Business Chief Africa Edition — September 2018

AFRICA EDITION SEP TEMBER 2018 africa.businesschief.com

IMAX An immersive experience

Tigre de Cristal

TECHNOLOGY AND THE GAMING WORLD

TOP 10

HOTEL GROUPS IN AFRICA

CSI Energy Group HONESTY AND OPENNESS Creating a new culture to drive sustainable growth in Africa

City Focus

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Answers for industry.

FOREWORD

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ello and welcome to the September issue of Business Chief’s Africa edition!

Our cover star this month is CSI Energy. In our excusive report, we reveal how the company continues to provide world-class infrastructure and sustainable best practice to an ever-evolving market place. With a company-wide commitment to diversity and sustainability, CSI Energy is looking to provide lasting change to Africa.

Elsewhere in our latest issue, we examine the rise and rise of cinema in Africa. We sit down with international entertainment giant IMAX as the company looks to define the cinematic experience across the continent and take it to the next level.

With more than 134mn international tourists expected to travel to Africa by 2030, the hotel and tourism industry is booming.

Business Chief looks at 10 of the largest hotel groups currently operating across Africa as it becomes one of the world’s fastestgrowing tourism markets.

As one of Africa’s most vital business and tourism hubs, Dakar is a crucial part of an ambitious countrywide vision to realise the true potential of Senegal. Our City Focus digs a little deeper into how Dakar, which contributes over half of Senegal’s GDP, is a key economic hub for Senegal and wider West Africa.

Finally, our exclusive reports delve into the operations of Accra Brewery, EnviroServ Waste Management, SoluGrowth and Tigre de Cristal, delivering insights from across industries.

Enjoy the issue and if you have any feedback, we’re available across social media: @Business_Chief Dale Benton Editor dale.benton@bizclikmedia.com a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

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CONTENTS

08 HONESTY AND OPENNESS:

CSI Energy Group’s Sustainability Values in Africa

46 34 AN IMMERSIVE ENTERTAINMENT EXPERIENCE FOR AFRICA

58 City Focus

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CONTENTS

82 Tigre de Cristal Technology and the gaming world of tomorrow

96 SoluGrowth

Empowering a digital workforce

108 EnviroServ

RESPONSIBLE WASTE MANAGEMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA

122 ACCRA BREWERY LTD:

Delivering sustainable growth to Ghana

HONESTY AND OPENNESS:

08

CSI Energy Group’s Sustainability Values in Africa A CRITICAL CULTURE CHANGE TO LONGEVITY OLIVIA MINNOCK PRODUCED BY STUART IRVING

WRIT TEN BY

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a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

CSI ENERGY GROUP

WE SPOKE TO CSI ENERGY GROUP ABOUT THEIR RECENT REBRANDING AND CULTURE CHANGE, AND HOW THE COMPANY’S COMMITMENT TO HONESTY AND OPENNESS IS DRIVING ITS SUSTAINABLE GROWTH ACROSS AFRICA n Africa, honesty and openness can be a particular challenge since most cultures instinctually prefer to think about now rather than tomorrow. As such, honesty and openness form the foundation of CSI Energy Group’s strategy for sustainability. As CEO Chris Glasson often states, “sustainability is not a technical choice but a moral one” – changing the culture of how we work and plan for the future is the only way forward in realising CSI’s mission to improve the lives it touches across Africa.

Growing African energy infrastructure developer CSI Energy Group (CEG) recognises that the industry is changing and the needs of its clients mean an increasing focus on people – empowering staff to perform in distributed, often isolated locations to a predetermined set of rules. Building a culture that encourages and fosters honest communication both internally and externally allows CSI Energy Group to understand the real situation on the ground for any project, from anywhere in the world.

Throughout the past few years, the company’s key effort has been to develop business values that reflect this more open culture to ensure staff can

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be accountable through honest, effective and open communication at every business level.

This relies heavily on empowering local workforces in a continent where communicating in this way, which may involve challenging your seniors, goes against the cultural grain.

AN ESTABLISHED BUSINESS It’s been a character defining journey for CEG, which originated as a steel company back in 1978 and has recently rebranded, bringing CSI Electrical Ltd and CSI Engineering in Tanzania under one roof. The company has undergone a significant culture change, working to promote diversity, inclusion and motivation, a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

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while retaining the key message at its core: providing sustainable solutions that support development and growth in Africa.

As a whole, CEG aims to improve lives though enhanced infrastructure and increased access to energy, and indeed over the past 25 years has enhanced the lives of over 50mn people. From remote rural locations to suburban streets, from the hearts of cities to the most challenging and isolated terrains, CEG shows a strong commitment to creating a better life for the communities it SEPTEMBER 2018

works in and the clients it serves.

From its group headquarters in Mauritius, CEG provides best-in-class energy infrastructure services in Sub-Saharan Africa, from transmission and distribution to power generation, EPC and mechanical engineering.

With clients like Mitsubishi, Siemens, ABB and GE, CEG is an expert in providing and using extensive local knowledge to develop key solutions for working in Africa. This comes from, and is enhanced by, the company’s experience of multiple African

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locations, including Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Mozambique, Zambia, Afghanistan and Ethiopia – with this selection set to increase as the company expands from East to West Africa.

UNDERSTANDING AFRICA A key unique selling point (USP) for CEG is its adaptability: the company excels in understanding the needs of its clients and realising their intentions no matter what environment a project takes place in. As Director of Business

Development Peter Gathercole explains: “We’re an African company. We’ve built our reputation doing African projects in Africa. We take a very collaborative approach: you can’t come in and force your way, because very shortly you’ll be forced out.”

Director of Business Services Tunu Kinabo adds: “It’s 100% attitude. You need to be flexible and adaptable. You need to drive the standards and quality you want with the capabilities available here. It is possible.”

Many African states have ‘local a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

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“ Competencies like analytical thinking, planning and excellence in execution are hard to find here. We’re addressing this through our hiring philosophy, continuous training and development and our internship programme.”

— Tunu Kinabo, Director of Business Services, CSI Energy Group

content’ policies which give CEG a competitive advantage. “In the past, governments in Africa had little accountability on how they spent development funds. Giving work to international firms that brought in foreign workers in droves and procured even the simplest services and products overseas made these projects very expensive for Africa,” says Kinabo. “This has changed significantly with local content policies.

Large international companies that bid for projects in Africa now need effective local partnership like never before – CEG can provide this.”

CEG works with suppliers and partners to localise its service wherever possible, while ensuring the company’s overall brand and values are maintained and enhanced. “What we are trying to take to new countries is our brand, culture of safety, and an ability to bridge the quality gap which international companies find difficult to do in Africa,” says Gathercole.

LOCAL COMMUNITIES Commitment to working with local communities is important in growing CEG as a business.

Through a solid reputation of honesty and openness, the company has enjoyed significant success in leveraging these relationships for the effective delivery of the projects it SEPTEMBER 2018

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embarks upon. In Africa, there is a critical shortage of skills as well as productivity and work ethic within the labour force, says Kinabo. “Competencies like analytical thinking, planning and excellence in execution are hard to find here,” she explains.

“We’re addressing this through our hiring philosophy, continuous training and development and our internship programme.”

“You can’t come to Africa and be sustainable if you’re not using the African workforce,” adds Annette Kanora, Group Communications Officer. “Skills are not the most readily available at a world standard, but the

mindset is to work with what you have and what’s available in the country, and impart the knowledge or quality you want.”

THE CEG FOUNDATION CEG leaves more than lasting infrastructure, enhanced skills and discipline where it completes its projects, thanks to a strong commitment to developing communities in Africa through corporate social responsibility (CSR). Most of this is done a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

D e l i v e r i n g q u a l i t y, efficiency and value into the infrastructure landscape

Te r m i n a l 3, J u l i u s N y e r e r e International Airport D a r e s S a l a a m, Ta n z a n i a Capacity: 6 million passengers per year

w w w.t a n s a l e s . c o.u k /a b o u t info@tansales.co.uk

CSI ENERGY GROUP

through the CEG Foundation, which received 5% of the company’s annual profit and works to improve life for Africa’s most vulnerable children and young people. For example, the Boabab Home in Bagamoyo, Tanzania, which houses and educated HIV impacted orphans, was recently supplied with 100 solar kits by the CEG Foundation. “We want them to be able to get power on a continuous basis – whenever we’re looking to provide solutions or support, we want it to be sustainable,” Kanora explains.

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A CHANGE IN VALUES, VISION AND MISSION From new recruits to old hands, getting people on board with the company’s culture change and rebranding has been paramount at all levels of CEG. Forming the group from existing parts has been no mean feat.

“In Tanzania, we had two companies come together under the group, one with 20 years of its own culture and the other with 10,” explains Kanora.

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Adding value in the supply chain Tan S al e s is an e s t ab lis h e d s u p p l y c h ain p ar t n e r in s w i t c h g e ar, c ab l e, e l e c t r i c al an d li gh t in g e q uip m e n t b a s e d in L o n d o n, wo r k in g o n c o n s t r u c t io n p roj e c t s aro u n d t h e wo r l d. O u r s t re n g t h is in air p o r t s, h o s p i t al s, u ni ve r s i t i e s, c o m m e rci al b uil din g s, g ove r n m e n t b uil din g s, re s i d e n t i al d eve l o p m e n t s, h o t e l s, in d u s t r i al p roj e c t s an d in f ra s t r u c t u re p roj e c t s .

O u r cul t u re of d oin g b u s in e s s gl o b all y an d in n ova t in g b u s in e s s p ra c t i c e s, e limin a t in g s u p p l y c h ain c o m p l e x i t y a n d a c c e l e ra t in g re s p o n s i ve n e s s u s in g e x p e r i e n c e a n d k n ow l e d g e all ow s u s to im p rove p l annin g, t ra c k in g a n d d e li ve r y p e r f o r m a n c e.

O u r ab ili t y to m an a g e l o gis t i c s an d c o n s o li d a t io n an d p rov i d e v is ib ili t y of t h e s u p p l y c h ain f ro m m an u f a c t u r in g to in s t all a t io n, h e lp s o u r cu s to m e r s to f o cu s o n t h e ir b u s in e s s, an d a t a hi gh e r l eve l, all ow s t h e m to dr i ve t h e ir g o al s .

U n d e r s t a n din g o u r c li e n t ’s n e e d s, h a v in g t h e f in an ci al s t re n g t h f o r l arg e p roj e c t s aro u n d t h e wo r l d an d p rov i din g in t e lli g e n t f in an cin g s o lu t io n s gi ve s u s a c o m p e t i t i ve a d van t a g e. I n a d y n ami c e nv iro nm e n t, w e p rov i d e t h e t r u s t t h a t is re q uire d to e n g a g e in l arg e e n gin e e r in g p roj e c t s a c ro s s t h e wo r l d w i t h a f o r t e in re li ab ili t y, d u e dili g e n c e, s o lu t io n s an d a gili t y.

C o ll a b o ra t in g w i t h b o t h o u r s u p p li e r s an d o u r c li e n t s w e wo r k to e n s u re t h a t t h e r i gh t s p e ci f i c a t io n s are m e t. T his e n s u re s a s u c c e s s f ul p roj e c t t h a t w ill re m ain f o r g e n e ra t io n s to c o m e an d c re a t e a s u s t ain ab l e li v in g an d wo r k in g e nv iro nm e n t f o r p e o p l e yo u n g an d o l d.

We wo r k w i t h m an u f a c t u re r s w h o are m ar ke t l e a d e r s in q u ali t y, inn ova t io n an d

t e c hni c al e x p e r t is e. O u r m an u f a c t u re r s h a ve f a c to r i e s in t h e U ni t e d K in g d o m, I t al y, Fran c e, Po r t u g al, Tu r key, S a u di A rab i a, U ni t e d A rab E mira t e s an d C hin a an d w e p rov i d e f ull l o gis t i c s s o lu t io n s to d e li ve r t h e ir b ran d s an d p ro d u c t s a c ro s s t h e wo r l d.

We h a ve wo r ke d s u c c e s s f ull y w i t h C S I E n e rg y f o r m any y e ar s in Tan zani a an d are al s o wo r k in g w i t h t h e m in t h e ir p roj e c t s in B u r u n di, Z am b i a an d N i g e r i a.

O u r re c e n t p roj e c t s in Tan zani a in c lu d e s u p p l y in g c a b l e, e l e c t r i c al m a t e r i al s an d li gh t in g f o r t h e c o n s t r u c t io n of t h e n e w Te r min al 3 Pa s s e n g e r Te r min al a t J uliu s N y e re re I n t e r n a t io n al A ir p o r t a n d s u p p l y in g a f ull c o m p l e m e n t of P P E an d to o l s f o r t h e K iny e re zi I I T h e r m al Pow e r S t a t io n in Tan zani a. O t h e r re c e n t gl o b al p roj e c t s in c lu d e t h e s u p p l y of li gh t in g f o r t h e n e w C arg o Te r min al a t E n t e b b e A ir p o r t an d t h e s u p p l y of c ab l e f o r t h e p l an t a t t h e C o b re Pan am a p roj e c t, a l arg e o p e n pi t c o p p e r min e, an d cu r re n t l y t h e l arg e s t in d u s t r i al p roj e c t in Pan am a.

We wo r k h ard to d eve l o p a di ve r s e an d m ul t i - cul t u ral wo r k f o rc e an d d e li ve r t rainin g in t e r n all y a n d e x t e r n all y in t e c hni c al an d b u s in e s s e x p e r t is e. We are c o n t in u o u s l y im p rov in g o u r in t e r n al p ro c e s s e s an d s y s t e m s to s t a y ah e a d an d b e re c o gnis e d a s a wo r l d c l a s s p ar t n e r. E x e cu t io n ab ili t y c o m e s f ro m h a v in g am b i t io n, s e t t in g a g o l d s t an d ard an d h a v in g t h e e t hi c s an d a c c o u n t abili t y to b e t h e b e s t in o u r f i e l d. w w w.t a n s a l e s .c o.u k /a b o u t info@tansales.co.uk

WWW.AGPCONSULTANTSTZ.COM

Bridging you to the peak We are a well established Engineering support service company engaged in Manpower supply, payroll management, fabrication, insulation, piping among others with qualified personnel under result based supervision. We do sub contract work in Tanzania and East Africa. We take projects of both small and large value in all sectors i.e OIL & GAS(on shore and off shore), Mining and hand over all the work on time with maximum quality and safety. We have an experienced team of welders, fabricators, fitters, insulators, riggers, QA/QC, HSE etc. to meet your needs.

+(255) 754-432088 | +(255) 684-432088

INFO@AGPCONSULTANTSTZ.COM

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“We effected that integration through careful change management that sought feedback, involved all employees and communicated openly,” she adds. Prior to the changes, staff were interviewed about how they foresaw the change happening which allowed management to manage expectations and to focus on the issues that mattered to employees.

“Now, we have regular meetings that continue to elaborate and get everyone to understand what we’re going to be as a company: our structure, how we operate and what we value.”

“Having to uproot deep held habits and beliefs has been a journey, and still is,” says Kinabo. “Tanzanians, and Africans in general, are very short-term in the way we look at things. We are therefore working to get people to think long-term which means being more structured. We overcome such challenges by being very clear in what we’re changing and why we’re changing.”

It’s about continuously enforcing the message of the new brand, according to Kanora. “We make sure the message is out there for all new people to understand from the get-go, as well as refresher communications

“ You can’t come to Africa and be sustainable if you’re not using the African workforce.”

— Anette Kanora, Group Communications Officer, CSI Energy Group

for existing staff. It’s at the point now where it’s starting to stick.”

Embedding the CEG vision is vital as the business grows to manage even bigger projects in terms of value and manpower. Already CEG is finalising one of its biggest projects, the Kinyerezi II Combined-Cycle Power Plant (240 MW) in Dar es Salaam that had a headcount of over 2,000 employees and a value of $21mn.

According to Kinabo, supporting employees through a significant period of change means involving them as much as possible. “We make sure it’s simple, open and consistent,” she outlines. “We ask for their feedback a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

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CSI ENERGY GROUP

“ We have regular meetings that continue to elaborate and get everyone to understand what we’re going to be as a company: our structure, how we operate and what we value.”

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— Anette Kanora, Group Communications Officer, CSI Energy Group

and comments and most importantly, empower them to execute these changes.”

Each week, the senior leadership team (including Kinabo, Kanora and Gathercole) meets with one employee from any level.

“We take time to learn about that individual, what they understand about the vision, mission and values, and how they incorporate those in their lives – not just at work but also at home.”

The company also works to reward anyone who exhibits its values. Celebrating and acknowledging how well staff have dealt with the change is a key element in motivation and job satisfaction at CEG. “We have employee activities celebrating the changes, too,” says Kinabo. “From lunches and theme days, to gift card rewards; this ensures people feel acknowledged and seen.”

POLICIES AND PEOPLE A key part of CEG’s transformation has been, and will continue to be, the development of effective policies and procedures. Procedures are vital to CEG’s mission of operating anywhere, however remote, while maintaining the same mission and values. Processes are deliberately kept simple and adaptable to furnish people with the confidence to make decisions without the fear of failure – rather, encouraging them to embrace SEPTEMBER 2018

PROPER ELECTRICAL LIMITED Proper Electrical Limited (PEL) is a Tanzanian fully registered company in 2013, with its head quarter in Dar es salaam, Tanzania - East Africa. It is a contractor company, services provided by the company is full Electrical;performing; Domestic, commercial and Industrial electrical installation, Construction of high and low tension power lines, constructions of electrical sub-stations) and Mechanical works (Heating, Ventilation and Air condition services) as well as specialized construction works relating to the design installation and maintenance of related system. The company is mainly focused to establish and manage day to day technological and economic changes. This is obtained by knowledgeable and Experienced Professional company staff more than 100. From different fields like; Directors, Project managers, Engineers, Safety officers, Technicians, Administrators, Accountants, Electricians/Artisan and other related fields. Our team is not only limited on that, but also increase and expands depending on the requirements at the specific time.

Website: www.proper.co.tz

Email: info@proper.co.tz

Mobile: +255 755 575835

Tel: +255 222 700 963

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failure as an opportunity to improve.

Ensuring the right people are on board has been especially important in the rebranding of CSI Energy Group. Ensuring we have the right people has been especially important in the rebranding of CSI Energy Group.

“We’ve been going through a number of significant changes and one of them is how we hire, retain and develop our people,” says Kinabo. “The key challenge is getting our people to have the right culture that is going to be sustainable for the business. This involves instilling our values of accountability, effectiveness, openness and honesty.

“In addition, it’s about building the habits of planning, budget management, having ambition and quality consciousness towards maintaining the standards we need. Therefore, we have changed the way we hire. We now focus more on attitude, how you’re going to fit in with our culture and vision.” she adds.

Within its culture change, CEG has placed significant emphasis on implementing and promoting diversity and inclusion. This ensures a good mix of ideas, perspectives and competencies for an effective and more SEPTEMBER 2018

● Corporate Office ● Corporate Office and operations ● Operations ● Registered Entity

Head Office — Mauritius

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“ We’re giving opportunities to young Nigerians, young Kenyans, Tanzanians etc. who otherwise find it difficult to get learning opportunities in this industry; to come and learn from our seasoned staff.”

— Anette Kanora, Group Communications Officer, CSI Energy Group

a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

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sustainable organization. A key drive is hiring more women in the project implementation side of the business, and area that is typically male dominated. For International Women’s Day this year, CEG took part in the worldwide Press for Progress theme by producing a video showcasing the women of CEG who are making waves in an industry not traditionally associated with them. “The industry is very male-dominated,” says Kinabo, “but CSI stands out in the number of women we have, from technical and implementation to the business services support side. We do this consciously.”

Click to watch: ‘Meet the doers, facilitators and influencers of CSI Energy Group’

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“We celebrated the women of CEG because we understood how challenging it is for our industry to have so many women.” adds Kanora. “The video also showcases the different levels at which women are excelling in this industry inside CEG and provides encouragement to girls all over the world.”

In addition, CEG has adopted a training and development policy which is adaptable to the location and timeframe of every project. “In ensuring that our teams are effective, we do understand that in some areas we have to bring in non-national expertise,” says Kanora, “but we ensure the skills we do import are transferred to the local team. Through our internship programme, we’re giving opportunities to young Nigerians, young Kenyans, Tanzanians etc. who otherwise find it difficult to get learning opportunities in this industry; to come and learn from our seasoned staff, both national and non-national.”

In allowing CEG to business sustainably, the company is also committed to working toward the UN’s Sustainability Goals. In 2016, CEG endorsed the UN Global Compact (UNGC) which is the largest CSR initiative in

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“ What we are trying to take to new countries is our brand, culture of safety, and an ability to bridge the quality gap which international companies find difficult to do in Africa.”

— Peter Gathercole, Director of Business Development, CSI Energy Group

the world. Being a signatory means that CEG embraces the 10 universal principles centered around human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption. These UNGC requirements have been embedded in CEG’s operations at every level from strategy, policies, standard operating procedures and best practice. www.unglobalcompact.org

employees, just 71 of which were employed directly by CEG. Labour sub-contractors are therefore vital for every project, and it’s important these partners support CEG’s culture and values of safety, quality, openness and honesty. A key partner in mechanical engineering skills for Kinyerezi 2 is APG, a local Tanzanian organisation which provides workers of varying levels of skill and experience. For electrical skills, CEG works with Proper Electrical as a go-to partner in Tanzania; it’s a relationship that’s

SUSTAINABLE RELATIONSHIPS As a company that operates with a core team as well as subcontracts staff to bring in specific skills for the duration of projects, building strong relationships with reliable partners is a must. For example, CEG’s Kinyerezi 2 project involved over 2000 a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

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CSI ENERGY GROUP

“ We have changed the way we hire.

We now focus more on attitude, how you’re going to fit in with our culture and vision.”

— Tunu Kinabo, Director of Business Services, CSI Energy Group

evaluate and update. In addition, CEG’s priority vendor Tansales (London) Ltd provides the business with a one-stop solution for many of its produce needs – Tansales is an important partner as its service model really embraces the CEG values as part of their strong business relationship. “A strong supply chain with partners like Tansales, embracing CEG values and supporting its vision, enables CEG to continue to achieve its strategic goals,” comments Kinabo.

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lasted for four years and counting thanks to Proper Electrical’s reliability, responsiveness and integrity.

As an EPC contractor, it’s no surprise that effective procurement is a key focus for CEG. The company’s professional procurement division leverages the latest technology for this very purpose, namely SAP as its ERP system (enterprise resource planning system), to deliver the best possible quality maternal and tools for its clients. This system affords CEG an effective vendor list it can continuously SEPTEMBER 2018

From openness and honesty, to effective quality service on a localised scale, CSI Energy Group’s core values are timeless and the business looks forward to continuously focusing on these both internally and externally to achieve its long-term strategic targets.

In creating a modern business culture through investing in its workforce and empowering staff to perform through solid and structured policy and process, CEG can grow sustainably on its journey of growth from East to West Africa.

Indeed, major projects such as the Kinyerezi 2 Power Plant ant Julius Nyerere international Airport Terminal 3, Tanzania, illiterate this commitment to quality and effective performance, as do the many more

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projects CEG has delivered for its clients in several new countries over the past year. None of this would be possible without the strong internal confidence the business shows to staff and process, as well as the support of a strong network of suppliers. Through this, CEG looks forward to an exciting future. Over the next five years, the business will continue to focus on international infrastructure projects with exciting developments planned in Rwanda, Tanzania and Ghana specifically during the next year. The business will also leverage the skills, strengths

and partnerships at its disposal to explore investment opportunities in both infrastructure and Independent Power Projects.

In order to achieve such lofty ambitions, CEG is keenly aware that a continuous focus on the needs of its staff, and enabling the personal development of all employees, is of paramount importance to its sustainability strategy. CEG will continue to further develop a workplace and work environment that leverages modern technology to enable staff independence and an ability to perform in their a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

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‘ In creating a modern business culture through investing in its workforce and empowering staff to perform through solid and structured policy and process, CEG can grow sustainably on its journey of growth from East to West Africa’ roles wherever and whenever they wish.

Trusting in a competent and committed team which has been given the tools to work independently of supervision will be ever more essential to CEG’s regionally distributed business structure in the coming years.

CEG continues to evolve its culture based upon solid business and personal values of openness, honesty, effectiveness and accountability delivering on its vision and achieving its mission, of improving lives through enhanced infrastructure and increased access to energy.

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AN IMMERSIVE ENTERTAINMENT EXPERIENCE FOR AFRICA AS CINEMA IN AFRICA IS ON THE RISE, IMAX’S GIOVANNI DOLCI EXPLAINS THE ENTERTAINMENT GIANT’S COMMITMENT TO THE CONTINENT AND TO THE OVERALL CINEMATIC EXPERIENCE WRITTEN BY

SEPTEMBER 2018

OLIVIA MINNOCK

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a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

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W

hat has always excited me is trying to capture the next big thing in entertainment,” says Giovanni Dolci,

Managing Director for Europe and Africa at IMAX. This is evidenced by his commitment to the

forefront of the entertainment industry, where he has clocked up six years at IMAX, having previously worked at Arts Alliance Media. Dolci is passionate about the business of entertainment and all the aspects that go into it, from technology to marketing and creativity, and is a huge advocate of IMAX’s integration of all these elements to improve the experience of modern cinema-going.

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What with the rise of online movie resources such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, and a consumer who demands to watch what they want, when they want, rather than bowing to a box office timetable, you would be forgiven for thinking that cinema was on the way out. But according to Dolci, this simply isn’t the case. “Everybody has always had this doomsday theory about cinema – when TV came out decades ago, people said it was the end of cinema… but actually, last year, the whole industry was up 5% in box office and the IMAX box office in the first half of 2018 was up 34%. It’s growing rather than declining,” he argues.

It’s clear Dolci is fascinated by the medium and its development over time, and puts a lot of faith in its success, which is why he chose to work for IMAX, a big-screen experience provider operating globally SEPTEMBER 2018

37

a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

LEADERSHIP

across 1,410 open theatres, with 534 in backlog. “My thinking was that the cinema experience needs to take a leap forward and become bigger, bolder and better, and when I look at IMAX, this is it. This is the future of our industry.”

What makes IMAX different as well as sustainable, according to Dolci, is an integrated business model that considers all elements of the cinema experience.

“Screen and sound quality are only one piece of a much more complex formula. You have a lot of technologies out there, but that’s not what drives people’s love for cinema.”

38

SEPTEMBER 2018

IMAX works across a broad spectrum of partners and processes in order to deliver a best-in-class experience the world over.

“We have really become part of the creative process. We try to influence the way movies are made so that there can be a special element and a special version of the movie which is unique to IMAX.” From relationships with filmmakers including Christopher Nolan and J.J. Abrams, IMAX encourages filmmakers to shoot movies using its cameras or special framing so all looks optimal and consistent on-screen. IMAX’s LA-based film team collaborates with filmmakers, cinematographers and movie talent. “We explain to them we can add something to their movie and provide them with tools to help them get

“SCREEN AND SOUND QUALITY ARE ONLY ONE PIECE OF A MUCH MORE COMPLEX FORMULA. YOU HAVE A LOT OF TECHNOLOGIES OUT THERE, BUT THAT’S NOT WHAT DRIVES PEOPLE’S LOVE FOR CINEMA.” Giovanni Dolci, Senior Vice President, IMAX

their creative vision on screen,” says Dolci.

While the African market doesn’t yet form a huge proportion of IMAX’s business, with 12 theatres currently open on the continent, it’s a region Dolci argues is poised for growth.

Moreover, IMAX is committed to being a huge part of this early penetration – for example, on certain blockbuster titles IMAX can generate as much as 15% of the county’s box office in some South African territories.

“In a continent that doesn’t have a cinemagoing habit – except perhaps South Africa and a couple of other territories – all of a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

39

LEADERSHIP

a sudden, cinema is on the map.

It’s getting exceptional consumer feedback and we want to be part of that evolution.”

However, a challenge in the African cinema market is, not unlike the rest of the world, the rise of on-demand entertainment for consumers. “African countries have an incredible penetration of mobile phones, for example, so people are used to immediate access to content 40

whenever they want,” says Dolci, but adds this has only served to

“AUDIENCES IN AFRICA WANT TO SIT ALL TOGETHER; THEY WANT TO SHARE THAT EXPERIENCE AND LIVE IT AS A GROUP IN A SOCIAL WAY.” Giovanni Dolci, Senior Vice President, IMAX

highlight the difference of the cinema experience. “It’s promising to see, side by side, the success of the cinema industry and the cinemas that are open. Yes, people are used to content everywhere, but they also want the social experience.”

While Dolci admits the sector is showing slower growth than perhaps Europe or the US, he expects growth to go “hand in hand” with the development of overall economies and particularly retail in African nations.

“We knew we wouldn’t be able to open hundreds of IMAX theatres in Africa in the short term. Yet we wanted to be part of this SEPTEMBER 2018

growing cinema habit. We think that the IMAX proposition is exactly what you need in markets like this. In a territory where people are not used to going to the movies, where content access is immediate, and where disposable income is not as high, people need a very good reason to leave their home for the cinema and IMAX provides a one-of-a-kind experience.”

Africa also has unique demands in terms of content and experience, of which Dolci and IMAX are acutely aware. “Africa embraces action movies with a contemporary real-life setting, like Fast and Furious for example. In terms of experience, there is debate as to whether cinemas should offer more comfortable, private seats, but we see Africa going in the opposite direction.

Audiences in Africa want to sit all together; they want to share that experience and live it as a group in a social way.”

IMAX is keen to develop partnerships locally in order to ensure it can cater for the unique needs of the market. “For instance, our partner in Nigeria, Filmhouse, has a sister company called FilmOne which is one of the biggest producers and distributers of Nollywood content – we’re sure there will be synergies there in the long term.”

Overall, the big-screen giant is primed a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

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LEADERSHIP

“IN A TERRITORY WHERE PEOPLE ARE NOT USED TO GOING TO THE MOVIES, WHERE CONTENT ACCESS IS IMMEDIATE, AND WHERE DISPOSABLE INCOME IS NOT VERY HIGH, PEOPLE NEED A VERY GOOD REASON TO LEAVE THEIR HOME AND TO SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON THE CINEMA EXPERIENCE.” 42

Giovanni Dolci, Senior Vice President, IMAX for growth in the region, but slow and steady is the order of the day. “We don’t expect phenomenal, fast-paced growth in the short term, but we will continue to do what we’ve been doing so far.

We want to be present in those territories that are having, for the first time in their history, a cinema offering.”

All in all, Dolci’s passion for the overall cinematic experience – “full immersion into a movie in a social context… it’s about putting the movie front and centre, making sure you can live in that world and participate in that world” – is one he is keen to share with the African continent, leveraging IMAX’s premium technology and strategic partnerships to do so.

SEPTEMBER 2018

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HOME T O IND U S T R Y– L E A DING DIG I TA L B U SINE S S P L AT F OR M S

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TECHNOLOGY

LEWIS DRIVING CHANGE 46

THROUGH TECH SHE CAN

Despite decades of progress, women remain significantly underrepresented in the UK’s technology workforce.

With PwC’s Tech She Can charter looking at ways to break down barriers, LEWIS’ Managing Director Ruth Jones discusses how technology is reshaping career pathways WRITTEN BY

SEPTEMBER 2018

CATHERINE S TURM AN

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a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

TECHNOLOGY

T

he fourth industrial revolution is significantly disrupting the way we live, work and interact.

Traditional industries and ways of working are

being fully transformed through digitisation, yet

it is imperative that a diverse, global workforce can adapt to such change.

However, despite such a monumental shift, women continue to be underrepresented within the global technology workforce. A recent report

by PwC entitled Women in Tech: Time to close the gender gap, highlights that women, on this occasion in the UK, remain discouraged from working in technology, with 83% of female students unable to name a famous female role model in technology 48

and only three per cent stating a career in technology to be their first choice.

“As our personal and working lives become increasingly shaped by technology – technology products and services are being developed and delivered based on the perspectives of only one half of the population, and not designed with the needs of everyone in mind,” the report states, adding: “If half the population is being overlooked as a source of technology talent, then the UK is effectively trying to compete internationally with one hand tied behind its back.”

Global professional services network PwC has found that gender bias starts in schools and carries on through each stage of a child’s education. 61% of females indicated that they have been dissuaded from a career in technology due to the limited SEPTEMBER 2018

“ WE’RE FINDING A SHIFT IN THE INDUSTRY, WHERE IF WE PUT CREATIVITY, CONTENT AND CONTEXT AT THE HEART OF EVERYTHING WE DO, WE’RE ABLE TO OFFER CLIENTS A SINGLE VIEW BUT ARTICULATE IT ACROSS TECH-BASED PLATFORMS” — Ruth Jones, Managing Director, LEWIS

49

advice given. “Although heavily involved in STEM subjects at a younger age, I was discouraged by the sexism that surrounded me when I took part in competitions and conventions,” a female pre-university student noted.

“There is a stereotype that empirical studies are male subjects only, and the institution to which I currently belong perpetuates this belief obliquely. I felt discouraged from taking the sciences,” another female pre-university student added. This must change. a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

TECHNOLOGY

“ THE INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE IS NOW LOOKING AT HOW TO SHAPE LEARNING FOR THE FUTURE, AND THIS SNEAKS INTO ADULT LEARNING, AS WELL AS THE FUTURE CAREER PATH” 50

— Ruth Jones, Managing Director, LEWIS

TECH SHE CAN CHARTER In order to take a closer look at the root causes of women’s reluctance at a societal level, PwC has launched its Tech She Can charter. Joining over 30 organisations across the UK, global integrated communications business, LEWIS, has made commitments to promote careers in technology for both genders, looking to enable workers to reach their potential and to share best practices.

Established by former Financial Times SEPTEMBER 2018

51

journalist Chris Lewis in 1989, LEWIS has

held by women, where flexible

evolved from a news-driven agency into

working schemes have enabled

a company that defines a central market-

working mothers to return to

ing strategy stemming from brand develop-

work, alongside the enhanced

ment and PR, to sales enablement and

maternity packages and shared

digital execution.

leave on offer to staff.

As part of the charter, LEWIS will work

“When women think of a career

to show how women can enjoy the technol-

inside technology, it doesn’t

ogy sector but also develop great careers.

necessarily need to be working

In the company’s UK workforce, 55% of

directly with data, digital or ICT.

senior positions (Director and above) are

It can be a career in the creative a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

TECHNOLOGY

Click to watch: ‘LEWIS Global Communications, Does gender or age matter in creativity?’

52

industries that supports companies in

tions, there is wide recognition that

technology and applies technology to,

customer journeys need to become

for example, marketing services,”

one, common conversation. We’ve

explains Ruth Jones, Managing Director.

seen that in the industry.”

“We’re finding a shift in the industry, where if we put creativity, content and

PROMOTING EDUCATION

context at the heart of everything we do,

At present, only 15% of people working

we’re able to offer clients a single view but

in STEM roles in the UK are female,

articulate it across tech-based platforms

indicating that the country’s future

and channels – from infographics

technology talent will remain heavily

through to 3D experiences, as well as

male-orientated. In addition, recruiters

the traditional written word.

have expressed their concerns

“Through a collision of marketing, digital, technology and communicaSEPTEMBER 2018

surrounding the difficulty of recruiting knowledgeable, skilled individuals

FACTS

within STEM. A Global CEO survey has revealed that two thirds of UK CEOs say recruiting people with digital skills is difficult, compared with only 43% of CEOs in the US and 24% in China.

With this in mind, providing in-house training, as well as funded apprenticeship pro-

PwC’s Tech She Can Charter The Tech She Can Charter was launched by PriceWaterhouseCoopers in February 2018, joined initially by over 12 firms including giants such as Tesco and JP Morgan, with many more having since been added.

The main commitments organisations have made as part of the charter are:

grammes, LEWIS remains keen to offer permanent positions, with the aim to be part of the personal and professional development of its employees.

By partnering with schools, providing female role models and ensuring inclusive access to the sector, UK organisations will then gain the ability to build a robust upskilled and adaptive workforce, introducing technology modules which can be delivered in schools by teachers or through virtual reality to develop the UK’s technology talent.

“We also go to universities

• Working with schools to inspire pupils and teachers about careers in tech • Supporting social mobility by targeting schools in the UK Government’s defined social mobility ‘coldspots’ • Promoting and celebrating successful female role models at all levels • Ensuring inclusive access to technology training and technology roles within their own organisation • Supporting formal work experience and internship programmes to encourage more females to consider a career in tech • Sharing best practice with all other organisations across the charte

and spend a lot of time giving talks around careers at various different universities, here at LEWIS. We also have a partnera f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

53

TECHNOLOGY

“THROUGH A COLLISION OF MARKETING, DIGITAL, TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATIONS, THERE IS WIDE RECOGNITION THAT CUSTOMER JOURNEYS NEED TO BECOME ONE, COMMON CONVERSATION” — Ruth Jones, Managing Director, LEWIS

54

ship with Chelsea College of Art,

continues to evolve the way in

so connecting through educa-

which individuals can develop

tion is something that embodies

a technology career, with a num-

us,” explains Jones.

ber of roles available.

“We’re looking to invest more.

“Technology is central to every

The industry as a whole is now

part of our lives. Children and

looking at how to shape learning

young adults are coming into the

for the future, and this sneaks

workforce digitally enabled.

into adult learning, as well as

Everyone’s going to have a nat-

the future career path. Ultimate-

ural affinity for technology and

ly, we’re entering a world where

they’re going to see a much

continuous learning is an abs-

clearer path to why technology

olute necessity.”

plays a central part in our every-

While only 5% of leadership positions in the technology

day lives,” notes Jones.

“The single most important

industry are presently held by

thing for me is attracting more

women, where girls are less

people into technology so that

likely to study STEM subjects at

we can support the economy

school or university, technology

going forward.”

SEPTEMBER 2018

55

a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

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CITY FOCUS

DAK City Focus

58

The capital city of Senegal, Dakar is emerging as one of Africa’s most vital business and tourism hubs WRITTEN BY

SEPTEMBER 2018

DALE BENTON

KAR a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

59

CITY FOCUS | DAKAR

I

n recent years, business has been booming in Senegal.

With a population of around

15.3mn people it is of no surprise that the West African country represents a key economic hub.

At the heart of Senegal is the capital city of Dakar. With around 2.5mn residents living there, accounting for close to a quarter of its entire population, it is the largest city in Senegal.

According to the World Bank, Dakar also accounts for over half (55%) of 60

Senegal’s entire GDP and in 2014 the Government of Senegal adopted the ‘Plan for an Emerging Senegal’.

The vision? To create ‘an emerging Senegal in 2035 with social solidarity and the role of law’. This translates to a structural transformation of the economy through the consolidation of current engines of growth and the development of new sectors to create wealth, jobs, and social inclusion, with a strong capacity to export and attract investment.

Dakar is well and truly at the heart of this transformation.

SEPTEMBER 2018

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a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

CITY FOCUS | DAKAR

BY LAND, SEA AND AIR

it reaches peak operating perfor-

As a testament to the key role that

mance and has been identified as

Dakar will play in ‘an emerging Senegal’,

the “centrepiece” to the Plan for an

one of the largest airports in Africa

Emerging Senegal.

officially opened its doors in late 2017,

Envisioned to be a primary hub of the

The $575mn Blaise Diagne Interna-

West Africa region, AIBD will also be the

tional Airport (AIBD) in Diass, which

“preferred stopover point for air traffic

is around 40km away from Dakar,

in Africa, Europe and the Americas”.

will open the doorway to more than

The airport is a continuation of

three million passengers per year in

a number of major construction and

its first year of operation.

infrastructure projects designed to

This capacity will rise to 10mn as 62

SEPTEMBER 2018

attract new business and investment

into Dakar and wider Senegal.

In October 2015, after the DDTH

Regional Express Train is projected to carry around 115,000 passengers

was completed, 45,000 vehicles

to and from Dakar per day following

on average were using the toll road

its completion in late 2019.

every day.

Given its location on the Cap-Vert

In January 2017, the President of

peninsula on the Atlantic coast, Dakar

Senegal officially launched the first

has a huge import and export industry.

phase of the Regional Express Train.

Key to this import/export industry is

At 55km in length, the rail link will

The Port Autonome de Dakar (PAD).

connect Dakar’s city centre to the

Described as the “gateway to Senegal’s

AIBD in just under 45 minutes. With

external trade, the reference logistics

14 sub stations along the line, the

platform for the economic develop63

a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

CITY FOCUS | DAKAR

ment platform” of the country, PAD is set to become the port of excellence on the West African Coast by 2023.

Much like the AIBD, PAD has been identified as the true cross-roads for a number of maritime routes between Europe, North America, Latin America and Africa.

In 2017, $3bn worth of goods were shipped from Senegal via PAD, representing a 12.3% increase since 2013. The country’s main exports include mineral fuels and oil (14% of total exports), fish (13.2%), gems and precious metals (12.6%) and salt, sulphur and 64

cement (12.6%).

As a testament to the significance of the import/export trade of Dakar, Dubai-based DP World (operator of PAD since 2007) is investing $1.3bn to develop a logistics and economic zone.

Port du Futur, which will be located adjacent to AIBD, will enter into construction in late 2018 and will have an annual capacity of 1mn twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).

A CITY OF CULTURE AND HOSPITALITY Dakar is not only the capital city of Senegal but also the cultural capital. Back in 1840, Senegal became a French possession and Dakar became known as “the Paris of Africa” due to its vibrant culture.

SEPTEMBER 2018

Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport

Port Autonome de Dakar

65

House of slaves, Dakar, Senegal A famous slave warehouse on Ile de Goree near Dakar through which Africans passed on their way to the Americas. In the back you can see the ‘door of no return’ through which the slaves were lead to slave ships and then transported to the New World. The museum was established in 1962 to commemorate the horror of slave trade.

In 1978 Unesco designated Goree as a World Heritage site. a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

CITY FOCUS | DAKAR

Dakar’s stunning African Renaissance Monument was built to mark 50 years of African independence from France

Click to watch: ‘The tallest statue in Africa — The African Renaissance Monument’

66

SEPTEMBER 2018

Fast forward to 2018 and as Dakar continues to exude culture, still retaining a strong of French influence (the official language of Dakar is French). Culture is crucial to Dakar and wider Senegal and it was recognised as a key contributor to the UNESCO Sustainable Development Goals for 2030.

Just off the shore of Dakar is the Île de Gorée, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A former site of slave trade and now home to the House of Slaves museum, it brings thousands of visitors each year and is a major tourist attraction for Dakar.

Another hugely significant monument to Senegal’s past is the African Renaissance Monument. Built in 2010, the 49m tall statue (the tallest statue in Africa) stands atop a 100m hill looking over the city.

The statue was built to mark 50 years of African independence from France and continues to attract tourists from all over the world.

Aside from imports and exports, it is clear that tourism is a key contributor to Dakar’s GDP and with Africa’s hotel and tourism industry experiencing incredible growth in recent years, this has attracted some of the biggest hospitality companies from around the world. a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

67

CITY FOCUS | DAKAR

‘ Just off the shore of Dakar is the Île de Gorée, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A former site of slave trade and now home to the House of Slaves museum, it brings thousands of visitors each year and is a major tourist attraction for Dakar.’

68

SEPTEMBER 2018

69

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CITY FOCUS | DAKAR

The sun setting over the Mosque of the Divinity

70

SEPTEMBER 2018

Currency

West African CFA franc

1960

Year of independance

15mn +

Approximate population

Léopold Sédar Senghor Int. Airport Nearest airport (45km) HOTEL NOVOTEL DAKAR This four-star hotel is located in central

the Fann Corniche neighbourhood.

Radisson Hotel Group manages

Dakar on the Corniche seafront, oppo-

42 hotels in 20 African countries,

site Gorée Island. With 241 rooms and

with two hotels in Dakar.

11 meeting rooms, the hotel is the perfect mixture of business and pleasure.

YAAS HOTELS DAKAR ALMADIES

Its parent company, AccorHotels

With 81 rooms, Yaas Hotels Dakar

Group, currently manages 114 hotels

Almadies promises a “revolution in

across Africa, with two in Dakar.

the economy hotel experience”.

Located 62 kilometers away from

RADISSON BLU HOTEL,

Blaise Diagne International Airport,

DAKAR SEA PLAZA

and 17 kilometers from Dakar city

Bringing five-star luxury to the heart of

centre, Yaas Hotel Dakar Almadies

Senegal, the Radisson Blu Hotel Dakar

is the perfect hotel for both business

Sea Plaza also boasts 241 rooms along

and leisure travellers. a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

71

EAST AFRICA

DIGITAL

CONSTRUCTION 2018

14-15 NOVEMBER 2018, NAIROBI, KENYA

Vaughan Harris

Executive Director BIM Institute, South Africa

Marius Mostert Technical Principal, Urban Development SMEC, South Africa

Mairura Omwenga

Chairman Town and County Planners Association of Kenya (TCPAK)

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T O P 10

Top 10 hotel groups in Africa 74

MORE THAN 134mn INTERNATIONAL TOURISTS ARE EXPECTED TO TRAVEL TO AFRICA BY 2030, ACCORDING TO THE WORLD TOURISM ORGANIZATION. BUSINESS CHIEF LOOKS AT THE 10 LARGEST HOTEL GROUPS IN ONE OF THE WORLD’S FASTEST GROWING TOURISM MARKETS WRITTEN BY

SEPTEMBER 2018

DALE BENTON

75

a f r i c a b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

T O P 10

09 Best Western

24 hotels, 10 countries Present in over 100 countries and territories, Best Western expanded into Africa via Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa back in 1999. The company now has hotels in Kenya, Uganda

10 Hyatt

and Tanzania as well as hotels across

6 hotels, 4 countries

Western Plus and Best Western Pre-

Hyatt Hotels owns six hotel brands

third hotel in Nairobi and its first Exec-

across Egypt, Morocco, South Africa

utive Residency in Africa. Located

and Tanzania. In late 2017, Hyatt

along Riverside drive, the Executive

announced it will double the number

Residency contains meeting rooms,

of hotels in Africa by 2020, entering

heated pools and a restaurant located

four new countries with over 600 new

on the rooftop, overlooking one of the

rooms. Hyatt will add six new hotels

fastest-growing cities in the world.

by the end of 2020, made up of four

www.bestwestern.com

Hotels Group

76

market entries: Hyatt Regency Algiers Airport, Algeria; Hyatt Regency Douala, Cameroon; Hyatt Regency Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Hyatt Centric Dakar, Senegal. The biggest of its new additions will be the 200 room Hyatt Regency Douala in Cameroon. It is located on two acres of land in the heart of Bonanjo district, the financial hub of Douala.

www.hyatt.com SEPTEMBER 2018

South Africa, Algeria and Ghana. Its key brands are Best Western, Best mier. In 2016, the group opened its

07 Hilton

Hotels & Resorts

39 hotels, 14 countries With hotels in Nairobi, Mauritius, Algeria and Cairo among others, Hilton has already captured a significant corner of the African market. A key hotel is the Hilton Cairo World Trade Center Residences, located on the River Nile,

08 Intercontinental

Hotels Group

28 hotels, in 10 countries

within just 10 minutes of the business district of Cairo, where guests can discover the Egyptian Museum or Egyptian Bazaar Khan El-Khalili. In 2018, parent company Hilton Worldwide Holdings

Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG)

announced that it was to invest $50mn

owns and operates 28 hotels across

over the next five years to build 100 new

10 countries in Africa. In 2017, 14% of

hotels in Africa.

its global $1.7bn revenue came from

www.hilton.com/en/corporate

the AMEA region alone. In 2018, the company added the Crowne Plaza Nairobi Airport hotel. In partnership with The Lazizi Premiere Limited, the 144-room hotel is located at the Jomo Kenyatte International Airport.

It includes a business centre and fullyequipped meeting rooms, spa and gym facilities as well as a stunning view of the Nairobi Mombasa Road which moves more than 50% of all traded goods in East Africa.

www.ihg.com a f r i c a b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

77

T O P 10

05 Radisson Hotel Group

42 hotels, 20 countries With hotels in 20 countries across Africa, Radisson Hotel Group is one of the world’s largest and most dynamic

06 Louvre

Hotels Group

41 hotels, 13 countries

78

hotel companies. Through its Radisson Blu brand, the company promises a “positive and personalised service in stylish places”. Recognising the growing travel and tourism space, the group

Founded in 1976 and acquired by

added the 296-room Pearl of Africa

Jin Jiang International in 2009, Louvre

Hotel Kampala in Uganda, as well as the

Hotels Group’s international portfolio

152 Radisson Blu Bishoftu in Ethiopia,

boasts more than 3,000 hotels world-

the 160-room Park Inn Addis Ababa

wide. In 2016 Louvre set a target of

and the 218-luxury room Aso Towers

40 new economy hotels to be built in

Hotel & Residence Abuja.

Africa over five years. These low-end

www.radissonhotelgroup.com

and mid-range Première Classe and Campanile brands combine low-cost and essential comfort, all-you-can-eat breakfast and modern and functional rooms with Wi-Fi access for the modern traveler. In 2018, the company continued its aggressive growth strategy with a multi-brand complex in Casablanca, Morocco. On a plot of over 2,300 sq m, it will offer 124 rooms under the Première Classe brand, 189 under Campanile and 98 under Kyriad.

www.louvrehotels.com/en SEPTEMBER 2018

03 Tsogo Sun

96 hotels, 7 countries From Budget, Select Service and Full Service right through to Luxury, Tsogo Sun’s vision is to provide the “perfect experience” for every kind of guest through its 21 brands. In 2017, the company revealed that it had invested more than $120mn on hotel expansion,

04 City Lodge Hotel Group

59 hotels, 4 countries

construction and refurbishment to ensure its hotels continue to be best in class. This investment included two new hotels, the 202-room SunSquare Cape Town City Bowl and the 30-room

City Hotels Group has five Courtyard

StayEasy Cape Town Citybowl.

Hotels, 18 City Lodge Hotels, 13 Town

www.tsogosun.com/hotels

Lodges, 22 Road Lodges, and the 120room Fairview Hotel. To date, City Lodge Hotel Group now has over 7000 rooms and suites globally, ranking amongst the 250 largest hotel chains in the world.

In January 2018 the company opened the Two Rivers Mall, located at Runda on the outskirts of Nairobi. With 171 rooms across four upper floors, featuring retail, entertainment, office and residential elements, Two Rivers is the biggest mixed-use development and mall in East and Central Africa.

https://clhg.com a f r i c a b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

79

T O P 10

02

AccorHotels

114 hotels, 20 countries With 114 hotels spread across 20 African countries, AccorHotels has come a long way since opening its first Novotel hotel in Cameroon back in 1975. AccorHotels brands include ibis, Mercure, Novotel, Sofitel and Fairmont, as well as two new brands in MGallery and Pullman, located in Ikoyi, Lagos. The 100-room MGallery and 204-room Pullman are both situated in the prime neighborhood of Ikoyi, Lagos and are in close proximity to the business area of Victoria Island. In 2018, the company announced a joint venture partnership with Qatar-based Katara Hospitality to create a $1bn fund to invest in sub-Sahara Africa.

The investment fund will target around 40 hotels across a range of both economy and luxury hotels.

80

www.accorhotels.com

SEPTEMBER 2018

01

Marriot International 149 hotels, 20 countries

Marriott International first entered the African market in 2016 following the acquisition of Starwood Hotels and Resorts. Marriot Hotels now span 20 countries including Nigeria, Rwanada, South Africa and Tunisia. The company has an ambitious growth strategy, targeting over 200 hotels with more than 37,000 rooms by 2022. In late 2017, Marriott announced seven new hotels, including a debut hotel in Cote D’lvoire – the Abidjan Marriott Hotel. Overlooking the Presidential Palace, the 200-room Abidjan Marriott Hotel sits at the heart of the central business district, and the commercial, financial and administrative centre of Abidjan. Targeting a 2021 open date, the hotel will also include a conference centre, offices, retail facilities and a national library.

www.marriott.com/marriott/aboutmarriott.mi

a f r i c a b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

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Tigre de Cristal 82

Technology and the gaming world of tomorrow WRIT TEN BY

DA LE BENTON PRODUCED BY

M A LVERN K ANDEM WA

SEPTEMBER 2018

TECHNOLOGY

83

Tigre de Cristal Hotel and Resort is nominated for participation in ‘World Travel Awards’ in ‘Russia’s Leading Hotel 2018’ category

a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

T I G R E D E C R I S TA L

Through the strategic implementation of technology and innovation, Tigre de Cristal targets a new generation of gamers

O

ne of the biggest challenges facing many businesses in any number of sectors and industries in the

modern world is how to embrace change.

This could be a change in the form of the industry redefining itself, or a change from legacy infrastructure to a new, more robust 84

and agile IT architecture in order to adapt to a changing marketplace and client base.

The latter is a challenge faced by numerous organisations nowadays including Tigre de Cristal, the first casino, hotel and entertainment destination and the only area in the Russian Far East where gaming and casino activities are permitted.

The gaming industry is not immune to the changing world, but Paulo Moreria, VP of Information Technology at Tigre de Cristal, believes that the industry has remained very much the same over the years. “Technology at the end of the day is the cornerstone of any gaming company,� he says. “Casinos are casinos and slot machines

SEPTEMBER 2018

TECHNOLOGY

85

Tigre de Cristal Hotel & Resort has 121 rooms of different categories, from Standard King to Presidential Suite

a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

T I G R E D E C R I S TA L

are slot machines. They’ve been

gaming since the moment

around for more than 30-40

casinos were legalised across

years and the game itself hasn’t

the country. Having worked on

changed. It’s the technology

the opening of close to 14 of the

around those components that is

biggest casinos in South Africa,

the real changer and the way to

Moreira has significant experi-

redefine the customer experience.”

ence in understanding the role

Born and raised in South

of IT and innovation and ensuring

Africa, Moreira has lived and

how it becomes more aligned

breathed IT and technology in

with any business strategy.

86

“ Technology in gaming is essentially breaching an old environment and older generations of gamers and looking at millennials and the new wave of gamers” Paulo Moreira, VP of Information Technology

SEPTEMBER 2018

TECHNOLOGY

It is this experience he feels

“So, the key to the success of

provides him with a key under-

Tigre de Cristal is understand-

standing of one of the biggest

ing the business wall to wall

problems facing the IT function

from a gaming perspective and

of any business worldwide and

being able to implement

it is a problem of knowhow.

technology to either innovate,

“There are very technically

reduce operational expenses

knowledgeable people from IT,

or more importantly creating

but these people can lack the

a unique and memorable

business perspective,” he says.

experience for customers.”

87

Tigre de Cristal started functioning in 2015, and since then more than one million people have visited the Complex.

a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

T I G R E D E C R I S TA L

IGT is focused on crafting innovative products with cutting edge design that will entertain and satisfy your players!

Visit www.IGT.com for more information. ©2018 IGT. Except where ownership is otherwise identified, the trademarks used herein are owned by IGT or its affiliates, may not be used without permission, and where indicated with a ®, are registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Artwork, descriptions, game play, photographs, videos, and other product details depicted herein are subject to change.

WITH CUSTOMER SUCCESS IN OUR HEART One-stop solution for Smart Office, includes the following: • Visitor Management • Meeting Room Booking System • Smart Workspace

wafersystems.com/en/ tel: +852-39008859

TECHNOLOGY

Creating that unique and memorable experience drives repeat visitation. Moreria, through his role of VP of IT, is exploring new ways in which technology can be implemented in order to drive that repeat customer.

Historically, gaming and gambling can be a controversial topic and this is a result of certain stigmas attached to it. So how does a business approach this, how does a business make customers feel comfortable in investing in an experience.

With an industry that dates back as far as it does, how does this apply to the millennial generation, a generation that is defined by instant gratification?

“Technology in gaming is essentially breaching an old environment and older generations of gamers and looking at millennials and the new wave of gamers,” says Moreiraa.

“Millennials are not the most loyal of generations and so we have to adapt our gaming and our

BIO

Paulo Moreira is an accomplished and versatile IT Executive with over 20 years’ experience in optimizing business operations and profitability through successful management of various IT Divisions. Moreira, from Portuguese decent grew up in South Africa, starting his IT career in Olivetti and ending off with the largest Casino and Hotel operator, namely Tsogo Sun Gaming. “IT is a unique profession, requiring unique skills, however in Gaming, IT takes on a totally new meaning”. His experience in Gaming comes with opening over 14 Casino Resort facilities in South Africa, the largest been Montecasino.

Moreira believes that the key ingredience as an IT professional is understanding business, especially in gaming and been able to strategically use technology as a key driving factor and differentiator in a business.

technology solutions to fit this new market. Millennials seek instant a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

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T I G R E D E C R I S TA L

“Casinos are casinos and slot machines are slot machines. They’ve been around for more than 30-40 years and the game itself hasn’t changed. It’s the technology around those components that is the real change” Paulo Moreira, VP of Information Technology

90

gratification, loyalty is not

social media sharing their

important and tend to

achievements and their

frequent whats “in” and

successes,” he says. “It’s all

driven by technology.

about providing the oppor-

This millennial generation

tunity to “brag” and opera-

is vastly different to the older

tions like ours are looking at

generation of gamers.

Social Media integration.

Where casinos could rely

This is part of what Moreira

on the demand for slot

believes is a key differentia-

machines, gaming tables,

tor from many competitors.

the casinos of today and

He feels that technology

tomorrow need to redefine

is and will continue to be

how they incorporate this

an enabler of added value

demand for instant gratifica-

out of existing gaming

tion for a newer generation.

systems, which in turn adds

For Moreira, two key

value to the Tigre de Cristal

trends have emerged over recent years – instant

resort overall.

“All hotel rooms are built

sharing of experience and

pretty much the same,

social media.

casinos and slot machines

“People spend a large portion of their time on SEPTEMBER 2018

are a commodity,” he says.

“So, it’s about creating that

TECHNOLOGY

91

Tigre de Cristal started functioning in 2015, and since then more than one million people have visited the Complex. a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

T I G R E D E C R I S TA L

Click to watch: ‘Tigre de Cristal – Hotel and Casino’

92

Our guests can experience unique entertainment facilities of casino, 2 restaurants, 3 thematic bars, and unique entertaining activities.

SEPTEMBER 2018

TECHNOLOGY

different experience, which is

the bar, in the lounge, or even in the

a continuous challenge.”

restaurant with friends and still play on

The traditional experience within a casino often tends to be a solitary one. A customer will sit behind a single

their favourite game, whilst socialising with friends and family.

With any technology, it opens

slot machine for a number of hours.

a doorway to capturing and ultimately

Tigre de Cristal looks to flip that on its

utilising data and information. As

head and, through social media and

a business that is looking to create

leader boards, turn that solitary

repeat business, the data that is

experience into a communal one.

captured will prove instrumental in

One way in which this is being utilised is through the way in which millennials

understanding the customer behaviour and demands.

can access the games themselves.

Moreira recognises as much but

Through leading mobile applications,

understands that it’s not about the

such as Candy Crush, the slot machine

quantity of the data, rather the quality.

mechanism has been brought to the

“The question is how accurate and

palm of the customers hand.

Providing customers with the ability

quick the data is available before it becomes obsolete? The habits of

to partake in one of the casinos games

today are not necessarily you’re

on a mobile device and through a

habits of next week,” he says and in

secured wi-fi infrastructure, will be a key

this fast pace environment decisions

differentiator for any casino operation.

need to be taken fairly quickly.

This, Moreira feels, capitalises on

“Tigre de Cristal has been incredibly

the millennial generation’s multi-task-

successful on this front because we

ing mentality and instant gratification.

encourage mistakes as mistakes prove

“They want to be able play our games

crucial in achieving success. The data

but play them at their own time and with

allows us to recognise a mistake, act on

their own devices,” he says. “It’s just an

the mistake and take learnings from that

example of where the technology is not

mistake in order to improve as we grow.”

brand new but the experience around it is. Customers can be on site, sat at

A journey of this scope, embracing the future but respecting the past, is

a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

93

T I G R E D E C R I S TA L

not a journey a business can achieve

Game Technology (IGT). The compa-

alone. This level of change brings with

ny works closely with Tigre de Cristal

it an element of risk as it requires

in the provision of gaming technology,

a change to a formula or a model that

but Moreira notes that the relationship

has proven successful for decades.

is one that goes beyond simple give

To that end, Tigre de Cristal can call upon key partners and IT vendors to

and take. “To me, we measure partners based

successfully navigate this changing

on the benefits we gain and the

landscape and redefine the gaming

benefits the partners gain too,� he

customer experience.

says. “We are all in the business of

One such partner is International

94

SEPTEMBER 2018

making money, but the true partner-

TECHNOLOGY

ships see both parties invest.

“We have partners such as IGT that invest just as much as we do along

core focus is and will forever remain on one key component.

“Customer experience is key and we

this journey and take the risk just as

are in the business of selling a unique

much as we do. That proves key.”

experience he says. “This will guaran-

As Tigre de Cristal continues to

tee return business from customers and

embrace the future of gaming, a future

we will continue to innovate and drive

that could include 3D and 4D capabili-

change in order to achieve this.”

ties and a completely redefined casino management system, Moreira is keen to stress that ultimately the business’

95

Pavlo is the head chef of entertainment complex Tigre de Cristal

a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

96

Empowering a digital workforce WRIT TEN BY

CATHERINE S TURM AN PRODUCED BY

M A LVERN K ANDEM WA

SEPTEMBER 2018

TECHNOLOGY

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a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

SOLUGROWTH

SoluGrowth has completely overhauled its digital capabilities to become a leading business processing outsourcing company within South Africa. Director of Technology, Vikash Ramharuk, tells us more

R

enowned as the first black-owned, business process outsourcing (BPO) company in South Africa, SoluGrowth

has gained significant traction in supporting

growing African multinationals in industries such as mining, automotive and the public 98

sector, with the emergence of technologies helping the industry surpass $20bn in 2017.

Previously part of multinational professional services network Deloitte for close to 30 years, the business has completely overhauled its systems and processes and reinvented its digital infrastructure, embedding new policies and procedures which will cater to its growing client base. Vikash Ramharuk, Director of Technology, explains that whilst taking care of SoluGrowth’s back office capabilities and services which it offers to clients, it has been essential for the business to improve its efficiency, productivity and its overall margins.

“In my role, I wear two hats: one is in terms of how we’re growing projects as SEPTEMBER 2018

TECHNOLOGY

a business and as a brand but I’ve also got the responsibility of the Chief Technology Officer, where I look after all of the technology requirements and the digital and information requirements of the company itself,” he explains.

“It’s been a good but challenging, both from a front-end perspective of growing the business digitally and also from a back-end perspective, making sure that we can actually keep the lights on and that the transition from Deloitte was as seamless as possible.”

Click to watch: SoluGrowth – About us 99

ADDRESSING STAFF FEARS Bringing new policies and procedures on board whilst embracing new digital

When they leave, access needs to be

tools, SoluGrowth has overcome a

revoked to remove them from the system.

significant culture change and read-

It is laborious, mundane and repetitive.

dressed the way staff work with new

“Nonetheless, when we introduced

technologies.

automation, staff were up in arms

“What we started understanding is

and were more than willing to do this

that the communication was not too

repetitive work because they just didn’t

clear. To this end, we have worked to fix

want a robot to do it. So, we changed

the communication, the culture, and

tack. What we said was, ‘We’re intro-

the way the firm introduces technology,”

ducing a new employee, and we give

observes Ramharuk.

all our robots South African names and

“Previously, employees had to manually

employee numbers. We’ve got Zuki, Zazu

create user access for people that had

and Khuti and changed the communica-

joined to log on to a particular system.

tion around it. a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

SOLUGROWTH

“We told employees, ‘Here’s a new virtual employee, let this employee help you.’ So, in terms of changing the mindset of the employees, and changing the mindset of the workforce was very important to us.

“It moved from ‘this is what’s going to be automated,’ to, ‘here’s a new virtual employee, how can he help you?’,” he says.

“We have moved employees up the value chain, where they can take on tasks which are more strategic, creative, and more emotionally intelligent. We changed the way we introduced the technology to them, and now they’re more excited and want to learn 100

what other technology can they use and have become more passionate, analytical and exploratory.

“By successfully sending a positive message out to the market, where workers collaborate with technology, the business has improved its overall productivity and efficiency.”

“ Previously part of multinational professional services network Deloitte for close to 30 years, SoluGrowth has overhauled its systems and processes and reinvented its digital infrastructure” — Vikash Ramharuk, Director of Technology

SEPTEMBER 2018

TECHNOLOGY

101

UNLOCKING DIGITAL VALUE

SoluGrowth to support providers

By investing in updating its business

with executive reporting and business

processes, its backend processing,

intelligence. Whilst it has its core client

and robot process automation (RPA)

audience, the business remains keen

to improve operational efficiency

to open further doors.

for repetitive processes, increase

“We don’t want to limit ourselves to

client satisfaction and reduce costs,

just BPO work. What we are finding in

the business has fully ramped up

the market is that a lot of companies

its engagement with customers,

are not ready to outsource complete

vendors and suppliers.

business processes to us, but are

The use of automated reporting and data analytics (with information gathered from providers) has also

reaching out for basic solutions,” comments Ramharuk.

“There are a number of organisations

enabled the business to undertake

that want us to help them automate

predictive analytics, which has allowed

their processes with RPA. Our goals a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

SOLUGROWTH

are twofold: one is driving automation efficiency and improving productivity, and our core business processes of the BPO company and our core organisation and secondly, we are using digital technology and solutions to look at new opportunities. “We did an exercise for a huge mining company in South Africa, where we’re using RPA for their group travel. We found that some of the travel is booked too late or booked out of the policies and rules which are in place. “We use the information and analytics that we derive from them to help the

TECHNOLOGY

“ We have worked to fix the communication, the culture, and the way to introduce technology” — Vikash Ramharuk, Director of Technology 103 organisation - but not to take that

in South Africa, as many clients in the

information and use it to attract new

country remain hesitant for their data

clients. We tend to stay away from

to leave the country.

that, in order to gain the security and trust of our clients.”

“Even in our non-disclosure agreements with clients, we tend not to use information that we gather from

PROMOTING COLLABORATION

clients and then take them to other

Whilst SoluGrowth remains on the

potential clients. Instead, we look at

lookout for new opportunities that

the information provided and then

digitisation will bring, the business

illustrate a model where we can help

faces challenges with regards to its

them,” explains Ramharuk.

newly adopted, cloud infrastructure.

“We don’t want to accumulate data

With competitors such as Amazon and

from a company and go to a competitor

Microsoft Azure, the business has

and provide them with the same solution.

appointed provider, Dimension Data

Our principle is to gather a lot of data a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

SOLUGROWTH

and assist our clients with that data,

to its secure network, SoluGrowth

to help them grow, to make them more

has integrated three different firewall

effective, more efficient, and make

technologies and firewall layers within

them more aware of how this data—

its cloud environment, and invested

with machine learning, and predictive

heavily in cybersecurity strategies,

analysis — has brought about change

technologies, and implementations with

in the organisation.”

third parties, vendors and companies.

With such vast volumes of data

“A lot of policies we have also driven

obtained from its clients, the business

by requirements that come in from

has placed significant investment in

businesses,” notes Ramharuk.

strengthening its data security. Intro-

“For example, we run a payroll division,

ducing factor authentication for any

where we do payroll for organisations

client or individual that wants to connect

in South Africa and worldwide. So, for

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“ SoluGrowth has partnered with Dimension Data in South Africa, as many clients remain hesitant for their data to leave the country” — Vikash Ramharuk, Director of Technology

SEPTEMBER 2018

TECHNOLOGY

them to give us their payroll, it comes with a whole list of security requirements and recommendations that drive a portion of our cybersecurity strategy, to align with Industry 4.0.

“With so many interconnected devices and interconnected solutions and a digital workforce, people are also not always having to be in the office and also want to connect elsewhere. It’s something that we take seriously and have started to implement our move towards to an increasingly digital workforce.”

ADOPTING INTELLIGENT SOLUTIONS Driven by machine learning, analytics, mobile and cloud technologies, Ramharuk believes that both robotic and cognitive solutions will further transform the market.

“This is a big play for us, so we are investing now in cognitive machine learning to be ahead of the curve in five years’ time,”

FACT

• The first black-owned, business process outsourcing (BPO) company in South Africa • The global business processing outsourcing industry surpassed US$20bn in 2017.

• P reviously part of multinational professional services network Deloitte for close to 30 years, SoluGrowth has overhauled its systems and processes and reinvented its digital infrastructure • SoluGrowth has invested in Robot Process Automation (RPA) to improve operational efficiency for repetitive processes, increase client satisfaction and reduce costs • S oluGrowth has partnered with Dimension Data in South Africa, as many clients remain hesitant for their data to leave the country • S oluGrowth has introduced factor authentication for any client or individual that wants to connect to its secure network, integrating three different firewall technologies and layers within its cloud environment

he says. a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

105

SOLUGROWTH

“ We’re the first BPO company in South Africa that’s 64% black-owned. It’s something that we’re extremely proud of and is something that we take to the South African continent” — Vikash Ramharuk, Director of Technology “A lot of countries are now looking into the 106

African market as a great BPO destination.

Given our location, our communication skills and with the third-highest skilled chartered accountants in the market, companies are looking to do a lot of business here and are looking to us to deliver solutions.”

In alignment with SoluGrowth’s 2020 vision, the business sees itself as an increasing hotbed for shared services, with new technologies, predictive analytics and data reporting leading the way.

“We’re also looking at how a VPN solution can run across a shared services platform, to deliver more technology, efficient workflows and efficient processes,” he adds.

“Other technologies are also starting to emerge, such as optical character recognition.

SEPTEMBER 2018

TECHNOLOGY

We can help companies with the onboarding of customers.

In South Africa, people are now using an app to undertake facial recognition, eradicating traditional paper-led processes, for example.

“We’re looking at these sorts of trends, where people are investing a lot more in digitising a lot of back-office capabilities, using automation, analytics, and VPN technology solutions. We want to package all of these technologies together to create products that we can go to market with.”

Gaining a positive, home-grown reputation, SoluGrowth has built the trust and respect of its target audience and enabled the business to drive engagement with its clients across South Africa and worldwide.

“We’re the first BPO company in South Africa that’s 64% black-owned. It’s something that we’re extremely proud of and is something that we take to the South African continent,” Ramharuk says with pride.

“Whilst we’re not competing with the likes of Accenture and the Tech Mahindra’s of this world, when we’re sitting in front of a Chief Financial Officer, he is pleasantly surprised to be working with a South African company that can give him world-class capabilities,” he concludes.

“There is a lot that we take out of that, and a lot that we can take home and say, ‘You know what? We’ve done something valuable. We’ve created so many jobs for South African people and will remain a leading, respected South African organisation.”

a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

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E 108

SEPTEMBER 2018

S U P P LY C H A I N

EnviroServ

RESPONSIBLE WASTE MANAGEMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA WRIT TEN BY

L AUR A MULL AN PRODUCED BY

ARRON R A MPLING

a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

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E N V I R O S E R V W A S T E M A N A G E M E N T LT D

Delivering solutions across the automotive, chemical manufacturing sectors and more, EnviroServ is leading the way with environmentallyresponsible waste management.

A

s new lifestyles and new technologies enter the fray, society has also seen the rise of another by-product – waste. A few

decades ago we didn’t have to think about how

we disposed of our smartphones or how we’d navigate stringent waste regulations, but for 110

today’s businesses, it’s more important than ever.

Since opening its doors in 1979, EnviroServ Waste Management (Pty) Ltd. has been first to market with many groundbreaking waste management solutions, some of which are still recognised as best practice in the sector. Now, thanks to this pioneering approach, the company has established itself as one of the largest waste management firms in South Africa today.

Recognising the importance of protecting both the environment and community, EnviroServ’s sustainable ethos has become a guiding principle in all that it does. Rakesh Seetal, Head of Procurement and Supply Chain, says that it’s the company’s leading reputation that distinguishes it from the rest.

“EnviroServ is a waste management company that uses ethical and best practices in the SEPTEMBER 2018

S U P P LY C H A I N

111

a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

E N V I R O S E R V W A S T E M A N A G E M E N T LT D

disposal of waste recycling,” he explains.

“We use the three Rs: reduce, reuse and recycle. We may use landfill if necessary but a key motivator for the company is thinking of alternative uses of waste.

“As part of our ethos, we put our customers first and provide them with the best alternatives for waste disposal or waste management. We’ve done it responsibly for many years. As a result, our reputation precedes our marketing efforts. Working with our customers for decades has really helped us become a leader in the market.”

Like any business, a robust supply chain 112

function has been a key driver of growth at EnviroServ. With a spend of over ZAR50mn ($3.8mn) under its belt, the South African company has implemented an increasing

“Procurement used to be a back-office function but now it is now taking a leading role in creating this strategic competitive advantage” — Rakesh Seetal, Head of Procurement and Supply Chain SEPTEMBER 2018

number of benchmarking activities to ensure that it’s upholding only the best industry practices.

As part of this, Seetal outlines how the waste management firm has streamlined its supplier network so that it can respond quickly to the market and enhance its value chain.

“We’ve just put more and more benchmarking exercises into our

S U P P LY C H A I N

BIO

division,” he notes. “Four years ago, we had approximately 7,000 suppliers and now we have brought it down to about 1,400. Every day, we strive to get the best suppliers into our database. Through benchmarking or supply evaluations we weed out the ones that do not

Rakesh Seetal, Head of Procurement and Supply Chain for EnviroServ Waste Management. EnviroServ’s primary focus is the transportation and management of waste. EnviroServ is a multi-national company, operating within southern Africa. EnviroServ’s purchasing power is approximately R1 Billion. My role and purpose is to execute the procurement and supplier management strategy and policy to support EnviroServ’s vision. I am responsible for building strong relationships with suppliers by negotiating the best deals based on quality, delivery and price, and tracking and reporting on performance against contractual agreements and relevant Key Performance Areas and Indications.

I am a professional and presentable person, with a strong but empathetic character. I work well independently as well as collaboratively in a team setting and have been able to distinguish myself in all my previous jobs.

add value to our supply chain.

All the benchmarking we have done and continue to do on a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

113

A PROGRESSIVE SERVICE PROVIDER At Crossmoor, our commitment to our Clients means going the extra mile. In doing so, we have dedicated teams on hand to cater for varying Client requirements, ensuring peace of mind for both parties. High-levels of Service and Competitive pricing structures, ensure enduring relationships. By employing stringent safety measures and strict implementation procedures, our intention is always to safeguard the natural environment.

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S U P P LY C H A I N

115 a day-to-day basis helps us to

Seetal. “Each of our divisions has

get the right suppliers onboard.”

set targets for savings; they strive

As well as offering environmen-

to do more with less or to find

tally-conscious products and

alternative products or services

services, EnviroServ has also

to achieve our goals.”

championed cost-efficient waste

EnviroServ prides itself on

management which is clearly

offering a range of specialist

evidenced by the firm’s procure-

products and services, from

ment and supply chain function.

hazardous waste services and

“One of the other strategic

waste collection services to

drivers in procurement is the need

waste recycling and on-site

to bring savings into the supply

waste management. Like many

chain. Strategic buying can help

countries across the globe,

you get the right product at the

landfill is no longer seen as the

right place at a lower price,” says

preferred waste management a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

E N V I R O S E R V W A S T E M A N A G E M E N T LT D

1979 Year founded

EnviroServ

is the largest waste management company in South Africa

Pro

! v e s o i v n E o f ote p s n a t d We Move High Volumes, Anytime, Anywhere

www.bakerstankers.com info@bakerstankers.co.za (+27) 11 494 3001

S U P P LY C H A I N

117 option in South Africa. As a result, EnviroServ strives to use landfill as little as possible, instead offering alternative waste disposal services.

Over the past 40 years, EnviroServ has gained deep insight and experience across a variety of different industries such as the automotive, chemical and food and beverage sectors. Attracting and retaining some of the foremost scientists and engineers in the waste

“We’re currently one of the market leaders and we hope to stay there” — Rakesh Seetal, Head of Procurement and Supply Chain

management field, the company has increasingly zeroed in on emerging technologies to offer alternative waste management solutions.

In doing so, technology is assisting the firm as it tries to address some of the a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

E N V I R O S E R V W A S T E M A N A G E M E N T LT D

biggest waste management issues facing industries today.

“We try not to do the same over and over again so finding new technologies and new products is paramount to our success,” highlights Seetal. “In our landfill sites, we are using classification projects and evaporation techniques and we are also looking at different technologies in the market. We send our technology managers across the world to see what technology is available and then we bring it back to South Africa.

“Additionally, we are always on the lookout 118

for better equipment. We don’t just stick to one brand because it’s been the best in the past, we’re always looking out for new alternatives.”

To reduce its customers’ reliance on landfill, Seetal highlights how EnviroServ is also exploring new ways it can upcycle waste materials.

“If you look at the waste management sector, ideas such as waste reusing, recycling or upcycling are some of the biggest trends that are happening today,” he notes. “Therefore, we are also looking to find companies that can use these waste materials.

“For example, a tyre could be used in road manufacturing or it could be used in the making of a mat. Paper can be recycled

SEPTEMBER 2018

S U P P LY C H A I N

into pulp and then reused.

Plastic can be remodelled.

Glass can be used in art material. We can support schools and art companies in providing such materials.”

Developing strong supplier relationships is a key aspect of any robust supply chain and it is something which hasn’t been overlooked at EnviroServ.

When selecting suppliers, EnviroServ adopts a multi-faceted approach, taking into consideration issues such as such as price, product, service and Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) into account.

As such, Seetal believes that the South African firm develops sincere relationships with the suppliers it works with. “At the end of the day, it is a partnership,” he says. “We believe that our suppliers are critical to our success and if they are successful, we are successful.”

On the frontline, EnviroServ’s dedicated team works closely

a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

119

E N V I R O S E R V W A S T E M A N A G E M E N T LT D

with suppliers and learns first-hand

who understand the problems, under-

about its customers.

stand the challenges out in the field.”

“It’s a small team of centralised

Combining an industry-led reputa-

buyers supported by regional buyers,”

tion with a socially-conscious perspec-

describes Seetal. “We need those

tive, EnviroServ has pushed for

regional buyers to get information

continuous improvement across

from the ground floor. I believe that you

a spectrum of industries. It has

cannot run a procurement division from

become a trusted and preferred

head office alone. You need people

waste management supplier because

120

SEPTEMBER 2018

S U P P LY C H A I N

it understands that, as exciting tech-

whether that’s in South Africa, south-

nologies enter the fore, sustainable

ern Africa or other neighbouring

waste management isn’t a finite

African countries, we want to be

concept. As society’s needs, habits and

the best. We want to be a partner

awareness of health and environmental

of choice. Procurement used to be

issues have evolved, so has EnviroServ.

a back-office function but now it is

“We’re currently one of the market

taking a leading role in creating this

leaders and we hope to stay there,”

strategic competitive advantage.”

adds Seetal. “We want to grow and,

121

a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

122

SEPTEMBER 2018

FOOD & DRINK

ACCR A BREWERY LTD:

Delivering sustainable growth to Ghana WRIT TEN BY

DA LE BENTON PRODUCED BY

S TUART IRVING

a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

123

ACCRA BREWERY

124

Accra Brewery Limited has a vision to deliver sustainable empowerment to Ghana in line with the world’s biggest brewer AB InBev

A

s a company that is proudly

with that of its parent company.

part of the AB InBev family, the

The company has its own sustainably

world’s largest brewer, there is

goals that are aligned and complement

a responsibility to deliver the company’s

those of AB InBev and the 2025

ambitious 2025 global sustainability

Sustainability Goals.

goals of creating a better world right down to a local level.

Key to achieving these goals is Accra Brewery’s procurement function,

Accra Brewery Limited (ABL), the

which is spearheaded by Wil Fameni,

oldest brewery in Ghana, is dedicated

Head of Procurement & Sustainability.

to celebrating national pride and

As a result of his experience from

bringing people together for a better

working at AB InBev Global Headquar-

world through West Africa: a business

ters in Leuven, Belgium as the Global

model and vision that aligns perfectly

Category Manager, Mr Fameni has a

SEPTEMBER 2018

FOOD & DRINK

S TAT I S T I C S

2025 Sustainability Goals • Smart Agriculture: 100% of our direct farmers will be skilled, connected and financially-empowered.

• Climate Action: 100% of our purchased electricity will be from renewable sources; and a 25% reduction in CO2 emissions across our value chain (science-based).

key understanding of implementing global strategies at a local level.

Mr Fameni mentioned that during his work experience in Leuven, he

• Entrepreneurship: Retailer Development Programme (RDP), aimed at equipping small retailers with relevant business skills to enable them increase their sales and revenues.

played a key role in establishing the global strategy in the real estate

Mr Fameni would then liaise directly

and fleet categories of the company.

with each zones’ managers to oversee

“I was personally involved in under-

the launch and implementation of these

standing how to create and imple-

operating models.

ment those strategies in terms of

In his current role, he is now at the

rationalisation of brand andoperating

other end of the spectrum and is directly

models with regards to procurement

involved the implementation process.

and sustainability.”

He feels that his experience globally a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

125

CUTTING EDGE AND COST EFFECTIVE PRODUCTS As part of Tropical General Investment Group of Companies, Centre Point Limited import and distribute chemicals and other materials for a wide range of industries.

Our vision is to become the market leader in specialty chemicals, through manufacturing and partnership with global leaders. We provide wide range of cutting edge and cost effective products and services, and unique expertise to enhance brands and actualize the goals of our customers through the application of cutting-edge technology and closing systems to enhance savings on water, energy and processing time with key focus on protecting the environment.

We also continue to expand our product lines to meet emerging market needs.

Our Partners: Ecolab, Nalco, Henkel, European Flavours & Fragranaces

Address: Centre Point Limited, House No EA 77/2 House Before Oak City International College, Adenta SDA Junction, Off JJ Rawlings Highway Adenta, Accra, Ghana

Tel: +233302501650 / +233302501652 +233302501653 P. O. Box MB12, Ministries, Accra Email: centrepoint14@yahoo.com

FOOD & DRINK

has provided him with the ideal insight into understanding the various tasks.

“I understand how the company works and how and where it wants to go globally,” he says. “I can really leverage my understanding of the decision-making here in Ghana to ensure that we are capable of embracing these global strategies and

Click to watch: ABL induction video

balance them with the inner dynamics of Ghana and West Africa.”

Mr Fameni is currently handling an Agricultural Study Request For Proposal

“ In showing that we are making life better for people and empowering Ghanaians it tells our customers that we are invested in the country, we are one of them” — Wil Fameni Head of Procurement & Sustainability

to review the maize, cassava and sorghum supply chains in Ghana. This is to better understand the entry points for an agriculture development program, and the challenges and opportunities that should be addressed to optimize these value chains.

This research is crucial in order for ABL to deliver on its promise to empower farmers who will positively impact Ghana’s agricultural development. With an expected completion date of the study in late 2018, Fameni will be able to explore avenues in which Accra Brewery Limited can improve market inefficiencies and close these gaps.

“I know there is some work to be done, particularly in the area of educating farmers on how to improve their yield. What I have observed is that the farmers have limited a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

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ACCRA BREWERY

1931

Year founded

500+

Approximate number of employees

FOOD & DRINK

Limited is heavily engrained in the Ghanaian culture. Mr Fameni states that our sustainability goals clearly depict a company focused on investing in the country and creating a better world for Ghanaians.

“Accra Brewery Limited is in existence and a recognized company of national pride which creates extraordinary moments by brewing and sharing only the finest beverages. In addition, our goal is to give back in a meaningful and sustainable way.”

This relationship and active presence within the Ghanaian community (visits to farmers and plantations in Kintampo and Sunyani regions) is what Fameni considers knowledge in the type of seeds

to be a significant success during his experi-

which are used for farming, the

ence with Accra Brewery.

type of equipment needed to

Fameni’s key question is “How does the

increase yield using various

company continuously assess that it is deliver-

channels of farming to improve

ing on its promises”?

their yield. If we can improve

In order to answer this question, Mr Fameni

the yield, then we can gain a

will use the market study he is conducting.

better understanding of their

As a business, he recognises that there

abilities and a better under-

will be Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

standing of cost.”

on cost savings and profit margins. However,

As the oldest brewery in

one of the simplest ways of measuring success

Ghana operating under the

is determining where Accra is sourcing its raw

global umbrella of one of the

materials.

largest multi-national companies in the world, Accra Brewery

“In my opinion, the first and easiest way to measure is to look at the percentage in which a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

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ACCRA BREWERY

130

“ So, when I go out and meet our existing and potential future suppliers I take great strides to understand their business, where they are heading and what they are doing that aligns with and adds value to our own growth journey and sustainability goals” — Wil Fameni Head of Procurement & Sustainability

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FOOD & DRINK

we are buying directly from farmers, aggregators, and industrial millers and processors versus imports.” “Of course, that’s not the only way we can measure, but it’s a core component of our goal of starting small and setting bigger targets and challenges.”

In procurement, a company is only as good as its supplier network and so it is very important that a business invests in and develops not only a strong and robust network, but a network made up of the “right” partners and suppliers.

Identifying the right partner is a challenge that Mr Fameni recognises and much like the company’s approach to the customers and to the market, he goes above and beyond to understand what makes a supplier react positively or negatively.

“The right partner to me is a partner that understands our vision,” he says. “So, when I go out and meet our existing and a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m

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ACCRA BREWERY

potential future suppliers, I take great strides to understand their business, where they are heading 132

and what they are doing to align to and add value to our own growth, and sustainability goals.”

As the company looks to the future, it does so with ambitions beyond Ghana. Mr Fameni will look to establish a best practice agenda in which he can then replicate the successes and achievements from Ghana into other African countries.

Currently the company’s immediate near-term goal is to increase the use of renewable electricity by implementing solar panels at its brewery. This will result in 20% of the company’s

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FOOD & DRINK

133

electricity usage sourced purely by

in between in terms of how we can

solar energy. This will be a first step

deliver growth through sustainable

towards our target of 100% by 2025.

initiatives.”

Ultimately, this is a learning curve for Accra Brewery and for Ghana.

“We are trying to push new bound-

“This is a continuously evolving journey, but the ultimate goal is to create long-term value for our

aries and discover how we can do

business, partners and communities

more,” says Mr Fameni. “We are lear-

in Ghana. That’s the vision.”

ning as much as we can from the retailers, to the farmers and everyone

a f r i c a . b u s i n e s s c h i e f. c o m