carries on business of general legal practitioners in the following areas;

- Banking Law - Company Law - Constitutional Law - Conveyancing and Property Law - Enviromental Law - Commercial Law - Criminal Law - Insurance Law - Probate & Administration - Family Law - Intellectual Property Law - Legal Audits and Evaluations - Energy and Gas - Employment and Labour relations - Election Petitions - Acquisitions and Mergers

Steadfast.

Taj Tower, 4th Floor, Wing B Upperhill Road P.O Box 47122-00100 Nairobi

It’s been 38 years, since we started our firm. Through our journey, we have stood by our clients, fought and always been true. We care enough to go beyond onetime engagements and provide value, well after the ink is dry.

Always there for you.

T: +254 20 2061145 +254 20 3592033 +254 734 416332 +254 722 200663 E: info@wkn.co.ke

www.wknadvocates.com

www.oraro.co.ke

ADVISORY / COMMERCIAL / DISPUTE RESOLUTION

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is no different as it sends employees overseas or to other offices on the African continent to garner extra skill-sets ahead of internal service unveilings, or to participate in specific training on new technologies set to enter the Kenyan business.

Looking ahead

Inevitably and ultimately judged on tangible results, the Bank’s success can be judged upon the influence perceived within Kenya, but is more typically assessed through its yearly fiscal results, which make for equally impressive reading.

In relation to the three month quarter leading into 31 March, 2015, Barclays Bank of Kenya announced a pre-tax profit of KES 3.1 billion, representing a 10 percent growth compared to the same period in 2014.

In relation to the three month quarter leading into 31 March, 2015, Barclays Bank of Kenya announced a pre-tax profit of KES 3.1 billion, representing a 10 percent growth compared to the same period in 2014

Barclays Kenya sends employees to other African offices to garner extra skill-sets

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Congratulations to Barclays Kenya for their 100 Year Anniversary!!

OUR SERVICES • VALUATION • PROPERTY MANAGEMENT • ESTATE AGENCY SERVICES • URBAN PLANNING AND FEASIBILITY STUDIES

Valuers, Estate & Managing Agent Land Development Consultants Get in touch: info@gimcoltd.com | www.gimcoltd.com

Head Office

NYERI Mbaki House, 3rd Floor NAIROBI P.O. Box 1044 Kiambere Road; Telefax: 0612034403 Upper Hill Area P.O. Box 61551-00200 Tel: (20) 2719800

NAKURU Vickers House, 1st Floor P.O. Box 1994 Tel: 0512217436

Get in touch!

Ramco Court Off Mombasa Road C35 P.O. Box 13281 - 00200 Nairobi Wireless: 020 6000200 Mobile: 0733-754 850 / 0727-800 842 Email: admin@strami.co.ke www.strami.co.ke

MOMBASA 3rd Floor, Rex House P.O. Box 83671 Tel: 041-227479/ 311890

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We are proud to be associated with Baclays Kenya

We are proud to be associated with Medina Palms WWW.AFRICAOUTLOOKMAG.COM

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Looking forward and Barclays Kenya has every reason to be optimistic about future growth

While the Bank has attributed the positive result largely to a 13 percent growth in interest income, the report released at the end of March alluded to a number of factors that have combined to elevate Barclays’ status even further this year.

The report revealed: “Key highlights for the three month period were: total assets rose by 15 percent to KES 231 billion; net customer assets increased by seven percent to KES 125 billion; there was eight percent growth in customer deposits to KES 156 billion and capital adequacy ratio remained rock solid at 18 percent against a regulatory limit of 14.5 percent.”

Fast-forward to the end of June, and half-year results painted an even rosier

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Barclays Kenya moves into the second half of 2015 with a continued commitment to strengthen partnership with the Government and entrepreneur ecosystem, strategic customer focus and enhancement of digital channels

picture for Barclays, with reported increases amounting to eight percent in post-tax profit for the entire six month period at the beginning of 2015.

The Company added: “Net profit rose from KES 4.2 billion in June, 2014 to KES 4.6 billion on the back of increased earnings from non-interest income lines.

Non-Interest income grew by 12 percent to KES 4.8 billion from KES 4.3 billion, supported by new revenue streams such as bancassurance.

“Total assets grew by 10 percent to KES 235 billion compared to KES 213 billion in the corresponding period in the previous year, while impairments remain well controlled amounting to KES 586 million; 0.9 percent of the average gross advances and underscoring the quality of the asset book.”

Looking forward and Barclays Kenya has every reason to be optimistic about even more concerted future growth, as its new initiatives become increasingly engrained into the Kenyan

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finance domain.

Awori remains positive and thankful to his team for their ongoing efforts in continuing to make Barclays an everdeveloping Bank despite its 100 years of longevity, and has similarly laid out his plans for the remainder of the year.

“Barclays Kenya moves into the second half of 2015 with a continued commitment to strengthen partnership with the Government and entrepreneur ecosystem, strategic customer focus and enhancement of digital channels.

“Looking ahead to 2015, Barclays Bank of Kenya is focused on accelerating its financial momentum in strategic growth segments, most notably in SME and investment banking.

“The bank will also increase its focus on non-funded revenue streams to bolster growth. The launch of the mortgage and asset finance centres of excellence is also expected to enhance our customer experience as we build Kenya’s “Go To” bank.”

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ame A O N

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Knowledge without Borders s the world’s leading provider of risk management, insurance and reinsurance brokerage, Aon’s presence in Africa has been inevitably successful, leveraging the same reputation for human resource solutions and outsourcing services also to bring the very best in services to an expectant clientele.

In Kenya, arguably Africa’s most attractive proposition at present, this notoriety is no different, with Aon’s innovative approach, global resources and technical expertise on hand to fit its impressive billing: the world’s best broker; best insurance intermediary; best reinsurance intermediary; best captives manager and best employee benefits consulting firm among its numerous accolades.

Within Kenya, Aon’s presence is extensive already, comprising seven offices across the country and made up of three divisions; Aon Benfield, Aon Risk Services and Aon Hewitt.

“Aon’s history goes back more than 65 years when it was set up under the agency name, R.E. Bunson in 1949. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of J.H. Minet Company, Lloyds Brokers in 1954 and has since dedicated itself to providing high quality insurance broking and risk management services,” the Company’s Deputy Managing Director, Sammy Muthui recalls. “As a result of the acquisition of UK shareholder, Minet London,

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Aon Kenya is leveraging the wider Group’s number one global positioning in the risk management, insurance and reinsurance space to apply worldwide expertise to local demands Writer: Matthew Staff Project Manager: Callum Philp

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by global giant, Aon Corporation in 1997, the name changed to Aon Minet Insurance Brokers Limited. Currently, the company registration is Aon Kenya Insurance Brokers Limited.”

Aon’s history in establishing such a dominant presence in Kenya has of course been mirrored in each of its operating regions, and despite the Company adhering to national trends and regulations and engraining itself into the fabric of Kenyan finance; the focus is largely on replicating its wider, internationally successful business model.

Muthui adds: “Our services largely reflect the Aon global product and service architecture.

We unite to provide our clients with distinctive client value via innovative and effective risk management and workforce productivity solutions

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“We strive to be ‘One Aon’ throughout the world where all out clients get a similar range of services, delivered in a similar way consistently around the globe, and that looks and feels the same globally.”

Empowering clients

The balance of honing a reliable and reputable offering synonymous with Aon, while continuously innovating and modernising its service range, is one that Aon is all too adept at managing, and is most recently being epitomised by its plans to move more into the digital space.

The launch of its mobile app with a view to enhancing online purchasing and management opportunities is the latest way the Company is expanding its influence across the Kenyan market; subsequently making the business as accessible as possible across all areas

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SECURING YOUR WORLD G4S employs global best practices to secure customer records and information. One of the greatest threats to your business is the loss of data, which often makes it difficult to make informed business decisions putting your business at a competitive disadvantage and economic risk. G4S Secure Data Solutions provides simple and secure solutions for all your records and information management requirements.

Tel: +254 020 6651 821/22 Mob: +254 722 571 348 Email: securedata@ke.g4s.com www.g4s.com/ke

G 4 S S E C U R E D ATA S O L U T I O N S

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afe keeping of records and their easy retrieval is a key function that enhances operations within an organization.

With current and emerging technologies increasing and the amount of data produced, many companies are looking for a records management partner they can trust.

At G4S Secure Data Solutions (Kenya) Limited, strategically located secure sites, flexible storage solutions backed up by market leading expertise in logistics and security has made the company a preferred partner in record storage and management.

Best practise requires that records be kept away from the centre of business operation to ensure business continuity in case of a disaster.

Operating as a subsidiary of G4S PLC, the company employs sophisticated systems that include indexing, track and trace modules that ensure protection identity of documents but easily retrievable when required.

This is especially ideal for long-term documents like title deeds, company

blueprints and other documents whose destination could jeopardise operations and continuity of a company.

G4S Secure Data Solutions (Kenya) Limited, is a certified member of a global trade association for information management companies.

Mr Carey Ngini, Director, G4S Secure Data Solutions (Kenya) Limited argues that corporate espionage is a huge cost to businesses world wide and that highly confidential documents are bound to leak unless they are securely and professionally managed by experts operating within a framework of high ethical codes of conduct.

“Digitization of records has become a key aspect in records and information management. It must not be lost that digitization can only be a success when the organisation has a good understanding of its physical records, which by extension informs records that need to be digitized and streamed through a workflow to improve process efficiency. A record kept is only good if you can retrieve it when required.

A record that you cannot effectively

Tel: +254 020 6651 821/22 Mob: +254 722 571 348 Email: securedata@ke.g4s.com

retrieve is as good as lost,” says Mr Ngini.

“Management of records is a security issue because most fraud matters emanate from management of records, in a manner that may not be acceptable which includes manipulation and the destruction of records,” argues Mr Ngini.

Mr Ngini says G4S Secure Data Solutions employs best practices which include high level industry specific software in records management, back-up of records at multi sites which ensures electronic records are kept in an ideal environment to guarantee their integrity and safety. In addition G4S Secure Data Solutions draws a lot of safety and security best practices from its global operations in over 172 countries.

We employ stringent security measures, which encompass restricted access to records, and information centres which are covered with electronic surveillance systems centrally monitored at a control and command centre in addition to having rapid

response capability. The company has also invested heavily in fire mitigation measures, which includes dedicated fire response crews’ 24 hours 7 days a week amongst a host of other intricate but efficient measures.

Setting up a data centre can be costly bearing in mind the capital expenditure required, time and the capability in the form of human resources and technology.

Production of records is a by-product of any business; G4S Secure Data Solutions commits itself to providing simple, cost effective and secure solutions to all aspects of corporate archiving, records and information management. Key benefits of outsourcing the service to G4S Data Solutions is that you will have a peace of mind, time to focus on your core business, guaranteed continuity in the event of a disaster at your premises and professional advise on records and information management that is leveraged and bench-marked against global best practises. www.g4s.com/ke

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COMMERCIAL BANK OF AFRICA (CBA)

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ommercial Bank of Africa (CBA) was established in 1962, and is the largest privately owned Kenyan bank with operations in Tanzania and Uganda.

CBA is a Tier One bank with 11m customers and Kes.203b Assets (Dec 2014). CBA offers tailor-made financial products and services to various market segments and continues to harness innovation across its mobile and internet banking platforms.

CBA is renowned for its mobile-centric banking solution, M-Shwari and its equivalent in Tanzania, M-Pawa.

CBA seeks to expand within EAC and beyond within the next 5 years.

Highly engaged staff provide superior risk and human capital solutions

of the country.

“The company’s range of products and services has greatly increased and diversified since the inception of the Company, in keeping up with the rapidly changing economic and social changes affecting risk and people in Kenya,” Muthui says. “We are extremely client-centric; all we do is geared towards creating measurable value and impact to clients, to ensure their growth, profitability and sustainability.

“All our significant global resources – geographical footprint, intellectual capital, best talent and professionalism in risk and people in the world, data and analytics – working as one for the benefit of our clients.

Client satisfaction is largely achieved off the back of the vastness of Aon’s service offering, which is enhanced on an annual basis to ensure that the Company remains innovative and ahead of the industry curve.

In 2015, these innovations include

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We believe that all our clients have a vision they wish to achieve, and to achieve this vision, we work in partnership with them and encourage them...

www.cbagroup.com

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Among the world’s top global human capital firms

employee wellness and absence management solutions, the Afya Akiba Retirees Medcal Plan providing a means for customers to save towards funding for post-retirement medical treatment, cyber crime solutions, and title insurance.

Tailored by specialty, solution and industry, the overall portfolio of services and departments that combine to form the final Aon offering leaves no stone unturned, but can be broken down to fit within one of the business’s three core divisions.

The first, “Aon Risk Services, provides general insurance, short-term insurance consulting, intermediation and risk management services”, Muthui explains.

The Deputy MD adds regarding the second Human Capital Consulting arm: “Aon Hewitt provides human resource solutions including employee benefits in retirement, health, life and disability, and HR consulting services including performance management, rewards

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BRITAM

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ritam is a leading diversified financial services group, listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange, with interests across the Eastern and Southern Africa region.

The company offers a wide range of financial products and services in insurance, asset management, banking and property. Our product range includes: life, health and general insurance, pensions, unit trusts, investment planning, wealth management, off-shore investments, retirement planning, discretionary portfolio management, property development and private equity.

Britam is committed to providing clients with great service and competent financial expertise to help them meet their financial goals.

www.britam.co.ke The Company’s resources facilitate the delivery of its services around the world

and talent.”

Aon Benfield represents the third strand - reinsurance - which once again stands as a world-leading broker in providing clients with reinsurance brokerage solutions to insurers in Kenya and the wider region.

Knowledge without borders

“To effectively deliver these, and other services, Aon has developed a global network of local resources brought together via our global business units and a strategic account management system,” the Company notes on its website. “These resources let us deliver services around the world to multinational companies, small businesses, independent agents or brokers, associations and affinity groups, and even individual consumers - with the local expertise necessary to meet your specific needs.”

This ethos fits in with a much broader Aon Advantage philosophy

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Aon has developed a global network of local resources brought together via our global business units and strategic account management system

which accounts for what the Company considers to be the two most important issues in the economy today; risk and people.

“Africa is on the rise and there is significant growth of African regional multinational corporations,” Muthui explains. “Aon Kenya is uniquely positioned to take care of the relatively complex and unique risk and people issues these companies face, given the very diverse cultural and legislative environments in the 54 countries on the continent.”

To achieve this, an extensive employment strategy is in place to not only ensure that the Company retains its market-leading position, but also to enrich people in the surrounding communities, separate from its core service functions.

Muthui continues: “Aon’s employment strategy is very much localised. We use global best practice in all spheres - a key strategic pillar

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is ‘Unmatched Talent’ - while taking into account local realities determined from talent evaluation surveys, experience and feedback.

“Empowering economic and human possibility underscores Aon’s long-standing commitment to global citizenship, and we believe the core of any corporation’s citizenship is how its business contributes to society and to the communities where its employees live and work.”

Combining this element with its unrivalled global reputation and “knowledge without borders”, Aon’s presence in Kenya is set to thrive for the foreseeable future; capitalising on a globalisation trend to achieve local prominence.

“Aon recognised many years ago that our clients want products and services built around their unique needs, provided by professionals with deep expertise in their industries and local markets,” the Company states. “We saw that globalisation demanded two capabilities: to gather the best thinking from around the world and to then deliver solutions locally.

With worldwide distribution, a vast base of intellectual capital, leading technologies, and a strong adherence to what customers are demanding in the sector, Muthui sums up Aon’s potential for the coming years perfectly; simply affirming that there are “exciting times ahead”.

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Cogs Keeping the

Turning After moving to a substantially larger site in Industria West, Johannesburg, Habot is looking to attract national and international players with its local blending facilities in order to better serve South African customers Writer: Emily Jarvis • Project Manager: Nick Norris

abot was incepted in 1983 by a professional mining engineer who identified a gap in the South African market for fully synthetic lubricants. Given the demand for lubricants from the burgeoning gold mining industry in the Johannesburg and Gauteng area, Habot’s initial offering centred around reaching out to the local mining houses and educating them on the long-term cost savings that a fully synthetic lubricant could offer versus the mineral oil alternative.

After a warm reception from some of the big industry players in

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the country at the time, in 1989, the Company decided to build its own production plant in Krugersdorp to cater for growing demand. The first of its kind in SA, the plant was dedicated to blending fully synthetic lubricants and offered an adequate stock of a wide range of fully synthetic lubricants.

In addition to serving the mining industry, Habot bolstered on lubricants for the automotive, aviation, industrial, motorcycle, food grade and a speciality range for niche applications.

Shortly after the plant was completed, Habot was appointed distributor for NYCO, Europe’s leading manufacturer of synthetic base

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oils, industrial, aviation and military lubricants. In January 2015, Habot was appointed ‘Authorised Distributor for ExxonMobil Aviation’, covering the general and commercial aviation sectors in sub-Saharan Africa and South Africa; marking another crucial milestone in enhancing its footprint on the continent with the support of global lubricant leaders.

Following decades of continuous growth and consistently high quality products, the Company was acquired in January, 2013 by the current shareholders, and the decision was made to upscale and relocate Habot’s manufacturing facilities

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With a staff complement of 22 and counting, Habot’s aim is to make nationals and multinationals aware of its facility as a specialised blender of synthetic and biodegradable oils that they can utilise to gain a local presence. In support of this goal, the Company became ISO 9001:2008 certified as part of its continuous improvement of Quality Management Systems to increase its appeal and reputation as a world-class fully synthetic lubricant blender.

“By using our facility, customers will not have to worry about maintaining stock levels of imported synthetic lubricants. We can work with them to make sure that the right level of supply is stored by us,” adds Akram.

Why fully synthetic?

The greatest challenge which Habot continues to face in the South African market is how to educate the African market on the benefits of fully synthetic oils as opposed to the cheaper mineral oils. By demonstrating how its products will provide a longterm cost return for a business, the

THE HABOT PRODUCT

RANGE COVERS to a much larger site in Industria West, Johannesburg. Habot’s newly custom-built operations base and logistics centre boasts state-ofthe-art facilities to reinforce and support the Company’s blending and manufacturing capabilities.

This has been a key talking point for the Company in the past two years, as current Managing Director, Saeed Akram alludes to its advantages: “From this site, we do all our own in-house manufacturing, often blending highly specialised lubricants and greases in order to provide convenience and a local supply for our clients. Our smallest blending vessel is

just 300 litres and our largest is 4,000 litres, which allows us to cater for orders both big and small.

“Additionally, we also have stainless steel storage vessels at the new site that can hold both raw material and finished lubricants. We have the capacity to hold more than 200,000 litres at the factory. This puts us in a strong position whereby our plant can offer fully flexible blending, packing and storage of fully synthetic and biodegradable oils, with minimum lead times as a local supplier. Now, with this new site and upgraded facilities, we are providing efficient and flexible supply solutions to all our customers.”

Automotive Aviation Food grade Industrial Oils Motorcycle Speciality Range

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H A B O T

The new facility is ISO 9001:2008 certified

Company currently trains its customers on an ad-hoc basis on the benefits of fully synthetic oils.

Habot’s Sales Manager of Lubricants, Angus Law further details: “With the advent of new technology and thus, new machinery being deployed at some of South Africa’s key mining houses, it is important that we preserve the life of this new equipment as best as possible to get the most out of it, and we do this with our offering of higher performance level synthetic lubricants (when compared to mineral oil-based lubricants).

“Fully synthetic lubricants are long-lasting, help prevent wear, keep a machine clean and flowing easily; it maintains its viscosity and can prevent early rust and reduce unnecessary friction.

With its facility now fully operational since the move a year ago, complete with an ISO 9001:2008 international certification, Habot is working hard to improve its presence through the

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Fully synthetic lubricants are long-lasting, help prevent wear, keep a machine clean and flowing easily; it maintains its viscosity and can prevent early rust and reduce unnecessary friction

relevant marketing and sales channels in order to increase blending activity at the plant; not only for its own-brand products, but for third party partners too.

Habot’s Director of Marketing, Sergio Fernandez comments: “We predict a substantial increase in blending for partners operating in South Africa - both new and longstanding - with the aim to see a 50 percent increase in the next 12 months.

“In support of achieving this is our level 2 BEE rating, which we can leverage to add value to companies who are looking to increase their own BEE rating, while simultaneously looking for a responsible and committed partner.”

Aligning with its own missions and goals, Habot is always looking for other ways to improve all aspects of its operations; including product range, efficiency and plant improvements, stock and subsequent timely delivery and quality control.

“Improvement is an ongoing process at Habot. As we start blending for even more companies, we will make sure that all the right regulations are in place to do so from the wordgo for the benefit of both parties,” Fernandez emphasises.

Proudly South African

Habot has equipped itself with a large site and Managing Director, Saeed Akram says “there is plenty of room for expansion looking ahead”.

Around the world, there has been an increase in the demand for fully synthetic lubricants as a whole multitude of industries begin to recognise the long-term benefits of making the switch. “This bodes well for us, the future interest in our facility and our ability to blend lubricants for the big players,” Akram states.

With this in mind, it

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Improving internal plant efficiencies and quality

is clear that Habot has the potential to become a leading name in fully synthetic lubricant production and blending in South Africa, and the industry-leading capabilities at its facility will no doubt be in high demand by third parties.

Sean O’Donnell, Head of Habot’s Aviation Division concludes: “Above all, we want potential customers to see the benefits of fully synthetic lubricants, and how they can reduce the total cost of ownership by using quality lubricants from us. Our main drive is to educate operators across a wide range of industry so they can see this long-term value. This will allow customers to become more efficient, with less downtime, less operating costs, less fuel and power consumption.

“We are a proudly South African manufacturer who can create extra value by extending the life of a machine.”

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enquiries@habot.co.za +27 (0) 11 473 0129 +27 (0) 86 142 2686 www.habot.co.za

GLOBAL CHEMICAL SOURCING

WWW.UNICHEMSERVICES.CO.ZA

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B R O S

Hands-on to Safety

Approach By moving with its customers into new markets, Pienaar Bros has broadened the reach of its internationally approved and recognised safety equipment and work wear Writer: Emily Jarvis • Project Manager: Arron Rampling stablished in 1987, Pienaar Bros has grown a significant presence in Africa beyond its initial South African venture; extending into neighbouring Southern countries via a strategic branch of four locations across Botswana, and two in Mozambique to complement its 21 domestic offices in South Africa.

Offering the latest internationally approved and most recognised brands of safety equipment and work wear in Africa, Pienaar Bros continues to uphold its quality promise while providing a product which is cost competitive and always in stock at local branches.

“We have the largest stock of 3M, Ansell, and a whole host of other international personal protective equipment (PPE) suppliers that are well known in industry around the world,” explains Brian Pienaar, Company Managing Director.

BRANDS 3M ANSELL BOVA DU PONT EVRIGARD FRAMS HONEYWELL HOWARD LEIGHT JONSSON LEMAITRE MAX RANGE NEPTUN REBEL RHINO UVEX WAYNE WELDLITE

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This comprehensive safety product offering is backed by a team of competent staff and a customercentric focus to drive the best industry practices and to secure the best service levels through continuous investment back into the business.

Local service

Complementing its array of brands is the Company’s own manufacturing arm and, as an owner-managed business, Pienaar works closely with its customers and distributors across the mining, pharmaceutical, food, engineering and other industries where PPE equipment is paramount to safety. In support of this for example, the Company has more than 20 on-site stores for the convenience of the local mine operators it supplies, so that there is always a seamless supply of equipment and a customer will never have to compromise the safety of its staff.

“Our focus remains on maintaining our world-class proposition and delivering our product range to wherever the customer requires using one of our 45 vehicles. This led us to expand outside the borders of South Africa so as to move with our customers - who have requested that

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we did move into these new markets but also capitalise on the shift towards local buying and encouraging local content,” says Pienaar.

However, the low price of commodities has been putting pressure on the industry and its performance in recent years.

Combined with the weaker mineral and metal prices, this is limiting the spend customers have available for the allocation of safety equipment.

“In spite of this, Africa still represents a significant opportunity for us. We are closely monitoring this challenge and working with our customers to make sure they can continue buying the necessary PPE supplies from us,” Pienaar adds.

Holistic approach

With emphasis being placed on local development by many African governments, Pienaar Bros is making a concerted effort to work closely with

OEMs and source from their localised manufacturing facilities. “At present, there is a strong manufacturing presence in South Africa for PPE, which has helped us to become more efficient and shorten lead times for our customers. Moreover, it has helped us to focus on internal improvements such as training policies and the expansion of our business into Central Africa,” Pienaar highlights.

This expansion is also evident across its ever-growing export footprint, with much of the Company’s locally manufactured PPE equipment distributed from South Africa into the rest of the continent.

Leveraging its relationship with these OEMs, staff at Pienaar Bros have benefitted from world-class product training, along with adhering to the Company’s own policies. “The majority of the OEMs we use have dedicated trainers, and we receive certificates for our work with them. These trainers talk

PPE PRODUCTS EYE PROTECTION RESPIRATORY PROTECTION HEAD AND FACE PROTECTION HEARING PROTECTION HAND PROTECTION PROTECTIVE CLOTHING SAFETY FOOTWEAR SAFETY SIGNS AND FIRST AID BACK SUPPORT AND FALL ARREST

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Expanding in line with customer demand

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HSE SOLUTIONS

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SE Solutions is South Africa’s leading supplier of highperformance personal protective equipment (PPE). As the exclusive distributor of Honeywell Safety Products’ premier range, we can provide a head-to-toe solution for every application, across all major industries.

Through our branches and a network of competent and experienced distributors, we have the capacity to assist our customers in their mandate to maintain a workplace that is healthy and a workforce that is safe.

Within the Honeywell family of products are such renowned brands as Howard Leight (hearing protection), Miller (fall protection) and BW Technologies (gas detection).

www.hsesolutions.co.za

the local languages and also assist us in training customers, which forms a crucial element of our business strategy and continuous improvement.

Some 55 sales reps have received OEM product training and have been deployed across our branches,” he further explains.

Forming a vital element of its internal improvement spending is IT training for all staff, compounded by a recent appointment of a dedicated IT assistant to ensure that the heightened reliance on complex technological systems is manageable and making the business more efficient. Pienaar confirms: “Technology plays a huge role for us, so much so we have deployed fibre in all our branches and have a good quality piece of software that provides real time updates on our stock levels and other essential details that serve to make us more efficient as a business.”

All of the above points contribute to the Company’s all-important BEE

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Real safety for real people Innovative, comfort-engineered safety products that workers want to wear.

Your workforce is only as safe as it can be when Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is worn correctly and consistently. HSE Solutions specialises in the provision of Honeywell premier health and safety solutions, supplying premium quality, ergonomically superior products that are trusted by procurement specialists and workers alike. Ensure compliance and protection in every situation – offer them real safety designed for real people.

T: + 27 (0) 11 971 8040 | F: + 27 (0) 11 971 8065 | E: hseenquiries@hsesolutions.co.za | www.hsesolutions.co.za

scorecard in South Africa - achieving Level 4 status in this area - by encouraging the development of local people, while maintaining the best quality goods, price and service for customers.

Growth philosophy

Given the current commodity slowdown in physical sales of PPE supplies, Pienaar Bros is looking to capitalise on the online market in order to reach both a broader range of customers and increased brand reach. “We already have one of the largest footprints in South Africa for PPE, with repeat and new business secured as a result of our solid reputation in the industry. Based on this, we are working on an online store to capitalise on the ecommerce market and further equip the business for a long-term future that is sustainable,” emphasises Pienaar.

He summarises: “Shopping online is also a growing convenience trend

among our current customers, and it is important that we follow up on this trend. Making our products as accessible to customers as possible, no matter where they have operations has always been our philosophy for growth. In line with this we hope to enter new markets across the continent very soon, with a view to create a localised supply of internationally reputed brands for them in support of their operations.”

Backed by a strong and reputable set of brands and a dedicated export department in Johannesburg to organise shipping for customers on a continent-wide scale, Pienaar Bros’ holistic approach towards internal and external processes will play a vital role in not only its continuous improvement goals, but in maintaining a seamless supply of PPE supplies and an exceptional level of customer service.

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Lubricants.

Technology.

People.

Fuchs Southern Africa may be part of one of the world’s leading manufacturing specialists, but is maintaining a strong local ethos via a series of capital investments and quality accreditations Writer: Matthew Staff Project Manager: Eddie Clinton

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s the world’s largest independent lubricant manufacturer, the influence and positioning within the global market has never been a problem for a company like Fuchs, but the ability to maintain such standards while adhering to local regulations and trends in each country of operation requires both strategically-tailored processes, and internationally-relevant products.

This is a balancing act honed and perfected over the years by Fuchs Southern Africa, establishing the same reputation for outstanding performance and product quality that has become synonymous with the wider Group in its native Europe.

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A subsidiary of Fuchs Petrolub SE, Fuchs Southern Africa is not only the largest independent manufacturer and supplier of specialist lubricants in the world, but achieves this through a continuous refinement of the highest quality technologies, personnel training, manufacturing techniques and materials; all of which combine to adhere to the Company’s motto of ‘Lubricants. Technology. People’.

Stemming from a family-run ethos, the ability to remain flexible and entrepreneurial is even more pivotal considering the continuously evolving nature of the industry it operates within and, even more critically, the diverse range of sectors its products are geared towards.

“The Company’s entire focus is in establishing ourselves as the foremost supplier of ultra-high quality and specialised lubricants to the

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automotive, mining and industrial sectors, backed up by highly trained lubrication specialists,” its website explains. “Lubricants. Technology.

People. is our new global motto and as technology advances, Fuchs remains at the forefront of developing lubricants in cooperation with the world’s most innovative automotive and industrial OEM’s that provide the enhanced levels of performance that they require.”

Extensive range

In order to live up to the expectations that now befall a company of Fuchs’ stature, a dedication to excellence across all of its divisions is imperative, ensuring that the business is being seen to improve year on year, in line with the very latest market demands.

This is no mean feat considering the scale of said operations, however, with

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the vast range of highly specialised lubricants being manufactured for, and distributed to, the full array of industrial and consumer sectors including mining, energy, transport, construction, consumer goods, food & drink, retail, agriculture and forestry.

“This dedication to excellence is highlighted by the number of products within our extensive range that carry approvals from the world’s best known manufacturers,” the Company affirms.

In fulfilling the needs of such elite clients, Fuchs Southern Africa recently attained ISO 9001: 2008 certification, providing further proof not only of the Company’s extensive capabilities, but of its much more engrained ethos of continuous improvement and operational excellence.

“We are continually upgrading and expanding our state-of-the-art

COMPRESSOR OILS

CORROSION P R E V E N TAT I V E S

ENGINE OILS

FOOD GRADE

GEAR OILS

GLASS LUBRICANTS

GREASE

HYDRAULIC OILS

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MOTORCYCLE

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THEBE UNICO PTY LTD

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hebe Unico (Pty) Ltd, t/a as Thebe Unico Manufacturing Co. (PE) (Pty) Ltd, is a 100% black owned subsidiary of Thebe Investment Corporation (Pty) Ltd and a level 2 Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) contributor.

A leading supplier of engine coolant and brake fluid to OEMS, global oil companies and independent distributors in the automotive industry, with more than 40 years of service and product excellence. Our services include the procurement of bulk raw materials/product, contract blending, filling, packaging and delivering to customer requirements. Strategically located at the Port of Durban, with bulk storage facilities and plant capacity thus providing scale and easy access to foreign markets.

State-of-the-art laboratory facilities

laboratory, and our blending and filling plants at our facility in Isando, Gauteng.

Our ISO 9001: 2008 certification gives assurance that the quality of our products are always up to the required standards,” the Company continues.

“In addition, Fuchs’ already expansive range of products is continually being expanded to cater for new lubrication requirements.”

All in all, a vast number of products is manufactured - 90 percent of all supply produced internally - at the Islando facility, while the Company’s status as a global heavyweight results in additional access to more than 2,500

products from the wider Fuchs Group.

The automotive sector is one such example where Fuchs thrives, and provides a key insight into the benefits that the Company can provide, not only in regards to the project offered to the domain, but in the longerterm attributes it caters for also; via service engineers, ongoing lab testing, specialised high quality products, ongoing technical services, and core training of its staff.

Fuchs elaborates: “Vehicles and equipment are expensive assets.

Downtime and lost production can quickly cripple even the largest company. Our products and technical backup are designed to eliminate breakdowns. Improving your bottom line: that’s our bottom line.”

State-of-the-art

Partnership with Siemens

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The grandeur of businesses to have enjoyed the Fuchs service over the years speaks for itself, with a whole host of household names relying on the Fuchs offering to maintain their own

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As an ISO/TS 16949 and ISO14001 accredited manufacturer, quality, safety and environmental care are an integral part of our business. These values guide our actions to deliver products and services that are safe, of a high quality and meet customer specifications.

The Thebe Unico Quality Policy is implemented through the application of a comprehensive and well documented Quality Management System) which captures the key elements of our commitment to excellence: • Fostering a quality culture - with the objective of manufacturing products and delivering services that are trusted and preferred by our customers • Empowering our staff - encouraging participation and promotion of quality responsibilities amongst all employees • Continuously challenging ourselves to improve the quality management system - to guarantee product quality and safety, prevent quality incidents and eliminate non-conformances Thebe Unico lives its slogan of “Building Communities. Our bottom line” through the funding of community projects with a long-term socio-economic impact.

T +27 31 466 1541

www.thebe-unico.co.za

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NCG CONTAINER SOLUTIONS SOUTH AFRICA

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s the leading reconditioner in South Africa, NCG Container Solutions SA offers product specific Reconditioned and New 1000l IBC Packaging across a variety of sectors.

NCG believes in partnering with our customers to achieve common goals:

• Protecting your business and the environment • Boosting efficiencies for your company • Helping to reduce your packaging costs NCG’s global network operates in almost every corner of the world, making us the business partner of choice for many international and local customers.

T +27 (31) 7009572 E orders@containersa.co.za

www.nationalcontainer.com Manufacturing specialised products for globally-renowned manufacturers

internationally-acclaimed standards.

Mercedes Benz, Volvo, Caterpillar, GM, Scania, Komatsu, BMW, Volkswagen, Renault, Airbus, Boeing, Porsche and Case New Holland represent a minute sample and give as clear an indication of any as to the quality that Fuchs aspires to.

“In order to ensure that we can meet the stringent requirements of these major companies, Fuchs Southern Africa is engaged in a continual and ongoing process to increase our blending and filling facilities at our plant in Islando,” the Company explains. “Following the recent expansion and upgrading of our filling lines and a now, state-of-the-art laboratory, we are soon to embark on a new expansion of our blending facilities.”

Under the century-old Noxal brand, Fuchs Southern Africa continues to manufacture specialised greases for mining and heavy duty industrial applications, complementing a general

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In order to ensure that we can meet the stringent requirements of these major companies, Fuchs Southern Africa is engaged in a continual and ongoing process to increase our blending and filling facilities at our plant in Islando

tripling in size of the Company’s operations in recent years in order to keep up with the capacities demanded of the business.

The human resource arm of the business adds further weight to internal proceedings, where the Company overcomes the challenge of finding the extent of necessary skills through a concerted in-house training programme that encourages internal promotion wholly, and is subsequently repaid with a very low turnover of staff.

Well-oiled machine

The Company’s people management strategy is compounded by its commitment to the BEE arena, and local corporate social responsibility considerations in general, across the region, epitomising its ability to be a large multinational organisation with the ability to act locally.

The Company notes: “When Fuchs Southern Africa (PTY) LTD stepped into the BEE arena, our goal was to

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As the largest packaging reconditioner in Africa, NCG Container Solutions South Africa offers recollect and servicing of 1000L IBC containers and the sale of New MAUSER IBC containers.

For more information please call us on +27 (31) 7009572 Or visit our website at www.nationalcontainer.com

BULK LIQUID FUEL MANAGEMENT AND SUPPLIES

Supplier to various commercial, industrial, mining segments and applications. We supply and service a broad base of clients across South Africa and select SADAC countries. + 27 (0) 11 664 7227 / info@theenergy.co.za / www.theenergycompany.co.za

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Metalworking oils

Hydraulics oils

leverage our experience, reputation and credibility within the business environment to become a major nonracial, entrepreneurial and socially responsible player within the Southern African business.

“Fuchs recognises and supports the ideals of Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment and believes that it is imperative for us to be actively involved in the advancement of these ideals.”

With nearly 100 years of Group experience to pull upon - Fuchs Petrolub SE having been founded in Germany back in 1931 - it should

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Fuchs recognises and supports the ideals of Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment and believes that it is imperative for us to be actively involved in the advancement of these ideals

come as no surprise that Fuchs remains flexible enough to adhere to such regional trends and market fluctuations, but this isn’t to say that the Southern African arm doesn’t leverage the wider Group on a more product-related basis as well.

With 55 branches across 45 countries, it is not only the largest independent lubricants manufacturer, but is also the ninth largest of all manufacturers within the oil and petroleum domain.

A subsequent dedication to ongoing R&D is imperative, ensuring that the most modern and advanced global technologies are being filtered through to individual markets such as Southern Africa.

“We have 4,112 employees worldwide, and as lubricants is the sole focus of our business, it is not surprising that for every 10 employees, we have one chemist employed in research and development,” the Company says. “In 2014 the group spent €32.9 million on research and development.”

Key strategic business partnerships on an equally international scale further complement Fuchs’ overall ambition to remain ahead of the industry curve - constantly improving areas of machinery, equipment, logistics, raw materials and bulk distribution as a consequence - while its mix of strong organic growth and strategic acquisitions looks set to lead the Company into the next generation of manufacturing prominence with a familiarly well-oiled machine.

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RMC Minerals Durban is a specialist supplier to the lubricant, friction, foundry and agricultural industries.

We offer Natural Flake Graphite, Graphite Coatings and associated Minerals.

For further information contact us on Tel: +27 31 2664395 or Email: minerals@icon.co.za

RMC

www.rmcminerals.co.za

Leochem, a division of IOP, supplies base oils and produces a wide range of white mineral oil customized blends.

IOP manufactures a selection of customized fatty acids, distilled tall oil, rosin and their derivatives. These products provide many beneficial uses in general lubricants, metal-working, drilling fluids and specialized applications.

A-Base

Oleotall

R&D, Manufacturing, Sales and Distribution 323 Chamberlain Road, Jacobs, KwaZulu-Natal 4026 Tel: +27 (0) 31 4618680 Fax: +27 (0) 31 461 3743 Website: www.oleo.co.za Email: info@oleo.co.za

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ENJOYING LIFE on theWater Aliboats has enjoyed extensive diversification and expansion of its offering and footprint over the years and is now looking north of Botswana to capitalise on its ever-growing reputation in the region Writer: Matthew Staff Project Manager: Ben Wigger 74

liboats has expanded exponentially over the past two decades, from a domestic manufacturer of aluminium boats in the late 1980s, to become one of the leading market players in the region now exporting to countries on an intercontinental scale.

Incepted in 1986, in Maun, Botswana, the Company’s initial remit was to manufacture and supply its products to lodges across the Okavango Delta,

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but the attainment of a Yamaha dealership one year later to supply the internationally-renowned manufacturer with outboard motors set the tone for a concerted international expansion that has occurred in the years following.

Managing Director, Rod Bateman says: “Since then the Company has grown substantially and now employs 68 Motswana staff and manufactures approximately 300 boats a year.

“Approximately 80 percent of our annual production is now exported;

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Rod Bateman Managing Director sub-Saharan nations, Aliboats is now in a better position than ever before to fulfil its core vision.

“The Aliboats team strives to match the perfect hull to your application,” the Company affirms on its website.

“Whether it be fishing in one of our high speed, top of the line bass boats or just having family fun in one of our Jon boats; carrying cargo, vehicles or passengers becomes a breeze in our very versatile range of landing craft and ferries.”

Meeting demands

Outbacks, swamp cruisers, river the main destinations being Namibia, runners, jet boats, pontoon boats, Zambia, South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, aluminium trailers, canoes and patrol boats are just a sample of the Congo, Uganda and the UK.” remainder of Aliboats’ portfolio, Internal developments have while the Company also offers unique helped facilitate such business development, with not only a domestic fabrications where applicable in order to meet all demands and needs. branch in Kasane in place, but also The main products and services complemented by three branches in offered by the company include Zambia and two in Namibia to further “aluminium boat manufacture, emphasise how far the business has aluminium fuel tanks, and vehicle come since its foundation. accessories like roofracks, bullbars and Still an authorised Yamaha South aluminium trailers”, Bateman adds.

Africa dealer, and active across most

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NON-FERROUS METAL WORKS GROUP

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on-Ferrous Metal Works Group was founded in 1947 as a family business which has now grown to over 500 employees.

Our exceptionally skilled workforce has assured the rapid growth of our Group and the ever increasing demand, especially for our Extruded Copper and its Alloys in various forms, shapes and sizes.

NFM Pretoria stocks a multitude of Aluminium products for the Building, Engineering, Defence, Refrigeration and Boat Building Industries etc.

T +27 12 3270016 +27 31 480 7388

www.nfm.co.za

The Aliboats offering comprises 132 different hull designs and sizes

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“We are also authorised dealers for all Yamaha products, Makita power tools, Stihl equipment, Garmin and Lowrance products, and as mentioned above, with branches in Zambia and Namibia, we cover each of these countries.”

In total, the offering comprises 132 different hull designs and sizes, but 99 percent of the interior configurations are customised, highlighting the flexibility and manufacturing expertise present within the business.

“Customers can essentially design their own boat,” Bateman continues.

“This is almost impossible with mass produced, production fibreglass boats which are manufactured in a set mould.”

While this is a time consuming process, it has been a significant facet contributing to the positive reputation enjoyed by Aliboats in the market, and is made more efficient through an ongoing commitment to the streamlining of internal processes,

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PROUD ALUMINIUM SUPPLIER TO ALIBOATS Non-Ferrous Metal Works (SA) (Pty) Ltd offer a wide variety of standard Aluminium Extrusions to cater for every need. The range of extrusions available is constantly changing and enquiries for shapes not commonly carried in stock, or for customers own specific die requirements, can be made through any of our sales offices.

PRODUCTS Brass Copper Cast Iron Bronze Aluminium Speciality Metals Solders & Allied Products Castings Foundry Ingots

Non-Ferrous Metal Works (SA) (Pty) Ltd is one of the major metallurgical undertakings in Southern Africa. With Head Office and two manufacturing facilities situated in Durban, the largest port in Africa, the company is ideally situated to serve local and especially overseas consumers of non-ferrous semifabricated products.

Non-Ferrous Metal Works (SA) (Pty) Ltd proudly stock flat rolled sheet, plate and tread plate products manufactured to the highest quality and for many varied applications. With its high strength and ease of recyclability Aluminium is rapidly finding new paths into the industry.

and investments into more modern, advanced technologies.

The latest examples of this are evident through a new computerised plasma cutting machine acquired from the US at a cost of approximately P1.2 million, as well as a new press brake (sheet bender) amounting to approximately P800,000.

Enjoy life on the water

The end result of this flexibility, adherence to the latest industry trends and requirements, and comprehensive service offering is what Aliboats labels: “Tough boats. Built in Africa, for Africa”.

Bringing into mind a strong emphasis on localisation, this ethos is compounded by the fact that two of the four directors and shareholders - indeed, Bateman and his wife - are Botswana citizens.

“Of our 75 staff, 68 are Botswana citizens, so this is very important to us

Non-Ferrous Metal Works - Pretoria Nate Ramdin – nater@nfm.co.za Chezelle Wykerd – chezellew@nfm.co.za Tel: + 27 (12) 3270016 Fax: + 27 (12) 327 0026

The vast majority of our staff live in Botswana and their job is their livelihood; they are not here to just gain experience and leave for greener pastures

Non-Ferrous Metal Works – Exports EB Gounden – ebbieg@nfm.co.za

www.nfm.co.za

99 percent of interiors are customised

and the country in general,” the MD adds. “The vast majority of our staff live in Botswana and their job is their livelihood; they are not here to just gain experience and leave for greener pastures.”

Bateman attributes this subsequent loyalty as a key pillar which defines Aliboats from the rest of the market in the region, and the Company repays

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said loyalty by ensuring that each employee receives state-of-the-art internal training in order to encourage internal promotion wherever possible.

The MD states: “More than 90 percent of our employees have been trained by us in-house; our aluminium welders were either steel welders and we trained them to weld aluminium, or they started as labourers and have progressed upwards through the years. We all believe in our product and I think this is also very important if you want to succeed in today’s markets.”

A hierarchal structure which

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We all believe in our product and I think this is also very important if you want to succeed in today’s markets

includes the managers of the Company also being owners further aids the general growth strategy in avoiding bureaucratic hindrances and in promoting quick decision making.

And all of this combines with the undoubted quality of products to ensure that Aliboats’ future goals for further expansion north of Botswana are achievable and that its customers continue to “enjoy life on the water”.

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Tip of the

Iceberg

Improving upon the comprehensive success of 2014 seemed a daunting task for MRE, but the specialist industrial refrigeration Company’s new plant and yearly turnover increase has cooled any concerns over mere consolidation

a largely unrivalled reputation for its bespoke capabilities, designing customised products through the leveraging of its experienced and highly qualified local workforce.

“We have excellent installation and service crews who are based locally,” said Managing Director, Dennis van der Westhuizen. “Additionally we manufacture and assemble locally as well so that we can make our products as affordable as possible.

“The Company has gone to great Writer: Matthew Staff lengths to ensure it adopts the very latest technologies and control Project Manager: Tom Cullum systems to achieve efficient operation RE has remained loyal to of refrigeration plants.” a continuous Since beginning operations in Cape Town all those years ago improvement strategy complemented by additional offices that has proven successful for two opened in Johannesburg and Durban decades in 2015, as a new branch, new - the business has gone from strength to strength as a consequence of this personnel, extensive capital local focus; leading to one of the most investments and strong turnover growth sets the Company up perfectly successful years in MRE’s history in 2013-2014, where clients’ expectations for the next phase of its growth.

The specialist industrial refrigeration were consistently exceeded.

Now, with an even more successful Company has been a market leader across both design and 2015 being enjoyed, and a fourth plant installation since its inception in unveiled in Port Elizabeth, the scope 1995, complemented by its service and capacity for the Company to scale and maintenance arm catering for even higher heights in the future looks industrial plants, and remaining flexible an inevitability rather than a possibility. enough to serve a range of customer needs.

Becoming the future of MRE As the second largest refrigeration With a 35 percent market share, the contracting and compressor packager room for growth was seemingly across South Africa, MRE has built narrow moving from 2014 into this

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DANFOSS

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anfoss engineers technologies that enable the world of tomorrow do more with less.

We meet the growing need for infrastructure, food supply, energy efficiency and climate-friendly solutions.

Our products and services are used in areas such as refrigeration, air conditioning, heating, motor control and mobile machinery. We are also active in the field of renewable energy as well as district heating infrastructure for cities and urban communities.

Our innovative engineering dates back to 1933 and today Danfoss is a worldleader, with 22,500 employees and serving customers in more than 100 countries. We are still privately held by the founding family.

Read more about us at

www.danfoss.com/South_Africa Industrial refrigeration station

year, but MRE has already recorded a R20 million improvement on last year’s figures, raising turnover from R200 million to R220 million in its year-onyear unveilings.

This has all been achieved despite the ongoing difficulties in attaining the necessary skills in the region; a problem that persists in wider industry, but one that makes MRE’s positive market standing all the more important in becoming an employer of choice.

“A lack of qualified artisans has forced us to implement our own in-house training in order to up-skill the industry,” van der Westhuizen noted. “We see our training as a way of making a positive impact to the local workforce in South Africa, and consequently offer free education and training to any applicants that require financial assistance.

“Currently, we have trainee technicians and welders in a series of continual programmes of skills

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We see our training as a way of making a positive impact to the local workforce in South Africa, and consequently offer free education and training to any applicants that require financial assistance

improvement, while MRE is also employing young engineers to train and become the future of MRE.” Adhering to the mantra, “people make MRE strong and are the future of its existence” the MD has subsequently made the philosophy a central pillar of the Company’s overall approach to continuous improvement, complemented by continuous capital expenditures to balance out the human-automation influence within the manufacturing process.

“MRE not only strives to keep up with the latest technologies in automation, but also focuses on upskilling the industry, using a balance of automated and manually operated lines,” van der Westhuizen continues.

“We also strive to be energy efficient in all our plants wherever we can, and use heat recovery ventilation in order to not only provide fresh air and improved climate control in the plants, but to also save energy by reducing the heating and cooling requirements.”

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Constant improvement

Equally improving efficiencies internally as well as for its clients, MRE went into the latter part of 2014, and the beginning of 2015, knowing that resting on the Company’s laurels was not an option.

Van der Westhuizen emphasised: “Our entire team have been assisting in ensuring our success. Due to the hard work across the board, it is difficult to put our success down to one area alone. However, in order to maintain this growth status, it is important for MRE to constantly monitor their training, internal policies and capabilities.

“Constant improvement is a must in our business. Therefore, we are concentrating hard on improving our service department nationwide. By

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Constant improvement is a must in our business. Therefore, we are concentrating hard on improving our service department nationwide

focusing on our customers, we hope to increase partnerships and those who consider us for their patronage.”

Not only working for significant market players in terms of its customer base, much of MRE’s success stems from its ongoing work alongside significant industry operators in relation to its supply chain and the formulation of mutually-beneficial business partnerships.

The MD continued: “MRE works

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with highly-reputable associate companies, both international and local in origin, and all of them are vital to our operations.

“With the majority of MRE’s refrigeration equipment being imported from abroad, the Company encourages local partnerships wherever possible to try and instil as much local content and job creation as possible throughout all our systems and packages.”

Many of these relationships have evolved over the majority of MRE’s 20-year tenure, and incorporate everything from the provision of technological expertise from the likes of Danfoss, to areas of green energy optimisation alongside operators including Puregas, HC Group and Electric Assemblies, and more industry-specific equipment upgrade relationships alongside Baltimore Aircoil Company; all contributing to the MRE success story over the past decade or more.

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PROUD SUPPLIERS TO M.R.E. CONTACT US Ken Martin Koeberg Service Road Milnerton, Cape Town 0027 21 551 7873 hccape@mweb.co.za

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Tip of the iceberg

The extensive growth enjoyed by MRE over the years is a testament to all aforementioned areas of internal growth and strategic relationships, and has culminated in the natural decision to look further afield in the future.

Remaining flexible and entrepreneurial enough to involve itself in new projects quickly and agilely, contracts are consequently being awarded to the Company on an increasingly frequent basis, with van der Westhuizen understandably now earmarking international expansion as a more than reasonable aim for the future evolution of MRE. The MD concludes: “MRE sees South Africa as the foundation for an even further reach across Africa. The continent is a growth point and we are looking forward to using South Africa as a springboard to reach other countries.

“There really is significant potential and this is just the tip of the iceberg.”

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I N T E R N A T I O N A L

( B A I )

Picture: Canal Walk is the pre-eminent super-regional shopping centre in the Western Cape, South Africa

Bentel Associates International is utilising its expertise in the African market to access further emerging markets beyond the continent in Asia and the Middle East Writer: Emily Jarvis Project Manager: Stuart Parker esponsible for some of Africa’s landmark developments, leading architectural firm, Bentel Associates International (BAI) is now looking to showcase its portfolio of construction excellence beyond the continent, leveraging its extensive experience of emerging markets to explore opportunities

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across Asia and the Middle East.

Founded in 1960 the Company quickly gained traction in its native market of South Africa, learning how to capitalise on the infrastructural growth being witnessed over the course of the past 55 years. To reflect this gradual evolution, the Company changed its name to Bentel Associates International and now

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stands tall as one of Africa’s largest architectural firms known for landmark developments in South Africa and other key stable markets across the continent.

“Throughout our history, we have been involved in all types of commercial-orientated projects, but while we don’t want to only be recognised for being a specialist in

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one sector, there has been a recent development focus in the past 10 years on mixed-use developments and we are currently capitalising on this market trend,” comments Tim Harlech-Jones, Business Development Director (BDD) of Bentel Associates International.

“The Company is a pioneer of shopping centre design in South Africa,

and retail has since mushroomed into a significant part of our business today across the continent. We have influenced a significant number of landmark and award-winning retail and mixed-use project designs through our complete service offering: architecture, master planning, store planning, interior design and graphic design,” he adds.

New capital

The proliferation of new capital combined with a strong pipeline of projects coming from outside of South Africa has served to bolster BAI’s growing international presence, becoming an architectural leader on the world stage. In line with this, the Company opened its second head office in Mumbai, India in 2004 as part

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of a continuous growth plan to access emerging infrastructure markets in developing countries.

“In support of our own growth, foreign investors are currently showing interest in Africa, with East Africa in particular becoming an investment hotspot as of late. As these companies look for partners in Africa, we find they are being referred to us as a result of our reputation and portfolio.

“Currently from our Indian operations, just over half of our business is coming from outside of the country, from the likes of Iran, Saudi-Arabia, Qatar and Bangladesh.

By leveraging both our brand and geographic locations, we are able to

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infiltrate these emerging markets,” highlights Harlech-Jones.

As a consequence of a successful 11 years of operations in Mumbai, BAI is now analysing the benefits that setting up a base in Middle Eastern markets could bring business prosperity.

Anchor for development

Deciding how best to use a development space and create the most relevant design is something that varies from country to country on the African continent. However, one factor that remains a prominent trend outside of South Africa is the demand for retail developments as Harlech-Jones explains: “Through

We pride ourselves on our award-winning portfolio, achieving recognition in the African market and on the international stage” – Tim Harlech-Jones, BDM

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elcome to The CAD Corporation. We are an Autodesk Gold Partner and design consulting specialist who delivers the world’s leading digital design solutions to the people and organizations who make and build the world we live in. Our team of experts has undergone rigorous testing and certification through Autodesk for the main industry disciplines of AEC (Architecture, engineering and construction), Manufacturing & Process and Plant. This makes us a truly multidisciplinary solution provider.

The CAD Corporation has been successfully implementing concepts like Building Information Modeling (BIM) in customers such as Bentel Associates International for over 5 years. Our strength lies in the wealth of knowledge we have gathered whilst working with our clients on small, medium and large scale projects. We are able to lay a solid foundation for the move to BIM, but our authority in this space allows us to recognize and incorporate the unique workflows and protocols of each client’s situation.

The partnerships we have entered into with Autodesk, Knowledge Smart, Pinnacle Series, FM Systems, Dell and HP (to mention but a few), allow us to assess a design office holistically to bring value-adding solutions that are fully implemented to drive bottom line gain for the clients we serve.

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www.cadco.co.za Top: Accra Mall, Ghana. Above: Levy Junction, Zambia

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I N T E R N A T I O N A L

( B A I )

MULTI AWARDWINNING COMPANY Most Recent award recognition from the past three years: > 2015 Asia Pacific Property Award for Best Mixed Use Development in India – Vegas Mixed Use Development, Delhi, India

> 2014 South African Property Owners Association (SAPOA) Award for Best Retail – Cradlestone Mall, Krugersdorp, South Africa

> 2014 South African Council for Shopping Centres (SACSC) Award for Best Retail and Best Overall – Cradlestone Mall, Krugersdorp, South Africa

> 2014 Africa Property Award for Best Retail in South Africa and in Africa – Cradlestone Mall, Krugersdorp, South Africa

> 2013 Asia Pacific Property Award for Best Office Development – Thane One, Mumbai, India

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Thane One, Mumbai, India

BAI’s master planning, we are able to look closely at the macro-economic factors that attract people to the area of new development. Together with our expertise and experience in the fields of architecture and master planning, we are able to design higher yielding assets for our clients, than our competitors. These developments work on all levels and provide for spaces that are well-designed, and that people enjoy and feel comfortable in, making it an easier play to onsell as a sought-after development.

This will essentially future-proof the development for our client.

“Once the design is master planned, retail typically acts as the anchor for these developments; and it is quite common for us to be asked to expand the project and provide further valueadd offerings such as additional office, residential and hospitality offerings to complement the development.”

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Through a symbiotic relationship with the client, BAI makes sure its projects are strategically placed to create a building that will benefit the local area. “Given that mixed-use and retail developments occupy such large portions of land, we have to make sure to work closely with our clients to come up with the best use of the space and a design,” he notes.

BAI often provides further project value

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Cradlestone Mall, Krugersdorp, South Africa

In South Africa however, a more mature commercial and retail market has dictated the requirement of a decentralisation strategy where densification begins to play a more pressing role. “Although there is still demand for individual office blocks and retail facilities, decentralisation in South Africa is driving investors to look

2005, the Company finished the first major formalised shopping centre development in West Africa, The Palms in Lagos, Nigeria; located on a 45,000 square metre plot of land with 21,000m2 of lettable retail space.

Three years later in Ghana, Accra Mall was commissioned and became the first large-scale shopping centre in the country. Moreover, completed in 2012, Manda Hill, a 44,000m2 shopping mall in the heart of Lusaka, remains among one of the largest shopping centres on the African continent.

“We will continue working across for new mixed-use opportunities in less West Africa, with a particular focus on built-up areas and other decentralised mixed-use to mirror the ongoing trend at the moment to capitalise on more nodes,” Harlech-Jones says. efficient use of a denser space; where the anchor project is retail, and the Industry firsts decision to bolster on other elements Bentel are among the forerunners in is taken at a later date,” detailed West Africa when it comes to retail Harlech-Jones. developments, often being a key In South Africa, BAI has been part of instigating industry firsts. In

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( B A I )

Cell C Campus, South Africa

responsible for a wide variety of iconic buildings over the years, with standout designs including Nelson Mandela Square and Monte Casino in Sandton; handling a diverse range of projects of different sizes.

He continues: “We are currently working on several mixed-use and retail projects across Durban, Pretoria and Johannesburg. Here, we are aiming to set ourselves further apart in terms of sustainability with phase

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three of our Illovo Edge commercial development, achieving a top tier green star building rating from the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA).”

After proving itself in these countries, Bentel has been chosen to work on many other projects across the commercial and residential sector, including affordable housing projects in Zambia, Mozambique and Kenya; commercial projects in Ghana and Uganda, and also mixed-use developments in Ghana and Nigeria.

“In Lusaka, Zambia, we have recently completed phase one of a mixed-use development; a 27,000m2 retail space complemented by a hospitality offering and an office block.

Phase one has been very successful and we are now looking to expand it in phase two for our client, which will double the size of the development,” he confirms.

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Tim Harlech-Jones, Business Development Director

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Above left: Icon House, Ghana. Left: Mantri Square, India. Above: DB City, India

Future-proof

Essentially, BAI’s portfolio has been a way of future-proofing its position on the continent. Harlech-Jones highlights: “Overall the African market is dynamic, and at the moment we are active across Botswana, Namibia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, in addition to the above. Furthermore,

Rwanda, Angola, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, DRC are all potential future markets that are opening up to infrastructure developments that we can offer our service.”

Backed by an award-winning portfolio of projects spread across the world’s emerging markets, BAI has been consistently recognised

on an international scale for its achievements across the commercial and retail space. With a clear aspiration to become a leading architectural Company in not just Africa but in all emerging markets, the Company continues to prove itself and deliver landmark projects with innovative flair.

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P R O P E R T Y

G R O U P

MM Property Group (CMM) has remained a core part of Zambia’s real estate sector since 1985, proudly existing through the market liberalisation of 1991 and reshaping itself alongside changing industry trends and cultural changes.

Founder and Group CEO, Chris Mwenya Mulenga, remains at the helm of the real estate firm today and has lofty aspirations for his Company beyond the borders of Zambia.

“When we first started out, property valuation companies were not able to practice real estate; only the government could do this until the market was liberalised in 1991,” he says.

“Although we were the third property Company to set up in Zambia, within a short period of time we excelled as a property valuation firm, becoming the leaders in the sector and opening up branches in Livingstone and Ndola to complement our central head office location in Lusaka.”

The change of government allowed CMM to practice estate agency and add a further string to its bow, with the full repertoire of value-add services across property development and consultancy opened up to the private sector.

Total Service

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market understanding as one of the oldest property Companies in Zambia, CMM has secured an impressive order book which it has spent the past five years building across a multitude of public-private partnerships (PPPs), often with international investors. Now, the Company is keen to foster good relationships across Africa even as far as the Middle East in order to tap into new growth markets, while encouraging foreign investment into the continent.

“We want customers to choose us for the full service offering so that we can showcase our full potential and capabilities, thus building our reputation in Zambia and beyond. All a client needs to have is a site, and we will take it from there to come up with the best concept and use of the land through to completion,” he details.

TOTAL SERVICE OFFERING > Project conceptualisation > Feasibility studies > Project management > Project financing > Construction > Leasing and sales > Property management > Facilities management

Equipped with a growing portfolio of real estate across Africa, CMM Property Group has its eye firmly on partnering with international investors and entering Middle Eastern markets Writer: Emily Jarvis • Project Manager: Stuart Parker As the market has grown, so has the scale of infrastructure projects being undertaken in Zambia, and CMM is now looking at undertaking these larger projects in accordance with changing market demand.

“An emerging middle-class is coming through, which means all the relevant districts require infrastructure such

as shopping malls, hotels, lodges, offices and housing. Business is really booming and by leveraging our years of expertise within the country, we are able to offer a total service solution in property consultancy from start to finish; right up to the leasing and sales stage,” explains Mulenga.

Equipped with comprehensive

Order book

As the continent continues to develop and grow, investment in infrastructure will play a vital part in encouraging economic development and this often comes from foreign investors.

In Zambia alone, the government has placed great emphasis on improving infrastructure such as housing, road networks, and amenities

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Managing Director, Chris Mulenga (centre) continues to oversee the Company’s evolution

in order to create better living conditions for all. “And PPPs play a key part in encouraging this exciting development and the industry is picking up at a fast pace to tackle this challenge,” adds Mulenga.

CMM recently won a tender to build the US government a warehouse for the US embassy to lease in Lusaka while nearby, the Company also won a housing project on an eight acre site which will be a diplomatic complex, complete with a retail element and other amenities. “We are thrilled to be working on this project and the US embassy has already booked 10 units within the complex,” he notes.

“In addition, we are negotiating a substantial PPP between the national housing authority and an American development company, and we will be in consortium with them for the development of approximately 500,000 houses over the next 10 years.”

In order to engender economic

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...we are negotiating a substantial PPP between the national housing authority and an American development company, and we will be in consortium with them for the development of approximately 500,000 houses over the next 10 years

development and encourage foreign investors, the Zambia Development agency has created a policy to attract significant foreign direct investment (FDI) and CMM has utilised its reputation among international partners to secure the development of a satellite town in the northern province of Kasama.

Mulenga details: “The project will be on a 722 hectare site and will be accorded with the multi-facility economic zone status (MFEZ) by the Zambia Development Agency. Foreign investors will be rewarded with dutyfree tax incentives for working with us on this huge project, making the country more competitive through increased activity in the trade and manufacturing sectors.

“We believe it is vital to encourage local companies to partner with international players so as to upskill their workforce and leverage the experience of others who have undertaken complex projects.”

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British Energy Solution Technology

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A+ INTERIOR CONCEPTS PROVIDES FULL HOUSE INTERIOR DESIGN SERVICES UNIQUELY CUSTOMISED TO MEET YOUR FUNCTIONAL AND AESTHETIC NEEDS. WE SPECIALISE IN COST EFFECTIVE AND BEAUTIFUL DESIGN SOLUTIONS FOR COMMERCIAL, HOSPITALITY AND RESIDENTIAL INTERIORS. www.aplusinteriorconcepts.com Tel: +260 211 238 150 Mob: +260 955 718 159 Email: design@aplusinteriorconcepts.com 6th Floor Godfrey House, Kabelenga Road, P.O. Box 33976, Lusaka.

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Africa, which means we need to have a presence beyond Zambia and build the right partnerships and joint ventures.

For example, we work closely with Knight Frank in Zambia, Fifth Avenue Properties in South Africa, and anywhere else that the opportunity arises for a fruitful relationship.

“Moreover, we are currently assisting a company in Angola with a housing project that will provide 1,000 residences for retired soldiers in Luena,” says Mulenga.

Given its strong - and growing continent-wide portfolio, CMM has immediate plans to open up offices in Nigeria and Ghana working in conjunction with the right partners.

“We also have plans to join the healthy competition in Kenya’s property scene and open an office here in the next five-10 years,” he adds, stating thereafter a move into Rwanda might be on the cards.

ZNPF Godfrey House

Completing CMM’s current portfolio in Zambia’s commercial property sector are three shopping mall projects in Kabwe, Kasama and Kalulushi, two office parks in Rhodes Park and Fairview, a hotel and convention centre in Kabwe and a 16-storey mixeduse development in Lusaka which has already secured financing.

African expansion

Capacity building is one of CMM’s core values and by working with likeminded companies in the property business, the Company is helping to foster healthy relationships across the continent and beyond. “Investors are looking for opportunities across the whole of

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500,000 houses In addition, we are negotiating a substantial PPP between the national housing authority and an American development company, and we will be in consortium with them for the development of approximately 500,000 houses over the next 10 years

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Foreign investment

Building with integrity and excellence

African projects and cross-border successes have already inspired CMM to foster relationships beyond the continent, with a particular focus on the Middle East, and encouraging twoway investment between regions.

“Through a partnership with Universal 21, a property management Company with a presence in Turkey, Istanbul, Dubai and the UK, we now have a platform to sell properties in Turkey; a country where the property market is booming, growing at 20 percent per annum,” Mulenga further highlights.

Once CMM has established an even stronger foothold in Middle Eastern markets, the Company intends to open an office here in a strategic location.

“According to figures, there is $180 billion worth of foreign investment available for Africa and other emerging markets from those who are looking towards Africa for their next large scale property development.

“Backed by a solid order book and strong project portfolio, we hope to quickly become a household name in the countries we have earmarked as key growth markets going forward; closely partnering with local companies to improve infrastructures and showcase our end-to-end solution offering with integrity and excellence,” he concludes.

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Building Relationships with

Honesty and

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Integrity

GPM Services is proving that you don’t have to be the biggest to be the best, as its flexible and personable philosophy continues to reap dividends in Southern Africa’s engineering industry Writer: Matthew Staff Project Manager: Stuart Parker PM Services’ refined balance of operating as a large Company with SME values has helped the construction and engineering specialists to form unrivalled sector relationships over the past 17 years and is staying true to this ethos as it plans the next phase of its extensive expansion and diversification within the SADC region.

Reputed and hailed as one of the leading businesses in the industrial mining domain, the Company’s expertise across site construction, fabrication and mechanical maintenance services have fostered vital, successful partnerships over the years, but it is arguably GPM’s manner and approach that can be attributed as its main differentiator.

“Integrity, responsibility and trust are the cornerstones of GPM Services,” the Company affirms. “We place as much emphasis on our human relationships as we do on turnaround times, product quality and service delivery.

“Established in 1998 by Joe Coetser, the Company has built its reputation on experience, integrity and trust, and focuses on cultivating client relationships by providing excellent service levels and quality products.”

Coetser remains at the helm to this day, having formed a vision and mission which is just as applicable and evident across GPM’s operations today as they

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Providing clients with the most feasible and viable solutions available

were 17 years’ ago.

“At GPM Services our goal is to provide services and facilities equal to that of large firms, yet back them up with the relationship found in smaller firms,” the Company continues. “We strive to be a leading service provider in the design, procurement, fabrication and installation of civil, structural steel, mechanical, piping and light steel frame structures; project management, site construction and reliability centred maintenance and risk solutions.”

Subsequently able to provide clients with the most feasible and viable solutions available, and compounded by a business model which adheres to the very latest and most pressing health & safety procedures, GPM Services’ offering is flexible enough to meet the full range of customers’ needs.

Operations Manager, Raymond Eales says: “We do projects small to large depending on the availability of our skills. We are not a corporate company and have a few clients that we still

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We strive to be a leading service provider in the design, procurement, fabrication and installation of civil, structural steel, mechanical, piping and light steel frame structures

successfully do business with. Due to the close relationship we have with our clients we prefer to get involved from the beginning to the end.

“Our key to growth in the sector we specialise in is the fact that we deliver our projects in time. We have a 100 percent success rate in the projects we have completed.”

All-encompassing services

Such success has been achieved across a range of project management and construction services - including engineering and draughting, fabrication, civil works, shuts and maintenance, piping, project management, and electrical instrumentation - and epitomises GPM’s ultimate objective to achieve and maintain its customers’ full satisfaction.

“For this purpose we manufacture all our products and maintain our

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GPM Services is a leader in site construction, fabrication and mechanical maintenance.

Integrity, responsibility and trust are the corner stones of GPM Services.

We place as much emphasis on our human relationships as we do on turnaround times, product quality and service delivery.

Email: info@gpms.co.za

www.gpms.co.za

Delivering goods on schedule and to high standards

Tel: 27 (0)71 697 5802 27 (0)71 690 5374

services as agreed with our customers and deliver the goods on schedule and to standards,” the Company adds.

Having worked alongside multinational industry heavyweights such as Glencore in the past, and indeed currently, GPM’s projects are testament to the reputation achieved within the wider industry, offering a wide range of professional services at affordable rates in the process.

GPM’s own international stature further enhances its marketability, with registered offices in Namibia, South Africa and Mozambique.

“We are also currently exploring Zambia and Tanzania, and are in the process of tendering for work in the latter through our South African division,” Eales explains. “We are currently already busy with projects in Namibia, Mozambique and South Africa.”

Significant completed projects also include work carried out

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Providing a safe working environment in which to work

for Xstrata, COSIRA, Logiman Engineering, Outotec and ASA Metals, accompanied by a series of plant upgrades, pump stations, screening plants, concentrator plants, workshops, reactor upgrades and alloy maintenance; combining to showcase the all-encompassing nature of GPM’s service offering.

Honesty and integrity

Another differentiator committed to behind the scenes of GPM’s external operations is the internal ability to move quickly with the times, and update its aofrementioned offering

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Our LSF division has been successful in the projects it has delivered, and the demand for these projects is increasing by the day

in line with the latest industry trends and market demands; the latest of which playing into the hands of the Company’s light steel frame division.

Eales notes: “Our LSF division has been successful in the projects it has delivered, and the demand for these projects is increasing by the day. We are now looking at spreading our skills field and taking on the contractor’s camp sector.”

In order to achieve such flexibility, again from an internal perspective, GPM continuously updates its technologies and administrative procedures in order to improve efficiencies, productivity

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Incorporated within this philosophy is an equally important focus on local skill adoption and progression, with people management described as a key facet in the Company’s success.

“The current challenge we have in the industry is to have the correct skills to do the work, and that is why we continuously offer training to our workers and ensure that they have a good, safe working environment to operate in,” Eales explains.

Additional team-building events and retention incentives further encourages

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such loyalty amongst its workforce, and harks back to the ethos which underpins GPM’s overall business model; proving that it’s not the size of GPM or indeed its clients that counts, but the service that is provided across each and every project.

“Honesty and integrity makes all business relationships a success,” Eales concludes. “We take pride in what we do and ensure that we keep our teams and clients happy. We will keep on delivering a quality product within our clients’ timeframes and budgets.

“GPM Services is not the biggest company, but the best.”

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International Expansion in the Pipeline Kenya Pipeline Company has set its goals for the forthcoming decade as part of a rebranding which will complement some of the most significant oil & gas projects ever carried out in the country Writer: Matthew Staff • Project Manager: Eddie Clinton Oil pipeline from Mombasa to Nairobi

enya Pipeline Company (KPC) has set lofty ambitions for its future prominence in both the country and wider region, as a rebranding and fresh vision sets its stall to become one of the first state-owned Kenyan organisation to operate on an international scale.

Formed by the Government of Kenya in 1973, the 100 percent stateowned corporation has a rare doublefaceted organisational structure in that it also funds itself, making it one of the most pivotal business arms in the country’s energy sector.

Subsequently, KPC has been involved in all major oil & gas pipeline constructions since 1978, upon the completion of the still-significant Mombasa-Nairobi pipeline, linking the country’s two biggest cities.

For the duration of this tenure, and

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throughout all projects completed since that opening gambit, the mandate has simply comprised two facets; to transport petroleum products and to offer operational storage of products, both internal and imported.

While the success in adhering to these mandates is undoubted, this isn’t to say that KPC is the finished article, however, and the Company has now put stringent policies and ambitions in place, in order to not only produce more innovative and largerscale pipelines, but to do so across a broadened geographic footprint, using more efficient techniques and systems, and with a stronger commitment to the wider population at large engrained into its philosophy.

Serving the region

Significant upgrades to nationally

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significant pipelines, a complete rebranding under the banner ‘Vision 2025’ and a more concerted focus on corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives all fall under this vision for the future KPC, but to understand the potential of these improvements fully, it is just as important to glance back at the role the Company has played in Kenya over its former 40-plus years.

The aforementioned 450 kilometre pipeline from Mombasa to Nairobi kick-started the evolution, and has been subsequently complemented by a host of domestically necessary and enriching constructs.

Corporate Communications Manager, Jason Nyantino recalls: “The second key project was a pipeline from Nairobi to the western town of Eldoret, a distance of more than 300 kilometres. This occurred in 1994 and was necessary because we needed to

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take the product nearer to the western region of the country, and to be able to serve the region and neighbouring countries.

“We also serve Uganda, South Sudan, DRC, Uganda, northern Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi so it’s a key pipeline in place to make the product cheaper and more accessible across that region.”

About midway between Nairobi and Eldoret, in Nakuru, the third project was born in the same year, extending a pipeline from that location to the country’s third largest city, Kisumu. The 122 kilometre construct once again served needs from a geographic expansion and export perspective, and was soon followed in 2011 by the Company’s fourth project which similarly originated as a consequence of concerted market demand; a parallel pipeline

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from Nairobi to Eldoret to increase capacities and export potential to the aforementioned neighbouring countries.

Biggest ever project

Kenya Pipeline Company has over the years instituted a series of capacity enhancement operation increase pumping capacity from 440 metres cubed an hour to 830 metres cubed an hour at the still prominent Mombasa to Nairobi pipeline, an initiative which has set the tone for its biggest undertaking to date currently ongoing in the area.

“This is a US$350 million upgrade being carried out by Middle Eastern contractor, Zakhem International which started earlier in the year and is about 30-40 percent complete,” Nyantino explains. “It is a 20 inch pipeline which will handle all of the

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t Shankan we are constantly evolving to meet our customer’s growing needs. Our roots are in pumping and metering equipment having represented FMC Technologies smith meters and Wayne pumps for more than two decades in the region.

With a huge focus on pumps and valves needed to maintain pipeline flow, we represent SPX Technologies pumps and valves which essentially constitutes the largest build out of oil and liquid pipelines.

We represent OPWs most complete line of loading arms and loading rack equipment like Civacon Grounding system for today’s loading requirements having supplied, installed and maintaining the equipment in major oil terminals including Kenya Pipeline Terminals.

Construction of the 20 inch, 550 USD million oil pipeline from Mombasa to Nairobi

products across the 450 kilometre pipe from the end of 2016 onwards, and it is our biggest ever project, not just in Kenya, but in the entire region.

“The current flow capacity for the pipeline is 830 metres cubed an hour, but the new pipeline once up and running will increase this flow rate to more than 1,100.”

With future phases already laid out to install more pumps to further increase suction pressure, the overall aim is to enhance this flow rate to above 2,000 metres cubed an hour within the next decade; subsequently feeding the region for the next 30 years and making it one of the most significant energy constructs in Kenya to date.

A similarly pivotal flow rate increase being undertaken at the 122 kilometre, 10 inch pipeline between Nakuru and Kisumu is further evidence of KPC’s ongoing influence in the sector, once again catering for demand in the wider region adjacent to Kenya, while also

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...we want to serve the country to the full and are also looking at oil & gas opportunities to further serve the needs of the whole country

laying the foundations for its own, necessary, internal improvements enveloped within its Vision 2025.

Vision 2025

The ten-year strategic plan and incorporated rebranding is only three months old, and is primarily a refinement and honing of incentives already present on a more ad-hoc basis

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www.shankan.com within the Company over the first 40 years of its development.

A transformational plan as such, the initiative comprises five key pillars which are set to take KPC to the next level; both in terms of its operations in Kenya, and its presence on an increasingly international scale.

Nyantino explains: “The first pillar is business leadership in Kenya. We are alive to the fact we have not served Kenya as a whole because our network is still lopsided in terms of geographic spread, but we want to serve the country to the full and are also looking at oil & gas opportunities to further serve the needs of the whole country.

“Pillar number two is geographic expansion, becoming the first stateowned Kenyan organisation to fully move into neighbouring countries, to exploit the oil & gas opportunities across Ethiopia, South Sudan, Uganda, DRC, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi.”

The third of pillar - strategically placed in the middle as the central

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Kenya Shankan House, 18 Kabarsian Avenue P.O. Box 44432-00100 Nairobi, Kenya Tel: 4450544/5 Mob: 0722 512979/0733 745204 Fax: 254 20 4456147 Email: vsharma@shankan.com

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Tanzania Premier Agencies of Tanzania Ltd, Plot No. 4, Bandaro Road Kurasani Area, P.O. Box 7866 Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania Tel: 225 22 2124397/8 Fax: 255 22 2124395 Email: robert-singu@pa-ea.com

Uganda Premier Agencies of Uganda Ltd, 2nd Floor, Raja Chambers 3rd Parliment Avenue, P.O. Box 1411 Kampala, Uganda Tel: 256 414 34387/95 Fax: 256 414 341608 Email: frida.nkata@pa-ea.com

Mara Technologies Ltd Sourcing products, equipment and services for our clients.

Consulting for Oil and Gas Services, Resellers, Introducing Partners & Arranging Solutions Worldwide. We secure favourable terms, conditions and ensure succesful completion and delivery of projects.

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Call us NOW on: +44 (0)20 7723 3047 // +44 (0)7710 470 178 sales@maratechnologies.co.uk // www.maratechnologies.co.uk Pipe alignment

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foundation of KPC’s structure - embraces the personnel side of the business, increasing the workforce capacity to facilitate the aforementioned footprint expansion.

Significant increases in investment across training and development, strategic equipment, and the Company’s hiring strategy in general will provide the platform for the forthcoming decade of development.

“The fourth pillar in our strategic plan covers systems and processes, embracing cutting-edge technologies across our operations and logistics,” Nyantino continues. “We already have a new SAP system which is fully operational across the entire spectrum of the Company, helping us with everything from office administration to the loading process, and also our customer relationships.

“Additionally, we are also laying fibre optic cable side-by-side with the Mombasa to Nairobi pipeline to improve our leak detection system and to again improve the operation of the pipeline.”

Transforming lives

The fifth and final pillar addresses image and reputation, not only acknowledging the fact that KPC is a business hub of government and therefore needs to be reputed as such, but also committing itself more wholly to the enrichment of the wider Kenyan and regional population through a more extensive and streamlined CSR strategy.

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Bottom loading of petroleum products

“We now have a clear CSR policy and agenda which covers six focal areas,” Nyantino notes. “The first one is the empowerment of youth, women and persons with disability, while the second addresses education. The third and fourth areas cover health and sanitation, and the provision of clean water, respectively, and the fifth is sports.”

A nationally successful volleyball team, including a number of players having competed for the Kenyan national team enforces the prominence of the latter, and is followed-up by the even more heroic sixth focal point, which includes KPC’s involvement in aiding the emergency services; aptly rounding-up its

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2025 KPC is actively involved in aiding the emergency services – part of an initiative set up to uplift and transform people’s lives

fifth Vision 2025 pillar as a whole, as an initiative set up to uplift and transform people’s lives.

“We are looking at doing these selected projects to have more of an impact on society, supported by a new vision and mission to transform lives through safe and efficient delivery of quality oil & gas, from source to customer,” Nyantino concludes. “Over the coming years, the rebranding of KPC will see our flow rates increase, it will see us serve our customers and country better, and it will ultimately contribute to cheaper and more accessible energy provision to Kenya and neighbouring countries.

“Internally we want to have a high performance organisational culture, and we are now looking at a very positive future in taking the region forward from an oil & gas perspective, while generating more money for the economy, and helping more people in the process.”

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QUALITY No project is too large, too small or too remote for Nigeria’s premier provider of pipe, metal and coating services in the country’s all important oil & gas domain Writer: Matthew Staff • Project Manager: Eddie Clinton olewant Nigeria Limited has excelled in the provision of pipe, metal and field joints coating services for 15 years and is now entering the next phase of its extensive development through a series of investments and expansions.

Supporting the oil & gas, water, chemical processing, mining, refining, electricity, transportation and marine industries, the US-based Solewant Group subsidiary has refined its business model in the economically strong West African country over this time, in protecting all metal and concrete services through its range of services.

By blocking environmental attacks where aggressive chemical solutions and gases are present, or where mechanical forces and high temperatures are a danger, Solewant has become a significant component of the country’s wider sector, and is subsequently laying out clear plans for even more comprehensive support in the future.

“Our vision is to be the first rate world-class coating service provider for the oil & gas industry in Nigeria and the sub-Saharan African region,” the

Company emphasises. “Our mission is to provide excellent industrial coating services, manpower training and research; using well-trained coating experts and best modern technology to satisfy our clients.”

Through this all-encompassing philosophy, Solewant is able to stay true - even more fruitfully after 15 years - to its overriding aims to enhance employment opportunities in coating application services; to encourage local knowledge transfer and technological skills; to increase participation in servicing oil & gas industries; to save time of project delivery as well as the cost of its projects; and to provide efficient service to project owners.

Driving improvements

Renowned for its diverse portfolio comprising pipe and metal coating services and custom coating services, Solewant separates its business arms to cater for each, and also integrates Fieldjoint Coating Limited (FJC), its own mobile field joint coating equipment division, and a cathodic protection division.

Additionally, Solewant Nigeria is also the exclusive representative of KEMA Coatings Limited of Canada across its

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adherence that formulates one of the Company’s biggest focuses.

“Solewant practices internationally recognised health, safety and environmental (HSE) standards at each of our operations around the world and are fully committed to the pursuit of high product and service quality while ensuring no harm to people and no damage to the environment,” the business emphasises. “HSE is deeply embedded in our business culture as the Company continues to drive improvements in this important area.”

Committed to quality

Expanding production capacities

operating region in Nigeria and subSaharan Africa.

“KEMA Coatings Limited develops and manufactures high performance, multi-functional, organic barrier coatings and linings which are suitable for medium to extreme service conditions that include; epoxies, polyurethanes, polyureas, pipeline tapes and sealants,” the Company notes.

A series of industrial protective paints and sealants complete the offering as part of the lucrative partnership, and goes a long way to explaining the Company’s recent necessity to expand its production capacities.

This initiative has been kick-started by the introduction of a 200,000 square metre industrial area currently being built to cater for all of its business arms and supplementary administrative requirements.

Also compounding this is the potential to build its own manufacturing plant in the months to come as it looks to cement its position as an industry mainstay, while also enhancing a health and safety

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Solewant practices internationally recognised health, safety and environmental (HSE) standards at each of our operations around the world and are fully committed to the pursuit of high product and service quality...

As a matter of course, the competitive advantages and differentiators that are achieved through such commitments to customer satisfaction and safety include visibility and transparency throughout operations, continuous improvements being driven throughout the organisation, enhanced risk management, heightened employee satisfaction, and a stronger monitoring of processes in line with industry demands; all of which have combined to attract some of the region and industry’s biggest names over the years.

Shell Nigeria, ExxonMobil Nigeria, Total, NAOC, EHGC, Ascot, Oil Serv Limited, Seplat Petroleum and Subsea 7 are just a few of the major clients loyal to Solewant in the country, highlighting just how prominent the Company’s offering has become to one of the country’s most profitable and vital industries.

“The management of Solewant Nigeria Limited is committed to quality management systems (QMS) that ensures all products and services are in accordance to international standards and certifications requirements,” the Company notes. “Our activities in the oil & gas industry are being implemented and maintained by providing quality coating products and services to meet clients’ requirements, and we continually evaluate the

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COMPUTERS • COMMUNICATION • ICT

SPARCH

Oil & gas is a pivotal industry to Nigeria’s economy

Daniel Orakwe +234 80 6240 3898 orakwedaniel@yahoo.com

Sparch Concepts Number 17 Psychiatric Hospital Road Rumuigbo, Port Harcourt Riverstate, Nigeria

quality systems’ suitability and monitor our coating operations to improve organisational effectiveness.”

Maintaining high levels of quality is made possible through the continuous internal hiring and promotion of key skills off the back of extensive training initiatives, alongside a concerted approach towards capital expenditures to ensure that the Company is operating as efficiently as possible to remain ahead of the industry curve.

Ultimately, this transcends into the Company’s projects - on which it is primarily judged - where Solewant now plans to set itself apart from the market competition even further over the next 15 years.

“We assist project owners and clients to save time of project execution and within budget,” the Company concludes. “There is no project too large or small and no place too remote for Solewant in Nigeria to handle, when it comes to project delivery.”

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Powering & Empowering South A rica Lesedi Nuclear Services is embarking on the next stage of its comprehensive growth over the years as it develops from being a nationally-significant to an internationally successful EPC player Writer: Matthew Staff • Project Manager: Eddie Clinton

esedi Nuclear Services has undergone various restructurings and diversifications over the course of its 14-year history; all of which have culminated in the globally-significant market position it currently finds itself in as the Company looks ahead to an even more exciting future.

Far from relying on pipedreams and potentially risky strategic developments, all of Lesedi’s growth - especially over the past decade - has been achieved as a consequence of carefully thought through, organic progression, with this journey now leaving the South Africanbased business on the precipice of a concerted drive into the wider sub-Saharan region and towards a diversified broader market.

Formed in 2001 as an evolution from Intens Engineering and the predecessor’s construction of Koeberg

US$75 million Expected company turnover due to an increased diversification in power generation

Nuclear Power Station, AREVA, global leader in the nuclear industry, adopted Lesedi Nuclear Services as a way to enhance its localisation strategy.

Fast-forward 14 years, and Lesedi is a market stalwart across not only nuclear projects and maintenance services, but also industrial, renewable, oil & gas and waste to energy, leveraging a turnkey service offering unrivalled elsewhere in the sector. And very soon, this expertise will be evident on an international scale on the continent.

“We have expanded our project horizons to include several sub-Saharan countries,” the Company’s Business Development Manager, Shane Pereira explains. “Over the past 12-18 months we’ve been active with waste to energy and biomass projects in Ghana and Mauritius as well as in Rwanda, Namibia, Botswana and Mozambique.

“We will partner with local companies when doing business in those particular countries, while, over the next few years,

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VK Holdings delivers excellence in construction and materials handling logistics to especially the energy sector in Sub-Saharan Africa. The company’s involvement in inter alia the Medupi and Kusile mega-projects reflect a flair for industry challenges and maverick solutions.

André van der Merwe, the Chairman of the Board, heads up the company he created. “Our expertise in especially steel construction has served us well over the years,” he says.

Koeberg Nuclear Power Station

we also hope and expect to increase our turnover from US$50 million to around US$75 million through a similar diversification in the various forms of power generation.”

years of prominence in that nationallypivotal energy sector.

Pereira notes: “The contract with Siemens was for the mechanical erection of the turbines, and the balance of plant for Eskom involved scopes including fire protection, fuel Sector widening and loading, treatment of the fuels, Another, potentially longer-term goal would be to take equity in projects, but forwarding systems, compressed air, electrical power distribution Lesedi has a rich history in optimising its natural growth one step at a time; systems, control and instrumentation, and the supply of all operating and its current shareholding structure maintenance procedures. is setup strongly to facilitate such “Then, in 2009, we were awarded success. the contract for the balance of plant Five years after inception, in 2006, the first significant restructuring took for the Medupi Coal Fired Power Station for Eskom which included place as AREVA increased its majority share to 51 percent; a move which the detailed design, procurement, paved the way for the construction of installation and commissioning of 14 150MW open cycle gas turbines for all the low pressure services for the plant. The contract value was in excess Eskom as it entered an environment of US$100 million and Medupi is the outside of nuclear for the first time. largest dry-cooled power station The commissioning of an entire balance of plant contract for Eskom under construction in the world and further compounded the sector therefore a significant milestone project for Lesedi.” widening, and set the tone for three

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Today, many SVK construction projects dot the South African landscape.

SVK Holdings offers services through its two main divisions: SVK Energy & Construction, and its Enterprise Support divisions. SVK Energy & Construction forms the basis for growth and expansion into the energy and related construction sectors, whilst the Enterprise Support division acts as an incubation platform for new businesses and ideas. It also – at a service support level – offers plant and equipment to SVK and to outside clients, suppliers and companies.

SVK Holdings services a bouquet of blue-chip clients though especially the Energy & Construction division, with Lesedi Nuclear Services as a valued SVK Holdings client.

Other clients include Alstom, ESKOM, LTA-Grinaker, Mitsubishi-Hitachi (MHPSA), Murray & Roberts, SIVEST as well as the Tsogo Sun Group. Services offered encompass Project Execution Services, Structural Steel Works, Piping and Pressure Vessels, Mechanical Works and Logistics and Material Management.

T +27(0)86 143 6263 E info@svkholdings.co.za

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STRENGTH. VISION. KNOWLEDGE.

WE ARE PART OF THE NUCLEAR FAMILY SVK Holdings prides itself on being a supplier to one of Southern Africa’s most important developments in Strategic Nuclear Construction.

We are part of a family that believes in the power of delivery. Let us become part of your project and deliver on your promise.

t: +27 (0)86 143 6263 f: +27 (0)86 219 3490 e: info@svkholdings.co.za www.svkholdings.co.za

SVK Building, Cnr Bronkhorstspruit (R104) and Boschkop Road, Donkerhoek, Mooplaats 356 JR, GPS: 25°45’47.87’’S 28°25’5.14’’E

Applying those same levels of expertise, the significance of attaining the contract for the balance of plant for the 4,800MW plant stemmed equally from the fact that Lesedi was the only bidder; emphasising the Company’s stature as the only able turnkey provider for a project of that magnitude.

Highly sophisticated engineering

This unique and niche set of resources derives from a careful fostering of the Company’s workforce throughout its diversification and was given a new dimension in 2012 with a restructuring put in place to best hone the skillsets, sub-contracting partnerships and project management capabilities engrained in the organisation.

With AREVA diluting its shareholding to 39 percent, the introduction of the J&J Group as the Company’s primary black empowerment shareholder, and international construction

Open Cycle Gas Turbine-Exhaust Air duct

heavyweight, Group Five to the Company’s ownership has since aided Lesedi’s diversification even further.

“Over the years, we have developed a highly sophisticated engineering division as well as commercial contracting competencies in order to

carry out the kinds of projects we have done,” Pereira says. “We have utilised only local skills for the projects we have worked on, and the diversification we have enjoyed, has enabled us to grow our engineering and project management capacities significantly.”

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Lean, efficient and streamlined operations

The end result is an EPC entity with overlapping skill-sets across numerous industrial domains, which not only makes Lesedi an attractive contracting proposition across nuclear, oil & gas and various energy sectors, but also a highly flexible business in terms of applying said attributes to future opportunities that may arise.

“Since 2012 we have diversified a little bit further and have bid on a biomass project in South Africa,” Pereira states as an example. “We’re now well positioned to develop our own projects with the intention of executing them across various forms

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of power generation in the future.”

This differentiating market advantage out in the field is further complemented by an ongoing internal acknowledgement of how to be as lean, efficient and streamlined as possible, despite the ever-increasing size of the business.

Demanding, continuous training programmes for experienced and graduate employees alike addresses the manual aspect of such an approach, while the introduction of Industrial Financial Systems in 2009 as an enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform has had a similarly defining

Lesedi head office, Cape Town

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Vessel Head Replacement at Koeberg Nuclear Power Station

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Areas like health and safety are given massive emphasis within our organisation, throughout Lesedi, our partners and our sub-contractors effect on refining administrative and project procedures from the Company’s central South African hub.

Diversifying risk

Ultimately, what Lesedi has achieved, on an unparalleled scale, is affirm itself as the EPC contractor of choice in a widespread array of sectors in the region.

Pereira enthuses: “We position ourselves as an EPC company but our value added is certainly focussed on the ‘EP’ aspect of EPC. We have strong engineering skills, strong project management skills and strong integration skills ensuring appropriate technologies are selected in the execution of our projects.

“Typically with the construction element though, we will either partner with a construction company or sub-contract the construction scope to a construction specialist, where Lesedi will manage the construction. It just so happens that by the definition of construction, a lot of market players have large balance sheets but that doesn’t mean they have the EP capabilities, which is really where the risk resides.”

It is also where Lesedi comes into its own in diversifying said risk, striking a balance between offering clients its own extensive turnkey offering, alongside the promise of introducing a host of construction-specific business partners to the overall bid proposition.

Being the only bidders back in 2006 for the balance of plant on Eskom’s open cycle gas turbine project, as well as for the internationally-renowned Medupi balance of plant EPC contract, epitomises Lesedi’s unique positioning

in the market, while equally prominent successes in areas of health and safety - recently celebrating three million lost time injury-free man hours - ensures that the excitement surrounding the Company’s future expansion is certainly not misplaced.

Pereira concludes: “Areas like health and safety are given massive emphasis within our organisation, throughout Lesedi, our partners and our subcontractors.

“It fits within the wider ethos of priding ourselves on quality and doing the job correctly. “Quality is the name of the game: We have trusted relationships, competent sub-contractors, and a highly skilled workforce which ultimately confirms to clients in these projects that we are the people who will do the job correctly first time.”

Staff at head office, Cape Town

Medupi Coal Power Station

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Delivering Healthcare on a Broadening Scale

UPD has enhanced its internal operations to meet ever-growing industry demands, with the focus now on international expansion and an even more extensive service portfolio in the SADC region Writer: Matthew Staff • Project Manager: Ben Wigger

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s a thriving member of the Clicks Group in South Africa, United Pharmaceutical Distributors has upgraded and diversified its offering in the SADC region since 1989 to hold significant market shares across a range of domains, but refuses to rest on its laurels as it looks to new international climes and an even broader market presence.

In the years leading up to 2015, the Company was experiencing one of the most lucrative periods in its 21-year history, across its numerous business arms, with capacities and subsequently revenues hitting new heights.

A double-edged sword occurred however with the Company’s infrastructure coming under increasing pressure to meet the ever-evolving demands. Now though, with a new Head of Commercial in place since mid2014, the business has worked hard on improving internal efficiencies in order to not only meet the aforementioned expectations, but to also now look ahead to even further development moving forward.

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“When I came aboard, the Company was going through an extremely rapid growth phase but wasn’t building on the infrastructure as much as it could,” Naidoo recalls. “We were taking on new clients and new business but the infrastructure wasn’t in place to handle the exposure. Since then, I’ve tried to ensure that the growth is in line with the capabilities.”

The subsequent honing and refining of efficiencies and systems that has occurred over the past 12 months has therefore not increased capacity, but has overhauled the infrastructure in a way that will set UPD up for the next phase of its growth ambitions.

“In the past five months we’ve employed four new executives to join our board, to help our business run more efficiently, because the key with distribution is that you work with high volumes and low margins,” Naidoo continues. “The only way you can come out with profit is by improving

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Every day, millions of people trust our products to care for themselves and the ones they love.

those efficiencies. You need to get things from point A to point B as quickly as possible and as efficiently as possible.”

Active engagement

The consequence of such a philosophy is consistently serving customers to the best of the Company’s ability; a calling card which has led to UPD owning a 25 percent share of the market and one that Naidoo attributes to strong and entrepreneurial personalities employed throughout the business.

Complementing this has been a series of significant capital investments since the turn of the decade addressing everything from automation, to facility upgrades, strategic warehouse acquisitions and an ongoing adherence to the very latest industry trends via quality standard enhancements and sectorspecific training programmes.

While this sounds like a given for 2015/09/25 any organisation aspiring to reach the top of its respective field, UPD’s reputation and stature stems largely from the wide scope services that these investments and internal improvements are tailored towards.

Its wholesale division alone comprises 26,000 square metres of warehousing space and enjoys a 25 percent share of the total private pharma market, stocking 11,500 products and servicing 3,500 customers. A staggering 160 million units within three million deliveries each year is subsequently achieved, and is compounded by its equally extensive distribution division, comprising 19,000 square metres of warehousing space and serving 20 clients.

An export division working out of both Botswana and Johannesburg further enhances the overall UPD portfolio, and is joined by the

1500881B 78X96 Colgate Oral Care.indd 1

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Company’s active role in operating Clicks Direct Medicines and the Link Pharmacy brand.

Finally, Collective Thought Marketing rounds up UPD’s offering in being responsible for all of the Company’s advertising and promotional activity.

“UPD has primarily focussed on the people, ensuring we have the right skills in the right places and actively engage all our employees in the business strategies,” Naidoo explains in regards to the continuous improvements and diversification of the business’s arms. “Secondly we focus on our processes and ensure we eliminate all waste in all elements of our business, from removing red tape to ensuring efficiency and effectiveness in every task.

“Lastly we focus on developing the right tools for the job, to make sure we have the appropriate technical support in all areas of the business.

“The pharma industry, in general, in South Africa is probably growing at six percent at the moment, so fairly low, but our company has grown around 20 percent year-on-year. That is thanks to our range of services and us being a bit more innovative about what we can offer each client.”

Market agility

The growth that has occurred over the past four years has been a pivotal factor in the Company’s plans to now expand its wholesale and distribution footprint from the end of 2015, onwards.

Naidoo notes: “Between 2010 and 2015 we’ve improved our footprint in South Africa through our wholesale business and our distribution business locally, which gave us the growth we were looking for over the past couple of years.

“That growth from 2015 onwards will start to slow down in the South African market, which is why we will look to move more north of the border into other SADC countries.”

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Botswana, Zambia, Tanzania and Namibia are just four earmarked nations as part of UPD’s opening gambit, with distribution centres in Johannesburg and Botswana already strategically placed to meet customers’ demands; whether they would prefer their products to be distributed either within South Africa, or further into the continent from the latter.

“We have the facility in Botswana for manufacturers to use as a warehouse before distributing into Africa, and as we move into each of these new countries, we will also look to reinvent ourselves in each case and use local for local in each case.”

As this evolution unfolds, the footprint that UPD enjoys will undoubtedly grow beyond what is evident even now, following the most successful five years of the Company’s existence.

Naidoo is adamant that this is just the beginning though, and with lofty ambitions in place - objectives including 30 percent market shares across its wholesale and distribution divisions - the business is also in a primary position to reach these goals.

“We’ve rolled out our new financial review on the 1 September, 2015 with clear objectives for the next 12 months all relating to new business,” he concludes. “In the same way we want to expand our Africa footprint, we also want to improve our footprint in the veterinarian and surgical markets, with someone employed specifically to run these new business activities and focus purely on driving those three initiatives.

“There are always new entrants coming into the market and it’s usually the smaller players looking to take market share away from us, so we have to make sure we keep them at bay by ensuring we’re still agile in the market, looking ahead to what might happen, and by being flexible enough to overcome any obstacles along the way.”

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GCO Ramps-Up for

Record-Breaking

Production Grande Côte Operation is well on its way to realising its potential of making Senegal one of the world’s leading producers of zircon, rutile, leucoxene and ilmenite minerals Writer: Matthew Staff • Project Manager: Arron Rampling

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tretching 100 kilometres along Senegal’s coastline, Grande Côte Operation (GCO) has been developed over the past few years with a view to becoming one of the country’s most significant mining operations for generations, and is now beginning to unveil the fruits of its labours.

UK-based TiZir is the Company entrusted with ownership and management duties over the duration over the expected 25-year lifecycle, from which an annual production of

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50 million tonnes of sand is predicted to be extracted; ultimately resulting in 95,000 tonnes of zircon, 15,000 tonnes of rutile and leucoxene and 570,000 tonnes of ilmenite.

The significance of such large-scale production is not just national, but international, with the Operation projected to make Senegal one of the world’s leading producers of the aforementioned minerals.

Inevitably, to complement such extensive end goals, the infrastructural work that has gone on in the build up to production has been on a similarly

groundbreaking level in the country, incorporating not only the exploration and construction required to facilitate such works, but also in regards to formulating a supply chain stable enough to capitalise on the export opportunities arising from the mine.

As such, TiZir is certainly not alone in promoting the potential of GCO, receiving appropriate support from the Senegalese Government who hold a

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10 percent free carried interest in the mine, as well as drawing upon the skills of ERAMET and MDL, the joint venture responsible for TiZir itself.

“ERAMET and MDL’s complimentary skills are essential for the proper execution of the Grande Côte project,” GCO’s website explains. “Indeed, ERAMET brings its knowledge of extraction, metallurgy, R&D, logistics and marketing, while MDL shares its expertise in matters not only of project development, but also of extraction and treatment of mineral sands.”

Moving from the position of Director of Mines at ERAMET’s New Caledonia operations, the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer, Daniel Marini is the person now entrusted with continuing the Operation’s early momentum and ensuring that these unparalleled levels of production are realised as efficiently as possible.

Uncomplicated mining

Comprising a dredge, wet concentrator plant, mineral separation plant, rail, port facilities and a power station, GCO is officially one of the largest projects under development in the mineral sands industry, situated 50 kilometres north of Dakar and developed with the most sustainable, simple and appropriate mining and processing methods in mind.

GCO explains: “The simplicity of the orebody allows for conventional dredging and processing. The dunes contain no overburden, minor

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Grande Côte is a significant deposit, the composition of which allows standard dredging and transformation processes

vegetation, free flowing sands and minimal slimes, providing for an uncomplicated mining operation.

“The Dredge itself travels through the dunes and utilises the area’s shallow water table. It mines sand from the front of the dredge pond and pumps slurry to the floating concentrator. Sand is then washed through spirals, separating the heavy mineral concentrate from lighter quartz sand, which is sprayed out the back of the pond, restoring the landscape.”

From there, heavy minerals are transported to the mineral separation plant to extract the various minerals, while a 36MW power station keeps TiZir’s extensive and continuous efforts ticking over on a consistent basis each day.

“Grande Côte is a significant deposit, the composition of which allows standard dredging and transformation processes,” its website affirms. “The

The benefits of big bags Five years ago LC Packaging first set foot on the African continent to explore growing market opportunities. Today the leading worldwide packaging producer and distributor for industry and agriculture products is at home in Africa. In fact, the African continent has become the fastest growing market for the LC Packaging Group. The family owned company has its own FIBC (big bag) production locations and regional offices in Johannesburg, South Africa & Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, serving many countries and continuously expanding its footprints.

“Big bags simply offer the most cost-effective solution for intermodal transport and storage of bulk material.

Patrick Swinnen, Director, LC Packaging Africa Big bag benefits and short lead times This month LC Packaging Africa launched an awareness campaign to promote the use of Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers (FIBC), or big bags, for intermodal transport and storage of bulk material. The BIGBAGSFORYOU campaign (www.lcpackaging.com/ bigbagsforyou) is a response to local trends and developments, and includes an informative awareness video. Because many big bags are produced locally, the company tries to assure its customers short lead times. LC Packaging also offers stockholding solutions and can store its customers stock, until further request.

Willem Bron, Regional Director West Africa, based in Abidjan: “Big bags are a relatively new solution in West Africa which is home to a great deal of diversity: three world languages, multiple cultures and some of the fastest growing countries in Africa

and the world. To service this diverse market, we opened an office in Abidjan from where we assist our customers, keep stock and distribute our tailor made big bags. Our model involves local presence, knowledge and production. Based on our growing demand, this means we are evaluating whether we open a local production in the future.“ Strong local presence LC Packaging has local offices and plants in 16 countries in Africa, Asia and Europe.

The secret of its success: the combination of 91 years of experience, a dedicated local approach and a strong global network, with a strong focus on quality and a worldwide and highly valued CSR policy. For the African market this means local offices in the proximity of its clients, local own production locations and local partners and passionate employees with vast knowledge and great understanding of the needs of the diverse African market.

The packaging expert is currently active in Southern Africa, including Zambia, DRC and Namibia, Western Africa, with hotspots in Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Mauritania and Ghana, and Northern Africa with Algeria and Tunisia as important markets.

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dunes contain little or no waste, vegetation or clay, allowing a relatively simple mining operation: a dredge operator progressively pumps the sand out of the dune and sends it to a floating plant in which the suspended sand is treated in a series of spirals.

“In connection with the TiZir Limited joint venture, ERAMET has also evaluated the environmental, social, business and health components of the Grande Côte project, in order to ensure that site start-up operations are taken up in a responsible and sustainable manner, both ecologically and socially.”

Strong growth potential

Successful not simply as a result of its mining potential, the location of the area itself aids greatly in making it as profitable as it has been forecasted to be.

Being in such close proximity to Africa’s largest international shipping port in Dakar, the minerals don’t have to travel far before being shipped to customers worldwide.

“After processing, zircon is shipped by container, as is the rutile and leucoxene. The ilmenite is shipped in bulk vessels and is sold in the market and/or shipped for further processing at the TiZir titanium & iron (TTI) upgrading facility in Tyssedal, Norway,” the Company notes.

“Here they produce titanium slag for consumption of the TiO2-producers, the Ti-metal industry and high purity pig iron for iron foundries.

“TiZir has made it a priority to control all its own logistical needs from the process plant to the ship hold. The Company is highly fortunate in being able to utilise existing infrastructure, such as major rail and road links and the Dakar Port facilities.”

This isn’t to say that there was a completely up-to-scratch transport infrastructure to leverage from day one however, with much of GCO’s work thus far going into refurbishing

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AUER Resources operations focus on global key account projects, providing customized equipment solution and proper service and support in the three Divisions WATER, ENVIRONMENT, NATURAL RESOURCES.

Increasing production on a quarterly basis

the rail line and linking it to a new 22 kilometre spur line, benefitting from controlled rail tracks from their treatment plant to their port facilities.

Also comprising storage facilities at the port with the latest inventory technologies and loading systems, GCO’s access to market is in a prime position, as a result, to “take advantage of the significant supply shortfall in the mineral sands industry”, the Company emphasises.

“The zircon and titanium markets have strong growth potential, driven by the urbanisation and growth of emerging countries, while the deposits that formerly supplied a large portion of demand have been exhausted.

“In this context, TiZir Limited, through its Grande Côte project, has a true opportunity to become a key player in the field.”

2015 ramp-up

Entering the latest phase of GCO’s development and after years and years of exploration, feasibility studies, projections, construction and logistical preparation, 2015 has given the clearest indicator yet that the Operation is on the right path to be every bit as successful as had been hoped.

Ramped-up this year, heavy mineral concentrate and finished goods production increased on a quarter by quarter basis; the processing of the first batch of 100 percent GCO ilmenite

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Bauer Resources is the global provider for services and equipment in the fields of water well construction, environmental technologies, mining and exploration, geothermal energy, oil-, gas- and mineral resources drilling.

Bauer Resources has a regional structure with its subsidiaries focusing on projects throughout the world. In the different regions, the management has access to specialist competence centers pooling expert knowledge in the areas of water treatment, process and biotechnology, remediation and waste management, drilling technologies, and well drilling. They combine know-how from across the group and support the operational companies in their activities.

Bauer Resources has state-of-the-art technical equipment and highly qualified specialist personnel.

In addition to exploration and extraction, the Water division includes complete technical treatment of water and waste water for industrial use, as well as distribution of drinking and process water.

The Environment division provides a comprehensive range of products and services for brownfield remediation.

The focus is on decommissioning, landfill restoration, and demolition, supplemented by disposal services.

In the Natural Resources division, the Resources group is involved in exploration, extraction, and distribution of various natural resources. The focus is on drilling and extraction services for the oil, gas, and mining industries.

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WAT E R , E N V I R O N M E N T, N AT U R A L R E S O U R C E S NATURAL RESOURCES Division » Drilling of exploration boreholes » Exploration, production and distribution of geothermal sources » Supply wells for pumping stations run by solar energy » Production, supply and installation of solar energy systems

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BAUER Resources Senegal SARL Almadies Zone 8 BP 29725 Dakar SENEGAL T: +221 33 864 77 27

BAUER Technologies South Africa Ltd. 17 Thornhill Office Park 92 Bekker Road, Vorna Valley Midrand 1686 SOUTH AFRICA T: +27 11 805 3679

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MECAL

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ecal is an Australian manufacturer of magnet separators and magnet lifting systems, vacuum loader trucks and trailers as well as central vacuum cleaning systems, whilst also providing loading chutes for trucks and stock piling and ship loading.

With more than 30 years experience in serving the mining and processing industries both in Australia and overseas, Mecal supplies reliable and economical equipment to assist its clients to improve their environmental control as well as material handling facilities for more efficient operations.

The company’s engineering team provides technical support as much as required by the clients until satisfaction is achieved.

www.mecal.com.au

TiZir controls its own logistical needs

was successfully completed at TTI; a furnace reline and capacity expansion project continued and is expected to be completed within time and budget; and pricing in the titanium market remained stable.

Ultimately, products are meeting specifications and receiving positive customer feedback amid key stages of expansion in the overall project’s development.

“Operations continued to ramp-up during the quarter with key focus areas being plant availability and tailings management,” TiZir revealed in a statement in August. “The floating wet concentrator plant is the focus of current attention with the plant not yet able to handle the volume of ore that the dredge can provide.

“A range of discrete commissioning projects on both the dredge and wet concentrator plant have been identified and are currently being implemented. The projects are generally straightforward and minor in

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The ramp-up of the mineral separation plant continued to meet expectations with both the wet plant and the ilmenite circuit of the dry plant continuing to operate at design feed rates

terms of capital but will require some time to complete due to timing of equipment deliveries and associated engineering works.”

With performance improving vastly as a consequence of this year’s rampup, not even an unexpected shutdown of the pre-production kiln earlier in the year has dampened sprits at GCO, with TiZir now looking forward to enhanced mineral production, export and profitability.

“The ramp-up of the mineral separation plant continued to meet expectations with both the wet plant and the ilmenite circuit of the dry plant continuing to operate at design feed rates,” the Company concluded.

“Ilmenite and zircon production increased to an average of 32.5 kilotons and 3.8 kilotons a month, respectively.

“June represented the best month of finished goods production to date with approximately 40 kilotons of ilmenite and five kilotons of zircon produced during the month.”

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Chad’s Digital Tigo Chad is to capitalise on the growing stability of Chadian infrastructure to bring the latest data, voice, SMS, financial services and fibre optic cable to a country with big digital aspirations Writer: Emily Jarvis Project Manager: Donovan Smith n recent years, Chad’s economy has been supported by revenue from oil exports and though this revenue has been affected by the global declining oil price, this income has enabled the government to propose a number of infrastructural projects designed to improve the country’s telecom infrastructure. Tigo Chad is one such Company that has reaped the benefits of this, leveraging its considerable experience in African markets to contribute to a better connected future for Chadians.

Since launching in 2005, Tigo Chad has become the largest mobile network in the country to offer mobile voice, financial services and 2G, 3G and LTE connectivity; reaching more than

Chad’s largest mobile network “We are committed to investing in Chad’s digital transformation with network coverage from 570 sites that cover more than 87 percent of the population”

24 percent of the population with this figure predicted to rise sharply given the Company’s extensive investment plans.

“We are committed to investing in Chad’s digital transformation with network coverage from 570 sites that covers more than 87 percent of the population,” highlighted the telecoms Company.

Part of the Millicom Group of Companies - which cover 15 countries and has a customer base of 53 million people across Africa and Latin America - Tigo Chad became the second cellular network to operate in Chad and was the first telco to bring 4G LTE internet connectivity into the region, resulting in a 75 percent market share for its broadband and data services. Backed by the strong reception of the service, the Company achieved 30 percent acquisition growth in 2014, boasting more than 2.6 million customers as of September last year.

Commenting at the launch in 2014, Tigo Chad’s General Manager at the time, Benoit Janin said: “We are proud to be the first Millicom operation in Africa to kick-off the 4G LTE technology. But we are even more proud to be the first operator in Central Africa to do so, thus putting Chad amongst the top ICT leaders on the African continent.”

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A welcome reception

Given that Chad has one of the least developed telecom markets in the world, where penetration rates across all sectors are well below the African average, recently regulatory developments and renewed commitments from existing players in the sector, such as Tigo Chad, have been welcomed, showcasing the true potential for international telco investors to develop services here.

Beyond its initial voice, data and SMS offering, Millicom has brought its leading mobile financial service (MFS) product, Tigo Cash, to the Chadian market in order to add to the more than 500,000 active customers already using the service across Africa.

“Tigo Cash has been a key part of our success since its launch in November 2012. The application achieved one of the fastest penetration rates in MFS history ever registered in Africa - due to the majority of Chadians remaining unbanked - reaching an impressive 10 percent penetration rate after the

Tigo Cash highly successful “Tigo Cash has been a key part of our success since its launch in November 2012. The application achieved one of the fastest penetration rates in MFS history ever registered in Africa...”

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...recently regulatory developments and renewed commitments from existing players in the sector, such as Tigo Chad have been welcomed, showcasing the true potential for international telco investors to develop services here

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first year of implementation,” said the Company in a recent interview.

Its strong subscriber base and customer interest in its mobile services across the board in Chad has allowed Tigo to focus on its long-term goals and hone in on what services the customer will require over the course of the next 10 years.

In 2014, Janin recalled: “In the past two years, we have extended our network coverage from 400 to 570 sites; a huge 25 percent coverage increase.

What’s more, our work in customer service has been recognised by industry peers and our Facebook page is the most liked in Chad with more than 57,000 fans.”

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ZENITH BTP Competence – Efficiency – Quality IS OUR MOTTO TO ACCOMPANY YOU IN YOUR BUSINESS

A fibre future

In order to continuously innovate and keep up with the latest trends, Tigo Chad intends on acquiring another industry first in the country: the Company is currently working hard to improve its quality of service via

ZENITH BTP, PO BOX 1569, NJADMENA, CHAD Tel: 00235 662 74540 | 00235 952 74540 Email: zenithbtp1569@yahoo.fr

an ongoing $200 million network investment, with the ultimate aim to be the first to deploy optical fibre by the end of 2015.

“We are thoroughly committed to improving our quality of service and will continue to invest in the Tigo network and our distribution channels, and also look to eventually bring in new services that run in conjunction with our mobile services; such as digital television, ecommerce and bringing the Tigo Music service to Chad,” explained the Company.

As proactive investment in infrastructure continues to bolster the country’s economic stability, Tigo Chad intends on delivering on its commitment to have more than 90 percent of the population covered by its network; and with this, extending its 3G+ coverage to further develop the country’s data network and maintain its status as Chad’s leading service provider.

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SEAMLESS reated in 1987 as the result of the Botswana Railways Act instated by parliament in the previous year, Botswana Railways became the first state-owned railway to transport bulk freight, parcels and passengers via its growing network of track.

Initially buying out the Botswanabased sections of the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ), who had been responsible for operating the rail system from Bakaranga to Ramatlabama since Botswana gained independence in 1966, Botswana Railways is now responsible for the connection with the NRZ in the north and Transnet Freight Rail in the south.

Over the years, Botswana Railways has been marred by a number of economic and internal challenges, which in 2006, resulted in the deployment of a seven point turnaround strategy designed to transform the Company and refocus it in order to improve its performance and profitability through a total reengineering process.

Today, Botswana Railways’ freight service is heralded as “the most convenient, reliable and cost-effective mode of transport to use for moving bulk commodities in Botswana”.

Targeting bulk commodities that would otherwise be operationally challenging to transport via road, the Railway regularly transports commodities for the country’s burgeoning coal industry in a promising bid to help develop Botswana’s economy by attracting mining Companies that want to improve transport efficiencies.

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Solutions Botswana Railways implemented a seven point turnaround strategy in 2006, targeted at improving its freight, passenger and parcel services through engaging strategy benchmark partners for rehabilitation funding Writer: Emily Jarvis Project Manager: : Tom Cullum

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Trans-Kalahari Rail

Expanding rail connectivity has been a focal point in the Company’s continuous improvement strategy in recent years, marked by the TransKalahari Rail project, which is set to benefit the mining industries and encourage cross-border trade and transport from Botswana’s rich coal fields to the Namibian coast.

After Namibian and Batswana officials met in Walvis Bay to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU)

Harare

ZIMBABWE NAMIBIA

Botswana Railways Network

Lusaka

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Total line length: 886km

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in March 2014, the two governments were eager to establish joint ventures as well as the relevant public private partnerships (PPPs) to drive the processes necessary to see the successful construction of the longenvisaged Trans-Kalahari railway line.

18 months on and the two countries are taking the first steps to realising the multi-billion dollar railway project with the creation of an office in Windhoek that will be staffed by officials from both places.

ZIMBABWE

Pretoria

SWAZILAND LESOTHO

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SOUTH AFRICA Cape Town

Mainline 640km, 50kg/m continuous welded rail

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BOTSWANA

Serule

Morupule

Selibe-Phikwe Palapye

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SOUTH AFRICA

Gaborone Lobatse Mafikeng

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Francistown >SuaPan branch line 174km, 40kg/m continuous welded rail Serule > Selibe-Phikwe branch line 56km, 40kg/m continuous welded rail Palapye >Morupule branch line 16km, 40kg/m continuous welded rail

Namibian spokesperson for the project, Robert Kalomo said in a recent interview that the office will initially be manned by six individuals, three from each country, citing that there will be “a whole range of issues such as legal and cross-border matters to be agreed upon before the project can proceed”.

“We have not yet selected the companies that will implement the project. This will only happen after expressions of interest have been invited,” he said.

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The Trans-Kalahari Rail project will involve complete rehabilitation of the TransNamib line from Gobabis, via the capital Windhoek, to a new $2 billion port at Walvis Bay. Despite the fact that Botswana and Namibia have already signed a bilateral agreement to develop the 1,500 kilometre railway for transporting an estimated 90 million tonnes of coal exports to the port, there has been no major interest from investors in the project as of yet, but it is still early days.

Kalamo said he welcomed investors to approach institutions, such as the World Bank and the African Development Bank, if selected to help carry out the massive project which is expected to be completed within five years. As demand for coal is expected to peak around 2020, Botswana hopes to take up the lion’s share of total coal exports, with the aim of exporting 10 percent on the world’s total coal production and placing them in strong contention with Colombia, Australia, Russia and South Africa.

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Encouraging trade

Botswana Railways offers professional and seamless solutions for the country’s rail-based transport and logistics sector. By working closely with its customers in designing solutions to meet its specific needs, the Company endeavours to provide superior customer service and ensure the transport of freight from A to B is handled as smoothly and safely as possible.

Botswana is in an advantageous position when it comes to its untapped coal deposits and the subsequent trade that this could bring. In 2013, it was reported that reserves at Mmamabula, near Mahalapye, were estimated at 2.4 billion tonnes, with an extractable tonnage of 1.5 billion; while reserves at Morupule exceeded five billion tonnes, with a potential export capacity of approximately 100 tonnes a year.

Based on this information, it is clear why rail operators in neighbouring

countries have such a keen interest in the trade and traffic that rail improvements could bring; and South Africa’s Transnet Freight Rail hoping to start running trains from Morupule is a prime example of this. However, a vital part of determining the Botswana Railways’ long-term future stems from the Company’s partnership with its neighbour in Namibia and the creation of the Trans-Kalahari Rail, which will be one sure way to re-fire and encourage trade with the landlocked country.

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W E X

A F R I C A

2 0 1 5

E V E N T

F O C U S

WEX Africa 2015: International Trade Mission to visit Morocco, 11-12 November

W E X A F R I C A is an annual international summit which is part of a portfolio of global events organised by the Water and Energy Exchange.

In association with The National Government Agency for Water and Electricity and AfWA (The African Water Association), the event will take place in Marrakech, Morocco from 11-12 November, 2015.

WEX Africa is an international summit which brings together leaders from both public and private sectors, who are tasked with meeting the growing demand for water, energy and sanitation throughout Africa. It is a business-oriented summit, which combines a programme of intensive pre-scheduled one-to-one meetings, with presentations from regional experts identifying the commercial opportunities for international companies throughout Africa.

The programme enables the participants to acquire critical intelligence on business opportunities in the following areas:

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• Finance and investment • Infrastructure • Water and wastewater management • Desalination • Power supply and renewables • Agriculture and irrigation • Mining • Oil & gas • Hydropower and dams • Smart cities

• Enrique Cifres, Chairman, International Commission on Large Dams • Hocine Chibane, Projects Director, Algerian Energy Company • Hon. Jumane Maghembe, Minister for Water, United Republic of Tanzania • Mohamed El Ouahabi, Water and Sanitation Specialist, African Development Bank • Samuel Ojanga, Technical Director, Nairobi Water Company • Sylvain Usher, President, AfWA • Yamaura Kimiyo, Director of Programs, Japanese Cooperation Agency (JICA) • Mohamed Dahech, Director General, SONEDE, Tunisie • Zidane Merah, Director General, Algerian Water Company

Delegates include:

• Abdoul Bal, General Director, Senegalaise Des Eaux • Ahmed Ould Weddady, Sanitation Director, Ministry of Hydraulics and Sanitation of Mauritania • Archard Mutalemwa, PDG, Dar es Salaam Water and Sewerage • Azzedine El Midaoui, President, Moroccan Desalination Membranes Society • Dux Joerg, Division Chief, KfW German Financial Cooperation • El Moutaoikkil Baraka, Executive Director, OCP Group

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E V E N T

D E TA I L S

WHEN: 11-12 November, 2015 WHERE: Marrakech, Morocco WEBSITE: www.wex-africa.com

WORLD

SUSTAINABILITY

CONGRESS

E V E N T

F O C U S

World Sustainability Congress THE WORLD SUSTAINABILITY Congress is scheduled for 8-9 December, 2015 at LeMeridian, Mauritius, with this year’s theme: ‘If Not Now, When…?’

‘If Not Now, When…?’ is about actions; the ability of organisational leaders to take correct actions as nurturers of talent and as visionaries.

We need to realise our actions are more important than anything else.

An exemplary action can change the way we run our organisations, the nation or ourselves. Visionary leaders realise this and are therefore conscious of their actions for their future.

World Sustainability is a not-forprofit organisation advocating for sustainable leadership, attempting to bring together organisations, NGOs, public interest groups and governmental bodies to accelerate and educate on sustainable business practices and solutions for a better tomorrow.

World Sustainability attempts to bring together CEOs and forwardthinking professionals from multiple industry segments to galvanize the global business community, with those associated in the capacity of the advisory council strong advocates of change.

Thus, by bringing the leading voices

under one roof, World Sustainability attempts to provide through valueadded business solutions. World Sustainability will create conditions where more sustainable companies will succeed and be recognised.

World Sustainability will help companies and leaders with all levels of awareness, expertise and global reach to incorporate practice and deliver in every aspect for a sustainable world.

Focus areas:

• Building Sustainable Supply Chains • Alternative Energy • Sustainable reporting • Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) • Smart Cities • Sustainable Education

Key speakers

• Ajay Chandran - Director, Global Key Accounts & Corporate Sustainability, PureCircle • Daniel Saramandif, President, Association of Tourism Professionals • Abhijit Ray, Co-founder and Managing Director, Unitus Capital • Ms. Ajaita Shah, Founder and CEO, Frontier Markets • Dr. O.T. Obakeng, Director Of Water Affairs, Department Of Water Affairs, Botswana

• Tim Patterson, CEO, Fuel Economy Solutions • Mohammad Al-Duaij, Managing Director, Alea Group Global, Kuwait • Zuraina Dato’ Seri Zaharin, President & CEO, ECOLOO Malaysia & Chief Sustainability Officer, ECOLOO Group

E V E N T

D E TA I L S

WHEN: 8-9 December, 2015 WHERE: LeMeridian, Mauritius REGISTER:

www.worldsustainabilitycongress.org

CONTACT: T: +91 22 2661 6624 / +91 22 2660 1263 F: +91 22 2660 2500 E: secretariat@ worldsustainabilitycongress.org M: +91-98216 88999

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RETAIL

CONGRESS

AFRICA

E V E N T

F O C U S

Retail Congress Africa RETAIL CONGRESS AFRICA launched in 2013 and, as the first of its kind on the continent, it brought together more than 270 of the most senior retail executives operating in the Pan-African region, as well as game-changing international leaders.

In 2015 it continues its promise to provide a dynamic platform for discussion on the critical trends and opportunities in retail across the continent. This year it welcomes a range of new themes, features and formats to help you connect with like-minded peers and take home valuable insights to inform your future strategy.

Dedicated to exploring new trends and tendencies of the market, Retail Congress’ theme for 2015 has been defined as: ‘Driving the pillars of growth: Expansion, Innovation, Operational Excellence and Consumer Knowledge’.

The Congress will feature indepth discussions on key areas for growth such as progressing into

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new markets, updating mobile and online capabilities and understanding how to connect with new consumer groups who have more discretionary income at their disposal.

Taking place at the luxurious Westin Hotel in the vibrant city of Cape Town, sessions will be challenging, powerful and provide actionable outcomes. Each speaker on this year’s programme aims to share, inspire and push for innovation.

Retail Congress Africa 2015 will bring together more than 300 of the most senior members from both domestic and international retailer businesses. It provides an invaluable opportunity to share ideas, be inspired by 50-plus expert speakers and network with those directing the future of the industry.

Africa is the retail growth market of the future with still unexploited opportunities for first-movers.

Attendance at the Congress will provide you with revolutionary strategies to reach the new African

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customer.

Register today to be a part of Retail Congress Africa 2015 by emailing info@retailcongressafrica.com or visit https://www.retailcongressafrica. com/delegate-packages

E V E N T

D E TA I L S

WHEN: 3-4 November, 2015 WHERE: Cape Town, South Africa REGISTER: www.retailcongressafrica.com

1ST

FORUM

ON

MADAGASCAR

MINING

&

PETROLEUM

ENABLING RETAIL ENTREPRENEURS TO ACCELERATE GROWTH IN AFRICA

E V E N T

F O C U S REGISTER TODAY!

1st Forum on Madagascar Mining & Petroleum

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Key brands speaking at the Congress in 2015 include:

www.retailcongressafrica.com

For over sixty years, Morris Material Handling SA (PTY) LTD has been committed to providing Standard and Engineered material handling solutions across a variety of industries throughout South Africa and into sub-Saharan Africa, including Steel Making, Aluminum and Copper Smelting, Water Treatment Plants, Container Cranes, Mining and Engineering Industries.

Specialising in the following: • Wire Rope Hoists with capacities up to 120 tons • Standard Cranes with capacities up to 250 tons • Electric & Manual Chain Hoists • Engineered Cranes for special process requirements • Lightweight Crane Systems • Jib Cranes By choosing Africa’s Lifting Legend you: • Tap into a wealth of knowledge, dedicated experience and industry know-how.

• Enjoy peace of mind knowing that your material handling solution brings value to your business.

www.morris.co.za Crane Aid, a division of Morris Material Handling, is the largest service company in Sub – Saharan Africa consisting of 17 branches specialising in:

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