Africa Outlook - Issue 49

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Veolia is leveraging its unrivalled sector knowledge to strive for enhanced waste water management in Africa, and beyond

BUSINESS TRAVEL GUIDE 26

Cape Town: Nature meets nurture in South Africa’s leading economic hub

AGRIMOTION 82 Using scientific principles for sustainable growth

JAMBO FOOD PRODUCTS LTD 96

Leading the Tanzanian beverage market boom

KENYA WINE AGENCIES LIMITED 106

Becoming masters of the craft

AFRICA OUTLOOK ISSUE 49 FEATURING: ORBIS AFRICA | THE COEGA DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION | AFRICA AGRIWEEK

Business Travel Guides

A complete guide to the world’s most popular locations

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CapeTown South Africa’s legislative capital and the continent’s third largest economic hub has perfected the blend of business and pleasure as inexplicable natural beauty plays host to globally-significant industry Writer: Matthew Staff When it comes to the leading business hubs of Africa, there are a few immediate names that spring to the fore, and shining like a beacon above the continent’s traditional gateway - Cape Town perhaps stands head and shoulders above them all.

The sights of Table Mountain down to the stunning coastline of Clifton Beach are renowned on a global scale, and far from the norm of neighbouring cities and urban hubs around Africa, Cape Town’s reputation as a desirable tourist destination, migration opportunity or business travel centre is firmly set in stone already.

Very little marketing or promotional

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work needs to be done to drill home the appeal of South Africa’s second most populous urban area and provincial capital. And Western Cape’s finest asset somewhat inevitably carries a similar cachet when it comes to the business world and its appeal to the executive fraternity.

As the seat of the National Parliament and the legislative capital of the country, the city’s ability to marry business with pleasure is undoubted; only with the added bonus of being wedded on some of the most stunning backdrops in the world.

By proxy, its hugely diverse and multicultural make-up ensures its status as a key hub for business travel from all continents, and despite the

wider country no longer being the sole point of entry for industry in Africa, South Africa’s tradition and history as the continental front door has already done the hard work in making Cape Town’s infrastructure one of the most varied, developed and lucrative for miles around.

Cape Town Tourism, the City of Cape Town’s official regional tourism organisation is responsible for destination marketing, visitor and industry services; and is excited about the potential that Cape Town still has from both a tourism and business travel perspective “Successful tourism doesn’t just boost economies – it builds pride too.

Cape Town Tourism believes in close

encounters, people as the focus point of tourism, responsible living, and immersion in the destinations and cultures we visit; this is what gives tourism in Cape Town its unique energy and appeal,” the Company says.

“We believe that tourism is built around involvement, participation, relationship and partnership, and that it is about actively taking hands with local communities, listening to their needs and working side by side to ensure that the environment and indigenous cultures are preserved, while allowing responsible travellers to experience the holiday of a lifetime.”

Facts and figures

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Very little marketing or promotional firmly set in stone already. opportunity or business travel centre is tourist destination, migration Cape Town’s reputation as a desirable cities and urban hubs around Africa, and far from the norm of neighbouring Beach are renowned on a global scale, to the stunning coastline of Clifton The sights of Table Mountain down shoulders above them all.

Town perhaps stands head and continent’s traditional gateway - Cape shining like a beacon above the spring to the fore, and immediate names that Africa, there are a few leading business hubs of When it comes to the

from all continents, and despite the status as a key hub for business travel multicultural make-up ensures its By proxy, its hugely diverse and backdrops in the world. wedded on some of the most stunning only with the added bonus of being business with pleasure is undoubted; the country, the city’s ability to marry Parliament and the legislative capital of As the seat of the National the executive fraternity. to the business world and its appeal to carries a similar cachet when it comes finest asset somewhat inevitably provincial capital. And Western Cape’s most populous urban area and the appeal of South Africa’s second work needs to be done to drill home

Cape Town Tourism believes in close boost economies – it builds pride too.

“Successful tourism doesn’t just travel perspective from both a tourism and business the potential that Cape Town still has industry services; and is excited about destination marketing, visitor and organisation is responsible for Cape Town’s official regional tourism Cape Town Tourism, the City of miles around. varied, developed and lucrative for Town’s infrastructure one of the most done the hard work in making Cape the continental front door has already South Africa’s tradition and history as point of entry for industry in Africa, wider country no longer being the sole

host to globally-significant industry Writer: Matthew Staff perfected the blend of business and pleasure as inexplicable natural beauty plays South Africa’s legislative capital and the continent’s third largest economic hub has

experience the holiday of a lifetime.” while allowing responsible travellers to indigenous cultures are preserved, to ensure that the environment and their needs and working side by side with local communities, listening to that it is about actively taking hands relationship and partnership, and around involvement, participation, “We believe that tourism is built and appeal,” the Company says. tourism in Cape Town its unique energy cultures we visit; this is what gives immersion in the destinations and of tourism, responsible living, and encounters, people as the focus point

Country: South Africa Province: Western Cape Languages: English, Afrikaans, Xhosa Area: 2,445 square kilometres Population (2011): 3.7 million GDP: $58.9 billion Currency: Rand Time zone: UTC+2 Dialling code: +27 Internet TLD: .za Climate: Warm-summer Mediterranean Highest recorded temperature: 42.4°C

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temperature: 42.4°C Highest recorded Mediterranean Climate: Warm-summer Internet TLD: .za Dialling code: +27 Time zone: UTC+2 Currency: Rand GDP: $58.9 billion Population (2011): 3.7 million Area: 2,445 square kilometres Languages: English, Afrikaans, Xhosa Province: Western Cape Country: South Africa

Our Business Travel section not only gives executives the complete guide to the world’s most popular and populous locations, but also gives said locations the perfect opportunity to showcase their own businesses, events, venues and services to a truly international audience and readership of more than 165,000 each month.

Facts and figures

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To share in this unrivalled exposure and to put your own offering on our map, then please contact our Sales Managers, Joe Palliser or Ryan Gray to find out more.

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joe.palliser@outlookpublishing.com

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ryan.gray@outlookpublishing.com

+44 (0)1603 959 672

W E L C O M E Nature Trumps Nurture While the industrial heavyweights of the world arguably rule the roost when it comes to economic prosperity, this isn’t to say that there isn’t still a case for good old-fashioned nature to still pay its way, especially in Africa.

This month, we pay tribute to these often unsung heroes, exploring how the continent is still being driven - in some part - by those with earthly sustainability at heart.

Testament to this focus is Africa Outlook’s first ever section devoted to agriculture, as Flamingo Horticulture, Primarosa Flowers and Agrimotion all showcase the modern balance between technological innovation and traditional farming.

Inevitable overtones with the food & drink sector are also subsequently catered for virtue of Jambo Food Products, Kenya Wine Agency Limited and Invesco Zambia.

Our front of book section continues along the same theme, beginning with Phoebe Calver’s Moroccan exposé on the country’s solar ambitions, and finishing with our monthly Business Travel Guide on the city of Cape Town; a city which has become a tourist hotspot thanks to its mix of natural and nurtured splendour.

Even our Event Focus section gets in on the act, courtesy of Africa AgriWeek and African Utility Week.

The latter sets the tone for our headline performer and the edition’s most renowned contributor to natural preservation. Veolia Water Technologies is a name known around the world for its water solutions, and South Africa has benefitted from the Company’s innovative influence more than most in recent years as we find out.

“Veolia Water Technologies brings the key advantage of technical advice and assistance, helping authorities to optimise and use current resources to the maximum,” Veolia South Africa’s Managing Director, Gunter Rencken enthuses.

Industrial exploits aren’t ignored entirely as we round up the issue, with finance - ZEPRE - and Healthcare - Uganda Martyrs Hospital Lubaga - complemented by the always popular manufacturing and construction assortment across Triad Architects, Advent Construction, PDM Africa and the Coega Development Corporation.

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Veolia is leveraging its unrivalled sector knowledge to strive for enhanced waste water management in Africa, and beyond

BUSINESS TRAVEL GUIDE 00

Cape Town: Nature meets nurture in South Africa’s leading economic hub

AGRIMOTION 00 Using scientific principles for sustainable growth

JAMBO FOOD PRODUCTS LTD

00 Leading the Tanzanian beverage market boom

KENYA WINE AGENCIES LIMITED 00

Becoming masters of the craft

AFRICA OUTLOOK ISSUE 49 FEATURING: ORBIS AFRICA | THE COEGA DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION | AFRICA AGRIWEEK

EDITORIAL Editorial Director: Matthew Staff matthew.staff@outlookpublishing.com Deputy Editor: Phoebe Calver phoebe.calver@outlookpublishing.com

PRODUCTION Production Manager: Daniel George daniel.george@outlookpublishing.com Art Director: Stephen Giles steve.giles@outlookpublishing.com Advert Designer: Mandy Farnell mandy.farnell@outlookpublishing.com Images: Thinkstock by Getty Images

BUSINESS Sales Director: Nick Norris nick.norris@outlookpublishing.com Operations Director: James Mitchell james.mitchell@outlookpublishing.com Heads of Projects: Arron Rampling arron.rampling@outlookpublishing.com Donovan Smith donovan.smith@outlookpublishing.com Kane Weller kane.weller@outlookpublishing.com Tom Cullum tom.cullum@outlookpublishing.com Training Development Manager: Eddie Clinton eddie.clinton@outlookpublishing.com Sales Managers: Joe Palliser joe.palliser@outlookpublishing.com Ryan Gray ryan.gray@outlookpublishing.com Project Managers: Callam Waller callam.waller@outlookpublishing.com Josh Hyland josh.hyland@outlookpublishing.com Joshua Mann joshua.mann@outlookpublishing.com Stuart Parker stuart.parker@outlookpublishing.com

ADMINISTRATION Finance Director: Suzanne Welsh suzanne.welsh@outlookpublishing.com Office & Finance Manager: Sophia Curran sophia.curran@outlookpublishing.com WEB DESIGN: Hamit Saka IT: James Le-May

OUTLOOK PUBLISHING Managing Director: Ben Weaver ben.weaver@outlookpublishing.com Chairman: Mark Weaver CONTACT Outlook Publishing Ltd Woburn House, 84 St Benedicts Street, Norwich, Norfolk, NR2 4AB, United Kingdom Sales: +44 (0) 1603 959 652 Editorial: +44 (0) 1603 959 655 SUBSCRIPTIONS Tel: +44 (0)1603 959 655 Email: matthew.staff@outlookpublishing.com

www.africaoutlookmag.com Like us on Facebook - facebook.com/africaoutlook Follow us on Twitter - @Africa_Outlook

Matthew Staff

Editorial Director, Outlook Publishing

Enjoy the issue!

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In this issue of Africa Outlook...

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SHOWCASING LEADING COMPANIES Tell us your story and we’ll tell the world

ENERGY & UTILITIES

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VEOLIA WATER TECHNOLOGIES SOUTH AFRICA Complete Water Solutions for Africa Shaping and implementing practical models for water supply delivery

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NEWS

All the latest top stories from across Africa

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ENERGY Morocco Moves to Become the Next Solar Superpower

Tapping into the solar offerings of the desert

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ENEL GREEN POWER SOUTH AFRICA People and Innovation Leading South Africa’s renewable industry

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HEALTHCARE A Vision to Defeat Global Blindness

METSEC CABLES LTD Going the Extra Mile

Quality at every stage of the production cycle

Orbis Africa drives responsive eye innovations

S E C T O R

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F O C U S

RETAIL The Rise of Retail Robots

Absa Retail asks: will bots ever take over the world of customer service?

BUSINESS TRAVEL

GUIDE Cape Town

Nature meets nurture in South Africa’s leading economic hub

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A G R I C U L T U R E

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FLAMINGO HORTICULTURE LTD

By Growers, for Growers

Farming for the future, through the delivery of fresh, colourful produce to the world

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AGRIMOTION Scientific, Independent, Precise

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Using scientific principles for sustainable growth

AVNASH INDUSTRIES GHANA LIMITED Prosperity to the Common Man

H E A L T H C A R E

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Maximising local resources to offer a selfless service to a beloved Ghana

UGANDA MARTYRS HOSPITAL LUBAGA Service with Love

Providing affordable and quality healthcare services to Uganda

MANUFACTURING

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PRIMAROSA FLOWERS LIMITED Quality Flowers with Essence of Love

Exporting best-in-class roses on a global scale

THE COEGA DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION Right Place, Right Time, Right Choice South Africa’s leading investment destination continues to thrive

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TRIAD ARCHITECTS East Africa’s Architectural Innovators Providing innovative and creative architecture solutions

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ZEP-RE (PTA REINSURANCE COMPANY) A 25-Year Commitment to Quality Service Striving to become a world-class reinsurer in Africa

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JAMBO FOOD PRODUCTS LTD. Life in Every Drop

Leading the Tanzanian beverage market boom

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& D R I N K

KENYA WINE AGENCIES LIMITED Makign it Great for Everyone Becoming masters of the craft

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ADVENT CONSTRUCTION LIMITED Building the Future Unparalleled quality in construction

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PDM AFRICA From Experience to Excellence

Shaping the direction of real estate in East Africa

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INVESCO ZAMBIA Uniquely Satisfying Refreshment

Changing the shape of Zambia’s beverage industry

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AFRICA AGRIWEEK 2017

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AFRICAN UTILITY WEEK

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7TH ANNUAL BANKING & FINANCE CONFERENCE (AFBC)

The foremost African exhibition and conference for the global agriculture, aquaculture, livestock and veterinary community The leading conference and trade exhibition for African power, energy and water professionals

Making financial inclusion a reality in Africa

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AFRICA ENERGY FORUM

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THE AFRICA INSURANCE AND REINSURANCE CONFERENCE

Moroccan Ministry of Energy, Mines, Water & Environment to join discussions at the Africa Energy Forum in Copenhagen

Seeking ways to increase insurance penetration on the continent

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Inclusion Through Innovation.

The conference opened with a keynote session featuring international FinTech thought leader, Chris Principe, CEO of Chain2Trade, Inc. and Founder of the FinFuture magazine and Financial IT magazine, and Evans Munyuki, Chief Digital & Information Officer (CDIO) of MyBucks, who deliberated on Harnessing the Impact of FinTech to Deliver Constructive Economic & Social Outcomes for Africa – What makes FinTech in Africa Unique.

Speaking on the sidelines of the conference, Chris Principe said that: “A very positive story, if one that is not yet well understood, is unfolding in Africa. New technology, new ideas and new business models are producing new opportunities.

The distinctions between telecom services providers, payments services providers and financial institutions are breaking down. In virtually all African countries, there are sufficient numbers of mobile phones - which are not necessarily smartphones - for previously unbanked people to have access to high quality financial services at low cost. Innovative companies are using Blockchain technology and crypto-currencies to resolve fundamental problems such as lack of access to electricity and lack of access to global financial The impact of the FinTech reinvigorate innovation. markets.” revolution is not only being felt With the objective of harnessing the Mr. Principe continued by in the developed markets of the FinTech revolution to enable strategic saying: “Finnovation Africa: US and Europe where disruptive economic priorities such as financial Uganda highlights how FinTech is innovation is rapidly transforming inclusion and deepening, Finnovation transforming Africa for the better, the banking and financial services Africa: Uganda 2017 opened its doors facilitating payments, boosting landscape. In Africa, too, huge in Kampala on 7 April. The event was financial inclusion and developing game-changing leaps are currently attended by more than 300 industry new enterprises. However, the taking place which are transforming leaders representing more than 100 conference does much more than economies across the continent international organisations. A powerful that, as it engages key stakeholders - and helping to drive forward line-up of 36 international speakers to reveal how the entire world is key strategic priorities such as and industry thought leaders discussed changing. In many ways, Africa financial inclusion - as well as make topics focused on the theme of: is a FinTech leader, rather than a the established banking players FinTech Impact for Africa – Financial follower.”

TECHNOLOGY

FinTech’s Impact for Africa

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ECONOMY

South Africa’s Public Debate on Wealth Tax A committee set up to review South Africa’s tax system launched a public debate on one of the most controversial possible moves on its agenda - a wealth tax.

The Davis Tax Committee (DTC) announced it was inviting submissions from South Africans on whether the Government should implement such a tax to lessen the glaring inequality in Africa’s most industrialised economy.

“The DTC was specifically requested by the minister of finance to inquire as to whether it would be appropriate to introduce additional forms of wealth taxation and the feasibility of doing so,” the team said in a statement.

MINING & RESOURCES

South Africa’s Sibanye Declares War on Illegal Gold Miners Illegal gold mining has plagued South Africa’s mining companies for decades, robbing the industry and state coffers of billions of rand through small-time pilfering as well as networks run by organised crime.

Now, with un-mined output dwindling and proving more difficult to extract, one firm has had enough: diversified precious metals producer, Sibanye Gold says that it will clear all illegal miners from its shafts by the end of January next year.

“Sibanye can get it down by 90 percent, but they will never eradicate it completely,” Louis Nel, a security consultant who works on the

Appointed by former Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan in 2013 and headed by judge Dennis Davis, the Davis Tax Committee is tasked with assessing the role of the tax system in promoting growth, jobs, development and fiscal sustainability.

It said it was inviting submissions by the end of May on the desirability and feasibility of wealth taxes on land and property over and above those charged currently by municipal authorities, or a national wealth tax.

President, Jacob Zuma has called for a radical transformation of the economy following losses in local elections last year partly caused by anger over deep inequality that persists more than two decades after apartheid.

South Africa is grappling with weak economic growth and unemployment of more than 25 percent, and the white minority still controls a disproportionately big share of the economy.

fertile mining West Rand area near Johannesburg said. “You must never underestimate the ability of an illegal miner.”

Illegal gold mining costs South Africa’s Government and industry more than R20 billion a year in lost sales, taxes and royalties, the Chamber of Mines estimated in an unpublished document submitted to parliament in March.

Areas around both abandoned shafts and working mines are also made unsafe by the theft of copper, power cables and other infrastructure, it said in the document.

The operational security budget in Sibanye’s gold division alone isR400 million in 2017, equal to almost 20 percent of its headline earnings last year.

“If they are able to resolve the issue, it will be a positive,” said Hanre Rossouw, a portfolio manager with Investec, which holds shares in Sibanye.

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RETAIL

South Africa’s Shoprite Looks beyond Africa to Eastern Europe Africa’s biggest grocery retailer, Shoprite is considering a push into Eastern Europe, where it hopes to use knowledge gleaned from former suitor, Steinhoff International.

The move signals a change in strategy for Shoprite under Chief Executive, Pieter Engelbrecht, 47, as sovereign rating downgrades and a weak economy clouds prospects at home.

Shoprite has grown rapidly over the past two decades as shoppers from Lagos to Luanda increasingly shunned street markets and spent more of their wages in formal retail stores, but still less than 20 percent of its sales are outside its home market.

“We will look at other developing countries, that is also something that came out with our Steinhoff discussions and they’ve got good presence there, so we would like to leverage off that knowledge and definitely have a look at the East Bloc countries,” Engelbrecht said in an interview at the Company’s head office outside Cape Town.

T E C H N O L O G Y

Safaricom Resumes Service after Network Outage Kenya’s Safaricom has resumed some of its services, including voice calls, after a network outage knocked out services at the country’s biggest telecoms operator.

The firm, which is 40 percent owned

by Britain’s Vodafone, operates the M-Pesa mobile-phone cash platform,

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ECONOMY

Barclays’ Exit from Continent Halted Barclays’ plan to sell its African business and pull out of the continent are being hindered by South Africa’s political upheaval and credit-rating downgrades, according to banking sources and fund managers.

The British bank gave itself two to three years to sell its controlling stake in Johannesburg-based Barclays Africa when it announced the plan in early 2016, and sold 12 percent last May in an “accelerated used to transact billions of shillings in transfers, payments and loans by customers, businesses and banks.

“Data, SMS, M-Pesa and Enterprise services will be available intermittently

bookbuild” - a share sale held over a short period of time.

It had been planning another accelerated bookbuild in the last two weeks but pushed it back because of concerns over investor appetite due to political and economic uncertainty in South Africa, according to a banking source familiar with the plans.

South Africa has been mired in business uncertainty since late last year when the ruling African National Congress (ANC) pledged to radically transform the economy following losses in local elections that were partly caused by anger over deep inequality that persists more than two decades after apartheid. until the issue is fully resolved,” Safaricom said in a statement.

The Company last suffered a major outage two years ago when the network went down in the capital, Nairobi. A source at the Company declined to say when it last had a national outage.

Safaricom, which is the biggest Company on the Nairobi bourse by value, has 27.7 million subscribers, or 71.2 percent of the market. Its users struggled to communicate or make transactions when the network went down.

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M I N I N G & R E S O U R C E S

OIL & GAS

Shell Deny Wrongdoing in Nigeria

Marula Mine Lay-offs

Oil majors, Royal Dutch Shell and Eni reiterated that neither they nor their personnel had been involved in any wrongdoing in Nigeria, including improper payments to Nigerian officials.

The comments follow media reports alleging how hundreds of millions of dollars from the two companies were used for illicit payments.

A joint investigation by BuzzFeed News and an Italian newspaper claim to show transactions worth $1.3 billion T R AV E L & T O U R I S M

South African Airways’ Cabin Crew Strike over Pay Cabin crew at South African Airways (SAA) went on strike over pay benefits, the top union at the state-owned carrier said, disrupting domestic flights and threatening to extend the walkout to international routes.

SAA said the strike had already

made in 2010-2011 that Shell and Eni paid to acquire an exploration licence for an offshore oil block.

In emailed comments, an Eni spokesman said the allegations in the reports were not supported by the facts, the underlying agreements or the independent investigations conducted to date. delayed flights out of O.R. Tambo Airport in Johannesburg, which handles around 19 million passengers a year, and would also affect flights from its coastal airports.

“We will be here until the company puts an offer on the table.

We think what we are asking for is reasonable,” Zazi NsibanyoniAnyiam, President of the South African Cabin Crew Association said from a picket outside O.R. Tambo Airport.

South Africa’s Impala Platinum (Implats) said on Wednesday that low prices and social unrest could lead to large-scale job losses at its Marula mine, which has been a flashpoint for labour tensions in the past.

Marula, on the eastern branch of South Africa’s platinum belt, employs around 4,500 people including contractors.

“The ongoing community disruptions and low metal prices have resulted in a further restructuring process at Marula that could result in large-scale job losses at this operation,” Implats said in a statement.

“This is something the business and economy can ill afford, but remains imperative if we are to protect the financial viability of our business and preserve jobs as far as possible,” it said.

M I N I N G & R E S O U R C E S

Rio Tinto’s Namibian Uranium Mine Hikes Output Namibia’s Rössing Uranium, a Rio Tinto business, said it has managed to navigate “the worst year of the past decade” for the uranium industry, turning a 2015 loss into a net profit of 107 million Namibian dollars ($8.2 million) in 2016.

Rössing said that a combination of favourable exchange rates and a 48 percent increase in production from 1,245 tonnes of uranium oxide had helped counter the effects of depressed uranium spot prices, which have rebounded only modestly since hitting a 13-year low late last year.

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TELL US YOUR STORY

AND WE’LL TELL THE WORLD AFRICA OUTLOOK is a digital and print product aimed at boardroom and hands-on decision-makers across a wide range of industries on the continent.

With content compiled by our experienced editorial team, complemented by an in-house design and production team ensuring delivery to the highest standards, we look to promote the latest in engaging news, industry trends and success stories from the length and breadth of Africa.

We reach an audience of 165,000 people across the continent, bridging the full range of industrial sectors: mining; oil & gas; logistics; resources; manufacturing; construction; engineering; technology; food & drink; retail; finance; and healthcare.

In joining the leading industry heavyweights already enjoying the exposure we can provide, you can benefit from FREE coverage across both digital and print platforms, a FREE marketing brochure, extensive social media saturation, enhanced B2B networking opportunities, and a readymade forum to attract new investment and to grow your business.

To get involved, please contact Outlook Publishing’s Managing Director, Ben Weaver, who can provide further details on how to feature your company, for free, in one of our upcoming editions.

W W W. A F R I C A O U T LO O K M A G . C O M Tel: +44 (0) 1603 959 650 Email: ben.weaver@outlookpublishing.com

MOROCCO MOVES TO BECOME THE NEXT SOLAR SUPERPOWER

Morocco Moves to Become the Next

S LAR SUPERPOWER The target of becoming a leader in renewable energy production is looking increasingly possible for Morocco, with the development of its large-scale NOOR project Written by: Phoebe Calver

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E N E R G Y & U T I L I T I E S

orocco is perfectly poised to expand its renewable network and become the next solar superpower, tapping into the endless supply of opportunity provided by Ouazazate solar plant and the Saharan sun.

The country has set the target of using renewable energy to power half of Morocco’s energy needs by 2020, and with Noor Ouarzazate being built in three stages during the next couple of years, it is looking increasingly likely. The first stage was completed in February,

2016 after three years of planning and development, with the second and third due to start this year and next respectively.

The development has been commissioned on a build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) basis,

by ACWA Power Ouazazate, a consortium of ACWA Power, the Moroccan Agency for Solar

Energy (NOMAC), a subsidiary of ACWA Power and Masen; all of which have formed a part of the Moroccan Solare Energy Programme (NOOR).

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MOROCCO MOVES TO BECOME THE NEXT SOLAR SUPERPOWER

The primary aim of NOOR is to develop not only Ouazazate, but five solar complexes which hold a combined capacity of approximately 2GW by 2020, meeting the demands of Morocco; a country which depends on 95 percent imports to meet its current energy needs.

The site of Noor I - located close to the city of Ouazazate - is no stranger to huge scale projects, famous for being the spot used for filming of Hollywood blockbusters such as Lawrence of Arabia, Gladiator and more recently, Game of Thrones. Noor I’s equally grand opening on 4 February, 2016 by his Majesty Mohammed VI of Morocco, set in motion the first part of the threephase project.

‘Not only will the energy created offer huge returns for the country, but also on the investment put into the development in the first place’

More than simple energy

The project is innovative in every aspect, using concentrating solar power (CSP), which in its initial stages is more expensive to install than the more widely known photovoltaic panels, however it does enable the storage of energy for both night and day, facilitating 24-hour renewable energy.

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Mohammed VI (left) with Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2016

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The mirrors which each stand at 12 metres, are attached to a steel pipeline which carries the heat transfer solution (HTF) warmed to 393 degrees Celsius.

Each mirror will focus the sun’s light, heating the HTF which mixed with water will produce the steam required to drive a turbine and generate electrical power.

In embarking on this project, Morocco is employing cutting-edge solar technology and taking bold steps towards a future with entirely clean energy; pioneering the use of greener technology being big part of the country’s plans for renewable energy in the future.

Not only will the energy created offer huge returns for the country, but also on the investment put into the development in the first place. For Morocco’s people it will enhance their energy security, creating a cleaner environment and encouraging new industries and job creation.

NOOR I alone is predicted to offset 240,000 tonnes a year of Co2 emissions, while also having generated around 1,000 construction jobs and 60

E N E R G Y & U T I L I T I E S

A leader in renewables

NOOR will be the size of Morocco’s capital city

permanent jobs during the operation and maintenance phases.

When the building of NOOR II and NOOR III are completed, it is expected that the combination will aid in offsetting 533,000 tonnes of Co2 emissions every year, while also lowering carbon emissions by an estimated 760,000 tonnes a year.

Due to its high import needs when it comes to energy, Morocco is keep to diversify the way that it embraces renewable energy, hence both the scale and nature of this project. Africa and in particular North Africa have huge areas of potential for solar generation that have remained largely untapped for many years, therefore it would be unsurprising if this was the first of many projects of this type.

‘When the building of NOOR II and NOOR III are completed, it is expected that the combination will aid in offsetting 533,000 tonnes of Co2 emissions every year’

Morocco is most definitely acting as a leader in this area, providing a perfect model for other countries to follow when pursuing the development of their energy sectors in a far more sustainable manner.

It is certain that the plant will have a lasting impact on the country and leave a lasting impression on the world. As well as lowering both carbon emissions and the dependence of the country on fossil fuels, NOOR is expected to increase the share of renewable energy in the total electricity of generation from 13 to 42 percent, with a very positive impact on the surrounding area.

Of course the potential for solar power that is held in the desert has been obvious for many years, however, the challenge has been in capturing that energy and being able to transport it to the areas where it is needed.

With 800 rows of these CSP solar mirrors - that’s 500,000 in total - when the project is completed, the plant will be the approximate size of Morocco’s capital city, producing enough power to support one million homes.

It is predicted that solar energy produced in this decade could have the same impact on the region as oil production did in the last, making up a third of Morocco’s renewable energy supply, with hydro and wind power taking the same equal share and making for a very exciting few years to come.

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A Vision to Defeat Global Blindness Orbis Africa has been working to preserve and restore the sight of impoverished communities in Africa for the past seven years, and CEO, Lene Ă˜verland explains its plans for the future Writer: Phoebe Calver illions of people go blind every year, with millions more suffering poor vision due to the lack of access to basic care that most of us take for granted. At present, four in five people are blind from avoidable causes, with 90 percent of these people living in low income countries.

Orbis Africa was established with the purpose of combating this issue in 2010, and with its offices located in Cape Town, South Africa, it is affiliated with Orbis International; the international non-profit that has been fighting blindness the world over for more than 30 years.

The ultimate goal of Orbis Africa is fundamentally to preserve or restore

the sight of people living in highly impoverished communities in Africa.

With 23 percent of children who are blind in the world living in sub-Saharan Africa, Orbis is currently developing a child-friendly service in South Africa, Ethiopia, Zambia, Cameroon and Ghana in attempts to combat this.

The human resource workforce in 36 countries in sub-Saharan Africa is currently in crisis, and subsequently this has prompted Orbis to work towards strengthening training institutions to prompt the delivery of high quality training and service delivery with the hopes of restoring sight to the populations of these countries.

Lene Ă˜verland, Chief Executive Officer at Orbis Africa is an international specialist in public health advocacy

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and programming on both a strategic and operational level. Having worked within the Orbis family since 2007, Øverland is responsible for the strategic development of Orbis’ programmes in sub-Saharan Africa and the implementation of programmes that will improve child eye-health services.

Africa Outlook (AfO): At present, what are the key areas of improvement that Orbis Africa is looking to implement over the next few years?

Lene Øverland (LØ): We are focused on increasing the skills and knowledge of our partners by taking a team approach; we don’t just train ophthalmologists, but an entire eyehealth team.

A team approach will ultimately affect the entire eye-health system, transferring skills from one doctor or nurse to an entire team of eye care professionals, therefore promoting self-sufficiency. This improves the quality of patient care standards and clinical efficiency, leading to better quality patient outcomes.

Orbis Africa conducts its training programmes by collaborating with local hospitals, using our Flying Eye Hospital and Cybersight. These programmes include training and enhancing the skills of the entire eye care team in areas including paediatric eye care, cataract, glaucoma, retina, oculoplastics and diabetic retinopathy;

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“Orbis Africa conducts its training programmes by collaborating with local hospitals, using our Flying Eye Hospital and Cybersight”

all of which are areas we hope to continue improving.

To ensure success in our projects, Orbis Africa builds relationships and collaborates with policy makers, ministries of health and NGOs. The development of these relationships will allow us to advocate for the placement of supportive policies on national agendas, and campaign for public awareness and education around the importance of quality eye care.

AfO: How much research & development goes into monitoring global trends and developments, to then replicate those in Orbis Africa?

LØ: Innovation is at the core of our work in order to keep it current.

We continuously inform ourselves of the critical trends in healthcare and the other relevant sectors, ensuring that our work not only reflects the latest thinking but also seeks out new pathways.

Orbis Africa is committed to driving forward with an evidence-centred approach to our mission of promoting eye health for all. We cultivate an organisational culture which is attentive to the need for rigour in generating evidence. We actively use high quality evidence to inform our strategies and contribute to global and local solutions by producing the original evidence of innovation approaches to high impact eye health problems.

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Africa is the continent with the highest prevalence of blindness

Leveraging innovation to strengthen health systems

AfO: What are the biggest challenges that Orbis Africa encounters in the industry and how is it looking to overcome these?

LĂ˜: In line with the evolution of the NGO sector we are working in, Orbis has to expand outwardly from our historical emphasis on the eye care-specific institutions to a broader approach. We acknowledge that we can and must do better in gathering the data to measure our performance against these goals.

As an organisation we must focus on knowledge transfer across the world, leveraging innovation and working for the strengthening of health systems that integrate eye care into the general health care system. This is the key to establishing the sustainability of our investments. We also recognise that our historic focus on continuing medical education must be bolstered by efforts to improve pre-service education, to expand the number of health care professionals devoted to eye care and improve the quality and safety of services.

when they need them, in facilities with the appropriate human resources, infrastructure and systems that are supported by governments who are fulfilling their responsibility to prevent and treat visual impairment and blindness.

Moving forward it is important for us to remember that Africa is the continent with the highest prevalence of blindness, presently at an estimated 4.8 million blind and 16.6 million people living with severe to moderate visual impairment.

When sight is restored to people who are visually impaired, or when blindness is prevented, not only does it improve the lives of the individual, but also strengthens their community.

Men and women can return to work, children can go back to school to continue their education and people can begin to contribute to their community again, helping to build a better future for their families. It is so important for us to be a part of making this a reality, and it will continue to be the driving force for Orbis Africa.

Improving lives of individuals and communities

AfO: Looking forward, what would you hope and expect to be able to report back to me, in terms of progress and development of Orbis, if we were to speak again in a year’s time or even further down the line?

LĂ˜: Our overall goal is that by 2020, children and adults living in the region covered by Orbis Africa will be able to utilise eye health services

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Retail THE RISE OF

Robots Jan Moganwa, Chief Executive of Customer Solutions at Absa Retail and Business Banking asks whether humans are still the customers’ champion, or whether the robots have risen to top spot

Writer: Jan Moganwa, Chief Executive of Customer Solutions at Absa Retail and Business Banking

riverless cars, 3D printers and smart homes have arrived, and nobody is surprised any longer about pronouncements that artificial intelligence has come close to matching human capabilities, even surpassing it in some ways. Still, there are certain areas of life and business where the human touch will arguably always have a place over robotics, or ‘bots’ for short.

Customer service - or at least components of it - is one of them.

While bots are hard at work behind the scenes, and becoming more visible in some parts of the front-office too, they’re unlikely to oust human beings We don’t see robots taking over; we’re envisaging a combination of the two; people and machines. Machines are very good at certain tasks, such as processing big data and turning it into customer insights, but they’re terrible at understanding jokes and cultural nuances, and displaying empathy. In situations where you’re feeling vulnerable, like when your credit card has been stolen, you want to interact with someone who can share your pain. Machines aren’t very good at that.

Sharing the pain

Nor does it seem likely that bots will, in the foreseeable future, evolve to the point where they can convincingly share a customer’s pain. In a study by Oxford University researchers on the future of employment, the authors say it is especially tricky for computers to emulate skills such as negotiation, persuasion and care. “… the real-time recognition of natural human emotion remains a challenging problem, and the ability to respond intelligently to such inputs is even more difficult,” the authors say.

They refer to the international Loebner Prize for artificial intelligence, which includes a “Turing Test”

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Blending the best customer service attributes with machines makes business sense

competition (named after World War II code-breaker, Alan Turing) where prizes are awarded for the most human-like chatbox programs.

“Sophisticated algorithms have so far failed to convince judges about their human resemblance,” say the authors of the 2013 study.

“This is largely because there is so much ‘common sense’ information possessed by humans, which is difficult to articulate, that would need to be provided to algorithms if they are to function in human social settings.”

another human.

Marius de la Rey, Chief Executive of Customer Channels, Distribution and Coverage at Absa, agrees that some components of customer service lend themselves to digitisation, while others do not: “Sometimes, it’s the vibe of humans that appeals to humans,” he says, referring to an experiment in the hospitality industry, where coffee shop patrons taking part in a blind tasting consistently preferred the quality of coffee served by humans to that

The best of both worlds

It makes sense to blend the best customer service attributes of people and machines. Robots function best in routine, non-empathy scenarios.

For example, a customer might start an artificial intelligence conversation with a robot and, if the circumstances call for it, switch over to engaging with

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dispensed by vending machines. “It’s the psychological gap.”

Absa’s strategy of bridging the gap, finding the “sweet spot” where technology meets humanity, is embodied by one of the bank’s latest advertising campaigns featuring Bongz and Bot.

Technology meets humanity

“While Bongz represents all of us, the ‘everyman’ and our need for personalised banking services that

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work around our lives, Bot is all about technology and innovation,” says De la Rey. “The interaction between the two and what they teach each other is really what we are after. The key here is that our digital platforms are easy to use.”

Absa’s ChatBanking service, for example, is offered on Facebook Messenger (a world first) and Twitter, allowing customers to check their balances, make payments or buy airtime and data without leaving their preferred social media channel.

Other easy-to-use bot-type solutions are the Absa mobile phone App and the bank’s Siri software, which uses natural language processing to engage with customers, helping them perform simple tasks such as checking their balance.

Our focus is on designing products and solutions with the customer in mind. These are customer tasks that can frustrate customers, such as standing in long queues, filling in the same documents more than once, and

being passed from pillar to post on the phone.

Meanwhile, the bank is keeping its finger on the pulse of the latest bot developments and changing customer preferences. It actively monitors trends among banks across the globe, conducts market research among customers, and uses data analytics to glean customer insights from the vast volumes of data gathered on customers’ use of its branches, ATMs, call centres, Apps, online banking and digital services like ChatBanking.

“Driverless cars might be here, but when it comes to bots in banking, there’s still a person in the driver’s seat; and that’s the customer,” de la Rey concludes.

“The key here is that our digital platforms are easy to use”

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CapeTown South Africa’s legislative capital and the continent’s third largest economic hub has perfected the blend of business and pleasure as inexplicable natural beauty plays host to globally-significant industry Writer: Matthew Staff When it comes to the leading business hubs of Africa, there are a few immediate names that spring to the fore, and shining like a beacon above the continent’s traditional gateway - Cape Town perhaps stands head and shoulders above them all.

The sights of Table Mountain down to the stunning coastline of Clifton Beach are renowned on a global scale, and far from the norm of neighbouring cities and urban hubs around Africa, Cape Town’s reputation as a desirable tourist destination, migration opportunity or business travel centre is firmly set in stone already.

Very little marketing or promotional

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work needs to be done to drill home the appeal of South Africa’s second most populous urban area and provincial capital. And Western Cape’s finest asset somewhat inevitably carries a similar cachet when it comes to the business world and its appeal to the executive fraternity.

As the seat of the National Parliament and the legislative capital of the country, the city’s ability to marry business with pleasure is undoubted; only with the added bonus of being wedded on some of the most stunning backdrops in the world.

By proxy, its hugely diverse and multicultural make-up ensures its status as a key hub for business travel from all continents, and despite the

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wider country no longer being the sole point of entry for industry in Africa, South Africa’s tradition and history as the continental front door has already done the hard work in making Cape Town’s infrastructure one of the most varied, developed and lucrative for miles around.

Cape Town Tourism, the City of Cape Town’s official regional tourism organisation is responsible for destination marketing, visitor and industry services; and is excited about the potential that Cape Town still has from both a tourism and business travel perspective “Successful tourism doesn’t just boost economies – it builds pride too.

Cape Town Tourism believes in close

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encounters, people as the focus point of tourism, responsible living, and immersion in the destinations and cultures we visit; this is what gives tourism in Cape Town its unique energy and appeal,” the Company says.

“We believe that tourism is built around involvement, participation, relationship and partnership, and that it is about actively taking hands with local communities, listening to their needs and working side by side to ensure that the environment and indigenous cultures are preserved, while allowing responsible travellers to experience the holiday of a lifetime.”

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Country: South Africa Province: Western Cape Languages: English, Afrikaans, Xhosa Area: 2,445 square kilometres Population (2011): 3.7 million GDP: $58.9 billion Currency: Rand Time zone: UTC+2 Dialling code: +27 Internet TLD: .za Climate: Warm-summer Mediterranean Highest recorded temperature: 42.4°C

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The Business End

Cape Town has experienced constant renovations

THE WORLD CUP in 2010 not only had a positive influence on the city’s transport network, local economy and business outlets, but also provided Cape Town with an opportunity - or necessity, at the time - to improve its levels of accommodation; in preparation for welcoming the largest influx of people at one time ever seen in the area.

Not only was capacity an issue, but the pressure was also on to meet stringent quality and sustainability standards in improving the state of hotels, hostels, apartments and resorts around the city; a benefit that is still seen in the aftermath of the tournament for the business travellers coming into the country, and that is still being improved upon to this day as previous infrastructure for the World Cup continues to be renovated into offices and hotels.

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This level of innovation and business acumen is indicative of a city that has long been the economic hub of the Western Cape, is South Africa’s main economic centre, and is the third main economic hub city in the whole continent.

While tourism inevitably comprises a sizeable portion of this ongoing GDP growth, it is once again the mix of leisure and industry that keeps driving Cape Town forward, and key sectors including manufacturing, agriculture, financial services, supply chain, electronics and textiles have all flourished over the years as a consequence of its strong trade routes and its FDI (foreign direct investment) attractiveness.

Additional booms across real estate and construction markets - again largely thanks to the World Cup in 2010

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- further cements Cape Town’s standing as a key area for business growth, and subsequently, business travellers entering the city.

Multinational giants including Johnson & Johnson, Nampak, GlaxoSmithKline and Adidas all house manufacturing bases in the city to emphasise the level of industry being enjoyed to this day, and the extent to which Cape Town has to make itself suitable for the business domain as a consequence.

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Not Not for for Sale Sale to to Persons Persons Under Under the the Age Age of of 18.

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Out & About ONCE AGAIN BRINGING to mind the nature versus nurture debate, the must-dos and must sees of Cape Town essentially split these options down the middle, giving every preference and demographic plenty of choice as to how they spend their time in the region.

On the side of nurture, the city’s CBD is littered with four and five star hotels, efficient transport links and - most importantly - a vast array of eateries, retail outlets and leisure activities.

Encompassing all three of the above is the V&A Waterfront which is arguably the most popular daytime destination for locals and tourists alike. And for the more adventurous or curious among you, Two Oceans Aquarium’s glimpse into local exotic

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sea life is one of the area’s most visited attractions.

When night comes, it’s well worth checking out theatre productions being put on by Artscape in the city centre or, if you’d rather eat and drink your business stresses away, then Cape Town’s restaurant and bar assortment is equally abundant.

Despite all of this though, it is on the nature side of the argument where Cape Town makes its name as one of the world’s most desirable destinations.

And with the likes of Table Mountain, Clifton Beach, Shamwari Game Reserve, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens and Robben Island to boast, it is no wonder why.

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Outlook recommends “You really can’t overstate the case for visiting Cape Town.”

- Pippa de Buryn, TheTelegraph

HOSPITALITY

LEISURE TRANSPORT Two Oceans Aquarium Bringing together the diversity of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, Two Oceans Aquarium has become one of Cape Town’s top tourist attractions, and an equally attractive proposition for business travellers looking to immerse themselves in something fun and informational during their time in the city.

V&A Waterfront

BUSINESS AGENCIES

Premier Car Rental With a fulfilled promise of never letting you down, Premier Car Rental has long serviced the city of Cape Town - its residents, tourists and business travellers - virtue of its extensive car, van and truck rental options. As one of the country’s fastest growing companies in the sector, customer satisfaction is given paramount consideration.

Airport Shuttle Cape Town Airport Hopper

Hitch Digital The “results-based, full service digital agency” has offices in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban and, as such, is established as one of the country’s leading business agencies. Building its success around performance and agility, Hitch Digital focuses on providing industry-leading results for the sake of its clients.

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ART & CULTURE Artscape World-class productions, high-tech sets and locally-made productions all come together through Artscape to showcase the highest levels of artistic excellence that Cape Town has to offer.

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Hout Bay Manor The four-star Hout Bay-located landmark has refined first-class levels of hospitality, food & drink, and spa treatments to offer all demographics the “perfect resting place for your journey”.

Shamwari Game Reserve As one of the most successful private conservation initiatives in Southern Africa, Shamwari Game Reserve is one of the Eastern Cape’s most popular safaris, being described as an unforgettable destination and an opportunity to create memories that last a lifetime.

FOOD & DRINK Groot Constantia

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Email us: premier@thenet.co.za Book online: www.premiercarrentals.co.za

CAR RENTAL

LONG TERM RENTAL

Premier Cars Bakkie and Truck Rental serves major towns across the Western Cape. As one of the fastest growing rental companies in South Africa, ours is a dynamic company, a trusted brand making customers happy.

24 hours, 7 days a week service “Why should you rent from us?

We will never let you down”

CALL: 086 100 7434

Best prices. We offer highly competitive rates, often up to 40% cheaper than the competition.

Flexibility. We are the only car rental agency in Montreal able to serve you till 9PM, 7 days a week.

Fantastic customer service. Our proof: the high number of returning customers.

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Transport Links

The city’s rail network contributes to one of the country’s most extensive public transport offerings

GIVEN THE CITY’S positioning, status and urban responsibilities - as well as the widespread nature of Cape Town’s suburbs and both high and low-lying areas - it comes as no surprise that the transport system is extensive and hugely refined.

Initially geared up as a port city, the longstanding tradition as such has culminated in The Port of Cape Town hosting one of the busiest shipping corridors in the world, while also setting the scene for the scope of consumer travel avenues as well.

Cape Town International Airport, the city’s rail network, road infrastructure and general public transport have all been labelled as traditionally one of the best on the continent, and received a further boost in the early 2000s in preparation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

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As the first country on the continent to host such an esteemed global sporting occasion, all eyes were on how an African city could cope with the sudden influx and demand; a challenge that was risen to via investments into a new airport terminal, improved rail and Metrorail links, a significantly enhanced public transport set-up, and upgrades to the city’s roads.

As a result, Cape Town - much like Johannesburg who also benefited from the national focus on the World Cup - is up there with anything the west can offer in terms of moving from place to place and, especially given the natural challenges and logistics of the city, this blend of nature and nurture will make any business trip far more simple than you would perhaps expect.

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Cape Town international aiport

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Bringing you the highest level of artistic excellence in all aspects of performing arts an agency of the Department of Arts and Culture

Address: D F Malan Street, Foreshore, Cape Town 8001 Telephone: +27 21 410-9800 Facsimile: +27 21 421-5448 www.artscape.co.za

Work, Rest & Play with Hout Bay Manor The 4 star Hout Bay Manor is located in the picturesque fishing village of Hout Bay with easy access to the CBD. It hosts a conference room, with free wi-fi throughout and a spa treatment room.

You can conduct your business from our luxurious setting.

At the end of a busy day, you can be pampered in style whilst dining at our In-house PURE restaurant.

A superb venue for lunches or business meetings.

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Landmark Attractions Table Mountain

Table Mountain is arguably Africa’s most renowned natural landmark and is a must-visit for tourist and corporate visitors alike in order to achieve the full Cape Town experience. As a natural backdrop to the city in general, seeing the spectacle is guaranteed, but with Devil’s Peak and Lion’s Head on either side, and the Cape of Good Hope offering the main chance to walk through the National park, there are no excuses not to turn scenery into an adventure for the day.

Clifton Beach

For those who prefer to keep themselves at sea level, Clifton Beaches offer a far more relaxed experience for executives looking to catch a bit of sun in between

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden

For something a little more cultural or structured, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens represents one of the largest and most beautiful of its type the world over. More than 50,000 square metres of indigenous plant species and guided walks make it one of the most authentic experiences in Cape Town, while giving a wider sense of South African beauty for those only on short-stay visits.

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meetings or for those simply looking to lap up the waves at the end of a long day. Regular bus services to each of the four hotspots make the areas every bit as accessible as they are idyllic.

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Robben Island

“Used as a prison from the early days of the VOC right up until 1996, this Unesco World Heritage site is preserved as a memorial to those such as Nelson Mandela who spent many years incarcerated here,” notes Lonely Planet regarding Robben Island; a site which can only be visited via a four-hour ferry tour, but that rewards you with a mixture of scenery, architecture and history to encapsulate the historical significance of some of South Africa’s most important events.

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is a leading business-to-business publication promoting and showcasing the leading companies across an array of sectors on the continent.

Appearing in both digital and print, the publication is aimed at boardroom members and hands-on decision makers, reaching more than 165,000 business executives.

Each month we feature leading companies and business executives by profiling their operations and success stories. Covering areas of best practice, capital investments, the supply chain, innovation and continuous improvement, we aim to promote all that is good about the industry and the region, with your company taking centre stage throughout it all.

Producing business profiles across the full range of sectors and every corner of the continent, Africa Outlook is the platform to promote your business success.

Read on for this month’s profiles.

Phoebe Calver, Deputy Editor phoebe.calver@outlookpublishing.com

If you want to enjoy the exposure and coverage we can offer, please feel free to contact us to discuss the opportunity further.

Tell us your story and we’ll tell the world.

Matthew Staff, Editorial Director Tel: +44 (0) 1603 959 655 matthew.staff@outlookpublishing.com

ame V E O L I A

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Water Solutions FOR AFRICA

Veolia Water Technologies South Africa has more international experience than most in the realm of water optimisation and is leveraging its unrivalled sector knowledge to strive for enhanced wastewater management in the future Writer: Matthew Staff | Project Manager: Donovan Smith

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ith South Africa rapidly running out of conventional water sources, alternative water resources are becoming more critical. There is a strong argument for reusing treated wastewater for potable, agricultural and industrial usage. And for coastal towns and cities, desalination plants are seen as an increasingly attractive solution to meet immediate and drought contingency demand.

A company meeting these requirements on the continent is Veolia Water Technologies South Africa (Veolia South Africa), a water solutions expert providing customised water and wastewater treatment solutions for municipalities and industries alike.

Working across a range of industries including automotive, food & beverage, mining, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, power generation, pulp and paper, and steel, the South African arm of the globally renowned operator has full engineering, project management and production capabilities, driven from its head office and production facilities in Johannesburg and its regional offices in Durban and Cape Town.

Complementing international sites in Botswana and Namibia affirm Veolia’s wider Southern African influence and contribute to the overall Group’s five continent and 88 country influence on waste, water and energy domains.

“As part of Veolia Water Technologies, Veolia South Africa draws on vast international expertise to deliver a full scope of water treatment activities, with over 350 proprietary technologies as part of its treatment portfolio,” explains Chris Braybrooke, General Manager - Business Development, Veolia South Africa. “The Company is comprised of four divisions, each addressing various aspects of the market: Design and Build, Engineered Systems, Operations & Maintenance and Services Divisions.”

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A multi-pronged approach

Water security has become one of the most pressing issues for governments worldwide, with arid countries like South Africa rapidly approaching a crisis point. Potable and sanitation requirements are essential, and need to be balanced with the requirements of industry to spur continued economic growth.

“We need a multi-pronged approach to address these issues in parallel and develop the optimum life cycle costing models to meet immediate, medium and longer-term priorities,” says Braybrooke. “There is limited scope for

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the construction of new dams, and our rivers are already over-stressed and frequently polluted. Overly polluted water sources are much more costly to treat, and it is not economically viable to treat a considerable volume of our water for this reason.

“The natural progression would be a shift to wastewater reuse as one of the practical measures. The treatment of acid mine drainage water in Gauteng, in which Veolia was a key contributor, is a truly innovative example of wastewater management that can reduce freshwater consumption of both consumers and industry.

Our Solutions Veolia South Africa’s solutions include potable/drinking water production; domestic wastewater/sewage treatment; seawater desalination; industrial process water treatment and reuse; zero liquid discharge of industrial waste; modular water and wastewater treatment plants; mobile treatment plants; and mine water solutions, including acid mine drainage.

“We help Africa’s municipalities provide water solutions for both urban and rural areas,” Braybrooke continues. “We supply water treatment solutions for drinking water, sewage and wastewater, re-use, sludge treatment and incineration. In so doing, we’re helping municipalities address and overcome scarce water resources and health and sanitation concerns, all the while meeting stringent environmental regulations.”

“We cover the complete range of water treatment needs for industries, from supplying potable water and wastewater treatment in remote mining camps, to helping industry achieve zero liquid discharge (ZLD).”

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ENERGY METALS & ENERGY VALVES A partnership built on a shared vision of a sustainable future Energy Metals & Energy Valves are proud to have been selected as supply partners to Veolia. We share Veolia’s vision for creating a sustainable future for our planet and the need to protect our planet’s resources while helping to improve everyone’s access to our natural resources.

In Africa, there is no resource more valuable than water and Energy Metals provides the piping materials used to construct all types of water treatment plants. Our focus on materials that resist corrosion, such as stainless steels, duplex alloys, and high nickel alloys means that we are able to assist in the most demanding of applications, like desalination.

Together with pipe, flanges, and fittings, Energy Valves has developed a reputation for supplying a wide variety of high-quality valves for water applications, including triple and double off-set butterfly valves, check valves, gate valves, and ball valves. We believe it is our technical understanding of our materials that gives us a valuable edge in offering experience, expertise and excellence. Our ability to supply a wide range of valve types and construction materials is a valuable strength which has helped develop and grow our business with Veolia and the water industry in general.

We are proud of our African roots, and our ability to serve our customers no matter where they may be operating in Africa.

T +27 (0)11 466 1926 E sales@energyproucts.co.za

www.energyproducts.co.za

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N Kirk’s extensive client base includes but is not limited to Municipalities, health boards, consultants, industries, environmentalists, contractors and private individuals.

Collected or delivered samples on an “As Received” basis are analysed and reported with any non-compliant results against current relevant legislation for the sample matrices.

The laboratory participates in national and international Proficiency Testing Schemes. This provides confidence in laboratory operations and ensures continual improvement in test methodologies.

The entire process is anticipated to be completed in the shortest possible turnaround time, without compromising the quality, accuracy or sample integrity.

www.bnkirk.co.za “Then there’s desalination, which is widely adopted globally and gaining renewed traction in South Africa, where Veolia has commissioned seven plants to date; including the country’s largest, Mossel Bay. This plant supplies 10 megalitres of potable water to the municipality and five megalitres of process water to PetroSA.” Desalination is traditionally a coastal option, but inland brackish water systems and brine streams can also be treated using Veolia technologies.

The standard desalination methodology in Africa is membrane separation via reverse osmosis, which is usually the least-costly approach and ideal for countries with limited energy resources (the other end of the scale is thermal water desalination, which relies on advanced distillation processes). Consequently, a number of the major South African metros are now looking at mega plants, ranging upwards from 150 megalitres.

Veolia Water Technologies is

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The Mossel Bay desalination plant – South Africa’s largest seawater desalination plant. Veolia Water Technologies designed, built and installed a 15 megalitre per day seawater desalination plant in Mossel Bay, with water supplied via an open sea water intake. Desalinated water is stored in two tanks – five megalitres per day for Petro SA industrial use, and 10 megalitres per day, which is chemically treated to kill bacteria and balance ph for municipal use

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CONTAINER WORLD

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rawing on 34 years of experience, Container World boasts a footprint across diversified sectors, from East and West Africa, down into Southern Africa.

Our company supplies full turnkey containerised solutions in remote areas, even with extremely tight deadlines and complicated requirements.

Container World supplies Veolia Water Technologies with new and preowned converted containers to house their water treatment plants. We also supply and service mining, construction, and oil and gas companies, which include ENI, in Mozambique, and petrochemicals giant Sasol, as well as Barrick Gold, Rand God and DeBeers Consolidated Mines.

T +27 (0)11 392 1284 E paul@containerworld.co.za

www.containerworld.co.za

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BN Kirk (Natal) CC is an ISO 17025:2005 SANAS accredited laboratory, operating under the strict conditions of the SANAS/ILAC MRA bodies.

By continually improving our technology and retaining skilled analysts, our dedicated team works to ensure that the results the Company generates are of the highest quality & accuracy, as required by these International Standards.

Our extensive laboratories offer all-encompassing, Bacteriological, Wet-chemistry, ICP-OES and GC-MS analysis.

Our company is proud to have been associated with the testing of various water matrices for Veolia Water Solutions and Technologies in Durban, South Africa since 2009. tel: +27 031 205 1245 | fax: +27 031 205 6904 | address: 45 Eaton Road, Kwakhangela, Durban | P.O. Box 30140, Mayville, 4058

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now believed to be the leader in desalination where, each day, approximately 6.75 million cubic metres is produced via its plants around the world.

“Desalination implementation is a long-term execution process, since the environmental impact assessment process alone is a lengthy one to ensure that sensitive coastal ecosystems are protected,” Braybrooke continues. “Then one has to consider energy supply demands, which tend to be intensive, but do come down on larger plants due to new technologies.

Highly skilled specialists are also required to run and maintain these plants. “

Proven solutions

A world leader across all aforementioned areas, Veolia, a French multinational organisation, has a lineage dating back to 1853, and today its core business segments comprise water, waste and energy, managing services solutions for public utilities and private sector clients of which the industrial segment forms a core component. The Company’s vision

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and leadership is helping to shape and implement practical models for supply delivery.

Francophone countries in Africa are managed by Veolia’s Marseilles office in France, with the balance of the sub-Saharan continent falling under the Johannesburg regional head office, which has a design and build mandate.

Within Gauteng, the Company has a manufacturing facility in Sebenza and a chemical blending plant in Isando supporting the African region, forming part of the Company’s total solutions offering. Other South African centres are supported by offices in Cape Town and Durban. The total southern African workforce now numbers around 700 personnel.

“Be they conventional or more specialised, we have proven solutions for treating any water source to a potable grade,” says Braybrooke. “It’s important to emphasise that each solution we offer is ‘fit for purpose’.

“Veolia South Africa’s services measure and improve environmental and economic performance and we implement energy-efficient water treatment strategies.”

Aims and objectives “Our mission is to supply holistic, innovative water and wastewater treatment solutions that benefit both the customer and the environment.”

• We measure and enhance environmental and economic performance

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INDUSTRIAL SCREENING TECHNOLOGY

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ndustrial Screening Technology has been a prime supplier of waste water treatment equipment for liquids/solids separation in municipal, industrial, agricultural, food process, marine, mining, paper-and sugar industries for the past 30 years in partnership with companies such as Veolia Water Solutions and Technologies.

We specialise in suspended solids screening, settle-able solids separation, dewatering of screened solids from effluent streams and process flows, and provide specialized equipment for coarse screening, fine screening, compaction, grit separation, sludge dewatering and conveyors in municipal waste water treatment plants.

T +27 21 882 8900

www.screening.co.za

METAPRO

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etaPro offers process engineering advice on the design of manufacturing processes and factory layouts as well as the design and manufacturing of a range of products aimed at the food and beverage industries. These products include various CiP, mixing, dissolving and blending skids.

Working alongside valued clients such as Veolia Water Solutions Technologies, MetaPro, MetaPipe and MetaNox offer a full range of services from process engineering, design and manufacture to on-site installation, specialised welding and project management along with specialised material supply.

• We help turn wastewater into a resource • We implement energy-efficient water treatment strategies

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www.metapro.co.za

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Specializing in waste water treatment for over 30 years • Screening • Degritting • Dewatering www.screening.co.za

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info@screening.co.za

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tel: +27 21 882 8900

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• Compaction • Conveyors • Filtration

fax: +27 21 882 8893

Next level production solutions “Adding value to your business by providing complete production solutions from small upgrades to large turnkey projects” Process engineering & factory design, Project management, 3D Draughting.

Skid manufacture, Site installation, Site management, specialised welding services including orbital welding.

Supplier of 11850 series 2 certified pipe and fittings for use in pharmaceutical & food & beverage applications.

www.metapro.co.za

www.metapro.co.za

www.metanox.co.za

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acuum and Fluid Technology is actively involved in the supply of specialised equipment for water, waste and industry.

Our expertise includes vacuum systems, piping and structural equipment, screening systems and water control equipment. We recently introduced our new range of sluice gates to the market, combining conventional materials with new technology.

Veolia’s flagship municipal wastewater treatment plant in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal reclaims water at a rate of 47.5 megalitres per day, reducing the amount of municipal wastewater discharged into the environment. Domestic and industrial sewage and municipal wastewater is treated to near potable standards for use in industrial processes by high volume industrial customers

As part of a continuous improvement program, we operate using fully integrated systems, including automated planning, enabling us to offer accurate project completion.

Proud to be associated with Veolia Water, we wish them the best for their future endeavours.

www.vft.co.za

Quality assurance Veolia Water Technologies South Africa is SABS ISO 9001:2008 compliant and all items manufactured by the Company or subcontractors are inspected in accordance with approved Quality Control Plans (QCP)

A race against time

The question in South Africa remains: Where is the starting point for water security management?

“The fundamental objective should be to firstly manage available resources in terms of optimum operations, maintenance and supply, where Government has publicly expressed concern for the way this is currently executed and is calling for

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interventions,” Managing Director for Veolia South Africa, Gunter Rencken, answers. “It starts with addressing water losses in older and failing infrastructure, but for most South African metros it’s a race against time, so in addition to this, other sustainable measures must also be adopted. We need to consider that urbanisation trends reveal a major migration away from rural areas. How are we going to

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manage this demand?”

A classic example by way of response is the reuse debate.

Commissioned in May, 2001, the Durban Recycling Water Works is a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) concession business, purpose-designed

by Veolia to re-treat wastewater for industrial use. Since its commissioning, Veolia has been providing operations and maintenance services to the plant

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Vacuum Pumps & Vacuum Pump Systems, Piping and Structural Equipment for Water, Waste and Industry, Sluice Gates and Water Control Equipment

Good quality, well engineered products!

in-house analysis | design & drafting facilities | manufacture & installation | project management CALL FOR A FREE ESTIMATE +27 21 949 2265 Unit 9-12, Hydro Park 1, Hydro Street, Stikland, Western Cape, South Africa

admin@vft.co.za | service@vft.co.za | www.vft.co.za

Social responsibility Intertwined with its search for more sustainable water solutions in South Africa is the Company’s equally dedicated approach to wider corporate social responsibility; ensuring that its influence reaches as many corners of the region as possible, and not just through cleaner water and better sanitation systems.

Braybrooke adds: “Veolia Water Technologies South Africa regularly identifies and executes social-upliftment and development projects in the communities affected by industrial and municipal projects the Company is involved with. In addition to these projects, Company employees frequently participate in fundraising activities and environmental activities, living the Company principles of “Resourcing the World” in their personal capacity as well.”

“Veolia is committed to supporting and developing the communities in which we operate,” Braybrooke continues. “On a broader level, the Company is active in promoting the effective participation of previously disadvantaged individuals and communities in the South African economy.”

Five core areas of focus in achieving this aim surround affirmative procurement; Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE), in which it is a Level 5 contributor; skills development; employment equity and black management control; black business partners; and social investment.

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Acknowledging our partners Veolia South Africa acknowledges the support of its strategic partners and suppliers, together with whom we have been able to deliver some of the region’s most important water / wastewater management projects.

We have built excellent business partnerships with the following companies on various projects: • Pace Valves: supplier of valves for our industrial and biological projects • Synergy Worldwide Logistics: storage of equipment for two large projects conducted in RSA • Madi A Mvula Hydrocare: our strategic partner in the Limpopo region participating in site-related work (mechanical erection and civil works) on potable treatment plants • Energy Engineered Products: supplier of various stainless steel valves on industrial projects • Vacuum & Fluid Technology: supplier of mechanical screens for a raw water abstraction plant & mechanical installation on a biological treatment plant • BN Kirk: supplier of laboratory services to our Durban Recycling Works plant • Container World: our container supplier used for our very popular containerised water treatment plants • Metapro: supports our Paarl Solutions division in Cape Town on piping and mechanical erection

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Zero Liquid Discharge: Ambatovy Mine, Madagascar. With a feed capacity of 135m3 / hour producing up to 200,000 tonnes of ammonium sulphate per annum for soil fertiliser, this is the largest crystallisation and evaporation project in Africa, and one of the largest in the world

for over 13 years. This facility meets dedicated demand for a petrochemical plant and pulp-paper manufacturer, which saves on the overall costs for municipal infrastructure.

Braybrooke explains: “Upgrading this process water to a drinking water standard is such a small step that this would be the logical progression.

However, there is public resistance to the thought of wastewater reuse. Our opinion is that Government needs to be more proactive in communicating the safe advantages of reuse.”

Turning wastewater into a resource

Across the board, Veolia South Africa focuses on offering a design, build, and operate model; skills transfer being a core component. In the larger ambit, Veolia is a leading implementer of the

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PPP model globally.

Given South African Government buy-in, Veolia believes PPPs have real merit as a mechanism for driving SA Treasury and international funding.

However, PPPs remain few and far between at this stage locally and are not the solution or a substitute for ineffective utilities management.

Rencken concludes: “Veolia South Africa brings the key advantage of technical advice and assistance, helping authorities to optimise and use current resources to the maximum.

That’s before you start investing in new infrastructure.

“It’s all about long-term planning, at least 30 years ahead, taking a holistic view of supply. So reuse has to be an immediate focus. Let’s start by turning wastewater into a resource.”

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Madi A Mvula Hydrocare

GAUTENG 645 Frances Baard, 202 Vicadia Arcadia, Tshwane 0083 F: 0027 86 5127836

Contact Mulaudzi Fanie +27 82 582 3089 | fanie@madihydro.co.za

Outlook

Creative Services

Outlook Publishing’s awardwinning in-house team is now utilising its extensive production skills to offer a full and bespoke range of editorial, design and marketing services via its new Outlook Creative Services division.

Process & Allied Contracting Equipment (PTY) LTD

Delivering Fit For Purpose Valve Solutions Since 1981 Commitment To Customer Satisfaction

Durban 107 Escom Road New Germany T: 0027 31 705 7909

Johannesburg 7 Covora Road Jetpark T: 0027 11 397 1180

Cape Town 4 Fourgate Square Harbour Road T: 0027 21 425 6664

www.synergyworldwidelogistics.co.za

NATIONAL

LIMPOPO 204 Thabang Street Tshikota, Makhado 0920 T: 0027 12 751 6649

Tel: 0027 11 452 6826 Email: enq@pacevalves.co.za Website: www.pacevalves.co.za

B-BBEE RATING – LEVEL 1

1

CLEARING & FORWARDING >> SHIPS AGENCY >> BONDED WAREHOUSE & DEGROUPAGE

LOGISTICS

• Design of municipal water and wastewater infrastructure • Project and programme management • Development of water and wastewater operational and maintenance plans • Design and manufacture of water treatment plants • Manufacture of mobile chemical dosing units • Upgrade of chemical dosing systems

Success together with and alike “Our commitment to this company ethos will continue, as it has been an integral part of our success since inception.”

CEO Trevor Wishart.

F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N V I S I T : www.outlookpublishing.com/creative-services

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People and

Innovati Enel Green Power is a world-renowned leader in the renewable energy sector, pioneering new technologies to power South African homes Writer: Phoebe Calver | Project Manager: Donovan Smith

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nel Green Power opened its doors in South Africa (EGP RSA) in 2011, with the Company already having a significant presence in the global market and nearly one GW of wind and solar projects in execution.

As part of the larger Enel Group - a leader in the renewable energy sector, operating in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Oceania and Africa - Enel South Africa is involved across a range

ion

of exciting and innovative energy technologies, producing solar, wind, hydro and geothermal energy.

“Our journey began with the mission to put technologies in place which would allow them to transform sun, water, wind and steam from the earth into clean energy,” explains the Company on its website. “Moving forward, we have a much more ambitious goal, forming a new business model that combines competitive nature and sustainability, with respect for both the environment and people; to us it is the only option moving forward.”

Remaining both successful and sustainable in the industry requires the ability to innovate, needing

to be a virtuous circle that is constantly open to new technological approaches. The Company particularly focuses on looking for solutions with individuals, startups and large companies that are searching for something that hasn’t been invented yet.

“It is clear to see that the renewable energy sector is growing constantly, with new plants and new markets on the road to the Company’s extensive development,” continues the Company.

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Making our mark in the renewable energy sector Headquartered in South Africa with an international office in Mauritius, CONCO delivers fully customised turnkey EPC solutions across the power infrastructure sector. With a presence in over 25 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, we are working hard towards delivering more environmentally greener technologies and solutions to our customers.

Through the South African government’s REIPPP programme, CONCO has been highly successful in completing the electrical balance of plant for multiple wind farms and solar PV parks. This marks our success in handling large complex projects.

Consolidated Power Projects Group (CONCO) Africa’s largest power infrastructure service provider www.concogrp.com

CONCO’s expertise in renewable energy encompasses:

Corporate Identity Guidelines - Ap

Engineering, procurement and construction of substations andutilising the CONC CONCO Group and Affiliates overhead power lines

Engineering and construction of wind turbine reticulation and pad-mounted transformerCHANGE kiosks at the wind turbine generator CONTROL: Version: 2.1 Active Date: 19 April 2016 Impacted Parties: CONCO Group and Affiliates u Power plant controller and facility SCADA solutions Grid code compliance Socio-economic development Operations and maintenance through our sister company Consolidated Power Maintenance A subsidiary of

Talk to us - we’ll assist you each step of the way to plan and expertly execute your project, wherever you’re located.

Head Office - South Africa: Tel: +27 11 805 4281 Fax: +27 11 805 1132 International Office - Mauritius: Tel: +230 403 55 55 Fax: +230 403 55 50 E-mail: info@concogrp.com

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Taking the lead in renewable energy gives South Africa the opportunity to become a key global player in this growing industry...

“This is one of the main reasons we need to be effective and efficient at every level of operations, optimising our services, ensuring quick and transparent procurement processes throughout.”

New wind farm operations

Recently Enel South Africa has started commercial operations at its 111MW Gibson wind farm, which is located in the Kouga Municipality of the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.

“Gibson Bay is the second wind farm

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that we have brought to life in South Africa, our first being Nojoli, further demonstrating our commitment to a low-carbon energy future,” explains William Price, Country Manager in South Africa. “Taking the lead in renewable energy gives South Africa the opportunity to become a key global player in this growing industry, while investment in renewables provides many solid job opportunities and is bringing new skills into the country.”

The Company is rightly very proud of its ability to offer a strong renewable energy generation base, with the Gibson Bay farm capable of generating around 420 GWh per hour; equivalent to the annual consumption needs of around 131,000 South African households and of course avoiding the emission of more than 383,000 tonnes of Co2 in the atmosphere each year.

The Company continues: “The wind farm is supported by a 20-year power supply agreement with the South

Corporate Identity Guidelines - April 2016 CONCO Group and Affiliates utilising the CONCO brand

CHANGE CONTROL:

Version: 2.1

CONCO’s success gained in SA renewable energy market opens doors

It also opens doors for CONCO to expand into other IPP projects such as oil, gas, nuclear and co-generation.

CONCO, Africa’s largest power infrastructure service provider with 30 years’ Africa-wide experience in transmission, distribution and power infrastructure development, has successfully completed the electrical balance of plant for over nine wind farms and four solar photovoltaic (PV) parks in South Africa including grid connections. This work forms part of the South African Government’s renewable energy independent power producer procurement (REIPPP) programme.

The CONCO group, part of JSE-listed Consolidated Infrastructure Group Limited (CIG), has three main companies, namely CONCO South Africa and CONCO Energy Solutions based in South Africa, and CONCO International operating from Mauritius. Active in more than 25 countries across Africa and the Middle East, the group has a customer-centric focus with a solid reputation as an organisation that seeks to understand and meet the needs of its customers. The CONCO group’s offerings include: • Turnkey solutions for transmission, distribution and other power infrastructure (high, medium and low voltage networks)

Active Date: 19 April 2016

Impacted Parties: CONCO Group and Affiliates using the CONCO brand/logo

REIPPP programme - wind For bid windows one, two and three, CONCO secured the electrical balance of plant work of 68, 40 and 70 percent respectively, of the total megawatts allocated per window. The Company’s expertise encompassed wind turbine reticulation where it connected more than 300 turbines to the grid, wind turbine pad-mounted transformer kiosks, facility SCADA and power plant controller solutions, network stability equipment required to ensure grid code compliance, substations and overhead lines. CONCO’s services included in-house design, commissioning and project management.

Despite the challenges and risks involved, all wind and solar projects were completed within the specified time and CONCO further proved its reliability as a trusted supplier by complying with the economic development obligations pertaining to jobs, local content and preferential procurement. This marks CONCO’s success in handling large scale complex renewable energy projects. The Company plans to take this extensive experiential base in renewable projects into the rest of the continent.

• Coal generation balance of plant refurbishments and new builds with strategic partners • Renewable energy solutions (wind, solar) • Oil, gas, nuclear, and co-generation solutions • High voltage installation services for OEMs • Specialised electrical infrastructure solutions for real estate developers (self-build programme) Social responsibility Renewable energy projects, like any other CONCO projects, have a social responsibility aspect to them. Examples include the donation of science laboratories to a school where CONCO also conducted teacher training in order to help improve maths and science, as well as the refurbishment of an entire school and crèche.

www.concogrp.com

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African utility, Eskom, as part of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP), a tender promoted by the South African Government, which awarded the project to the Enel Group.”

Enel South Africa has also carried out creating shared value (CSV) initiatives in the areas which surround the Gibson Bay wind farm. A programme that has particularly benefitted is the Soul Provider school feeding programme which has helped 2,850 school children, with free Enel Wi-Fi supplied to local learning institutions and reaching approximately 1,000 beneficiaries.

Alongside schemes such as this, Enel has carried out road improvements

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in the areas which surround the wind farm, enabling them to facilitate better travelling conditions.

PV plants

Expanding its outlook in renewable energy in South Africa, earlier this year Enel unveil the 82.5MW Adams and Pulida solar PV plants - which are respectively located in South Africa’s Northern Cape and Free State Provinces - bringing them into commercial operation.

“Enel Green Power South Africa’s two new solar projects were completed ahead of schedule and according to the highest levels of quality and safety, making sure it is in full alignment with our commitment to the country’s social and economic

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development,” Price expands.

“Together with the local project partners we have been working closely with on this project, our renewable energy projects are already making a significant contribution to the country’s economy, and these two new solar facilities are expected to add further value to those efforts.”

The combined facilities of Adams and Pulida will be able to generate 318 GWh per year, the equivalent to the annual consumption needs of around 100,000 South African households and subsequently avoiding the emission of more than 290,000 tonnes of Co2 into the atmosphere each year.

At present the Company owns and operates three other PV plants in South Africa, including Paleisheuwel

with an 82.5 MW capacity, situated in the Western Cape province; the 66 MW Tom Burke plant located in the Limpopo province; and lastly, the smaller 10 MW Upington, which is located in the Northern Cape province.

The Company also operates the 88MW Nojoli wind farm - located in the Eastern Cape - which is where it is also building the 111 MW Gibson Bay wind facility.

The Company concludes: “The two solar plants are supported by a solid working relationship with Eskom and the South African Government, relationships which are pivotally important to uphold in order to continue with successful and sustainable growth in South Africa’s renewable energy industry.”

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Mile Metsec Cables Ltd has the might of the Doshi Group of Companies behind it as it looks to instil the most diverse applications in energy provision to Kenya and beyond Writer: Matthew Staff | Project Manager: Donovan Smith etsec Cables Ltd’s esteemed reputation for manufacturing and distributing cables and systems for the transmission and distribution of power is being driven forward more concertedly as a consequence of strong parent company backing, and an everdiversifying portfolio of abilities.

Specialising in delivering products and services created for specific customer requirements - especially to energy and telecom domains - Metsec’s attractiveness as a provider and partner has derived from a strong capacity to innovate; a vast array of products, solutions and processes in-house; the ability to remain customerfocused at all times; and a subsequent flexibility to respond to those clients’

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needs efficiently and effectively.

“Metsec Cables Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Doshi Group of Companies - who have been operating in the East African region for over 75 years - and we manufacture and supply a wide range of cables addressing the most diverse applications in both the energy and telecom sectors in Kenya and Africa,” the Company says. “We go an extra mile to deliver more.”

Compounding its evident success in the region and industry are a plethora of affirming certifications and

U T I L I T I E S

...Metsec Cables designs, supplies and installs high and extra-high voltage cables...

accreditations to showcase at Metsec.

These include ISO 9001-2008, ISO 14001:2004, and ISO 18001:2007 certifications which highlight the business’s consistency and quality across sales, customer service, health & safety, and environmental considerations.

And backed-up by each and every internal refinement, is a proactive strive and dedication to modernise continuously; as has recently been epitomised by its adoption of M-Pesa payments.

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“In search of improving customer service, Metsec has introduced Paybill through Safaricom as a convenient method for customers to purchase Metsec products,” the Company explains. “Metsec’s paybill offers convenience through mobile payment; secure transactions and payments that can be made any time.

“The benefits from this include convenience, no extra charges, and the ability to pay anywhere or anytime.”

Cabling solutions

Ultimately, Metsec is judged on its initial remit and offering, which embraces the supply of underground power transmission cables and systems, as well as power distribution cables, systems and network components for a wide range of applications within the utilities industry.

“In underground power transmission Metsec Cables

designs, supplies and installs high and extra-high voltage cables for power transmission systems, both from power plant sites and in the transmission and primary distribution networks; especially focusing on customised turnkey solutions and cables with a high technological content,” the Company details.

“Metsec Cables also provides installation and post-installation services, network management and maintenance and emergency services, such as disaster recovery.

“In the field of power distribution cables and systems, Metsec Cables supplies medium voltage cables and systems to connect industrial and residential buildings to the primary distribution networks. The Company also produces low voltage cables and systems for power distribution and the wiring of buildings. All products comply with international and local relevant standards.”

TE CONNECTIVITY (TE)

T

E Connectivity (TE) is a $12 billion global technology leader, working alongside customers in nearly 150 countries.

The Company has an extensive product portfolio that represents the latest advances in materials science and engineering, and is designed to operate reliably in all climates and conditions.

The breadth of our 40,000 solutions includes Raychem cable accessories, Axicom insulators, Bowthorpe EMP surge arresters, SIMEL low voltage aerial bundled cable accessories and mechanical torque shear connectors.

By combining regional technical support with world-class research, product development, and manufacturing capabilities, TE sets high standards of performance and customer convenience.

Our solutions are distributed by: • Metsec Cables Ltd in Kenya

The Doshi Group

• Tech Hard Oil Field supplies FZE in Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and Ethiopia

Today as the world economy becomes increasingly open to free trade, the Doshi Group is drawing on its know-how and business activities related to the building and construction industry - accumulated over the years - to be “A World of Options” in the truest sense of the term, offering comprehensive, integrated, high-value added services that meet evolving business needs.

• Tank Industries a division of ATC (PTY) Ltd and TIS (Technology Integrated Solutions) in South Africa

The Doshi Group will continue to pursue its fundamental strategy of identifying and pursuing growth opportunities in the building and construction industry with the objective of further expanding its presence and scope as an African enterprise.

• Mikano International Limited and Interlinked Technologies Plc in Nigeria • Solutions Technologiques Industrielles (STI) in Algeria • ISODEL SARL, SIRMEL, DAVELEC SARL, Fabrilec SA and SGEE in Morocco

Connect with us via

www.TE.com/energy

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EVERY CONNECTION COUNTS For more than 60 years, TE Connectivity has been trusted by OEMs and utilities worldwide for their connectivity solutions. Our well-known product lines such as Raychem cable accessories, Axicom insulators, Bowthorpe EMP surge arresters, SIMEL low voltage aerial bundled cable accessories and mechanical torque shear connectors help build a safer, greener, and more reliable world.

Visit our website to learn more: TE.com/energy

Š 2017 TE Connectivity Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

TE Connectivity, Raychem, Bowthorpe EMP, SIMEL Axicom, the TE connectivity (logo) and EVERY CONNECTIONS COUNTS are trademarks.

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Complementing its utilities operations is the trade and installation strand of Metsec which accounts for the manufacture of a complete range of low voltage cables and building wires to distribute power to and within residential and non-residential premises.

The third arm then embraces industry applications, as the Company continues: “For industrial applications, Metsec Cables specialises in integrated, added-value cabling solutions highly customised to the individual specifications of customers.

“Metsec Cables serves a broad range of industries including the oil, gas & petrochemical sector; transportation; mining and renewable energies sector, including wind and solar power; nuclear energy; and also for defence and military applications.

“Products range from low and medium voltage power and instrumentation/control cables, to dynamic multipurpose

umbilicals for transporting energy, telecommunications, fluids and chemical products.”

Knowing the standard

Ensuring consistent quality across all of these product and solution sub-sectors is a workforce committed to the provision of such high standards; yet at a marginal cost so as to ensure equally consistent customer satisfaction.

“We will listen to our customers, understand and balance their needs and expectations with those of our suppliers, employees, investors and society, and endeavour to give full satisfaction to all parties,” the Company affirms. “To achieve this, the Company has adopted and implemented a quality management system based on ISO 9001:2008 standards with measurable objectives which will be communicated to all staff and reviewed periodically for continual improvement and for the interest of all stakeholders.

HSING LUNG

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sing Lung started from modest beginnings in 1989 and specialise in the manufacture of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) compounds to cater for various requirements of their customers.

The Company’s founder Dr Chua Kee Lam, who holds a PHD degree in chemistry from McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, USA, has vast knowledge and experience in compounding and other chemical industries.

The Company has grown to become an innovative and responsive establishment, with rapid acceleration being made in investments and upgrades to all parts of the business, from production and control to internal restructuring of departments, allowing the Company to provide good quality, competitive products to customers, with a high level of service.

This acceleration has enabled the Company to become the biggest PVC compound manufacturer in Malaysia and with the backing of holding Company, Karyon Industries Berhad, the product range has been expanded to other non-polyvinyl chloride products as well as various chemical additives, which are suitable for use in the plastic and many other industries.

Our sister company, ALLBRIGHT INDUSTRIES (M) SDN BHD manufactures metallic stearates such as calcium, zinc and magnesium stearate as well as calcium-zinc based stabiliser.

Today, the Company’s products have found uses in a wide range of industries all over the world and the aim for the future is to grow hand-in-hand together with valued customers and to always to be the preferred supplier.

www.karyongroup.com.my Products range from low and medium voltage power to dynamic multipurpose umbilicals

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LISTED IN MAIN BOARD OF BURSA MALAYSIA Karyon Industries Berhad (KIB)

Consists of three wholly-owned subsidiary companies, namely Hsing Lung Sdn Bhd, Allbright Industries (M) Sdn Bhd and Karyon Ventures Sdn Bhd. The core businesses of KIB are involved in the manufacturing of 1. PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) compound and TPR for various applications 2. Metallic stearates and PVC stabilizers for plastic industries Our products have been utilised in a wide range of industries worldwide. As we enter a new arena of the future, our aim is to grow and prosper in alliance with all our valued customers, and continue to be an important partner to their business.

Hsing Lung Sdn Bhd Largest PVC compounder in Malaysia.

Monthly production of more than 3000 MT. > ROHs & REACH compliance PVC compound. > The leading lead-free, (ROHs) compliance PVC compound manufacturer. > Phthalate free PVC compound.    

: : : :

607-386 4198/ 5198 607-388 3199 contact@hsinglung.com.my www.hsinglung.com.my

Allbright Industries (M) Sdn Bhd > Metallic Stearate Series • Zinc Stearate

• Calcium Stearate

• Magnesium Stearate

• Metallic Stearate Dispersion > Calcium/ Zinc Stabilizer (For PVC) • For wire and cable applications • For transparent applications

• For rigid and flexible applications    

: : : :

607-386 4198/ 5198 607-388 3199 lawrence@hsinglung.com.my www.allbright.com.my

www.karyongroup.com.my

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“At Metsec, we realise that the quality of our product is the future of our business. So, not only do we provide a large range of cables to international certifications and standards, such as HAR, BS KEBS and IEC, but we also conduct our own in-house quality checks to ensure our cable meets the most stringent requirements. So we don’t just rely on third party verification for our quality.”

Quality testing is given equal importance to simply quality

At Metsec, we realise that the quality of our product is the future of our business Plant and operations

assurance; practicing what it preaches and once again making the most of the Company’s internal skill-sets in order to verify its qualities.

“Our Quality Department is highly experienced, very well equipped and capable of measuring key dimensional and electrical properties of any cable to ensure conformity to the appropriate specification,” the business states. “This starts by knowing the standard. It may seem obvious, but you need to know what you are measuring. At Metsec Cables we hold up-to-date copies of all the relevant standards for our cables.

This ensures that whether we are checking the electrical or dimensional elements of a cable we know which standard applies.”

The next phase involves physical testing whereby the dimensional stability of the product - i.e. the key indicator of its quality - is addressed and monitored via the stripping of each layer, and subsequent measuring to ensure compliance.

“It is not just the measurement of the cable dimension that is important, but visual indicators such as surface finish, strip-ability and flexibility,” Metsec explains. “The third and final phase then revolves around electrical testing. The purpose of a cable is to carry electrical energy efficiently from one place to another. Therefore, the heart of a cable is the conductor and the key characteristic to efficiency is resistivity.

“At Metsec Cables we use an industry standard micro-ohmeter to test the resistivity of the cable against that stated by the supplier within routine test information provided.

This is also cross-referenced with our production specification and the appropriate International standard.”

Competitive advantage

CSR - Classrooms Construction at St. John’s Girls Secondary school, Kilifi county.

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Just as the Metsec workforce looks after the quality of its cables, Metsec in turn looks after the wellbeing of its workforce; staunchly committing

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Metsec’s Quality Department is highly experienced and well equipped

The quality of Metsec products are ensured by strict monitoring at every stage

itself to health, safety and welfare considerations for its employees, as well as their families, Metsec’s customers, on-site contractors, and even visitors.

The Company details: “Our main objectives are to place health & safety as everyone’s responsibility in our Company; to prevent and control injuries and illness, and their risks; to ensure that all employees understand the value of maintaining a healthy and safe environment; to use this health & safety philosophy as a competitive advantage; to identify hazards; and to assess our health & safety performance continuously.”

And as a consequence of the peace of mind that is brought about through such an ethos, Metsec can then focus more wholly on the aspect which has made it the success it is today: the ability to achieve quality at every stage of the production cycle.

“The quality of all Metsec products is ensured by strict monitoring of every stage of the production cycle, from the procurement of raw materials to the delivery of the finished product, by means of an extensive system of controls at each specific stage of the cycle,” the Company says. “In raw materials procurement, the focus of controls is on the selection of suppliers thus assuring the quality of individual supplies that have to be accompanied by the relevant certificates, showing their compliance with the standards established in the contract.”

This then transcends to equally high standards of customer service: “To ensure a high standard of customer service, Metsec conducts a series of customer satisfaction surveys and takes monthly measurements of service indicators.

“Metsec is constantly engaged in the continuous improvement of customer service, providing its clients with an increasing number of logistics services and designing new products to meet the changing customer requirements.”

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lamingo Horticulture is a renowned name across the global inner circle of supermarket retail, leveraging the sustainability and operational excellence that is applied in Kenya to distribute the very best produce to the rest of the world The vertically integrated agribusiness provides customers including Tesco, The Co-op, Aldi, Waitrose, Interflora, Spar and numerous others with the highest quality and leading best supply chain practices. Priding itself on sustainable and responsible sourcing in order to carefully maintain these key partnerships, the Company has become a pivotal link in the international produce supply chain.

“We are active in the growing, processing, marketing and distribution of sustainably produced roses and other cut flowers and premium and prepared vegetables and fresh herbs,” Flamingo Horticulture introduces. “The Group is a core supplier to most of the leading UK multiple retailers, as well as internationally to customers in Europe, South Africa, the Middle East, Japan and Australia.

“We are [also] the largest addedvalue producer and exporter of flowers, delivering over 780 million stems per annum. We produce and supply the EU with 26 million kilograms of vegetables per annum from sources worldwide and we are one of the world’s largest producers and packers of Fairtrade roses and lilies.”

The Group’s supply chain model is balanced between its own large-scale professional farms operating in Kenya and South Africa, combined with long-term sourcing partnerships with a global network of vertically integrated third party suppliers and out growers.

The result is the highest quality product range distributed on a yearround scale; proving itself as a globally significant operator, yet still remaining a proudly Kenyan entity.

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By Growers, for Growers Flamingo Horticulture’s unrivalled devotion to fresh flower and produce supply has led it to the shelves of supermarkets around the world Writer: Matthew Staff | Project Manager: Joshua Mann

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“Flamingo’s world-class farms in Africa are situated in Kenya (near Mount Kenya and Lake Naivasha) and in South Africa (near Johannesburg),” the Company says. “The Kenyan farms cover a combined total of 1,856 hectares. Situated on the equator at high altitude, Kenya offers ideal growing conditions for flowers and vegetables, with consistent temperatures and regular rainfall.”

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horticulture and gifting sector, with European markets also receiving a far share of the quota.

Once again though, it is the indigenously African origin of the flowers that most resonates with the identity of the Company; and this is as much the case in South Africa as it is in Kenya.

“Tarlton farm [in South Africa] covers a total area of 124 hectares and is conveniently situated 47 kilometres northwest of Johannesburg, in the Upward trajectory As a result of its ongoing success, the Highveldt region of South Africa, at scope of the business has expanded an elevation of 1,750 metres,” the simultaneously, continuously Company describes. “It is situated on broadening its footprint, its capacities the Steenkoppies Dolomitic Aquifier, and its offerings. a very strong source of high quality Flamingo Flowers is a prime example underground water.

“Flamingo Horticulture South Africa of this expansion, with the Company acquired 58 hectares of additional arm subsequently becoming one of the largest global suppliers of fresh land in 2005 to secure additional water rights which allows significant scope cut flowers; sourcing and processing for expansion [and] the farm has a a total of 780 million stems a year, with 280 million of these grown across dedicated processing facility packing chrysanthemums for export and valueFlamingo’s African bases. added bouquets.”

The majority of these flowers are Around 450 people are employed in distributed to UK retailers in the Johannesburg across its ever-growing South African operations, epitomising the upward trajectory that each facet of the business is enjoying in recent years.

Again, the produce side of the business is a market leader and one of the largest global suppliers of Kingfisher fresh premium and freshly prepared Naivasha (roses, spray seasonal vegetables. Sourcing and carnations, fresh produce) processing figures of more than 26 Flamingo million kilograms justify this status and Naivasha (roses and fillers) also once again, a significant portion of this figure comes from Africa.

Ibis Mount Kenya (tenderstem, High quality flowers broccoli, fine beans, runner Across the two arms, Flamingo beans, sugar snaps mangetout, Horticulture offers “an attractive, spring onions, fresh herbs) diversified product range across roses, Siraji other flowers, vegetables and herbs,” Mount Kenya (spray carnations, as it states on its website. large headed roses) The former flower category represents “an innovative, trusted and vertically integrated supply solution for

Flamingo’s farms

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FLORALIFE Floralife and Flamingo Horticulture: Responsible Partnership As a leader in the postharvest care and handling of flowers, Floralife’s goal is to ensure that a supply of top quality flowers reaches the consumer. Through our products, facilities and practices, Floralife is constantly looking at new and better ways to incorporate the best sustainable practices. As we conduct business around the world, we seek partners who share our commitment, such as Kenyan flower grower Flamingo Horticulture.

Sustainability and social responsibility are important topics that affect many aspects of life in the developing world, including water conservation and responsible agriculture. As living standards improve, there is also a new emphasis on employee satisfaction and enrichment, as well as responsible environmental stewardship.

Flamingo Horticulture is an example of the flower industry’s promise and its responsibility to the people and the environment. Their efforts in the areas of water use and waste disposal have earned Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance certifications. Employee amenities include set working hours and time off, free transportation and subsidized meals onsite. Local outreach efforts include a company hospital that serves the entire community.

Floralife offers partners such as Flamingo Horticulture testing and expert advice on pretreatment, hydration, transport and storage, and final food solutions for nourishment conditioning. Floralife technologies also help reduce water usage, optimize flower nutrition, fight disease and help ensure longer vase life.

In partnership with Flamingo Horticulture, Floralife helps ensure that each hectare of soil is being used responsibly and efficiently to produce superior flowers for the discerning international market.

www.floralife.com

From harvest to home, Floralife provides the perfect solutions for the care and handling of your fresh cut flowers.

Founded in 1938 in the flower market of Chicago, USA, Floralife introduced the first cut flower food to the world. Since then, we have expanded our global footprint and followed our passion for beautiful fresh cut flowers by creating the best care and handling products for the industry. Today, we have a network of floriculture experts working around the world to solve problems and develop innovative solutions. Located around the globe in key floral markets, we have our own technical experts, testing facilities and laboratories from which we conduct product development, field trials, audits, educational seminars, marketing and sales.

For almost 80 years, Floralife has been solving the postharvest care and handling needs of the cut flower industry.

We support the entire cut flower distribution chain from harvest to home; from growers to wholesalers; and from supermarkets and retail shops to consumers. Our products provide the ultimate enjoyment experience for the end consumer with solutions for pretreatment, hydration, transport & storage, and final flower food solutions for nourishment & conditioning.

With the merging of two leaders in the industry, the purchase of Floralife by Smithers-Oasis Company in 2007 has created a one-stop shop for all your floral needs. As a full service company, we are able to be your complete floral partner to make your program easier, streamlined and informed throughout the entire flower chain. With one point of access for your floral needs, your business will be more efficient and cost effective.

WE FOLLOW THE FLOWERS AND PLANTS WE FOLLOW THE

FLOWERS & PLANTS Retail Florist Floral Wholesaler

Supermarket

Breeders

Consumer

Growers Bouquet Operation

Internet

As the inventor of the revolutionary FloralifeÂŽ Express Technology line of floral care products, fresh cut flowers are now able to be fed and fully hydrated without ever having to re-cut the stems.

For a deeper dive into the world of Floralife, go to our website at www.floralife.com or on any of our social media sites: Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest or YouTube.

Oasis Floralife Africa Ltd, Po Box 20496-00200, Nairobi, Kenya T: +254 780 000073 +254 733 123006 E: infoafrica@floralife.com

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cut flowers”, the Company continues.

“We source globally from sustainable horticulture farming operations, growing and delivering high quality flowers and foliage for our customers, including Fairtrade products from around the world.”

Flamingo details its full range and specifications: ALSTROMERIA - “Flamingo grow and source Alstromeria from Kenya, Holland and Colombia. In the Mount Kenya region of Kenya the Alstromeria enjoys high light levels that contribute towards the vibrant colours which include orange, pink, purple, red, yellow and white.”

SEASONAL FLOWERS - “The East of England, specifically Lincolnshire, is a prime location for British cut flowers and Flamingo work very closely with

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British growers year round in growing a selection of seasonal cut flowers.”

CARNATIONS - “Kenya, due to its warm climate, provides ideal conditions for Carnation production on Flamingo’s farms in the region of Mount Kenya, and this is coupled with supply from Southern Europe.

Carnations are available in sprays, multiple small blooms on one stem, or as one large bloom on a stem, typically known as a Standard Carnation.”

FILLERS & FOLIAGES - “Flamingo grow and source a wide range of fillers and foliage both from their farms in Kenya and from across Europe, Ireland and the UK. With a variety of textures, sizes and colours available they make an ideal and interesting addition to many cut flower bouquets and arrangements.”

GREENLIFE CROP PROTECTION AFRICA LTD

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ccording to the Food & Agriculture Organisation’s report on the state of food and agriculture in Africa, it was noted that there was a dire need to take action now to make agriculture more sustainable, productive and resilient to counter the climatic changes that will have a direct impact on food production in countries that are already prone to food insecurity.

Greenlife Crop Protection Africa Ltd is at the forefront of this agenda; products are tailored to accommodate even the lowest in the agricultural food chain. Affordability, accessibility and environmental safety are the pillars through which the Company intend to change the way crop protection is achieved on the continent.

The Company pays special emphasis to ensure that products are not harmful to the environment, ecosystems, and does not compromise on food quality and the safety of the farmers and consumers.

African crop yields are the lowest in the world yet Africa is one of the most fertile continents in the world, and the Company is aligned with the 2030 agenda of eradication of hunger and poverty. Kenya will serve as the first case study in this mission and will be part of the movement be green and sustainable with Greenlife.

Our five-year goal is to ensure every farmer has knowledge of crop protection that adds value and contributes not only to food security but impacts significantly on their economic power.

T +254 735 544544 E info@greenlife.co.ke

www.greenlife.co.ke

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We know about Floriculture & Horticulture Crop Protection With an extensive catalogue of floriculture and horticulture agrochemicals, we pride ourselves in being able to anticipate and meet our farmers needs, providing efficient products that ensure optimum crop protection impacting significantly on food security and their economic power.

GREENLIFE IS AN AUTHORITY IN PLANT DISEASE AND PEST CONTROL P. O. Box 24942 - 00100, Nairobi, Kenya. Fax: +254 738 980267 Mob: +254 735 544544 +254 722 563698, Tel: +254 20 2441201/2 info@greenlife.co.ke | www.greenlife.co.ke

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LILIES - “Flamingo grow and source Lilies from the UK, Kenya and Europe.

There are many types of Lilies available such as Longiflorum, LA and Oriental that are available all year round and have trumpet shaped flowers carrying between 2 and 5 buds per stem depending upon the variety.”

ROSES - “Kenya is well known for its Rose production and is seen as the world centre for Rose breeding. Flamingo Rose production is in 2 main growing areas in the hills of Mount Kenya and the region of Lake Naivasha which provide consistent light and temperature levels throughout the year.”

CHRYSANTHEMUMS - “South Africa has the ideal climate for Chrysanthemum production and the Flamingo farm in the region of Gauteng produces a range of spray and bloom Chrysanthemums, alongside product sourced from Holland and South America.”

Fresh produce

On the other side of the coin, “Flamingo Produce Partners Group is a vertically integrated vegetable growing and marketing group that operates as a virtual cooperative, enjoying the benefits of collaborative working in a stable partnership”, Flamingo continues.

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EAST AFRICAN PACKAGING INDUSTRIES LTD

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ast African Packaging Industries Ltd (EAPI) was established in 1959 in Nairobi, Kenya. Since then the Company has been one of the leading manufacturers of products made out of corrugated cardboard.

To keep up with the demands of modern packaging and in order to maintain service levels of the ever increasing volumes of our customer base, the Company is investing heavily in upgrading their machinery – including state-of-the-art multi-colour printing presses.

These investments will help to service one of our major long term customers and one of the world leaders in horticulture, Flamingo Horticulture Kenya Ltd.

www.eapi.co.ke Nearly all common vegetables are accounted for amongst this selection, the scope once again explaining and epitomising the Company’s prominence in the global supermarket supply chain while also alluding to its influence and presence overseas; especially in the UK. Again, Flamingo talks through its offering: SUGARSNAP - “Mangetout and Sugar Snap Peas are currently sourced from 7 different countries but predominantly from Guatemala which is 5,197 miles away. Best in season in November, December, January, February, UK season for Sugar snaps is in June.”

BABY LEEKS - “Baby leeks closely resemble the Spring Onion however do not form bulbs or produce cloves like their Allium cousins. This product has a sleek edible cylindric stem, a snow white stalk with green petit tips.”

CARROTS - “A new product added to the Flamingo repertoire the Tendersweet carrot is currently grown both in Kenya and Guatemala.”

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We are the largest addedvalue producer and exporter of flowers, delivering over 780 million stems per annum. We produce and supply the EU with 26 million kilograms of vegetables per annum from sources worldwide and we are one of the world’s largest producers and packers of Fairtrade roses and lilies

DUMMEN ORANGE

A

s a leading company in the breeding and development of cut flowers, potted plants, annuals, perennials, succulents and bulbs, Dümmen Orange represents a legacy of floricultural excellence more than a century in the making, providing the largest selection of superior flowers and plants on earth.

By uniting the world’s top breeders under one distinctive brand, we blend traditional techniques and emerging technologies.

Globally accessible and locally embedded, the Company continues to be at the forefront of the industry while bringing stability and opportunity to our partners and associates worldwide.

www.dummenorange.com

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for you Uniting the world through the language of flowers

®

Miss Piggy+

Red Dragon

Pink Arrow

Smiley

dummenorange.com

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H O R T I C U L T U R E

BROAD BEANS - “Flamingo is the only supplier of a prepared fresh broad bean into the UK market. Grown specifically in Guatemala this member of the legume family the broad bean is a hardy and adaptable product.”

ASPARAGUS - “Our British asparagus is grown by the Chinn Family on their Cobrey Farms which are located in Norfolk, Herefordshire and Suffolk.”

CHILLIES - “Flamingo supply chillies all year round but are renowned more for the supply of British Chillies from the Bedfordshire grower Genovese.”

Fine and green beans - “Fine bean

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Reaping the benefits of successful collaboration

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is an herbaceous plant that belongs to legume family (Fabiaceae). It originates from Peru, where people have been eating green beans for at least 7000 years.”

RUNNER BEANS - “Runner beans are predominately grown by our Kenya and Guatemala growers. Runner beans are a good source of vitamin C, folic acid, protein and fibre.”

MANGETOUT - “Mangetout and Sugar Snap Peas is currently Sourced from 7 different countries but predominantly from Guatemala which is 5,197 miles away. Best in season in November, December, January, February, UK season for Sugar snaps is in June.”

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Because Your Farm Never Stops You have enough things to think about.

Losing power doesn’t need to be one of them.

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ROSES IN THE WORLD

Since 1949 Blackwood Hodge has been one of the leading generator specialists in Kenya and Uganda.

We can help you choose a generator set which will give you years of service, see that it’s installed and ensure you have all the service and support you need.

Now you can get on with the things which are important to you.

To find out more, contact: james@blackwoodhodge.com M: +254 724 298 609

W. KORDES’ SÖHNE Rosenschulen GmbH & Co. KG Rosenstraße 54 25365 Klein Offenseth-Sparrieshoop www.kordes-rosen.com

East African region contact Christian Meuschke Kordes Roses East Africa E: christian@kordesroses-ea.com T: 00254 736 363642

BWH Quarter page ad.indd 1

24/04/2017 09:26:30

Organic Solutions Limited (OS) conducts the manufacture and market to introduce Organic Solutions Microbial Technology (OSMT).

OSMT makes crops productive through supporting to grow their roots healthy by the microorganisms in the rooting zone.

P. O. Box 59843-00200 Nairobi, Kenya T: +254 20 2451910 E: oskenya@gmail.com info@organicsolutions.co.ke

Organic Solutions

Organic Solutions

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Offering challenging but rewarding careers in a dynamic environment

TENDERSTEM BROCCOLI “Tenderstem™ has a sweet mild taste, and the nature of the vegetable allows it to absorb flavours from any dish that it is used in.”

BABY VEGETABLES - “Originally the baby corn concept was developed in Thailand as a by-product from the local dairy industry in the rural communities and is still practiced in some parts today.”

FRESH PEAS - “The modernday garden pea is thought to have originated from the field pea that was native to central Asia and the Middle East.”

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Sustainability commitments

Geographic diversity enables Flamingo to offer its customers a comprehensive portfolio of the highest quality products on a consistent year-round basis

The ability to offer such a high quality, well rounded, and sustainably generated selection of products, compounded by a footprint and partner base up there with anyone else in the global market; equals the pioneering supply chain operator that Flamingo Horticulture is today.

Controlling the chain from farm to shelf, the balanced model is hugely appealing to prospective partners who know that neither quality or location are factors to be concerned about.

“Geographic diversity enables Flamingo to offer its customers a

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comprehensive portfolio of the highest quality products on a consistent yearround basis,” the Company affirms.

“Flamingo farms account for a wide range of flowers and produce using best practice farming techniques, and with a global network of flower and produce growers across 30 countries.”

The constant refinement of its packing, logistics, warehousing and distribution strategies also signifies to partners that Flamingo refuses to rest on its laurels moving forward; while also making it a prime employer in South Africa and Kenya long into the future as well.

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Our top line sustainability commitments are guided by our business pillars of freedom, integrity, responsibility, mutuality, innovation and quality

“Flamingo Horticulture offers challenging but rewarding careers in a dynamic, challenging and ever evolving environment,” it concludes.

“Since the Company was founded in 1982, farming sustainably has been a core commitment of all our operations, and this commitment has been further reinforced as the business has expanded to work with other producers around the world.

“Our top line sustainability commitments are guided by our business pillars of freedom, integrity, responsibility, mutuality, innovation and quality.”

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Scientific,

Independent,

PRECISE Agrimotion is committed to providing ethical and sustainable solutions for customers, building meaningful partnerships based on long-term goals Writer: Phoebe Calver Project Manager: Joshua Mann grimotion has grown from its core vision of setting the standard for best practice in both fruit production and soil management on a global scale. Since its formation in 2013 by a team of soil scientists and horticulturists it has been providing innovative consulting solutions to aid sustainable growth.

It has always been important for the Company to take both its leading players and associations in the field of fruit production very seriously, and subsequently the main driving force behind its work is built upon sound scientific recommendations.

“We have very good relationships with global universities, research institutions, labs and other independent

Coenraad Fraenkel Chief Executive Officer

consultants,” explains Coenraad Fraenkel, Chief Executive Officer at Agrimotion. “Each one of these relationships acts as a sound-board to ensure that our recommendations stay scientifically significant, without losing the practical application that is needed at base level.”

In order to ensure perfect working order when it comes to practical application, all of Agrimotion’s services go through a trial period where they are used by the leading clients, therefore improvements can be made consistently until the service is ready. It is vital that its product range evolves with its clients’ needs and market demands, subsequently their feedback will impact the Company’s strategic improvements.

“As consultants in the ever-changing fruit industry, we need to constantly be ahead of the game with new technologies and the application of scientific principles,” continues Fraenkel. “In the past three years, our biggest area of success was in the area of new orchard planning and irrigation scheduling.

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AGRI-SOIL

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ounded in 1997, Agri-Soil became the leader of the soil fumigation industry in South Africa. By aligning ourselves with industry leaders like Agrimotion, we are able to combine our shared knowledge and expertise to fulfill the client’s needs to the fullest.

The Company is able to supply quality fumigants and superb application services by experienced, highly trained and qualified personnel as prescribed by our SAPCA membership. We can adapt to any farming activity’s needs with no job to big, too small or too difficult to handle while maintaining honesty, integrity and pride as our pillars.

T +27 21 903 2288 E office@agrisoil.co.za

www.agri-soil.co.za

“When it comes to designing the orchards, you have to constantly remind yourselves that the orchard itself will be there for the next 30 to 40 years, therefore the design will need to endure the test of time in the constantly changing markets.

However, one thing will always remain constant: there will always be a good price available for good quality fruit.”

In order to realise the true potential in each project, Agrimotion spends time planning and compiling a blueprint for the developments, including soil classification, rootstock and cultivar selections and irrigation designs. Once the orchard or farm has been designed according to the natural resources, the tree orders and irrigation designs can be planned in fine detail.

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changing climate, rising input costs and increased competition for water are challenging South African producers to attain higher yields with less water. In the Western Cape, FruitLook supports fruit growers to do just that.

The FruitLook portal is an eLEAF product allowing farmers weekly insights in crop production and water use. A better informed farmer makes better management decisions and results so far show a water use efficiency increase of 10-30 percent.

As such FruitLook, available to almost every farmer in the Western Cape, is improving food production at an unprecedented scale.

Monitoring parameters

The secondary service in the Company that has developed extremely fast is its irrigation scheduling service, after the

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Agrimotion spends time planning and compiling a blueprint for all developments

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Leader in soil fumigation

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At agri-soil we are proud of our workmenship, quality fumigation and the fact that we have a non-invasive approuch to the farm’s working routine.

Our experience makes us the leader in the industry and the prefered choice of leading farms and developers of new soil fumigant products.

Office Hours: 08h30 – 14h00 T +27 21 903 2288 F +27 86 585 2794 office@agrisoil.co.za www.agrisoil.co.za

FieldLook:

Quantified data to optimise your yeild Daily, weekly, across Africa

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herry Irrigation proudly serves a wide variety of customers across Southern Africa. We specialise in the design and implementation of all types of irrigation solutions including climate control systems for the greenhouse market.

We’ve combined our 30 years of experience in the industry with Agrimotion’s specialist knowledge in soil management to ensure that your irrigation solution is carefully mapped to your soil profile.

These tailor-made solutions, designed by our in-house SABI-registered designers, ensure you get the best possible results from your soil and maximum return on your investment.

T +27 021 859 4246 E info@cherryirrigation.co.za

www.cherryirrigation.co.za realisation that the producers monitor different parameters to determine how much water is needed and when they should apply it.

“The parameters that we monitor include field observations, soil moisture probes readings, crop factors, fruit size measurements and the use of remote sensing data,” affirms Fraenkel. “Agrimotion has developed an application called IRIS (integrated response irrigation scheduling), which uses the previously mentioned parameters and integrates them to produce a single orchard specified crop.”

Combining this technology with a seven day weather forecast prediction, the clients are given an accurate prediction of the amount of water required and when it should be applied; over time it is expected that this model will revolutionise the way producers use water and work to build the Company’s reputation worldwide.

At present Agrimotion is involved

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in eight of the nine provinces in, and twelve countries outside of South Africa, being fortunate that in most cases its existing national and international client base is constantly expanding; this has provided the Company with the opportunity to grow with them.

“It is particularly important for us as a Company to associate with producers both nationally and internationally that share our vision of setting the standard for best practices when it comes to fruit production,” Fraenkel adds. “Our associates in the fields of soil science, analytical labs, irrigation design, irrigation monitoring and the production of plant material, have previously been able to assist us in the expansion of our footprint which has inevitably made where we are now a possibility.”

Market trends

Market leaders in field observation

As in any industry, monitoring market trends is pivotally important to staying

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Specialists in the design and implementation of all types of agricultural irrigation systems.

Outlook

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• InteliGro is a market leader in the

provision of Crop Solutions to the agriculture industry and is in the position to contribute positively towards food security through an output driven, high quality food production approach.

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of products, skills, technology and expertise through programmes and a technical based service.

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• Crop protection solutions & expertise • Customised plant & soil nutrition recommendations • Specialised plant nutrition solutions & expertise • Supportive technology • Biological solutions

providers of crop solutions to the agricultural industry

WELLINGTON: 021 873 6177 l Fax: 021 873 7896 l info@inteligro.co.za VILJOENSKROON: 056 343 3444 l Fax: 056 343 2223 l info@inteligro.co.za

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Not afraid of getting their hands dirty

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ahead of the curve, something that Agrimotion prides itself on.

Fraenkel explains: “At present there are three main trends that we are focusing our energies on, which include creating more produce in a smaller area, using less water, and identifying geographic areas where exclusive plant material will be able to supply the market with produce at a time when demands are high in areas which were not previously seen as a viable option, due to various reasons.

“Lastly, farming commercially is no longer a family business, but instead a global investment opportunity, which will be very important to remember moving forward.”

Agrimotion ensures it adapts its product offering and operational services in order to adhere to these trends, a prime example being the recent expansion of its irrigation scheduling service meaning that saving water becomes second nature and high value crops can be produced with less.

Fraenkel describes: “We established associations with national and international climatological experts, maintaining these important associations affords us the capability to identify areas in which specific crops naturally grow to optimal levels, while also being able to supply the demand in market segments when the demand is high and prices are naturally significantly higher than normal.”

The ability to remain focused on the core business plays to the strengths of Agrimotion, therefore when it comes to making vital capital investments on new technologies for example, the Company is particularly calculated. At present it is honing in on technology that all its clients could realistically use, exploiting the potential value in basic and relatively cost-friendly technology.

“We have found the use of Ello Technology - a locally based IT company - has enabled us to streamline both our processes and systems significantly,” adds Fraenkel.

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Farming is a global investment opportunity

“They have provided us with the ability to access our server and documentation globally. For a team that often has to work in the middle of nowhere, this is a huge step in being more efficient in what we do.”

Expertise in the field

Obtaining the highest level of expertise in Agrimotion’s work with soil management and fruit production is a high priority, mainly employing consultants in the field of soil science and horticulture. At present it has a plethora of skills available to tap into, including soil science, horticulture, viticulture, GIS, environmental management and hydrology.

“At the Company we believe that true knowledge will be gained by sharing information and therefore, consultants are regularly trained by various trusted external experts,” affirms Fraenkel. “However, being a

happy and effective family begins with getting the right people on board in the first place.

“Our hiring process is thorough and entails a two week shadowing period, serving in part as an interview process, as well as the quarterly KPI reviews implemented by our General Manager, enabling us to review and evaluate consultants and see how they are developing in a well managed and sustainable way.”

The complexity in the skillset required for success is particularly difficult to come across in the industry, making it rare for Agrimotion to find quality scientists that it can invest in.

Therefore a strategy has been formulated to adjust to this, centralised around building good relationships with universities in order to bolster the next generation of soil science and horticulture specialists.

“Agrimotion is used as a lecturing tool on industry trends two to three times a year, we also offer students the opportunity to take part in an internship during their studies, providing us with the opportunity to identify the top candidates and begin investing in them,” concludes Fraenkel. “It is very exciting for us to be a part of this sort of programme and support the creation of the future of the Company and industry as a whole.”

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Flowers with Essence of Love Primarosa believes hard work is irreplaceable, adopting an entrepreneurial vision that has established it as the quality grower of cut flowers across the globe Writer: Phoebe Calver | Project Manager: Joshua Mann

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rimarosa Flowers Limited thrives on the ability to offer an elite standard of rose - on a global level of distribution - in a trusted and reliable manner, with the aim of enriching the lives of its customers and delivering above and beyond expectations. Of course in order to achieve such high success levels, the Company is focused on providing world-class standards in floriculture and supplying its customers with the best value for money explains Mr. Deepak Kamani, Chairman.

“We work tirelessly towards our vision of becoming the unique brand of choice, reaching the parameters of elite quality and consistent delivery,” explains Mr. Deepak Kamani, Chairman. “Our mission aims to achieve professional goals with a personal touch, adapting to the upcoming state-of-the-art technologies and meeting the growing demands and expectations of our customers.”

There is something very different about Primarosa and the way it has conducted its business in the industry for the past 15 years, having defined its path with the solid foundations of its values and dedication towards delivering the best for its community, internal and external customers.

“Our core values have been built upon over time and developed to the point we are at today,” continues Mr. Deepak Kamani. “It is of particular importance for us to be a good citizen, remaining completely transparent throughout all of our business practices in order to maintain fair-trading.

“Treating each and every customer as if they are your first means that you will always exceed expectations, therefore providing consistent quality.” explains Mr. Bobby Kamani, Managing Director.

Of course for a company that is involved in floriculture, remaining eco-friendly throughout all activities

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is of pivotal importance - acting with sensitivity towards the flowers, plants, agriculture and environment - Primarosa’s main focus landing on setting the highest international standards in eco-friendly practices in the region.

Combined with the attention paid to the environment, there is also a great deal of attention paid to the wellbeing of the Company’s personnel.

Along with providing them with the most advanced training techniques and skills, they are also provided with remuneration and variable perks alongside their pay.

All kinds of rose specialties

Primarosa has been one of the fastest growing flower producing farms in Kenya, involved in the niche market of global flower exports. And the most significant chapter of the story began when the Kamani family who founded the Company, acquired the Athiriver Farm from Stoni Athi in 2003 explains

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“Primarosa is a closely-held Company that is completely owned by the Kamani family,” adds Joshi.

Only one year later, Primarosa added further capacities to its portfolio with land acquisitions in western Kenya, and now it has expanded to more than 100 hectares of land under metal greenhouses, exporting more than 100 million roses to Europe, Asia, Middle East, Australia, America and many other countries explains Mr. Bobby Kamani, Managing Director. “Over the years it has developed its product offering to supply a basket-full of all kinds of rose specialties, providing them for supermarkets, importers, wholesalers and florists the world over.

“The Company has two farms which enable us to cater to all the various market segments across the globe; one of which is at the original base in Athiriver and the other on Zuri Farm in Ol Joro Orok Nyahururu.

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ccording to the Food & Agriculture Organisation’s report on the state of food and agriculture in Africa, it was noted that there was a dire need to take action now to make agriculture more sustainable, productive and resilient to counter the climatic changes that will have a direct impact on food production in countries that are already prone to food insecurity.

Greenlife Crop Protection Africa Ltd is at the forefront of this agenda; products are tailored to accommodate even the lowest in the agricultural food chain. Affordability, accessibility and environmental safety are the pillars through which the Company intend to change the way crop protection is achieved on the continent.

The Company pays special emphasis to ensure that products are not harmful to the environment, ecosystems, and does not compromise on food quality and the safety of the farmers and consumers.

African crop yields are the lowest in the world yet Africa is one of the most fertile continents in the world, and the Company is aligned with the 2030 agenda of eradication of hunger and poverty. Kenya will serve as the first case study in this mission and will be part of the movement be green and sustainable with Greenlife.

Our five-year goal is to ensure every farmer has knowledge of crop protection that adds value and contributes not only to food security but impacts significantly on their economic power.

T +254 735 544544 E info@greenlife.co.ke

www.greenlife.co.ke One of the fastest and finest flower producers in Kenya

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We know about Floriculture & Horticulture Crop Protection With an extensive catalogue of floriculture and horticulture agrochemicals, we pride ourselves in being able to anticipate and meet our farmers needs, providing efficient products that ensure optimum crop protection impacting significantly on food security and their economic power.

GREENLIFE IS AN AUTHORITY IN PLANT DISEASE AND PEST CONTROL P. O. Box 24942 - 00100, Nairobi, Kenya. Fax: +254 738 980267 Mob: +254 735 544544 +254 722 563698, Tel: +254 20 2441201/2 info@greenlife.co.ke | www.greenlife.co.ke

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Continuously increasing demand

Primarosa has continuously involved itself in trials of new varieties, offering different products to the market in order to cope with the changes in industry requirements.

“Our strategy has always been to accept the changes thrown our way and to keep moving forward, adopting new practices as we go,” affirms Mr. Bobby Kamani. “Sensing instability in the prices at auction when selling, we began to start looking for direct markets to work in, aiming to regularise supplies to direct customers, gaining a year-round steady price.”

The Company launched marketing initiatives across various markets in order to grab the market share successfully, generating new customers in unfulfilled markets.

“A prime example of our ability to meet the demands of the everchanging rose market is the big head roses and spray roses which we added to our assortment,” Mr. Bobby Kamani elaborates. “The demand for these products is continuously increasing, while also attaining good prices. And

Achievement and Awards THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY: Winner of Gold Medal at Chelsea Flower Show - 2004 DUTCH FLOWER GROUP: Nominated for Dutch Flower Group Awards- 2012- Most Valuable Supplier in the category of Foreign Supplier SAINSBURY’S AWARD: Supplier Award 2013 ASDA: Grower of the Month Winner February- 2017 Adapting to eco-friendly practices and international standards

KAMANI FOUNDATION CHARITABLE TRUST – NAIROBI (KENYA) THE KAMANI FOUNDATION, a Charitable Trust created and established by Shree C. V. Kamani, Chairman of the Zuri Group and patriarch of the Kamani Family, currently organizes medical camps for providing prosthetic limbs and correctional eye facilities to the needy since 1999. The object of the Trust is to fulfil social responsibilities and render charitable activities without the distinction of geography, caste, creed, gender or religion. The Foundation believes in serving the community with aid across society. It makes multiple efforts to provide aid and support to medical

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organisations in the form of camps, donations and specialised treatment.

In line with its objectives of serving local communities and facilitating timely aid, the foundation had set up an artificial limb and correctional eye centre in Rajkot, Gujarat. In a short span of time the centre gained a distinct popularity across the Kutch and Saurashtra regions, indicating the need for such initiatives within our society.

To continue the effort and reach out to more areas, the Kamani Foundation under the aegis of the Chairman

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subsequently, by offering a larger assortment of products, we have been able to increase our customer base massively.”

The farms run by Primarosa are adapting to the latest eco-friendly practices in tow, conforming to international standards, and using the most reputed breeders in the new segments it has moved into.

Further to this, having sensed the emerging global trends, the Company has adapted to new user-friendly software technologies and introduced internet marketing initiatives in order to reach out to premium buyers around the world.

Quality standards for international markets

Working in such a trendy industry that is constantly evolving, Primarosa has noticed that the demand for big head roses has been gradually increasing, hence the addition of more unique varieties to its farms.

“We have also been closely monitoring the latest industry trends through IT upgrades, certifications, conforming to environmentally friendly agricultural practices and maintaining high quality and international standards throughout the chain,” explains Mr. Bobby Kamani.

Displaying consistency, commitment and competency

“Both of our farms are certified by the Kenya Flower Council, certifying that our farms have demonstrated our commitment to advancing Good Agricultural Practice.

“It is also a point of pride within the Company that we are certified to conform to fair-trade certifications Assurance that Primarosa met all set

standards in environmental, labour, and developmental areas.”

As with any company that is expanding into the global market, great investments need to be made to deal with anticipated growth, enabling the ultimate goal of continued customer satisfaction.

Mr. Bobby Kamani elaborates: “We invested more than 10 million Kenyan shillings in improving our farms’ international flower movement; introducing new systems which enable us to reduce our process lead time, improve flower quality, and increase manpower efficiency.”

Compounding investments into the Company’s systems and processes, Primarosa has also made significant improvements to its greenhouses, and therefore the quality of the rose varieties it can produce within them.

“Our core values will always remain based around consistency, commitment and competency, which is the main factor that has enabled us to stand out from the rest of the players in the industry,” concludes Mr. Deepak Kamani. “We will continue to grow, evolve and hopefully continue to gain a very good name for ourselves in the industry for the consistent delivery of quality products and services.”

and Managing Trustees, Shree Rashmi Kamani and Shree Deepak Kamani, have proposed a new initiative aimed at providing prosthetic limbs and correctional eye facilities to the people of Kenya through an innovative PROSTHETIC LIMB CENTRE & CORRECTIONAL EYE FACILITY ON MOBILE VANS. The mobile services will help provide the facility from one place to another and reach out to more people in need, who are otherwise deprived of such facilities.

The mobile vans are designed and fabricated in such a manner that all the facilities for artificial limbs, calipers and crutches as well as correctional eye facilities will be available in the vehicles themselves, facilitating distribution over a wider area and and hence reach out to the rural & urban areas, within our the country.

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Jambo Food Products is providing products of international quality standards at affordable prices to the masses, and with plans for expansion it looks set for greatness Writer: Phoebe Calver Project Manager: Joshua Mann

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ambo Food Products has experienced a meteoric rise to success over the past four years, becoming one of the largest manufacturers of carbonated soft drinks, fresh juices, and the processing and bottling of water within East Africa, based in Shinyanga, Tanzania.

The Company is a part of Jambo Group of Companies Ltd, a conglomerate made up of five independent business entities, including Jambo Oil Mills & Ginneries, Jambo Petroleum Products, Jambo Spinning Mills, Jambo Cargo Transportation and of course Jambo Food Products.

“As one of the leading economic forces in Tanzania, we have major investments and successful operating companies in all key business sectors,” explains Dawood Hobaya, General Manager of Jambo Food Products.

“We are part of a family-owned Group, which is managed by our CEO, Founder and Director, Salum Khamis Salum and Co-Director, Sleman Khamis Salum.And now Mr. Salaam, their younger brother has joined the board of directors.”

Dawood Hobaya, General Manager

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Providing quality & environmentally friendly packaging solutions In 1997, QPL started its activities at a 100 sq meter rented facility with an installed capacity of 10 mtons/month. QPL’s work ethics, diligence, commitment and sincerity enabled it to meet its customers’ needs and excel their expectations. This enabled numerous expansions of its business activities and these expansions are still on going. Presently QPL operates at a 5-acre custom-built facility situated in Mukono with an installed capacity of 350 mtons/month.

QPL is engaged in flexible plastic packaging of both, extruded and co-extruded, and manufactures mono and multilayer films, DPC sheetings, tubings and plant bags for seedlings and packaging for pharmaceutical, food and beverage industries to name a few. It also removes from circulation and recycles a large quantity of waste plastic

We believe in ethical growth and quality performance

Mr. Shamsher Ali (General Manager) Quality Plastics (U) Ltd Plot No. 283 Kyaggwe, Block 198 Nangwa - Mukono P O Box 24573 , Kampala, Uganda T: +256 393 348 946 M: +256 787 357251 sales@qualityuganda.com www.qualityuganda.com

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The Company has invested wisely in state-of-the-art machinery

When the Group was conceived in 1998 by Salum Khamis Salum, it set out with humble intentions to work as a small trading business in the cotton sector, engaging in cotton purchasing and ginning, oil refining and cotton lint bale exports. However, with stringent planning and the right team of people at the core, the Jambo Group has subsequently expanded the business into a wide range of sectors.

Healthy and affordable quality products

Having been a successful and thriving Company in Shinyanga, Tanzania for many years, the Jambo Group’s move into food production was a natural step. Initially its product offering comprised cooking oil and cotton seed cake for animals, and when those proved particularly popular, the Company pooled its resources

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Since 2013, our food products have grown in sales by 15 percent year-onyear and our products are now available in many store outlets in Tanzania

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UALITY PLASTICS (U) LIMITED (QPL), is a manufacturing company incorporated in Uganda in 1997, with an objective of becoming the leading packaging company in East Africa. We are engaged in manufacturing of PET preforms, plastic closures, printed and plain industrial packaging, DPC sheets, recycling of PE films,. Since its inception, QPL has been committed to catering Uganda and EAST Africa with high quality products for major industries including the food & beverages, pharmaceutical, agricultural and construction.

We strive to meet our customers’ growing and changing needs by increasing and improving the range of packing materials, machinery and equipment. Reaching out and serving for emerging and developing markets we are committed to remain at the leading edge. At QPL we believe in ethical growth and quality performance, which is for the benefit of all our stakeholders.

QPL’s diversified expertise in extrusion and injection moulding represents our immense growth potential to generate opportunities for sustaining development both in rigid and flexible packaging. Our diversified product range also includes production of CSD preforms from HUSKY machines.

At present, commercially QPL is the only producer of PET Preforms in Uganda using the globally recognised Husky Machine. These PET Preforms are made from high quality raw material which ensures high durability at its user end and thus are approved by renowned multinational companies. QPL is capable

of undertaking production of any sizes and colours of preforms as per the buyers’ prerequisites. In order to maintain its high standards, the Quality Control department at QPL is equipped with world class and well maintained lab equipments.

At QPL, we manufacture closures also (plastic bottle caps) from SACMI Machine.

The closures are made from high quality raw material which ensures high durability at its user end and thus are approved by renowned multinational companies.

Our relation with JAMBO is not only as supplier and customer. JAMBO is like our business growth partner, where we can see JAMBO growing with us and JAMBO can see QPL growing with them and our aim is to continue this strong bond forever.

It takes a dedicated amount of time and energy to build good, strong, lasting business relationship today and at QPL we can easily say that our business relationship with JAMBO is very strong. The best thing about JAMBO is their management, they are thoroughly professional and they know how to move forward with their suppliers. They have been very supportive throughout and in return we have given 100% as well.

T +256 393 348 946 E sales@qualityuganda.com www.qualityuganda.com

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afepak Ltd, Nairobi, Kenya was selected by Jambo Food Products Co Ltd back in 2015 when they were taking the first steps towards this new venture.

Whilst we never asked the GM/CEO for the underlying reasons behind placing this enormous trust and expectation for this big new venture, we can only presume it may have something to do with our experience of more than 26 years,; our capability to work handin-hand on any technical or business requirement of our customers; and our reputation to deliver on the commitment.

A proudly Tanzanian entity

Safepak Ltd is probably the most accomplished convertor of plastics in East Africa, if not Africa, encompassing the latest technologies in pet preform manufacture, pet bottle blowing, injection molding of closures and other packaging accessories, compression molding of closures, and printing of closures.

Jambo’s drinks are becoming one of Tanzania’s most visible signs of healthy and affordable quality products

to officially start the Jambo Food Products arm of the Group in 2013.

“We now include mineral drinking water, fresh juices and carbonated soft drinks available in various different flavours, lemon, orange, vito, cola, ginger, cocopine, pineapple, malt products, energy drinks... Jambo’s drinks are becoming one of Tanzania’s most visible signs of healthy and affordable quality products,” continues Hobaya. “Since 2013, our food products have grown in sales by 15 percent year-on-year and our products are now available in many store outlets in Tanzania.”

Looking forward the Company is

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Safepak Ltd works with a broad spectrum of customers from the smallest companies to the largest global brands across the widest diversity of industries engaged in still and carbonated beverages, edible oils, pharmaceuticals, personal care, household chemicals, foods and dressings, confectionary, agro chemicals, spices and condiments, sauces, and spreads.

Safepak Ltd offers the most extensive range of preforms suitable for the smallest to the largest containers, the most extensive range of bottle designs and sizes, and the most extensive range of closure solutions.

planning to expand its operations to include the production of fruit pulp and juice concentrate to stores located within the entire country, bringing production to an estimated 300 metric tonnes a day.

“In order to achieve this, our transportation needs will increase,

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Safepak Ltd is most renowned for developing and delivering bespoke packaging solutions for the most discerning domestic brands in our region enabling the brand owners compete effectively against global brands.

T +254 20 2403222/2403223 E admin@ke.safepakgroup.co.ke

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ver the past years of enhancement, the principle for absolute quality has always been maintained. With up-to-date technology & cost effective solutions, CET Group can provide its local and global customers with tailored expert advice, intelligent detailed solutions and rapid services in industrial solutions.

T +254 722 754247 E info.ke@cet.ag

www.cetindustrial.com The Company has a wide range of drinks products that are highly popular throughout Tanzania

requiring a large fleet of trucks for transport and distribution,” affirms Hobaya. “Replacing our current fleet of Scania, Iveco, Mitsubishi and Man trucks with new Volvo trucks will also enhance and better the distribution of products throughout the entire country.

“Following vast amounts of research, we came to the conclusion that Volvo are the most reliable, durable and efficient companies to carry our daily business endeavours, and we are looking forward to making this a reality.”

Implementation of these plans will make for exciting progression in the next few years, as initial contracts are completed with retail outlets throughout the country and potential target markets identified.

The Company is also hoping to export to East African partner states and other African countries, really widening its target market over the next few years.

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Pure products

Our Company vision ‘life in every drop’ is the standard to which we uphold all our work, focusing on the goal of having clean and safe drinking water to make our nation healthier

The Jambo Food Products selection is available throughout Tanzania, and excitingly looking forward, throughout East and Central Africa. Due to the demand for its products, Jambo has a soft drink and water plant with the capacity for production of more than 72,000 bottles each hour.

“Our Company vision ‘life in every drop’ is the standard to which we uphold all our work, focusing on the goal of having clean and safe drinking water to make our nation healthier,” concludes Hobaya. “By doing this we have committed our vision to satisfying the demand in Tanzania for truly pure and healthy products anywhere at any time.

“The Company strongly believes that every Tanzanian should be given the choice to enjoy world-class, quality products that come at affordable Tanzanian prices, therefore making Jambo the popular first choice among other food product companies in East Africa.”

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CET Group has provided solutions and innovative parts across the East African region in industrial products and has grown into an organisation with ability to deliver almost all the needs of industries in both packaging and manufacturing sector.

Outlook

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Outlook Publishing’s awardwinning in-house team is now utilising its extensive production skills to offer a full and bespoke range of editorial, design and marketing services via its new Outlook Creative Services division.

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→ Mechanical and electrical spare parts → Commissioning and relocation of plants and machines → Sales and aftersales of Heuft inspection machines → Complete conveyor lines and conveyor parts → Complete turnkey projects → Festo pneumatic products → Programming and automation → Fully fledged workshop

Efficient, durable, reliable. www.bosch-industrial.com

Reduce energy costs for higher competitiveness.

150 years of experience, the benchmark of Industrial Boilers, close to you.

F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N V I S I T : www.outlookpublishing.com/creative-services

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Everyone MAKING IT GREAT FOR

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Recent adaptations have beset the fabric of Kenya Wine Agencies Limited, as it showcases its ability to remain flexible and to thrive in the industry Writer: Phoebe Calver | Project Manager: Joshua Mann

he recent announcement of the Distell Group Ltd. South Africa acquisition of a majority share in Kenya Wine Agencies Ltd (KWAL) is the beginning of a very exciting adjustment for KWAL, virtue of a strong combination of shareholders and concerted expertise on both an international and local level.

KWAL was formed in 1969 as an incorporated government agency with the sole purpose of providing the distribution of imported wine and spirits. The Company went on to diversify its product offering locally, rebranding itself as a commercial winery in 1982, importing and growing grapes to be fermented and crafted locally.

In the current day, functioning as a beverage Company which deals in both alcoholic drinks - including predominantly wine and spirits - and non-alcoholic products - a variety of 100 percent pure fruit juices - KWAL’s service includes manufacturing, import and export of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, distribution and sale, continuously committing to quality in all aspects of business.

The acclaim of its products is of pivotal importance to the Company, particularly products such as wine which is a flagship product of KWAL appreciated by discerning consumers and customers. It is the delight and value found in its products that the Company continuously strives to achieve for both its clientele and stakeholders.

“Over the years we have hit a number of milestones as a Company which have crafted us into the success that we are today,” explains Carlos Gomes, Managing Director at Kenya Wine Agencies. “We have launched numerous successful brands, including the flagship Kingfisher brand originally launched in 1982, and revamped in the latter part of 2016.”

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GAN SHMUEL GROUP

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an Shmuel Foods Ltd is the largest exporter within the food industry in Israel and a leading company in the citrus industry, with a wide range of commodities as well as tailor made products.

With ISO9001, HACCP and FSSC22000 accreditations, the Company supplies many of the most prominent food and beverage companies in more than 50 countries worldwide.

The main products of the company are fruit NFC juices, fruit concentrates and bases, fruit and vegetable mix concentrates and clear concentrates.

Specially tailor made products include raw materials for the production of juices, soft drinks, carbonated and still drinks and nectars.

T +972 4 6320137

KWAL has offices and depots in five main spots across Kenya, with plans to expand further

In 1998, KWAL moved into producing spirits including Hunter’s Choice whiskey and Kibao vodka. Its innovative qualities have enabled the Company to evolve leaps and bounds, and it is this philosophy that is its foremost attribute and has led to obtaining a highly respected reputation as a producer of quality brands.

alone, and once we feel the time is right we will look at our neighbouring countries again.”

A small proportion of the business that KWAL conducts is still export based. Looking forward with the number of brands under the Distell umbrella that the Company could leverage on in conjunction with its

Consolidating processes

Over time the Company has gone forwards and backwards somewhat in terms of its warehousing facilities in both Rwanda and Uganda. KWAL has offices and depots in five main spots across Kenya, with plans to expand further.

“I joined the team in July last year, which was around the time that difficult strategic decisions needed to be made and we decided to close both our Rwanda and Uganda offices as they were proving to be unprofitable,” explains Gomes. “We have now consolidated our efforts into Kenya

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www.ganshmuelgroup.com

CET INDUSTRIAL LTD

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ver the past years of enhancement, the principle for absolute quality has always been maintained. With up-to-date technology & cost effective solutions, CET Group can provide its local and global customers with tailored expert advice, intelligent detailed solutions and rapid services in industrial solutions.

T +254 722 754247 E info.ke@cet.ag

www.cetindustrial.com Carlos Gomes, Managing Director

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Gan Shmuel Group offer an extensive range of world-class fruit & vegetable based solutions for the food and beverage industry in a highly versatile range of packaging and shipping options.

Absolute Quality

Contact us: idom@ganshmuel.com, Tel:+972 4 6320137 , www.ganshmuelgroup.com

CET Industrial Ltd

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Tel: +254 722 754247 +254 733 211264 Email: info.ke@cet.ag www.cetindustrial.com

CET Group has provided solutions and innovative parts across the East African region in industrial products and has grown into an organisation with ability to deliver almost all the needs of industries in both packaging and manufacturing sector.

→ Mechanical and electrical spare parts → Commissioning and relocation of plants and machines → Sales and aftersales of Heuft inspection machines → Complete conveyor lines and conveyor parts → Complete turnkey projects → Festo pneumatic products → Programming and automation → Fully fledged workshop

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brands, export options will begin to be a more attractive prospect; and it will be well poised to address these options in a more deliberate manner.

In order to attain the projected growth that KWAL hopes to make in the following years, significant investments are required to sustain the uptake in business.

“We know that a great number of investments will be required during the next three to five years,” affirms Gomes.

“A large amount has already been spent, primarily around production and quality assurance equipment, supporting our quest for perfection and sustainability in all we do.

“At present we have three packaging lines, all of which have been privy to an abundance of investment and refurbishing over the past few years, and currently we are in the process of a USD 5 million Tetra Pak line, ensuring that we have the latest technology available.”

In order to stay ahead in such a fast moving industry, KWAL is very aware of the importance of keeping its brand looking modern and up-todate and therefore it is in the process of refurbishing and modernising its Kingfisher and Viceroy brandy packaging; the Viceroy bottles being unique to Kenya.

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Gomes explains: “The core brands continue to be widely respected by our Kenyan consumers, who are well aware that KWAL brands are of the highest quality. However, we have recognised that at times our packaging can look a little bit dated and we are working hard to make adjustments in that area.”

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Enduring advantage

Of course, making such vast investments would be pointless without the right people.

It is therefore one of the core values in the Company that its people are its enduring advantage and most valued asset ; and due to that, it invests heavily in them in terms of training

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Thinking of investing in your fleet or expanding it?

Ryce Leasing offers you customised leasing solutions allowing you to save your working capital for your core business operations.

CONTACT US TODAY: Ryce East Africa, Kampala Road, Nairobi, Kenya Email: bnyamrer@ryce.co.ke Tel: 020 6531786 Cell: 0735721602 / 0733607070 / 0735985858

MILLY GLASS WORKS LTD Manufacturers of Glass Bottles & Jars Milly Glass Works Ltd is the leading container glass manufacturer in the East and Central Africa region, located in Mombasa, Kenya.

Together We Keep Transcending.

Together We Keep Winning.

Producing world class spirit bottles!

“Coming together is the beginning, keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”

– Henry Ford-

We believe that true success lies in great partnerships built on a solid foundation.

That’s why we would like to thank KWAL for being such an invaluable business partner.

Cheers to more years of reaching great feats.

Quality products • Immediate supply • Reasonable prices P.O. Box 80108-80100, Mombasa, Kenya Tel: +254 41 2224401/2/4, +254 41 2222449, 0722 470 940 Cell: +254 734 546 942 • Fax: +254 41 2222382/2314339 Email: marketing@millyglass.com www.millyglass.com

Marketing Society of Kenya (MSK) Awards Best Relaunch Campaign for Trust Condoms - Kuwa True Campaign (PS-Kenya) 1st Runners up for Best Launch - It’s Big Campaign, Pambazuka National Lottery (Bradley Limited) Association of Practitioners in Advertising (APA) AWARDS Bronze award for Best Integrated Campaign - Switch Campaign (Kenya Power)

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and development, enabling the workforce and Company to progress simultaneously.

Gomes adds: “We are incredibly proud of our dedicated workforce, with a staff compliment of 200 people which aside from me are 100 percent Kenyan.”

KWAL retains a simple philosophy both in terms of its staff and its products, to pull from Kenya first. It is important for the local economy and

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also for the costs to the Company to make a concerted effort to do this, and then if it is not available in Kenya it will look to external sources, all in an effort to make the supply chain as efficient as possible.

“The vast majority of our packaging is obtained from local suppliers with only a few select specialist products that we have to import,” continues Gomes. “We also try to support our local community in other ways, in

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order to have more of a direct impact on our surroundings.”

At present KWAL is undertaking a project which aims to encourage disadvantaged communities to undertake a bottle collection programme for recycling purposes.

Bottle manufacturers in the area will buy this glass for recycling.

“As well as glass recycling, there are a couple of innovative and creative artists in the area that can use these bottles in their work,” explains Gomes.

“We will strive to continue supporting that initiative for as long as possible, while also supporting other groups and organisations such as local rugby, which we are very proud to work with.

“Moving forward we would also like to focus more of our efforts on wildlife programmes such as the intiative championed by Amarula, Africa’s leading cream liqueur, in support of the anti-elephant poaching campaign, ‘Hands off our Elephants’, led by Paula Kahumbu. We are aware of course that like everything else when it comes to corporate social responsibility, no matter how much you can do there is always more to be done.”

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Core Values

As a precursor to the Company’s corporate regimen in striving to attain a status as the preferred and most respected beverage company working out of Eastern Africa, KWAL has continuously honed in on its core values which underpins its entire service and has facilitated the standing it now enjoys in the industry.

“We have six core values in the Company, which begin with our people who are our enduring advantage, supported by the way that we conduct ourselves with single minded quality in both our actions and the products we create,” adds Gomes. “Compounded

CSR is a huge focus within KWAL

KWAL’s prestige lends itself to numerous marketing and sponsorship opportunities

by passion about the service we offer, a collaborative mindset in the workplace, and accountability at all times, we have a brilliant foundation for success.”

Moving forward on this rewarding trend of improvement, KWAL is hoping to establish itself as the leading alcoholic beverage company with a significant footprint in Kenya and the surrounding countries. It is all looking incredibly positive with the recent shareholding announcement from Distell and the opportunities that it will bring, and despite the slight level

of uncertainty at the moment, there is also a lot of excitement bubbling beneath the surface.

Gomes concludes: “Our core values are really what define us and they are something we constantly adapt to in order to stay ahead of the curve. I have been extremely pleased with how well the workforce has consistently adapted, while maintaining high standards, and in the short time I have been here I have seen a change in the fabric of our organisation, which is incredibly rewarding to see.”

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Uniquely Satisfying

REFRESHMENT Having become the first of its kind to manufacture, package and fill its products in polyethylene teraphthalate’s (PET), Invesco continues to lead the way in Zambia Writer: Phoebe Calver | Project Manager: Joshua Mann nvesco Zambia was created in 1991 with the vision to manufacture and market ready-todrink products in both disposable and recyclable packaging, pioneering PET’s use in the region.

Its innovative spirit caught the eye of Indian Company, Parle, securing them the franchise to begin bottling under the umbrella of the Gold Spot brand. Since that point the Company has experienced many great successes in working with big-name brands including Coca-Cola - becoming the first company to manufacturer their core brands in PET packaging in the country.

Ajesh Patel, Managing Director of Invesco Zambia begins: “Over the years we have been able to expand our portfolio and manufacture our own brands of carbonated and non-carbonated thirst-quenching beverages.”

Such spirit clearly runs throughout the Patel family, who were also pioneers in the biscuits and confectionary industry in Zambia since 1966; moving into the beverage sector later via an extension of a separate cooperative structure.

“We have always strived to meet the demands of our ever-growing needs of the African population, by providing our consumers with simple moments of uniquely satisfying refreshment,” continues Patel. “We also pride ourselves on the high standards we have attained within the industry, gaining ISO 9001, 14001, 18001 and FSSC 22000 (Food Safety System Certification) accreditation over the years.”

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“We have been focusing our energies in recent years on extending the range of water that we offer, moving from just offering still water, to also add sparkling water as well,” explains Patel. “The Company will also be launching energy water in the coming months, which we hope will enable us to tap into Zambia’s ever-growing health-conscious youth of Extending the range today.

“Plans for the launch of a 500ml In order to successfully retain its high standing in the Mazoe product with a lower price point are in action, with hopes of capturing a industry, Invesco recently more informal market, while we are also gave its own brand of water, Crystal, a new lease of life by developing a ready-to-drink offering changing the shape of the bottle which is targeted at parents who are to provide a product that is a little ever-conscious of supplying nutritional and health benefits for their family.” more sleek and stylish.

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This focus on health is a huge trend which needs to be closely monitored in order to match companies globally, particularly when it comes to mindfulness over sugar intake gaining momentum worldwide and in Zambia.

In response to the recent uptake of this trend, Invesco will launch its range of non-carbonated energy water, flavoured with natural fruit ingredients and less sugar than other carbonated energy water products.

“We have also noticed an upward trend in the alco-pop segment, which we are planning on tapping into,” Patel confirms. “Many alco-pops are imported from South Africa, so it is our main aim to become the first local

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Continuous development

manufacturer. In order to negate environmental issues such as pollution from plastic waste, we are looking into bottle-to-bottle recycling and biodegradable polymers to create our PET bottles.”

The Company has always believed in continuous development, spanning from its products to the people creating them. Ultimately, development and growth at Invesco is, and will always be, the key to its success.

“Collectively our quality control team and production teams are constantly being trained on the new trends we are witnessing within the field, ensuring that we are ahead of the game,” continues Patel. “In March, 2017 our Production Manager was selected to take part in a large-scale training programme in Johannesburg, signifying the respect that our training

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Continuously expanding its range and capacities

and Company as a whole is attracting.”

It is also proving to be increasingly important in the Company to employ locally, now retaining a workforce that is at least 90 percent Zambian.

“We firmly believe that there are many qualified people in Zambia and they rightfully should be given the

Bottling processes are in the process of being upgraded

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chance to excel in their field,” Patel affirms. “Therefore, Invesco actively encourages internships within the Company. Presently we are working with two young ladies that are taking part in an internship programme within our quality department.

“We have also been working closely with Copperbelt University’s Business School and the Northern Technical College in the Copperbelt Province, Zambia, providing them with industry Invesco has achieved numerous ISO accreditations sensitive skills and training to provide over the years for the next generation moving into the industry.” competition which helps keep in check the health of the Kafue River located Giving back on the Copperbelt.”

Giving back to the community that it It has also become increasingly operates in takes a huge precedent prominent for the Company to make in the Company, placing particular donations to the Ndola Hindu Samaj emphasis on sports events, including - part of the Hindu Association of the annual Invesco Open Golf Zambia - during different religious Tournament. festivities, as well as working closely Patel adds: “We are also a major with charitable organisations. sponsor of the River Lure Fishing “One of our biggest achievements competition, a catch and release is the inception of The Absolute

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Invesco places a huge emphasis on giving back to the communities in which it operates

Gentlemen, a charitable organisation founded by a handful of likeminded businessmen who have joined forces to achieve a common goal,” explains Patel. “I am one of the founding members and every year we host a charity gala where the proceeds raised

will be donated to different charities with different needs.”

As a Company that is extremely conscious of its local community, its manufacturing process is highly controlled and therefore it operates under stringent conditions in attempts

to reduce its carbon footprint, believing strongly in recycling and encouraging clients to follow suit. In terms of developing the Company as it moves forward, it is also particularly keen on youth development within the organisation.

“We are constantly pushing for a younger management team that will be able to drive us forward and ensure our products’ appeal to the growing millennial population within Zambia,” concludes Patel. “My daughter Shivani has already joined the team and is in charge of our marketing activities, which is very exciting to witness.”

Not only is the Company setting the precedent in terms of employing younger management, but it also sees the importance that should be placed on gender sensitivity and having women in managerial roles at Invesco; again showcasing its forward thinking nature and ability to adapt with the times, constantly adding value to the workforce.

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PROSPERITY to the Common Man

Avnash’s name, meaning ‘indestructible’, is replicated in its loyally Ghana-centric approach to meeting man’s most basic necessity: food Writer: Matthew Staff Project Manager: Joshua Mann

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ndestructible by name and indestructible by nature, Avnash Industries Ghana Limited’s success has been a long time in the planning, but the agribusiness Company’s current guise represents a testimony to generations of hard work and a country it remains unwaveringly loyal to.

Incorporated in 2001 before formally

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launching its operations in 2013, the business’s overall history goes back much further, but its current strategic offering units of edible oil refining, soap manufacturing and rice milling has formed the basis for its recent breakthrough to prominence.

“Avnash derives its name from the Sanskrit word, ‘Avinash’, which means indestructible, and in adherence to our selfless service to the nation,

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the entire value-chain, sharing wealth, and growing the size of the pie. This philosophy can be highlighted in the principal areas of supply chain and marketing.”

Subsequently leveraging a holistic philosophy towards not just quality service provision, but wider national enrichment, Avnash’s prosperity can be expressed through both intrinsic and extrinsic value; across employees, customers, and stakeholders.

Mirchandani continues: “This allows us to engage with the broader environment to keep insights active and thus, constantly tailor our model of execution in the direction of fulfilling our vision.

“The depth of the vision is one that touches the hearts and minds of everyone who interacts. We believe the beginning starts here, as inspiration does its wonders; as we are experiencing in our evolution.”

Progressive and traditional

This aforementioned vision articulates ‘to bring prosperity to the common man’ and this is an overhanging notion manifested from the Company’s origins back in the 1960s.

“Our Chairman, leaving a land of persecution, with destitute hopes at home, sought to search for opportunity elsewhere; his luck landing him on the shores of Ghana, working for a family trading office in Makola, one of Accra’s we removed the ‘i’ to form the central markets,” name,” explains Company Director, Mirchandani notes.

Jai Mirchandani. “Avnash has been “His story took a successful as it seeks a model free turning point when his from competition. It knows its perseverance led him to strengths as a formidable g-local player open up his own shop, this and believes that its relationship and new venture becoming a reputation capital allows it to move profitable one in no time. more swiftly and pragmatically.

“In the mid-to-late 1960s, “This approach translates into one his once-ambitions to become a that leverages specialisation across mechanical engineer came alive in a

practical and entrepreneurial manner by opening up a textiles mill. Under the name of Loyalty Industries, the Company flourished, fabricating garments from its North Industrial Area location, employing nearly 3,000 staff, and becoming Ghana’s second largest mill.”

Turbulent economic conditions in Ghana stunted the evolution for a period - even forcing Mr Mirchandani, the Founder, from the country - but as democratic times unfolded in the early 1990s, he returned to complete what he started; embarking on a decade of negotiation and restructuring through talks with the Government before being awarded the opportunity to reinvest remuneration back into the country.

“Our visibility and reach has been extended as a result of a rebranding and focus on product quality,” Mirchandani picks up in the present day. “A primary focus on the latter has always been our value proposition, as we have understood the sticky nature of the local consumer.”

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Moving from a person-based to a system-based structure is a beautiful evolution

The rebranding effort has helped Avnash affirm its status as an industry leader amongst multinationals, but the real success story lies in the Company’s internal refinement, improving its products, its processes, and its distribution channels.

“Leading companies always speak of running along the lines of systems.

The world’s industrial giants have found systemically the best means of achieving continuous output, and this is the trend that we follow,” Mirchandani says. “Moving from a person-based to a system-based structure is a beautiful evolution,

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especially when the history of the Company retains so much knowledge of the business culture’s nuances.

“This allows us to be progressive and traditional, taking key factors into account to tailor systems to the context.”

True development

When it comes to progression, Mirchandani places human resources as the most critical contributor, capitalising on local labour skills and the rich educational heritage that Ghana has.

“With more than 80 percent of

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Our prowess in a sector that inherently generates thousands of jobs - combined with an entrepreneurial youth - leads to both innovation and thriving employment

Mbanti Farm Enterprises

Mbanti Farm Enterprises Plot 29 Block L, Prof Sir Acheampong Street Old Ahinsan Estate Kumasi, Ghana T: 00233 249 758 198 wajafrancis@yahoo.com

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its workforce as local - as well as the understudies and partnerships with leading universities in place Avnash pursues engagement with the talent pipeline so as to cultivate and ensure sustainable growth for both enterprise and employee,” he details. “Our prowess in a sector that inherently generates thousands of jobs - combined with an entrepreneurial youth - leads to both innovation and thriving employment, and in creating a wider, interconnected ecosystem.”

With a mission to maximise the use of local resources, Avnash places great value on local procurement as well; its supply chain epitomised by close relationships with farmers, millers, aggregators, and other production services.

Mirchandani continues: “As our investments seek to bring prosperity to the common man through our mission, it is foremost that we see prosperity brought about by the harnessing of opportunity. Avnash, having provided a large market as an off-taker, understands that production is the backbone of both its and the nation’s success.

“Business partnerships are endorsed and to be struck by all members of our team who see the avenue to collaborate along the lines of credo, culture, mission, and vision. To this end, Avnash is quite autonomous.”

Continuing on its quest to enrich the country, Avnash’s corporate social responsibility efforts inevitably act as a holistic extension of its business activities, “aligning genuinely with the desire for human happiness”.

In the long-term, it is this ethos that Mirchandani hopes will create one million jobs in Ghana, in providing an immense opportunity for people to actively engage with a business that is large in terms of both size and ambition.

“Our relationships and policies

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Samsford Enterprises 235A Soula Loop, Labone, P.O. Box CT 8889, Cantonments, Accra, Ghana T: +233 247 401 639 | E: samsford@gmail.com

RICE | MAIZE PEPPER | OKRA Farmed in the Northern Region of Ghana.

When it comes to progression, Merchandani places human resources as the most critical contributor

balance discipline and empathy, and this is how we believe all can benefit. Prosperity is, after all, reached only through productivity, which is motivated by these two factors,” he concludes. “Avnash seeks not to solely be an industry player, but a model that showcases the greater position a Company must be in to improve the current state of humanity; a reorientation towards true development.”

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Right Place, Right Time

RIGHT CHOICE The Coega Industrial Development Zone is a flagship contributor to South Africa’s economic future, with the Coega Development Corporation sustainably driving its ongoing prominence Writer: Matthew Staff | Project Manager: Kane Weller ince 1999, The Coega Development Corporation (CDC) has fulfilled - beyond expectations - its mandate to develop the 11,500 hectare Coega Industrial Development Zone (IDZ) in South Africa.

Located adjacent to the modern deepwater port facility, the Port of Ngqura, the Coega IDZ is South Africa’s foremost investment hotspot and preferred location for industries with a global outlook on the continent. And the state-owned CDC has leveraged this ambition to improve the lives of millions of local people through the IDZ projects and the delivery of infrastructure programmes in the Eastern Cape and the rest of the country.

Addressing key parameters including skills shortages, unemployment, constrained planning, project management capacity, and underexpenditure; the IDZ has gone from strength to strength since its inception as its vision to be the leading catalyst

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for the championing of socio-economic growth gathers momentum.

“In line with this, the CDC has positioned the Eastern Cape as a preferred investment destination, demarcated into 14 zones - more than 6,443 hectares of prime lettable land - with a focus on the following

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Africa ment destinations in benchmark for invest Coega IDZ has set the

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sectors: metals; automotive; business process outsourcing; chemicals; agroprocessing; logistics; trade solutions and training & development; energy; and maritime,” the Head of Strategic Marketing, Brand and Corporate Communications for CDC, Dr. Ayanda Vilakazi notes. “The Coega IDZ has set the benchmark for investment destinations in Africa, achieving nearimpossible results; becoming the first industrial development zone to attract double digit investment in one FY -

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2013/14 - signing no less than 10 new investors in that year.

“The IDZ attracted eight new investors in the previous year. This was subsequently followed by an additional 19 new investors signed in the FY 2014/15, and 17 new investors in the FY 2015/16, an indication of high investor confidence in the Coega IDZ.” In total, the Coega IDZ has attracted an impressive 61 new investments, to the tune of R35.8 billion over the past five years; indicative of the Company’s

vision to deliver on its mandate to change the lives of the country’s communities. Many progressive and successful IDZs in Africa, arguably in the developing countries as well, have not achieved the same levels of success as have been demonstrated by the Coega IDZ, over such a short period of time.

The best of them all

As a consequence of its various projects in the IDZ and virtue

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of Infrastructure Development Programmes, the CDC has created a total of more than 83,405 jobs over the past eight years alone, and 96,776 since inception compounded by training opportunities being provided to more than 91,772 citizens.

“I’ve been to many developing countries and industrial development zones in the world [and] the Coega IDZ is by far the best of them all,” said Dr LI Yuanchao, Vice President of the People’s Republic of China in November, 2016.

Sakhumzi Somyo, MEC for Economic Development, Environmental Affairs, and Tourism added: “The Coega IDZ is the best performing and has done very well to win national awards in South Africa; we are very proud of this institution.”

At present the CDC has increased its operational investors in the IDZ from 36 in the previous financial year 2015/16 to 41, including those

I’ve been to many developing countries and industrial development zones in the world [and] the Coega IDZ is by far the best of them all

Dedisa Peaking Plant – a company prominent among the IDZ’s 36 investors

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located in the Nelson Mandela Bay Logistics Park who are direct suppliers to Volkswagen South Africa as an example of the kinds of high profile enterprises benefitting from the Zone (18 international companies and 23 home-grown companies are found in the Coega IDZ).

Across the 41, an estimated R7 billion has been invested; other notable contributors including Coega Dairy & Cheese, PE Cold Storage, Dedisa Power Peaking Station, FAW, Dynamic Commodities, Famous Brands, Discovery, WNS, and General Motors Pan African Distribution Centre.

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including establishing its own one-stopshop portal, to increase the number of investments, create job opportunities, training and development, and SMME support and development.”

“Coega is a flagship programme we are very proud of. It’s effectively the best functioning and most successful IDZ in the country and also has worldclass management and corporate governance systems,” echoed Lionel October, Director General of the Department of Trade and Industry in December, 2016.

More and more global investors find the Coega IDZ as the right place and right choice for their investment as the organisation provides benefits to investors in the IDZ, which includes, amongst others, a range of incentives, such as customs duties and VAT suspension; CCA incentives for those enterprises located in Zone 1 & 2 of the Coega IDZ; specific SEZ Incentives for qualifying tenants, which includes a 15 percent corporate tax benefit, Coega’s success stems from an alignment with the Industrial Policy Action Plan building allowance, employment creation incentive, 12i Tax Allowance (the incentive offers support based on capital investment and training), training allowance, sector focused Coega is a flagship programme we are very proud incentives, to name but a few; easy access to road, rail, air & sea network of. It’s effectively the best functioning and most and adjacent to the deepwater port of successful IDZ in the country Ngqura; integrated logistics services, connecting emerging markets in Africa and the rest of the world markets; and one stop shop services, proving VISA/ work and study permits.

Dr Vilakazi adds: “Furthermore, “The success of the Coega IDZ stems since its establishment, year-in and mainly from an alignment with the year-out, the CDC has obtained an Industrial Policy Action Plan, Special unqualified audit opinion from the Economic Zones Incentives, Sector Auditor General of South Africa, Specific Incentives, and Municipality a welcomed milestone given the Incentives and Support; all of whom size of the operations. CDC has also are aimed, amongst others, at achieved ISO certifications which boosting the targeted economic are important for global investment sectors and promoting investment in promotion; and these include ISO the country,” Dr Vilakazi emphasises.

9 001 (Quality Management), ISO “As a result, the Coega IDZ has taken 14 001(Environmental Management), full advantage of these support The Company achieved ISO certifications ISO 15 498 (Records Management), mechanisms from Government,

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SANS 16 001 (HIV & AIDS), OHSAS 18 001(Occupation Health & Safety), ISO 20 000 (IT Service Management), ISO 27 000 (Information Management), and ISO 31 000 (Risk Management).”

Significant milestone

The CDC has contributed enormously to the roll-out of economical and infrastructural developments in South Africa during its tenure, addressing most prominently the issues which will affect the country’s sustainable future; namely, energy and logistics.

“The CDC, in line with the National Development Plan (NDP) and IPAP Gas-based industrialisation plans, is leveraging natural gas as both a source of power generation and a driver of industrial diversification, as one of the cornerstones of the country’s industrial strategy,” Dr Vilakazi offers as an example. “In the process of diversification to include clean energy in the mix, in this instance through

The Company leverages natural gas as a driver of industrial diversification

wind energy, the Coega IDZ provides a platform to localise the manufacturing of industrial components.

“In so doing, the organisation has been key to affecting the structural changes in the economy through breaking out of commodity dependence and moving towards a diversified, knowledge economy in which increasing value-addition and export intensity is paramount.”

Projects such as the DCD Wind Tower factory, the gas-to-power programme and numerous power plant developments affirm this influence on the sector; culminating in arguably its most significant milestone to date earlier this year.

“A significant milestone for the CDC is its recent agreement with Eskom to cooperate in the development of South Africa’s nuclear new build programme (NNBP). The agreement was signed on Tuesday 14 March, 2017 whereby the two state-owned

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Landmark projects continue

Companies (SoC) will work together in support of Government’s plans to build local capacity through supplier development and localisation around the unfolding infrastructure for the nuclear programme,” Dr Vilakazi explains.

Eskom’s Group Executive for Group Capital, Abram Masango added: “We are gearing ourselves up in preparation for the nuclear new build programme in order to deliver the project within the set timelines and budget. We want to ensure that South Africans get reliable, decarbonised base load power that will bring sustainable economic growth.

“In addition, it is critical to lay the foundation for local people to participate meaningfully during the various stages of the project by skilling them for jobs as well as business opportunities.”

The landmark projects continue in the form of another historical project, the R11 billion investment signed by the CDC with the Beijing Automobile International Corporation (BAIC), the biggest automotive investment in Africa in the past 40 years.

Dr Vilakazi recalls: “The investment was described by the Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies, as significant and it deepens our

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economic relationship with China.

The investment is strategic and is a major project in terms of SA’s bilateral relationship with China and is a key project supported by the Inter Ministerial Committee on Investment.”

Promoting development

As of the end of March, 2017 the following investor facilities and/or plants are currently under construction in the Coega IDZ: the Beijing

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Automobile International Corporation, Dynamic Commodities, General Warehouse, Q-Plas, Redisa, Corromaster, and Lension.

Yet, outside of these core headlinemaking initiatives, the CDC is also ensuring much wider communitydriven sustainability, in line with its corporate social responsibility ethos.

“The CDC, together with its investors in the IDZ, is making inroads in promoting the development

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Driver Training Programme

of communities in areas where it operates,” Dr Vilakazi affirms. “Among the notable community projects are the Driver Training Programme, Skills Development Programme, Internship Programme and Maths and Science Programme.

“In this regard, the CDC recently signed an agreement with the Centre for the Built Environment (CBE) to collaborate on the Maths and Science Programme to increase the number of students who failed mathematics and physical science (and those wishing to improve their results) from 50 to 90 per annum.

Once again looking forward, the CDC is on track to achieving its fiveyear sustainable growth strategy (SGS) 2020, which mainly focuses on long-term financial and sustainable development.

The recent appointment of Pepi

Silinga will advise the Gauteng Provincial Government on the roll-out of social and economic infrastructure projects planned for the next two years

CDC is on track for sustainability

Silinga, Coega CEO, to the 14-member Gauteng Premier’s Economic Advisory Panel is being seen as significant for both the CDC and the IDZ moving forward; especially given the CEO’s expertise in mega-infrastructure programmes.

“Silinga will advise the Gauteng Provincial Government on the roll-out of social and economic infrastructure projects planned for the next two years,” Dr Vilakazi concludes. “The CDC has no doubt that he will ensure the economic and infrastructure plans of the Province are implemented with rigour and the required discipline of execution.”

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Architectural Innovators Triad Architects prides itself on the experience gained during the past 53 years, which have gained it the status of a proud and innovative leader in the industry Writer: Phoebe Calver | Project Manager: Kane Weller

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riad Architects’ design experience is as wide ranging and innovative as would be expected of a practice with well over 3,900 projects under its belt. Since formation in 1963 it has been firmly placed at the forefront of the architectural profession in Kenya and East Africa.

The Triad office has become embedded in Nairobi’s history, having been located in its present address since 1963, where it houses a team of architects, interior designers, architectural assistants, construction managers, project secretaries,

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accountants, IT managers and various support staff who make up the team.

The well established Triad Nairobi retains active associations with the practices in Kampala, Dar es Salaam, Johannesburg, London, Kigali and Chicago, all of which are unified by the mission to provide innovative and creative architectural solutions.

During the 50 years since formation, Triad has successfully designed and delivered nearly 4,000 projects in a wide range of typologies - no mean feat in such a competitive industry including master plans, hotels, office and urban developments, residential, shopping malls, industrial and

corporate interior projects.

“We pride ourselves on the maintenance of a clear corporate governance structure, becoming the first Kenyan architectural practice to attain ISO certification in the year 2000,” begins Julius Kibwage, Partner at Triad Architects. “There is a great amount of pride in the team of experienced, technically qualified and highly trained staff we have developed over the years, and they are the key to the success of both our Company and the projects we undertake.”

The unrivalled quality of Triad’s projects bear testimony to the standards of the Company, guaranteeing quality in

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MML

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ince 1987, MML’s business has remained innovative and driven value, while maximising returns for its clients. Our experience in the market speaks for itself, having managed projects in East Africa in the past 30 years.

MML stands out for its dedicated team of experienced project and construction managers who got diverse knowledge and expertise, drawn from their experiences across global markets. We are known for our quality end-to-end services covering: • Project & construction management • Commercial fit-outs • Project financial control

Over the years, schools and educational buildings have formed a key part of Triad’s portfolio

design, programming, cost-control and the effective management of contracts.

“Triad employs architects of the highest calibre to maintain these standards and ensure that in-service training is used to develop the skill level of all staff,” explains Kibwage.

“The collaboration with other overseas professionals over the years has ensured that our staff have enjoyed the benefits of technology transfer during various large-scale projects, to be harnessed in future developments.”

Blossoming projects

Over the years, schools and educational buildings have formed a key part of Triad’s portfolio, including university buildings, teacher training colleges and primary and secondary schools. A couple of particularly prominent projects in education have included primary teacher training facilities at Narok and Murang’a in Kenya, and new facilities for Peponi Preparatory and Secondary School.

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The collaboration with other overseas professionals over the years has ensured that our staff have enjoyed the benefits of technology transfer during various largescale projects, to be harnessed in future developments

MML’S partnership with Actis, subSaharan Africa’s most experienced private equity real estate investor, has enhanced our business positioning as an end-to-end project management services provider in Ghana, Nigeria, Mauritius, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

All this, combined with a diverse array of strategies has given MML the staying power as a market leader in project management. “We look at the best in other markets, globally; analyse and see how we can build up on the ideas, refine and tailor them to address the unique needs of our customers,” shares John Rogers, Managing Director.

“We have a lot of projects that we are working on for the year, so for us it will not slow down, says Rogers. Some of our major projects include: Garden City, Brookhouse School, Village Market, Cavendish Uganda, and Bunju Heights in Tanzania.”

www.mmlea.com

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TURNING VISION INTO REALITY

• Project & Construction Managers • Interiors • Project Financial Control

Your first choice provider of end-to-end Project & Construction Management services in East Africa. www.mmlea.com

MML is proud to be an investee company of Actis, an emerging markets fund manager with unparalleled investing experience in Africa.

UAP Tower

Other institutional work has included 12 administration complexes for Kenya Wildlife Service throughout Kenya, a new pharmaceutical distribution centre for the Joint Medical Store in Uganda, and the Orthopaedic Rehabilitation Hospital at Kikuyu for the Medical Benevolence Foundation of America.

“We have been blessed with the ability to work with some huge industry names since the Company opened its doors,” continues Kibwage.

“Working on the developments for one of the largest malls in Eastern Africa - Garden City, and regional headquarter complexes of corporates like UAP-Old Mutual Group, Barclays Bank Kenya, De la Rue Plc, Britam Insurance and Sanlam - our projects have blossomed in size and expanded in the markets we wish to work in.”

The Company’s design skills have extended to hotels and refurbishments, including such

Garden City

Britam serviced apartments

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LAXMANBHAI CONSTRUCTION LTD

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axmanbhai Construction Ltd is a prominent contractor in East Africa - drawing on more than 60 years of experience in the building, financing and development of major projects.

The Company has a remarkable position in the East African, Indian and UK construction and property markets, with a proven track record and capability to deliver end-to-end construction and property solutions across a broad range of sectors.

The Company are committed to creating structures that endure the test of time by integrating the latest sustainable designs and distinctive construction techniques to deliver excellence and quality on all our projects.

T +254 20 2498 623

Triad has completed numerous works for reputed clients

projects as Severin Sea Lodge and other refurbishment works including the reconstruction of the Ministry of Finance, Treasury and the IPS building in Kampala.

Kibwage adds: “Similarly to the amount of work involving educational institutions, the interior design of both offices and banks forms a large proportion of Triad’s workload, including well-known companies and organisations such as Shell, Barclays Bank, Standard Chartered Bank and World Bank.”

Mark of quality

It is no surprise, considering Triad’s long-established history, deep knowledge of local industry, and delivery of functional, economical and environmentally responsive solutions, that it is one of a few firms to have attained and maintained ISO registration.

Kibwage affirms: “We achieved ISO

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9000 certification in June, 2000, after a particularly hard year of training and preparation, making us the first architectural practice located in East Africa to obtain this accolade.”

Since its original certification, Triad has obtained re-certification six times, each time updating its systems to meet the highest possible standards in the industry, fitting of its skill and precision as a Company.

“In May, 2016 when we became the first organisation in Kenya to be recertified on the ISO 9001:2015 standard, it was both a timely and firm confirmation of Triad’s long standing tenets on leadership, planning and a well-appointed organisational structure which are pivotal to the success of all projects,” explains Kibwage. “We are incredibly committed to maintaining this mark of quality as a demonstration of Triad’s dedication to consistency in providing quality services that meet our clients’ requirements.”

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to be the Africa HQ of Avic International, while the 35 storey hotel tower will be under the operation of Marriot Hotels.”

On a slightly smaller scale, the Britam Tower is nearing completion in the Upper Hill area of Nairobi and is a commercial investment from British American Insurance Company - one of the leading insurance companies in Capitalise on opportunities Kenya - and when completed, the tower will stand at 31 storeys, with an area of The Company has a long and exciting list of projects which are both taking 31,500 square metres of office space. place at present and in the pipeline; “Our commitment is not limited all of which perfectly demonstrate the simply to the architecture industry, and Company’s aptitude for taking on a of course within those parameters we wide variety of jobs. try to capitalise on opportunities to “The Avic Headquarters has been a work on projects which will best benefit very exciting project for the Company the community we have worked in for to work on, as a mixed development so many years,” concludes Kibwage. project that will comprise offices, a “Looking forward we are excited to hotel and apartments which are to be progress with regional expansion, located along Chiromo Road in Nairobi,” developing active offices in various East Kibwage says. “It is a large project and African capitals and more of a presence has huge potential due in part to the in Southern and Western Africa; making companies we are working with on it. for a very exciting next few years for our The 43 storey office tower is proposed Company.”

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Building the Future Advent Construction has built a reputation as one of the most respected class one construction companies in Tanzania Writer: Phoebe Calver | Project Manager: Kane Weller

dvent Construction Ltd was borne out of a need for reliable and clientoriented construction companies working in Tanzania in the mid-90s, and after identifying this need, Ashutosh Jog founded the firm.

It was very much a labour of love, with Jog starting the Company purely from his life savings, working tirelessly and using his vast experience as a General Manager of other construction entities over the previous decade to build a solid foundation for Advent to grow from.

Beginning with small private projects and moving gradually onto larger scale developments for bigger corporates, the Company has grown from the core values of quality, reliability and efficient delivery; values which are firmly entrenched in every new member of the Advent family.

The Company has successfully created an atmosphere of sincere dedication to its clients, producing quality and ensuring that is permeated throughout the growth of the Company.

“Over the years the Company has

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grown and adapted in order to keep with the pace of growth and everchanging environment surrounding Advent,” explains Dhruv Jog, Managing Director (MD) of Advent Construction. “Throughout the years we have gone from strength to strength in what has been a mostly turbulent market.

“In the midst of all that growth, there were many inefficiencies and significant challenges to doing business that needed to be tackled via the constant effort of the directors, keeping staff motivated throughout in order for the team to keep forging ahead.”

The Company has provided many firsts for Tanzanian construction, being the first to have a full time Health and Safety (HSSE) department, in-house testing laboratories and also for a long time the only ISO certified construction Company. As it stands today, Advent is one of the largest and most successful companies in the industry and the only Tanzanian construction entity to have a presence in so many regional countries, including Rwanda, Mozambique and Uganda.

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randeur Middle East was incorporated with the Department of Economy Development of Dubai (DED) in 2002, subsequently re-registering in 2006 as a licensed Free Zone Company.

Our journey began by assisting the demands of the local market using our contacts with trusted suppliers, leading to a traditional business model that is based upon pure trading concepts.

Headquartered in Dubai, UAE, Grandeur is placed in an ideal location to be able to coordinate and execute projects in different parts of the world; our head office can communicate closely with the European and African countries on one side, and the Asian markets on the other.

One of our main goals is to provide efficient services for our clients’ requirements; these services include production process, quality inspection, logistics and timely execution of our projects.

Grandeur has been a pioneer in the supply of building and ceramic raw materials in UAE and across 23 world markets, and with a strong presence in the Middle East, we are able to represent various factories from Spain, Italy, Turkey, Indonesia, India and China. Our forte is in porcelain tiles, hotel supplies and other finished materials used in both residential and commercial sectors of the market. Raw materials include Kaolin clay, frits, glazes and rollers which are extensively used in ceramic manufacturing.

The Company has successfully executed a number of projects in Africa spearheaded

by Mr. Ashwin Puthran. This includes a supply of finished products to several large-scale projects such as malls, office complexes and schools in Uganda, five star hotels in Rwanda, residential and commercial projects in Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia.

Grandeur is closely associated with Mukwano Group and Property Service Limited in Uganda. In addition we have a long-standing relationship with Advent Construction, the Company that has played a critical role in our solid foundation in the African business sector. Grandeur has worked closely with Advent on various projects, assisting them with the execution and timely supply of their requirements.

Grandeur has experienced many expansions and in the year 2015 grew to Interior Fit Outs, headed by Mr. Saahil Bangera. Now the Company is recognised for our complete design, procurement and installation service, managing the project from conception through to completion.

Customer service at Grandeur is second-tonone, ensuring that every detail is covered and the completed work is designed for success.

M: +971558874035 / +971551047620 E: gme@grandeurmiddleeast.com

www.grandeurmiddleeast.com

The Company is in for an exciting few years, we have recently set up a large manpower project and maintenance Company in Doha, where the primary focus is in developing projects in marble, granite and tile fixing. This will give Grandeur the opportunity to expand and develop further in the field and strengthen the process of establishing itself as a global entity.

YOUR TRUSTED PROCUREMENT PARTNERS & INTERIOR FIT-OUTS Professionals in interiors and procurement of building materials.

We cater to all kinds of projects from residential complexes to malls to hotel supplies Dealing with high quality projects, all over the world.

408, Tiffany Towers, W2 - Jumeirah Lake Towers, P.O Box 33570, Dubai, UAE. W: www.grandeurmiddleeast.com T: +97143929559

A D V E N T

C O N S T R U C T I O N

Maintaining a long-term vision

Advent is a fully Tanzanian, privately owned Company due to its shareholding being held by the founder, Ashutosh Jog and the MD, Dhruv Jog. Its core range of services spans civil and building construction, infrastructure, industrial construction and various forms of construction projects such as design and build and design build finance, where Advent plays the role of both main contractor and/or partner.

“Although ownership of the Company remains in the hands of our family, the management team is

Our clients’ needs and the commitment we deliver to them is always of the highest quality

comprised of an exceptionally strong group of professionals,” continues Jog. “They have grown with the Company and work exceptionally in the difficult management positions needed to run the day-to-day activities independently.”

Matching the dedication of its staff, Advent has always maintained a longterm vision, driven by management’s philosophy, which has been the basis for its continuous improvement.

Short-term sacrifices and a dedication to regular investment in the Company has ensured a strong and exceptionally efficient team that is able to provide

Eye-catching designs are a trademark of Advent

Finding solutions to any construction issues that may arise

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Adhering to global standards and regional trends

these efficiencies and expertise gathered over the years to its clients.

“Our clients’ needs and the commitment we deliver to them is always of the highest quality, which has been our primary goal from the beginning,” affirms Jog. “The dedication and reliability we have demonstrated is responsible for the creation of a long and valued list of customers, all of which view Advent as their only solution to any construction issues.

“It is a matter of great pride for the Company to say that more than 85 percent of its customers have remained on our client list.

This customer-driven performance, coupled with the constant strive for innovation and sitting at the very forefront of the industry, has resulted in Advent achieving true success and a sustainable, ever-growing future.”

Developing capabilities

Like any successful company, Advent is

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consistently upgrading and developing its offering and equipment, with the latest and most significant being the completion of its in-house testing laboratories that are currently awaiting certification from the Tanzania Bureau of Standards.

“It is a prime demonstration of our commitment to delivering the highest standards of quality control, which over the years has helped us to avoid any potential inefficiencies,” Jog adds.

“We have a stringent in-house quality assessment and quality control (QA/ QC) department, and provide all the facilities needed for it to be independent and capable of ensuring the highest standards of construction quality.”

Simultaneously, the Company is always conscious of ensuring it adheres to the changing global standards of both management and administration facilities, having also recently upgraded its ISO certification to the latest ISO 9001:2015 award; meaning once

again Advent is the only construction Company in the country to be compliant with the current ISO standards.

“Given the growth that is being experienced in the region, not to mention the multi-billion dollar infrastructure and resource-based projects that are set to be launched, the Company is poised for even more incredible growth and it is our solid team that is allowing this to happen,” concludes Jog. “Alongside increasing the Company turnover and value substantially, it is my hope that in the next few years we will be visible in at least two more countries.

“In the future I would like to be able to witness strong financial growth figures, but perhaps even more importantly to see a big growth in the manpower we employ and the way we are able to train and develop each employee. If we can achieve that I believe we will be more successful than ever.”

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Pioneering Innovative Developments PDM has pioneered innovative developments for more than 50 years, shaping the direction of urban renewal by pursuing a philosophy of developing properties that serve an economic purpose, while uplifting quality of life for the local community Writer: Phoebe Calver | Project Manager: Kane Weller

IPS building

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DM was incorporated in 1963 as a real estate advisory, property development and facilities management services Company. As an affiliate of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), PDM is part of an international group of institutions working to improve the living conditions and opportunities in developing countries.

AKDN and its development agencies have been active in East, Central, and parts of West Africa for nearly a century, and have been involved in health, education, insurance, tourism, banking, industrial and real estate sectors.

PDM’s business philosophy embraces the challenges and opportunities in the real estate property market, providing focused and uniquely differentiated real estate products and services; the Company reputed for creative and innovative real estate business solutions.

“We are headquartered in Kenya, with operations spread across East Africa,” explains Azmeena Bhanji, General Manager of Real Estate Development at PDM. “Despite the significant impact of PDM developments on City skylines and its benchmark-setting influence in the local real estate market, PDM’s market presence has been low-key, reflective of a conservative approach in creating public awareness of its humancentric philosophy towards real estate development.”

In 1964, shortly after Kenya gained its independence, PDM embarked on the development of the IPS Building, demonstrating its faith and commitment to a newly independent Kenya. The building, completed in 1967, was the first highrise office building in Kenya and the first to incorporate precast building technology, and still retains its iconic stature as one of the most significant landmarks in the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD).

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TECHNOCONSTRUCT TechnoConstruct is proud to be the name that comes topmost in mind for world class, rapid, and affordable Light Gauge Steel (LGS) construction solutions. Whether for trusses and roofing, residential homes and/or workforce accommodation, schools, ECD nurseries, clinics, Government and NGO/Diplomatic institutional structures, warehouses and storage facilities our advanced technology is the first choice for every type of structure.

Techno Steel Framing System, uses high quality specification steel with a galvanised coating making it suitable for any environment, humid or cool.

TechnoConstruct is the perfect partner for your construction requirements.

www.tc-africa.co.ke Nation Centre is also situated in the Nairobi CBD and is one of the City’s most well recognised landmarks

Construction of the Nation Centre which houses the largest media enterprise in Kenya - the Nation Media Group - was undertaken in the 1990s.

This building that is also situated in the Nairobi CBD, is one of the City’s most well recognised landmarks. PDM also owns the DTB Centre, yet another well known landmark building, in the heart of Kampala, Uganda.

These buildings have become firmly rooted in and continue to serve as a pivotal part of the identity of the respective cities in which they are located.

“Despite the age of some of these buildings, they still proudly stand shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the much newer buildings, in terms of both attractiveness and the appeal they hold for prospective tenants,” adds Bhanji. “We have ensured their sustainability through focused efforts in preventive maintenance and continuous upgrades.”

The Courtyard development, consisting of grade-A offices, was

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Despite the age of some of these buildings, they still proudly stand shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the much newer buildings, in terms of both attractiveness and the appeal

completed in 2013 and won the Architectural Association of Kenya’s (AAK’s) ‘Excellence Award for Best Commercial Building Project for 2014’. This development changed the direction of urban renewal in the Westlands suburb of Nairobi by setting a new benchmark for quality and green developments.

The recently completed Vienna Court - a grade-A office development on Processional Way in Nairobi - has achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold pre-certification, the first in East Africa in its category.

Construction is also underway on Fairfield Gardens, a middle-income gated housing development in Machakos County, just south of Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. This development focuses on delivering excellent value for price through the integration of high quality European finishes and fittings as well as provision of extensive recreational facilities and a day care centre.

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Build it your way

Techno Construct is the foremost light gauge steel (LGS) contractor providing high quality & affordable solutions to the property market.

With our highly adroit team of professionals we are able to meet our clients high demands for quality and affordable developments under confined time frames.

Revolutionizing construction in Africa TechnoConstruct Kenya Ltd. Apex Business Park, Opp. City Cabanas, Mombasa Rd. P.O. Box 1990 – 00621, Nairobi, Kenya Email: infokenya@tc-africa.com / M: +254 714 972578 www.tc-africa.co.ke

Building identity through environmental and social impact

Fairfield entrance view

Fairfield bedroom

Fairfield kitchen

PDM has created a subtlety in its identity over the years, focusing its attention more on the human and environmental impact it can make, rather than simply monetary gain.

Bhanji says: “At present, PDM’s pride and joy is the Vienna Court office development, which was completed at the end of last year.”

Being able to truly reflect PDM’s corporate ethos and core values through this project, by promoting green building and the use of local materials and skills, was incredibly important to the Company; demonstrating how far it has come and its standing as one of the most highly respected developers in the industry.

“The entire building is clad in local pink stone obtained from a nearby quarry. Using local materials in our developments is very important to

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PDM’s developments feature extensive landscaping

us in terms of the PDM mandate,” Bhanji continues. “We also supported the resurrection of the dying art of installing terrazzo, enabling a 70-year old artisan who was brought out of retirement to train young apprentices in the art of cutting and laying terrazzo; which now covers all the building’s open walkways.

“Unlike other construction projects where ecosystems are interrupted or destroyed, it was very important for us to save the existing garden trees which had been preserved on the site since the early 1950s. We literally excavated four floors down - for basement parking - through very hard rock, in a spiral around this garden in order to save the trees, despite the significant additional cost.”

The development also features extensive landscaping, reflecting pools and water fountains, which provide a serene garden in the heart of a busy city.

Vienna Court is among only a handful of projects in East Africa to achieve

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international Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold pre-certification for embracing green features like ground and rain water harvesting, solar shading, solar control glass, passive ventilation, provision of priority parking for energy efficient cars and bicycle storage facilities.

It is very important to avoid disruption to ecosystems

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Embracing international best practice

Setting benchmarks and key performance indicators (KPIs) is important at PDM in enabling it to assess and validate developments, conforming to the corporate ethos of sustainable and human-centred developments that deliver both social and environmental impact.

Bhanji continues: “PDM has always embraced international best practices in every aspect of our business, this has contributed largely to our success and in differentiating PDM from our competitors.

Bhanji says: “For both our own, as well as the third-party developments that we undertake, we have implemented proven state-of-theart project management principals, systems and controls. These enable us to control project scope, time and cost, and successfully deliver projects time after time. These controls and processes adhere to global standards.”

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In terms of long-term sustainability of its real estate properties, PDM has established comprehensive operating procedures for quality control, planned preventative maintenance and building management.

“In order to achieve all of this, from inception we have embraced cuttingedge technology and are always receptive to adopting more efficient and cost effective ways to build and manage our real estate portfolio,” affirms Bhanji. “A large proportion of this has included upgrading the ICT and security systems in all our buildings to state-of-the-art systems.

“Our fully integrated Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system provides continuous feedback on the lessons learned though our previous projects, hence enabling continuous improvement in every aspect of our business operations. We are currently piloting an automated Building Management Systems (BMS) at Vienna Court and plan to roll out the BMS to all our other properties starting in 2018. The BMS will facilitate efficient and cost effective maintenance of all our properties, increasing their sustainability.”

Benchmark for luxury

Infinity Court, PDM’s latest development in the exclusive suburb of Kololo in Kampala, Uganda scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2018 - will be an architectural masterpiece, setting a new benchmark for luxury style living in Kampala, again embracing PDM’s core values through the extensive use of indigenous brick and a landscaped courtyard featuring palm trees and lush greenery and a cascading waterfall from the rooftop.

“Infinity Court will exceed the expectations of discerning Ugandan home buyers, offering breathtaking views and one of the first rooftop infinity pools in an apartment complex within the area, as well as a clubhouse and gym,” Bhanji enthuses.

Preserving original gardens and trees during the construction process

Being a Company that is truly defined by its corporate ethos and core values, PDM has and always will pride itself on its commitment to sustainable development that delivers both an environmental and social impact.

Bhanji concludes: “Over the years we have acquired a reputation for being highly ethical, transparent and reliable, and delivering to the highest quality. We believe these attributes both differentiate and set us apart

in an environment where reliability, integrity and delivering what was promised are often the exception rather than the norm. It is my hope that in the years to come, we will continue to have a positive impact on quality of life through environmentally friendly, sustainable developments.”

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For more than 100 years, Lubaga Hospital’s guiding principles have revolved around a commitment to offering holistic healthcare Writer: Phoebe Calver | Project Manager: Callam Waller

ganda Martyrs Hospital Lubaga - referred to in short as Lubaga Hospital - emerged in 1899, when six courageous women journeyed to Lubaga Hill from France with the hopes of sharing their faith and knowledge with the people of Uganda.

Upon their arrival, there was an outbreak of sleeping sickness which had killed thousands in the Lake Victoria basin area. Four simple huts were built to accommodate the ‘sleepers’ and with that Lubaga Hospital - in its simplest form - came to fruition.

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“By 1926 the hospital had 43 beds and regular supervision from Mulago National Hospital,” explains Andrew Ssekitooleko, Executive Director at Lubaga Hospital. “From 1933 to 1954 the hospital was able to work with a visiting doctor - Dr L.D. Ahmad, who had previously practiced in Kampala – and he shared the true dedication seen in the Catholic sisters’ actions, to aid all suffering human beings, especially the poor.”

With the growth of the hospital, there was a subsequent need for more qualified medical staff and the Archbishop Louis J. Cabana invited the International Grail Movement to take over management of the Hospital, which it did in 1953.

Ssekitooleko continues: “During Uganda’s Independence, between 1955 and 1962, a great deal of building work was accomplished, including the construction of a number of wards, a laboratory and a pharmacy amongst other facilities.”

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Until the country faced two wars the Liberation War of 1978/79 and the Civil War of 1985/86 - development of its facilities had been swift and unaffected, however, the running of Lubaga Hospital was greatly affected by the sheer amount of emergency surgeries that had to be performed during this period.

From this point onwards there was an exponential boom in the patients the hospital was handling. Between 1987 and 1990 there were 25,000

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outpatients monthly and 20,000 admissions a year. With the scarcity of available goods in Uganda between the 70s and 90s, containers were sent from Germany with parcels of drugs, equipment, supplies and clothing for the Hospital’s use.

Ssekitooleko adds: “It is important to note that a great number of our achievements that the Hospital has realised over the years, have been through the generous contribution of many partners both locally and

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By 1926 the hospital had 43 beds and regular supervision from Mulago National Hospital

internationally, particularly from Germany, for which we will always be grateful.”

Growth in departments

In the Hospital’s present form, it provides both primary and secondary care throughout its departments, with the core departments for primary care being outpatients, emergency and public health and secondary care including internal medicine, surgery, paediatrics, obstetrics and

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stablished in 1998, Crown Healthcare is able to respond to a wide variety of medical equipment and supplies challenges, with quality and internationally competitive pricing, backed up by a team of professionally factory trained engineers.

The Company has the flexibility and experience to respond to healthcare needs at all levels, from the smallest local facility to projects on a national scale. With a wide range of in-house stocks at our premises, we are also able to deal with rapid reaction to emergency situations, as well as long term requirements.

T +256 414 250222 +256 776 250222

www.crownkenya.com All departments have expanded dramatically over the years

gynaecology.

“The department of internal medicine was largely in charge of adult infectious disease,” Ssekitooleko elaborates. “However, over the years it has evolved to cater for noncommunicable diseases including diabetes mellitus and hypertensive heart disease.

“Lubaga Hospital’s initial focus on surgery was general, but now it has developed to include interventional endoscopy such as stenting, laparoscopic services, urologic surgery, ENT and orthopaedic surgeries.”

The paediatric department has grown in particular to include paediatric endocrinology, a sickle cell disease clinic and a level II neonatal unit, with the obstetrics and gynaecology department now providing colposcopy and crynotherapy for cervical lesions - one of the very few centres in the country that has that facility.

“Retaining high quality service is of

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Lubaga Hospital’s initial focus on surgery was general, but now it has developed to include interventional endoscopy such as stenting, laparoscopic services, urologic surgery, ENT and orthopaedic surgeries

pivotal importance to us, which is why we have made concerted efforts to reduce congestion within our existing wards and subsequently improving hygiene conditions,” describes Ssekitooleko. “We now have 235 beds, which is 40 beds fewer than the amount we had to work with five years ago.”

The Hospital has a competitive advantage in its ability to maintain good quality and safe patient care at an affordable price for the average Ugandan, for example, the consultation fees are less than 50 percent of the average available in the city. Combined with its excellent customer satisfaction rates, standing at 78 percent and maternal mortality at less than 0.3 percent, Lubaga is exceptional in its field.

Addressing skill gaps

The Hospital’s human resource department covers the wide-range of training functions needed for the hospital to run successfully, covering

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Solutions • Distribution • Marketing

The premier solutions provider for Medical Equipment and Supplies within the region.

With operations in three countries and a total team of over 100 professionals, we hope that in Crown you will find a correct partner.

A partner that shall deliver with value and on time. A partner that shall enable you carry out your core business - “treating the patient”.

Crown Africa Plot 118-120, Seventh Street, Industrial Area, P.O.Box 28347, Kampala, Uganda T: 00256 414 250222 T: 00256 776 250222 www.crownkenya.com

MEDILINK LABS & SURGICALS LIMITED Plot No.1220, Block 224 Kisugu, Kansanga, Ggaba Road.

P. O. Box 27493, Kampala, Uganda Tel: +256 414 667987 | M: +256 784 084212 Email: medilink@medilink.co.ug

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COMPANY PROFILE 2015

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on-the-job training and training required at universities for up-skilling.

“All of our clinical department’s organise weekly Continuous Medical Education (CME) sessions for staff, with a weekly interdisciplinary CME,” explains Ssekitooleko. “Every year the hospital offers two bursaries for identified skill requirements or gaps; for example, at present we have a surgeon, a critical care specialist and a nurse practitioner - among others - in postgraduate training.

“We are also able to support the use of short-term courses for staff, involving advanced trauma and cardiac life support, critical care and endoscopy/laparoscopy.”

It is important in an institution like this to continuously sponsor and encourage staff to be the best they can be, attending local and international conferences which are relevant to their fields of practice and which will help deliver better service.

It is pivotal to us that our staff are exposed to the best practice, in order to then bring that back to Lubaga Hospital

The Hospital’s human resources department covers extensive on-the-job training

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“It is pivotal to us that our staff are exposed to the best practice, in order to then bring that back to Lubaga Hospital,” adds Ssekitooleko. “We are particularly good at arranging benchmarking visits to centres of excellence within the country and abroad, enabling our staff to expand their vision for respective units.

“We held a five month in-house management training programme for cultural change, targeting the senior management team in particular, having practical projects impacting critical areas within the Hospital, with coaching and mentoring taking place for specific staff following the line manager’s recommendations.”

In order to offer this various range of up-skilling opportunities, the Hospital is affiliated and accredited by the Uganda Catholic Medical Bureau, which offers scholarships and also organised short training courses for managers and staff alike.

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Ssekitooleko elaborates: “We have private partners in Germany that firmly support our scholarship programme whenever possible and partnerships closer to home with Makerere University School of Public Heath and St. Augustine University in Kampala, that offers training to our undergraduate medical students.”

Challenges facing Lubaga

The rising cost of doing business in the country and the health sector in general, including the expense of medication, medical equipment and medical specialists, is rapidly growing and putting the Hospital under increasing pressure to raise its service fees, which would inevitably be working against its founding mission.

“We hope to mitigate these forces by lobbying for more Government support, both financial and otherwise,” claims Ssekitooleko. “Currently the Uganda Government provides us with four specialists and pays their salaries, and in other areas we will continue to seek donor support, especially for capital developments within the Hospital which enable us to take care of the vulnerable groups within our society.”

It is a real challenge for the Hospital to both attract and retain its specialised staff, particularly due to the cost involved; however, more importantly the absence of technologies and equipment to optimise their skill is a real and present issue.

“We are addressing this challenge through the investments in technology and equipment, as previously mentioned, and growing our own specialists through dedicated partnerships,” concludes Ssekitooleko.

“It is my personal hope that in time we will have made significant progress in developing our critical care unit, structures, specialist staffing and equipment to better serves the public as we have always intended.”

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A 25-Year Commitment to

QUALITY SERVICE ZEP-RE is realising its mission to provide first-class security and market-leading services to its clients via a customer-driven focus and a workforce committed to local professionalism and responsibility Writer: Matthew Staff | Project Manager: Stuart Parker

EP-RE (PTA Reinsurance Company) has made its mark in Kenya over the past 25 years virtue of a desire to provide excellent technical services to the region’s insurance domain, and is now looking to leverage this experience to become the preeminent reinsurer in Africa.

The regional organisation has been charged with the task of promoting trade, development and integration within the COMESA (The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa) region since it was formally set up in 1992; achieving this goal through the trade of insurance and reinsurance business.

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Hope Murera, Managing Director

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And subsequently gearing its operations towards developing its technical services for the sake of its clients, ZEP-RE has successfully instilled itself across both strands of the sector.

“ZEP-RE has, over the past 25 years, created a brand which provides its clients with high quality products and services,” Managing Director, Hope Murera affirms. “This includes products and services across motor and liability; miscellaneous accidents; marine hull and cargo; aviation; fire; engineering; life and micro-insurance; bonds; COMESA Yellow Cards; and Retakaful business.

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“ZEP-RE is a respected regional Reinsurer within the COMESA region and beyond. We have a strong operating position in the region and a significant physical presence in the key markets of Africa.”

Driving its overall ambition of becoming the pre-eminent reinsurer on the continent, Murera attributes the Company’s key differentiator as being its loyal, skilled, indigenous and experienced workforce; compounded by a hierarchy that has our clients’ best interests and long-term future of the business at heart.

Murera continues: “The Company has strong, diverse and supportive shareholders who have consistently demonstrated their commitment to the Company as evidenced by the injection of additional shareholder

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funds to the tune of $50 million during the past three years.”

The Company has strong, diverse and supportive shareholders who have consistently demonstrated their commitment to the Company

Great milestones

Headquartered in Nairobi since inception, its regional influence is ensured by a physical presence in Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Sudan; all of which have evolved and split into three key hubs as follows: the Eastern and Southern African hub (operating out of Nairobi, Kenya), the Southern Africa hub (operating out of Harare, Zimbabwe) and the Western Africa hub (operating out of Abidjan, Ivory Coast).

Expansion has been a theme running throughout the business’s service portfolio as well, with the Company priding itself on the ability to build capacities at a quick yet sustainable rate.

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AFRO-ASIAN INSURANCE SERVICES LTD

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Afro-Asian” exists to use its knowhow and capacity in order to match the needs of selected African Insurance and Reinsurance clients with the World’s best available re-insurance products and services. We are your business partners in Africa and strive to share your corporate vision for growth and stability in your business.

“Afro-Asian” strives to deliver an efficient and effective service to its clients in Africa through short quotation turnaround times and fast claims collection and administration support.

We live by our motto “PROFESSIONALISM & EXCELLENCE REDEFINED” T +44 20 7375 7420

www.afroasian-insurance.com ZEP-RE Head office in Nairobi

“This has been one of our great milestones over the years to make this contribution towards building capacities in the region and a recent example, in September, 2016, saw us launch the ZEP-RE Academy to train local and regional insurance executives,” Murera explains. “The ZEP-RE Academy, the first of its kind on the African continent, has been established in collaboration with the College of Insurance to train insurance executives on reinsurance. We seek to address the skill gaps identified in an ever-changing market environment.

“In the area of publication, we launched a book authored by ZEP-RE in collaboration with the College of Insurance, titled Proficiency in Short Term Reinsurance Practice. Work on other titles on various insurance classes is ongoing. We trust that the training delivery in Africa will be substantially improved through the provision of this and other local literature on reinsurance operations.”

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The Company’s terms & conditions of service are structured in such a way as to retain the critical skills and remuneration is then reviewed in tandem with market competitiveness

In order to continue providing support to the industry in terms of entrenching best practice, the emphasis once again stems back to skills development in the COMESA region.

Murera adds: “A competitive recruitment process is being undertaken. There is a training budget for each and every staff member which is followed according to their personal development plans that are aligned to the Company’s objectives.

“The Company’s terms & conditions of service are structured in such a way as to retain the critical skills and remuneration is then reviewed in tandem with market competitiveness.”

Good corporate governance

Where ZEP-RE has a host office, this employment strategy remains a local one too, with the bulk of staff sourced from each respective country without diluting the quality of the overall operations.

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Professionalism and

Excellence Redefined AAIS_96x160mm.indd 1

Outlook

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Outlook Publishing’s awardwinning in-house team is now utilising its extensive production skills to offer a full and bespoke range of editorial, design and marketing services via its new Outlook Creative Services division.

At FIRST REINSURANCE BROKERS LTD we pride ourselves in having a visionary leadership that is coupled with motivated and highly professional team, who are responsible for identifying and organising the most suitable reinsurance covers for all our clients.

We visualise being the leading reinsurance broker of choice, by offering our clients with a professional, efficient and cost effective reinsurance broking and consulting services.

We do this as professionals, true to our word; with a passion and commitment, working together to achieve a common goal for the Company and our clients.

Tel: +254 20 760 2600 Email: info@firstre.com Cell: +254 722 204478 / +254 733 609251

F O R M O R E I N F O R M AT I O N V I S I T : www.outlookpublishing.com/creative-services

www.firstre.com

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Extensive training sessions are conducted at the ZEP-RE Academy

This shines a light on another key facet of the Company’s ultimate ethos in Africa: to act responsibly and sustainably for the betterment of the surrounding communities as well as just for ZEP-RE and its immediate clients.

“ZEP-RE is committed to principles of good corporate governance.

We stand for a form of responsible company management and control geared at long-term creation of wealth and value for shareholders,” Murera details. “We place critical importance on promoting and respecting the interests of shareholders, efficient supervisory practices at board level, a communication policy that is open and transparent both internally and externally, and an appreciation of

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We will be a trusted thought-partner providing access to world-leading technical expertise and groundbreaking approaches to our clients’ underwriting and risk management needs

other stakeholders interests.”

Outside of its stakeholder remit, initiatives undertaken by ZEP-RE include the Global Give Back Circle initiative aimed at empowering disadvantaged girls; the Educate Her parade and Farasi Lane School initiative by way of contributions and funding; and through the Gashora Girls Academy in Rwanda where ZEP-RE once again supports the girls’ school from an education and healthcare perspective.

“Social responsibility is an integral part of ZEP-RE’s business, representing one of its core values of being a responsible corporate citizen,” Murera enthuses. “Over the 20 years of being in service, ZEP-RE has continued to mainly support the education sector

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in the continent of Africa and will continue to do so in the future.”

premiums online.

The recent upgrade in 2016 of the Company’s credit rating from B+ to B++, despite a challenging business The pre-eminent reinsurer in Africa Further to its influence on people environment in the region, is evidence and industry, the creation of local of the strong credential the Company capacity also addresses the supply possesses as a reinsurance security chain and the enhancement of local and should place the Company in good businesses via the formation of TAN-RE stead to compete and provide further in Tanzania, Uganda Re in Uganda and assurance to its cedants.

WAICA Re in West Africa.

All of this will help stand the And across each and every satellite Company in good stead in the future office and regional hub, the Company as it once again brings to mind the overriding goal of continental looks to maintain the momentum of improvement via ongoing upgrades grandeur. and investments. Recently, these “In line with our 10-year strategy, have entailed the computerisation of ZEP-RE will be the pre-eminent all services as well as the refinement reinsurer in Africa. We will grow our physical footprint to bring us even of its ultra-modern insurance system which assists on processing claims and closer to our clients and thereby

continue to provide them with firstclass service,” Murera states. “We will be a trusted thought-partner providing access to world-leading technical expertise and groundbreaking approaches to our clients’ underwriting and risk management needs.

“To deliver on this ambition, we are making strategic investments in our human capacity through targeted training and recruitment while further establishing a high performance and collaborative culture within our organisation.

“And in achieving these objectives, we will support the growth already being experienced in Africa in-keeping with our mandate as a COMESA institution.”

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AFRICA AGRIWEEK 2017

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The foremost African Exhibition and Conference for the global agriculture, aquaculture, livestock and veterinary community

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WHEN: 8-11 May WHERE: Lagos, Nigeria WEBSITE: https://www.africaagriweek.com/

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AFRICA AGRIWEEK EXHIBITION and conference unites global and regional leaders of the agriculture, aquaculture, poultry, livestock and veterinary industries for four days of intensive networking and deal making.

The tradeshow brings together heads of agribusinesses, food and agro-allied businesses, representatives of regional government authorities, distributors, resellers, importers, traders, investors and industry associations. They travel from all over Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, North & South America to network, exchange ideas and meet buyers and investors at this event.

From the launching of new products to showcasing the latest examples of technology and machinery for the industry as well as food commodities,

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WHO SHOULD SPONSOR OR EXHIBIT?

• Governments and Investment Boards • Agribusiness and related industries • Consultancy • Technology and equipment providers • Banks and finance providers • Law firms

Africa AgriWeek is a platform of commerce and innovation for the agriculture, aquaculture, poultry, livestock and veterinary sector. It is an opportunity to engage in conversations with more than 50 exhibitors, 1,000 visitors and 25 speakers.

AFRICAAGRIWEEK TRADE, INVESTMENT & TECHNOLOGY 8 - 11 MAY 2017 Lagos, Nigeria

Foremost African Expo & Conference for the Agribusiness, Aquaculture and Animal Health Sector

Take Advantage of our Special Offer to Sponsor and Exhibit Today!

To sponsor & exhibit, contact: Karen Boh +65 6717 8500 | karen.boh@spire-events.com Michael Lim +65 6717 6017 | michael.lim@spire-events.com

FREE ENTRY FOR TRADE VISITORS

To attend, contact: David Lee +65 6717 6016 | enquiry@spireevents.com

Be part of the over 60 exhibitors expected at Africa Agri Week!

Forge new business partnerships and discover the latest technology

Follow us on social media @AgriWeek

Agri Week Events

www.africaagriweek.com

Agri Week

AFRICAN UTILITY WEEK

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F O C U S

The leading conference and trade exhibition for African power, energy and water professionals THE 17TH ANNUAL African Utility Week is the leading conference and trade exhibition for African power, Energy Revolution energy and water professionals. This year we bring together more than YOUR LEADING AFRICAN POWER & ENERGY TRADE EXPOdecision & CONFERENCE 7,000 makers to source the E V E N T D E TA I L S latest solutions and meet more than The 17th annual African Utility Week is the only trade exhibition Focussing on power generation and mini grids for the public for African power and water utility professionals. African Utility and private sector, connecting solution providers with the 300 suppliers.

Along with multiple WHEN: Week offers a unique networking opportunity for engineers, heads of community scale energy projects – IPPs, rural stakeholders and solution providers alike. electrification project developers, cities andevents large energy users. co-located and numerous 16-18 May REGISTER FOR YOUR FREE PASS TODAY networking functions the event also WHERE: boasts a five-track conference with Cape Town, South Africa more than 250 expert speakers.

African Utility Week provides the WEBSITE: largest gathering of energy and water www.african-utility-week.com professionals focused on all aspects of the provision of energy services to Introducing

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the African market. We fulfil the needs of our various stakeholders through providing a professionally organised gathering where attendees can source solutions, generate business and connect with new and existing energy markets.

Introducing

Energy Revolution YOUR LEADING AFRICAN POWER & ENERGY TRADE EXPO & CONFERENCE The 17th annual African Utility Week is the only trade exhibition for African power and water utility professionals. African Utility Week offers a unique networking opportunity for engineers, stakeholders and solution providers alike.

Focussing on power generation and mini grids for the public and private sector, connecting solution providers with the heads of community scale energy projects – IPPs, rural electrification project developers, cities and large energy users.

REGISTER FOR YOUR FREE PASS TODAY

Find 3 words in the above crossword puzzle relating to free to attend activities taking place at African Utility Week and Energy Revolution Africa.

Clue: Complete this sentence to reveal the answers: Visit the free _ _ _ _, and connect with your peers during the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ function and visit the CPD accredited technical _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.

Send your answers to auw@spintelligent.com and stand a chance to win an all access conference pass

16 – 18 May 2017 Site visit: 19 May 2017

Cape Town, South Africa Host utility

Exclusive 2014 - 2018

Official Host City

www.african-utility-week.com Host ministry

Diamond sponsor

7TH ANNUAL BANKING & FINANCE CONFERENCE (ABFC)

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F O C U S

Making financial inclusion a reality in Africa THIS NOTE SUMMARISES the conceptual approach and the thematic structure of the 7th Annual Banking & Finance Conference (ABFC) planned to be held mid-2017. Over the years, the Annual Banking and Finance Conference has continued to strengthen its position as the leading brand for the industry.

The Annual Banking & Finance Conference’s 2017 theme is: Making Financial Inclusion a Reality in Africa:

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WHEN: 30-31 May WHERE: Serena Hotel, Kigali WEBSITE:

www.aidembs.com/banking_conference

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THEMES • Barriers to financial inclusion access • Regulatory and governance hurdles, challenges, changes • Financial technology solutions • Dealing with local perceptions about banking and money • Client protection and credit reporting • Loans or savings? What does your client want?

• Real value creation • New technologies for new business models • Shifting from financial education to financial capability • Lessons from the global arena: Asia/ Middle East/Islamic Banking Connecting people to Banking & Financial Service and this couldn’t be timelier. The 2016 edition was held in Ghana and the 2017 edition will be a continuation of the discussions and a preview of the implementation strides made thus far, as we continue to push the financial inclusion agenda on the continent.

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Banking and financial services must seek ways to increase their mass and tap into the financially excluded population (which is more than 60 percent). The agenda to deliver financial services to those that banks have traditionally not reached should now be - more than ever - at the top of corporate growth strategy.

Objectives

The conference will also look at new and innovative financial technology solutions that will make financial inclusion possible and profitable. The agenda will include a broad range of case studies, discussions and debates by top speakers from across Africa, bringing theoretical and practical experiences on how various sectors can work together to promote financial inclusion. Key stakeholders will include traditional banks; insurance; NGOs, telcos; retail stores; donors; investors; policymakers; regulators; MFI; and FMCGs. Financial institutions must collaborate, partner and learn from non-financial players to expand their products and services to new customer segments.

The event will be a catalyst for debate, best practice, knowledge exchange and partnerships among the practitioners, policy-makers and other stakeholders seeking to achieve significantly greater financial inclusion in the region.

AFRICA ENERGY FORUM

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Moroccan Ministry of Energy, Mines, Water & Environment to join discussions at the Africa Energy Forum in Copenhagen Forum Sponsor

Our attendees from 2016 said: The best energy focused event for Africa

THE MINISTRY OF Energy, Mines, Water and Environment of the A fantastic and Kingdom of Morocco, has confirmed well run event attendance at the Africa Energy Forum in Copenhagen from 7-9 June 2017.

Well done again At the Poweringfor Africa: Summit this year! Such 7-9 JUNE 2017 which took place aingreat Washington networking COPENHAGEN E V E N T D E TA I L S DC from 9-10 March, Morocco’s event for Africa!

ONEE presented their Gas to Power The global platform connecting investors with project opportunities in Africa WHEN: Programme and MASEN discussed 7-9 June their sustainable energy programme Follow us on Twitter: Join our Linkedin group: Like our Facebook page: #AEF17 Powering Africa: the investment dialogues Africa-Energy Forum under the leadership of Mustapha WHERE: Bakkoury, President and Chief Bella Centre, Copenhagen, Denmark Executive Officer.

WEBSITE: Both organisations are clearly www.africa-energy-forum.com focused on a broader role within Africa carrying with them the potential of 19TH ANNUAL

Country Sponsor

Forum Sponsor

Strategic Partners

Lead sponsors

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Exhibition Sponsor

Sustainability Partner

building physical energy links between the continent and Europe. The support of the Ministry at the Africa Energy Forum (AEF) this year underlines the commitment from the Kingdom of Morocco to explore energy partnerships with Europe and hasten the pace of foreign direct investment in Morocco.

AEF is set to bring 2,000 participants to Copenhagen this June for the annual gathering for government ministers, heads of utilities, project developers and global investors driving forward the development of Africa’s energy projects.

Other recent confirmations include H.E. Dr.Eng.Seleshi Bekele, Minister of Water, Irrigation and Electricity, Ethiopia; Ulla Tørnæs, Minister for Development Cooperation, Government of Denmark; Teresa Ribeiro, Secretary of State for Development, Government of Portugal; Hisham Sallam, Second Secretary - responsible for Economics and Energy, Government of Egypt; Mateus Magala, Chairman of the Board of Directors, EDM; William Amuna, Chief Executive Officer, GRIDCo, Ghana; and Emmanuel Antwi-Darkwa, Chief Executive Officer of Volta River Authority in Ghana.

A new Platinum agenda stream will bring together senior level government officials with some of the world’s biggest investors in discussions on how to accelerate projects, whilst specific country sessions will explore the unique investment climates and priority projects for countries such as Nigeria, South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mozambique, Morocco, Ethiopia, and Kenya.

Organisers of the Forum EnergyNet will host a city boat cruise along the canals of Copenhagen and pre-Forum golf championship day to build additional networking opportunities into this annual business Forum.

Forum Sponsor

Our attendees from 2016 said: The best energy focused event for Africa

19TH ANNUAL

A fantastic and well run event Well done again for this year! Such a great networking event for Africa!

7-9 JUNE 2017

COPENHAGEN

The global platform connecting investors with project opportunities in Africa Follow us on Twitter: #AEF17

Country Sponsor

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Exhibition Sponsor

Strategic Partners

Sustainability Partner

Lead sponsors

Sponsors

To claim a 10% discount on your registration fee please email amy.offord@energynet.co.uk quoting the code AO17 W W W. A F R I C A - E N E R G Y - F O R U M . C O M

Supporting Partners

THE AFRICA INSURANCE & REINSURANCE CONFERENCE

E V E N T

F O C U S insurance industry must strive for competitive excellence by increasingly seeking new growth markets and products.

Themes

The 7th Africa Insurance & Reinsurance Conference’s themes will therefore be along the lines of “Micro Insurance and the Insurance Inclusion”.

Expected results

Seeking ways to increase insurance penetration on the continent

E V E N T

D E TA I L S

WHEN: 21-22 June WHERE: Crowne Plaza Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya WEBSITE:

www.aidembs.com/insurance_conference

170

It is expected that this forum will trigger practical, regional and national investments in initiatives that will support the adoption of structural and policy changes to facilitate greater insurance inclusion and penetration for all. Workable and implementable plan of action will be initiated and we are therefore inviting all the stakeholders to ensure their representation at this event.

In the long-term, it is expected that the event will grow into a rotational regional event bringing together stakeholders from across the region and globe.

Event structure

As standard with the previous edition of this event, AIRC 2017 edition will THE AFRICA INSURANCE be a combination of an experiential & Reinsurance Conference, a regionally conference bringing together focused event now in its 7th year, different actors in the value chain with has steadily become a gateway for the aim of exploiting opportunities global and regional investors to most conducive for enhancing engage local leaders as they seek ways insurance penetration levels. to increase insurance penetration Alongside the conference, there will on the continent. Notwithstanding be an exhibition platform where actors unprecedented economic growth can showcase products and services. (a substantial component of this This exhibition will also function as an dependent on the financial and outstanding deal-making platform insurance sector), industry experts where local, regional and international say that the insurance market on investors can engage and evaluate the continent still remains small and promising investment opportunities. comparatively underdeveloped. The Interesting and investable business growth potential going forward is cases will be presented by various therefore significantly high and the service providers.

WWW.AFRICAOUTLOOKMAG.COM

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