Endeavour Magazine July 2019

JULY 2019

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CITROËN C5 AIRCROSS

PALABORA MINING COMPANY Bonds With China

NATIONAL BLOOD SERVICE ZIMBABWE New Blood

MAERSK LINE MOZAMBIQUE

DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE AND TOURISM: ABU DHABI CELEBRATING A NATION

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INSPIRED BY YOUR SUCCESS

HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS Managing Editor Alice Instone-Brewer editor@littlegatepublishing.com Managing Director Alex Hilling-Smith alexsmith@littlegatepublishing.com Sales Manager Emlyn Freeman emlynfreeman@littlegatepublishing.com Head of Editorial Research Paul Bradley paulbradley@littlegatepublishing.com Editorial Researcher James Lapping james@littlegatepublishing.com Editorial Researcher Alex Hayes alexhayes@littlegatepublishing.com Editorial Researcher Dennis Morales dennismorales@littlegatepublishing.com Editorial Researcher David Kimberley david@littlegatepublishing.com Corporate Director Anthony Letchumaman anthonyl@littlegatepublishing.com Lead Designer Alina Sandu studio@littlegatepublishing.com CEO Stephen Warman stevewarman@littlegatepublishing.com For enquiries or subscriptions contact info@littlegatepublishing.com +44 1603 296 100 ENDEAVOUR MAGAZINE is published

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EDITOR’S NOTE

T

his month, Endeavour had the joy of speaking with several companies that are making a positive difference in Zimbabwe, from its infrastructure to its healthcare. These developments come as the country’s economy continues to recover under its new leadership, and are also the result of longer-term efforts from Zimbabwean nationals and foreign investors alike. Profeeds Limited, subsidary of Progroup Holdings, not only provides high-quality feed for Zimbabwe’s essential agriculture sector, but also supports its small-scale farmers through gamechanging training. Meanwhile, the National Blood Service of Zimbabwe has made changes to keep itself well stocked in the wake of the law change that makes blood free for Zimbabwean patients, whereas before it was only accessible at a price per unit. This change will literally save lives for Zimbabwe’s poorer citizens.

Lastly, we spoke with National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ). The company is finally able to overhaul Zimbabwe’s railway tracks, which were first laid down in 1890. The organisation, with the support of the government and its investor, is embarking upon a vast rebuild of the entire railway system, from its tracks to its signals to the locomotives themselves. In total, the overhaul is estimated to cost well over US$1 billion, and could take up to 25 years to complete. However, every step of improvement could have a great impact on the country in terms of tourism and trade, injecting life and fruitful movement into multiple industries.

A similar situation is also true for GRU Airport, the Brazilian international terminal in São Paulo, which expects to see a boom in its already leading business in the area thanks to the reduction of a fuel tax from the São Paulo government. We spoke with GRU to get their perspective on the changes this could mean for not only the terminal, but for São Paulo and beyond.

Finally, to wrap up this theme, we spoke with our cover story – Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism. This department expects great things for the promotion and preservation of Abu Dhabi’s culture, and well as its business and development; boons that the department also expects to see ripple beyond its city to the UAE as a whole.

These wider benefits of tourism were a perfect topic to dig into as we start eyeing our summer holidays on the horizon, and we hope you find these case studies as interesting as we did!

Alice Instone-Brewer Endeavour Magazine | 3

CONTENTS

FEATURES

13

Celebrating A Nation The Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi

23

Back On Track National Railways of Zimbabwe

New Blood 31 National Blood Service Zimbabwe

Leaving Nothing To Chance 37 Blast Movement Technologies BMT

49

Safety First TSU Protection Services

55

Transforming SĂŁo Paulo GRU Airport

61

Economic Delivery South Africa Post Office

73

Creating Change Banking Association South Africa

81

Mining Its Own Business Orford Mining

87

50 Years Later Chamber of Mines - Namibia

91

Unearthing Potential Gran Colombia Gold

97

Sustaining A Brighter Tomorrow Go Cobalt

A Three-Pronged Attack 123 Progroup Holdings PVT Ltd

Making Tracks 129 Etihad Rail Network

Salvation From Above 135 SANBS

New Discoveries From

The Large Hadron Collider 141 CERN

Powering Trinidad 147 National Energy

Bonds With China 103 Palabora Mining Company

111

Carrying The Load Maersk Line Mozambique

117

Tailor-Made Muneshwers Limited Blast Movement Technologies

4 | Endeavour Magazine

Orford Mining

ARTICLES

Business Headlines

6 Asia 7 Africa 8 Americas 10 Middle East 11 Europe

Amazing World

46 The Secret of Mount Lico 108 Tardigrades: Nature’s Survivors Automotives 78

Citroën C5 Aircross

TSU Protection Services Endeavour Magazine | 5

BUSINESS HEADLINES ASIA Businesses Are Canceling Investments in Asia as Trade War Deepens Companies operating in the Asia Pacific are reporting increasing delays or cancellation of investments due to the US-China trade war.

This decrease of investment was highlighted by 54% of firms surveyed by the American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore, up from 50% in 2018. More businesses than last year are also considering readjusting supply chains away from China and the U.S Over the past six months, 41% have seen a “slight” negative impact from the trade war, and 8% registered “strong” negative, while 32% reported no impact. Forty percent see the trade war deteriorating further, with 30% each saying it’ll stay the same or be resolved soon.

Hong Kong Protesters Urge G20 To Raise Plight With China On June 26, Hong Kong protesters marched to major consulates during a weekend summit in Japan, in a call for G20 nations to confront China over sliding freedoms in the financial hub. The city has been shaken by huge demonstrations throughout June, with protesters demanding the withdrawal of a bill that would allow extraditions to the Chinese mainland.

The massive rallies are the latest result of growing fears that China is stamping down on the city’s freedoms and culture. On June 26, around 1,000 demonstrators shuttled between the city’s G20 consulates to hand in petitions and plead with envoys to lobby their governments back home. Come evening, a larger crowd of about 4,000 protesters gathered at a park in the commercial district.

China has stated that it will never agree to the G20 discussing Hong Kong, calling it “completely China’s internal affair.”

Malaysian Children Experiencing Vomiting And Difficulty Breathing; Cause Unclear The Malaysian Cabinet has decided to set up automated pollutant monitoring stations in Pasir Gudang in light of the recurring cases of children experiencing breathing difficulties and vomiting, while the authorities are still trying to ascertain the cause of the latest cases.

The AmCham survey included 144 Pasir Gudang is an industrial town with 2,005 respondents, around 90% of which have factories, 250 of which are chemical factories. operations either globally, across the AsiaIn March, thousands fell ill after an illegal Pacific, or across Southeast Asia. American- dumping of chemical waste into the Kim based firms made up 61% of all respondents, Kim River in Pasir Gudang, Johor. Many were and manufacturing businesses had a 22% share. hospitalised, including students at nearby However, the survey had positive results schools. for Vietnam, which was named as a tradeMore than 100 schools were ordered shut as war winner, offering a high-growth, low-cost a result. Nine people were later arrested. environment for businesses to shift orders and The latest incident surfaced in JUne, after production amid rising tariff tensions.

15 students from a school in Pasir Gudang The survey also cited respondents looking at suffered breathing difficulties and vomiting. a potential manufacturing shift toward India, Schools were closed for three days as measures and 88% of respondents named Southeast were taken to identify and fix the source of the Asia as a more or equally attractive place to do contamination. business compared with other regions. That Police have set up roadblocks in the town to result is up from 75% last year. prevent toxic waste from being smuggled out.

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AFRICA Tunisia President Hospitalized Over ‘Severe Health Crisis’ Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi, 92, was brought to a military hospital after suffering a “severe health crisis”.

Prime Minister Youssef Chahed said on Facebook that Essebsi was receiving the attention he needed and that people should stop spreading ‘fake news’ about his condition, after some reports said the president had died.

The elderly head of state was hospitalised as well, for what the presidency described as non-serious treatment.

Essebsi has been a prominent figure in Tunisia since the overthrow of Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali in 2011, which was followed by uprisings against autocratic leaders across the Middle East, including in nearby Libya and Egypt.

Tunisia set itself on a path to democracy without much of the violence seen elsewhere, although it has been the target of militant Islamists over the years.

Ethiopia Experiences 100-Hour Internet Blackout Ehtiopia’s internet connectivity came back online on June 27, after a 100-hour outage, according to online rights group NetBlocks.

This resolution extended to Wi-Fi connection, whilst mobile access remained blocked.

The 100 hours of outage were linked to what the government says was a failed coup in the country’s northern Amhara regional state, which took place on Saturday, June 22.

“Internet access is being restored across Ethiopia as of 6:00 a.m. UTC Thursday 27 June according to network measurement data.

Current levels are approaching 90% of normal connectivity levels prior to the disruption,” NetBlocks stated.

Madagascar Independence Day stampede A military parade in Madagascar’s capital on June 26, held to mark the country’s Independence Day, ended in chaos when a stampede broke out within the stadium in question At least 15 people were killed and 75 wounded in the stampede. Joseph Ravoahangy Andrianavalona Hospital confirmed the casualties.

Defence Minister General Richard Rakotonirina said it was unclear what had caused the stampede. Some witnesses claimed it was caused by people trying to push their way into the stadium, when the authorities had only opened one small door. Poor security and crowd management is also being blamed.

Africa Joins In Opposing US At WTO Up to 43 African countries have joined a list of nations wanting an end to a U.S. veto on judicial appointments at the World Trade Organization. The development means that a large majority of WTO member states now openly oppose the U.S. position at the leading global organisation on trade.

The United States is blocking new appointments because it says members of the WTO’s Appellate Body, the world’s top trade court, have “strayed from their role, overstepped their mandate and broken their own procedural rules.”

Critics say that the U.S. President wants to neutralise a court that can override U.S. law, and that U.S. officials want revenge for a series of rulings that went against U.S. tariffs.

“The African Group is acutely aware that an urgent solution is required to ensure the effective functioning of the WTO’s Appellate Body as a legitimate forum where all Members can exercise equal opportunity in enforcing their rights,” the African Group said in the statement. African countries have been largely absent from the debate; Only five have signed a 76-country petition regularly raised at monthly WTO dispute-settlement meetings. Now, the African statement means a large majority, 114 of the WTO’s 163 member countries, have explicitly called for an immediate end to the U.S. blockage.

Endeavour Magazine | 7

AMERICAS Nasa To Explore Titan NASA announced the latest mission in its New Frontiers program, which will explore Saturn’s largest moon, Titan. The mission has been named Dragonfly. Before it ended in 2017, the Cassini mission flew by Titan while studying Saturn. The data suggested that Titan was the perfect candidate for further exploration, as it is comparable to Earth in some ways. For example, Titan is the only moon in our solar system that has an atmosphere.

The New Frontiers program also included the Juno mission to Jupiter, the New Horizons probe that visited Pluto in 2015 and distant Kuiper Belt Object Ultima Thule on January 1.

The ultimate goal is for Dragonfly to visit an impact crater, where they believe that important ingredients for life mixed together when something hit Titan in the past, possibly tens of thousands of years ago.

Canadian Warship Gets ‘Warm Welcome’ From Fighter Jets Two Chinese fighter jets buzzed a Canadian warship in the East China Sea earlier this week in what Chinese media called a “warm welcome.”

The incident between the frigate HMCS Regina and two Chinese Su-30 fighters took place while the ship was in international waters off Shanghai. The twin-tail Russian-built strike aircraft flew within 300 meters of the Canadian ship’s bow, about 300 meters above the water.

The Regina’s captain claimed that the Chinese jets didn’t pose a danger to his ship, but the report described their flight was more aggressive than anything the (Canadian Navy) has seen before from Chinese fighter jets.

Dozens Of Inmates Murdered In Overcrowded Brazilian Prisons Dozens of inmates were found dead at three different prisons in the capital of Brazil’s northern Amazonas state. The deaths came a day after 15 inmates died during fighting between prisoners at a fourth prison in the same city.

The Amazonas state prison agency said the 40 prisoners, all found dead in Manaus on June 24, showed signs of asphyxiation or choking.

8 | Endeavour Magazine

Prison staff had only discovered the victims while making routine checks. A task force has since been sent to “control the disturbances”.

On June 23, the day prior, 15 inmates were killed during a riot at Manaus’ Anisio Jobim Prison Complex, where 56 prisoners died two years earlier.

Venezuela Opposition Leader Juan Guaido Addresses Accusations Of Misappropriating Aid Funds Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido has launched an investigation after two members of his team allegedly stole money destined to help deserting Venezuelans soldiers in Colombia.

The pair, Kevin Rojas and Rossana Barrera – sister-in-law of opposition politician Sergio Vergara, Mr Guaido’s right-hand man – are accused of taking the money designated for supporting Venezuelans in the Colombian border town of Cucuta and blowing it on hotels, clubs, designer clothes and cars.

A failed attempt to get humanitarian aid into the country on February 23 saw more than 40 soldiers abandon President Nicolas Maduro and swear allegiance to his rival, Mr Maduro.

Within three days, that number had swollen to 270.

Mr Guaido officially designated Mr Rojas and Ms Barrera with the task of caring for the soldiers. Colombian police became suspicious when the pair began living a lavish lifestyle and burning through money.

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MIDDLE EAST German chemical firm defends its Syria deliveries A German chemical wholesaler, Brenntag, has denied circumventing EU export rules on restricted chemicals, some of which were delivered to Syria in 2014.

A Swiss subsidiary of Brenntag supplied isopropanol and diethylamine to Syria. These chemicals can be used in pharmaceuticals, but can also be used to make the nerve agents Sarin and VX. Brenntag confirmed that isopropanol and diethylamine were delivered to Syria via its subsidiary Brenntag Schweizerhall AG, “in accordance with applicable law”.

“Brenntag did not circumvent EU export restrictions,” a company statement said. The chemicals were intended to produce an analgesic, it said.

Iraqi Protesters Storm Bahraini Embassy Over Trump’s Peace Plan More than 200 demonstrators broke into the courtyard of Bahrain’s Embassy in Baghdad and took down the kingdom’s flag on Thursday night to protest a U.S.-led meeting in Bahrain on Israeli-Palestinian peace.

Police used live rounds to disperse the crowd with no injuries reported. “We used our vehicle loudspeakers to encourage protesters to leave the compound,” a police officer stationed near the embassy said. “After they refused, police had to fire into the air.”

One protester, who identified himself as a member of the Islamic Resistance Groups, a term usually used by Iranian-backed Shiite militias, said they wanted to send a strong statement. “We strongly reject normalizing relations with the Zionist occupiers and will never abandon our support of Palestinians,” said the protester, who identified himself as 10 | Endeavour Magazine

Abu Murtadha al-Moussawi. “We are ready to fight for this.”

Syria co-opting aid to entrench repressive policies The Syrian government is co-opting humanitarian aid and reconstruction assistance to entrench its repressive policies, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a new report.

Now that Syria is heading into a post-war phase - with the exception of rebel-controlled Idlib region - humanitarian and reconstruction needs for Syrians are immense.

However, because of the Syrian government’s policies, distribution of humanitarian aid and reconstruction funds has shown to be based on political opinion, according to HRW’s report.

The New York-based rights group found the government restricts access of humanitarian organisations to communities in need of aid, approves aid projects selectively, and imposes requirements on groups to partner with security-vetted local actors.

This ensures aid is “siphoned through the abusive state apparatus to punish civilian populations it perceives as opponents, and reward those it perceives as loyal or who can serve its interests”, the report said.

Bahrain recalls envoy to Iraq after protest at embassy Bahrain recalled its envoy to Iraq after protesters stormed its embassy in Baghdad and took down its flag to protest a US-sponsored “workshop” in Manama on Palestine.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain condemns the attack on the Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the Republic of Iraq by the demonstrators (which) led to sabotage in the embassy building,” said a statement on the ministry’s website.

The government of Bahrain said it had “decided to recall its ambassador ... for consultations” and held Baghdad responsible for its embassy security, according to a statement from its official news agency.

Iraqi security forces broke up the rally and protesters could only enter the embassy courtyard.

EUROPE Ford cutting 12,000 jobs in European overhaul Ford is cutting 12,000 jobs and closing six plants as part of a major overhaul of its struggling business in Europe.

The carmaker is selling a manufacturing facility in Slovakia and closing factories in Britain, France and Russia, reducing the number of European plants from 24 this year to 18 by the end of 2020. The job cuts, which include roughly 2,000 salaried positions and affect over 20% of the company’s European workforce, will be made by the end of next year. Ford said the reductions would be made primarily though voluntary redundancy programs.

“Separating employees and closing plants are the hardest decisions we make,” Stewart Rowley, president of Ford Europe, said in a statement, adding that the company was in talks with trade unions and other stakeholders.

Pressure on Italy builds over Lampedusa rescue ship Pressure has mounted on Italy after the UN and the European Commission called on Rome to end its stand-off with a migrant rescue boat.

The Sea-Watch 3 reached the Italian island of Lampedusa on Wednesday with 42 rescued migrants. Charity Sea-Watch says authorities have prevented it from docking and no other country has come forward to help. It comes as Italy’s ruling parties attempt to clamp down on migrant rescue boats entering Italian waters.

“It is really regrettable that it came to this,” said UNHCR spokesperson Charlie Yaxley.

“Rescue at sea is a centuries-old tradition, it is an obligation under international maritime law and NGOs’ search and rescue vessels have saved thousands of lives on the central Mediterranean in recent years,” he added.

Danish PM Frederiksen takes power and joins Nordic swing to left Mette Frederiksen, 41, has become Denmark’s youngest leader, the third centre-left prime minister to take office in a Nordic country this year.

She presented her minority government to Queen Margrethe II.

Her Social Democrat party ousted the liberals after backing a tougher immigration policy.

In Finland, the Social Democratic Party took office this month, while Sweden’s Social Democrat leader returned to power in January.

As she left Amalienborg Palace with her team of 19 ministers, Ms Frederiksen told wellwishers her team was hardworking and diligent and would serve the entire country.

There was some surprise that only seven of the 20 government positions had gone to women. Although Denmark now has 70 women in the 179-member Folketing (parliament), commentators have pointed out that Denmark is the only Nordic country not to have had a parliament with a 40% share of women.

Russia denies role in Israeli airport GPS jamming Russia has denied Israeli suggestions that it is behind disruption of GPS signals at Israel’s Ben Gurion airport.

Since early June, GPS signals at the airport have been unreliable for pilots and planes using the location. The missing navigational data has had a “significant impact” on airport operations, said Israel’s Airports Authority.

The disrupted GPS signals had not caused any accidents or safety incidents, said the Airports Authority. It added that pilots could use the alternative Instrument Landing System when approaching and landing at the airport.

The GPS problem only affects aircraft in the sky over the airport, not ground-based sensors, the authority added.

It said it was continuing to investigate the source of the disruption.

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CELEBRATING A NATION The Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi chevron-square-right www.tcaabudhabi.ae phone-square 00971 2 444 0444 For many countries, the tourism industry is an economic backbone that provides essential income and employment; but more than this, it can also push a country to preserve and invest in its culture and heritage. By protecting historic buildings, maximising modern infrastructure and directing more funds and attention to the arts, tourism can inspire and enable a country to be the best version of itself.

We spoke with Waleed Al Saeedi, Director of Procurement about his role and responsibilities at the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi).

Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

W

hen the ‘tourism industry’ is responsibly managed, it can support an area in flourishing, allowing it to not only create jobs but protect and contribute to the history, art and innovation that exists.

This is the case for the UAE’s Abu Dhabi, which is overseen by DCT Abu Dhabi to not only be profitable in terms of income for the city, but also to be enriching in other ways: DCT Abu Dhabi’s mandate from the Abu Dhabi Government is to build and grow a tourism industry in Abu Dhabi and ensure the preservation and exposition of the emirate’s heritage, whether it be physical sites or trades and traditions such as poetry and dance. However, DCT Abu Dhabi’s role goes even further, as one of its core objectives is establishing Abu Dhabi as a cultural centre in the region.

To develop the tourism industry for the capital, DCT Abu Dhabi must oversee two key areas: firstly, Abu Dhabi must be able to run this industry in an efficient, operational manner; and secondly, it must be a culturally rich city that is appealing to visit and explore.

Waleed explained these two aspects down for us: “First, consider the tourism mandate: creating, or supporting the creation of infrastructure, developing people who can Endeavour Magazine | 13

DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE AND TOURISM - ABU DHABI

work in the industry, and cooperating with other government agencies and the private sector to achieve the mandate. On the cultural side, the Abu Dhabi Government’s agenda is just as ambitious but less quantifiable. DCT Abu Dhabi exists in part to preserve and communicate Abu Dhabi’s cultural heritage, and to support artistic and cultural education, because these cultural centres and programmes become tourist attractions. For example, New York University Abu Dhabi has a programme for training museum curators and art restoration experts. We are looking here at radically new competencies and careers for people.”

Abu Dhabi has many cultural points of appeal that make it stand out as a tourist destination, and it is DCT Abu Dhabi’s job to support the operation, preservation and promotion of these sites. These sites include the Louvre Abu Dhabi museum, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi museum, Qasr Al Hosn, the Al Ain Museum, and others,

14 | Endeavour Magazine

CELEBRATING A NATION

not to mention a range of local sites from the famous dates market right through to the Qasr Al Watan Library, located in the Presidential Palace. There aren’t just man-made sites to be seen, either; “The desert outside Abu Dhabi and Al Ain is beautiful – where else in the world can you stay in a luxury hotel right next to sand dunes that are several hundred metres high?”

As a country, the UAE also has other sources of appeal when it comes to attracting holiday makers. In terms of its location, it is a convenient destination from many directions; you can reach Abu Dhabi within six hours from Europe, Russia, East Africa and India, and from China the journey is not much further. The country’s biggest sources of overseas visitors are India and China, which Waleed credits partly to their proximity and, in both cases, a relaxation of visa laws that makes travel between the UAE and these two countries far easier. Abu Dhabi also receives many visitors

Endeavour Magazine | 15

DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE AND TOURISM - ABU DHABI

Olio is so proud to have been able to play such a key role in assisting the Department of Culture and Tourism in achieving its CIPS Platinum status, and in record time.

Further to these efforts, Olio has been instrumental in partnering with the DCT since 2017 and impacting and strengthening the organization on numerous levels.

from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman, and cruise ships pulling into Abu Dhabi Port seems on track to become a growing source of holiday-makers. As destinations go, it is probably one of the safest the world has to offer, with security standards extremely high throughout the UAE, particularly in the capital.

A key element in achieving DCT Abu Dhabi’s goals is through the procurement of complex services and products to build, preserve, maintain and run all of these locations, and as this is Waleed’s department, he was able to go into detail with us about this crucial aspect of the organisation: “Procurement is a strategic player in achieving DCT Abu Dhabi’s goals. Our role goes in two directions: out, into the market, where we capture cost trends, understand the demographics of the supply base locally and internationally and leverage that for our internal customers; and inwards where we work proactively with the tourism and cultural

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CELEBRATING A NATION

sectors to obtain best value on the use of their budgets.”

The organisation focusses on Abu Dhabi, but it also looks beyond its walls, both towards its potential tourist market, and also to the wider organisations and individuals it can work with, be these airlines, architects or artists. By working with talent both within the UAE and beyond, it can bring out the very best that Abu Dhabi’s potential has to offer. “For instance, we worked closely with Agence France Museum for Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum for the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi as well as the British Museum for the Sheikh Zayed Museum. Partnerships of this kind have helped us to deliver outstanding, world renowned achievements to Abu Dhabi.”

As well as these grand overseas partnerships, DCT Abu Dhabi has set up a host of local and international partnerships that provide niche, essential services. “For example, we have formed a long-term relationship with a supplier

who specialises in transporting and handling antiques and art works, to supply Louvre Abu Dhabi and other exhibitions. We also work with specialised design and building firms to restore forts and houses of great cultural and historical significance, and we have associations with the Bayreuth Festival and other musical groups, symphonies and ballets around the world, allowing us to bring incredible art and performances to the Emirate.

“However, international partnerships can be challenging for several reasons. First, different laws can apply in each jurisdiction. Second, overseas firms may have strategic reasons for focusing on one area or another, potentially reducing their commitment to business in Abu Dhabi. Finally, the purpose of the partnership may expose us to depending on the partner’s expertise. This last point is especially relevant as we look to avoid developing a dependency on a global supply chain, in order to grow local business and expertise.”

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Endeavour Magazine | 17

DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE AND TOURISM - ABU DHABI

DCT Abu Dhabi’s mandate from the Abu Dhabi Government is not focused purely on the success of its tourism industry, but on how this industry then impacts Abu Dhabi and the UAE as a whole; this wider look therefore puts great emphasis on the development of local businesses. DCT Abu Dhabi is therefore tasked by the government to “engage with and develop a sustainable, local supplier base”, as Waleed tells us – a task which falls firmly with the procurement department. On top of this, Waleed is one of the founding members and chair of the Abu Dhabi Sustainable Procurement Group - a group dedicated to initiating sustainable procurement policies and working on methods to support local firms.

This is a worthy goal and one Waleed is personally committed to: “Fundamentally, I believe we need to keep in mind that although we, the Emiratis, are an ancient people, the UAE is a young country in terms of its infrastructure and business

18 | Endeavour Magazine

community. There are gaps in the local supply base and so DCT Abu Dhabi, like other Abu Dhabi Government entities, has been tasked with creating a market for firms that can support the tourism and culture sectors. It is a long-term goal, because we are talking about transforming part of Abu Dhabi’s economy from that of largely being a consumer of foreign products and services to being able to compete on our own. DCT Abu Dhabi is an important part of this transformation, given the significance of the tourism and culture sectors to Abu Dhabi’s plans, so I am extremely proud and privileged to be a leader in this transformative time for the Emirate.”

As well as DCT Abu Dhabi’s responsibility to the workers of Abu Dhabi as a whole, it also has a responsibility to its own staff. Currently, the organisation employs around 1200 people, and is proud to state that it has been its policy to have gender-equal hiring and pay practices since before this became compulsory for all

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DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE AND TOURISM - ABU DHABI

government entities within the country. The organisation works closely with its staff to make sure they are developing and are well looked after; this input ranges from access to education and further training, to a Wellness Program designed by DCT Abu Dhabi’s HR team to offer workshops and seminars on healthy living.

As for Waleed, he has been DCT Abu Dhabi’s Director of Procurement since 2013. His current role has involved building a professional, highperforming, globally-recognised procurement team, and supporting DCT Abu Dhabi’s business units in achieving their mandates.

Prior to 2013, he also played a part in guiding the merger of three distinct organisations into DCT Abu Dhabi as it exists today, and reprised this role during an organisational restructuring in 2018. It is the former duty that he sees as his foremost responsibility, however; not only the formation of his team, but the ongoing leadership of them. “It is my job to enable

20 | Endeavour Magazine

people to do their part; this starts by helping them to see what is possible and what they are capable of, and looking for new and effective tools that will empower them to do that.”

When it comes to nurturing a team, an industry or an area, Waleed has learnt that the key, once you have pulled all of the elements DCT Abu Dhabi monitors together, is patience: “One thing that I have learned in my career is that instant changes or quick results are usually not achievable. No director has the luxury of starting from scratch; one has to develop their team, recruit carefully, motivate and recognise potential. So, what is my philosophy or strategy for achieving that? Well, it requires patience, because people are not easily moulded and, unlike systems, they cannot be designed to perfection. Changing and achieving great levels of performance requires time, patience and steady, unwavering commitment from management.”

CELEBRATING A NATION

This is true of not only people, but an industry as a whole, and it is this patient dedication that DCT Abu Dhabi applies to the continued celebration and growth of Abu Dhabi’s tourism industry and the businesses supporting it.

The organisation has the fortunate task of promoting a city that is already striking and filled with reasons to visit, but with this comes layers of responsibility that it carries out with a dedication and passion worthy of Abu Dhabi.

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BACK ON TRACK National Railways of Zimbabwe chevron-square-right www.nrz.co.zw phone-square 00263 29 2363521

When Zimbabwe’s economy hit a crisis in the early 2000s, it made effects to the country that are still being reversed today. However, with new government initiatives, investing companies and drive, a revival is occurring and innovation is able to thrive. We spoke with Nyasha Maravanyika, the Public Relations Manager for the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) about the exciting, wide-scale changes that the country’s railways are finally undertaking, and the huge impact this could have on not only Zimbabwe, but its southern African neighbours as well.

Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

A

t the start of the millennium, Zimbabwe’s economy experienced extreme difficulty, and for some industries, this had long-lasting consequences that have only recently begun to change. After the year 2000, the country fell victim to widespread poverty, with a 95% unemployment rate – a situation then compounded by hyperinflation ravaging the economy from 2003 to 2009, which hit a peak of 231 million % hyperinflation in 2008.

This unthinkable situation began, in part, due to the expenses of Zimbabwe’s participation in the 1998-2002 war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and was re-set in 2009 when the country abandoned its currency. The aftermath of 2009 still had its challenges, but more dramatic turns towards improvement began from 2017, when Emmerson Mnangagwa took over presidency of the country.

“The industry has been slow because of what the country has been through,” Nyasha explained to us. “The National Railways of Zimbabwe’s equipment has been running out on a regular basis, which meant that our capacity was being reduced each year, and we didn’t have the capacity to purchase new equipment because of the fiscal situation of the country.”

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NATIONAL RAILWAYS OF ZIMBABWE

Zimbabwe’s railways were laid down in the 1890s, and many of the tracks have not been updated since. Now, finally, the entire rail system is receiving a major overhaul, including not only the tracks but also the signals system and the locomotives themselves. This is a giant undertaking, and was only recently made possible through the security of an investor: “The changes began to happen in 2014, when the government allowed us to recapitalise the National Railways of Zimbabwe. Previously, they had been looking for part-players to come in to do piece-jobs for the railways, but this time the government has allowed us to go allout to look for investors. However, our balance sheet was not very attractive to investors, so the government allowed us to rope in a financial advisor – Deloitte and Touche.” In 2016, this financial advisor assisted NRZ in putting together a business strategy that it could take to investors to show the railways’ true financial potential and, in 2017, the company held a pre-

24 | Endeavour Magazine

bid conference to this effect in Bulawayo. The conference was a great success, attracting 82 potential investors from around the world, including Russia, China, South Africa, the UK, Switzerland and also some local groups. In August 2017, those 82 were whittled down to six candidates, and from there, the then named State Procurement Board (SPB) settled for the Diaspora Infrastructural Development Group (DIDG)/Transnet consortium, which was formed by a group of Zimbabweans abroad who teamed up with South Africa’s Transnet Rail Group to pursue this investment.

Negotiations with DIDG-Transnet consortium are still underway, but the first injection of support has already been delivered.

“At one time, we had over 3,000 wagons, close to 1000 locomotives and over 2000 coaches.

These numbers have now dwindled, and we need to get more equipment.” As a part of their negotiations with their sponsor, NRZ requested and received an initial contribution towards re-boosting these numbers, taking delivery of 200 wagons, 13 locomotives and 34 coaches in February 2018. The first injection of funding that NRZ has asked for is US$400 million, but achieving everything that it wants to do could total up to US$ 1.7-1.9 billion, with work taking as long as 25 years to complete.

As a part of this work, as well as replacing the country’s railway tracks and locomotives, NRZ also wants to restore its communication and signals system, which has been vandalised in many places. This vandalism has also taken its electric rail lines out of commission. “Zimbabwe was among the first countries in Africa to have electrically powered locomotives, and we had an electric track from Gweru up to Harare.

Due to vandalism of the track, where people wanted copper cables and aluminum, among other things, that track is no longer working electrically, so we have reverted to our diesel locomotives.”

Restoring this is a key goal for NRZ. In terms of short-term goals, the company is aiming to increase its business tonnage from the

NATIONAL RAILWAYS OF ZIMBABWE

3.4 million tonnes it achieved in 2018 to 4.2 million tonnes in 2019. “We have also lined up proposed rail routes to connect the region, with Harare-Kafue (Zambia) rail and Harare-Moatize (Mozambique) being the notable routes that are ear-marked for the next five years.”

Zimbabwe’s railway system is beneficial not only for transportation within the country, but also to enable the country to act efficiently as the Southern African hub that it is: for countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia and Malawi, Zimbabwe provides a route to the coastline, and therefore to the ports in Mozambique, South Africa and Namibia. This opens the entire region up for trade, and whilst Zimbabwe currently plays a part in this, an overhauled rail system would greatly improve the role it plays.

Improved transportation should also, NRZ and its investors hope, help to open up tourism areas, which in turn could increase Zimbabwe’s

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26 | Endeavour Magazine

real estate potential in these areas. “Zimbabwe is endowed with great tourist resort areas, among them the Victoria Falls – one of the eight wonders of this world. We have a railway line from Victoria Falls up to Mutare, and in Victoria Falls, we have land that is suitable for hotels and shopping malls. We want to lure investors who can develop this land - we are opening it up for business.”

Easy and direct transportation will be a great boon to Zimbabwe’s tourism industry.

However, simple transportation to these locations alone is not enough for NRZ: the company is seeking to truly utilize what it has, and despite its current focus on updating its entire rail system, it has realised that some of its older locomotives do hold value. Namely, its steam trains. “We have found potential in our steam locomotives, which are popular with train enthusiasts, so we started diversifying into the ‘steam train experience’.”

BACK ON TRACK

Nyasha believes that Zimbabwe is one of the few countries left in Africa that still possesses and operates its steam trains, and as the NRZ has discovered, these can have a strong draw factor, especially to foreign holiday makers. “They attract a lot of foreigners from the US, the UK, France, Germany, Japan and other countries: a lot of these foreigners are enthusiastic about the steam trains – they want to board them and spend time in them. Our local people are warming up to it now as well.”

The railway is now putting its steam trains to use with special trips on days such as Mothers’ Day, Fathers’ Day and the Easter Holiday, with journeys departing from Bulawayo and Harare.

The popularity for this venture is starting to take off, and the government’s tourism association is now starting to take interest and support the attraction, such as coordinating steam train rides to mark events such as Bulawayo’s 125year anniversary for the city.

Endeavour Magazine | 27

NATIONAL RAILWAYS OF ZIMBABWE

NRZ currently employs 4,800 members of staff. On the most-part, the company seeks to promote from within, with only a few of the top positions open to recruiting from the outside; to support this, the company also offers extensive training, to the extent that it operates its own training centre. Only a handful of railway companies in Africa can say that they have a centre like this; not only does NRZ train artisans and other necessary skilled staff for its own company, but it also offers wider engineering training to the people of Zimbabwe.

This training centre is of great benefit to both NRZ and the country at large, helping to “unlock the engineering potential” of Zimbabwe, as Nyasha put it. However, this is only one of the ways in which NRZ is going beyond the railway system to help Zimbabwe flourish. During the economic difficulties that beset the country in the early 2000s, many businesses were forced

to close under financial pressure. The cities of Bulawayo, Harare and Gweru saw many of their engineers go out of business, and with this came a slowing and incapacitation of industry.

Thankfully, NRZ saw this need and stepped forward with a solution: “We have massive mechanical engineering workshops which have the potential to develop and establish equipment for the various industries like mining, manufacturing, agriculture and engineering. Our workshops were originally used for the maintenance of our equipment, and the building and developing of our equipment, but since the economic meltdown in the 2000s we decided that we should unlock value in our mechanical workshops, and to do this we created a brand called Inter-Rail-Tech.”

Inter-Rail-Tech applied NRZ’s railway engineers towards the other industries that needed their expertise, and through

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Creating Value 28 | Endeavour Magazine

BACK ON TRACK

developing on their skills and expanding their knowledge, they were able to fill this need for all of the industries that had suddenly been left wanting. “Inter-Rail-Tech is there to unlock the potential of our engineering expertise and to do something for the Zimbabwean communities that lost a lot of companies that were doing things in terms of engineering.�

Through Inter-Rail-Tech, NRZ supports many companies through its services, but it has also benefited from many strong partnerships with other companies throughout Zimbabwe. These ties include Pretoria Portland Cement, Lafarge Cement, Makomo Resources, the Zimbabwe Power Company, and steel producers Zimasco, who focus on the production of ferrochrome.

Together, support of the railways should boost and assist Zimbabwe as a whole, through the benefits and ease lent to trade, the boost in tourism, the unlocking of real estate and, on top of that, the additional support that NRZ is

able to give to a wide spectrum of industries.

This ambitious 25-year project will develop in stages, along with the wider developments happening throughout Zimbabwe as it continues to recover and flourish; we look forward to keeping our eye on the industry as it evolves, and watching how far the domino effect of that new strength travels.

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NEW BLOOD National Blood Service Zimbabwe chevron-square-right www.nbsw.co.zw phone-square 00263 24 2251851

Whether private or public, health services rely on donors, for everything from organs after the donors pass away, to assistance that can be given more regularly. Of these resources, the most highly sought after and frequently used is, almost universally, blood. National Blood Service Zimbabwe (NBSZ) looks after this need in the southern African country. The organisation has recently gone through a series of changes, as have Zimbabwe’s blood supply systems; we decided to investigate.

Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

U

ntil recently, units of blood had a price attached to them for any Zimbabwean patient, whether they were on the public or private health care system. In 2017, up until October, the price of blood was around $100 per unit of blood. At the end of the year, between November and December, this price was reduced to $80, and commencing 2018, from January to June, it was lowered again, to $50. In July that year, blood became completely free for all public health institutions. Private health institution fees currently remain at $120 per unit. These fees have always been set in consultation with the Ministry of Health & Child Care.

It is NBSZ’s job to meet this need. As predicted, removing the price tag from blood has led to a spike in demand, as more patients are able to access the healthy blood that they need where previously, they would not have been able to afford treatment. This spike represents lives that are being changed by the new system, but eyes are on NBSZ to keep up.

In response, the organisation has adjusted its targets, raising its previous annual goal of 80,000nits of donated blood to its adjusted 2019 target of 108,405 units. To reach this new target, the organisation has added new Endeavour Magazine | 31

NATIONAL BLOOD SERVICE ZIMBABWE

mobile collections teams in Harare, Bulawayo and Mutare, and has also held discussions with the government regarding the cost of blood collection, which the government has now agreed to subsidize.

In association with the World Health Organisation (WHO), NBSZ has a set of guidelines to make sure that donors are only giving blood if it is healthy and ethical for them to do so. For example, donors must be between the ages of 16-65 years old, need to weigh more than 50kgs and must be in good health. The charity is looking at ways to reach out to new donors, as over half of donations (68%) are currently given by students between the ages of 16-20. This group represents only around one tenth of the population, showing that there are many areas of the population who still need to be targeted and reached correctly.

To assist with this effort, NBSZ is also upgrading its website with a feature that

will allow donors to book their donations online. This new system follows in the trend of many European blood services, and would allow NBSZ to gauge in advance the levels of donations it will receive in the coming months, which will allow it to plan accordingly and prevent any periods of low supply. The aim is for the website to be user-friendly, allowing donors to book their own appointments. The organisation is also starting to develop its social media engagement, a tool that it has previously under-exploited in terms of its ability to reach out to people.

All of these solutions should comfortably increase the number of donations that the blood service receives, and currently, it is not reporting any difficulties in meeting the new demand. However, in the wake of this positive change for Zimbabwe, there have been concerns raised. NBSZ ran into some media pressure in March this year when an article in the country’s Sunday Mail published an article

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titled, “Zim runs sort of critical blood stocks”. The article observed that the bank had five days’ worth of blood in its stocks and interpreted this as a sign that the banks were alarmingly low on supply. However, the NBSZ shot back in a statement from their Public Affairs Manager, Esther Massundah, explaining that whilst blood has a 42-day shelf life, keeping levels at a five-day stock avoids blood being allowed to expire from the bank being over-stocked. “The Blood Service confirms that the national blood bank currently has enough stocks for any procedures requiring blood transfusion at both government and private health institutions,” Esther stated publicly.

As well as issuing this statement, the blood service responded to the news report by apologising to both the public and to health institutions for any panic that the article had caused, and it plans to take proactive steps to assist the media in its health reporting to prevent such misunderstandings occurring

34 | Endeavour Magazine

again. The service therefore intends to host a series of workshops to educate health reporters and other members of the press on blood and blood-related issues.

In the recent past, concerns have also been voiced about NBSZ in regard to the organisation’s Board of Directors, many of whom had held office for several decades.

The Board had come under scrutiny for not attracting as many investors and as much government assistance as desired, with some donors and supporters concerned that these leaders were not doing enough to develop NBSZ the way it needed. Following this unrest, in June 2018, the news was released that the organisation would appoint a new Board.

The organisation has five branches: Harare, Mutare, Masvingo, Bulawayo and Gweru. All five groups held AGMs and voted on their new leadership. Justice Leslie Smith, who had held his position for 38 years, retired as the Harare chairperson for the organisation. His deputy,

NEW BLOOD

Elliot Mugamo, also stepped down. From each branch, two people were elected to collectively form the new board, which came together in July last year.

A full year later, the change in NBSZ is clear, demonstrated in the various changes it is making to broaden its reach. These changes have not gone unnoticed, and in fact, the blood service received official recognition this May through the receipt of two awards from the Zimbabwe National Business and Leadership Council. Within the Health Sector segment of the awards ceremony, NBSZ’s CEO Lucy Marowa received the national ‘CEO of the Year’ award, and the blood service also received ‘Organisation of the Year’.

The organisation is also receiving acknowledgement from its peers; blood services from other countries have taken note of NBSZ’s changes and have reached out to them with the hope of learning from their progress. For example, a delegation

from Sudan is set to visit NBSZ to familiarize themselves with their operations – both their long-established systems and the areas in which they have recently updated and grown.

If anything is proof of faith, it’s this, and a clear sign that NBSZ is rising to the new bar set for it – fantastic news for the people of Zimbabwe, as they are finally able to access the care they need without a high cost, or any cost, attached to it.

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LEAVING NOTHING TO CHANCE Blast Movement Technologies BMT chevron-square-right www.blastmovement.com phone-square 0061 7 3376 6611

With the level of time and funds paid into a mining endeavour, it makes sense to do everything one can to utilise a deposit as much as possible once operations begin. We spoke with Jeff Loeb, Global Consulting Manager at Blast Movement Technologies (BMT), about BMT’s high-tech blast monitoring system and the way it can significantly increase a mine’s profits.

Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

“

Open-pit mines spend millions of dollars and have entire departments dedicated to accurately delineating various ore classifications and waste,” Jeff explained to us.

“Then, when the ore is blasted with explosives to fracture the rock for digging, the ore moves and if the movement is not accurately accounted for, the mine could lose significant revenue.” Digging in the wrong places for ore can waste mine time and funds, and dilute the end product. Fortunately, BMT utilises the mines in situ ore body data, which they have already invested in to obtain, and maximises this data’s accuracy though-out the blasting process and into production.

How is this done? The company has devised the Blast Movement Monitoring (BMM) System, with which it provides consulting services that enable mines to maximise their ore recovery. Jeff told us more about what this resource-saving system provides: “The BMM System is comprised of a suite of products that allow our customers to accurately measure three-dimensional blast movement so that displacement of high-value ore can Endeavour Magazine | 37

BLAST MOVEMENT TECHNOLOGIES BMT

be accounted for before digging. In short, the BMM system provides valuable information to show where the ore is located after the blast.”

In essence, the BMM is a form of blast-proof transmitter that is activated automatically when it senses a blast. The system then uses a highly precise inbuilt GPS detector to identify the location of this transmitter after the blast.

Tracking the travel of these transmitters allows BMT to create a vector field of rock mass movement. This data is transmitted wirelessly to the mine offices, and calculated by BMT’s ‘BMM Explorer’ software.

Using this system, the additional ore that a mine is able to collect can, depending on the mine in question, range from tens of thousands of dollars’ to millions of dollars’ per week. The annual cost of the system, including the hardware, software and support services, is generally made back again after two to three blasts.

38 | Endeavour Magazine

This sort of boost to profits makes the BMM System sound like an essential solution to any open-pit mine: given the amount of time, money and effort invested into the lengthy process of deposit exploration, testing and finally mine operation, it seems foolish for any mine to be without this additional tool that can help maximise their yield. Given this, we weren’t surprised to hear that business for BMT is healthy and growing well: “BMT has had a steady increase in growth for the past ten years, but has accelerated its growth dramatically in the past three years. This is due to the ‘digitisation’ of the mining industry the industry push to mine smarter and more efficiently - and of course, the clear value proposition that BMT brings.”

When an idea this good hits the market, competition and copycats tend to rise up, but currently, BMT have no high-tech competitors in the sub-surface blast movement measurement space. This gives them an incredible edge, with time and freedom to firmly establish themselves as the name in this technology, upon which they can continue to improve in case any competitors should later arise. This is not to say that they are the only solution on the market, of course, but current alternatives are what Jeff described as “low-tech”, and when held up against the BMM System, Jeff feels that these methods are no comparison: “There are low-tech alternatives such as modelling or installed PVC piping on the surface of blasts. These methods are less accurate, and therefore, there is a significant financial penalty associated with them. BMT is always happy to compare these low-tech methods to actual BMM measurements. I have personally seen many instances where the mine loses more money employing one of these lowtech methods, compared to doing nothing at all.” Given this and the fact that, on average, the BMM system will pay for itself after two to three blasts, BMT’s solution seems like an obvious choice.

It is this accuracy that Jeff cites as one of the qualities that sets BMT apart as a company, as well as its support and customer relations.

BLAST MOVEMENT TECHNOLOGIES BMT

With their team of experts, they offer 24/7 support to their customers, anywhere in the world. Founded in 2005, BMT is headquartered in Brisbane, Australia, and has offices in Perth, but it also maintains a global presence with offices in Ghana, Chile and the USA. In total, the company currently has 112 customers in 37 countries, allowing the company to offer its support services to all time zones. “We provide 24/7 support with a presence spanning across all time zones, as well as industry-leading consulting for improvements on blasting and grade control practices to minimise ore loss, dilution and misclassification, making every ore blast more profitable.” This expertise, and BMT’s technology, have been applied to a range of mining sectors, including gold, silver, nickel, lithium, platinum, iron ore, copper and zinc, and will soon begin operations in coal.

“We already have our first coal trial lined up for this month and some of the technology in our R&D pipeline will be pivotal in this market,

40 | Endeavour Magazine

with the potential to expand into underground mining in just a couple of years.”

As well as expanding into underground mining, the company is also looking to develop its reach in its current markets. “We want to further expand our customer base in gold and copper in Central Africa, South America and Russia. Despite having several iron ore customers already, we are also looking to expand immensely in this commodity across all regions.” Russia, in particular, is a focus for this push, as the country is one of the leading global consumers of METS products and services, and the company is already seeing promising growth in this country.

Innovation is one of BMT’s five Core Values (the other four being customer focus, valuing people, honesty and creating value). Through this dedication to innovation, the company aims to continue to find ways to help the mining industry maximise on its potential resources and profits. The latest of these innovations

LEAVING NOTHING TO CHANCE

was introduced in May this year, when BMT unveiled an application of drone technology in its Flight-Enabled Detector. In essence, this development has fitted drones with BMT’s detection equipment, so that after a blast, BMMs can be located remotely. This solution aims to remove the need for personnel to go to the muckpile after a blast, as these sites can be unsafe. “There are some Tier 1 companies that have global policies against accessing the muckpile, and in recognising this, we set out to develop and invest in this product.” This new piece of technology was first introduced on May 22nd at the AustMine Expo in Brisbane, Australia, and according to Jeff, has already won BMT a contract with one of the world’s largest mining companies.

Other developments include a new 3D Software visualisation tool, of which BMT will announce the full details in the near future.

This, and a whole slate of other hardware and software solutions, are soon to be disclosed,

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BLAST MOVEMENT TECHNOLOGIES BMT

but all BMT could tell us in their teasing of this news is that they have produced many of these new solutions through development partners: “With the customers demanding products with shorter lead times than ever before, BMT decided to partner with experts rather than to reinvent the wheel to meet the market demands.” Apart from this information, we will have to wait to see what these new tools will be.

Whilst its technology is a clear strength for BMT, this of course wouldn’t exist without its other strength – its people. Appreciating people is one of the company’s core values, and this goes for those within and outside of the company. It is through this respect that the company has forged strong partnerships, such as those contributing to their latest developments, and it is also how BMT has inspired and fostered a healthy company culture for its staff. “People are our most valuable resource, and we respect each other,

42 | Endeavour Magazine

our diversity and every individual’s potential.

We support every individual’s professional and personal development. Being a niche business, we promote from within, and everyone has the potential to grow as our global footprint expands exponentially.”

Jeff studied undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Applied Science in Canada, then moved to Australia and joined BMT in 2013, as only the fifth employee at the time. “I have thoroughly enjoyed wearing many hats in this business over the past 6+ years with exposure to R&D, business development, sales, technical consulting and account management. It has been a very exciting ride seeing our customer base triple and seeing the team grow from five to 42.” Jeff worked his way up to Principal Consultant, and from there, to Global Consulting Manager. “I still retain the principal consultant role as the ‘guru’ of the BMM system and blast movement, but my official title is now Global Consulting Manager, where I am responsible

BLAST MOVEMENT TECHNOLOGIES BMT

for managing 11 consultants across the globe and BMT’s recurring revenue from our existing customer base.”

“Regardless of our official titles, we all wear many hats at BMT, and promote a culture of initiative, teamwork, respect and treating your daily tasks as if you were the business owner or group manager, which enables endless success for the entire business.”

The team of 42 may be relatively small for now, but it continues to grow, and it already covers a broad global customer base.

Operating with these widespread offices makes communication key, allowing the company to preserve the community of a small team even with such distance between them. “We utilize tools like Microsoft Teams to collaborate and communicate on a daily basis. We also get together once a year for our ‘BMT Conference’ which is held in a different location every year.

This year we are headed to Peru, which everyone is very excited about. These kinds of events

44 | Endeavour Magazine

are critical to professional development, idea sharing, and team building. It is so important to get to know the person behind the face that you see on Skype every week.”

Through this strong communication and collaboration, the team at BMT are able to continue to pursue their other core values, providing reliable and money-saving products to their clients and striving to keep innovating as technology continues to open potential doors.

With the use of their new drone-mounted detection system, Blast Movement Monitoring has never been safer, more effective, or more worth the investment.

AMAZING WORLD

Imagery Š2019 DigitalGlobe Map data Š2019 United Kingdom, Google Maps

THE SECRET OF MOUNT LICO

by David Kimberley tanding 1,100 metres above sea In May 2018, Bayliss led the expedition level in the Zambezia Province of to Mount Lico, setting up a base camp in its northern Mozambique, Mount Lico is impressive shadow. Funded in part by the an inselberg with sheer rock walls that rise Transglobe Expedition Trust, Biocensus, the up to 700 metres above the surrounding African Butterfly Research Institute and several countryside. While an impressive structure other organisations consisting of universities in its own right, Mount Lico holds a secret and museums, the team scaled one of the that was discovered (or, more accurately, shorter cliff faces with the help of two leading rediscovered) in 2012. Within the volcanic British climbers. crater atop the mountain, covering 30 Believing Lico to be one of the most pristine hectares, is an undisturbed rainforest that forests on Earth, the team began their research, could well be one of the oldest living biomes digging for two days in order to get to the on Earth. bedrock where they could read the soil layers Julian Bayliss of Oxford Brookes University like a history book. Recorded in the soil was identified Lico as a place of significant scientific proof of past forest fires and plants that had interest in 2012 when using Google Earth to grown there over the centuries. The soil also search for landforms and vegetation features contained millions of caterpillar droppings and, worth investigating. He had no idea what after further exploration, they found that the might be lurking within the isolated rainforest, insects were so numerous amongst the tree although that did not stop him from putting canopy that said droppings fell like a dry, soft together a 28-strong team who would make rain in some areas. the journey to Mozambique for a 10-day After 10 days in the rainforest, and although expedition into the unknown. reluctant to leave, the team returned to base

S

46 | Endeavour Magazine

camp with their myriad findings. The first new species confirmed was a butterfly unique to the Lico habitat, much to the delight of the scientists from the African Butterfly Research Institute. Following this, the team discovered new species of snakes, frogs, toads, rodents, insects, crabs and one flowering plant indigenous to Lico.

A marine biologist from Mozambique’s Natural History Museum also found a new species of fish on top of the mountain, swimming in the pools and streams located amongst the dense foliage. It was this find that led to an even greater discovery, a tantalising mystery and many new questions about Lico’s past. While following the main stream that meanders through the rainforest, the explorers unearthed partly buried ancient pots near the water’s source. A place so isolated from the rest of the world had once had human visitors it seemed, although how long ago was unknown.

The team made enquiries around the local community and studied history books, however

there was no memory or record of any human ever setting foot on top of the mountain before.

So how exactly did the makers of the pots get up there? Did they once live there? Was the land around Lico much higher at the time they were around, helping them to traverse the terrain easily up to the forest? Why exactly were the pots placed at the source of the stream? Investigations continue even to this day as Bayliss and his team try to shed light on the mystery and uncover answers to these questions.

Mount Lico remains as a stunning landmark amongst the already-impressive Mozambique terrain, however the shroud of mystery that has now settled over it just adds to the appeal.

The thought of how many more natural and historic treasures may remain hidden within the rainforest at its apex will no doubt drive scientists and explorers alike to mount further expeditions in the future.

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SAFETY FIRST TSU Protection Services chevron-square-right www.tsuafrica.com phone-square 0027 12 653 8955

Offering a variety of security solutions throughout South Africa, TSU Protection Services operates in accordance with staggeringly high levels of professionalism and Endeavour Magazine investigated, to discover if that’s the key to the company’s success.

Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

F

ounded in 1999, TSU Protection Services (TSU) went into a new millennium with one mandate; to fill an observable gap in the market for effective, professional security and protection solutions throughout South Africa. Starting out as they meant to go on, the exceptionally high standards that permeated every endeavour, right from the company’s inception, has meant that interest has been registered from a large, international security operation, for representation on a more local level. So, let’s ask the pertinent question; why is security so important? We asked TSU CEO, Chris Beukes, to explain: “It’s important to lower the risk of whatever you are doing and to ensure that your people, money and interests are safe. South Africa is particularly pertinent in terms of needing protection services. It’s important to always remember that people are one of the most important assets, as you can’t just replace a high-level executive the next day if something happens. An accident or hijacking is always possible, but that risk can be severely impacted by having the right security detail.”

If there’s one thing that TSU knows all about, it’s why choosing the right security company for your needs is so important and it’s not a Endeavour Magazine | 49

TSU PROTECTION SERVICES decision they want you to take lightly. In the modern business world, failure to protect your assets can result in a loss of profit and even danger to staff and property, all of which will have a massive impact on the longevity of an operation, but what constitutes the ‘right team’?

“We pride ourselves on the knowledge that our members undergo a strict selection and training process based on the methodologies used by specialised units in the South African Police and Military.”

While these credentials are impressive in their own right, there is an added dedication to providing the very best protection services that only TSU is really known for: “Our broad blue-chip client base bears testimony to our ability to ensure that our clients’ needs are met and their security risks reduced. A broad base of expertise, experience and resources ensures that we deliver the best results attainable for each assignment. The sophisticated skills of our highly qualified team of experts combined with their commitment to

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excellence further add value and often create additional opportunities for our clients.”

Other than the ethics and experience that a company can boast, this really demonstrates how to judge the reliability and resources of a security operation; by looking at who their clients typically are. TSU is proud to offer security solutions for everyone, but with a huge base of impressive blue-chip companies at the core of their respected client base, TSU is really setting the standard by which all other protection services should be judged.

Chris expanded, “We have a wide variety of clients, from the banking, mining, legal and telecommunications sectors, as well as private individuals. We are absolutely here for everyone and always keen to offer a tailored security solution.” Speaking of sound business ethics, you’d have to go a long way to find a company that prides itself on its staunch morality and commitment to reliability more than TSU. If there is ever even a vague concern that a contract cannot be completed, it simply isn’t taken on: “At TSU Protection Services, we will only commit to a potential project or a contract if we know that we can meet and deliver the requirements according to our own unique high standards and service levels. A project will never be accepted unless we are sure that we have the resources to deliver. We work closely with the official law enforcement agencies and adhere strictly to the letter of the law, a boundary that will never be overstepped.”

Whilst this dedication to upholding the law and protecting clients and their interests runs through the core of TSU, at no point will anyone be worked with unless they hold similarly rigid and ethical principles. “A project will never be accepted from a client who does not conform to the same ethics and principles that we do.”

It seems like a logical step to find out exactly what TSU is looking for, in terms of clients.

Naturally, this is a risk-heavy industry and as such, TSU is cautious to always be protecting the professional members that make up its team, so what steps are taken to ensure that?

Chris explained, “Our staff are the backbone of the company, so we spend a lot of time and money maintaining

TSU PROTECTION SERVICES their knowledge and updating their training to the newest standards, as we are conscious of their personal safety, as well as their expertise, always being a top priority. In a bid to keep our staff members safe, we tick all the necessary boxes, keep up their training and don’t leave them to further their own education. Because of this, we have a low staff turnover, which in turn, leads to the protection of our good name.”

Given that TSU is widely regarded as one of the premier security solutions providers in South Africa, it must have an extensive list of services, right? Extensive doesn’t even come close! From executive protection through to guarding, training and even armed escort offerings, if you need it protecting, TSU is more than capable of rising to the challenge and its reach is consistently expanding: “We take up a lot of work throughout Africa now. We have a journey-management centre in place, meaning that we can travel with people or work with local partners in different countries. Background checks are a natural part of this process, as executives are always keen

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to know who they are potentially entering into business with, especially if they are in different countries. This simply offers peace of mind and less risk. We’ve experienced a 35-40% growth in the last year, which has led to a more international reach.”

To keep up with this wide-spread growth.

TSU needed a communication system that would work reliably over its full reach of operations. It found this in Nextalk: founded in 2009, Nextalk was the first Kenwood Nexedge Network in the southern hemisphere.

When it comes to coverage, Nextalk are the safest bet TSU could make, as it provides a more advanced radio network than any other provider in the Western Cape. The company’s network reaches from Cape Town as far as to Vredenberg, Robertson, and Caledon, and even has coverages in Sea Point, Camps Bay and Hout bay - a claim not many of its competitors can make.

This kind of range is essential if TSU is to rely on Nextalk during its operations. However, range is only part of the battle – as well as the

SAFETY FIRST line being reliable, it has to be secure. This is why Nextalk protects against electronic eavesdropping with its NXDNŽ digital air interface protocol, as well as voice and data scrambling. This sort of attention to detail when it comes to security is what sets both Nextalk and TSU apart. We asked what the future held for TSU, and it seems that its period of growth is far from over: “We have a long-term vision to see more international growth. We want to work for many more blue-chip companies and top-level executives, though that is already happening.

We would like to see a large chunk of the market, cornered by us and in a global sense, we want to be the standard by which all other security companies measure themselves. We’re not just a small company from South Africa, and we expect to be here for the next 100 years.�

Whatever the future brings, one thing is certain; anyone entrusting their business to the capable, experienced and dedicated members of TSU, who ensure iron-clad security and protection, will be in exceptionally safe hands.

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TRANSFORMING SÃO PAULO GRU Airport chevron-square-right www.gru.com.br phone-square 0055 11 2445 2945

First opened in 1985, São Paulo/Guarulhos– Governador André Franco Montoro International Airport (also known as GRU Airport or GRU) is Brazil’s leading international airport.

We spoke with Gustavo Figueiredo, CEO of GRU to catch up on the multitude of expansive changes that have occurred for the airport in the past few years, and where it is looking for the future.

Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

R

ecent news for GRU reads like a list of successes. Firstly, 2018 was an impressive year for one of GRU’s terminals, the São Paulo International Airport Cargo Terminal (TECA), which strengthened its position as the country’s main airport logistics park by reaching 42% of the market share.

This huge figure represents 305,904 tonnes of goods processed that year, a clear 8% increase from 2017. Breaking the figure down, 161,366 tonnes of imported goods and 144,538 tonnes exported goods passed through the terminal.

2019 is already well on its way to keeping pace or even excelling this record again, with 68,533 tonnes of transported goods already processed after only the first quarter.

In part, 2018’s cargo volume figures were due to a dramatic 35% increase in full-cargo flights amongst the flights processed by the terminal.

This large change was largely due to the launching of new freighter routes to Brazil from Europe, the United States and Asia operated by Qatar, LATAM Cargo, Avianca Cargo, Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines and Ethiopian Cargo. These launches gave importers and exporters more options for shipments that require freighter capabilities.

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GRU AIRPORT

However, as is the way with any truly successful business, there are multiple factors that interplay with each other to put this terminal so far ahead in the market. At a size of around 100,000, with close proximity to São Paulo’s main highways, as well as the main cities of the state, GRU Airport is situated in the right spot, at the right scale, to be the main airport to 46% Brazilian importers and exporters.

The connectively that TECA has developed is as beneficial as its location: as well as all of the large cities of Brazil, TECA also connects 31 countries. On average, the terminal processes 750 flights a day, to 100 airports. These flights represent the activity of the 40 national and international airlines that pass over TECA’s runways. These numbers don’t just put GRU Airport at the forefront within Brazil – they set it apart as the largest hub, with the greatest capacity for cargo on international flights, throughout all of South America.

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To maximise on its good position within the market, São Paulo International Airport has invested in a number of improvements to its infrastructure and operations, including investments into increased automation, for example, in January 2018, the terminal digitilased its process for receiving documents of release for its imported cargo, which reduced the average time to release cargo by 20% (from 84 hours to 64). The terminal also invested in a vast 76% increase in its storage capacity, as well as improving its storage technology.

Now, the terminal has the largest refrigerated storage capacity of any Brazilian airport. The area has 37,000 cubic metres of storage for pharmaceuticals and perishable commodities, with 3,120 spaces for these products, and 21 separate cold rooms that can be adjusted to the correct temperature for storing any kind of cargo. The area also holds 360 spaces for refrigerated shipping containers.

In addition to this fantastic facility, later this year, GRU is also expecting the delivery of an antechamber that will be used to pre-cool the cargo. This 800 m² antechamber will have 360 pallet-loading spaces with a room temperature between 16-22°C. Finally, in yet another upgrade to its storage facilities, the airport is also set to take delivery of a new 5,000 m² warehouse dedicated to hazardous export goods. After the receipt of all of these facilities and capabilities, GRU Airport aims to earn the ATA CEIV PHARMA certification by the end of the year.

As well as these developments, Gustavo told us that 2019 brought good news to civil aviation groups throughout Brazil when the São Paulo government announced a reduction of the Tax on Circulation of Goods that is charged on aviation kerosene. The rate dropped from 25% to 12%, which brought the state in line with the rest of Brazil. This was particularly good news for São Paulo-based GRU Airport. When fuel accounts for over 40% of an airline’s total spend, this reduction is highly significant news for the 40 airlines that move through GRU Airport.

São Paulo is Brazil’s most popular tourist destination, as the most urbanised and built-up city. It currently receives 30% of Brazil’s tourism,

GRU AIRPORT

and Brazil as a whole is itself a popular holiday location. Given this, and the airport’s status as the largest airline hub in South America, it is fair to assume that many airlines shall respond to this reduction in fuel charges to seize the chance to visit this airport more frequently.

However,this fruitful reduction came as a cost; in return for making this cut, the government of São Paulo asked airlines to create a fund to support the promotion of tourism in the area, to the value of R$ 40 million. They were also asked to provide the availability of 490 new flights to 21 states beyond São Paulo, which they predict should be beneficial for both the state and wider Brazil as commuting and travel increase in all directions. The State Department of Tourism also plans to make the most of this opportunity through the introduction of a ‘stopover program’ which allows passengers with a stopover in São Paulo to choose to stay up to three days in any city of the State without

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any additional costs. This incentive aims to help boost tourism and spending around the region.

According to the Brazilian Association of Airline Companies, the tax reduction is expected to contribute to the creation of almost 60,000 jobs in the sector, with a positive impact of over R$ 316 million in 2019 alone. The State Government of São Paulo, in turn, expects the measure to represent an increase of R$ 6.9 billion in the São Paulo economy over the next 18 months.

“In short,” Gustavo concluded, “it is possible to expect cheaper flights, punctuality improvement, better comfort to passengers, promotions and the expansion of the airline network, thus reviving a sector which is fundamental to the economy and to the integration of a continental country like Brazil.”

TRANSFORMING SÃO PAULO

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ECONOMIC DELIVERY South Africa Post Office chevron-square-right www.postoffice.co.za phone-square 0027 12 407 7000

When a system is in jeopardy, you can either give up on it, or you can start again. The South African Post Office is not only on a road to recovery, but through a new appreciation and application of the team and assets at its disposal, it is reaching to be better than ever before. We spoke with Mark Barnes, the country’s Post Office CEO, about how he plans to not only improve the entity itself, but through doing so, the lives and opportunities of South Africa’s poorer population.

Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

I

n 2015, the South African Post Office was faced with challenges. The system had become synonymous with delays and errors, and was operating at a substantial loss. A continuous cycle had set in, where underachievement would lead to a reduction in investment funds, which in turn would lead to a further decrease in efficiency. Come 2015, the government conferred on what was to be done, and decided to downsize the stateowned postal operation. However, investment banker Mark Barnes had another suggestion.

In pitching it to them, he found himself the new CEO of a system that desperately needed turning around – but he thought he knew how to do it.

“I put it to the government when I met with them then that the post office business wasn’t just about post – it was about an established and commercially irreplaceable infrastructure and footprint that could serve multiple purposes between the government and its citizens, and between business and people. What we had was a unique set of regulations over us and a unique footprint that was not being leveraged.

As a company, the post office is asset rich (it has lots of properties) and has an extraordinary footprint, and yet was failing.”

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At the time when Mark stepped in to the role of CEO, the Post Office was operating at about 55% of acceptable delivery times. In 2014, an industrial action that lasted four months became the tipping point for many; after not receiving their mail for this long, those of South Africa’s population who could afford it started turning to private sector alternatives. This led to a dramatic 30% reduction in the Post Office’s turnover: “Any company that loses 30% of its revenue is going to go into a dramatic decline.

We lost market share, we lost people, and we lost that turnover. So, we had to start again.”

The negative fallout didn’t just affect the Post Office and the 25,000 people in its employ, however – it affected the population at large. Without successful mail delivery, lives come to a stand-still; those who could afford alternatives were greatly out of pocket by doing so, from businesses to individuals, but those who could not afford alternatives were stuck.

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Without a state-provided, price-regulated mail service, with locations available to even the most remote communities, people are left to fall unsupported through the cracks of the private sector.

“As a government entity, the Post Office answers to a set of universal service obligations, by which we are required by law to have a minimum number of representatives per capita in various regions. You should be able to find a post office within a certain distance of where you live. We need to run a financially sustainable service, but we also need to make postal services accessible to all of the citizens in our country.”

“South Africa has a very economically divided economy, and the inequality between the ‘Haves’ and the ‘Have Nots’ is probably the widest in the world.” The Post Office was obliged to provide an accessible service for all people, and Mark refused to see this obligation fail, describing the possibility as an “unacceptable social and economic outcome, unless you do something about it.”

Mark felt that through his proposed growth strategy, he’d devised a way to save not only this essential state service, but in doing so, to create and improve further support systems that would increase economic freedom in the country and help to bridge the economic gap.

This belief in economic equality was his main motivation when he brought his proposition to the government, but he got more than he bargained for: “I didn’t come looking for the CEO position. I just came to tell them what I thought they should do, and they said ‘Well, why don’t you do it then?’ I couldn’t really say no.”

To turn around the fortunes of the Post Office system, two major changes needed to take place: the system needed to be made more efficient, which would take time and funds, meaning it also needed to diversify and develop its revenue base. Other post offices around the world have these diversified revenue streams, but South Africa’s Post Office was focused primarily on traditional post.

One of the avenues Mark wanted to branch out into was to sufficiently meet the logistical

About FSS / Who is FSS Financial Software and Systems (FSS) is a leader in payments technology and transaction processing, offering a diversified portfolio of software products, hosted payment services and software services built over 27 years of comprehensive experience across the payments spectrum.

FSS, through its innovative products and services, caters to the wholesale and retail payments initiatives of leading banks, financial institutions, processors, merchants, governments and regulatory bodies. Its endto-end payments suite powers retail delivery channels such as ATM, POS, Internet, Mobile and Financial Inclusion as well as critical back-end functions such as cards management, reconciliation, settlement, merchant management and device monitoring.

Headquartered in Chennai, India, the company services 100+ customers across the globe, which include leading public and private sector banks in India and some of the large Banks, FI’s, Processors and Prepaid Card issuers are customers of FSS across North America, UK/Europe, ME/ Africa and APAC and has a team of over 2500 experts serving the clients across the globe.

FSS Technologies SA (Pty) Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Financial Software and Systems (Pvt) serving clients on the African Continent form its Head Office in Rosebank, Johannesburg.

The Africa team is headed by The Regional General Manager: Africa, Rishi Pillay who together with his dedicated team of seasoned Payments and Banking

services specialists, have decades of experience in these sectors.

In addition to the South African Regional Head Office, the Africa team comprises representation and offices in East Africa (Nairobi) Central Africa (Brazzaville and Kinshasa) and West Africa (Douala) FSS services a number of major Banking clientele across regions through its diverse range of Hosted and Licensed product offerings and is growing exponentially due to these relationships as well as a number of significant strategic Acquisitions and Alliances which have recently been concluded.

A prime example of FSS matching its Products, Services and Expertise to a stated Requirement, is the South African Post Office - Postbank Integrated Grants Payments System or IGPS Project.

After a rigorous and thorough Tender process, the dynamic and progressive team at the South Africa Post Bank identified FSS as the ideal Vendor to partner with, for this project of National importance.

What FSS does for the South African Post Office – The FSS /SAPO Collaboration Choosing the right technology partner for managing grant cards was extremely strategic and a crucial determinant for success, in addition to technology-related competence, the Postbank needed to be assured of the vendor’s viability in terms of financial stability, quality of support, alliances and partnerships and management performance.

SAPO selected FSS ahead of a number of national as well as international vendors as FSS fulfilled its criteria on all fronts. FSS submitted a proposal that reflected its experience as a large-scale payment processor and a seasoned partner committed to long-term success of the project throughout the contracting process.

The choice of FSS as a technology partner was determined by: • Three decades of leadership in the payment’s domain, assuring long-term project sustainability.

• Demonstrable and extensive experience in implementing similar large-scale greenfield as well as replacement projects in a time-bound manner.

• Its status as a Globally respected organization -Issuance of 500M cards globally across 25+ large banks.

• Local presence in South Africa with on-the-ground experienced payment personnel for support.

• Rich system functionality and superior architectural design.

• Meticulous Compliance with FICA requirements FSS Integrated Grant Payment System (IGPS) is a complete solution that addresses all aspects of the card lifecycle from application processing, account management through renewal or account closure. The system supports customer registration with KYC and FICA documentation, integrates with biometric systems for verification, maintains beneficiary account information, manages the lifecycle of the beneficiary account as well as administration and reporting.

The FSS solution is unique as it integrates three functional components into a single solution.

This includes: • Debit CMS: Card issuance and generation • Lightweight Core Banking System: Maintains virtual accounts mapped to the card, eliminating dependency on the Core Banking System • Transaction Processing Engine: Interfaces with the SASSA system to receive load files for mapping beneficiary accounts as well as BankServ to acquire transactions originating from multiple channels The proposed architecture significantly optimizes IT footprint, lowers management overheads and slashes operating costs, as it has zero dependence on the Core Banking System for maintaining account information.

The SAASA branches initiate a request for issuance of non-personalized card numbers using the IGPPS branch portal. The request is processed by the Debit Card Management System (CMS). The Debit CMS instructs the lightweight CBS to create virtual accounts. On account creation, the system generates the card number and the account number and transmits the information in an encrypted file to the vendor for print and dispatch of cards to the branch.

FSS IGPS interfaces with the SAASA system to transmit information on new account creation at the end of each day. On a designated day of each month, IGPS receives a file for loading beneficiary cards. The IGPS system

interfaces with BankServ Africa, the national ACH, which enables local interoperability for acquiring transactions over ATM’s and POS. The Delivery and Impact FSS implementation expertise gained from large-scale projects for Central regulators and Tier One banks helped the South Africa Postbank successfully rollout the service within five weeks. As per agreement, the Postbank commenced payment of grants on 1st April 2018. without any disruption. This has helped in rebuilding beneficiary trust in the service. Currently, SAPO and SASSA are enrolling 800,000 beneficiaries daily on the new system.

“At the centerpiece of the country’s social policy, there was a lot at stake for the Government, for SASSA, for us and, most important, for beneficiaries. The short time-frame for service rollout posed a challenge. Any delay in launching a service on which millions of poor beneficiary households are reliant would have severely damaged our credibility. The FSS team’s expertise and commitment to ensuring the success of the project allowed us to rollout the service smoothly on the date we committed to SASSA and the nation. That we could go live within five weeks is a perfect example of big ambition meeting effective execution” Significant Cost Reductions An Integrated Grant Payment System combining the Card Management and the Lightweight CBS modules helped SAPO offload traffic from the Core Banking System. This resulted in significant savings monthly, enabling the agency to spend its budget allocation more effectively in the future, making a meaningful difference in the lives of beneficiaries Optimized Developmental Outcomes FSS via its long-term partnership is successfully helping the Postbank improve the efficiency of the Grants program. The successful launch of the service has helped the government to reestablish trust in the program. More importantly it is enabling the underbanked to move up the financial ladder and reduce usage of cash.

As part of its agreement, FSS is working with SASSA and SAPO on widening the scope of (electronification)?? of payments.

Current SASSA cards, for instance, allows the card number to be printed as a bar code. This paves the way for wider POS acquiring at an extremely low-cost. Any merchant, equipped with a basic mobile phone, and a barcode reader can function as a payout point to accept transactions.

FSS is confident that as the Vendor and Technology partner of choice for the SAPO and the Post Bank, a long, successful and mutually beneficial relationship has been forged and together more significant advancements will be created to enhance the efficiencies experienced by customers of the SAPO. For further information on the SAPO IGPS Project or on FSS Technologies SA (Pty) Ltd please feel free to reach out to: Rishi Pillay Regional General Manager: Africa + 27 62 021 0151, + 27 87 809 4331 rishipillay@fsstech.com

SOUTH AFRICA POST OFFICE

demands of eCommerce. “Parcel revenue is booming, so much so that I’d argue that post office infrastructures around the world underestimated the systems and investments they’d need to keep up with the way that people are shopping online.” Physical letters may be being replaced by email and social media, especially with companies striving to be greener by sending out less paper mail, but online shopping is only on the rise. Out of all of the private sector logistics companies in South Africa, none have the physical footprint or the legal advantages of the Post Office, so Mark saw no reason why the state system couldn’t rise to the task: “South Africa has many small populations dispersed over a large geographical area.

There’s only one institution in all of these areas, and that’s us. Additionally, as a state owned and regulated entity, we have the right and obligations to clear customers, and we have the right of access to the airport and harbours.”

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These advantages should not only allow the Post Office to operate efficiently in this area, if run correctly, but also put it in a strong position to make mutually beneficial partnerships with private courier companies, rather than losing business out to them as it did in the past.

“Africa is the fastest growing population in the segment: instead of relying on Alibaba in the east and Amazon in the west, should we not be developing our own eCommerce platform?”

The Post Office will finally be launching said platform within the next few months.

Letters and parcels are only the tip of the iceberg, however: again looking at the asset that is the Post Office’s physical footprint, Mark sees no reason why it can’t move into absorbing work such as the issuing of government documents and renewing driver’s licenses, and even the delivery of chronic medicine, rather than people in remote areas needing to travel into Johannesburg for said essential medicine every month. He has even expanded

ECONOMIC DELIVERY

the Post Office into delivering digital television capabilities to people still using analogue technology. Before working towards any of this, though, initial investment funds were needed, and belief needed to be restored in the Post Office, both externally and within the team itself. An efficient team and a well-built and funded system are a circular pair of needs, but positive change had to begin somewhere.

This cultural change within the workforce was one of Mark’s greatest challenges.

Working within a declining organisation, staff had become demoralised, and when such situations have spread company-wide, it takes more than a change of management to reverse the damage: “If you walk into any organisation that has manifestly failed, which the Post Office had, you find extraordinary issues. People would prefer to fail collectively to standing up and showing their ability to succeed. You don’t want to be the guy who shows everyone

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else up. We had to say, ‘Ok guys, it’s alright to succeed.’”

A mentality of under-achieving had developed, with staff seeking to pass problems along to another department rather than initiate a solution themselves. This mentality does not necessarily indicate poor staff, but rather, poor management, and with encouragement, Mark found that this same team were eager to turn things around. He didn’t attempt to resolve this issue from a distant office – instead, he started from the lowest levels of the organisation upwards, spending face-to-face time with his new employees: “People had gotten so used to being blamed and down trodden. By walking around and listening, I found a quality of persons far better than they’d been judged.”

Through the introduction of fair rules and personal attention to detail that encouraged and rewarded initiative and success, the tables started to turn. “Whenever something good happens here, I phone the person responsible,

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no matter how long that takes.” This sort of recognition began to shift the mentality, and the ability to achieve once more seemed a possibility. However, this change still needed to be supported by actual resources, and the Post Office was operating at severe losses. Mark tried requesting funds to invest in new sorting centres and other upgrades to the mail itself, but couldn’t receive funding for this when faith in the Post Office was so low. What he and his team could receive funds for, however, was the setting up of another revenue stream – financial services.

“It took 18 months, but we have now taken over the payment of social grants in South Africa, which is a massive business that was previously conducted by the private sector.

We couldn’t receive funds to develop the Post Office, but we could receive funds for and from this, as it is an essential system in South Africa.

We pay 11 million beneficiaries about ZAR10bn a month, and that big piece of economics is

ECONOMIC DELIVERY

now being drawn back into the postal circle.

The income we derive from that, which was previously paid out to the private sector, forms the capital with which we can upgrade.” These social grants give government support to those in the population who are in need, and rather than the profits of this lining private sector pockets, they are now re-invested into other systems that are seeking to improve lives – both the postal system itself, and Mark’s other, main project.

These social grants are paid out by the Post Bank, a financial division of the South African Post Office that is soon becoming a whollyowned subsidiary. Mark’s second in charge, Chief Operations Officer Lindiwe Kwele, is responsible for the operations of the social grants payments and the postal system. “We are now expanding our financial services to the people that bank with us, and significantly growing the people who bank with us rather than regular commercial banks. We’re still not

in the lending business, just the transactional business, but we are applying for a lending license. Once you’ve got an integrated payment system, that system can be applied to any payment between government and its citizens.”

Through this bank, Mark aims to not only fund the physical Post Office services, but to achieve the real motives that drew his interest and inspired the speech he made to the government: “The main reason I came here was for the Post Office and Post Bank to play a role in new banking models that seek to address the economic inequality in our society. We come from a divided society, and we have a huge unbanked portion of the population who don’t have assets, and so can’t raise money. That is very old-fashioned thinking.”

This old-fashioned thinking does not line up with the way that many South Africans live, and so they aren’t able to access beneficial loans. “A lot of our people live in townships and informal settlements, and inside these settlements are

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SOUTH AFRICA POST OFFICE

a lot of micro enterprises like barbers, shops and many forms of small traders.” Traditionally, many people in these areas don’t have the spending track record or the traditional assets required to receive a business loan or similar support from a bank, but Mark wants to change this. “Technology now allows you to oversee any particular account. So, if you are operating as a small enterprise selling milk within your community and generating predictable income, we could incrementally advance you money to your business to warrant you the opportunity to grow, without you owning any assets.” By monitoring that the funds are being invested into the business, and not spent elsewhere, the Post Bank would be able to support these small businesses that a private bank would deem too small or too informally placed to deal with.

Through this, Mark hopes to enable and empower businesses and individuals in these areas. The micro traders are just one

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of many examples of people with unofficial but technically bankable streams of income; another that Mark shares with us is the landlord or landlady who lets out two of their three rooms in an home that their family has lived in for generations but could not obtain a title for due to past property ownership discriminatory laws. Again, this is a stream of revenue, but not one that a traditional bank would recognise.

These existing systems simply don’t work in acknowledging the way that much of South Africa’s population lives. “What I’m trying to do here is create a pervasive state asset that can commercially, using modern technology, bridge the economic divide.”

This isn’t to say that such individuals absolutely couldn’t obtain a loan, but without assets or security, the rates available to them are extortionate. “In a divided society, the unit cost of consumption is highest for the poor. They borrow money at costs which are self-evidently not affordable. We, as an organ

ECONOMIC DELIVERY

of state, can make credit an enabler and not a destroyer.”

Other changes that Mark wants to see come into effect include group savings accounts that allow families or communities to pool their funds, and a move to promote, educate on and spread the use of digital payments in such areas, which would allow individuals to spend their digitally-handled social grants in the shops that they actually frequent.

Getting all of this set up is a slow process, and involves competition and tension from the existing banking sector, including Mark’s old contacts. “I’m not always the most popular kid on the block, but if you’re doing the right thing, that’s all that matters.” The Post Office is still growing and recovering from what it was; whilst its efficiencies are improved and its new revenue streams are growing, it will take some time before it is turning a profit. “That’s alright by me. These things take time to build and the reward of extending services to the poor

is much sweeter. We are fortunate to have a vibrant Minister and a board that are fully behind our vision.”

Mark speaks passionately about the potential of the Post Office and his vision for it, and we can see why. If a dwindling state entity can not only be revived, but in doing so, can make such a positive change for entire segments of the population, then that outcome is worth every effort poured into it. Assisting an economy in this way has a ripple effect, from individuals to communities and to the country as a whole. “When you start to talk about an enabled economy with the prospect of individual economic dignity, you’ll understand why I came here – it wasn’t only about making the post arrive on time.”

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CREATING CHANGE Banking Association South Africa chevron-square-right www.banking.org.za phone-square 0027 11 645 6700

For 25 years, the Banking Association South Africa (BASA) has overseen the country’s banking sector and sought to safeguard the industry against issues for customers and stakeholders alike. They support the banks that, in turn, support the country as a whole – it is a great responsibility, and one they have risen to for the last quarter of a century.

Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

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he Banking Association South Africa exists as a go-between for South Africa’s government and its banks. Whilst this is the extent of their mandated role, in practice, they take this representation a step further, by communicating with the people of South Africa themselves. BASA strives to make sure that the needs of the people are heard by banks and politicians alike. Whilst a small group in terms of staff, the Banking Association South Africa’s reach and influence is vast, and after 25 years of operation, they understand what is needed for banking to be truly successful: fair business.

With a focus on accessibility, inclusiveness and change, MD Cas Coovadia has taken BASA against the grain of what we expect from the banking world. The result? Amazingly, more stable business for their members.

In its own words, BASA is “an industry body that aims to build a positive banking environment for both consumers and banks. It addresses industry issues through advocacy; guiding transformation in the sector; acting as a catalyst for constructive and sustainable change; and engaging with critical stakeholders.” It works closely with its members to advise on issues facing the sector, and to lobby the government to make them aware Endeavour Magazine | 73

BANKING ASSOCIATION SOUTH AFRICA

of the bank’s needs. It also stays aware of how banking can impact the country in a positive way, managing various committees that advise their executives on important issues such as affordable housing, agriculture, SMME, debtor financing and property finance. This keeps them in step with the country’s needs, and they serve as advocates of these to the people that make the decisions.

BASA is aware of the demands on its position and holds itself to the highest standards in order to meet them. This includes monitoring the quality of its staff, the efficiency of its communication systems and the way in which BASA represents itself and its members to South Africa as a whole. As its team states: “We are an organisation that exists to contribute to the enablement of a conducive banking environment. Part of this responsibility is to ensure that we participate at the highestlevel of decision making in the country. To this end, The Banking Association South

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Africa has structured and organised itself to ensure effective participation in cabinet and its executive through the calibre of people and leadership that interact with Government at various levels.”

Established in 1992, BASA was a very different organisation when it began. In fact, it was four: the Association of Mortgage Lenders, the Merchant Bankers Association, the Clearing Bankers Association and the Association of General Banks.

These four separate associations worked cooperatively under the name ‘the Council of South African Banks’ (COSAB), but they did not become one official entity until 1998.

When merged, the new association was named The Banking Council South Africa, until 2005 brought a complete re-structuring, re-naming and new leadership. That new MD was Cas Coovadia, who still serves today, and the entity was the beginning of BASA as it now stands.

BANKING ASSOCIATION SOUTH AFRICA

As a sector, banking has a reputation for being resistant to change, but in order to keep up with South Africa’s evolving needs and to best support its members in responding to them, the new MD ruled that stagnancy and complacency were not an option. He shifted BASA’s focus from being exclusively on its members to looking at the customers of those members, understanding that to help one, they must help the other. It seems simple, but it is a thought that banks can, in honesty, overlook, but Coovadia is on a mission to prove that it was possible for banking to be both fair and successful. He has a passion for justice, and is no stranger to fighting for it: previous to his position at BASA, Cas had been an activist within the United Democratic Front during the anti-apartheid struggle, and was a founder member of the SA National Civics Organisation, so he was well equipped to lobby for what he believed was right.

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Instigating change in an industry must happen on many fronts – as well as influencing his 35 member banks and lobbying the government, Coovadia needed to create change at home. He knew that to keep ideas fresh, he could not ignore the potential of young employees. To that end, BASA takes in interns to expose young people to the industry, and attempts to promote from within where possible.

Offering their staff learning and promotion opportunities is essential to the MD; to encourage an attitude of offering inclusiveness and opportunity to the bankers of South Africa, BASA must offer the same to its staff.

“BASA strives to be a caring organisation. We encourage staff development and, as far as our budget permits, we contribute towards training and studies of staff, provided this is of relevance to the position. Staff get a maximum of 10 days’ study leave per annum for graduate

CREATING CHANGE

qualifications and 13 days for post-graduate qualifications.”

By valuing the idea of brand and corporate vision, mingled with a personal and genuine investment in its staff, Cas has created an entity where employees can be proud to work, and will pass that positivity and zeal on to their members. With 25 years of experience behind BASA as a whole, and almost half of that time under Coovadia’s leadership, this silver anniversary is a mark of the achievements that should only continue in the years to come. As BASA’s team persist in listening and adapting, the country’s banking sector will have a force within and pushing on behalf of the people.

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AUTOMOTIVES

CITROËN C5 AIRCROSS RRP From £22,305

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he C5 Aircross stands out from all the other mid-sized SUVs on the market. It’s prettier, cooler and much more fun, whilst still retaining its spaciousness, capabilities, practicality and great value. Like all Citroëns, it comes in a multitude of colour combinations and can be personalised to suit you. Every part of the C5 has been thought through, and I love the way it looks.

This is a very comfortable car to drive. The seats are well padded, all controls are to hand and obvious to use, and the suspension is fantastic. In fact, Citroën have developed an all-new suspension system called Progressive Hydraulic Cushions, which filters out bumps and dips in the road. The company feels that this system is superior to standard suspension - I am not so sure if that’s the case, but it is very good at making the Aircross smooth over rough ground. It does roll on hard corners but 78 | Endeavour Magazine

not overly or unexpectedly - it’s just the nature of the car. You are not going to want to race this around, so why they have put a sports button on it, I have no idea – as far as I can tell, it’s superfluous. I tried it once, and it seemed to just raise the revs and nothing else! The light steering and soft suspension are perfect for this car, so just ignore the sports button.

The Aircross’ interior in well put together with quality soft-touch plastics, and it all feels very solid. The driving position is high, giving a great view out of the cockpit. The rear window gives limited visibility, but even the most basic model comes with parking sensors as standard, which greatly improves matters. The cabin has good front storage in the doors and a huge space under the centre armrest, although the glove box is tiny.

The rear space has good headroom, although the panoramic roof does take up some space

in the head liner. This isn’t enough to cause an issue, however, and the panoramic roof does a great job of lightening the cabin up. The three independent rear seats give adjustable leg room by sliding, and they also recline. It is a quiet cabin even at speed, as Citroën have worked hard on the insulation from wind and road noise. The boot is one of the biggest in its category and the loading space can be made bigger still with an adjustable floor.

The Aircross’ infotainment system works well after you get used to it, but it does take time to understand. What I didn’t like was that it doesn’t have separate temperature and fan dials, and instead you must navigate your way through the infotainment system just to adjust the fan or temperature. That said, I dislike this in any car. The digital dash for this system is 12.3 inches and standard throughout the range, as are a wireless charging pad and a couple of USB ports in the cabin. The Flair and above models also come with an integral front dashcam built

into the rear-view mirror: I am certain that this feature is going to be on all cars soon.

Citroëns are very safe cars and even the basic C5 models come with automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring and rear parking sensors. The Isofix locations are easily accessible on all rear and the front passengers’ seats and with the wide doors this makes for a practical family car.

There is a good variety of engines to choose from; 1.2 (130hp) and 1.6 (180 hp) turbo petrol and 1.5 (130 hp) and 2.0 (hp)turbo diesel. All but the 1.2 come with an automatic gearbox option and the 8-speed auto is seamless - very smooth indeed.

If you want a good looking, capable and practical family car that is incredibly good value for money, then you must consider the C5 Aircross. It feels and drives far better than you would expect from the reasonable price tag.

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MINING ITS OWN BUSINESS Orford Mining chevron-square-right www.orfordmining.com phone-square 001 416 309 0609

A mineral explorer with a unique gift for sniffing out untapped potential in Northern Quebec, Orford Mining has two flagship projects currently underway, both of which are producing promising results.

Written by Amy Buxton

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lready known to be a viable mining location, Quebec plays host to a number of mining operations, but now, it can add Orford Mining to the list. Listed as the “8th most attractive mining jurisdiction” by the Fraser Institute, an independent research and educational company based in Canada, Quebec has long been an attractive prospect for ambitious mining operations and Orford Mining is producing the kind of results that demonstrate exactly why.

A diverse project portfolio Far from being a one-trick pony, Orford Mining has interests in gold, as well as nickel and copper and is actively searching for them all at both the Qiqavik and West Raglan project sites, “Qiqavik bears similarity to the Abitibi gold camp and has camp scale potential. West Raglan hosts outcropping nickel-copper-PGE sulphide mineralisation over more than 35 km of strike length.”

With a 100% interest in the Qiqavik project, found in northern Quebec, Orford Mining is able to take full advantage of the high-grade gold, silver, copper and zinc deposits that are discovered throughout the 240 square km site.

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ORFORD MINING

With gold proving to be the most promising resource in the region, a thorough season of exploration in 2017 resulted in, “…three new drill-supported high-grade gold discoveries and five new high-grade gold prospecting discoveries at surface that remain untested by drilling. Orford also identified a significant structural break, the Qiqavik break, across the 40 km property, a substantial portion of which is left to be explored.”

It’s quite something to not only find valuable deposits but also identify areas ripe for further exploration, as that directly contributes to a long lifespan for the mines and continuous shareholder value.

As with Qiqavik, the West Raglan project is a 100% Orford Mining-owned interest, but the comparisons end there. A fully established project, it is in a far more advanced state of progression, producing high-grade polymetallic nickel out of two mines, but explorations are giving rise to justified optimism of more,

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“Exploration work to date at West Raglan has identified outcropping sulphide mineralisation over more than 35 km of strike length with very limited testing at many zones. Magnetic signatures, lithogeochemistry and geology are the same at West Raglan’s Frontier zone as Glencore’s Raglan Mine.”

Pooling resources Mining is an expensive business, regardless of how much high-grade material is discovered, processed and sold. That’s why so many companies seek to attract outside investment and committed shareholders, with Orford Mining not being an exception to the rule.

Having opened itself up for private placement financing options in 2018, Orford Mining has now partnered with Alamos Gold with the latter snapping up “14,764,706 common shares of Orford, or 19.3% of its issued and outstanding common shares”. Discussing the transaction, Orford Mining CEO, David Christie, noted that, “I look forward to working with Alamos as a partner and key Orford shareholder. We will benefit greatly from the expertise and experience of the Alamos representatives on our new exploration advisory committee as we advance the exploration program at Qiqavik – a greenfield gold discovery where high-grade gold surface showings have been discovered in multiple locations across 45 kilometres.”

It’s easy to see why Alamos Gold would be keen to hitch its wagon to Orford Mining, as it is a unique mineral exploration company that seeks to target sites that offer optimistic prospects but are, as yet, very much underexploited.

It’s a formula that has demonstrably been working, given the lack of competition in certain locations, leading to easy acquisition and phenomenal yields. Of course, this sets in motion a self-sustaining cycle of success, with potential shareholders taking note of results and making a note to jump on the next opportunity to acquire shares and get a piece of the action for themselves.

ORFORD MINING

Teeming with talent Regardless of how promising a mining location looks to be, nothing ever gets started or reaps rewards for shareholders unless a spectacular management team and suitable board of directors is in place and Orford Mining has both.

Boasting a collective experience of many decades, within exceptionally specialist areas, both professionally and in terms of education, the Orford Mining management team is a force to be reckoned with. Led by professional geologist and resources expert, David Christie, the four-strong contingent of leaders clocks up an impressive 80+ years of mining industry knowledge and expertise. These years are further supported by the board of directors’ own experiences, which range from corporate finance through to legal and mineral exploration. It wouldn’t be a stretch of the imagination to suggest that when combined, there is nothing that the management team

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and board of directors doesn’t know, when it comes to maximising the potential of any mining project.

A glittering future Boasting a land package of more than 70,000 hectares in the northern Quebec Cape Smith Belt, Orford Mining is in a phenomenal position. Given that the region is largely underexplored, the potential for high-grade deposit discoveries is, essentially, limitless, which continuous exploration endeavours confirm. With a new phase of investigation having recently begun in the Qiqavik project, whereby increasingly technical equipment is being brought in to confirm and expand on the 2017 survey findings, David Christie revealed that the entire management team is feeling positive, “We are very encouraged by the high-grade gold and high-grade gold-copper results yielded by the Qiqavik property to date, specifically in

MINING ITS OWN BUSINESS

the Interlake area where large thicknesses of gold mineralisation were intersected during the 2018 drilling programme. We look forward to continuing to explore the potential of this new 40 km long camp-scale gold belt located in a previously unexplored region of Canada.”

Where some companies might shy away from seemingly uncharted areas, Orford Mining strides ahead, seizing every opportunity and looking to unleash previously undiscovered potential. It’s this entrepreneurial and adventurous spirit that continues to make it stand out from competitors and keep Canada firmly on the mining map.

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50 YEARS LATER Chamber of Mines - Namibia chevron-square-right www.chamberofmines.org.na phone-square 00264 61 237925

Half a century ago, Namibian mining companies first met to address the industry’s governance and future, and from these seeds, the Chamber of Mines of Namibia was eventually formed.

Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

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o mark its golden anniversary since this first incarnation, Endeavour took a closer look at this diligent organisation.

On May 9th 1969, 19 African mining and exploration organisations came together in one room to discuss how the industry as a whole could be improved and what safety measures and rules needed to be put in place. The end result was a secret ballot, whereby six people were elected to preside as a council for what was to be an early version of the Chamber that operates in Namibia today. The Constitution and Rules for the Association of Mining Companies of South West Africa would prove to be a valuable springboard for the regulation of the mining industry in Namibia, but it would not last forever.

Ten years later, at a special meeting of the Association in March 1979, a revised constitution was adopted which transformed the Association into The Chamber of Mines of South West Africa/Namibia. The final transformation came at a Council meeting in January 1990, when the name was changed to the present title: The Chamber of Mines of Namibia.

Still active 50 years after that first meeting, the Chamber describes its purpose thus: “The Endeavour Magazine | 87

CHAMBER OF MINES - NAMIBIA

Chamber of Mines of Namibia adheres to the original purposes of its formation, being those of promoting, encouraging, protecting and fostering the mining industry of Namibia. The Chamber acts as a forum for discussion of matters of mutual interest between members, the collation and dissemination of miningrelated information and liaison between various Ministries of the Government of Namibia and the individual Chamber members. Of particular importance is the Chamber’s role in advising relevant Government Ministries as to pertinent legislation affecting the mining industry.

“The Chamber has members ranging from the major mining houses through to smaller individual mining operations, plus a category for exploration and prospecting companies and an associate membership class. In addition to the Council of the Chamber, which acts as its Board of Directors, the Chamber has identified a number of fields of special interest and has, accordingly, formed Committees to deal with

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relevant issues. The mining industry recognises the importance of its employees and their safety and thus operates both a Labour Committee and Safety Committee.”

Understanding what the Chamber of Mines of Namibia does, the real question is why is there a need for it and - put simply - the answer is that, without it, the industry would suffer.

Given how many people are employed within the mining sector in Namibia, in a variety of guises, any safety breaches that force closures, for example, would leave countless homes without a stable income, the economy suffering and local communities feeling the pinch. Add to this the fact that health and safety protocols have been irrefutably tightened, worldwide, in recent years and it becomes clear that there has to be a governing body ready and willing to take responsibility for the safe and legal practice of everyone that it represents.

With safety firmly in the forefront of the Chamber’s mind, sustainability is also a serious concern and not simply a buzzword. Back in 2002, the Chamber actively contributed to an objective assessment of the mining industry and its activities and future roles regarding sustainable development. This massive exercise was carried out on a worldwide basis at the behest of a number of private sector mining houses, known as the “Global Mining Initiative”. The resultant report, entitled “Mining, Metals and Sustainable Development” was presented at an international minerals conference, ‘Resourcing the Future’, in Toronto in May that year. The International Council on Mining and Metals, representing the global minerals industry, was able to utilise the recommendations of this report to successfully pre-empt negative perceptions at the World Summit on Sustainable Development, held in Johannesburg.

The Chamber is already looking to the future and identifying potential collaborations that will offer additional industry support to operations throughout South Africa: “Whilst the Chamber’s activities are of necessity concentrated within Namibia, the Namibian mining industry is aware of moves towards regional development. Accordingly,

50 YEARS LATER

the Chamber became a founder member of the SADC Chambers of Mines initiative for regional discussion of common interest issues. The organisation, known as the Mining Industry Associations of Southern Africa (MIASA), currently has eight individual Chamber members from SADC member states and has been recognised by the Council of Mining Ministers as the representative of the private sector mining industry. MIASA is now developing its case for similar recognition to the African Mining Partnership, established in February 2003 by some fifteen Mining Ministers prior to the Investing in Africa Mining Indaba.

The Chamber, through its MIASA membership, is also a member of the International Council on Mining and Metals.”

With a clear-cut vision to be acknowledged as the regional champion for the exploration and mining industry in Namibia and a desire to “effectively promote, encourage, protect, foster and contribute to the growth of responsible

exploration and mining in Namibia to the benefit of the country and all stakeholders”, the Chamber of Mines of Namibia is on the right path to not only achieve its goals, but also to do so with its head held high. Integrity, transparency, accountability and compliance are more than simply the core values of the Chamber, they are words to live by and that’s exactly what each of the Chamber’s members are doing.

DORDABIS IRON ORE PROJECT The aim of Lodestone Namibia (Pty) Ltd is to continue to develop a worldclass, high grade iron ore mining project with the ability to deliverbespoke niche catalyst grade magnetite and direct reduction (DR) grade pellet feed iron ore concentrates at 68% Fe and above.

CARSTEN MOSCH CEO / EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Mobile (Germany): +49 172 6776 862 Mobile (Namibia): +264 811 444 255

DANIEL CASTELYN COO / COUNTRY MANAGER Mobile (Namibia): +264 811 447 868 d.castely@lodestonepty.com

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UNEARTHING POTENTIAL Gran Colombia Gold chevron-square-right www.grancolombiagold.com phone-square 001 416 360 4653

A mid-tier Canadian gold producer with activities focussed in Colombia, Gran Colombia Gold is garnering itself a reputation as the largest underground producer in the region, but discoveries made to date are just the tip of the iceberg.

Written by Amy Buxton

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ounded in 1982, Gran Colombia Gold has already demonstrated longevity within a highly competitive and uncertain industry but with its focussed Segovia and Marmato projects, it is now gaining international acclaim for sizeable yields and successful exploration endeavours.

Though headquartered in Canada still, the company exploits in Colombia are perfectly managed to balance risk and return because, as everybody knows, there’s no reward without a little adventure. Heading up the team is Mr Paredes, the CEO as of 2014 who has brought with him more than 20 years of Latin American commercial know-how, management expertise and an entrepreneurial spirit that can’t be broken. Under his watchful eye, the flagship projects of Gran Colombia Gold have flourished, with the future looking evermore promising.

Chasing wealth in Colombia Currently the largest underground producer of both gold and silver in the country, Gran Colombia Gold has sought to streamline and integrate operations wherever possible, to allow for improved efficiency and reduced environmental impact. With this in mind, modernisation and expansion plans are being Endeavour Magazine | 91

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put into practice, but the question of why Colombia was selected as the perfect host country for extensive explorations needs to be addressed.

“Colombia is a country of opportunities with a growing economy, one of the lowest inflation rates in Latin America and free trade agreements with eight trading partners including the USA, European Union and more than 100 designated free-trade zones.

Colombia’s government is very supportive of foreign investment and it has the best investor protection in Latin America, 15th worldwide, according to the World Bank (2018).”

Add to this the fact that mining is already a major contributor to the Colombian economy, meaning that there’s plenty of reliable infrastructure and supportive legislation in place and it’s easy to see why foreign companies would be keen to swoop in and benefit. Regarded as a country that’s easy to business in, there are few hurdles for external companies to jump over in order to start operating in Colombia and thanks to this, Gran Colombia Gold is now able to boast of three significant mining sites.

Segovia Currently undergoing a process of extensive modernisation and expansion, the Segovia site offers huge potential and proven results.

Having been mined for more than 150 years, the high-grade mines here have produced more than 5 million ounces of gold already, with plenty more to come, “Since taking control of the assets in 2010, Gran Colombia has initiated an extensive exploration and drilling programme around the existing mines to identify new resources to be able to expand production and has commenced exploration in new areas of its concessions to identify potential new production areas.”

A known entity with stacks more potential to explore, Segovia is the company’s primary mining, but the remaining two have their own merits as well.

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Marmato Though less proven out, the Marmato site makes up for its risk factors with enormous potential and fortunate site location, making it a more than favourable option, “Acquired in the 2011 merger with Medoro, the Marmato Project contains total estimated resources of approximately 8 million ounces of gold and almost 38 million ounces of silver located in the Caldas department in the heart of the Middle Cauca gold district. The Marmato Project has excellent infrastructure, being located by the Pan American Highway with access to Medellin to the north and Manizales to the south, and has access to the national electricity grid which runs near the property.”

The wider area has long been explored and exploited for its reserves and in a bid to maximise yields, a different method of mining was adopted in 2017. Moving away from open pit to underground mining has allowed for a higher grade of mineral resources to be discovered, as well as new material from underneath the existing Mineros Nacionales mine.

Zancudo A site with some serious heritage, the Zancudo project includes a historical mine that has produced in the region of 130,000 ounces of gold to date and Gran Colombia Gold is keen to see what else it has in store, “Gran Colombia completed a 14,000m drilling program at Zancudo in 2011 and 2012 that focused on defining new potential resources by following the strike and shallow dip extensions of the Santa Catalina and Manto Antiquo structures that represent the extension to the south of what was mined in the historical Independencia Mine.”

Operations were halted in 2013, when gold prices plummeted, allowing for the modernisation of Segovia to begin in earnest.

There has since been interest from an outside party in exploring and maybe even purchasing shares in the project, so this is one to watch for further developments.

GRAN COLOMBIA GOLD

Thinking about the future With three exciting projects currently ongoing, it would be so simple for Gran Colombia Gold to be single-minded and focussed solely on what is happening right now, but the most innovative and adaptable companies are always looking ahead. With this in mind, there is a company-wide directive in place to operate as sustainably as possible. Community programmes, environmental stewardship and corporate citizenship all come as standard with Gran Colombia Gold, because giving back is as important as taking out, “We design, construct and operate all our facilities in accordance with the highest applicable international health, safety and environmental standards and we seek partnerships based on open, transparent communication, with the aim of being responsible, respected and welcomed, everywhere we do business.”

Given the significant contribution made to the Colombian economy, safe working practices, numerous employment opportunities and green operating initiatives all coming about as a result of Gran Colombia Gold’s commitment to being a stellar ambassador for the mining industry, it seems unlikely that anywhere wouldn’t be delighted to play host to this success story of a company.

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SUSTAINING A BRIGHTER TOMORROW Go Cobalt chevron-square-right www.gocobalt.ca phone-square 001 604 725 1857 Mining and environmentalism might not seem like natural bedfellows, but thanks to niche focus areas and ethical motivations, Go Cobalt is about to change the way everybody thinks of excavation operations.

Written by Amy Buxton

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sk anybody at Go Cobalt and they’ll tell you that the future looks set to be battery powered. While on the one hand this seems to herald the beginning of a greener, more sustainable outlook, it will quickly become fraught with issues, if the materials necessary for battery-powered technologies cannot be supplied in enough volume and regularity. That’s where Go Cobalt, a visionary operation with a deep understanding of how it can contribute to a better world, comes in, “Go Cobalt is a junior mining company committed to helping close the supply gap for future clean and sustainable resources. We search for metals critical to electric vehicles, smartphones, laptops and devices using rechargeable batteries.”

Seeing it written in black and white, it becomes all too apparent just how many everyday appliances, technology items and essentials rely on rechargeable battery power, which makes the current battery metals supply deficit so troubling. Go Cobalt has been observing the impact of the sourcing issues, while formulating a plan to overcome them.

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GO COBALT

Specialist resources So why are battery metals proving to be in short supply? The simple answer is that they are a specialist resource, making them harder to locate, mine and process, but Go Cobalt reiterates just how vital it is to make rechargeable batteries a viable technology, “Rechargeable batteries use metals to help retain and discharge electricity. These metals offer unique properties to allow a large quantity of energy to be stored in a relatively small space.”

Small spaces, such as mobile phones, which keep us connected to the world around us, allowing us to do business on the move with no restrictions. In an ever-changing global economy where those that can adapt and overcome are the only ones to succeed, having access to equipment that can be charged on the fly is essential, but Go Cobalt is going one step further by focussing on green developments as well, such as electric cars,

“Our role is to develop relevant and exciting projects. The world is adopting clean energy solutions. As a result, overall demand for battery metals is expected to soar.”

A monster project Having identified a definite need for a reliable supply of battery metals, Go Cobalt has set to work in the Yukon region of Canada, with a 100%-owned site proving to have almost endless potential, “The Monster Property is an Iron Oxide Copper Gold (IOCG) occurrence covering 63 km2 in the Yukon Dawson mining district.

There are elevated copper, cobalt, gold and silver showings across the entire 18 km length of the property, indicating extensive subsurface mineralisation.”

For those not in the know, initiating a mining project takes far more than simply drilling and hoping for the best, which is why Go Cobalt undertook a series of in-depth exploration

Airborne Geophysics for Discovery Magnetics - Radiometrics – Electromagnetics

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GO COBALT

activities to fully assess the viability of the Monster. Using Remote Spectral Geology, satellite data was gathered and analysed, in 2018, in order to identify the different materials found within the region and where would be most suited to excavation endeavours. A gravity survey in 2019 further honed in on viable target areas, “The gravity survey indicates a large gravity high in proximity to the Beast target. The Beast consists of a 1.5 km wide shallow magnetic anomaly surrounded by surface mineralisation.

These encouraging results have made the Beast a high-priority target. Rock samples taken from these anomalous zones have visible cobaltite and erythrite, both different types of cobalt mineralisation.”

Through considered yet rigorous analysis of the property, using cutting-edge technology, Go Cobalt has been able to identify the locations that guarantee impressive yields and results, but this shouldn’t come as a shock,

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given the impressive combined résumés of the board of directors.

Leading from the front Chairman Don Sheldon heads up an impressive roster of experienced, determined and suitably motivated professionals, spanning a number of industries, specialisms and locations, “Don Sheldon brings more than 30 years of experience working with reporting issuers.

Mr. Sheldon has had an extensive career managing and raising capital for junior resource companies holding positions with Range Oil & Gas, Shoal Point Energy, Castle Rock Minerals, and Pure Gold.”

In the unlikely event that Don doesn’t know something, one of his carefully selected team will be able to plug the knowledge gap with ease. From geology and petrology to highvalue financing, the five-strong board has every base covered and new developments

SUSTAINING A BRIGHTER TOMORROW

are always being considered, if they could offer new benefits to the company. A recent example of such a development is Go Cobalt joining the Yukon Mining Alliance.

“The Yukon Mining Association (YMA) helps promote leadership in exploration and mining effort through the Yukon. Go Cobalt is excited to join some of the most respected mining companies in the territory. Mining is the largest private contributor to the Yukon economy and the YMA helps further that legacy. As a measure of success, the Yukon was recently recognised by the Fraser Institute as one of the top 10 mining jurisdictions in the world.”

With an investment conference being held in July, which Go Cobalt will be attending, the benefits of joining with other respected mining operations within the region are already evident. Allowing for “opportunities to network and holistically explore the reasons to invest Yukon”, the event will be an exciting chance for Go Cobalt to fully immerse itself

within the Canadian mining industry, while also setting itself apart as a niche operation that seeks to support the emerging sustainable technologies market.

Though mining is, as a general rule, a competitive industry, by focussing in on a specific interest area, Go Cobalt has guaranteed itself a certain amount of ongoing business, which is further compounded by linking with green endeavours. It’s going to be an interesting ride for the team, especially as rechargeable battery-powered technologies become increasingly more important, but there can be no doubting that this is a young company with more than enough energy to sustain itself.

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BONDS WITH CHINA Palabora Mining Company chevron-square-right www.palabora.com phone-square 0027 15 780 2911

The Palabora Mining Company and its subsidiary, Palabora Copper Limited, are both South African staples – ones that were originally owned by the Anglo-Australian Rio Tinto and are now largely owned

by Chinese companies. These international enterprises have both operated within South Africa since 1956, and since its inception, Palabora Copper has been South Africa’s sole producer of refined copper. We spoke with the company to catch up on its story and to learn about the impact it is making in the Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality.

Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

P

alabora Copper Limited owns and runs a copper mine in, unsurprisingly, the Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality, which is located in the Limpopo Province in South Africa.

As well as the mine itself, Palabora Copper also operates as a smelter and refinery complex, which allows it to produce its iconic refined copper. Although firmly in the refined copper business, the company also mines by-products such as magnetite, vermiculite, sulphuric acid, anode slimes and nickel sulphate.

Its parent company, the Palabora Mining Company (PMC) was owned by Rio Tinto until 2013, when it was swept up from potential jeopardy by the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) of South Africa Limited and China’s Hebei Iron & Steel Group. For Palabora Copper specifically, this salvation came from both the Industrial Development Corporation and, in the majority, the Chinese Consortium, which is made up of HBIS, Tewoo, General Nice and the China-Africa Development Fund, which got involved through Smart Union Resources South Africa. This mine is now 80% owned by the Chinese Consortium, and the rest is jointly owned by the South African government through the Industrial Development Corporation, Black Empowerment Consortium, Endeavour Magazine | 103

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and lastly, Palabora Mining Company’s employees and communities.

Before looking at what today’s incarnation of Palabora Copper looks like, we have to begin with the timely investment and acquisition from the Chinese Consortium. The Consortium acquired PC when it found itself facing down the barrels of two guns; firstly, the mine’s smelter was outdated and desperately needed updating, and second, the mine itself seemed to have reached the end of its life. These two issues could have led to the shutting down of both the smelter and the mine itself, which would have lost over 4000 people their jobs in total (700 for the smelter, and directly and indirectly, 3,500 for the mine). To save both, the Chinese Consortium invested R878 million to refurbish the smelter and R10.4 billion to extend the life of mine to beyond 2033.

On top of these, the Consortium made a third large investment; R261 million to construct a floatation plant in order to improve

SERVICES

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copper recoveries and operational efficiencies, and to lower Palabora Copper’s operational costs. Both the smelter refurbishment project and the construction of this floatation plant were implemented in partnership with China’s Beijing General Research Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (BIGRIMM). This partnership was part of the Consortium’s push to develop and foster a series of bonds between Palabora Copper and various Chinese companies, in areas such as economic development, trade, and skills and technology transfers.

As part of this skills and technology transfer, BGRIMM has sub-contracted work to various South African companies, to make sure that support for Palabora Copper benefits the surrounding communities and people. In fact, it has contractually committed to employ 90% of unskilled labour and 80% of the semiskilled labour from the Phalaborwa area. These employees will then be offered training to prepare them for operating the smelter once it is complete, as well as other operations, thus empowering them both in their work with Palabora and for the future.

Currently, Palabora Copper employs around 3,700 members of staff, from its core team to its essential labour force. There is a lot of pressure and scrutiny on mining companies to ensure the right working conditions for their staff, and since its inception, the company has striven to remain, in its own words, “at the forefront of employment practices in the local industry”.

This both refers to the safety and wellbeing of its employees, and also the care that the company pays to the surrounding communities and environment.

To this end, on top of its work to train and empower Palabora Copper’s employees, the Chinese Consortium has spent more than R186 500 million in socio-economic development initiatives in Phalaborwa. This includes the support of youth outreach programs in the form of soccer, the construction of bus shelters around the Ba-Phalaborwa Municipal areas to protect bus-users from the heat, the renovations of schools such as Matome Malatjie High in Maseke Village and Lepato High School in Makhushane. It also covers

BONDS WITH CHINA

Address: Schalk Number 3 KU, Phalaborwa, Limpopo Reservation Line: 076 593 0465

We are situated in lush garden like surroundings approximately 12km from Phalaborwa, one of the main entrances to the world renowned Kruger National Park and gateway to Mozambique and the warm tropical waters of the Indian Ocean.

mopanicountrylodge.com

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longer-term projects such as enterprise and supplier development programmes that it has established to support small, medium and micro enterprises in the area, and finally, heavy involvement in the construction and rehabilitation of roads - in particular, the tarring of roads and streets in Namakgale, Phalaborwa’s biggest township. This project alone cost over R44million, and rehabilitated roughly 21 kilometres of Namakgale’s roads. On top of this, the company has also established a Pothole Repair Project that will operate across Phalaborwa.

Palabora Copper believes that the rehabilitation and construction of roads is symbolic, as it signifies the socio-economic development of the town, and the company’s involvement in that. As the company told us, “On the symbolic level, roads are an essential part of the human endeavour in many respects; they are conduit to assist getting from one point to another, and they are methods of entering

and exiting towns. Thus, roads are a symbol of progress and development.”

However, looking after the infrastructure and development of a community is only half of the responsibility that a mining company holds to an area. The potential environmental impact of mining is such that, of course, protection of the environment is also a lookedto area in the company’s CSR. Palabora Copper takes this seriously; located directly adjacent to the world-renowned Kruger National Park, the company coordinates several onsite wildlife management and cultural heritage programmes as part of its ongoing sustainability drive, to minimise its impact on this national park and its wildlife as much as possible.

Since 2012, the company has also directed its efforts towards the reduction of its energy consumption, to protect the environment at large. Mining can be highly energy intensive, so to counter this, Palabora Mining Company launched an Energy Management Program

Montsheng Magase Construction (Pty) Ltd was established in 2015 in Phalaborwa as the market required a competent contractor with direct service and reliability.

Montsheng Magase Construction (Pty) Ltd performed the first project for Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality in December 2016 we started with (Unblock the drain pipe at Bree street Namakgale),Foskor Mine awarded MM Construction with Plant Structure Refurbishment in several occasions such as follows:– Concrete repairs at Drying dispatch in 2016 and 2017, Concrete repairs at Flotation at D-bank section in 2017, Concrete repairs at Production in 2018 and Concrete repairs at Mining in 2018 as well.

MONTSHENG MAGASE Construction (PTY) LTD House no 454 P O BOX 7036 Zone E NAMAKGALE Limpopo 1391 Email Address : jonathanpule@gmail.com Cell No. : 082 811 4333 montshengmagaseconstruction-31. webself.net

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BONDS WITH CHINA

that involved the hiring of 12 energy specialists and project managers to oversee these energy reduction efforts. As a result of these efforts, the company have managed to save over R232million through avoided energy costs over the past five years, including savings across electricity, coal and liquid fuels and water.

From the environment, to the empowerment of its employees and the efficiency of the mine itself, the Chinese Consortium and Palabora Copper’s other shareholders have worked closely with the mining company to create a vast turnaround since 2013, and one that continues to positively effect South Africa’s BaPhalaborwa Municipality. This positive impact should only grow and continue along with the mine’s continued success, to the benefit of everyone concerned.

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AMAZING WORLD

TARDIGRADES: NATURE’S SURVIVORS

by Alice Instone-Brewer f you thought the cockroach was the Earth’s slightly different approaches to feeding and hardiest creature, think again! There is an reproduction. That said, these amazing critters animal even tougher, far smaller and, if you have a list of incredible features in common. believe it’s possible, even stranger looking: the Tardigrades were first discovered in 1773 by tardigrade, am eight-legged micro-animal most German zoologist and pastor Johann August commonly found in watery environments – Ephraim Goeze. They acquired their name however, beyond that, they show up just about Tardigrada (“slow stepper”) three years later, everywhere! from Italian biologist Lazzaro Spallanzani. The Better known as “moss piglets” and “water ‘water bear’s’ mouth can telescope outward to bears”, tardigrades are minute but near- reveal sharp teeth that are used to grab onto indestructible creatures; measuring in at only food. As water dwellers, tardigrades obviously 0.05 - 1.2mm, these tiny animals can survive swim, preferring to live in sediment at the almost anything, including being boiled, bottom of lakes, on moist pieces of moss or in frozen, crushed, dried out and even exposed other wet environments. to the vacuum of space! In fact, fossils of these However, these little commandoes can stubborn tardigrades have been found from survive anywhere. Sightings of tardigrades over 500 million years ago, suggesting that have been reported in hot springs, on top of the species has survived through the planet’s the Himalayas, deep below the sea, and even exposure to five mass extinctions. in the polar regions. In fact, tardigrades have Of course, surviving for half a billion years been found to survive extreme cold as low as does not mean that tardigrades have never –272.8 C (-459 F) and extreme heat as high as changed or developed. There are currently 148 C (300 F). This isn’t all: they can also survive, 1,018 individual species of tardigrade, each with extreme desiccation – drying out. Despite living

I

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in a tun state, they can withstand up to 600 megapascals of pressure, a vast amount that is six times greater than the deepest part of the ocean! In other words, pressure that would kill almost all creatures. As for extreme cold. their key to withstanding these low temperatures is found in a chemical they produce dubbed ‘ice nucleating agents’. Essentially, these agents allow crystals to form outside of their cells rather than inside when they freeze, again protecting in and consuming liquids (tardigrades suck juice important molecules from damage. Crazier still, from algae, lichens and moss, although some a 2007 a space mission found that they could also prey on other tardigrades), ‘water bears’ survive vacuum of space! are able to survive far dryer conditions than However, the most exciting of these most creatures. After all, a large percentage of creatures’ abilities is one that has already all living things is made of water! Despite this, yielded promising results in medical research. drying to a near-dead state doesn’t stop a Thanks to yet another unique protein, called tardigrade – instead, they go into a ‘tun’ state, Dsup, tardigrades are even protected from the dropping their metabolic rate down to as low damage of x-rays. In test conditions, this same as 0.01% of its usual levels. resilience was applied to human cells using the Surviving this state is made possible by protein, allowing said cells to suppress 40% of anti-dehydration proteins that are exclusively x-ray damage. If this study continues, it could unique to the tardigrade, found in no other one day protect patients undergoing radiation creature. Scientists have dubbed these proteins therapy, turning these marvels of nature into a Tardigrade-Specific Intrinsically Disordered potential miracle-cure. Of course, as study and Proteins (TDPs). When water is present, the testing continues, scientists must strive to treat proteins exist in a jelly-like form, but in its these creatures with respect; imagine the irony extreme absence, they transform, taking on a if, after surviving so much, the tardigrade ran glass-like structure that protects material in the into peril from our own laboratories! However, cells from harm. In 1995, dried tardigrades were as it stands, those who work with tardigrades brought back to their usual state after eight full do so out of fascination and seem to hold a years in this state. genuine love for the little anomalies – and who This isn’t the only usually-cell-damaging could blame them? experience a tardigrade can survive. Whilst Endeavour Magazine | 109

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CARRYING THE LOAD Maersk Line Mozambique chevron-square-right https://www.maersk.com/en/local-information/mozambique phone-square 00258 23 340700 Cargo management is serious business, especially in Mozambique, where reliable logistical support is a crucial step in keeping local businesses connected to the rest of the world and thriving.

Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

M

aersk is no fledgling operation, having been founded in 1904 and with millions of tonnes of cargo being transported by the company every single day, it has certainly earned its stripes in terms of the fast-paced and competitive logistics industry.

Enjoying a presence in over 120 countries and serving almost 350 international ports, Maersk is a commercial partner that countless businesses around the world trust, with Mozambique having joined the throng back in 1997.

A global giant with a local touch Operating alongside the original core values that have underpinned Maersk since its inception, the Mozambique arm is able to demonstrate a heady mixture of large corporation thinking and local knowledge.

Constant care, humbleness, uprightness, employee care and respect for the company name are the all-important values that keep Maersk on track, honest and modest, making for transparent operating techniques and long-lasting client relationships. They also tie in with the late Maersk McKinney Møller’s assessment of why the company has grown to be so phenomenally successful, Endeavour Magazine | 111

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“The basic principle is that people can trust us.”

It sounds so simple and understated, yet trust is the foundation upon which any continued business relationship needs to be built and Maersk has always instilled an inherent understanding of this notion in every member of staff. This has ensured the integrity of the company, regardless of branch location.

The African connection In a world where commerce never sleeps and businesses need to be operating 24/7, state of the art logistical and transportation solutions are a must, especially for countries that are keen to build a stable economy. With shipping routes connecting this dynamic and multifaceted continent to Asia, Europe and North America, as well as intra-Africa destinations, a creative and experienced transportation partner is worth its weight in gold and there’s more to Maersk than meets the eye,

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“We do more than just carry cargo. We propel the ambitions of businesses of all sizes – from conglomerates to corner shops. With global experience, local expertise and a full inland service network that connects our ocean fleet with inland destinations, we can help to make your business ambitions come to life.

Welcome aboard.”

Difficult location? Not a problem. Unusual cargo? Maersk will have seen it all before and developed an operating methodology to suit and when it comes to offering Mozambique a premier service, nothing short of the best has been on the table, since 1997.

Manifesting a more efficient Mozambique What can local businesses expect from Maersk? The answer is deceptively simple, but has a far-reaching impact on the commercial landscape of the country, “Get access to all major shipping ports in Mozambique. We help you every step of the way, no matter what cargo you need to send.

Our employees are dedicated to ensuring you have the perfect solution for your cargo.

Whether you need to import or export standard container shipments, dry cargo, reefers, or oversized or dangerous cargo, you can rest assured we have done it before. Over the years, we have developed unrivalled shipping expertise and provide a range of proven and advanced services to give you greater speed, efficiency and peace of mind.”

While many companies might claim that they have mastered the art of big operation thinking with focussed local operating techniques, Maersk actually has. With an understanding of the fact that, despite the deceptive term, shipping requirements in Mozambique are not limited to actual ships, Maersk has been able to develop, hone and implement a number of location-specific initiatives, each designed to improve the efficiency of its transportation solutions.

With most cargo needing to be moved inland, there are both rail and road networks in place, guaranteeing seamless connectivity to and from the water, with some added extras,

MAERSK LINE MOZAMBIQUE

“If you wish, we can even pick up your goods from your production site and deliver them to their final destination, to increase the simplicity, transparency and reliability of your supply chain.”

With three offices dotted around the country, in Maputo, Nacala and Beira, Maersk has created the kind of presence for itself that makes it a recognisable name and one that is forever associated with exemplar operating standards, regardless of the nature of the task in hand. In terms of export and import services, nothing is beyond Maersk’s remit and everything is tailored to the needs and wants of each individual client. What’s more, real-time updates and fully transparent scheduling are always available, allowing for a greater sense of control and reassurance, but it’s the inland offerings that really propel Maersk above and beyond its nearest competitors, “To ensure smooth end-to-end delivery of your products, we offer strong inland

transportation services in one single transaction. Our inland services connect key inland service points and major container ports with each other and to the rest of the world. Trucks provide flexible point-topoint service, delivering small loads over short to long distances over widely dispersed geographic areas.”

Considering that the Mozambique economy continues to be dominated by agriculture, with major exports including perishables such as cashew nuts, seafood and sugar, the importance of tailored transportation solutions and reliable logistics comes into sharp focus.

If an unforeseen delay can’t be efficiently navigated and overcome, the integrity of a client’s cargo could be in jeopardy, leading to sullied reputations, dissatisfied end users and, critically, lost revenue. By partnering with a competent, creative and experienced company, clients can rest easy that all of these pitfalls can be neatly avoided.

www.grupogodiba.com

Consulting, supervision and expertise of Metallic and Naval Structures For the Construction, metalworking, agriculture and tourism sectors

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CARRYING THE LOAD

Maersk McKinney Møller alluded to it himself, that trust is everything in the business world. What Maersk is able to offer its Mozambique clients is a guarantee that their trust will not be misplaced, along with their cargo and expectations. This, combined with local knowledge and a global company heritage, makes it stand out in a sometimes crowded marketplace, with no plans to shrink into the background.

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TAILOR-MADE Muneshwers Limited chevron-square-right www.muneshwers.com phone-square 00592 227 7417

We are passionate about stories of impressive growth, and Muneshwers’ tale is without doubt one of them.

This extremely successful Guyana company started out small, with a tailor who turned to buying and selling cloth. This profitable trade soon saw a simple business boom, and 80 years later, Muneshwers is a manyarmed beast.

Written by Amy Buxton

F

ounded in 1945, the initial business model of Muneshwers was significantly different to the large-scale operation that we are impressed by today. Starting life as a humble haberdashery, this Georgetown institution has grown organically into one of the largest, most successful and, crucially, most diverse companies in the whole of Guyana.

This is not simply a flattering portrayal; the sheer range of different interest areas is enough to confirm that Muneshwers has grown in line with the needs of the people that really matter - customers. Hardworking Guyanese locals now have access to a comprehensive hardware store, household goods, a multi-purpose commercial port, commercial shipping services, logistics solutions, travel agency services and even an oil and gas base, all thanks to Muneshwers.

Speaking about the initial motivation that provided the basis for the founding of an empire, Robin Muneshwer, General Manager, commented: “The company was started over 80 years ago by Somwaru Muneshwer, son of a canecutter, who through injury was unable to work on the sugar estate and thus decided to become a tailor. He then decided to go into the business of buying and selling cloth as a Endeavour Magazine | 117

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way of supplementing his income. Thus, from such humble and inauspicious beginnings, the business was started - not to satisfy any particular customer demand, but merely as a form of livelihood, just as so many businesses have started.”

It’s this sense of integrity and honesty that permeates every facet of what Muneshwers has grown into. Always motivated by consumer needs, Robin and his team are consistently seeking out new ways to offer the people of Guyana what they need and at the prices that they can afford, which is why the company, in all of its incarnations, is a market leader: “In all the sectors of business we operate in, hardware and household goods, shipping and travel service, Muneshwers is one of the market leaders. Each of these industries is experiencing small or negligible growth right now because the economy of the country is not growing at a rapid rate. Nevertheless, Muneshwers is expanding its market share in each sector and

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is one of few companies prospering in a difficult environment.”

While most of Muneshwers’ interests are focussed within Guyana, thanks to a number of physical stores, there is a global edge to this progressive operation as well, which comes into play due to the port facilities on offer. Having identified an opportunity to join forces with worldwide organisations, this third-generation Guyanese giant of industry leapt at the chance and, in doing so, contributed significantly to the socio-economic stability of Guyana.

Robin explained: “The company is agent, stevedore and terminal operator for Maersk shipping line, the number one container line in the world. The company is also the shore base provider for ExxonMobil in Guyana, the number one oil & gas company in the world. It is Muneshwers’ vision to be the leader in all sectors with an unsurpassed environment for the benefit of its customers and employees.”

It goes without saying that consumer satisfaction is key to the success of a business, but it’s those companies that seek to recognise and develop exemplar staff members that will really flourish. After all, a company really is only as strong as the people that represent it, which is why Robin and his team are cognisant of elevating the colleagues who make a real difference: “Our company has approximately 300 staff members and has an excellent track record of retaining quality people. Our pay scales are above average, our working environment is very good and our management team is highly supportive of its staff. The company has a vibrant programme with respect to internal hiring and promotion. There is a lot of upward mobility in the company and we constantly invest in our employees, sending them on courses, providing training exercises in the company, etc. We pay commission to all of our sales teams in the stores, shipping agency and travel agency as well.”

It might sound old fashioned to young business minds, but starting at the bottom and working up through a company really is the best

TAILOR-MADE

way to guarantee dedication, expertise and lifelong job security, and Muneshwers knows this. Having been in operation for over 80 years already, this is a tried and true methodology for staff retention and reward, as is strong yet supportive leadership: “Leadership by example is the best way showing that you can do the job yourself that you ask of others. Otherwise, by motivational skills - staff must feel that the company cares for them and has their best interest at heart.

If you want your staff to be loyal and care for the company, then you, as a manager, have to reciprocate.”

When asked what he thinks sets Muneshwers apart from competitors, Robin described the tenacity and confidence that underpins every decision made at the top. He talked about an inherent desire to identify new investment opportunities, as well as a talent for quick thinking, which, when combined, leads to commercial diversity and adaptability in the

best way possible, not to mention the chance to make a little local history: “In 2014, the company bought a 30-acre waterfront facility in Greater Georgetown and developed this to be a Shore Base for Exxon.

This has been one of the largest, sole business investments in the history of this country and has put Guyana on the international map in the oil and gas industry. The aim is for this facility to be a world-class shore base and the best in the region.”

History aside, it’s the future that matters, and with such a stable basis for even more growth, there is no doubting that there will be many more exciting developments to come out of Muneshwers. Speaking with Robin about future plans, he revealed that there is plenty to keep an eye out for: “We are looking to expand the footprint of the shore base that we currently possess, by acquiring properties immediately adjacent to us in order to increase our waterfront

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capabilities and overall shore base presence.

We are also keen to develop off-site industrial parks, to handle the requirements of all the oil field support services companies that require off-site yard space, warehousing, offices etc.

Some of these companies are the largest oil field service companies in the world, such as Schlumberger, Halliburton, Baker Hughes, Weatherford, Nalco Champion, Technip, FMC etc.”

The development and expansion plans don’t end there, however. Robin continued: “We will also develop an off-site container terminal yard to handle containers, warehousing, vehicle depot and offices. We are presently at maximum capacity at our current location, and the only factor inhibiting our ability to increase our market share by attracting other shipping lines is the lack of physical space.

Getting additional land would go a long way to solving this problem. Finally, we would like to expand our store at the downtown location

by incorporating a location that is across the street.”

Founded, grown and still managed by a Guyanese family, for the good of the local community, Muneshwers has become a household name, trusted retailer and respected employer for good reason. Operating with integrity and diversifying organically, the future is most certainly bright for Robin and his team, not to mention the great swathes of consumers who enjoy the unique combination of quality and value that only Muneshwers can offer.

DAVID PERSAUD INVESTMENTS LTD

LEADING WHOLESALER AND RETAILER OF

QUALITY CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS Our Main Business is Reinforcing Steel Bars, Steel Plates, Flats , Angles, Channels, Beams, Hollow Sections, and Galvanized Steel Tubes. We are also a seller/ distributor of Plywood, Cement, Mesh Products for Fencing, Ceramic Tiles, Plumbing Fixtures and Fittings

Sub lot X Plot A, Le Ressouvenir, East Coast Demerara, Guyana

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Lot 43 High Street, Georgetown, Guyana

Tel: 592-220-2073 592-220-2164 592-231-0567 Fax: 592-220-2074 Email: dpil58@yahoo.com

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A THREEPRONGED ATTACK Progroup Holdings PVT Ltd chevron-square-right www.probrands.co.zw phone-square 00263 775 553 663

Food, drink and feed: between the efforts of its three companies, Progroup Holdings is amongst the leaders in Zimbabwe’s competitive agribusiness.

The group encompasses Probrands, Probottlers and Profeeds, the latter of which is making an active contribution to the rising quality of Zimbabwean agriculture. We took a closer look at this group to break down what each company has to offer.

Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

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fter over two decades in operation, Progroup Holdings Pvt Ltd has developed a wide spectrum of operations across the agribusiness sector. Its three companies have this sector thoroughly covered, with each one offering an everexpanding range of high-quality products. In essence, the company feeds both its clients and their livestock – it understands nutrition, logistics, and product reliability, all of which you want when feeding either yourself or your source of income. To better understand the group as a whole, we took a look at each of its companies, one by one.

Starting with Probrands Private Limited, this branch of Progroup was founded in 2007, its initial focus on basic groceries such as rice and other essentials. This focus then began to spread to other fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), both in terms of food and household items. In 2013, the company commissioned its Cultured Milk Processing Plant, allowing it to branch out into dairy products. Meanwhile, its attention also turned to manufacturing, with an aim to supply quality, affordable, everyday products to Zimbabweans. Today, Probrands’s diverse range of products spreads over ten Endeavour Magazine | 123

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categories, making it one of Zimbabwe’s leaders in FMCGs. Probrands is run by a young team of professionals out of their head office in Ruwa, guided by Progroup’s experienced Board of Directors. Its edible product range currently carries 40 items, including dairy, desserts and savoury grocery items. In addition to these, their household products currently include candles and detergents. These products are then sold both retail and wholesale throughout Zimbabwe, present in most of the country’s supermarkets.

The company holds itself to a high standard, and believes passionately in the quality of its products. As it states, “Our business encompasses local manufacturing and value addition with a strong marketing focus. Probrands brands are favoured in the market and we rank high with Zimbabwe’s leading retailers and wholesalers. In addition, we have been awarded SUPERBRAND status

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by the Marketing Association of Zimbabwe.

We continue to develop our product basket, bringing our Zimbabwean consumers affordable quality.” In addition, the company also prides itself highly on its packaging technology, which it feels is setting the bar for its competitors.

This high quality is, as with most companies, a key aspect in Probrands’s company values, but the strength of its focus is on accountability and the correct attitude, from management and staff. As the company says of its employees, “Our staff deliver an added measure of enthusiasm, flexibility and service to our customers,” and this level of enthusiasm and positivity is threaded throughout their Core Values. “Our corporate identity defines the kind of company we are now and the one we need to be in the future. Central to that identity is a commitment to create ways to help customers thrive in a changing environment.”

This final statement reflects Probrands’s commitment to its customers even in unstable times – especially economic instability.

Zimbabwe has faced dramatic ups and downs, with hyperinflation and other challenges affecting the market and the people since the new millennium. Whilst the situation is now improving, Probrands’ commitment stays firm, as reflected by its five Core Values: the company pledges to be trustworthy, helpful, inspiring, straightforward, and to approach everything with heart. “We are committed to contributing positively to the public and to a sustainable future.” This is the sort of openness and togetherness that Zimbabwe needs, and Probrands is committed to playing its part to provide products that are affordable, but that do not let their customers down.

Probottlers, another of Progroup’s companies, was founded in 2013, the same year that Probrands invested in its dairy technology. In the same period of expansion, Progroups chose to invested in the beverages and bottling market in a wider way, and did so with the launch of its BallyHouse Crush and Cordial range. When these beverages were successful, the Group launched a new line through the company – the Fizzi range of carbonated drinks. These products were later

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added to by a premium range of mixers, the St Clairs range, to offer a higher market alternative to the Fizzi brand. “We pride ourselves in bringing Zimbabweans top beverages using only the best raw materials and delivering a high-quality product at affordable prices.”

Finally, the third spoke of the Progroups wheel is Profeeds, a truly agribusiness company that specialises in nutritious livestock feed for Zimbabwean farmers. Agriculture is an essential industry in Zimbabwe, and with many small to medium sized farms run by families throughout the country, reliable and affordable support through good-quality products is essential.

Profeeds is a leading Zimbabwean stock feed manufacturer, supplying specially created feed for poultry, pigs, horses, cattle, rabbit and fish, as well as dogs.

The company takes special care to meet the specific needs of their clients and their livestock – for example, it produces a different feed for beef cattle than it does for dairy cows.

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“At Profeeds we ensure we get all the correct raw materials for feed productions and we use the latest formulations and manufacturing techniques to ensure superior feed.”

Profeeds was established in 2007, at the same time as Probrands. It started out with chicken feed, and this remains a strength of the company. At first, the infant company produced some 150MT of chicken a month for a small selection of commercial poultry farms. Now, it has 34 Profeeds Centres across the country, as well as their factory shop, four Profeeds warehouses anda feed shop based with their partner at Irvine’s Chick Sales.

The company opened its first Profeeds Centre in 2010, following the formation of this partnership with Irvine’s Zimbabwe, the largest chicken producer in Zimbabwe with a focus on the small-scale chicken farmer. The Centre opened in Harare, and at the time, still only featured poultry feed, but on this topic, it dug in deep. “We provided a total poultry solution

A THREE-PRONGED ATTACK

for the chicken farmer. Profeeds pioneered the three-phase pelleted feed (Starter, Grower and Finisher) categories to the small-scale Zimbabwean farmer, who previously had been trained on two-phase poultry feeding solutions.” In the time since then, the company has branched out into feeds for all of the species previously listed. These are all made in house, with the exception of their fish feed, which is supplied by Profeed’s subsidiary company, Fish Feed Private Limited.

Whilst Profeeds Centres offer feed and support to farms of any type and size, poultry has always been its area of speciality. Going back to these roots, it even offers online support on its website in the form of a comprehensive FAQ on poultry farming, to help customers with everything they could need to know, from common diseases to constructing and maintaining chicken coops and larger scale chicken houses. In fact, this is just the top layer of the support the company provides: “With our small-scale farmer in mind, we developed specialised training seminars on Broiler Management, and together with our partners at Irvine’s Zimbabwe, began sharing best practice techniques that yield maximum results. This training is close to our heart.” Profeeds holds free training seminars throughout the year at all of their centres, as well as at various farming organisations. On average, they train between 7500-9000 smallscale chicken farmers a year, with the aim of assisting not only the individual farmers, but Zimbabwean agriculture as a whole. Recently, the company has even teamed up with Fish Feed Private Limited to offer fish feed training.

If this level of support wasn’t enough to mark Profeeds out as more than a feed manufacturer, the company also sells just about every product its customers could need, including poultry equipment, veterinary medicines, vitamins, seed fertilizer, bio-security chemicals and poultry house cleaning chemicals. The company is looking to continue to expand these equipment and veterinary ranges, and to keep pushing its capabilities across the board.

As the company states, “International trends and feed innovation are at the forefront of our

minds; we continue to invest in up-to-date plant machinery, expand our storage facilities and develop our staff expertise. This allows us to lead a competitive industry and deliver results to our growing base of customers.”

All three limbs of Progroup are reaching for excellence and constantly expanding what they offer, but of the three, it is Profeeds that stands out the most, both as an essential element in an agriculture-heavy country, and as a company that goes beyond the call of duty to provide support to an industry and to its customers. Profeeds is not the only company of its kind in Zimbabwe, but for every farmer it trains, it creates a knock-on effect – the level of this impact should not be underestimated.

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MAKING TRACKS Etihad Rail Network chevron-square-right www.etihadrail.ae phone-square 00971 2 499 9999

When Etihad Rail was founded, they were assigned a monumental task – to not only maintain and operate the UAE’s entire freight and railway network, but to construct it in the first place. Starting from nothing, Etihad Rail have tackled the task in stages, achieving their mission in steady leaps, whilst all the time cultivating the network they have already put in place.

Products and passengers alike depend on their success, and the end is finally in sight.

Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

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ailways are the arteries of a nation, essential solutions for travel and delivery that inject life and movement into business and industry. Etihad Rail was established in 2009 with a mandate to manage the development, construction and operation of the UAE’s national freight and passenger railway network – no small order! The company got to work straight away, planning the project in a set of phrases: the first phase was a 266km western stretch between Al Ruwais and Shah that would connect Ruwais with Habshan by 2013, and would further link Habshan with Shah by 2014. The second phase would connect Abu Dhabi with Dubai and provide links to Jebel Ali port, Mussaffah and Khalifa port, and the third and final phase would then serve as an extension to link to the Northern Emirates.

The intention for the railway was to not only free up traveling within the UAE, but to provide essential links with the six countries of the GCC: The Kingdom of Bahrain, The State of Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and UAE. This wider network has been dubbed the Gulf Railway, or GCC Railway, with each country taking responsibility for their pieces of the puzzle. In total, the entire GCC Railway is designed to have a length of 2,177 Endeavour Magazine | 129

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km, at an estimated cost of US$ 250 billion. It is scheduled to be completed by 2021, in keeping with the UAE’s own plans.

Of course, since the railway was designed, trade contact between Qatar and the rest of the GCC has met stumbling blocks. The other GCC nations voted to boycott Qatar in terms of trade and travel on the grounds that the country supposedly supported terrorism – accusations that Qatar denies. These fractured relationships have raised a serious issue for this cooperative infrastructure project, and it seems that healing is not expected to appear on the horizon any time soon: rejecting its part in the group build, the Qatari railway company Oman Rail has begun work on an independent domestic line that will not meet up with the connecting elements of the GCC Railway.

With the future of negotiations between these nations still unclear, Etihad Rail has no options except to continue. Once complete, it is hoped that the state-of-the-art railway

will act as a catalyst for economic growth by redefining logistics and transport in the region and providing a service that is safe, sustainable and reliable. At a cost of Dh40 billion, the 1,200 km network will connect major industrial zones, cities and ports. In the meantime, the works themselves are providing jobs for thousands of people, and will continue to provide employment once complete.

The project is not only taking place to fulfil the GCC’s collective vision, but also as a part of the UAE government’s mission to diversify their country’s economy, as they outline in their announced UAE Vision 2021 and Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030.

The UAE Vision 2021 is a set of goals proposed by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, at the closing of a Cabinet meeting in 2010. The goals aim to raise the UAE up as one of the best countries in the world by 2021, a date picked to mark the Golden Jubilee

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of the Union. It is a passion for the Sheikh to see this vision come to pass, and so the objectives have become an integral element across the board of UAE industry and life.

For Etihad Rail, this means the network must not only come to completion, but must operate at a world-class standard. This is also a requirement if trains are going to win a place in people’s lifestyle choices when it comes to transport; the country has a strong and extensive road system, meaning that trains will need to be a reliable and pleasant alternative if they hope to attract their predicted numbers and achieve their aims in terms of reducing car emissions. On paper, the railway is projected to serve about 16 million passengers and 50 million tons of freight.

The freight side of their operations is more assured. Emirates Steel has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to use the network as their main mode of transport for their steel, and the freight trains will also carry

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goods such as hydrocarbons, aluminium, rocks, cement and iron. To handle such loads, special heavy-haul freight trains were built for Etihad Rail by American company Electro-Motive Diesel, and PCM Strescon Overseas Ventures of India were awarded a contract to design and build a sleeper manufacturing facility for the network.

Of course, building a new railway system involves more than simply putting the physical elements in place. Staff must be hired and trained ready to operate the system smoothly, and when that system is a country first, new laws must be put in place as well. UAE’s Ministry of Public Works has been hard at it creating federal rail regulations to govern and protect the operation of the railway, and received approval from the cabinet to also work on supporting laws that will not only deal with the rail operations, but will also cover requirements such as land acquisition and compensation.

Naturally, whilst they have the power to work on these laws, any proposed laws must be ratified by the Government before going into effect.

It has been years in the making, but on completion, UAE’s railway will impact lives both nationally and internationally. With improved connectivity between people, businesses, resources and countries, it seems likely that H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s vision for the already high-achieving UAE will come to pass. In many ways an inspiration in terms of their construction and industry, it will be exciting to watch what the UAE achieves once new logistical avenues open up to its people. We’ll certainly be paying attention here at Endeavour, and we suggest companies and investors the world over do the same!

MAKING TRACKS

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SALVATION FROM ABOVE SANBS chevron-square-right www.sanbs.org.za phone-square 0027 11 761 9000

The South African Blood Service (SANBS) is a world leader in its field. Using advanced technology and proactive, efficient systems, the organisation makes sure that the South African health service has all of the blood it needs to carry out treatments and save lives. If its latest developments play out, SANBS has just elevated its service to another level; we caught up with the organisation to learn about the latest, high-flying addition to its technological arsenal.

Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

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ince its formation in 2002, the South African National Blood Service has seen its operations grow substantially.

Originally formed in a merger between several separate blood transfusion services, SANBS is now renowned for the expertise of its medical professionals, its high-tech facilities and its stringent safety procedures, and has become one of the brightest examples of a blood service in the world. As a not-for-profit organisation that is free from shareholders and private sector involvement, SANBS is able to re-invest all of its profits back into the organisation, with the desire to improve service and safety being the only driver.

Plentiful blood reserves mean that seriously ill patients can undergo surgery, mothers-tobe can receive blood transfusions when going into labour, and accident victims, or the many victims of violent crime can get the emergency treatments that can and do save lives. Blood is the key resource needed for South Africa’s medical and emergency care system to operate effectively, and it is SANBS that acts as the bastion that protects its effective collection, screening and distribution.

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population is spread across a large area, with many communities living in remote locations that are far from any major cities or towns.

The organisation now has 25 facilities, as well as multiple mobile blood units stationed within shopping centres, holiday resorts and secondary schools. However, whilst these are more than sufficient when it comes to blood collection, the delivery of blood to remote health facilities is a different issue and calls for a far faster, all-encompassing reach. SANBS has its fleet of vehicles, but in its latest expansion into new technology, it has begun trialling the application of another, faster form of vehicle.

Globally, drone technology is being applied to more and more industries. From military operations to essential industries such agriculture or construction, and even emergency services such as firefighting and the police, drones have proven themselves to be game changers in many an operation, thanks to their height, quick speeds, manoeuvrable

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size and the affordability of using them. Yet another area where they are being applied is the emergency health service, and within this field, SANBS has begun testing the efficiency of drones in a new application of their versatility and speed.

In the face of South Africa’s widespread, hard-to-reach population, drone technology is a potential life-saver. SANBS has begun controlled tests to see whether drones could be used to both deliver blood and to collect blood samples in an emergency situation.

The organisation’s two-fold strategy would be the first in the world of its kind: firstly, SANBS has proposed that drones could transport emergency, universal ‘O negative’ blood to patients in need, and secondly, they could transport a sample of the patients’ blood to a SANBS facility and return with the appropriate type.

Currently, drones would be able to carry up to four units of blood at a time, though

SALVATION FROM ABOVE

future designs might be able to improve on this. In the current design, these drones can fly at a height of up to 100 metres, which allows it to travel as the crow flies over most terrain.

SANBS is developing this plan in cooperation with Western Cape Blood Service (WCBS), and is also working with the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) to secure the licensing and airspace it would need to carry out this proposal on an operational scale. Trial flights (carrying fake blood) began on May 30th.

SANBS is in a strong position compared to where it began, collecting six times the amount of blood it used to, despite bumps in the road along the way. However, supply can still be an issue, with only around 500,000 of South Africa’s 53 million inhabitants donating blood.

20% of these donors are secondary school students, which also means that supply levels drop over school holiday periods such as Easter and Christmas.

SANBS has invested in many mobile units with which to lead drives throughout the country, which are able to tackle this shortage. However, there are further expenses and challenges in obtaining this essential resource. For example, hepatitis and HIV are both prevalent in many areas of the country, and this must be screened for in every unit of blood donated to SANBS. This process takes place in SANBS’ state of the art laboratories and costs the organisation R500,000 a day.

This is a small price to pay for a safe and reliable blood supply, but it is one of the many areas in which SANBS can never relax its standards. When it comes to a resource as precious and essential as donated blood, the organisation can never have an ‘off’ day – it must consistently meet every stringent standard, and it goes without saying that in such a health and safety conscious industry, the South Africa National Blood Service is highly regulated. All nurses and technicians

ILEX - SANBS Partnership In 2005, Ilex was awarded the nucleic acid blood screening tender by SANBS. Through 14 years of Nucleic Acid Testing, it has been proven that innovative technologies can be successfully implemented on our continent and together we can positively contribute to healthcare for all South Africans.

We look forward to the next 14 years of our partnership and working together to supply a safe and reliable blood supply to every citizen in South Africa.

www.ilex.co.za Ilex SANBS Ad Half Page May19 AW.indd 1

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employed by the organisation are continuously trained and registered with a statutory council who ensure that necessary high standards are maintained. Due to the risk of staff coming into contact with individuals infected with hepatitis B or HIV, employees are immunised for hepatitis B and only the highest quality protective equipment such as needles with protective sheaths and specialist medical gloves for example are permitted. Any concerns that a member of staff may have contracted HIV from a donor will see them receive prophylactic treatment immediately.

In every way it can, SANBS is striving to be the best that it can be. If its latest development takes hold and drones are able to be utilized

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in this innovative way, then location should no longer have the definitive impact it currently has on whether or not a South African resident receives the full care that they need. Blood is yet another frontier on the road to greater economic freedom and equal opportunity in the wide-spread country – one that might not come immediately to mind, but one that, in an emergency, could be the decider between life and death.

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NEW DISCOVERIES FROM THE LARGE HADRON COLLIDER CERN chevron-square-right www.home.cern phone-square 0041 22 76 761 11

You may remember with the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) was switched on.

Many were afraid that its ignition would trigger the destruction of our universe; this may sound farfetched now, but it shows the sheer level of ground-breaking energy that even Joe Public new the LHC could produce. We all survived, of course, and today, the LHC is still making discoveries worthy of this awe.

Written by Alice Instone-Brewer & Jack Slater

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hilst we may remember when we were on the day in 2013 when the world held its breath for implosion, the media attention geared towards CERN still left many of us laypeople with little real understanding of who this organisation behind the Collider are.

CERN created the Large Hadron Collider in order to prove the existence of the Higgs Boson particle, the particle that particle that was responsible for giving all objects in the universe mass via the boson field. At the time, this particle was purely a theoretical idea.

However, CERN’s origins go back far before this 2013 experiment.

In many ways CERN originated from the pursuit of truth against all odds. By the end of the Second World War, on the 9th December 1949, European science was no longer worldclass and, following the example of international organisations, a handful of visionary scientists imagined creating a European atomic physics laboratory with the aim of understanding nuclear physics and how it could benefit mankind. Amongst these pioneers were such people as Raoul Dautry, Pierre Auger and Lew Kowarski in France, Edoardo Amaldi in Italy and Niels Bohr in Denmark.

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CERN It was their belief that such a laboratory would not only unite European scientists, but also allow them to share the increasing costs of nuclear physics facilities in a period still reeling from the economic impact of World War II. In the scientific community, the idea was well received from global locations. French physicist Louis De Broglie applied his first official proposal for the creation the laboratory at the European Cultural Conference, which opened in Lausanne on 9th December 1949.

A further push for the idea came at the fifth UNESCO General Conference, which was held in Florence in June 1950, where the renowned American physicist and Nobel laureate Isidor Rabi tabled a resolution authorizing UNESCO to “assist and encourage the formation of regional research laboratories in order to increase international scientific collaboration…”

A year later in Paris, December 1951, at an intergovernmental meeting of UNESCO, the first resolution concerning the establishment of a European Council for Nuclear Research

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was adopted. Once done, it took two months before 11 countries signed an agreement establishing the provisional council and the acronym CERN was born.

Today, CERN’s Large Hadron Collider is the world’s largest and most powerful particle collider, representing the largest and most complex experimental facility ever built, and the largest single machine in the world.

The 27-kilometer machine includes the injectors that create the all-important beams.

Constructed at CERN between 1998 and 2008 in collaboration with over 10,000 scientists and engineers from over 100 countries, as well as hundreds of universities and laboratories, the LHC lies in a tunnel 27-kilometers (17 mi) in circumference, as deep as 175 metres (574 ft) beneath the Franco-Swiss border near Geneva, Switzerland.

Its first research run took place from 30th March 2010 to 13th February 2013 at an initial energy of 3.5 teraelectronvolts (TeV) per beam (7 TeV total), almost four times more than the

CERN previous world record for a collider rising to 4 TeV per beam (8 TeV total). It contains seven detectors, each designed for certain kinds of research. The proton-proton collision is the primary operation method, but the LHC has also collided protons with lead nuclei.

Another record breaker was the LHC’s computing grid: data from collisions was anticipated to be produced at an unprecedented rate of tens of petabytes per year, a major challenge at the time, to be analysed by a grid-based computer network infrastructure connecting 140 computing centres in 35 countries. By 2012, the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid was the world’s largest distributed computing grid, comprising over 170 computing facilities in a worldwide network across 36 countries.

The LHC’s aim is to allow physicists to test the theories of particle physics, high-energy physics.

The Collider achieved its purpose of proving the existence of the Higgs-Boson particle, although at the time, CERN were making use of 1% of the

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LHC’s total strength. Now, the LHC’s ability to find and prove the existence of particles may have stumbled across three new discoveries in one. As reported by CERN on September 27th, the Collider has found evidence of two neverbefore-seen particles, as well as hints of another new particle. These particles were all detected within high-energy proton collisions inside the Collider. As yet, little is known about these new particles, but further studies planned by CERN should shed light on their properties, as well as, CERN hope, greater insight into the force that binds quarks together.

The new particles are baryons, the same classification as the protons that the LHC collides. All baryons are made up of three quarks – however, the new particles are made up of different quarks to the protons that were collided to create them. As the CERN report explains, “Whereas protons contain two up quarks and one down quark, the new particles, dubbed Σb(6097)+ and Σb(6097)-, are bottom baryons composed of one bottom quark and

NEW DISCOVERIES FROM THE LARGE HADRON COLLIDER two up quarks (buu) or one bottom quark and two down quarks (bdd) respectively. Four relatives of these particles, known as Σb+, Σb-, Σb*+ and Σb*-, were first observed at a Fermilab experiment, but this is the first time that their two higher-mass counterparts, Σb(6097)+ and Σb(6097)-, have been detected.”

This may be a little dense to read, but the upshot of it is that these discoveries have raised interesting questions about what happens to quarks during this process, and the answers could have wider repercussions for science operating at a particle level. The strong force between quarks is one of the fundamental forces of nature that make up our universe: in other words, the LHC is continuing to make sci-fi-esque strides forwards, both proving that these is so much we still don’t know about the universe, and yet at the same time, providing a unique ability for us to begin finding the answers.

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POWERING TRINIDAD National Energy chevron-square-right www.nationalenergy.tt phone-square 001 868 636 8471

For 40 years, National Energy has committed itself to supporting the twin islands’ infrastructure, to developing of the nation’s gas-based energy industry and to monetising the country’s extensive natural gas resources. To mark their 40th anniversary, we revisited National Energy to remember the centrical role it plays in this busy industrial hub.

Written by Alice Instone-Brewer

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s we all know, Trinidad & Tobago comprise an oil and gas reliant industrial hub with key ports in LNG shipping. In fact, as the third richest country in the Americas by GDP (Purchasing Power Parity) after the United States and Canada, Trinidad and Tobago moved up six places in The World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report in 2017. As such, the management of the islands’ energy is a demanding task, as is the management and utilisation of their hydrocarbon resources. Since we last spoke with National Energy (then the National Energy Corporation or NEC), the company has been engaging in all enterprises within the hydrocarbon-based and energy-intensive industries, with a view to further promoting, developing and facilitating downstream energy-based industries and businesses on the islands.

A a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago, National Energy was incorporated in 1979 to continue the work first started by the Coordinating Task Force in monetising the country’s natural gas resources, as well as developing and managing industrial and marine infrastructure. National Energy was also involved in the construction Endeavour Magazine | 147

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and operation of the early petrochemical plants and the port and marine infrastructure which service all plants at the Point Lisas Industrial Estate.

Today, National Energy is well positioned as the force that will drive the expansion of the energy sector into the future. The company is taking a proactive approach to promoting Trinidad and Tobago’s energy brand regionally and internationally, including the company’s recent re-naming and re-branding, as well as continuing to execute the development of energy projects and infrastructure under the guidance of the Ministry of Energy and Energy Affairs.

In its primary role as overseer to the nation’s gas-based industrial infrastructure, National Energy is responsible for the development and identification of new industrial estates, as well as the deep-water ports that service them, with such projects providing a crucial contribution to the national economy through

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the creation of strategic national assets in the marine, energy and infrastructure sectors. This covers work in procurement, design, project implementation and supervision of publicly funded projects, and involves working closely with and going between the government, local and international investors, consultants and contractors.

On top of this, the NE is also responsible for the maintenance and management of Trinidad and Tobago’s two existing industrial estates and port facilities, which are essential in servicing the nation’s energy and industrial sectors and overseeing the import and export requirements of petrochemical and metal plants.

Although NE continues to focus on the above areas, its current mandate also includes identifying and developing new industrial estates and deep-water ports, as well as the development and management of the existing La Brea and Union Industrial Estates. However,

POWERING TRINIDAD

whilst the company is most focused on inregion projects, it is also turning its eye overseas, investigating ways to ship its knowledge and expertise to the energy sectors in Guyana and Suriname.

Similar to this overseas outreach, NE also hosts supplier forums that seek to promote and introduce suppliers from the oil and gas industries, and well as raising awareness about their internal processes. At these forums, suppliers are able to network and meet each other, as well as forming stronger bonds with NE’s staff themselves. This somewhat unique approach is NE’s preferred way of building relationships with existing and potential suppliers. Even after these summits, communication and direct interaction between themselves and their suppliers is key to NE; they believe in keeping lines of communication open at all times, allowing in-house staff and supplier companies to interact easily as one team. Similarly, this focus on bonds means

Our fleet • 15 Vessels consisting of ASD Tug and pilot boats • 60 ton+ bollard pull • STCW certified crew • ISO 9001 14001 Standard

35 years of experience in Harbor and Off Shore services in the Caribbean Basin www.ktktugs.com Endeavour Magazine | 149

NATIONAL ENERGY

NE prefer forming long-term relationships over flitting between loyalties to chase the lowest price; instead, their approach builds trust between steady relationships, allowing for credit on larger purchases and more secure business for both parties. That said, they dissuade nepotism by reminding their suppliers to stay competitive!

When asked what exciting developments they had on the horizon, NE were keen to mention their integrated melamine/ formaldehyde cluster project at Union Industrial Estate. This project aims to utilise locally produced melamine and methanol to create higher-value products, such as OSB (oriented strand board) and veneer. A first for Trinidad and Tobago, the project also seeks to bridge the gap between the energy and manufacturing sectors of the economy.

NE currently employ around 130 people, not including their many highly skilled subcontractors. The development of their

employees is a serious matter to the company, with Personal Development Plans developed for every individual on the NE payroll. Great attention is paid not only to staff’s training, but their ongoing competency and ever-improving abilities. Within this, there is also a strong focus on career development and promotion from within. As NE see it, in an industry that is always evolving and growing, the development of each employee is crucial for standards to remain high and employees’ training to stay relevant.

In doing so, they keep ensuring that Trinidad and Tobago are not only benefiting from high standards themselves, but can continue their trend-setting global rise.

SURINAME DRYDOCK AND SHIPBUILDING COMPANY S.A. Saramaccastraat 33-35 • P.O. Box 1846 • Paramaribo, Suriname • South America Email: drydock@sr.net • Phone: (597) 475100 – 425757 – 424252 • Fax: (597) 420750 • Website: www.surinamedrydock.com

Facilities One floating drydock of 50.00 x 22.00 x 1.60 meters with breadth of 18.00 meters between the wing walls and a lifting capacity of 1100 tons One floating drydock of 30.00 x 13.40 x 1.22 meters with breadth of 10.05 meters between the wing walls and a lifting capacity of 150 tons 150 | Endeavour Magazine

One slipway with a capacity of 100 tons and one for new buildings and repairs of vessels up to 600 tons with a length of 70.00 meters One machine shop for repairing and machining of shafts, bearings and parts One propeller shop for repairing several kinds of propellers such as manganese bronze, bronial, aluminum and stainless steel

Representative of: Damen Shipyards Gorinchem

FRED BLACK INSURANCE BROKERS LTD

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EAST AFRICAN AVIATiON INSURANCE SPECIALISTS Office In Nairobi And Tanzania Licenced For Insurance And Reinsurance Offering A Rated Coverage CLASS General Aviation Business jet Airline

� � Tel: (+254) 20 6000 757/59/60, Cell: 0718 792 430 E-mail: info@fredblack.net Web: www.fredblack.net

“Thanks again for all your work on this especially when I am out of the country. I am very impressed with Fred Black and think your services are worth much more than the insurance premium paid.”

- Capt. Edwin Asante, Private Aviator