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VOL 3/NO.05 • MARCH/APRIL 2018
NAMIBIA’S PULSE OF TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
Eos Capital thinks infrastructure
Rianus Gonteb
“Where the bank can’t play, we dance”
Rachel’s Notepad
Nam Road Asset Management firm takes Africa by storm
Sandeep Kothari | KGK Managing Director
Windhoek - Okahandja trunk-works Site Engineer opens up
The Logical Extension KGK: 110 YEAR SECRETS TO DIAMOND SUCCESS TO NAMIBIA The Engineer | March-AprilCOMES 2018 • www.theengineer.com.na
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The Engineer | March-April 2018 • www.theengineer.com.na
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4 LAND: Nujoma offers land to youthful engineering society, NASE. 5 Investment: Eos Capital thinks infrastructure. “Where the bank can’t play, we dance” 7 Water Treatment: Heat Exchange Products (HEP), Namibia’s second largest water treatment company, Comes of Age.
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9 Manufacturing: Panel-to-Panel: A powerhouse of the future.
CONTENTS PAGE
Executive Editor Confidence Musariri 081 122 6850
10 Women in Engineering: Rachel’s Notepad, being Site Engineer on Windhoek-Okahandja Trunk-works. 12 Engineer of the Month: Pregon Engineer, Rianus A. !Gonteb.
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14 Electrical Engineering: Wayiti: The Innovation and passion of CENORED’s Chief Engineer. 16 Lead Story: KGK Brings Secrets to Diamond Success to Namibia 19 Logistics: Scania buoyed by Namibia’s evolution in logistics and mining. 21 Logistics: Transitex: Connecting SADC and Europe through Namibia. 22 Construction: Importance of construction dewatering.
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23 Energy: South Africa signs US $4.6bn deal with renewable power producers.
TIME FOR SMARTER SOLUTIONS
SCANIA HEAVY TIPPER
Rachel’s Notepad: Being Site Engineer on WindhoekOkahandja Trunk-works
25%MORE PAYLOAD
Roads Authority represented, dealing w Hers is a story of a dreamer contractors, from consulting engineers born in a life of abject Namibia, to CMC/Otesa and LTE. poverty, her father dying a month after she was born, And she is just 26. To understand the te and her grandmother of her role, if she drops the ball on this weeping all the way to carriageway, economies sneeze, from S Africa, Angola, Botswana, Zimbabwe an the village not knowing Zambia. how her only grandchild would proceed with her “When you’re a resident engineer on-si education she tipper passed is ayou The Scaniaafter heavy robust partner actually check the quality of work b with flying colours. contractor. So, when the contractor trie in any kind of mining environment, specially
take shortcuts and you want to report, developed for optimised performance in really start harassing you so that you do ast June, Rachel Kakololo became the toughest conditions - attoathesignificantly site. the first Roads Authority woman and lower cost per totonne. Engineer in Training complete the At some point we would ask the contra
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first phase of the Windhoek-Okahandja
to rip-off the whole job if we inspect an
With equipment-to-payload ratio and greatly improved dualexcellent carriageway, where for two years, she that the material applied was not presc technical availability, the Scania heavy tipper can be specially supervised and coordinated the project as the or if the measurements used do not me tailored to meet any type of mining-specific demands Vital components in the powertrain and suspension have been designed and tested to enable outstanding durability and reliability. With a 25% payload increase as the most prominent benefit. the Scania heavy tipper presents higher uptime. longer vehicle life. higher residual value. and lower total cost of ownership
Tel: 061 431 8300 Cell: 081 143 8443 www.scania.com.na
LAND
Nujoma offers land to youthful engineering society, NASE the engineering profession and the technical industry at large needed to be corrected.
“The ancient Engineering Professions Act of 1986 did not and still does not speak to modern-day Namibia, neither does it inspire the aspirations of the country as set out in the Founding Father’s Vision 2030.
The Namibia Society of Engineers this month took its familiarisation crusade to the doorsteps of Founding President Dr. Sam Nujoma. Nujoma who through the later stages of his presidency embarked on inspirational and promotional activities for engineering fields as he sought a geology degree accepted to be the Patron of this year’s Engineering Week 2018 to be held in August. ----------------------------------------“We took the opportunity to invite him to the first ever Namibia Engineering Week in August and be its Patron as well as for the NASE Gala Dinner in Ongwediva to be hosted under his patronage, also in August. The Founding said it is his delight to accept the invitation,” said NASE Chairman, Charles Mukwaso.
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Added Mukwaso,“ NASE is very humbled and honoured by the Founding Father’s benevolent gesture.
Furthermore, the Founding Father then donated an ox to the NASE Fundraising Gala Dinner, “for the braai”, and expressed his office’s readiness to assist and work with NASE in any way possible.”
With the piece of land, NASE will device and implement a feasible plan that will see innovation, science, technology, engineering and mathematics education and practice, as well as product development taken to an entirely new level, especially in the areas the Founding Father cares deeply about: medical technology, mining and geological expertise, electrical and manufacturing engineering, among others.”
An excited Nujoma than offered a piece of land totalling 1 hectare for NASE to set-up a centre for young Namibian engineers to put their skills and knowledge to use, practicing and researching new innovations for Namibia.
The Namibian Society of Engineers (NASE), was formed in September 2014 and officially launched in November 2016 in Windhoek. According to Mukwaso, at that time, it was observed that certain things with regards to
We are vigorously pushing for reforms at the Engineering Council of Namibia (ECN), where we want to see a complete end to practices of the past that were carried into a new Namibia from the Apartheid regime and open a new chapter of an inclusive, progressive, innovative and visionary Council that adequately complements the government and takes Namibia to a prosperous future.”
ABOUT NASE: The Namibian Society of Engineers (NASE) is a non-profit volunteer organisation founded to be a community of engineering and other technical professionals in the country. The organisation aims to create a platform for collective ideas, unified efforts to mitigate current and potential challenges, interactions and professional networking for technical professionals in order to encourage and consolidate hard work, teamwork, professionalism and volunteerism among Namibian professionals. It also has an arm for social responsibility, known as Engineers Without Borders Namibia (EWBNA), tasked with reaching out to local communities and attending to societal needs by encouraging volunteerism among Namibian technical professionals and commit engineering expertise to community service.
The Engineer | March-April 2018 • www.theengineer.com.na
“Where the bank can’t play, we dance”
Johannes !Gawaxab | Executive Chairman
Nicole Maske | Chief Executive Officer
Leading private equity firm specialising in buyouts, growth capital, industry consolidations and recapitalisations, Eos Capital, has arrived on the Namibian market with a big bang. Namibian companies that seek capital to finance their growth and transformation, can now look to Eos Capital.
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INVESTMENT
Eos Capital thinks infrastructure
Because of this lack of scale these companies generally can find few alternative conduits to secure capital for growth, so access to growth equity can be critical to pursue necessary facility expansion, sales and marketing initiatives, equipment purchases, and new product development.
ENTER Eos Capital Private Equity Founded by two of Namibia’s brightest business minds, Johannes !Gawaxab and Nicole Maske, Eos Capital has raised N$461million for its Allegrow Fund which
hese companies are likely to be more mature than venture capital funded companies, able to generate revenue
and profit but unable to generate sufficient cash to fund major expansions, acquisitions or other investments.
provides equity, debt and mezzanine finance to fast growing unlisted Namibian businesses.
The Engineer | March-April 2018 • www.theengineer.com.na
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INVESTMENT
Five investments have been made by this agile private equity firm in less than 3 years, the latest of which was to acquire a stake in Heat Exchange Products (HEP) and Namibia Aqua Mechanica (NAM), both players in the water sector.
Allegrow has also invested into Panel to Panel, Fabupharm, Elso and Welwitschia Private School. “When we buy businesses, we build the quality of management, and grow the entity. We tend to focus on more established businesses with a track record of three years or more and which are profitable,” says Ekkehard Friedrich, Eos Chief Investment Officer
“When we buy businesses, we build the quality of management, and grow the entity. We tend to focus on more established businesses with a track record of three years or more and which are profitable,” says Ekkehard Friedrich Combining Executive Chairman !Gawaxab’s experience in building businesses across the African continent and starting Namibia’s first unlisted asset management fund, with CEO Maske’s strategy and finance experience, and Friedrich’s strategy and transaction advisory experience, Eos Capital is what many top unlisted companies yearn for in partnership.
COMING SOON: Infrastructure Financing Eos Capital has identified a new gap in the market – financing for infrastructure projects. It’s new Fund, the Infrastructure Development and Investment Company Namibia (IDICON), will soon be launched to fund attractive Namibian projects. It will provide long term financing for projects through equity or quasiequity investments. “Already we are seeing attractive investments in the infrastructure sector that require financing and can contribute to the economic development of the country. We are looking forward to getting started with our new fund,” says Friedrich, himself an industrial engineer by profession. Watch this space Namibia’s infrastructure sector. Top-notch Eos Capital is coming your way.
INVESTMENTS TO DATE:
Friedrich says theirs is a truly Namibian company aiming to make the economy competitive at a global scale.
“We have tremendous deal flow but it has been hard work. Private equity has never been very active in Namibia. We have had to do a lot of education of investors and potential investments. We have needed to get the message out, if the bank can’t play, we can play.
Ekkehard Friedrich, CIO
The rest of the team
Growth is a common thread for Eos Capital which in most cases exits investments after five to seven years, at an attractive return.
And even if banks can play, we offer an attractive alternative that brings a true partner that can help businesses unlock their full potential. We are here to invest in businesses and work rigorously to deliver value.”
Rosemary Naobes | Portfolio Administrator
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Jerome Thobias | Portfolio Manager
Emmarentia Irion | Office Manager
The Engineer | March-April 2018 • www.theengineer.com.na
Shetu Shipena | Analyst
WATER TREATMENT
Heat Exchange Comes of Age Namibia’s second largest water treatment company, Heat Exchange Products (HEP), turns 20 this year, marking two decades of providing effective water treatment solutions throughout Namibia through specialised non-commoditised chemicals and services.
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key player in bulk water treatment to all industries across Namibia, total water management has been the business for HEP.
“We have adhered to a systematic management approach to use chemicals not only to society’s advantage, but also to not compromise our environment and its inhabitants. From designing a new water treatment plant, to applying a chemical, special care is observed in implementing an environmental friendly approach,” says HEP founder and chief executive Henning Mercker. With Eos Capital recently acquiring the majority ordinary share capital of HEP, Mercker says the outlook has never been this exciting.
With Namibia’s heavy industry, the mining sector in particular, getting more technologically advanced, HEP has found itself competing with established international suppliers but with the Eos Capital venture, HEP’s growth is almost imminent. HEP has been approached by international companies for partnership but stopped short at realising that there was little value for the growth of Namibians in Namibia.
“It’s business as usual, mainly because Eos Capital is not involved directly with the operations. The outlook is exciting. The products and market are still on us. This is an all Namibia partnership where we value growth of our country’s
infrastructure and expanding the footprint of our expertise,” he says. HEP has had to contend with demystifying the belief that only South African companies offer the best of services. Already HEP has mastered the vastness of Namibia, offering services to clients from Katima Mulilo to Lüderitz, where its uniqueness has often been found in its service driven ability. This new deal therefore will enable HEP to further improve on its core strength, diversity and reliability.
“We promote real value to our clients. Our secret has been on consistent service levels and long-term customer relationships. Service is key, reliable products, and
The Engineer | March-April 2018 • www.theengineer.com.na
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WATER TREATMENT
reliable expertise is what sets us apart at HEP. We need to diversify and tap into the thinking of local expertise.” From one employee in 1998, the company now boasts over 35 employees. Of course, the toughest part of Mercker’s 20-year journey was the transition from a small family-run business to corporate entity.
LOCAL GROWTH POTENTIAL The Engineer meets Desmond Routh, HEP Procurement and Quality Assurance Manager. He has been with the firm for 18 years now. He comments on a team of colleagues who have been with the company for over a decade.
bigger companies who attract local expertise with added perks and benefits. Although this a constant challenge, we continue to invest in the training in our staff so that we can retain these valuable assets to our company” according to Mercker.
FUTURE Plans are in the offing for HEP to be a key role player in the Namibian infrastructure set-up, for water matters are internal. Already the company has been consulted ad hoc during the Cape Town water crisis where experts called on the Namibian entity’s experience in such terrains, having endured the same previously.
“We now need to build up the country’s water infrastructure to be one of the top in the world. It is possible and doable. The fact that we get calls on how we handled our past water crisis is evident of our ability,” he concludes.
This was boosted by the ISO 9001 certification which placed the company in a favourable position in the Namibian water market.
“There was an initial shift in thinking and this diversification has got us through rough economical patches as well as the current economic crunch. We put emphasis on selling a solution or result rather than just supplying chemicals or equipment.” For Mercker, it is time the private sector takes ownership of its function as the main economic driver. Public services need private intervention in order to up the game of service delivery. There must be a driven synergy between the private sector and government.
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“We are proud of our team and although we have grown in numbers over the years, there is still a feeling of a ‘family’ in our ranks. There have been some who have come and gone, moving to bigger companies, yet the potential for personal growth and obtaining diverse knowledge and skills is always a huge benefit when staying in smaller companies.
The next 20 years of dedicated service to the Namibian water industry appear natural for HEP, it is just a matter of time before the company broadens its horizons to other African countries, from its Northern Industry base in Windhoek, with Eos Capital on board, the die is cast.
Our experienced and qualified colleagues have not succumbed to the temptations of
The Engineer | March-April 2018 • www.theengineer.com.na
Below, we discuss the firm’s repositioning in the manufacturing field with Chief Executive Officer, Jacques Crowther. Broadly, give us an overview of PTP operations in Namibia? JC: PTP is primarily a manufacturer of insulated modular panels, which is a pre-fabricated construction material used in various applications. Given its insulated properties, our product is mostly ideal in the refrigeration industry, for use in the construction of walk-in cold and freezer rooms. Due to its light weight and durability, it is also greatly suited for all kinds of accommodation and office space constructions, which forms an integral part of our operations in Namibia. PTP currently has a work-force of 70 employees performing various functions of our manufacturing and construction processes. How do you view your investments in Namibia, in terms of growth and sustainability considering the current economic climate? JC: We have had some concerns regarding the economic climate over the past year, but there is still a lot of development taking place in Namibia and neighbouring countries and we intent to explore every available opportunity in all sectors to facilitate our further growth in the market.
What is your message to your clients and stakeholders over the new transaction? What changes? With a new and effective corporate governance and company structure, we are teaming up on various aspects to ensure the best quality and service to our clients and remain committed to deliver all needs on time. Where do you see PTP growth within the coming 10 years? We foresee PTP becoming a manufacturing powerhouse, who in collaboration with our other sister companies could successfully complete and deliver turnkey projects of any size. What are the solutions that PTP brings to the various industries in Namibia? Our fast track construction solutions offer advantages to various industries. Whether there is a need for office space or mobile or fixed accommodation units on construction camps or building sites, our pre-fabricated housing and office products could be constructed in short periods of time with the same comfort and durability found in that of conventional building methods.
What have been your key challenges in this sector?
MANUFACTURING
Panel-to-Panel: A powerhouse of the future Whether for a lack of awareness or a matter of simple preference, it would seem that a great deal of our industry is still being supplied and serviced by South Africans. Although we do not shy away from any competitive factors, it is our aim to facilitate a greater awareness of the local availability of this industry together with our ability to better any offer from abroad. If you were to address your line Minister, what key issues would you ask him to change or focus on? We have enjoyed an official Namibian Manufacturing status over the past years which played an integral role in our earlier development. Currently it seems as if the government is looking to eliminate certain incentives for companies enjoying this status. Although we understand the motive and need behind increased revenue collection, it would’ve been ideal if there was still some kind of incentive for these types of industries.
What sets PTP apart from other companies in this field? Quality and experience. PTP is the oldest Panel Manufacturer in Namibia with a combined total of over 50 years of working experience in the industry among the top management.
Which of your operations have yielded the much-needed return on investments?
We place the highest regard on our quality and service and always walk the extra mile in terms of technical assistance.
All our operations are regarded as equally important towards the contribution of our returns. We will match the care we place in our largest operation to that of our smallest. But there should key focal areas in your operations, going forward, with this new EOS transaction? Growth, expansion and development of our industry will be the focal point currently. We wish to expand our service and export our product beyond the borders of Namibia and assist in the development of our neighbouring countries.
Are there any misconceptions about PTP within the market that you wish to quell? Although we operate primarily as a factory, we are open to the public as a pre-fabricated panel specialist and can offer the best service and value for money on any pre-fabricated construction needs.
The Engineer | March-April 2018 • www.theengineer.com.na
Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Walvis Bay, Panel-toPanel (PTP) is the name of the future. The company supplies contractors and end customers across the country with insulated panels in their various applications, such as cooling rooms, sterile environments and prefabricated houses.
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WOMEN IN ENGINEERING
certain standards.This re-doing would cost contractors millions and might take a month or so, but we just had to do it, for the sake of our country and the region which uses this dual carriageway,” she says. Many that frequent the Windhoek-Okahandja dual carriageway will recollect a beauty in jeans, floral sun hat, reflector jacket, pacing up and down, notepad in arms, a rare-sight considering the only women on the route are mainly flag-ladies, controlling traffic. Yet from an early age Rachel Kakoloko, also a founding member and Secretary General of the Namibian Society of Engineers (NASE), has always been passionate about turning her ideas into tangible physical reality. Perhaps the realities of being hauled from Onekwaya Village in Ohangwena as an orphan to moving in with her grandmother in Katutura, Windhoek, a cleaner at the State Hospital.
Rachel’s Notepad: Being SiteEngineer on WindhoekOkahandja Trunk-works Hers is a story of a dreamer born in a life of abject poverty, her father dying a month after she was born, and her grandmother weeping all the way to the village not knowing how her only grandchild would proceed with her education after she passed with flying colours.
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ast June, Rachel Kakololo became the first Roads Authority woman and Engineer in Training to complete the first phase of the Windhoek-Okahandja dual carriageway, where for two years, she supervised and coordinated the project as the
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Roads Authority represented, dealing with the contractors, from consulting engineers, VKE Namibia, to CMC/Otesa and LTE. And she is just 26. To understand the temerity of her role, if she drops the ball on this carriageway, economies sneeze, from South Africa, Angola, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia. “When you’re a resident engineer on-site, you actually check the quality of work by the contractor. So, when the contractor tries to take shortcuts and you want to report, they really start harassing you so that you don’t go to the site. At some point we would ask the contractor to rip-off the whole job if we inspect and find that the material applied was not prescribed or if the measurements used do not meet
She survived through the grind of Katutura and by the time she reached Jan Jonker High School she became a Senior Dux, overall best student, drawing interest from engineering firms across town, who began monitoring her. “My grandmother is very prayerful. She got me through high school. She is my backbone. It was not tough to give her my whole first salary and stay broke just for her. I vividly remembers her crying in prayer after I passed my matric with flying colour not knowing where should would get money to take me to college,” she recalls, the 2009 period when Roads Authority came into her life with a scholarship for a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering. Heavy engineering firms across the globe are institutions where physique is a major attribute. Pushing a metal wheelbarrow laden with concrete is a menial task that does not only require energy, but agility to move with haste and tact. It even becomes more daring to walk on a steel structure to detect any defects that may have arisen during construction, never-mind making your way up on a steel scaffold 40 meters daily as a routine. And
The Engineer | March-April 2018 • www.theengineer.com.na
yet for Rachel, such routine gives her an adrenaline rush and eagerness to explore more. “I volunteered to be attached to the Windhoek-Okahandja dual carriage. I wanted to be in the deep-end of engineering. For two years we had to ensure the workload was on schedule because when we began with the first phase, we were way behind with the project. That meant having to work Sunday to Sunday for almost four months in succession and being on site every day. In fact I grew so accustomed to being on site that when we completed Phase 1 in June last year, I struggled to adhere to office life or tender evaluations and so forth.” She is today among a few female civil engineers in Namibia who have become a good antidote to testosterone-heavy workenvironments.
It was no longer a boys’ club. It became a learning experience for all of us as this is the first G-1 based road in Namibia. The experience is still embedded in my memory and it strengthen my resolve to spend my life in engineering.” Over N$500 million has been spent on upgrading this project whose First Phase was a 10km road which took three years to complete where the 2nd Phase entails a 27km road which is expected to be completed by 2020, of a N$1.3 billion project. Harassment from various quarters is but one of the many challenges that women in engineering face every day, particularly black engineers of either sex. The reason why she spearheaded the formulation of NASE. “I first volunteered to be on the committee that was tasked with the mass land servicing in 2015, where the President Dr Hage Geingob engaged the youth on land. That is where thoughts of a society for engineers were born.
Not only to represent the underprivileged engineers, such as blacks and women, but also for those engineers to offer their services at no cost on matters of national service delivery such as land servicing or helping the flood prone areas in the North. Right now, we are completing the review of the Engineering Bill. We as NASE have made lots of input from a bill that was drafted in apartheid era and catered for a few and we are impressed by the relationship with the line ministry which attends to our calls.”
WOMEN IN ENGINEERING
“Windhoek-Okahandja was my first job, my first project and my first experience with real engineering. I learnt a lot on construction management—that was my biggest lesson—the only set-back is the way women are prejudged on site. The first days there were doubts over my contributions and even existence but after surviving the first six months, there respect became mutual.
As NASE, they have also been plotting how to inspire and attract more women into the profession, says the SG. Adds Rachel, “But I never liked the paltry salary that those flag-ladies are given yet they do a lot. What they do is part of engineering, and I think they are not valued because they are women. Few man can spend the entire day waving a flag at traffic like that. It broke my heart the first days, and it needs fixing.” Sadly, though, engineering has historically been an inhospitable profession for women, Rachel and her exploits is trying to change that, and while you can argue that it isn’t making enough progress, one thing is true: Many women did shrug off the haters and pursued their passion to build stuff anyway. She is one of them. If she is not engineering, she is at home to Meekulu Ephania or spending time with her son, Musa.
The Engineer | March-April 2018 • www.theengineer.com.na
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ENGINEER OF THE MONTH
Pregon: Nam Road Asset Management firm set to take Africa by storm
It’s the new norm in the world, now Namibia has a new road infrastructure asset management (RIAM) consultancy firm set to take on Africa, with much efforts concentrated on the SADC region.
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lthough Pregon Consulting Engineers is a multi-disciplinary engineering and project management firm which specialises in the civil engineering discipline, it has established a niche market within the region, focusing on road infrastructure asset management. Road infrastructure investments and performance has increasingly been on the spotlight lately owing to the stringent economic conditions. Together with increased public demand and expectations, the sector has had a rethink on the management of road infrastructure. An innovative thinking drawn from internationally recognised best practises and technologies is required. Enter Pregon Its services offered are based on the firm’s practical experience of facilitating the development and implementation of road asset management policies, strategies, life-cycle plans, risk and performance monitoring frameworks. Begins Pregon director, Rianus !Gonteb, “Asset management supports business decisions and provides longer term financial benefits. It helps
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us to understand and value the road asset we have, describe how it performs and determine the funding needed to meet the requirements placed upon it.” Pregon’s approach to asset management draws on its skills, from management and engineering, to systems analysis, optimization, financial modelling and business process development. Says !Gonteb, “We believe in an integrated approach, taking roads and infrastructure asset management to the next level by bringing together all elements and analysing them within a common framework. This approach maximizes efficiencies and minimize disruption to users, while maintaining desired levels of service, enabling the safe, effective and efficient movement of people, data and goods.” Pregon’s services encompass strategic overview, planning, information gathering, risk identification and analysis, through to the supervision of construction, maintenance and optimal utilisation of resources. RIAM includes, amongst others, road transport policy formulation, road investment modelling, road economics and financing, road infrastructure funding, road asset data
management, project life-cycle planning and management. As director, !Gonteb is an independent consulting engineer with 16 years of diverse experience in all road and transport planning, design, tender as well as contract documentation, contract law, road safety and project management. Further to his expertise is the ability to grasp road infrastructure asset management, a new field in the world, which he is pioneering in Namibia. As a result, the company possesses the required resources and diverse expertise to provide ‘valuefor- money’ services that signifies excellence to ensure that the clients’ expectations are met at all times. It further demonstrates a reliable network spanning globally to its structure with teams of local professionals and international partnerships in South Africa, Swaziland and the United Kingdom. For !Gonteb, Namibia and Africa at large are in a developing state and require enormous infrastructure developments to realise its industrialisation objectives, without jeopardising its future needs. “It is against this quest that Pregon Consulting Engineers provides a service offering in the
The Engineer | March-April 2018 • www.theengineer.com.na
“We believe in an integrated approach, taking highways and infrastructure asset management to the next level by bringing together all asset types and analysing them within a common framework.”
In a local context, Rianus started off his career as a Project Control Engineer with the Roads Authority of Namibia in 2002, just after the successful implementation of the Namibian road sector reform programme in 2000. The main tasks involved project planning, appraisals and budgeting, detailed design, procurement of consultancy and contractor services, which included the compilation of Request for Proposals and construction contract documentation, as well as contract management, i.e. contract administration and site supervision.
engineering sector that warrants the continent’s prosperity,” he adds. Services Offered: • Transport sector policy and strategy formulation. • Transport master planning. o Feasibility studies o Road master plans • Long-term road programme budgeting, financial and business planning. • Road engineering and management. o Route determination and survey o Detailed engineering designs o Material design and investigations o Works specifications and cost estimation o Road maintenance planning and management • Contract law, procedures and construction documentation. • Procurement management. • Project management, from its inception to close-out. o Project scoping and appraisal o Project financing and scheduling o Project monitoring and evaluation o Risk management o Quality control and assurance • Road Infrastructure Asset Management. o o o o
Lifecycle planning Road investment modelling Road economics and financing Road infrastructure funding and management o Road asset data management • Road safety audit and assessment. • Stakeholder negotiations and management. • Professional engineering training and mentorship.
ABOUT Rianus A. !Gonteb
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Rianus graduated from the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa with a BSc Eng. (Civil) degree in 2001. He further obtained a M. Eng degree (Project Management) and M.Sc. degree (Road Asset Management and Engineering) from the University of Pretoria, South Africa (2008) and University of Birmingham, United Kingdom (2012); respectively. He has been a registered Professional Engineer with the Engineering Council of Namibia (ECN) since 2005. Gonteb has made a crucial contribution to the engineering sector of Namibia through being elected and serving as a Council Member of the Engineering Profession Association (EPA) since 2010. Pregon Consulting Engineers Pty. Ltd. is further a member of the Association of Consulting Engineers of Namibia (ACEN). On an international sphere, Rianus served as a Project Team Leader for the Association of Southern African National Road Agencies’ (ASANRA) undertaking during the period 2013 to 2015. The project involved the development of Guidelines for Performance Based Contracting to be made applicable in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Region. He further served as a country representative at various platforms for the Association of Road Maintenance Funds in Africa (ARMFA), more specifically at the ARMFA Southern African Focal Group (ASAFG). During his tenure at the Road Fund Administration of Namibia, he delivered presentations and compiled reports on the setting of road user charges, determination of road funding levels and programme financing, long-term budgeting and lifecycle planning, road asset management, sustainable road maintenance strategies,
ENGINEER OF THE MONTH
technical audits and the use of local resources to minimise the total transport cost in the Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia.
Rianus later assumed duty at the Roads Contractor Company of Namibia, another entity formed as part of the road sector reform in 2006 as a Contracts Engineer. In this position he performed project management duties which entailed: resources mobilisation, scheduling of works and contract administration for the main client the Roads Authority. Upon his return to the Roads Authority of Namibia in May 2007 until March 2015, !Gonteb took up responsibility as a Regional Engineer, responsible for the management of the road maintenance programs for more than 25% of the National Road Network in Namibia. As such, he compiled long-term road maintenance strategies with associated budgets, and construction contract documents and further ensured compliance with contract obligations by both appointed consultants and contractors to the required standards and specifications. In April of 2015, Rianus assumed duty at the Road Fund Administration of Namibia on as Executive: Programme Management, Policy and Advice. His responsibilities included, strategic road network planning with key emphasis on long-term budget projections as well as the management and technical monitoring of the Roads Authority and other Approved Authorities including, Local authorities, Regional Councils, Traffic Law Enforcement Agencies and the National Road Safety Councils’ programmes and projects in conformity to the Procedures Agreement. Currently, Mr Gonteb is a key project team member for the Swaziland Road Sector Reform Programme. He serves as the Institutional Reform / Asset Management Specialist on the consultancy team that is rendering Technical Assistance to the Ministry of Public Works and Transport. The institutional reform project is solely funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB).
The Engineer | March-April 2018 • www.theengineer.com.na
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ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
experience, Wayiti is proficient at communicating and gaining consensus when needed to meet goals. Willingly accepting new projects within CENORED and challenges while adapting easily to changing environments and priorities, Wayiti possess a strong background in power system protection, maintenance of plant equipment, mining production systems, project planning, logistic arrangement and Contract management (FIDIC). We sat down to discover what makes him tick. -----------------------------------------It’s almost three years since you assumed this position, how does it feel to be the Chief Engineer for CENORED? Wayiti: Well, it doesn’t even feel like it has been three years. With work load characteristic to these positions, time definitely flies.
Wayiti: The Innovation and passion of CENORED’s Chief Engineer Mr. Silvester Wayiti: Currently: (Exec. Manager: Engineering & System Development) - CENORED • Previously: Engineer: Network Protection • University of Pretoria / MEng, Engineering Management (2013-2014) • University of Cape Town BSc. Eng (Hons), Electrical Engineering (2005-2008) • Thesis: The application of diagnostic, prognostic and structural health monitoring systems (DPS) in engineering asset management.
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ne of the brightest products of St Boniface College, Silvester Wayiti is the chief engineer of CENORED. A dedicated professional engineer with excellent technical analytical and communication skills demonstrated by a decade of
I am humbled to serve in this position, and it feels great to be a technical advisor for this great organization - it is challenging, it requires one to be informed at all times in order to provide factual information for investment purposes. As such, it is a great feeling. But what have been the biggest personal lessons learnt? Wayiti: The following can be summed up as the biggest personal lessons; ɱɱ Adaptation – one is required to adapt very fast from not only being on the technical side of works but also management and even executive management obligations. ɱɱ Piece-by-piece approach – through this time, I have learnt that with all the many obligations, the best approach would be proper time planning, prioritizing and doing one act at a time. ɱɱ Listening – customers come with all kinds of queries and different moods. Indeed over the years, remaining calm and listening to find solutions for our valuable clients was one of the lesson I can be thankful for. This has also translated in my own personal dealings where I now learn to listen more with aim of finding workable solution.
The Engineer | March-April 2018 • www.theengineer.com.na
Wayiti: Growth is a natural process. Surely as much as it seems as being at the ceiling of engineering career, growth does exist in the sense that every day one is challenged with different problems to solve and in so doing, there is continuous learning and growth in terms of experience and maturity in handling engineering problems. Growth also lies in the exposure to executive management undertakings which opens up a whole new ball game of what is widely known as strategic mapping and corporate governance aspects. My aim remains working hard and doing right in any placing I find myself. The rest, God will pave. You worked at NamPower before, what made you choose Cenored? Wayiti: NamPower is a great company. I gained very valuable skills in project management, maintenance management, protection and network planning aspects. They also paid for my studies – so yes, it was not an easy one. Leaving NamPower was a tough choice. I am sure it is not an easy decision for anyone working there. However, what made it easy for me is the fact that CENORED is a progressive company, growing and doing so with a longterm view of the future in mind. I am a person that wants to come out of the room and be part of the team that wants change, to be part of a team that is oriented towards nothing else but achieving organizational goals, a team that is diversitywelcoming, if you wish. CENORED offered such prospects and off I flew from my comfort zone. I also like to test my capabilities in a different set up and as highlighted above, CENORED was the perfect destination. It turned out to be a decision not to regret. Besides being a young man from St Boniface, who is Silvester? Wayiti: (laughs) I am a first born of a family of four. Born in Nyangana, a village 80km east of Rundu in the Kavango Region. I spent my earlier years at the village having only moved to schools in town mid primary years. So I am a village man! The time I had shared with my parents before they departed, they turned out to be very strict, had a set way of doing things and had high expectations from us. With my father for example, he had no word called failure in his vocabulary. I also started supporting Chelsea FC since I started crawling. (another chuckle)
But how did your background/upbringing shape you into who you are today and what you are doing? Wayiti: My background has given me a sense of responsibility from a very tender age. It helped me become focused in a way. My background did not however in any way shape or influence me in choosing a career in engineering. I do however believe my background has shaped my take on life; of not giving up, of not shying away from responsibilities, of perseverance and of doing things right first time! So what does your role entail? And how challenging is it? Wayiti: As a Chief Engineer, the role entails planning for new electrical expansion projects, stakeholder engagement, signing off of designs for construction, project management, people management and financial management. It involves leading a team of engineers to ensure the timely and quality completion of projects, well-thought out designs that fit the needs of the users now and in the future, the correct metering application and enhanced revenue protection. As an Executive Engineering Manager, a position held since September 2017, my role has been to lead the entire engineering business unit in executing all of these issues highlighted above, according to the strategic business plan of the company, ensuring that the team is capacitated to execute their tasks and mapping out the road map for the unit. In summary, you can think of my role as leading, directing, incapacitating and to some extent controlling the unit.
guide the decision making of the engineering unit in designs or planning to ensure that such plans and designs are in alignment with our vision. What is the secret to Cenored remaining relevant in Namibia’s energy sector? Wayiti: The secret is to change with changing times and avoid falling into the pit of what my CEO calls, ‘the death of the companies that supplied land-line based telephones’. To remain relevant for instance, CENORED must adapt new ways of doing business; embrace new technologies, shift from some traditional ways of only distributing electricity and becoming a service providing company which may entail the wheeling of power for others at a rate, among others. What advice would you give your younger self? Wayiti: Let me think? Well, work hard, do things right, do things with a long term view in mind and do things faithfully. Where are the common misconceptions when it comes to energy distribution in Namibia? Wayiti: That regional electricity distributors (REDs) are not adding any value to the electricity supply chain. Contrary to this, REDs and specifically CENORED adds a whole lot of value in terms of reliability, security of supply, network uptime and customer service which is brought right to the door steps of end users. What makes CENORED unique from other REDs?
It is a very challenging role given the everchanging issues that need to be dealt with on an ongoing basis. Challenges also lies in fact that the electricity sector is a regulated industry with tariffs that are controlled. It therefore becomes the responsibility of the supply authority to identify efficient ways to doing business to ensure continued existence in the business.
Wayiti: CENORED promotes a research and development (R&D) function within the engineering department which looks at new ways of doing engineering applications. This is a first to the entire Namibian Electricity Supply Industry (ESI) and therefore places CENORED on another level.
With the dawn of renewable energy technology comes challenges on how to apply this intermittent source of energy. All these adds to the complexity and challenging nature of the roles we fulfil.
Describe your time at Cenored thus far in one word?
Describe briefly what you do on a daily basis?
Wayiti: A father of two beautiful daughters, thanks to my partner. But also heads a household made up of my two siblings and three cousins that were left in my care after the passing of the elders.
Wayiti: As a chief Engineer, I would review designs, plan network expansions and monitor and control what is produced from engineering to other parties. I would also be the liaising officer between engineering and our internal customers on a daily basis.
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
Where is the room for growth when you are in such an influential position?
Wayiti: Fulfilling Finally, who is Silvester the family man?
So, Silvester is actually a father of seven young ones if you think of it!
In my current role as executive head of engineering, I review policies, formulate policies,
The Engineer | March-April 2018 • www.theengineer.com.na
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MINING / MANUFACTURING
KGK Brings Secrets to Diamond Success to Namibia KGK Group has entered Namibia as Sky Investment with a diamond cutting and polishing factory with an interest to widen partnerships and develop the diamond industry in the southern African country.
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ver the years, the KGK Group has become a go-to name for end-to-end gems and jewellery needs. The group is present in the entire spectrum of mining, sourcing, manufacturing and distributing coloured stones, diamonds and jewellery. It is present across the value chain to ensure smooth operations and impeccable quality standards. To date KGK has offices across 19 countries and cater to customers worldwide with presence in Belgium, Brazil, Botswana, China, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Japan, Mozambique, Russia, South Africa, Thailand, Taiwan, UAE and USA. The group caters to all kind of customers including national chain stores, international brands, Mom & Pop stores, independent stores, designer brands, majors, jewellery manufacturers, wholesalers, catalogue houses, e-retailers, etc. Making its efforts in Namibia commendable, according to the Namibian government. “We strongly believe that the improved terms of the new Agreement would result in increased opportunities for job creation, skills transfer, investment in infrastructure and technology, and a further integration and empowerment of Namibian citizens at all stages of the diamond value chain,” Tom Alweendo Minister of Mines and Energy (Namibia). KGK Group’s success has been founded on its great leadership, – be it the doyen and founder Keshrimalji Kothari who was followed by his
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Sandeep Kothari (left) officially opening the Sky Investment factory in Namibian with Mines and Energy Minister Tom Alweendo (right) visionary son Ghisilalji Kothari as well as the current crop of leadership which has Navrattan Kothari and his sons Sanjay and Sandeep. Managing the business since 1962, Navrattan Kothari has enabled KGK to innovate and expand into numerous markets and achieve global growth and recognition. With its operations and offices active in Asia, Australia, North and South America, Europe and Africa, KGK has achieved the vertically
integrated standing of mines-to-brands in the realm of gems & jewellery. Currently, the KGK Group has robust manufacturing units in over seven countries with marketing offices across the globe. Having achieved impeccable specialisation in gemstones, diamonds and jewellery for over a hundred years, The Engineer Magazine recently sat down with Managing Director Sandeep Kothari (ST), during his opening of the Namibian factory...
The Engineer | March-April 2018 • www.theengineer.com.na
Give us a brief profile of KGK Group in Africa alone?
There was need for us to train workers in certain
ST: KGK journey in Africa started in 1996 when
in India and globally.
ST: In Namibia our journey started around 18
we had just two cutters in Johannesburg, today
months ago when we started talking to the
we are the largest employer in the cutting and
Namibia Diamond Trading Company (NDTC).
polishing sector with over 350 workers in South
We implemented a ‘state of the art’ cutting and
Africa.
polishing diamond factory using many local contractors to complete the work.
We started manufacturing in Botswana in 2015 and our latest venture here in Namibia started
We have made direct investments of more
in August last year. KGK has fully embraced the
than N$ 14 million towards implementation and
beneficiation programmes in the SADC region
are looking forward to investing more on rough
and work hand in hand with governments to
diamond purchases, operations, training and
maintain a good record.
human capital development, of course, besides
technical areas and polishing skills that we apply
We thus carry out specialized and custom training programmes with skilled Indian expatriates to develop talent. Under this initiative we will send five Namibians for further training in India, not only for skills alone but to motivate our hard-working employees. Coming back to Namibia, what makes your Galaxy Ultra unique?
But what have been some of the distinct challenges of your African expansion?
ST: The Galaxy Ultra is the latest product of Sarin
Where is the growth plan focused on going forward?
ST: Challenges exist in every industry but it is
maximum value the rough diamonds that we
through these challenges that opportunities
source from NDTC.
ST: KGK’s prime focus is to grow the output
prevail. Speaking from an industry perspective
the ‘state of the art’ technology.
of processed rough diamonds through skills
we analysed the strategies required for sales,
development and employment creation. We
manufacturing and supply.
have internally trained the first group of young Namibians. We are looking towards increasing the number of employees from 53 to 83 before the end of the year 2018. We also seek to use all different departments to full maximum capacity and increase our turn around period for polishing quality stones of all different shapes, sizes, quality, clarity and colour.
Due to a highly volatile market rough prices would increase unpredictably we had to scale manufacturing costs to break even. The currency volatilities respond strongly to political changes, but we recognize the political stability of Namibia is very commendable and attractive for long term survival. The delivery and sales process were at first
You have been in the diamond and jewellery business for over 100 years, why Namibia and why now?
challenging in terms of product purchases,
ST: KGK has long held an ambition to add
these stumbling blocks where addressed.
payments, licensing criteria and import/export, but the process has now been transformed once
MINING / MANUFACTURING
It’s almost a year since your ‘soft’ opening last year of the factory. How do you describe your investments in Namibia thus far?
Technologies and enables us to extract the
The Galaxy Ultra allows us to perfectly map all the inclusions in stones of up to 20 carats down to a single micron it can also beam through a light coating on the Diamond. Once we have the 3D map and internal dimensions of the stone we can extract the most valued polished stones. What else excites you about your new Namibian baby, the Sky Investment Factory? ST: We realise a lot of potential here in Namibia, as mentioned our first objective is to grow the workforce and ensure they reached a desired level of competency to create the finest products.
Namibia to its portfolio of diamond factories, we are operational in many diamond mining countries and it was a logical extension of our activities. The KGK Group after talking to various investors on the ground in Namibia found it to be the ideal investor-friendly environment with support from local stakeholders. The positive on contribution of being in diamond mining countries is that local value is added to the diamonds, we receive good incentives such as the Export Processing Zones (EPZ), besides the fact that in Namibia it is closer to handling, grading and sales sights. Namibia is a stable economy with a strong services sector that caters for our banking, financial and supply needs. The environment has become competitive and we receive great value for each carat.
The Engineer | March-April 2018 • www.theengineer.com.na
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MINING / MANUFACTURING
We wish to uphold a sustainable production level and with the continued support of local stakeholders we can become one of the largest manufactures of diamonds here in Namibia.
KGK is committed to being a good corporate citizen here in Namibia and we will work with all our stakeholders including the other local polishers to ensure we have a sustainable industry here in Namibia.
How does technology impact your operations?
Your message to your stakeholders, in particular the broader market that you supply?
ST: Technology today in cutting and polishing diamonds is vital without using adequate technology at every stage of the cutting and polishing process it is impossible to compete with lower cost operations in India and China. We talked earlier about the Galaxy ultra but we also use a high-tech laser for cutting the stones and have a range of other technologies to ensure that any product finished in Namibia will be send to the GIA for certification and then sold at our sales offices worldwide. In addition to the technology we deployed a series of information technology systems from the very planning stage to finishing stages. What keeps you awake at night, regarding this project? ST: I do not lie awake worrying about this project we have planned well and made all the right investments to ensure we are going to be competitive. We have been appointed a Sightholder of NDTC and have that comfort that we have continuity of supply. Of course, training, how unique is it to the success of this new venture in Namibia? ST: Training is fundamental and something we are pouring a lot of effort into. When you enter our factory the first section you notice is the training room where we are bringing workers through in groups of 8 people. In order to support these workers, we have the technology at each of the stages of the manufacturing process. Even once staff commence on the production of live goods we have some experienced trainers to support them. What is your message to the other 12 diamond polishers in Namibia? ST: The diamond community is quite small and I don’t believe at a cutting and polishing level we are competitors. The challenges we may face on the ground will be common to us all.
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ST: In the diamond business the KGK name is well known but our intention in Namibia, which I believe we have communicated to all our stakeholders, is to create a world class diamond cutting facility competitive with any factory in the world. To our customers we want them to know that they can have complete confidence in the product they are buying in terms or the origin and who has cut their diamond. The provenance of the stone has become a very important factor today. So where do you see KGK in Africa 10 years from now? ST: Part of the reason KGK has invested to this level, is because we believe that the producer nations where we operate will continue to provide us with the right environment and continuity of supply. In 10 years’ time I am confident that KGK’s operations will continue to be competitive at global scale as long as we continue to invest in our workforce and the technology and systems to support them. If you were to advise African governments about the diamond and jewellery industry, what would you say? ST: In my experience African governments specifically in the diamond sector are fully engaged with manufacturers like ourselves and as long as there continues to be and open and honest dialogue between the various parties we will all work very well together. I think all Government agencies, IN Namibia’s case, and the NDTC understand that producing a ‘state of the art’ manufacturing operation requires significant capital expenditure that will only payback over time. The continuity of the relationship is vital and that all stake holders understand that training programmes and investments made by companies like KGK are for the long term.
ABOUT SANDEEP KOTHARI Managing Director
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fter joining the group in 1990, Sandeep became involved in diamond procurement and processing and was responsible for growing the business considerably worldwide. Now based in Antwerp, the world’s largest diamond centre, he has been instrumental in expanding KGK’s polished diamonds sales in Europe. His many successful initiatives include developing trusted supplier relationships with companies De Beers, Alrosa and Rio Tinto. KGK’s unique vertically integrated business is spread from mines-to-retail, marking their invincible presence across the pipeline of the gems and jewellery industry and translating it into a value chain offering considerable competitive advantages. He has been the managing director of the KGK Group for over 10 years now after his father Navrattan, who is now the Chairman of the Group, handed over the reins to him. His brother Sanjay who is based in Hong Kong focuses on the sales and marketing of the KGK Group. He says, “I look after the rough sourcing and manufacturing side of the business and with Africa being such an important partner for the Group I am in Africa every month meeting stakeholders and overseeing developments in the factories. For the diamond industry we are a relatively small family so I rely on a team of professionals to manage day to day operation be it a factory, the Finance and banking side or in deed the human resources side. However, I am not the sort of person that sits behind my desk, I like to interact with my staff ask the questions, challenge them how we can do better. It is a culture of hard work that I believe motivates people when they see what we have collectively achieved.”
The Engineer | March-April 2018 • www.theengineer.com.na
World leading transport solutions provider, Scania is buoyed by its Namibian operations, owing to the evolution in the logistics industry in the country which is now concentrated towards a sustainable transport system.
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ctive in various spheres of business, from financial services and insurance through transport, logistics, mining services, spare parts, fleet management and monitoring, and truck sales, busses and electrical generators,
Scania Namibia’s growth has gone rapidly, anchored by a whole new range of possibilities. “We strive to be affective in all areas of business and strive to ensure mutually beneficial transactions for both ourselves and our customers. We are currently gearing ourselves to be able to capitalise when the Mining and construction Sector turns around. As we feel this is an area that the Brand has been underutilised and undervalued in Namibia, we have fantastic products that have the lowest TOC in these industries,” says Regional Sales Manager, Jaco Zondagh.
LOGISTICS
Scania buoyed by Namibia’s evolution in logistics and mining
advantage of being a gateway to the west coast of Africa, Namibia plays an increasingly important role in trade, linking the global economic centres with close to 300 million consumers in southern Africa. The port expansion activities in the Port of Walvis Bay where a new container terminal on reclaimed land project, plus a new liquid bulk terminal currently under construction, are both nearing completion.The liquid bulk terminal will increase Namibia’s oil storage capacity from the current 15 days to 45 days.
Scania Has been active in Namibia for more than 40 years, but lately there has been a fresh appetite in the logistics market. Through its world-class commercial port of Walvis Bay, international shipping connection and the added The Walvis Bay Port expansion is progressing well.
The Engineer | March-April 2018 • www.theengineer.com.na
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LOGISTICS
Tallied to that is the mining industry generating R28.85 billion in revenue during 2016 from R25.28b in 2015. Simonis Storm Securities expects this to increase further R29.2 billion in 2018 as diamond and uranium production increases. Africa is a continent that’s rapidly moving forward and home to 11 of the world’s fastest growing economies. Scania’s plans for Namibia over the coming years include maintaining its consistency as the leading Brand in Transport and Logistics Solutions, while growing other areas such as mining and power generation. All this, Scania says it will match with its company’s ethos as it strives to build a reputation in the industry fort the quality of its products and has earned service excellence awards locally and internationally. Scania Core values are: • Customer First • Respect for the individual • Elimination of Waste
monitor, manage, trade, service and maintain, contract, and many ancillary services.”
• Integrity • Team Spirit
Local skills important
• Determination “There are lots of truck customers here who want to expand their operations and who, with the market’s best service behind them, are now willing to take that step,” says Zondagh.
Another important factor in Scania’s successful set-up in Namibia, one of its four bases in Southern Africa, is the skills that have been brought into the organisation through local recruitment.
“There’s good potential and a major need for supporting vehicles with high quality and uptime in areas such as the transport of fuel, construction and mining equipment, long-distance buses, and engines considering the dynamic changes at our ports.”
“Without all these professional staff members with their knowledge of how business is done how everything else works here in Namibia and Southern Africa, we would never be where we are today,” says Zondagh.
For Zondagh, Scania Namibia prides itself in partnering with its customers to provide complete solutions. He adds, “We consult, advise, finance, assist with insurance, provide products, provide training,
The Scania-owned workshop in NorthernWindhoek’s Lafrenz Industrial Area is among the most modern and the new benchmark for service in the region. It is the same area where its trainings are held as the company has set quality standards as a benchmark to quality products. And this is done through its commitment to service customers, expanding its network as required, and going the extra mile to facilitate the ever-changing demands set by the industry.
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“We also have committed ourselves to protecting the environment and pride ourselves in the fuel consumption and low emissions of our products.” No doubt Scania is an expensive brand. You can measure the development of a country by looking at the proportion the cost of logistics represents in the total production of goods and services. In advanced economies in Europe, logistics costs represent nine per cent of the GDP and in China, which still has mobility challenges, the figure increases to 19 per cent. If a country wants to be competitive it has to address logistical challenges by finding the right transport solutions. Yet In Namibia, when it comes to total operating economy (TOE) and total cost of ownership(TCO), Scania is the leader in affordability in the transport, distribution and mining industry. Scania is currently expanding its offerings in digital satellite tracking and Fleet Management. There are a number of products on the drawing - board that will increase its capability to offer the complete solution in transportation to its esteemed Partners in Bussiness. “Watch the space for bigger things!” exclaims Zondagh Africa represents the highest growth potential for Scania. This is the reason why Scania has a strong presence in Southern Africa - they have an assembly plant there - Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Algeria. But southern Africa plays an important role in its 2020 strategy, which is to deliver 120,000 trucks globally per year. And with business picking up in Namibia, it looks brighter.
The Engineer | March-April 2018 • www.theengineer.com.na
LOGISTICS
Transitex: Connecting SADC and Europe through Namibia Global logistics operator and freight forwarder, Transitex’s operations in Namibia and around southern Africa now provide reliable and competitive logistical solutions involving global transportation by land, sea or air and that make them obtainable from anywhere on the globe.
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Luara Calhes | Head of the Windhoek Transitex office
t has been one full year since this logistics giants, part of the Yilport Group, the Turkish giant of ports management, opened branches in Zimbabwe and Namibia.
Acccording to Calhes, to support its service, Transitex, besides specializing in door-to-door transport has its own warehouses in Maputo and Johannesburg, which allow the consolidation and deconsolidation of cargo, in its process of continuous international expansion.
And Luara Calhes, head of the Windhoek office says Transitex is satisfied with the new wave of expansion from Europe (Poland, Sweden and Turkey) to southern Africa (Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia and South Africa), as well as in other geographical locations around the world, for its intra-Africa traffic. Transitex has an international road transport service, guaranteed by a fleet of its own trucks in Africa, which allows transportation of dry cargo, project cargo and machinery.
“The fact that Transitex has trucks allows us to control the load in real time and fully control the entire operation, from origin to destination” she says, adding, “Purpose of this service is to better connect Southern Africa, creating logistics solutions that are continuously more flexible and competitive.”
“We now have four offices in South Africa, two in Angola, another two in Mozambique, besides Namibia and Zimbabwe the new babies. In short, we cover all entry-ports in southern Africa without our own fleet and warehouse.” This service operates to and from South Africa and Mozambique, with connections to Malawi, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, Angola, Tanzania, Rwanda and Uganda. “The Namibian market alone is of course too small. Our idea is therefore beyond Namibia, this is our entrance for distribution. The plan for Namibia is for Walvis Bay port to be the main port with Latin America into the region, due to transcorridors. Of course, we are fascinated by Namibia’s fish and meat export in Europe which presents us as the idea transporter,” she says.
Among many possible routes are the connections between JHB-Durban-Cape Town and Lusaka-Blantyre-LilongweHarare-Maputo, Walvis Bay-Lubango-Luanda; Walvis BayGaberone-Harare, JHB, Windhoek-Luanda and between Maputo-Beira-Nacala and Blantyre-Lilongwe-Lusaka. With Transitex South Africa now officially licensed to transport bonded goods through southern Africa, the company’s road service in Southern Africa continues to gain a new strength and versatility. The certificate has been issued by SARS (South African Revenue Service) and allows Transitex to pick up and transport goods from and between bonded warehouses/ airports and to transport them to their final destination. Headquartered in Brazil, Transitex was founded in 2002 in Badajoz and has expanded the hinterland of Lisbon port, experiencing massive expansion in recent years. The new service constitutes an “opportunity” for small and mediumsized enterprises (SMEs), As Transitex points out, this type of service allows an exporter to send a lower volume cargo at a much lower cost than a full container. In the port of departure, Transitex assumes the consolidation of the cargo and prepares all the necessary documentation. With this new service, Transitex confirms its objective of boosting the increase in exports and the growing internationalisation of its customers. Consolidating this network and paying constant attention to the market’s development is the future of Transitex, striving to continue to grow in a sustainable way, as it has up until now and increasingly globalizing our services.
The Engineer | March-April 2018 • www.theengineer.com.na
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Dewatering can also refer to the process of removing water from soil by wet classification.
Why Dewatering? Construction dewatering is employed on nearly all construction sites owing to amassed water in trenches and excavations or in places with insufficient slope or high water table. In construction projects, this water should be removed to keep working as planned or to offer a safe workplace. Generally, builders are likely to use water pumps to dewater these regions, but if they are not paying attention to the place where water is discharged, erosion and other problems may happen. It is vital to follow best management practices when water is being pumped to lakes, wetlands or directly to storm sewer inlets. Dewatering Precautions Dewatering activities must be done right to steer clear of eroding the soil on the construction site. It is also essential to select the best location for discharge, even when you might be far away from water bodies or catch basins. There are numerous dewatering products that can be used to get rid of sediment from the pumped water, such as dewatering bags. When selecting a discharge regions from a dewatering process remember: • Water should not be pumped directly into slopes. • Dewatering activities should be bound for a wooded buffer, if available. • It is significant to pay special attention and discontinue dewatering if the region shows signs of instability or erosion.
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By Dennis Ayemba
CONSTRUCTION
Construction dewatering are terms used to portray the act of removing groundwater or surface water from a construction site. Usually the dewatering process is done by pumping or evaporation and is generally done prior to excavation for footings or to lower water table that might be causing troubles during excavations.
Importance of construction dewatering • Channels used on dewatering must be steady and better if they have been protected with grass or vegetation. • You should steer clear of dewatering under heavy rains because the infiltration rate is at a minimal and water will move slower or just the dewatering process will not function. • Never discharge water that has been contaminated with oil, grease, chemical products directly. In such instances, an oil/ water separator may be necessary. • Supplementary permits and requirements might be needed from state, local, or federal agencies. Dewatering Bags Dewatering bags are made of durable geotextile fabric used to filter water by removing sediments. Dewatering bags are used on dredging operations, construction sites or places with high water table near the shoreline. These bags should be sized based on the pump flow rate and type of sediment. When using dewatering bags avoid numerous pipe discharges as it may cause the filter bag to fail. Remember to manage water runoff correctly by guiding it to the nearest storm inlet. Dewatering Methods Construction dewatering from open excavation or trenches can be done by numerous methods. Nevertheless, the most simple of all is gravity drain using drainage channels carrying away water from the region to be worked to the discharge point.
Further practical ways for dewatering are water pumping, siphoning and/or using large construction machinery buckets to scoop and dump water from the chosen region. Earth channels used for dewatering could also be protected with ditch linings, and extra protection should be placed to decrease water velocities and reduce erosion. It is suggested to assemble rip rap revetment protection with geotextile to avoid further erosion at the discharge point.
Preventing Water from Affecting Your Site When it is known that a low permeability soil can be found, a likely solution to decrease the construction dewatering process is separating the permeable strata from other sources of water. Sometimes, sheet piles, slurry walls, and grout curtains can be used as a method of avoiding water from entering into you trench or foundation. Although this solution will not get rid of the problem, it is a very good plan to use when water table is high, as you will still need to pump or get rid of water from the foundation or trench owing to rainfall and water trapped in the area. Depending on the system use, a total engineering analysis will be necessary to analyze how this process affects other regions
The Engineer | March-April 2018 • www.theengineer.com.na
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ccording to Radebe, the signing of the Independent Power Producer (IPP) agreements is a milestone following a long period of uncertainty. “The long-awaited partnerships have been having numerous delays, including a last-minute court challenge. These 27 new projects are the biggest IPP procurement by the department. They represent a total of US $4.6bn investment,” he said.
Furthermore, Radebe stated that the government has no direct financial involvement in the investment, except for providing support to Eskom in the event of default by the buyer. South Africans will hold a majority 57.8% share in the project companies. On the other hand the balance will be controlled by the Public Investment Corporation and other institutions. Contrary to the view of the National Union of Mineworkers of South Africa (Numsa), Radebe said the renewable energy mix was going to help bring down the cost of electricity, which has been escalating over the years. The union and TransformRSA last month approached the North Gauteng High Court in an attempt to block the partnerships.
ENERGY
South Africa’s Energy Minister Jeff Radebe has signed a US $4.6bn contract with 27 independent renewable energy power producers to produce an additional 2 300 MW of electricity over the next five years.
By Moreen Mbogo
South Africa signs US $4.6bn deal with renewable power producers Lower prices The lower prices coming from the renewable energy projects will provide the much-needed relief to indigent households under the current economic conditions. The Northern Cape will receive the largest share of the investment. It will have 15 new wind, solar PV, and CSP projects. Four new wind farms will be in the Eastern Cape, and the North West will get four solar plants. Private sector participation in the country’s electricity industry was first approved by Cabinet in 2003, in a bid to boost capacity. Independent producers would contribute up to 30% of the country’s electricity production, and the rest would come from state power utility Eskom.
The Engineer | March-April 2018 • www.theengineer.com.na
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