7 minute read
WATER SAFETY
WATER SAFETY BOILS DOWN TO BETTER MANAGEMENT
KATE STUBBS, marketing director at Interwaste, discusses the need for effective and sustainable management of water
South Africa will reach a new level of water scarcity by the year 2025, cites the WWF-SA 2017, Scenarios for the Future of Water in South Africa report. It is further predicted that the country will face a 17 per cent increase in water shortages by 2030, and with climate change on the cards, this situation will only worsen. Water is the most valuable resource on earth, and as such, a paradigm shift is required, not only in how we address this fast-approaching crisis, but also in how to create sustainable solutions.
With over 300 million people in Africa having no access to clean drinking water, coupled with the fact that $114-million is needed annually to reach the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to water alone, we have a huge job ahead to ensure a consistent supply of water that is safe for consumption and use. This means that we need to: • create a much more diverse water mix, including groundwater and water reuse • fi x the infrastructure and skill defi ciencies • start embracing technologies • plan for the impact of climate change • ensure effective wastewater management and treatment. The solution is to make a concerted effort to improve water quality by minimising pollution and the release of chemicals and waste into water, as well as increasing recycling and reusing of water across the globe.
MANAGING WASTEWATER IS ESSENTIAL
Wastewater, and the treatment thereof, has become a critical consideration in addressing scarcity and safety issues when it comes to our constrained water supply. Wastewater treated to the required standards – as set out by national environmental agencies – means that this water can be reused effectively. We have found that nearly all effl uent can be recycled if done properly. This means that a large bank of water could become available, which previously may not have been considered as “safe” for the environment or community.
Innovative wastewater management can result in the redistribution of this water into the environment for irrigation and dust suppression, as well as to replenish rivers and catchments in our water infrastructure networks. The different technologies are currently so advanced that effl uent can even be treated further to provide potable (drinking) water for areas where it is in short supply.
However, to truly ensure a safer and more robust water supply, corporate South Africa and government need to work together to build suitable infrastructure to support the water mix and fi nd the most cost-effective solutions at the highest effi ciency rates possible.
Solutions that can be adapted for the big corporations as well as the man on the street must be developed and must ensure that wastewater treatment becomes the norm and not a distant vision.
Waste management companies form a cornerstone to securing safe water for South Africa’s commercial and private use and are striving towards driving such change in the country to conserve, manage and repurpose water, as well as play their part in fi ghting climate change.
TO TRULY ENSURE A SAFER AND MORE ROBUST WATER SUPPLY, CORPORATE SOUTH AFRICA AND GOVERNMENT NEED TO WORK TOGETHER TO BUILD SUITABLE INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT THE WATER MIX AND FIND THE MOST COST-EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS AT THE HIGHEST EFFICIENCY RATES POSSIBLE.
The treatment of wastewater is critical to counter scarcity and safety issues.
The reality is that, if we don’t focus on securing safe water resources, we risk placing additional strain on human health, productivity and consequently, economic development and sustainable ecosystems for generations to come. There has never been a better and more pressing time for companies within the public and private sector to play their part in the sustainable management of our most precious resource.
WWF-SA 2017 FUTURE OF WATER IN SOUTH AFRICA REPORT
WATER NEEDS FOR AFRICANS UNMET UNITED NATIONS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL 6 2018 REPORT ON WATER AND SANITATION
A HELPING HAND FOR RETAILERS
Automated cash vaults will help retailers stand strong in diffi cult times
The recent riots and looting in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal highlight just how vulnerable our retail sector is to crime. At Cash Connect, we are aware that criminals are constantly fi nding new ways to get their hands on valuable goods and cash.
Mark Templemore-Walters, operations director at Cash Connect, says that managing cash is a core part of a retail business. Cash is a cost-effective trading tool and the preferred payment method for many consumers, with 50 per cent of transactions in South Africa done in cash. In fact, the impact of cash crime on the SA economy is 5 times less than digital and card fraud. In a country with about 11 million unbanked citizens, cash payments enable fi nancial inclusion.
With this in mind, retailers should look at cash management solutions that will not only deter and defl ect crime, but also provide improved effi ciency for the retail business.
BENEFITS OF AUTOMATED CASH MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS
Puts a bank in your store. Installing an automated cash vault built to SABS Category 4 standards is like putting a bank in the retail store. Such a safe is not just a tin box to store cash. An offering like Cash Connect’s cash vault is a hardened device with proven technology to protect the cash and streamline
daily cash handling. Once the retailer deposits their cash into the cash vault, Cash Connect guarantees the funds in their bank account – same day, with an immediate risk transfer.
Creates a safer environment for
employees and shoppers. A robust cash management solution not only safeguards cash, but also helps to protect the retail staff and customers. A robust cash vault from Cash Connect is proven to withstand the toughest of attacks and defl ects criminals to more vulnerable and softer targets. Time and money savings. Automated cash management helps retailers to save time and money by almost 50 per cent. By automating reconciliations and banking, counting, shrinkage and double-count supervision, retailers no longer have the task of manual cash handling. Employees can focus on tasks that add real value, rather than counting money or standing in bank queues. Reducing employee interaction with cash also reduces the risk of cash shortages.
In-store cash and cash-in-transit (CIT) insurance, cash shrinkage, deposit fees, back-offi ce and cash counting supervision costs can quickly add up. For a retail store that trades 30 days a month, employs a daily CIT service from Monday to Saturday and banks R2-million in cash monthly, management costs could be R30 000 a month if there is no reputable cash handling system in place. An automated cash management service with a secure cash vault, CIT collection service, including in-store cash insurance and bank cash handling fees, can easily halve that cost.
Increased cash ow with Instant Access
to cash. Cash Connect’s cash vault sits at the very core of a bouquet of fi ntech enabled solutions for the retail industry. With the Instant Access cash facility, retailers can access the cash while still in the cash vault at a click of a button. If a retailer needs to make an urgent supplier payment or has to pay for an emergency repair, for example, they can access the cash to refl ect in their bank account instantly. An automated cash vault like the one from Cash Connect, enables retailers to get up to R2.5-million business fi nance* in just 24 hours, hassle-free and based on the monthly cash and card receipts. This unsecured business fi nance solution gives retailers quick access to trading capital, helping them to keep their shelves stocked and capitalise on business opportunities. They simply download an App to Click & Borrow, and if they have a Cash Connect cash vault, the loan can be repaid in small daily instalments straight from the cash in the retail cash vault, or by daily debit orders from their bank account.
CORNERSTONE OF A SUCCESSFUL RETAIL OPERATION
“An intelligent, automated cash management solution has become an essential component of a successful retail store, creating a safer trading environment, a more effective allocation of resources and tangible cost savings,” says Templemore-Walters. “For us, it’s key to note that none of our clients experienced any cash losses this year – proving that these solutions work.” Cash connect https://connected.co.za/cash-connect Instant access https://connected.co.za/cash-connect Click and borrow https://connected.co.za/cash-connect
➔ Scan this QR code to go directly to the Cash Connectwebsite.
For more information:
+27 11 010 4300 083 286 2799 info@connected.co.za sumayd@connected.co.za www.cash.connected.co.za www.connected.co.za
