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oil & Gas
Exploring ocean potentials at oGAF The 2016 oil & Gas Africa expo forms an effective services showcase and business networking platform for industry professionals
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GAF is one of five exhibitions that comprise the Cape Industries Showcase (CIS), an industrial expo which attracts many operators, stakeholders, supplies and service providers exploring new opportunities. The event will take place at CIS from 13 – 15 July at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. The Oil & Gas Africa and Maritime and Offshore Marine Africa expo enables buyers to meet face-to-face with training organisations to discuss their training needs. Africa faces a major challenge to meet the growing demand for skilled technicians in both the African maritime and oil and gas industries. These sectors offer unlimited career opportunities for an eager younger generation with the requisite skills acquired by incentivised training through relevant SETAs. Spotlight on industrial investors Industry-focused training will be in the spotlight at this year’s Cape Industries Showcase (CIS), a five-in-one industrial expo which incorporates the well-known exhibitions Oil & Gas Africa and Marine Africa. These exhibitions provide the ideal platform to bring together the relevant industry role-players and associated training institutions to address the skill deficit. CIS organiser Exhibition Management Services’ John Thomson said, “In order to help alleviate the technical skills shortages in the oil, gas and maritime industries, we are offering education and training institutions at a substantial discount on exhibition stands at this year’s event. “The focus on training at CIS will provide a useful networking platform for employers, government, training organisations and other stakeholders to promote training and skills development, and recruit candidates for training in the maritime and oil and gas industries.” The government’s planned investment of ZAR9.2bn (approx. US$5.97mn) to develop Saldanha Bay into a world-class hub for southern African offshore oil and gas drilling will create substantial opportunities for companies operating in the sector. The Oil & Gas Africa (OGAF) 2016 expo forms an effective services showcase and business networking platform for this rapidly expanding industry. Focus on the business The Saldanha Bay Industrial Development Zone (SBIDZ) is the first major step in the government’s ‘Operation Phakisa’ initiative to expand and develop South Africa’s ocean economy potential. This is South Africa’s first dedicated facility aimed at providing support services for upstream E&P developments in South, East and West African coastal oil and gas fields. Thomson said, “Its main functions will focus on ship and rig repairs
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African Review of Business and Technology - April 2016
The Saldanha Bay Industrial Development Zone is part of the government’s plan to develop South Africa’s ocean economy potential.
and maintenance, exploration, production and logistics support and marine/sub-sea engineering and fabrication.” The SBIDZ is creating a rapidly growing number of business opportunities for the broad marine and maritime sectors as South Africa accelerates its own offshore oil and gas exploration. In the past four years, almost all offshore exploration blocks are under licence or under application for exploration by independent companies. The training focus of this years’ Oil & Gas Africa and Maritime & Offshore Marine Africa exhibitions is gaining considerable support from a number of education and training organisations which have already booked exhibition stands. The Cape Industries Showcase (CIS) combines the Maritime & Offshore Marine Africa Expo, the Oil & Gas Africa Expo, the Cape Logistics expo, the Temperature Controlled Storage and Distribution Expo and the Empowertec Cape SME Expo in one co-located event. ■ www.africanreview.com
