Africa Outlook - Issue 70

AFRICA

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ISSUE 70

South Africa’s National Health Laboratory Service is determined to bridge the gap between public and private provision of vital lab and related health services

BUSINESS TRAVEL GUIDE 24

Rwanda: A landlocked scenic gem

AUTOZONE 80 Epitomising excellence through strategic supremacy

CPC ENGINEERING 108 Supporting mining clients from start to finish

OSERIAN DEVELOPMENT 126

Preparing for the future through diversification

ALSO FEATURING: S A N O F I | V I S I T M A L A W I | R O B E R T B O S C H S O U T H A F R I C A

BUSINESS TRAVEL GUIDES A complete guide to Africa’s leading business travel destinations

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RWANDA Landlocked Rwanda showcases some of the most stunning scenery on the African continent, from endless mountains in the northwest to the shores of Lake Kivu that borders the DRC Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Joe Palliser

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LYING JUST SOUTH of the equator in east-central Africa, Rwanda is commonly referred to as le pays des mille collines – the land of a thousand hills.

Once colonised by France, the European settlers were enamoured by the country’s breath-taking scenic wonders, characterised by an enormous stretch of mountains to the northwest that contain some of the world’s last remaining mountain gorillas in and among the bamboo forests.

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Volcanoes, lakes, forests – Rwanda’s natural beauty is a huge draw for visitors who are able to explore some of the country’s marvels through a series of national parks and reserves.

Most will stay or at least pass through Kigali, the Rwandan capital.

Located in the centre of the landlocked territory on the banks of the Ruganwa River, the city is known for its cleanliness, safety, orderliness and hospitality.

From award-winning museums to a bustling music scene and boasting some of the continent’s finest dining experiences, Kigali is the perfect place from which to set up basecamp for a trip to Rwanda.

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The nation is also highly-regarded in terms of its commercial environment, ranked the second easiest place to do business in Africa by the World Bank.

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See page

24 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 185,000 each month.

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

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W E L C O M E EDITORIAL Editorial Director: Tom Wadlow tom.wadlow@outlookpublishing.com Deputy Editor: Jonathan Dyble jonathan.dyble@outlookpublishing.com

PRODUCTION Production Manager: Daniel George daniel.george@outlookpublishing.com Art Director: Stephen Giles steve.giles@outlookpublishing.com Advert Designer: Devon Collins devon.collins@outlookpublishing.com

BUSINESS Sales Director: Nick Norris nick.norris@outlookpublishing.com Operations Director: James Mitchell james.mitchell@outlookpublishing.com PROJECT DIRECTORS Joshua Mann joshua.mann@outlookpublishing.com Tom Cullum tom.cullum@outlookpublishing.com HEAD OF PROJECTS Callam Waller callam.waller@outlookpublishing.com Joe Palliser (Business Travel) joe.palliser@outlookpublishing.com TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Eddie Clinton eddie.clinton@outlookpublishing.com SALES MANAGERS Jordan Levey (Business Travel) jordan.levey@outlookpublishing.com PROJECT MANAGERS Ashley Parfitt ashley.parfitt@outlookpublishing.com Donovan Smith donovan.smith@outlookpublishing.com Josh Hyland josh.hyland@outlookpublishing.com Lewis Bush lewis.bush@outlookpublishing.com Matt Cole-Wilkin matt.cole-wilkin@outlookpublishing.com Vivek Valmiki vivek.valmiki@outlookpublishing.com

AFRICA

Medical marvels Much has been made of the South African government’s ambitious National Health Insurance (NHI) plan.

Designed to address the stifling inequality between public and private provision of medical services across the country, the scheme is built to open up access to those unable to afford expensive fees.

Many leading organisations are on board, not least the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS). In this month’s cover story, we speak to Acting CEO Dr Karmani Chetty about the current challenges facing South Africa’s healthcare system, and how NHLS is providing vital lab services and research.

“NHI will ensure that everyone has access to appropriate efficient and quality health services,” she tells us.

“It is intended to bring about reform that will improve service provision and will promote equity and efficiency, so as to ensure that all South Africans can use affordable, quality healthcare services regardless of their socioeconomic status.”

Another state-backed entity, the Government Employees Medical Scheme, known as GEMS, is working to improve healthcare provision for South Africa’s government-employed citizens. In another exclusive interview, we put questions to Chief Operations Officer Stan Moloabi.

Our front of book features equally arrow in on health, starting with a look at the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, a consortium of 500 organisations working together to combat the mosquito-borne disease. We also spoke to global pharmaceutical giant Sanofi about its work to tackle tuberculosis, a major cause

ADMINISTRATION

of fatality across the continent.

Finance Director: Suzanne Welsh suzanne.welsh@outlookpublishing.com Administrative Assistant: Sophia Curran sophia.curran@outlookpublishing.com Digital & IT: Hamit Saka Helpdesk: James Le-May

content from companies across a multitude of sectors, including retail,

Beyond the realm of healthcare, this edition is packed full of exclusive agriculture, mining, construction, manufacturing and energy.

From automotive suppliers and second-hand

OUTLOOK PUBLISHING Managing Director: Ben Weaver ben.weaver@outlookpublishing.com CONTACT Africa Outlook 69-75 Thorpe Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR1 1UA, United Kingdom.

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retail franchises to mining engineering experts and textiles production specialists, this magazine is one of the most varied we have published in recent times.

Finally, be sure to read our business travel guides covering Malawi and Rwanda, the latter

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reaping the rewards of a partnership with English Tom Wadlow Editorial Director, Outlook Publishing

Premier League football club Arsenal.

Enjoy the issue!

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In this issue...

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

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NATIONAL HEALTH LABORATORY SERVICE Under the Microscope Building up capacity in South Africa’s public health sector

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GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES MEDICAL SCHEME Empowering the Public Sector A Q&A with Chief Operations Officer Stan Moloabi

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NEWS

Around Africa in seven stories

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EXPERT EYE

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AFRICA: The benefits, opportunities and key growth drivers

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HEALTHCARE Managing Malaria

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HEALTHCARE Tackling TB Head On

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Sanofi’s plan to eradicate tuberculosis

RENEWABLE ENERGY The Solar Solution

Exploring Africa’s potential to harvest the sun’s energy

BUSINESS TRAVEL

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AUTOZONE The Automotive A to Z

Epitomising excellence through strategic supremacy

500 collaborative entities versus one destructive disease

TOPICAL FOCUS

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RWANDA

A landlocked scenic gem

MALAWI

Africa’s newest Big 5 destination

MANUFACTURING

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ROBERT BOSCH SOUTH AFRICA A Hallmark of Trust Combining customer dedication with a world-renowned stamp of quality

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GOLD LEAF TOBACCO CORPORATION Adaption and Expansion

BRAITEX TENSILON Textiles Reignited

The story of a South African manufacturing custodian

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MOTHEO CONSTRUCTION Firm Foundations

CENTURY REAL ESTATE RWANDA King of Kigali Property Rwanda’s most reputable real estate entity

CPC ENGINEERING Hitting the Sweet Spot

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PW NIGERIA Steady Support

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CASH CONVERTERS The Supersonic Age of Second-Hand Retail

Spearheading innovative continental construction

HUBMART Nigeria’s New Frontier Riding the retail wave with a fresh, customer-focussed approach

SHIPPING & LOGISTICS

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GIG LOGISTICS Exceeding Expectation Synonymising logistics with innovation and digitisation

ZESCO LIMITED Keeping Zambia Switched On

Powering a nation through generation, transmission and distribution of electricity

Building on decades of support to Nigerian mining and construction projects

Preparing for the future through diversification

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ENERGY & UTILITIES

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A G R I C U L T U R E

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Honouring heritage in an everchanging retail and wholesale landscape

Futureproofing franchisees through investment in innovation

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EPITOME ARCHITECTS Awakening Concepts, Powering Realities

Supporting mining clients from start to finish

OSERIAN DEVELOPMENT CO. LTD Kenya in Bloom

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Showcasing resilience, adaption and innovation to thrive in SA construction

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182 MURRAY & DICKSON CONSTRUCTION Rising High

Tackling industry headwinds to build up South Africa

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BIG SAVE GROUP Big Save, Big Family

CONSTRUCTION

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A story of growth in response to consumer demand

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SERVEST OFFICE SERVICES Servicing a New Chapter

LAXMANBHAI CONSTRUCTION Contractor Commitment

APPO CAPE VII CONGRESS AND EXHIBITION

Future perspectives of the oil & gas industry

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Driving growth through a people, customer and processcentric culture

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3RD ANNUAL WEST AFRICA POWER SUMMIT 2019 Disrupting the B2B events business on the African continent

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Building on experience in Kenya’s construction market

REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT – NORTH AFRICA A networking forum to discuss the future of real estate

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Around Africa in seven stories…

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ENVIRONMENT

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Zambia presents smart future vision at MWC19

Africa Development Bank in $25 billion climate change pledge The African Development Bank (AfDB) will double its climate finance commitments for the period 2020-2025, the Bank’s President has announced.

A key part of this is the “Desert to Power” programme, a $10 billion initiative to build a 10 GW solar zone across the Sahel.

This would be the largest of its kind on earth and provide electricity

for 250 million people. Together with partners such as the Green Climate Fund and the EU, AfDB has now financed the first project under this initiative in the form of the Yeleen Rural Electrification Project in Burkina Faso.

Another key project is the cofinancing of the 510 MW Ouarzazate Solar Complex in Morocco, one of the largest solar facilities in the world.

AGRICULTURE

OCP records 15 percent revenue jump in 2018 Moroccan phosphate giant OCP has revealed a rise in revenue and profits for 2018.

The world’s leading phosphate exporter and fertiliser producer, the

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Mobile World Congress, the largest mobile trade event held in Barcelona, saw Zambia send a delegation to showcase its plans to build a smarter nation.

The government of Zambia is committed to investing in communications and technology projects with initiatives such as the National Data Centre, an ICT Youth Fund, and the Smart Zambia Electronic Government Division.

Deputy Secretary to Cabinet Christopher Mvunga said: “Zambia is looking to build a nation fit for the future. Zambia has a young, ambitious and innovative workforce. Tech and smart communications are central to untapping this potential.”

company turned over $5.95 billion (up 15 percent) and made a profit of ($1.82 billion).

OCP has exclusive access to the largest phosphate rock reserve base in the world and employs nearly 21,000 people.

The company, 95 percent stateowned, has access to what is thought to be around three quarters of the global phosphate supply and produces approximately five million tonnes of fertiliser a year.

GO TO WWW.AFRICAOUTLOOKMAG.COM/NEWS FOR ALL OF THE LATEST NEWS FROM AFRICA

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MINING

Nigeria plans to reduce stakes in joint ventures

Debswana to invest $2 billion in Botswana diamond mine

In a bid to boost its treasury, the Nigerian government says it plans to reduce its share in oil joint ventures to 40 percent.

Through state-owned NNPC, Nigeria is in partnership with the likes of Shell, Chevron and ExxonMobil.

In a statement, Budget Minister Udoma Udo Udoma said there were plans for the “immediate commencement of the restructuring

The Jwaneng mine in Botswana will receive a huge injection of capital after its owner Debswana Diamond Mining announced plans to extend its life to 2035.

Debswana is a joint venture between De Beers and Botswana’s government.

At its peak, the project, known as Cut-9, is expected to create more than 1,000 jobs, the majority of which will be held by Botswana citizens.

Bruce Cleaver, Chairman of Debswana, said: “The extension of Jwaneng Mine secures Botswana’s rightful place as a leading diamond producing nation for years to come.

“With global consumer demand for diamonds reaching record levels in 2018, the extension will enable us to continue to meet the needs of our consumers all over the world.”

of the joint venture oil assets so as to reduce government shareholding to 40 percent”.

The government wants the process to be completed this year as the nation continues to recover from economic recession.

F I N A N C E

Angola to receive $1 billion loan from World Bank

MANUFACTURING

Nissan signs deal to produce 100,000 cars a year in Egypt Egyptian state-owned automaker El Nasr Automotive Manufacturing has entered an agreement with Japan’s Nissan to make 100,000 cars a year.

According to a government minister

Hesham Tawfik, the deal is designed to help local production of parts, with more locally made components being used in final vehicle assembly.

The contract, set to be signed in Q2 this year, should involve the exportation of most of the cars involved.

El Nasr ceased production just before the 2011 Arab Spring uprising, the company previously making Fiat models.

Angola, Africa’s second most prolific oil producer, is to receive a $1 billion loan from the World Bank in order to fund water and social security projects.

Already set to receive a separate $500 million loan from the same organisation, the financial stimulus comes as the country battles economic hardship after oil prices plunged in 2014.

In December, the World Bank signed off a $50 million project to improve agricultural productivity in Angola and Lesotho.

GO TO WWW.AFRICAOUTLOOKMAG.COM/NEWS FOR ALL OF THE LATEST NEWS FROM AFRICA

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AFRICA: The benefits, opportunities and key growth drivers From rapid urbanisation to bountiful reserves and resources, Africa has many enticing facets which are presenting opportunities to investors

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Written by: Dr. Tawhid Chtioui, Professor and Dean of emlyon business school Africa and Youssef Lahlou, Expert at emlyon Casablanca campus

frica has registered accelerated economic growth for more than a decade.

Despite the recent economic slowdown in some African countries, the region as a whole has solid longterm economic fundamentals and the rate of return on foreign investment is higher in Africa than in any other developing region in the world.

This has meant the continent has rapidly become an extremely popular and worthwhile place for large companies and SMEs to invest and do business in.

This is only likely to continue as companies are becoming increasingly knowledgeable of the continental market, through hiring specific African business experts or boosting their knowledge through courses, such as emlyon business school’s MOOC (Massive Online Open Course) ‘An Introduction to Doing Business in Africa’ – which is updating companies’ skillsets for an African-specific business environment. There are a rising number of benefits, opportunities and key growth drivers in the region.

So, what are the main drivers for companies to invest and do business in Africa?

Growing population and workforce – Africa will account for 3.2 billion of the projected four billion increase in the global population by 2100. Its working age population will increase by 2.1 billion over the same period. Its workforce will be larger than those of either China or India by 2034.

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ABOUT THE EXPERTS Tawhid Chtioui is a Professor and Dean of emlyon business school Africa. His research essentially focuses on performance management issues including management control and organisational changes, soft controls effectiveness, governance and organisational performance.

His actual work mainly focuses on African issues and contexts.

Youssef Lahlou, Expert at emlyon business school Casablanca campus, has more than 10 years of experience in strategy and consulting in Morocco and internationally. Youssef was Principal in the strategy and development division of Casablanca Finance City Authority, where he was responsible of developing and managing its network of African partners and monitoring the competitive and strategic intelligence activities.

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Rapid urbanisation – Africa is in the early stage of its urbanisation.

The continent will soon be by far the fastest urbanising region in the world.

According to McKinsey, the population of urban Africa is expected to increase by an average of 24 million people each year between 2015 and 2045.

Since productivity in cities is more than twice as high as it is in the rural areas, urbanisation will contribute positively to Africa’s economic growth.

The challenge will be to handle the rapid urban expansion, including provision of housing and associated services.

Technological developments – The impact of technological developments could be significant in Africa because the continent is in its relatively early stages of adoption of the internet, digital technologies and big data that is leading to new business models and improving business operations. SubSaharan Africa had by far the fastest rate of new broadband connections between 2008 and 2015 at 34 percent per year. Broadband penetration in this part of Africa is expected to increase from 20 percent in 2015 to 80 percent by 2020. Africa has the advantage of being able to leap frog directly to use the latest technology – the penetration of smartphones is expected to hit at least 50 percent in 2020, up from only 18 percent in 2015. East Africa is also already a pioneer in mobile payments – 70 percent of Kenya’s adult population has access to mobile banking, for instance.

Important reserves of resources – Africa has significant natural resource wealth: 60 percent of the world’s total amount of uncultivated, arable land and approximately 30 percent of the earth’s remaining mineral resources. AfDB (African Development Bank) estimates that Africa’s extractive resources could contribute over $30 billion a year in government revenue for the next 20 years. Furthermore, beyond extractives, land, wildlife reserves and national parks offer an opportunity for tourism and related economic activity.

Regional integration is particularly relevant in Africa. Indeed, the majority of Africans live in countries where domestic markets are too small and fragmented to achieve the economies of scale necessary to compete internationally. Sixteen African countries are landlocked, more than in any continent, making regional integration a prerequisite to reaching sustainable growth. Overcoming

such challenges is central to ensuring that Africa can take advantage of its increasing economic attractiveness to the rest of the world.

New trade partners – Western Europe and North America are still among the top source regions for capital investment in Africa, but they need to face the increasing competition of investors from the Asia Pacific region (mainly China) as well as those from Africa (mainly South Africa, Morocco, Nigeria and Kenya) to build influence on the continent.

In 2016, Asia Pacific became the second-largest source of FDI (foreign direct investment) projects and the largest capital investor. Companies from the Asia Pacific region were also the largest contributors to FDI jobs to Africa. Intra-African investments are also increasing significantly and

countries such as Morocco have invested heavily in Africa. Indeed, trade between Morocco and Sub-Saharan Africa has been on an upward trend since 2009, with an annual growth rate of 13 percent between 2000 and 2015.

Despite recent shocks and challenges, Africa’s household consumption and business spending are both growing strongly, offering companies a $5.6 trillion opportunity by 2025 according to McKinsey Global Institute.

The rate of return on foreign investment is higher in Africa than in any other developing region in the world. Investment interest by multinational corporations is not just growing rapidly, but also expanding beyond the traditional extractive industries to other fast-developing sectors in Africa. It truly is a great time for companies to seize the opportunities that Africa offers, and to invest and do business on the continent.

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Outlook Creative Services Complementing the production of Africa Outlook, Asia Outlook and EME Outlook magazines, Outlook Publishing’s award-winning in-house team is now utilising these same specialist 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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Managing Malaria Comprising 500 partners, RBM Partnership to End Malaria is looking to tackle one of the world’s most destructive diseases through collective excellence and a combative approach Writer: Jonathan Dyble

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ublished November 2018, a certain degree of positivity surrounded the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) latest World Malaria Report.

Testament to magnified efforts and expanded collaborations, the report reveals that fatalities from the mosquitoborne disease have fallen by more than 60 percent when compared to the height of the crisis during the early 2000s, with an estimated seven million lives having been saved as a result.

More recent times somewhat echo this optimism in a number of countries such as India, for example, where

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malaria cases dropped by 24 percent in 2017, and in Rwanda, where 430,000 fewer outbreaks were reported compared to 2016.

However, despite headway having been made during the course of the past two decades, many lower-income countries continue to bear the brunt of the disease and its effects.

“While signs of progress continue to be made in half of all those countries affected, malaria is creeping back up in some of the most burdened areas,” explains Dr Winnie MpanjuShumbusho, Board Chair of the RBM Partnership to End Malaria.

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HIGH BURDEN TO HIGH IMPACT The ‘High burden to high impact’ approach catalysed

by WHO and the RBM Partnership to End Malaria will promote tailored responses in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, India, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Uganda and United Republic of Tanzania.

These response plans will be built on four elements: • Political will to reduce the toll of malaria • Utilising strategic information and data to drive impact • Introducing better guidance, policies and strategies • A coordinated national malaria response

“We are particularly concerned about the estimated annual increase of 3.5 million cases in the 10 worst affected countries, reinforcing the message that urgent action is critical in order to protect hard-earned progress.”

Shockingly, 11 countries account for as much as 70 percent of this global burden, with 10 of these found in SubSaharan Africa.

“Together these nations are home to an estimated 151 million cases of malaria and 275,000 deaths each year,” continues Dr MpanjuShumbusho. “They’re the most susceptible countries for an array of reasons, from population size and available funding to added pressures from conflict and climate change.

“In 2017 only half of those at risk of malaria in Africa slept under an insecticide-treated net – a simple solution, yet there have only been marginal improvements in the usage of nets since 2015.

These citizens’ vulnerabilities are exacerbated, something that needs addressing as we look to reignite progress in the malaria fight.”

of more than 500 partners including malaria endemic countries, bilateral and multilateral development partners, private sector businesses, non-governmental and communitybased organisations, foundations, and research and academic institutions.

A leading global health body defined by collaborative, combative efforts, the organisation’s strength lies in its ability to form effective partnerships that scale up malaria-control policies across different regions.

“Achieving our goals requires political commitment at the highest levels,” Mpanju-Shumbusho explains.

Policy progression

Launched in 1998 as a collaboration between WHO, UNICEF, UNDP and the World Bank, RBM Partnership to End Malaria is today comprised

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Simple solutions like mosquito nets can prevent malaria from completing its transmission cycle, pictured above

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“It is crucial that countries and governments drive public health priorities and strategies that fit the individual needs and challenges that each country faces, ensuring resources are utilised in the most effective ways.

“However, pressure must also come from the ground up in order to hold decision-makers accountable, while simple steps like the use of mosquito nets cannot be ignored.

“The fight against malaria needs to be owned by us all.”

A disease renowned for its direct impact on health, the societal and economic implications of malaria spread far beyond this. MpanjuShumbusho continues: “Malaria is the disease of poverty and failure to address it means that communities

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will be trapped in this continuous, stagnating cycle.

“Those affected by malaria are forced to miss work or school, restricting their income, education and overall prospects. Unfortunately, the consequences of malaria can be all encompassing, however, our recent efforts are seeking to address this.”

The organisation’s Chair refers to the aggressive new ‘High burden to high impact’ approach announced by the WHO’s Director General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, at the World Health Assembly in May 2018, an initiative launched in tandem by the WHO and RBM Partnership to End Malaria that will stride to tackle the disease, starting with the 11 highburden countries.

LEADERSHIP FOCUS MPANJU-SHUMBUSHO CHAIR OF THE BOARD Having retired from full time work in 2015, RBM Partnerships’ current Chair of the Board Mpanju-Shumbusho previously served as the World Health Organization’s Assistant Director General for HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases; and a board member of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria.

She reveals: “As a child I would visit local health facilities near my home in Tanzania with my family and saw the extent of people suffering from diseases first-hand. This is when I knew I wanted to become a doctor – I’ve always wanted to help restore and protect health.

“I studied medicine at the University of Dar es Salaam, eventually earning a Master of Medicine in Paediatrics and Child Health. From here I ended up serving as Head of the Department of Community Health and Senior Lecturer in Paediatrics and Child Health at the University of Dar es Salaam Muhimbili College of Health Sciences, while also acting as the Chief Public Health Adviser to Tanzania’s Ministry of Health.

“The core principle of this is that no one should die from a disease that is preventable and treatable,” MpanjuShumbusho adds.

Maintaining momentum

A recognised response plan that will be upheld by each of the 500-plus partners of the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, such coordinated action will be fundamental to the success of combatting the disease in the eyes of Dr Mpanju-Shumbusho.

“We are all stronger when we work together,” she reveals.

2018 was a milestone year for anti-malaria cooperation, with global leaders pledging $4.1 billion to advancing the malaria fight at the London Malaria Summit, while bold pledges also came from 53 Commonwealth nations and the South African Development Community.

Despite this, however, for MpanjuShumbusho there is still a long way to go, with recent advances still in jeopardy of being hindered should a lapse in focus emerge.

She concludes: “Looking ahead to 2019, we must maintain momentum.

This is especially relevant as we are heading for the sixth replenishment of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria which accounts for around 60 percent of all global anti-malaria financing.

“Improving the availability of education and tools such as bed nets and indoor residual spraying programmes, as well as environmental modification measures must therefore continue to be key areas of focus in countries affected by the disease.

“There is no standing still with malaria.

We must move quickly to step up efforts and continue progress for all countries to end the disease for good.”

“Later I worked as Director-General of the East, Central, and Southern Africa Health Community, as Director of the WHO’s HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections programme.”

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TACKLING TB

Head On Multinational pharmaceutical giant Sanofi is looking to launch a game-changing tuberculosis treatment this year with the help of local entrepreneurialism Writer: Tom Wadlow

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uberculosis (TB) is South Africa’s biggest killer.

Despite recent declines, 322,000 South Africans fell ill with TB in 2017 according to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global TB Report, while 78,000 died of the disease.

Although there is a degree of uncertainty about these estimations, not least because the WHO itself recently made changes to its methodology used to make TB predictions in South Africa, there is no denying that it is a huge health problem and one that is preventable with joined up action.

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One company looking to orchestrate such activity is French multinational Sanofi.

“There are a lot of challenges in South Africa, a country which has a unique situation when it comes to diseases, which can be divided into two strands,” begins Thibault Crosnier Leconte, Country Chair & General Manager for South Africa, Namibia and Botswana.

“Penetration of infectious diseases like TB and HIV is very high. The second element is non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and cancer, cases of which are growing in the double digits.”

Leconte arrived in South Africa in February 2017 following nine years in Russia, where much of his time was spent spearheading the modernisation of the country’s vaccination system as head of Sanofi’s regional vaccine division.

“I am proud of being part of our success in Russia, and I saw the opportunity to be part of the solution in South Africa,” he adds.

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Local legacy

Based out of its HQ in Johannesburg, Sanofi South Africa also serves Botswana and Namibia and is one of very few multinationals with a local manufacturing presence.

The company employs more than 600 people across a diverse range of functions, including commercial, R&D and production at its site in Pretoria, which has been predominantly supplying the public sector since it was set up in 1972.

The site is EU (AIFA) and ANVISA approved and is a global centre of excellence in the production of TB products for the SA and global markets. All TB and mental health products are produced in the country, the upskilling of local people being another important contribution Sanofi is making.

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“We have a massive portfolio here,” adds Leconte. “Sanofi also has a strong mental health presence in the region along with a unique portfolio to tackle diabetes and cardiovascular illnesses, so we are very well positioned to address many challenges facing the population.

“I don’t think there is a company that can claim to have as broad a spectrum in this market.”

This local legacy is cemented by the fact Sanofi South Africa has been recognised as a Top Employer by the country’s Top Employers Institute for 14 conservative years.

The power of collaboration

Another goal of Leconte is to drive cooperation between public and private enterprise, the company being a keen supporter of the government’s National Health Insurance scheme

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We are going to launch a new product this year, one that I feel will be a gamechanger in the way that we tackle the TB situation in South Africa” which is designed to open up access to medical provision.

“At present South Africa has clear public and private segments, and the level of access to innovation is very different between the two,” he says.

“Around 15 percent of the population are able to use private healthcare, and innovation within this sphere is generally very good, typical of what you might see in a developed system. However, public sector access to innovation is lagging behind, partly because the emphasis is on prioritising volume.”

Supporting startups is another part of the answer, something which Sanofi is championing through its bid to eradicate TB. “We are going to launch a new product this year, one that I feel will be a gamechanger in the way that we tackle the TB situation in South Africa,” Leconte continues.

“It is a big challenge, and we need to make sure that all TB patients have access to this therapy and are compliant. This is not a quick five-day treatment – it needs to be

Sanofi is spearheading research into tuberculosis, and manufacturers products to treat the disease in South Africa

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S A N O F I

As well as researching, producing and distributing essential pharmaceutical products across South Africa and beyond, Sanofi takes part in many community initiatives

administered over a period of months, and that presents a major challenge.”

This scenario formed the backdrop of the innovation challenge Sanofi concluded in November 2018, an exercise which helped it identify partners in the marketplace which should help make the rollout of this new treatment a success.

“There is innovation all over South Africa designed at eradicating TB and our vision was to tap into local initiatives and entrepreneurs who have solutions in place, solutions which

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The response to the challenge was fantastic, and I see a future full of synergy between us and a network of partners”

can be scaled up to a different level,” Leconte adds.

After a rigorous selection process, three startups pitched their ideas to Sanofi executives at AfricArena, a technology conference held in Cape Town.

Iyeza Health, a medication delivery service founded by then 21-yearold Sizwe Nzima in 2013, won the competition and will play an important role in making sure patients receive their prescriptions when the new TB treatment rollout occurs.

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TUBERCULOSIS – A TOP 10 GLOBAL KILLER TB is caused by bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) that most often affect the lungs and is very easily spread from person to person through the air.

According to the WHO, about a quarter of the world’s population has latent TB, which means they have been infected by TB bacteria but are not (yet) ill with the disease and therefore cannot transmit it.

In 2017, 10 million people fell ill with the disease and 1.6 million died, making it one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide.

“The launch is planned for mid2019, so we are engaging with all the relevant authorities in South Africa along with a number of other NGOs, which will be vital if we are to scale up this ambition,” says Leconte.

“The response to the challenge was fantastic, and I see a future full of synergy.”

This leaves Leconte hopeful of a brighter future for regional delivery of healthcare, the ability to have an impact being the very reason he joined Sanofi and moved to South Africa in

the first place.

He concludes: “Both in terms of the TB situation and wider healthcare environment in South Africa, I am optimistic that positive change can and is being made. We need more collaboration, and without optimism the energy will disappear.

“I joined Sanofi 18 years ago because I believed the company makes a significant difference to people. Today I still wake up every morning with the same aspiration to help patients and improve lives.”

Global TB incidents are dropping by two percent a year and an estimated 54 million lives have been saved between 2000 and 2017 by diagnosis and treatment.

However, this rate needs to increase to around five percent to fall in line with global targets contained within the End TB Strategy.

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S O L L A T E K

Solar Solution The

With monumental potential to harvest the sun’s energy, Africa is ripe for solar development of all shapes and sizes Writer: Tom Wadlow

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round 600 million people across Africa lack access to electricity.

According to World Atlas, the top 10 countries with lowest access to power are African, South Sudan being the least powered nation on earth. Just five percent of the troubled country’s population are able to enjoy the benefits of electricity, followed closely by Chad (6.4 percent) and Burundi (6.5 percent).

These deeply worrying statistics are prevalent despite the fact Africa is blessed with enormous potential to harness the power of the sun.

Add in the fact that the cost of utility-scale solar has dropped by over 90 percent since 2009 and it is surprising that more progress has not been made.

For rural communities, however, the answer may lie in smaller scale projects. “We are excited to see

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local innovation and application of renewable energy increasing,” comments Saleem Abdulla, Managing Director, Sollatek Electronics (Kenya).

“From a young Masaai boy creating solar powered lights that repel lions, to cold storage for camel milk, Kenyan and African entrepreneurs are taking ownership of renewable energy to apply them towards specific needs and solve local problems. Some will not be replicable or scalable, but show that the renewable energy sector is maturing beyond imported solutions to home grown innovations.”

Discussing what is clearly a market full of potential for both Kenya and indeed the entire continent, Abdulla goes on to answer our questions.

Africa Outlook (AfO): What inspired you to work in the Kenyan/East African power sector and join Sollatek?

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Saleem Abdulla (SA): It happened quite by accident actually. I am a certified accountant and having just got married, was working in Nairobi.

My wife found Nairobi too cold and wanted to move somewhere warmer.

I started applying for jobs and ended up as an accountant at Sollatek. I have risen through the ranks down the years and it’s now nine years since I first occupied the MD’s position.

AfO: How has the company’s presence across the region grown since it was established in 1985?

SA: We have developed our brand and reputation quite nicely – both geographically and in terms of our product offering. We started off with a small office and workshop in Mombasa. Over the years, we have built a distribution network encompassing the region, purchased a large building in Mombasa (which is

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still our HQ base), set up an office and showroom in Nairobi and have service centres in most large towns and cities in the region.

AfO: What is your take on the renewable energy sector in Kenya and East Africa at the moment? Is it an exciting field to be working in?

SA: The renewable energy sector is currently very dynamic and incredibly exciting, not only for those of us running our businesses in this field but

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also for users of renewable energy products. Renewable energy products are today smaller and more affordable than ever before and technological developments have created myriad applications – renewable energy is today used to power appliances of all sizes and types. It is an absolute pleasure to be able to continue creating amazement in the lives of ordinary folk who, for so long, have had to make do with harmful and expensive sources of non-grid power.

AFRICA’S SOLAR POTENTIAL Africa, as a continent, receives more hours of sunshine than anywhere else on earth.

While much of this is soaked up by the Sahara, large swathes of land to the south receive huge amounts of solar radiation which could be converted into renewable energy.

This potential is yet to be fully exploited, but marked growth is occurring. For example, in 2009 the entire continent only had around 100 MW of installed capacity, less than one percent of the global amount. Fast forward to 2016, and this figure has grown by a factor of 20 to just over two gigawatts.

As more projects come online and smaller scale schemes take off, like those managed by Sollatek, then this trend should continue.

School Installation in Kwale County

School installation in Turkana County

AfO: Are you observing more public and private investment into renewable power projects?

SA: Yes absolutely. With the local electricity grids so badly underdeveloped and with the growth in population, the need for renewable power keeps getting bigger and is attracting increasing investment in the private sector. Today, large renewable energy products manufacturers find it viable to set up their own local operations extending up to the last mile consumer. The government is also playing its part, according tax incentives and investing in renewable energy. Over the last six years, the Kenyan government has completed renewable power (wind and solar) projects with a capacity of almost 500 MW. AfO: Tell me about Sollatek’s regional footprint. What role are you playing in the development of renewable energy?

SA: Historically, Sollatek was a pioneer in the renewable (solar) energy field. This was in the late 1980s when the concept was considered alien and unworkable. We were also the first local company to partner with

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a large manufacturer to achieve mass distribution of portable solar lights when this type of product was first introduced. Today, we focus on local projects, both large and small, where we are able to electrify communities and households and sell solar products, systems and appliances. Our aim is to be able to provide quality products and solutions at an affordable cost, with some degree of financing and strong after-sales support.

AfO: What are some of the key challenges the industry needs to overcome in order to maximise its potential?

SA: Enforcement of quality standards remains a major challenge with all sorts of substandard and counterfeit products readily being sold in local markets. Another big challenge is grey areas in tax legislation. Corrupt

elements in key government bodies take full advantage through arbitrary changes in interpretation of tax incentives. This leads to incurrence of unforeseen costs as overnight, import duty becomes applicable on hitherto non-dutiable solar products.

AfO: How important will solar become in the long-term future of Africa’s power generation?

SA: Undoubtedly solar is the answer to Africa’s energy needs. The growing population, the failure to develop

Africa is blessed with sunshine – abundant, inexhaustible and nondiscriminatory”

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electric grids at the same rate, and the burgeoning middle class in African societies which consume more power per capital on a daily basis means solar will be the only long-term energy solution. Why would anyone think otherwise? Africa is blessed with sunshine – abundant, inexhaustible and non-discriminatory.

AfO: What trends are you monitoring at the moment? Are there any particular areas of innovation that Sollatek is focusing on?

Sales Engineer testing a solar installation for the powering of a cold storage unit to store fish and lobster, with the Pate Island fishing community looking on

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Sales Engineer installing a solar system for Kenya Wildlife Service’s (KWS) rural field office

Sales Engineer standing outside a demo unit of a wind and solar hybrid system in Mombasa, Kenya

Sales Engineer completing a solar back up system for the University of Nairobi

SA: We are watching developments in battery technology with eager eyes. As usually the most expensive and unreliable component in a solar system, we feel this will be the next area of breakthrough. We will be looking for less expensive, lower life batteries which hopefully elinimate the use of heavy metals due to the end-of-life disposal risk. DC appliances has been another area that we have been exploring – as the number of independent solar installations increase and the grid’s lack of ability to

Chairman Mtengo Omari walking towards a community centre in Funzi, Kwale County with a recently installed solar system completed by Sollatek

keep up with demand, quality energy efficiency DC appliances are needed.

AfO: We see Sollatek has so far enabled 3.8 million Kenyans to have access to clean and affordable energy in rural areas. What are your ambitions for the rest of 2019 and beyond?

SA: We are very proud of this achievement and could not have done it without our loyal team and partners.

We want to build on this achievement to provide another four million people

in East Africa with access to clean, affordable energy. We are looking at achieving this by growing our solar department through school and health clinic lighting projects, increasing the sale of SHS and portable lanterns and solar powered appliances such as TV, fridges. freezers etc.

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RWANDA Landlocked Rwanda showcases some of the most stunning scenery on the African continent, from endless mountains in the northwest to the shores of Lake Kivu that borders the DRC Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Joe Palliser

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LYING JUST SOUTH of the equator in east-Central Africa, Rwanda is commonly referred to as le pays des mille collines – the land of a thousand hills.

Once colonised by France, the European settlers were enamoured by the country’s breath-taking scenic wonders, characterised by an enormous stretch of mountains to the northwest that contain some of the world’s last remaining mountain gorillas in and among the bamboo forests.

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Volcanoes, lakes, forests – Rwanda’s natural beauty is a huge draw for visitors who are able to explore some of the country’s marvels through a series of national parks and reserves.

Most will stay or at least pass through Kigali, the Rwandan capital.

Located in the centre of the landlocked territory on the banks of the Ruganwa River, the city is known for its cleanliness, safety, orderliness and hospitality.

From award-winning museums to a bustling music scene and boasting some of the continent’s finest dining experiences, Kigali is the perfect place from which to set up basecamp for a trip to Rwanda.

The nation is also highly-regarded in terms of its commercial environment, ranked the second easiest place to do business in Africa by the World Bank.

This is helped by a growing MICE industry, helping to pull in businesses from around the world.

In 2017, for example, Rwanda hosted 169 international meetings, drawing in tens of thousands of visitors.

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The Business End RWANDA’S ECONOMY IS reliant on agricultural activities, with much of the country’s workforce employed in this area.

Major crops grown include dry beans, sorghum, corn, potatoes and bananas, grown predominantly to produce the highly popular beverage banana wine.

In terms of resources, the nation’s most abundant minerals are tin and tungsten, while methane gas from Lake Kivu is used as a nitrogen fertiliser and converted into compressed fuel for trucks. Rwanda is reliant on neighbouring DRC for much of its energy needs, although a major source of domestic power comes

from the Mukungwa hydroelectric plant.

The tourism industry is another important source of revenue and has benefited from a recent partnership with England’s Arsenal FC, which has led to a 20 percent rise in the number of British tourists visiting through the course of 2017 and 2018.

Currently the sector contributes around 12.7 percent of GDP and supports more than 130,000 jobs.

By 2028 Rwanda wants to see 1.7 million international visitors arrive on an annual basis, a target that should be within reach given that tourist numbers have doubled since 2008.

Long shot of downtown Kigali, Rwanda

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FACTS & FIGURES

Capital: Kigali Languages: Rwanda, French,

English Area: 26,379 km2 Population (2017): 11,922,000 GDP (2017): $9.137 billion Currency: Rwandan franc (RF) Time zone: Central Africa Dialling code: +250 Internet TLD: .rw Climate: Temperate tropical highland

An Oasis In The

SERVICES • 82 Self contained rooms • A local bar and barbecue area • Restaurant with international dishes • Meeting and conference room • Airport pick up and drop offs • Frangi Executive Apartments • FREE WiFi www.frangikigali.com

@HotelChezLando

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Out & About RWANDA IS FAMED for its mountain gorillas and many primate species that dwell in its rainforests.

National parks are a must-do activity for tourists, whether it be Akagera to see the Big Five or Volcanoes National Park to explore one of the last remaining rare monkey havens on earth.

The latter is a site which people travel from all over the world to see, paying a handsome sum of around $1,500 for a permit and guide to track down one of the around 480 mountain gorillas thought be roaming in Rwanda.

As well as taking in the abundant natural sights, Kigali has emerged as a welcoming city from which to base

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a trip to the country. Despite suffering unthinkable horrors during the genocide of 1994, Kigali best represents the efforts that have been made to move on and rebuild.

International companies and hotel brands are investing in the city which, being based right in the centre of the country, is an ideal springboard into the rest of Rwanda.

Palaces, memorials and art galleries form some of the attractions that draw in visitor numbers to Kigali itself, while it is also home to a lively food and drink scene.

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VENUE PROFILES | CAPACITY: 5 000+

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CONFIGURATION ROOM NAME

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Radisson Blu Hotel & Convention Centre, Kigali |

Located 5 kilometres from the bustling city

centre and Kigali International Airport, Radisson Blu Hotel Kigali offers exclusive hospitality facilities with 291 modern rooms and suites with private balconies, as well as free high-speed Wi-Fi, Restaurants and Bars. The hotel also offers a fully equipped Fitness Centre and outdoor swimming pool, an on-site Spa by Amani, and the iconic Kigali Convention Centre (KCC). A high-end event venue in Rwanda since opening in 2016, and a popular MICE destination in the East Africa region. This landmark can accommodate more than 5 000 delegates at a time, and includes business, leisure and event facilities. Kigali Convention Centre has received a number of international awards since opening in July 2016

by World Travel Awards (WTA), three awards in 2017 and another three awards in 2018. Kigali Convention Centre was also awarded by Haute Grandeur Global Hotel Awards in 2018, World Luxury Hotel Awards, Business Destination Awards and Africa Property Investments Awards.

Kimihurura Roundabout, P.O. Box 6629, Kigali, Rwanda Reservations: t: +(250) 252 252 252

t: +(250) 252 252 252

e: reservations.kigali@radissonblu.com

Meetings & Events: t: +(250) 252 253 253 e: sales.kigali@radissonblu.com

e: info.kigali@radissonblu.com

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Rwanda Development Board REPORTING DIRECTLY TO the President and key ministers, the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) brings together key stakeholders in order to make the country an attractive place to do business.

The organisation is modelled on best practice examples from Singapore and Costa Rica, and we asked Belise Kariza, Chief Tourism Officer, about what Rwanda has to offer the business and leisure traveller.

Africa Outlook (AfO): How has the Rwanda Development Board developed and progressed in terms of its key objectives and the messages it tries to get across?

Belise Kariza (BK): RDB’s mission is to increase investments, increase exports and create more jobs in Rwanda. This is done through strengthening the private sector, to make it the principal player in the country’s economy. RDB has always been guiding investors to help with the ease of doing business.

Today, Rwanda is the second easiest place to do business in Africa and 29th globally according to the World Bank 2019 Doing Business Index. Registered investments in the country have grown from $800 million a little over a decade ago to $2.006 billion last year alone.

AfO: How would you say Rwanda has developed in recent years as a business travel hub and what are the key reasons behind its growing appeal?

BK: Rwanda is carving out its niche as a regional and international conference hub, thanks to its worldclass Kigali Convention Centre, improved conference and hotel facilities, the new open visa regime with visa upon arrival for all world citizens, an excellent and expanding transport network and diverse

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entertainment options.

Last year, Rwanda and its capital city, Kigali, were ranked the third most popular destinations in Africa for accommodating international meetings and events

by ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association). ICCA represents the world’s leading suppliers in handling, transporting and accommodating international meetings and events.

The rankings are based on the number of association meetings taking place regularly, rotating between at least three different countries and with at least 50 participants.

These rankings are proof that our MICE (Meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) strategy is creating value. Rwanda recorded an estimated 35,000 delegates in 2018, up from 28,308 in 2017. Tourism is the country’s largest foreign exchange earner and MICE is playing an important role in its growth, bringing in 15 percent of all tourism revenue.

MICE tourism contributed $52 million in 2017 and we aim to increase it to $74 million this year.

AfO: Why, in your opinion, should someone visit Rwanda?

BK: Rwanda is a country with a diverse culture and rich heritage.

Mountain gorilla trekking, birdwatching, classic game drives, nature walks, cultural experiences, hiking, and lakeside relaxation are just some of the ways to spend your vacation in Rwanda.

The country also offers magnificent hiking and trekking through dense rainforests to the summits of volcanic peaks, and even high above the tree canopy. In Rwanda you are always near amazing wildlife both large and small, and while other countries can have

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the same attractions that Rwanda has, safety, cleanliness and greenness make Rwanda more competitive on the market.

AfO: What trends are transforming the tourism industry in Rwanda at present? How are you responding to these trends?

BK: Since 2007, tourism revenues have been Rwanda’s number one foreign exchange earner, growing at an average rate of 25 percent annually.

The sector has also attracted investments with major high-end international hotel brands such as Marriot, Radisson Blu, Park Inn by Radisson, One & Only, Singita and Wilderness Africa’s Bisate Lodge setting up in Rwanda.

The goal of tourism and conservation in Rwanda is not only to increase visitor and revenue numbers, but to ensure that the benefits are both sustainable and shared by all our people.

Through a sustainable tourism strategy, we want to conserve the rich biodiversity of the protected areas in collaboration with all stakeholders for the benefit of all Rwandan People. In the end, the country aims to double its tourism revenues from $438 million that was earned in 2018 to $800 million by 2024.

AfO: How do you see Rwanda developing as a business travel hub over the next year to two years?

BK: Embarking on a journey to promote MICE has been fruitful and yielded different lessons. One of the lessons learnt is that it is important to work closely with stakeholders and involve all players in the private sector – this is key to developing the MICE sector.

Furthermore, MICE continues to create positive impacts on

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“Mountain gorilla trekking, birdwatching, classic game drives, nature walks, cultural experiences, hiking, and lakeside relaxation are just some of the ways to spend your vacation in Rwanda” other sectors of the economy like agriculture, tourism and infrastructure.

We are optimistic that MICE will continue to be one of the pillars to grow the economy.

Despite the great journey Rwanda has taken as far as developing the

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MICE sector, especially in high end conference venues like Kigali Convention Centre, Intare Conference Arena and others, there is also need to grow the hospitality sector both in terms of infrastructure and service.

AfO: Are there any plans or projects in the pipeline that you wish to highlight?

BK: We want to continue positioning Rwanda as the most preferred destination for MICE by participating on different platforms where the country’s flag can be raised, and hence attract interest to the country. By ensuring that the events and meetings taking place in the country are efficiently planned and implemented, we can make sure every delegate leaves with a memorable experience and become our ambassadors.

We will continue to work closely with the private sector to involve them in activities like trade fairs to showcase their potential to host events in

Rwanda. We will also work with local government and private institutions as well as our embassies abroad to identify meetings, events and exhibitions to attract to the country.

Further, we will organise visits of different destination associations or meetings associations to come and explore the facilities and incentives in the country – we believe this is going to be one of the tools to raise awareness and confidence for Rwanda to be a preferred MICE destination.

AfO: Are you optimistic about the future of the tourism industry in Rwanda?

BK: Yes, we are definitely optimistic.

Thanks to our sustainable tourism strategy we are currently seeing the rapid growth of RwandAir and other international airlines connecting tourists to Rwanda every year. Also, our straightforward immigration procedures are opening up Rwanda to the rest of the world.

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Outlook Recommends “Rwanda is known as Le Pays des Mille Collines (Land of a Thousand Hills) thanks to the endless mountains in this scenically stunning little country” – Lonely Planet

HOSPITALITY

FOOD & DRINK IN KIGALI

TRAVEL & TOUR OPERATORS

Hotel Chez Lando Situated in Kigali, Hotel Chez Lando has a style that happily marries history and memory in a special tribute to its founders: Lando Ndasingwa and Helen Pinsky. The hotel today has 82 rooms and prides itself on its welcoming atmosphere for both visitors and locals.

Poivre Noir

Radisson Blu Hotel and Convention Centre, Kigali Located five kilometres from Kigali city centre, Raddison offers a contemporary option across 291 rooms. A major draw is its conferencing facilities, a feature which can support up to 5,000 delegates that is located just two kilometres from several government embassies.

Rickshaw Travels Rwanda

Brachetto Restaurant

Palm Beach Resort

Show Me Around Rwanda

Onomo Hotel Kigali Altis Apartments

Explore Rwanda Tours

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Amahoro Tours

rwandair.com

Take advantage of our growing network London Brussels

New York

Tel Aviv Dubai

Guangzhou Mumbai

Dakar

Bamako

Cotonou Abuja

Abidjan AccraLagos

Addis Ababa Juba

Douala

Entebbe Nairobi Kamembe Kigali Libreville Mombasa Brazzaville Kilimanjaro Kinshasa Bujumbura Dar es Salaam Lusaka Harare

Johannesburg Cape Town

Current routes Planned routes

+250 788 177 000 reservations@rwandair.com

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NATURE

Akagera National Park TRANSPORT COMPANIES

Nyungwe Forest

AC Group RwandAir

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RwandAir began operations in 2002 as the new national carrier of Rwanda.

Operating from Kigali, a hub based in the heart of Africa, RwandAir is one of the fastest growing airlines and operates one of the youngest fleets on the African continent, including four Boeing 737-800NG, two Boeing 737-700NG, two CRJ900NG, two Bombardier Q-400NG and two new triple class Airbus A330. The airline serves 26 cities across Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe.

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Trinity Express

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WHAT MAKE US UNIQUE Our Garden... “Our Pride & Joy”! is breath taking and soul stirring with exotic flowers, green lawns, impressive palm trees and luxurious vegetation. Our private beach is peaceful and relaxing giving you an opportunity to safely swim in the lake or sunbathe in an ambience of tranquility. Our boat is available for you to cruise around the lake or to visit a hot spring.

OUR BUNGALOWS Modern Bungalows Situated in the higher part of the resort - bungalows are surrounded by flowers with wonderful perfume and exotic plants.

The bungalows are made of one room (single or double), a bathroom with private toilets and a terrace with beautiful views of the lake.

T +250 785 695 577 palmbeachrubavu@gmail.com www.palmbeachrubavu.com

African Bungalows Located in the lower part of the domain, on the shores of Lake Kivu, the bungalows, in typical African style, are built with volcanic stones and decorated with local craft. They are surrounded by a large garden lined with palm trees and exotic flowers.

RESTAURANT The restaurant offers you to taste the local specialties such as fish (tilapia and isambaza) or goat skewers and grilled beef on a bed of makala. Enjoy our top-rated African dish or choose from continental or Indian dishes.

There is opportunity to dine in the restaurant or on the shores of Lake Kivu and enjoy the beautiful sunset.

KN 1 Avenue, Rugenge, Nyarugenge District, Kigali, Rwanda | T: +250 (0)252 554700 reservations.kigali@onomohotel.com | www.onomohotel.com

FACILITIES • 97 twin rooms • 10 suites • 2 Universally friendly rooms available • 3 Conference and Banquet venues • Business hub

• Shuttle service • Concierge service • Luggage storage • Restaurant/Bar • Terrace with a view • Fitness Room • Outdoor swimming pool

WELCOME TO KIGALI’S FINEST! SERVICES • Unlimited Wi-Fi • Work desk • Laptop safe • International plug points • Double glazed windows • Fresh air ventilation

• Individually controlled air conditioning • Flat screen TV with satellite channels • Non-smoking rooms • Laundry & dry cleaning

SENEGAL l IVORY COAST l GABON l MALI l TOGO l GUINEA l SOUTH AFRICA l RWANDA l MOROCCO

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ART GALLERIES

SHOPPING MALLS IN KIGALI

Inema Art Center

Kigali Heights Niyo Art Gallery

M-Peace Plaza 36

Kigali City Mall

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Kigali Center for Photography

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Altis Apartments belongs to SORAS VIE LTD. Soras is now member of Sanlam. Relying on a long experience in hospitality, SORAS opened Altis Apartments in 2008, with 30 self contained apartments of one and two bed rooms, to bring its contribution in developing and modernizing the accommodation sector in Kigali.

Altis Apartments is an eightstorey building overhanging the tops of trees and opening on a panoramic view of Kigali Mountain, historically giving name to the city of Kigali.

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• Satellite TV Channels, DSTV and Canal+ • Permanent internet connection (WIFI & cable), • Cleaning service, • Laundry service, • Secured outdoor car parking, • Electricity back up, • Permanent security guards, • 24 hour security cameras • 24 hour customer care services

KN 80ST, P.O BOX 2616, Kigali, Rwanda.

Tel: +250788552182 Tel: +250782332491 infoaltissoras@gmail.com www.altisapartments.rw

Outlook Creative Services

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R W A N D A

NO MACHINE-READABLE SOURCE PROVIDED. OWN WORK ASSUMED (BASED ON COPYRIGHT CL AIMS)., CC BY-SA 3.0,

PHOTO BY STEVERWANDA - STEVERWANDA, CC BY-SA 3.0

A SKETCH MAP OF THE RWANDAN ROAD NETWORK DRAWN BY STEVERWANDA. SEE TRANSPORT IN RWANDA., CC BY-SA 3.0

Transport Links

Rwanda has a reliable and extensive bus network covering the entire country

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country once there is by car or bus.

Given there is no train network, Rwanda needs and does have a reliable and extensive bus network covering the entire country. The routes are operated by a private company and are scheduled, meaning you won’t be left waiting for a bus to fill up before departing.

Ferries on Lake Kivu connect the ports of Cyangugu, Kibuye and Gisenyi on a twice-weekly basis and can be a

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PHOTO: PASCAL KOBEH

KIGALI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, located 10 kilometres east of the city centre, is Rwanda’s international transit hub, connected to major African cities and a few European capital cities such as Brussels and Amsterdam.

RwandAir operates domestic flights between Kigali and Cyangugu, the only domestic air route in the country, meaning the best way to navigate the

scenic way of moving up and down the west side of Rwanda.

For those seeking a physical challenge, the country is exceptionally hilly and has one of the continent’s better road networks, making cycling a viable option. This is how many of the locals choose to travel around, often hanging on the back of trucks to reach the summit of some of the more demanding ascents.

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R W A N D A

Landmark Attractions Rubona Peninsula

“Roughly six kilometres south of town (about RFr1000 by mototaxi), along a lovely lakeshore road, the Rubona Peninsula is Lake Kivu at its finest. Hills rise steeply from the lake foreshore and are a patchwork of garden plots” – Lonely Planet

Kigali Genocide Memorial

“This memorial honours the estimated 250,000 people buried here in mass graves and also has an excellent exhibition that tries to explain how it was that the world watched as the 1994 genocide unfolded. This is an intensely powerful and moving memorial for which you should dedicate at least half a day” – Lonely Planet

Rusumo Falls

PHOTO BY STEVERWANDA - STEVERWANDA, CC BY-SA 3.0

“Situated on the Kagera River, Rusumo Falls represent part of the most distant headwaters of the Nile River. Known for the view of the valley from the Rusumo Bridge, the falls also hold historical importance” – Inspirock

Musanze Caves

“With an enormous opening (and an equally huge number of bats resident inside), the greenery outside spilling over into the twilight within makes for a fantastic photo op. Though today they’re a tourist attraction, the caves were used as a shelter during wartime for many centuries” – Visit Rwanda

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PHOTOР: GUSWEN - CC BY 3.0

R W A N D A

King’s Palace Museum – Rukari

“In olden times, Nyanza was the heart of Rwanda and seat of its monarchy, background to the oral tradition of battles and conquests, power struggles and royal intrigues. It is where the German colonisers came, at the end of the 19th century, to visit the Mwami – and contemporary reports tell of the great pomp and ceremony these visits occasioned, as well as the impressive size of the Mwami’s court” – Bradt Travel Guides

Pfunda Tea Estate

“Rwanda produces some of the world’s best teas, like those from Pfuna Tea Estate and factory. The tea estate lies below the Virunga volcano and the rich volcanic soil helps to contribute to a higher tea quality” – Afro Tourism

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Rohi is a 3 Star Apart Hotel Located conveniently near the Kigali Convention Center with close proximity to the newly opened shopping Malls, the Kigali Heights and Kigali Business Center. All her balconies overlook the Convention Center, Kigali Heights and widely the famous vision 2030.

This guarantees our guests the very best view any one can long for. All Apartments are fully serviced and include 4G Wi-Fi connectivity and DSTV.

Home away from home

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HILLTOP HOTEL

Where your Journey into Nature begins…

We are an indigenous Tour Operator offering quality travel with professional staff ready to provide clients with customer-friendly services, wildlife related experience in its natural environment.

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• Wide selection of rooms and suites: all with AC, satellite TV, Wi-Fi and voice-mail • The Zebra Restaurant • The Mango Shade and Bar • The Executive Lounge and Bar • Swimming pool, pool deck and gardens • The GYM • Dedicated conference and social events centre • Business Centre, travel desk, taxi • The Saloon

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M A L A W I

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MALAWI B Taking advantage of its natural assets in a responsible manner, landlocked Malawi’s tourism offering is becoming increasingly sophisticated and coordinated Writer: Jonathan Dyble Project Manager: Jordan Levey

ordered by Zambia, Mozambique and Tanzania, Malawi is a landlocked nation – although you wouldn’t know it.

A country swallowed up by the Great Rift Valley system, it is renowned as the home of Lake Malawi, the third largest and second deepest lake in Africa. Boasting golden sandy beaches, colourful aquatic wildlife and crystalline waters, the lake is undoubtedly the country’s main attraction.

The lake aside, Malawi equally features an array of towering mountains, tropical forests and other geographical marvels that constitute a variety of renowned national parks and wildlife reserves, offering some of Africa’s best game viewings.

From elephants to lions to leopards, roughly 20 percent of the entire country has been dedicated to Malawi’s world-famous flora and fauna.

Moving from the rural to the urban, Malawi’s capital Lilongwe is home to 1.2 million people, known as the country’s most important economic and political hub.

This and Blantyre, with a population of roughly one million people, make up the country’s core business districts, simultaneously acting as the major commercial and industrial centres that bolster the Malawian economy and serve business travellers the world over.

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M A L A W I

Lake Malawi is the country’s major tourism asset

The Business End DESPITE THE LIMITATIONS of being a landlocked country, Malawi has made substantial economic strides over the course of the last decade, owed to a series of five-year growth and development strategies.

The current plan, lasting until 2022, is largely focused on bolstering the country’s education, energy, agriculture, health and tourism sectors, the latter becoming increasingly important to Malawi’s economic success.

Isaac Katopola, Director of Tourism for Visit Malawi, ran by the Malawi government, comments: “The department is guided by key national development strategies like the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy III. “This is on top of our own sector specific strategies such as the National Tourism Policy and the 2020 Strategic Tourism Plan, which outline ways that

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tourism can be used as a vehicle to eliminate poverty through increased involvement and participation of local communities.”

Asked how and why tourism is becoming an ever-important economic contributor to Malawi, Katopola adds: “Business travel in Malawi has increased over the years.

“This has been propelled by the construction of conference centres and other facilities such as the Bingu International Conference Centre in Lilongwe and other lakeshore conference venues in Mangochi.”

Lilongwe

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FACTS & FIGURES

Languages: Area: Population (2017): GDP (2017): Currency: Time zone: Dialling code: Internet TLD: Climate:

English, Chewa 118,484 km² 18.62 million $6.3 billion kwacha Central Africa Time +265 .mw sub-tropical

Where minds and what really matters meet

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Lilongwe + 265 1 750 333 / 444 / + 265 888 513 105 – reservations@crossroadshotel.net

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M A L A W I

Visit Malawi VISIT MALAWI, PART of the country’s Department of Tourism, is a government organisation whose mandate is to develop, promote and regulate tourism in Malawi.

The promotional activities are undertaken under the Visit Malawi banner and the vision in line with the Strategic Tourism Marketing Framework which aims to raise the effectiveness and economic impact of tourism marketing efforts.

All the promotional activities rest upon the brand essence which is ‘Rich in Contrast, Compact in Size and Big in Hospitality’, under the brand tagline of ‘the Warm Heart of Africa’.

We caught up with Isaac Katopola, Director of Tourism, to find out more.

Big 5 destination; authentic nature The famous Lake Malawi chambo experiences; attractive outdoor sports fish with nsima (a staple food made environments; rich cultural heritage; out of maize) and fresh vegetables is a pleasant climate; peaceful and must try whenever in Malawi. compact; big on hospitality (Malawians are known to be warm, friendly and AfO: What are the best ways of welcoming); and local delicacies. getting around the country?

IK: The implementation of the AfO: Are there any specific Malawi Transport Masterplan is attractions, landmarks or places to bringing in huge improvements eat and drink that you would in terms of road and air transport recommend? infrastructure in the country. Some IK: Lake Malawi continues to be the of the key activities in this Plan key selling feature for Malawi. This include the renovation of Kamuzu 365-mile-long and 52-mile-wide fresh International Airport as well as an water lake is home of Cichlids, most upgrade of some key access roads to of which are endemic, and is ideal for tourism sites. varied water sporting activities like In this regard, one can easily get kayaking, snorkelling and scuba diving. around the country by road. All In addition to the lake, our wildlife the attractions are within shorter Africa Outlook (AfO): Why, in your has improved significantly in terms of distances, as we are relatively compact opinion, should someone visit numbers of species. We are the newest in size as a destination. The road Malawi?

Big 5 destination thanks to extensive network allows travellers to connect Isaac Katopola (IK): There are various restocking and other conservation easily. reasons to visit Malawi as we have a initiatives.

Further, one can also connect diverse tourism product offering.

On the food and drink side, Malawi between major cities like Lilongwe and I can summarise with nine reasons gin and tonic is synonymous with game Blantyre by air. For the tourism industry, to visit Malawi, which are: Lake drives and sun downers and is highly travellers are able to connect between Malawi; the fact we are Africa’s newest recommended. attractions. For instance, some key attractions like Likoma Island, Nyika National Park, Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve and Makokola Retreat can easily be connected by air from the country’s international airports.

Furthermore, the iconic MV Illala and now MV Chilembwe continue to offer transportation on Lake Malawi connecting the key lakeshore districts and the Island of Likoma.

AfO: What trends are transforming the tourism industry in Malawi at present? How are you responding to these trends?

IK: MICE is currently on the rise.

There has been a significant increase in the number of establishments offering conferencing and events venues.

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Due to the notable demands for MICE, the Department of Tourism within its restructuring plans wishes to establish a Convention Bureau whose responsibility will be to position Malawi as a destination for world class events.

In addition, we have been making a lot of strides in wildlife conservation and this includes the recent reintroduction of the cheetah and lions at Liwonde National Park and introduction of 13 giraffes at Majete Wildlife Reserve. These initiatives have transformed wildlife tourism in the country giving us the Big 5 destination status specifically at both Liwonde National Park and Majete Wildlife Reserve. The other protected areas have also seen massive reintroduction of wildlife species, the notable one being the biggest move of 500 elephants from Liwonde National Park and Majete Wildlife reserve to Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve.

To leverage on this status, the Department continues to undertake activities that reinforce the repositioning of Malawi as a new Big 5 destination.

AfO: How do you see Malawi developing as a business travel hub over the next year to two years?

IK: There will be significant growth in the hosting of events, including cultural, arts and sporting occasions.

The key events not to miss include the annual Lake of Stars Music Festival, Sand Music Festival, Lake Malawi Sailing Marathon, the Mount Mulanje Porter’s Race, among others.

Expositions and exhibitions are also growing in number with players from various sectors organising two- or three-day exhibitions across various cities and towns in the country.

Particularly for the tourism industry, the Takulandirani Malawi International Tourism Expo will be hosted from April 25-27, 2019. The event has grown in terms of number of exhibitors, hosted

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“We have been making a lot of strides in wildlife conservation and this includes the recent re-introduction of the cheetah and lions at Liwonde National Park” international buyers and media as well as other events on the sidelines.

In terms of new facilities, we are currently working on a Tourism Investment Masterplan whose purpose is to isolate tourism opportunities and projects in Malawi, and this will include the integrated resorts projects in Salima and Cape Maclear in Mangochi.

AfO: Are there any plans or projects in the pipeline that you wish to highlight?

IK: Following the approval of the National Tourism Policy by cabinet, we will now create the Malawi Tourism Authority to carry out the marketing and regulation functions.

In addition, implementation of the Promoting Investment and Competitiveness in the Tourism

Sector (PICTS) project is important.

This will see the commencement of a number of key consultancies and these include the further development of the Tourism Investment Masterplan, ecotourism strategy, and capacity building for tourism SMEs. Malawi, through the Department of Tourism and working with the National Statistics Office, will also embark on a project to establish the much-awaited Tourism Satellite Accounting system to assist in measuring the contribution and value of tourism to the economy.

AfO: Are you optimistic about the future of the tourism industry in Malawi?

IK: We are very optimistic about the future of tourism in Malawi, especially now with the approval by cabinet of the National Tourism Policy.

The National Tourism Policy has recognised that tourism is a multisectoral industry that can only thrive through collaborative efforts of the various sectors and stakeholders. As such, it has emphasised the need for all sectors and stakeholders to take their rightful role to accelerate growth of the sector through mainstreaming tourism issues across all sectors.

This is expected to improve the general understanding of how the industry operates and, mostly, the way decisions and policies that affect tourism are made.

Further, the Policy provides direction on a number of key issues which are expected to unlock opportunities, improve efficiency and coordination in the tourism sector. These include devolution of tourism responsibilities to local councils, collaboration on working conditions, increasing local employment and participation, promoting domestic tourism and improving stakeholder coordination.

We are hopeful that, through support of key stakeholders, the Policy will unlock opportunities for accelerating growth of the sector in Malawi.

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M A L A W I

Out & About

AS KATOPOLA HAS already highlighted, Lake Malawi forms a central part of the country’s tourism offering and is a must-see attraction.

Not only is it a natural wonder, it also provides excellent opportunities to take part in water sports and activities.

Nature really is the main draw for visitors, with Lake Malawi supplemented by bountiful forest and numerous national parks like Liwonde, Nyika and Majete, the latter being revered as a worthwhile wildlife watching destination thanks to its successful lion reintroduction programme.

Those looking for something a little different should try the Cultural & Museum Centre in Karonga, off the

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M1 road, where the skeleton of the Malawisaurus takes pride of place.

The Kamuzu Mausoleum is also worth a visit, the marble and granite burial site being the final resting place of Malawi’s ‘president for life’ Dr Hastings Kamuzu Band.

Malawi is also a great place to try out local cuisine, for its style of food is rustic and traditional and relatively free from outside influences.

Again, Lake Malawi shines, its fresh fish being a national speciality. Dairy products are bountiful thanks to a large cattle farming industry, and tropical fruits like bananas, pineapples and mangoes are abundant when in season.

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The skeleton of the Malawisaurus at the Cultural & Museum Centre in Karonga

Escape Life enter paradise Services: • Hotel shuttle • Crossroads Hotel spa • Business centre • Fitness centre • Wireless internet access

Close to: • Banks • Golf courses • Library • Shopping malls • Tennis courts

Blantyre: +265 1 828 444 / 555 / +265 999 377 791 – btreservations@crossroadshotel.net

www.crossroadshotel.net

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M A L A W I

Outlook Recommends “Apart from the legendary Malawian friendliness, what captures you first about this vivid country is its geographical diversity” – Lonely Planet

HOSPITALITY

Crossroads Hotel Conveniently located in the heart of Lilongwe’s central business district, just 25 kilometres from Kamuzu International Airport, Crossroads Hotel provides ideal access to the city’s amenities.

Linked to the Crossroads Shopping Complex, the hotel combines business services, contemporary dining and state-of-the-art conference facilities, appealing to both leisure and business travellers.

The hotel’s reputation is built on a foundation of personalised service, providing an array of comfortable, elegant and spacious rooms to its customers.

Professional, fully-serviced meeting rooms are available for business, while banqueting and conferencing facilities equally meet all event needs, from exhibitions and weddings to conferences and banquets.

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NATURE RESERVES

RESTAURANTS

Majete Wildlife Reserve

21 Grill on Hannover Ama Khofi Macondo Camp CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS

Lilongwe Wildlife Centre

La Caverna Art Gallery The Society of Malawi Library Kuti Wildlife Reserve

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Kumbali Cultural Village

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Phone: + 265 888 202 420

Jambo Africa Ltd is one of the leading safari operators in Malawi. With many years experience combined with an intimate knowledge of our country, we are able to tailor great and exciting packages which are spectacular and diverse, from the beautiful beaches and warm waters of Lake Malawi, the unsurpassed diversity of the fauna and flora of our national parks and wildlife reserves to the lush forests and plateaus.

Our portfolio also includes destinations beyond Malawi’s boarders.

jambo-africa.com

Transport Links LARGELY PROVIDED BY Kenya Airways, South African Airways and Ethiopian Airlines, there are two prospective destinations for international flights into Malawi – Lilongwe in the central of the country, and Blantyre to the south.

Once in the country, national carrier Malawian Airlines provides daily flights between the two cities, lasting about one hour and generally costing $50 for the journey, while the aviation arm of Ulendo Travel Group provides flights to many of the country’s major wildlife reserves.

Air travel aside, however, your best bet in terms of navigating the country is using AXA Coach Service, providing luxury non-stop services with air-conditioning, toilets, reclining

experience and have to be at least 23 years old.

When travelling shorter distances, however, the country’s minibus and taxi services are recommended, both of these remaining easily accessible throughout the day.

seats, USB ports, reading lights and refreshments on its most premium vehicles.

If you decide to opt for self-driving, then it is recommended that the main roads are stuck to as side streets and cross-country routes are often poorly maintained and laden with potholes.

Further, you will generally need a full driving license with two years’

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M A L A W I

Landmark Attractions Parliament Building

“See the brand new government building of the capital of Malawi at Parliament Building. Admire the beauty and the architectural vision that this big, bold, well-maintained parliament building represents” – Inspirock

Mount Mulanje

“The scale of this truly magnificent mountain has to be seen to be appreciated. Its bare rock flanks tower to almost 10,000ft (3,000m), dwarfing all that surrounds it” – Malawi Tourism

St Peter’s Cathedral

“Admire a church in the middle of an island, surrounded by baobabs and mango trees, tropical houses, and dirt streets at St. Peter’s Cathedral. Seeming almost out of place, the cathedral is made of sturdy blocks of rock and materials shipped from far away” – Inspirock

Lake Malawi

“David Livingstone famously named Lake Malawi “The Lake of Stars” and for good reason. During the day the light dances across the deep blue water and once the sun has set the stars twinkle brightly both in the sky but also on the lake as the fishermen light up their hurricane lamps for their night on the lake” – Africa Geographic

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GE ILD ERNESS LOD

Come spoil yourself and enjoy our pristine wilderness surrounding, located in the heart of Nkhota Kota Wildlife Reserve.

Tongole Wilderness Lodge is made for total relaxation and adventure, guests enjoy complete freedom to choose how they want to spend their time. Trek through the bush, canoe down the Bua River or drive through the vast Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve.

Luxury, peace and tranquility can be enjoyed at Tongole Wilderness Lodge.

Activities include: Bush walks, fishing, bird watching, canoeing, hiking, scenic drives and cultural visits.

Suite 2, Burfields House, The Plain, Goudhurst, KENT, TN17 1AE | +44(0)208 123 0301 reservation@tongole.com The Old Town Mall, P.O. Box 1438, Lilongwe, Malawi | +265 (0)999055778; +265 (0)999489392 | lodge@tongole.com | www.tongole.com

Ng’ona Lodge Malawi An Oasis in the African Bush www.ngona-lodge.com

A Social Impact Expedition Company – ABOUT US – The Responsible Safari Co. (RSC) is a Social Enterprise Tour Operator based in Blantyre, Malawi specialising in Sustainable, Educational, Philanthropic & Experiential Group Travel to the country.

Game Haven Lodge Chimwenya Game Park | Bvumbwe

– CONTACT US – T: +265 111 602 407 (Malawi) info@responsiblesafaricompany.com www.responsiblesafaricompany.com Connect with the World as Global Citizens

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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 185,000 people across the continent, bridging the full range of industrial sectors: agriculture, construction, energy & utilities, finance, food & drink, healthcare, manufacturing, mining & resources, oil & gas, retail, shipping & logistics, technology and travel & tourism.

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. www.africaout

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AFRICA

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Opportu ng nity

ISSUE 70

NATIONAL HEALTH LABORATORY SERVICE (NHLS)

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Under the

Microscope South Africa’s National Health Laboratory Service is determined to bridge the gap between public and private provision of vital lab and related health services

AFRICA

Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Callam Waller

N AT I O N A L H E A LT H L A B O R AT O R Y S E R V I C E ( N H L S )

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Building up capacity in South Africa’s public health sector

great deal of hope is hinging on the South African government’s National Health Insurance (NHI)

to bridge the gap Service is determined l Health Laboratory health services South Africa’s Nationa private provision of vital lab and related between public and

NG CPC ENGINEERI ing clients from start to finish 00

GUIDE 00 BUSINESS TRAVEL locked scenic gem Rwanda: A land

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00 AUTOZONEcellence throug h strategic

Supporting min

ENT 00 OSERIAN DEVELOPM the future through Preparing for diversification

scheme.

Designed to address growing inequalities between public and private provision of healthcare, the premise behind NHI has been widely welcomed by industry stakeholders, be they medical organisations or consumers who stand to benefit in a potentially lifechanging way.

It is a cause for optimism for the likes of Dr Karmani Chetty, seasoned doctor and Acting CEO of South Africa’s National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS).

“The biggest challenges facing the country’s healthcare market at the moment are an under-resourced public health sector, lack of skilled and competent human resources, poor quality of services, and rising costs,” she explains.

“The South African health system is inequitable with the privileged few having disproportionate access to health services. The public sector is under-resourced relative to the size of the population that it serves and the burden of disease, and has disproportionately less human resources than the private sector, yet

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Epitomising ex supremacy

RICA SOUTH AF RT BOSCH WI | ROBE ISIT MALA ANOFI | V FEATURING: S

+44 (0) 1603 959 650 ben.weaver@outlookpublishing.com

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NATIONAL

HEALTH

LABORATORY

Under the

SERVICE

(NHLS)

Microscope South Africa’s National Health Laboratory Service is determined to bridge the gap between public and private provision of vital lab and related health services Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Callam Waller

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great deal of hope is hinging on the South African government’s National Health Insurance (NHI)

scheme.

Designed to address growing inequalities between public and private provision of healthcare, the premise behind NHI has been widely welcomed by industry stakeholders, be they medical organisations or consumers who stand to benefit in a potentially lifechanging way.

It is a cause for optimism for the likes of Dr Karmani Chetty, seasoned doctor and Acting CEO of South Africa’s National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS).

“The biggest challenges facing the country’s healthcare market at the moment are an under-resourced public health sector, lack of skilled and competent human resources, poor quality of services, and rising costs,” she explains.

“The South African health system is inequitable with the privileged few having disproportionate access to health services. The public sector is under-resourced relative to the size of the population that it serves and the burden of disease, and has disproportionately less human resources than the private sector, yet

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N A T I O N A L

H E A L T H

L A B O R A T O R Y

S E R V I C E

( N H L S )

SERVING SOUTH AFRICA The NHLS commands a formidable footprint across South Africa, illustrated by the following statistics: • Operates 226 facilities in nine provinces, linked to 10 medical schools and universities of technology • Provides pathology services to approximately 80 percent of the South African population • Currently employs approximately 7,495 permanent employees (as of November 30, 2018) • Comprises a highly acclaimed superior academic team which conducts research specific to South African health matters such as tuberculosis, meningitis, malaria, pneumonia, HIV/ AIDS and cancer

has to manage significantly higher patient numbers.

“However, NHI will ensure that everyone has access to appropriate efficient and quality health services. It is intended to bring about reform that will improve service provision and will promote equity and efficiency, so as to ensure that all South Africans can use affordable, quality healthcare services regardless of their socioeconomic status.

“I am therefore very optimistic that the NHI will open up access to medical services.”

• Processed 92,468,362 tests in 2017/18 • Had a total expenditure of R7 billion in 2017/18

A nationwide mandate

Dr Chetty is a medical veteran.

Holding a specialist degree in public health, she has been involved with the industry for more than three decades, with 20-plus years of this time being spent in senior management positions.

Working in both national and provincial departments of health in

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South Africa, Dr Chetty was aware of the NHLS and the challenges facing the organisation, something she is passionate about addressing in her role as Acting CEO. The group is a national public entity established by law in 2000 to provide quality, affordable and sustainable health laboratory and related public health services to all public healthcare providers, other government institutions and any private healthcare provider in need of service.

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EMPOWERING LAB INTELLIGENCE AND AGILITY MATTERS.

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Health System Technologies has delivered successful health information system solutions throughout South Africa in the past 20 years by adopting an implementation methodology that balances the 3 core elements of people, processes and world-class technology.

PEOPLE

PROCESS SUCCESS

TECHNOLOGY

This implementation methodology has been applied and proven in the implementation of health information solutions in 54 hospitals, 106 state pharmacies and 293 NHLS laboratories.

This methodology, based upon focused organizational change management, combined with a skilled and experienced team of implementation consultants, are prerequisites for success in health information solution implementations.

The foundation of HST’s business is its partnership with customers which has resulted in consistent delivery of tangible benefits to the health sector in South Africa.

Implementation and Support operations are provided by HST’s teams of experienced professionals based in Cape Town, Johannesburg, KwaZulu Natal and Polokwane.

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Health System Technologies

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It is also mandated to support health research and provide training for health science education across the country.

The enterprise consists of two major institutes. The National Institute for Communicable Disease is responsible for surveillance and monitoring of communicable diseases, while the National Institute for Occupational Health investigates occupational diseases and provides a range of related services.

“Further, the NHLS trains pathologists, scientists, medical technologists and technicians in conjunction with university medical schools and universities of technology,” states Dr Chetty.

“It is also the largest diagnostic pathology service in South Africa, with a network of approximately 226 pathology laboratories and providing approximately 1,500 different tests in all pathology disciplines.”

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Further, the NHLS trains pathologists, scientists, medical technologists and technicians in conjunction with university medical schools and universities of technology”

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A smaller, but still important niche of the group is its South African Vaccine Producers (SAVP) subsidiary.

Situated in Sandringham, Johannesburg, it is tasked with the manufacturing of antivenom to treat snake, scorpion and spider envenomation, and is the only producer of such treatments in the whole of South Africa.

Africa is home to some of the deadliest snakes in the world, and SAVP produces antivenoms to treat bites from Black Mamba, Green Mamba, Jameson’s Mamba, Cape Cobra, Snouted Cobra, (Egyptian Cobra), Forest Cobra, Gaboon Adder, Mozambique Spitting Cobra, Puff Adder and Rinkhals.

All of this work is underpinned by a vision and set of values that make the NHLS what it is today.

Dr Chetty continues: “Our vision is to be an ‘Efficient Patient Centred

Health System Technologies

Digitally Enabled Healthcare Transformation The digitisation of the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) has meant better quality healthcare for millions of South Africans. The national rollout is one of the biggest IT systems of its kind in the world and recognised globally as a leading example of successful digital transformation in healthcare.

Pathology as a critical service When a doctor is treating a patient there is a very high probability that a blood test is necessary to make a diagnosis. When providing healthcare to over 50 million people, that equates to 110,000 requests and 600,000 individual tests every day from 400 government hospitals and 3,800 clinics.

And because the NHLS is the sole provider of pathology services to SA’s public health system, they play a critical role in making sure that patients get the right treatment.

In order to roll-out a centralised and real-time pathology test processing and results system for the entire public health service, the NHLS had to enlist the expertise and support of leading technology and implementation partners.

Collaborating for success The NHLS chose InterSystems as its technology provider because of its track record to successfully manage large volumes of data in various health applications throughout the world.

“In addition to having the right technology in place, we knew that rolling out the largest laboratory IT system in Africa needed the support of a strong and capable local prime contractor and implementation partner.

We chose Health Systems Technologies (HST) because it has a national footprint and track record of delivery in skills transfer and enablement,” said NHLS CEO, Dr Karmani Chetty.

HST, who has been enabling the digitisation of healthcare services in South Africa since the year 2000, provided always-on support to the NHLS by way of service desk support, training, implementation, project management and skills transfer to NHLS employees and roundthe-clock monitoring of the application.

What it means for patient care The rollout has had numerous benefits for patients but most importantly, patients are getting better care because doctors are getting the information they need to treat patients quickly and reliably. On a larger scale, the digitisation of the NHLS paves the way for a connected healthcare system that facilitates patient-centred care and a better patient experience.

The NHLS is now the single biggest and most valuable healthcare data resource in the country and because of TrakCare Lab’s and the NHLS’s data warehouse analytics capabilities, it is now possible to analyse volumes of data to understand population health better.

“Our journey to digital transformation has spanned 10 years and it’s been an incredible success. We are proud to be considered a world-class example of technology installation and implementation whereby we not only improved our service but also the skills of our employees. In all, I believe we have made massive strides towards a safer health system that provides quality services and delivers on the National Health Department’s mandate of ‘a long and healthy life for all citizens’,” concluded Dr Chetty.

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Services and Global Centre of Excellence for Innovative Laboratory Medicine’. The organisation has identified several key values as the principles that will govern behaviour for all employees within it.”

There are six such values that Dr Chetty and the NHLS swear by, the first being care, to ensure the wellbeing of patients, the environment and society.

Second is unity of purpose, all working towards a common goal, while service excellence is another key pillar of this value proposition.

Transformation and innovation are values which make sure the NHLS is a forward-thinking organisation, with all of the aforementioned principles underlined by integrity, ethics and responsibility.

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BSL-4 – a continental flagbearer

A fundamental and unique part of the NHLS laboratory network is its BSL-4 lab based at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), a body which was set up in 2002.

The specialist communicable disease arm was established under the NHLS and came into being through the merging of the National Institute for Virology, the Virology Laboratories and Public Health Microbiology Laboratories of the South African Institute for Medical Research.

The centre deals with deadly viruses, a major killer in South Africa behind the likes of HIV and tuberculosis, diseases which form the basis of two separate NHLS priority programmes.

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SMARTSPOT

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martSpot is an innovative proficiency testing (PT) provider of external quality assessment (EQA) to molecular laboratories globally, optimising accuracy of TB and HIV diagnostics. SmartSpot has collaborated with the NHLS from inception of its Xpert MTB/RIF programme to develop a robust quality control programme for molecular diagnostics.

SmartSpot started as a research project in the Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology (University of Witwatersrand, South Africa).

SmartSpot harnesses patented technology to manufacture shelf-stable TB quality controls that are inactive, safe and stable for 24 months at ambient temperatures reducing shipping costs by 67 percent. SmartSpot’s Result Reporting Tool (TBGxMonitor®) is user friendly and uploading results is achieved in 20 seconds with just four mouse clicks. Result reports are available in real-time for sites scoring 100 percent. SmartSpot has shipped 68,000 Spots to 40 countries and has verified 46,500 GeneXpert modules.

SmartSpot recently presented a study of 8,916 TB quality control specimens tested across 430 instruments in 26 countries. 97.2 percent of the results correlated highlighting the robust performance of its controls. Of the 2.8 percent incorrect results identified, the key pre-analytical errors were sample switching (13.8 percent), cross-contamination (36.6 percent) and insufficient elution (49.6 percent).

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NHLS’s BSL-4 lab is based at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases

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In response to the global health strategy of 95-95-95, expansion of HIV viral load testing requires highly centralised and remote viral load monitoring. SmartSpot has anticipated this demand by developing thermostable HIV VL quality controls.

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1TB controls are compatible with Xpert MTB/RIF & MTB/RIF Ultra; Abbott MTB and Genotype MTBDRplus & MTBDRsl 2HIV controls are compatible with Xpert HIV-1 Viral Load; COBAS AmpliPrep/COBAS Taqman HIV-1; Abbott RealTime HIV; Biocentric Generic HIV Charge Virale and Aptima HIV-1 SmartSpot Quality (Pty) Ltd, Registration No: 2015/195788/07, Corner De Korte & Hospital str, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2001, South Africa, +27 10 001 3920 Pat. US8,709,712, AP3303, OAPI 16243, ZA2012/08058 | Pat Pending. IN 10108/CHENP/2012

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ITEC TIYENDE

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ith over 15 years in existence, Itec Tiyende, one of the ICT industry’s BEE leaders (Level 1 B-BBEE certified), has delivered simple, smart solutions that help businesses run more efficiently.

Itec Tiyende’s long-standing partnership with NHLS in providing managed print services on a national basis and deploying a permanent on-site technician is testament to Itec Tiyende creating smart and efficient business solutions for its customers.

Our ability to simplify operations and reduce costs has made us a preferred technology partner to businesses and organisations across all sectors of the economy, including education, labour, government and big business.

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“This is the only BSL-4 suite laboratory in South Africa and in the African continent, which is a strategic biocontainment infrastructure for diagnosis and investigations of outbreaks caused by the deadliest viruses known to humans and animals”

Last year Statistics South Africa released data from 2016 on the leading causes of death in the country, stating that human immunodeficiency virus, influenza and pneumonia, and other viral diseases accounted for more than 12.5 percent of all fatalities.

Another deadly virus, Ebola, ravaged West Africa in 2014-2016 in what was the largest and most complex outbreak since it was first discovered in 1976.

It was this initial discovery in the 1970s, along with the sudden emergence of Lassa and Marburg and

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CEPHEID

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hrough its Xpert® MTB/Rif product, endorsed by the World Health Organization in 2010¹, Cepheid has helped to reduce time to diagnose and treat tuberculosis.

occurrence of laboratory infections in Europe and America that prompted the development of maximum-security laboratories (biosafety level four – BSL-4).

“The South African Department of Health decided to construct a BSL-4 laboratory at what is now known as the NICD in 1976,” recalls Dr Chetty.

“Construction was completed in 1979, and in 1980 the facility started to operate for the purpose of providing a diagnostic and investigatory service for viral haemorrhagic fevers in southern Africa.

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Indeed, the WHO now recommends that Xpert® MTB/Rif be used instead of sputum smear microscopy as the screening test for TB².

There is also evidence of a significant reduction in the time to MDR-TB treatment and improved diagnostic certainty².

Cepheid’s GeneXpert® Systems bring molecular testing to settings where it would otherwise not be available with an extensive menu of assays that can address the many challenges in low- and middle-income countries.

1. https://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/ releases/2010/tb_test_20101208/en/ 2. Dowdy D. Xpert at 8 years: where are we now, and what should we do next?

Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 1 January 2019; 23(1):3-4. Accessed March 2019. https://doi. org/10.5588/ijtld.18.0717

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XpertÂŽ MTB/RIF Ultra* Raising the Standard for Tuberculosis Diagnosis Rapid Active Case Finding for TB Elimination

Rapid diagnostic tests should be key to the diagnostic work-up for all TB presumptive cases1

* CE-IVD. In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Device. Not available in all countries. Not available in the United States.

Product catalog numbers: GXMTB/RIF-ULTRA-10 & GXMTB/RIF-ULTRA-50 1 The World Health Organization (WHO). European Tuberculosis Laboratory Initiative. Algorithm for laboratory diagnosis and treatment-monitoring of pulmonary tuberculosis and drugresistant tuberculosis using state-of-the-art rapid molecular diagnostic technologies. Accessed Mar 2017. http://www.euro. who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/333960/ ELI-Algorithm.pdf CEPHEID SOUTH AFRICA PHONE +27 11 234 9636 EMAIL info-rsa@cepheid.com

WEB

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“This is the only BSL-4 suite laboratory in South Africa and in the African continent, which is a strategic biocontainment infrastructure for diagnosis and investigations of outbreaks caused by the deadliest viruses known to humans and animals.

“In addition, it characterises newly emerging pathogens like, for example, the newly emerged Lujo haemorrhagic fever virus in 2008, which caused a highly fatal nosocomial outbreak in South Africa. The facility is also used for experimental infection studies as well as for production of strategic diagnostic reagents, development and validation of diagnostic assays.”

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The facility is at the cutting edge of research and vital to Africa’s capacity to investigate and deal with deadly viruses.

“The BSL-4 at the NICD/NHLS campus is specifically designed to receive, handle, store, and propagate biohazard class 4 pathogens and conduct diagnosis and investigations on those pathogens,” Dr Chetty adds.

Many of these pathogens are foreign to South Africa and extremely easy to transmit for both humans and animals. They are also capable of direct transmission from person to person, and often produce diseases for which no specific prevention or treatment are yet available.

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Detailing more about the BSL-4 facility’s setup, Dr Chetty says: “The lab is supported by three major systems.

“One – safety and security; two – containment; and three – operational systems. These systems are interacting with one another to provide the required level of maximum biocontainment, security and operational functionality, with necessary backup systems and redundancy in case of emergencies.”

Safeguarding the future

The BSL-4, and indeed all NHLS labs around South Africa, are staffed

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Supplier of laboratory chemicals and consumables Thembane Chemicals is a women-owned company and a proud level 2 BBBEE contributor. We are a specialist product and services provider to a myriad of sectors that include but not limited to the Laboratory, Chemical, Medical, Food, Steel, Water, Mining, and Education sectors. We provide quality products, competitive prices and personalised service - forging long-term relationships with our clients We supply chemicals in various grades, and in a wide range of volumes and weights, to suit customer expectations.

We Supply: • Laboratory Chemicals & Consumables • Volumetric Solutions • Buffer Solutions • Cleaning Products • Deionised Water

The National Cervical Screening programme permits all non-symptomatic ladies, 30 years and older, to have three free pap smears in their lifetime. This policy recommends using Liquid based cytology (LBC) as the preferred screening method (National Department of Health, 2017).

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of laboratories and making enhancements to IT infrastructure are The NHLS is currently looking at a also in the Acting CEO’s line of sight.

Add in plans to expand its expertise number of ways in which it can diversify and services and the future for the its service offerings as well as its client organisation, and thus South Africa’s public health sector, looks increasingly base and markets” promising.

“The NHLS is currently looking at a the pathology and public health by qualified health professionals, the number of ways in which it can diversify departments based at the medical and lifeblood of any health service. its service offerings as well as its client dental schools in question, with teaching base and markets. This includes private Dr Chetty admits that the provided in a range of subcategories organisation is affected by a shortage healthcare providers, but also other of pathology skills, and addressing this such as anatomical pathology, chemical government and public sector clients, is a central priority for the next decade pathology, haematology, human both in South Africa and the rest of genetics, immunology, microbiology of development.

Africa,” Dr Chetty concludes. and virology.

“The NHLS is actively developing Looking ahead to the rest of this its employees through the work year and beyond, recruitment and skills plan,” she elaborates. “It also training is listed among Dr Chetty’s appoints academic staff jointly with major objectives. medical universities and universities of Top of the list is to strengthen National Health Laboratory Service technology, and has signed an umbrella Tel: +27 11 386 6000 agreement on the working relationships the NHLS’s financial standing and enquiries@nhls.ac.za and teaching and training outputs.” improve operational efficiencies, while continuing accreditation www.nhls.ac.za Such training is conducted through

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Empowering the Public Sector We look into the Government Employees Medical Scheme and the work it is doing to improve access to healthcare for South Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s government-employed citizens Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Josh Mann

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he South African government is on a mission to open up access to healthcare across the country.

Much has been made of the disparity between public and private provision of medical services, a trend which authorities are looking to address through the implementation of National Health Insurance (NHI), a financing system designed to ensure all citizens are provided with essential healthcare, regardless of their employment status and ability to

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contribute to the NHI Fund.

An eager supporter of this scheme is GEMS, short for the Government Employees Medical Scheme. Set up just after the turn of the millennium, its mandate is to improve healthcare provision to public sector workers.

A key stakeholder in the wider public health scene in South Africa, who better to ask than Stan Moloabi, Chief Operations Officer of GEMS, about the current state of play and the work being conducted by his organisation.

Africa Outlook (AfO): How did GEMS come into being in 2005?

What is its purpose?

Stan Moloabi (SM): The beginning of the Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS) was a historic moment when in 2002 the cabinet approved a framework policy on a restricted (closed) medical scheme for further development by an interdepartmental working group. The approved framework policy centred on the principles of equity, efficiency and differentiation. The GEMS mandate is to ensure that there is adequate provisioning of healthcare coverage

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to public service employees that is efficient, cost effective and equitable; and to provide further options for those who wish to purchase more extensive cover.

GEMS was registered on January 1, 2005 specifically to meet the healthcare needs of government employees in line with the mandate.

GEMS became operational on January 1, 2006 and we are required to help public service employees and their

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families to get the best possible ideal of affordable quality healthcare healthcare at the most affordable cost.â&#x20AC;Ż for all can only be achieved through cooperation and buy-in from different AfO: Generally, how would you stakeholders, including private describe the provision of medical healthcare funders, and GEMS is insurance across South Africa? How committed to putting its experience would you assess its potential to grow and expertise behind efforts to make and have a positive societal impact? the South African healthcare system SM: The South African healthcare more equitable and unified. system remains characterised by GEMS has already made great inequality, where access depends on strides towards broadening access the ability of an individual to pay. The to healthcare, particularly among

government employees and their families who previously could not afford healthcare cover. Through implementing models that make more efficient use of healthcare resources, encouraging medical scheme members to make use of primary healthcare facilities and placing a greater emphasis on promoting wellness and preventative care, the limited resources available can go further for all South Africans.

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AfO: Introduce your various options and what they offer.

SM: GEMS has grown to become South Africa’s second-largest medical scheme, covering over 700,000 public service employees and approximately 1.8 million beneficiaries, and the biggest restricted membership medical scheme.

GEMS offers six benefit options that were each designed using a rigorous analytical approach, taking into account the requirements of the Council for Medical Schemes, member affordability and benefit design assessment.

AfO: Tell us more about your new Emerald Value Option. What does this involve and how well has it been received so far?

SM: The Scheme launched the Emerald Value option (EVO) with an expectation that a significant portion of members will elect to move to this option.

This option has the same benefits and limits as the Emerald option, however members have to access

LIFE BEFORE GEMS Moloabi explains that before GEMS was established: • Many government employees could not afford medical cover; • Employees did not receive the best value for their money; • There was little integration with the public health system; • Employees had no healthcare benefits created with their unique needs in mind; and • The government, which contributes to its employees’ scheme payments by means of a subsidy, had no opportunity to participate in the management of the medical schemes that public service employees belong to.

The GEMS’ Vision recognises the Scheme’s ambition to drive transformation and contribute to the wider healthcare ecosystem as: “An excellent, sustainable and effective medical scheme that drives transformation in the healthcare industry, aligned with the principles of universal health coverage.”

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healthcare through their nominated general practitioner, including being formally referred for specialist services when required. EVO members are also required to make use of a network of hospitals. In just 24 months, the Emerald Value option has grown to cover 176,262 beneficiaries.

AfO: What research and development are you currently undertaking with a view to launching new options? How important is R&D to your continued success?

SM: We consider research and development vital to remaining relevant to the needs of our members. We continually analyse information about how beneficiaries make use of their benefits and take this into consideration when developing benefit packages each year. In addition, the Scheme hosts stakeholder engagements and regularly

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reaches out to members through Lekgotla Roadshows to ensure dialogue and identify how we can better serve our members.

We have just concluded a research study on level 1-5 members â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the objective of the study was to understand barriers to entry and member needs of level 1-5 employees and how the Sapphire benefit option is perceived by both GEMS members and non-members. Our

research study showed that Sapphire members wanted increased access to private hospitals. As a result in 2019, beneficiaries on Sapphire will have access to a selected number of additional procedures at GEMS network private hospitals. The Scheme is also reinvesting around R830 million towards the enhancement of member benefits in 2019 across all options.

R&D is key in driving health policy and strategies that are evidence based

GEMS BENEFIT OPTIONS Sapphire: This is the entry-level option. It provides unlimited out-of-hospital care such as visits to a general practitioner (GP), dentist and optometrist, maternity care at private facilities, and in-hospital cover at public facilities. As of 2019, members on this option will in addition to public hospitals have access to private hospitals for certain procedures, including childbirth, for example.

Beryl: This is an entry-level option where cover is provided through designated provider networks. This product offers members comprehensive in- and out-of-hospital benefits through a network of healthcare providers in both public and private hospitals.

Ruby: This option offers comprehensive in- and out-of-hospital benefits through a personal medical savings account (PMSA), a hospital benefit and a block benefit.

Emerald Value: Introduced with effect from January 1, 2017, this option is an efficiency discounted option, which mirrors the Emerald option. Members on this option pay discounted membership contributions for the same level of benefits, however they must agree to adhere to certain requirements.

This includes nominating a GP to coordinate their healthcare, which includes specialist referral where required. Members on Emerald Value Option are also required to use the Schemeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s contracted hospital network.

Emerald: This option is designed to provide comprehensive cover that offers access to care at the memberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chosen provider, subject to benefits and Scheme rules.

Onyx: This is a top-of-the-range benefit option that offers extensive cover. On the Onyx option, the member has more extensive benefits for out-of-hospital expenses such as GP and specialist visits, from their day-to-day block benefit.

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which, when employed appropriately, can have a significant impact in the health system and health outcomes.

The key pillars of the R&D unit are analytics, research and product development. We are creating a culture of decision making that is data driven and research based.

The Scheme has established research and development processes and capabilities which help to inform benefit design changes. This includes enhancements to existing options and the launch of new options. GEMS has established product development and benefit design forums.

Participants in these forums are mandated to propose benefit design changes aimed at improving healthcare outcomes. More specifically, benefit design changes are intended to increase access to clinically appropriate care whilst simultaneously containing unnecessary and wasteful expenditure.

Proposed benefit design changes are informed by a combination of clinical and actuarial analytics. These analytics focus on understanding the needs of members.

An illustration of how research and development has contributed towards the development of new options is the establishment of the Emerald Value Option. Our analysis indicated that members who embrace care coordination have improved healthcare outcomes and incur lower healthcare costs. Consequently, the Scheme established the Emerald Value Option whereby members received a 15 percent contribution discount in return for nominating a general practitioner, accessing care via a general practitioner before consulting with a specialist and using a network of efficient hospitals.

Since its establishment in 2017, the Emerald Value Option has grown to around 176,262 beneficiaries. These beneficiaries have experienced

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members of the public service and their families, GEMS is helping to alleviate pressure on the public health system.

a 16 percent reduction in their hospital admission rate as a result of coordination of care.

The Scheme also receives benefit design inputs from a variety of external stakeholders. These include but are not limited to members, unions and doctors and their representative bodies. These suggestions are thoroughly reviewed and assessed by the Scheme and its service providers.

This also entails a combination of clinical actuarial analytical processes.

Research and development is critical to ensuring that the GEMS benefit design structure continues to satisfy the needs of members. Research and development plays a similarly important role with regards to claims management, service management and disease management.

and selected additional procedures at private facilities. More extensive access to private healthcare services is available on the Ruby, Emerald, Emerald Value and Onyx options.

The public health system has a very important place in South Africa, and through providing healthcare cover for

AfO: What trends in the health insurance industry are you following at present that you think may transform the industry?

SM: In order to secure the best possible value for our members, the Scheme has drawn from its experience in healthcare funding and its breadth of healthcare provider networks to develop affordable models that deliver significant benefits.

A few years ago, the Scheme identified that the majority of our members routinely visit the same general practitioner when they have need for healthcare. GEMS has long recognised that primary healthcare is central to achieving better health outcomes for patients, and that members who return to the same doctor each time they require healthcare often enjoy better health.

The use of primary healthcare services is recognised as key to making healthcare more affordable and

AfO: How does GEMS compliment South Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s public health setup?

SM: GEMSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sapphire and Beryl options provide cover to build on the public healthcare offering, with complimentary cover for out-of-hospital services such GP consultations, basic dentistry and optometry, as well as maternity care

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PARTNER POWER Moloabi explains that healthcare practitioners and providers are the cornerstone of delivering healthcare in South Africa. The organisation has established the GEMS Network and Friends of GEMS which all healthcare practitioners and providers can join if they meet the following criteria: • Providers must be fully registered with the appropriate professional body; • Commit not to charge GEMS members any surcharges or copayments; • Commit to charging our Ruby, Emerald and Onyx members at the GEMS Scheme rate, and the GEMS negotiated rate for network providers who agree to certain conditions for servicing members on the Sapphire and Beryl options.

accessible through directing patients to the appropriate level of care, and this model of care coordination helped to inform the Emerald Value Option benefit design.

The launch of the GEMS Member App is another key development that marks a new era in our interactions with members. Harnessing the power of digital technology not only empowers members to understand the Scheme better, it also allows GEMS and our service providers to work smarter and more efficiently to enhance our service and, ultimately, the member experience.

This new service solution has been specially designed for members and dependants of GEMS, and is available for free download for both iPhone and Android smartphones at Google Play and the App Store.

The App means that members are able to submit a claim, update their personal information and request hospital authorisations for themselves.

This is just one of the ways that we are building service innovations

The GEMS partner ecosystem comprises the following number of experts: • Dental provider network – 2,272 • Family Practitioner network – 6,421 • Specialist network – 1,860 • Optical network – 2,955

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around the needs of our members, while enhancing the efficiency of the Scheme’s operations.

Many of the services that members previously had to fill out paperwork or phone the GEMS contact centre for can now be accessed via the app. With the GEMS Member App, members can change their benefit option, and access information including their claims and benefits from their cellphones.

This new development brings a highly personalised and interactive tool to our members.

AfO: What are your priorities for the next few years in terms of new/developed options?

SM: Maturing our five-year strategy, which is already in its third year.

Our current thrust is to redesign for growth and efficiency and this will be achieved by product simplification.

The main objective is to simplify our products and ensure that they meet the needs of our members. For the next few years our focus will be on

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Most importantly, GEMS is committed to ensuring that its benefits are easily understood by both members and healthcare providers. For this reason, simplification and standardisation will increasingly be prioritised when enhancing benefitsâ&#x20AC;? product simplification and aligning our products to NHI; this will also entail comprehensive research on option consolidation.

Benefit enhancements are intended to provide members with increased access to clinically appropriate care.

Similarly, benefit enhancements are intended to reduce out of pocket payments for members in the context of clinically appropriate care.

We will also continue to promote care coordination to make it easier for members to navigate the evolving healthcare system. The Emerald

Value Option which champions care coordination through general practitioner nomination, general practitioner to specialist referrals and an efficient hospital network is an example of such an initiative.

Another priority is to improve affordability. This extends to the application of affordable contribution increases and the development of new and innovative options which help to reduce contributions. For 2019, the GEMS contribution increase is amongst the lowest in the industry at 7.1 percent.

Most importantly, GEMS is

committed to ensuring that its benefits are easily understood by both members and healthcare providers.

For this reason, simplification and standardisation will increasingly be prioritised when enhancing benefits.

The move towards Universal Healthcare Coverage has presented GEMS with an opportunity to use the experience it has gained over the past decade to put itself forward as a trusted partner that can be engaged as part of the process to implement the remaining phases of the NHI. We are working hard at being the blueprint of NHI in South Africa.

GEMS Tel: +27 860 00 4367 enquiries@gems.gov.za www.gems.gov.za

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The Automotive

AtoZ The largest wholly-owned auto parts retailer in Southern Africa, AutoZone has not settled, set to fundamentally reinvent its operational and productive portfolio to the benefit of all during 2019 Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Josh Hyland

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strategic and catalytic segment of the South African economy, the automotive sector has become a mainstay of national industry, accounting for just shy of seven percent of GDP. Standing aside from a continent that is home to just 44 vehicles per 1,000 inhabitants, four times less than the global average of 180 according to Deloitte, this market has continued to prevail in South Africa, remaining the country’s sole manufacturing sector to have expanded while others have shrunk.

“Many have prospered under these circumstances and we are now seeing a lot of market consolidation, with rapid growth taking place in both the retail and supplier spaces,” explains Lesego Moagi, Marketing Executive at AutoZone. “A number of mergers in the industry are underway, and change is something that we see happening at a pace never seen before.”

Setting the scene, Moagi goes on to reveal that the situation is no different for AutoZone itself, a company that remains the largest wholly-owned distributor of auto parts, spares and car accessories across Southern Africa.

“Let me paint a picture of what our company is looking at right now,” he continues. “We’re arguably the most typical example of an automotive business having been the subject of rapid growth, and now we’re reinforcing our position.

“What this has resulted in is the implementation of extensive structural and strategic changes within AutoZone. However, this combined with other events out of our control such as economic shifts, supplier changes, product and range proliferation and the need to adjust our internal focus, it’s a transitional period to say the least.”

The hectic nature of these adjustments aside, the benefits that this strategic overhaul is set to bring to the business are not to

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T E G L L ’ E W !

E R E H T YOU Life is a journey.

No matter where your path leads you, the secret is to take the first step fearlessly and with a sense of adventure. For our part we’ll make sure that from start to finish, we’ll get you there. SABAT® Batteries available at all Autozone outlets.

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right part right price

A U T O Z O N E

be underestimated, providing the company with a platform from which it can accelerate its own consolidation throughout the coming months.

“In essence, what we’re trying to do is leverage our core, existing infrastructure and scale that in order to become South Africa’s leading vehicle care solutions partner,” adds Moagi.

The full service

This immediate infrastructure is already substantial, AutoZone priding itself on an esteemed record of providing high-quality products and services that allowed it to establish a broad, loyal client base of engineers, auto-spares retailers, mechanics, workshops, fitment centres and retail car owners located across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Positioned as a one-stop shop with extensive coverage of South Africa, the firm supplies vehicle parts, spares and accessories for almost any vehicle

make or model, from brake pads and gaskets to engine parts, oil pumps and other heavy-duty articles.

“We primarily cover the passenger and light commercial vehicle markets,” explains Moagi. “Working with close to 700 world-class suppliers, we’re able to source and sell approximately 75,000 parts across our 250 branches and additional franchisee member-owned outlets.

“Our competitors are predominantly independently owned spare shops or specialist stores, whereas AutoZone uses scale and a centralised operating

LEADERSHIP FOCUS LESEGO MOAGI, MARKETING EXECUTIVE AT AUTOZONE Moagi started out at Eskom in 2009 where he focused on internal communications for the utility’s 2010 FIFA World Cup mandate. From there he then became a project consultant at Reputation Institute SA, lecturing at the University of Witwatersrand in 2011.

Having also worked as a marketing and communications professional for Center For Supplier Development, Massmart Holdings, Makro SA and Builders, he now stands as the Marketing Executive for AutoZone South Africa.

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ith an ageing Southern African car parc, the automotive battery replacement market is a vast one which continues to grow. There to service this market are two of South Africa’s pre-eminent brands: AutoZone, and SABAT®, a battery brand with strong South African roots and a legacy of quality and performance.

SABAT® batteries are manufactured by AutoX to meet the expanding needs of its customers and the changing demands of the battery industry. It has a strong market presence across the whole of Southern Africa as well as selected Sub-Saharan African countries.

It’s brands, of which SABAT® is one, are recognised as leading brands in the marketplace. AutoX supplies a comprehensive range of world-class lead-acid automotive batteries to the OEM and automotive replacement markets. It is also responsible for the manufacture and supply of AutoZone’s own in-house brands. Ensuring the continued supply of premium quality products and service excellence, AutoX combines technology advancement and a quest for perfection.

Quality is always at the forefront of AutoX’s offering. In 1987, AutoX’s Port Elizabeth production facility became the first in South Africa to be awarded the SABS Quality Management System

for battery manufacturing, with SABAT® awarded the SABS Mark of Approval. SABAT® has found its niche as the lifestyle automotive accessory of choice and is in demand by the younger, do-it-yourself generation, particularly those interested in outdoor activities. One of SABAT®’s draw cards is the development of its “deliver and fit” model. Consumers can phone a Call Centre at 0860 SABAT and obtain immediate response to any questions.

This opportunity to interact with the brand perfectly matches the needs of today’s “instant gratification” society.

AutoZone’s alignment with SABAT® is a natural fit. AutoZone has got auto parts, spares and car accessories for almost any and every make or model and SABAT® offers a battery with strong local roots and a place in people’s hearts.

www.sabat.co.za

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model to reap efficiencies and leverage on economies of scale whereby, ultimately, our customers can expect consistent levels of quality branded product availability and associated services.”

However, having somewhat maximised potential by leveraging these existing approaches, the company is looking to raise the stakes and enter a new, more prosperous era by differentiating and diversifying both its service and product offerings.

An operational overhaul

This has culminated in the identification and development of a three-pronged master plan that will allow AutoZone to enhance its market capitalisation and become more customer-centric.

Moagi reveals: “Firstly, we want to grow the core business, an ambition that our team hopes to achieve through focusing on category optimisation, supplying consumers with both the right products and the

AUTOZONE BY THE NUMBERS A company comprising more than 250 stores across South Africa, alongside a franchisee presence in Botswana, Swaziland and Namibia, AutoZone has established itself as one of the largest automotive parts retailers in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The firm delivers stock to each of its SA stores seven times each week, with 46 of these receiving two deliveries per day.

These deliveries combined, the AutoZone fleet travels roughly 228,289 kilometres every week, moving approximately 141,680 kilograms of products during these journeys.

Moreover, 51,000 lines are picked during this time, with 9,200 lines being receipted from suppliers such as Bosch, Castrol, Shell, Monroe, GUD and many more each day.

BOSCH

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he Bosch Automotive Aftermarket division, has approximately 17,000 associates around the world with 21 production facilities and 21 development centres worldwide, which manages provision through to sale of automotive spare parts, workshop equipment, workshop concepts and Bosch products for retrofitting. Services include technical training, technical information service for automotive products and systems.

Our 81 distribution centres worldwide are supplied by 150 plants and 700 suppliers with 650,000 part numbers delivering to 130,000 locations around the world. In South Africa, automotive parts and diagnostics solutions are distributed through an appointed wholesale network.

The Automotive Aftermarket business unit is responsible for the Bosch Service workshop network, with over 13,000 centres in 150 countries, Bosch Service has the world’s largest network in the independent workshop market.

South Africa boasts 146 Bosch Service Centres nationwide offering a range of services including automotive electrics, electronics, general mechanical vehicle repairs, inspections, oil service and airconditioning service.

Our Bosch diagnostics solutions provides around-the-engine and aroundthe-wheel workshop testing equipment supported by the Bosch ESI-tronic diagnostic software. In support of workshop and technicians, Bosch offers various specialised technical training courses the latest information on Xxxxxxxxon xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx vehicle technology in our facilities located in Midrand, Durban and Cape Town.

Robert Bosch South Africa Pty Ltd Private Bag X118, Halfway House 1685

www.bosch.africa

Xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx

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Bosch ECO HID range of automotive bulbs BOSCH ECO HID: RELIABLE AND WITH ATTRACTIVE PRICE/PERFORMANCE RATIO For price-oriented customers expecting both a value-based repair and reliable Bosch quality, the Bosch ECO range of automotive bulbs is the ideal solution. Bosch newly introduces the ECO HID line, which additionally covers the three most common gas discharge bulbs.

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Good price/performance ratio: outstanding lighting performance with fair pricing Better visibility: 2.5x more light than conventional halogen bulbs – illuminates those parts of the road that cannot be lit by halogen bulbs Light as bright as daylight: high luminous power and a color temperature from 4,300K – 4,600K Longer service life: often the entire service life of a vehicle as gas-discharge lamps do not require a filament which makes them more durable and reliable Reduced energy consumption: 35W instead of 55W - benefits both the environment and your pocket For both passenger and commercial vehicles

Robert Bosch South Africa, 96 15th Avenue Randjespark, Midrand, South Africa

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right mixture of products.”

Embodying the group’s ‘goodbetter-best’ principle, AutoZone is effectively providing its customers with more options when looking at what they would like to buy. “We’re offering not only greater choice, but also a better range of high-quality products,” the Marketing Executive adds.

The second point of note is the firm’s recent sales channel strategy, splitting its business into three core, defined divisions comprised of wholesale and retail arms and a professional services business that

will service key accounts such as workshops, fitment centres and provide fleet management to private businesses.

Now targeting a clear and distinct audience across each of these channels with limited overlap, AutoZone has already been reaping the rewards, no longer using the same operating model to cater to each of these segments.

“We’ve been able to replace challenges and discrepancies with more efficient and effective operations, evident across our wholesale business, for example,”

PARTQUIP

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or the past 36 years, Partquip’s mission has been to supply a select range of quality guaranteed auto parts, through our network of distributors, to the automotive aftermarket.

Our value proposition to our customers, typically motor spares stores, is a strong brand based on quality, sold at a reasonable price and supplied at superior levels of service.

At our core we believe that we are an extended family and we value loyalty, honesty, integrity and respect within our working environment.

Partquip was acquired by Hudaco Industries in 2014 and is accredited with ISO 9001 and B-BBEE Level 3 certification.

Our staff complement of 330 employees ensures that our branches located in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town operate efficiently in order to deliver exceptional service to our valued customers throughout Southern Africa.

With more than 14,000 part numbers supporting our product offering with extensive and growing ranges, we believe that we are well positioned to meet the needs of an evolving automotive aftermarket replacement parts industry.

Xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx

www.partquip.co.za

Xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx

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explains Moagi. “In the past there would be precautions when it came to serving independent spare shops with these companies being a major competitor on the retail side.

“We would have to weigh up the potential impact of our wholesale operations against our retail operations, something that regularly stood as a source of conflict.

“Now, however, these two divisions are standalone businesses and individually act in the best interests of their individual target markets, an approach that we believe will allow us to maximise opportunity across all segments.”

Similarly, Autozone’s dedicated professional services team has expanded productivities for both the customers and business itself.

Moagi continues: “Before we were servicing all customers using our retail stores as a base, but now we’re dedicating a key account manager to each of our key clients that act as a national port of call for anything on a national scale, rather than our clientele attempting to navigate different stores around the country.

“It reduces complexity on both ends, for us and our customers, ultimately making business easier.”

A SOCIAL STALWART AutoZone is heavily involved in CSR, the company most recently holding a charity golf day with proceeds going to its two main beneficiaries:

St Vincent’s School for the Deaf St Vincent’s has helped educate deaf children in South Africa for the past 75 years, currently serving 270 pupils of all ages. Learners come from all different backgrounds and demographics, with the vast majority of students coming from all across South Africa, alongside other African countries such as the DRC, Gabon, Kenya and Nigeria.

Norah’s Educare Centre Norah’s Educare Centre in Benoni is a home to vulnerable children aged between three months and 18 years and provides academic, social and emotional support. It caters for 250 children and has been AutoZone’s nominated beneficiary for Mandela Day, Christmas functions and ad hoc support.

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llijam is South African company based in Johannesburg, manufacturing and distributing motor vehicle, domestic and industrial cleaners.

Our flagship product is PREPSOL®, especially formulated to clean away mud, grease, oil and grime.

PREPSOL is a water based cleaner that is used by the off-road motor racing and bicycling fraternity as well as for domestic and industrial cleaning and degreasing.

It cleans easily and in an environmentally friendly way and can be simply washed off with water. PREPSOL® leaves no oily residue, so does not attract dust and dirt.

www.allijam.co.za

ALFA INTERNATIONAL

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ounded in 1964, Alfa International is the leading independent local supplier of brake drums and discs for a wide variety types of vehicles.

The company supplies South Africa’s road transport industry with a full range of high quality brake drums and discs for trucks, buses and trailers, light commercial and passenger vehicles, plus a selection of hubs for the most popular automotive sector vehicles.

Manufactured from high-quality castings on state-of-the-art computer-controlled equipment, its brake drums and discs are designed for high performance, maximum safety and ease of fitment.

T +27 11 365 2900

www.alfabrakes.co.za

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CLEANING SINCE 1964 Allijam is a South African company that owns the Prepsol and Jet brands.

Allijam is involved in several typres of motor sport and cycling in South Africa, including, The 94,7 Cycle Challenge, The 1000 Bike Show and the South African Festival of Motoring.

Vintage Motorcycle Rally’s, South African National Motocross Series, Automechnika and many others.

Prepsol and Jet Cleaners, @prepsolcleaner

www.allijam.co.za

HEAVY DUTY FRICTION PRODUCTS

OUR PRODUCTS INCLUDE: • Brake Lining and Disc Pads • Clutch Assemblies: Tractor • Clutch Facings : Buttons and Rivets • Brake Drums and Discs • Flywheels For Trucks • Clutch Assemblies: Truck and Bus OFS: Gauteng: Eastern Cape: Western Cape: Kwa-Zulu Natal:

+27 51 432 0131/2 +27 11 608 0801/3 +27 41 451 5611 +27 21 951 6211 +27 31 700 1386/7

www.alfabrakes.co.za

BRAKE LINING

DISC PADS

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Alfred Teves Brake Systems (Pty) Ltd Ate and Teves are registered trademarks of Continental Teves AG & CO, oHG in Germany and other countries.

Manufacturers and suppliers of automotive brake system components including brake pads, rotors, shoes, drums and hydraulic cylinders

A proud supplier to

Autozone

Tel +27 11 898 1800 | www.ate.co.za

Prepared for progress

Alongside the successful expansion of its product range and restructuring processes, the company’s third and final strategic focus is centred on expanding its in-house portfolio.

Having had own-brand products for many years, Moagi and his team are keen to grow this segment of the business, hoping to ramp up the production of reputable and reliable products for its clientele.

“Very simply, we’re improving the way that we work, finding better efficiencies across the board of our business, from how we get products in and move these around through our distribution networks channels to how these are marketed and how we individually serve our customers as the end-users,” the Marketing Executive reveals.

Leveraging this three-pronged plan centred around growing the core, consolidating the firm’s trio

of channels and bolstering its ownbrand portfolio, AutoZone is expected to redefine itself as an innovative, proactive player within the market during the next two to three financial years.

“If we get these things right,” Moagi reveals, “then no doubt we will successfully be readied for extensive organic growth.”

Beyond this, however, the business is also making plans for the longer term. According to McKinsey Global Institute, for example, the ecommerce market in Africa’s leading economies is set to be worth $75 billion by 2025, a rising trend that AutoZone is eyeing.

“We’re already investigating this sphere,” Moagi reveals. “It’s something that’s going to accelerate later in the year, and we’re hoping to have a fully-fledged ecommerce platform in play before 2020 hits.”

The coming months set to be defined by innovation and adaptation,

Moagi and the AutoZone team remain motivated with the monumental yet invigorating task at hand, preparing to embrace the major self-induced changes coming the company’s way.

Moagi concludes: “All these things, combined with a refined corporate identity, store design and more that will come with the company’s upcoming rebranding sequence, we’re expecting the coming 12 months to be one of the most transformative yet positive experiences in the business’s entire history.

“It’s certainly exciting times ahead.”

AutoZone Head Office: +27 11 620 2700 cic@autozone.co.za www.autozone.co.za

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A Hallmark of

TRUST With a presence dating back more than a century, backed up by a brand reputation for quality products, Bosch is very much in the fast lane of South Africa’s automotive supply chain industry Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Vivek Valmiki

South Africa’s automotive supply chain industry must be one of the most exciting and at the same time challenging spaces to be involved in,” muses Frank du Plessis, Regional President ED SA for Bosch. “Very few other countries face the challenges and opportunities that we do.”

A complex, nuanced sector of the South African economy, the wider automotive sphere is the mainstay of the national industrial base and accounted for 6.9 percent of 2017’s GDP, or $42 billion in monetary terms.

“It is not an easy environment, however, and for this reason companies need to be resourceful and innovative with an entrepreneurial spirit, something that Bosch drives very well,” du Plessis adds, further explaining why he decided to join the company back in 2009.

“The number one reason was the Bosch values. Businesses nowadays often seem to be run without core values and can only lead to short term gains and a damaged reputation later on.

“I was excited about the allround diversity within the company, especially the technology fields and vast product ranges that Bosch offered. The firm also invests greatly in its employees and it was clear that

Frank du Plessis, Regional President ED SA for Bosch

they had a career plan with each person, something you do not find in all organisations.”

This reputation stems from a long and rich history that the German industrial heavyweight has in South Africa.

Perhaps unbeknownst to some, Bosch began life in the country all the way back in 1906 when Friedrich Hoppert & Co. became the first representative for the company in a small building in Johannesburg, the Bosch sales subsidiary later established in 1965 in Rosettenville.

Original equipment manufacturing followed around a decade later, with starters, generators and alternators being produced at the Brits plant from 1976.

“The legacy is not only that which was started in SA, but that carried over by Robert Bosch the founder in 1886,” adds du Plessis. “It paved the way for us in the country and our customers know that Bosch stands for quality, value for money and, more importantly, our values.”

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Built on trust

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Today, Bosch has a formidable footprint across the country, including a head office in Midrand and several manufacturing bases, while the firm’s Cape Town and Durban offices provide on the ground regional support and training facilities.

Manufacturing sites include the aforementioned Brits plant, located in the North West Province of South Africa and consisting of two manufacturing plants, an electromechanical plant and state-of-the-art electronics facility with a total workforce of 400-plus employees.

“The Brits facility is unique in the sense that it produces a variety of commodity groups which is not the norm for a Bosch manufacturing facility,” says du Plessis. “In addition, Brits also manufactures components as a contract manufacturer on behalf of other companies. The plant services all the major OEMs in South Africa either as a tier one or tier two supplier,

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while we also export to Europe and Australia.”

Further, the Rexroth facility in Kempton Park is where customised hydraulic systems are manufactured, bringing the total headcount of Bosch associates in South Africa to 1,368.

The ability of these facilities to handle highly complex and bespoke requirements is a key differentiator for du Plessis, who also points to governmental support via the Automotive Production and Development Programme (APDP), a scheme which favours local production of components used in South Africanassembled vehicles.

Additionally, Bosch is able to conduct its own R&D in house, another big advantage when it comes to the ability to adapt quickly to changing customer requirements.

All of this would be significantly devalued if it wasn’t for one vital element, however.

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ADV PLASTICS (PTY) LTD

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DV Plastics (Pty) Ltd is a privately owned ISO 9001:2015, and more recently ISO22000 listed company, that was founded in 1982.

Since inception, the company has gone from strength to strength, specialising in technical injection moulded products and are able to process most speciality engineering polymers as well as any commodity polymers.

The company currently has 30 injection moulding machines ranging from 15T to 500T, and its commitment to quality has ensured that our business with Robert Bosch and other customers has grown over the years.

T +27 11 708 1838 E advplas@iafrica.com

www.advplastics.co.za

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7 Malta Street, Cosmo Business Park, Cosmo City Ext 15, Cosmo City, Randburg, South Africa 2188 T +27 11 708 1838 F +27 11 708 1829 E advplas@iafrica.com www.advplastics.co.za

prathi_sales@eapl.co.in | baskar@eapl.co.in T +91 979 1031269 | T +91 996 2372220 www.electromags.com Electromags is an IATF 16949:2016 & ISO 14001 : 2015 certified leading auto electrical product manufacturing company established in the year 1980 located at Chennai, India. We are part of WADIA group, 154 years old diversified business conglomerate. It’s a USD 2 billion revenue company.

We have complete infrastructure to design, develop and manufacture slip rings, End covers and other alternator and starter motor parts, Diesel cut off solenoids for fuel injection pumps, Solenoid Assemblies, Floats, Fuel Level Warning Indicators, Side Stand sensors, Switches, Sensors, Reservoirs, Brake system parts for passenger and commercial vehicles, White goods & ATM parts etc. We are also actively working on developing parts for BS-VI emission standards for India.

BOSCH preferred supplier and supplying to their global requirement exporting to Brazil, Spain & South Africa.

Our Major OEMs are TVS Motor, Hero MotoCorp and Mahindra & Mahindra.

We also export our products to several countries including USA, Brazil, Europe, South Africa and China.

Our Products

Engine System Parts

Alternator & Stator Motor Parts

Two Wheeler Parts

Brake System Parts

ATM Parts

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NEW OPPORTUNITIES Although Bosch’s core in South Africa revolves around the automotive sector, the company is pursuing other lines of business.

Du Plessis explains: “This is a very exiting topic and a personal favourite of mine.

“I mentioned earlier that the automotive supply chain industry in South Africa is challenging. Over the past few years we faced a stagnant market, and for this reason we decided two years ago to diversify and pursue the non-automotive market.

“The benefit the Bosch Brits facility has is the fact that we have the electromechanical and electronic capabilities required to venture into these industries.

“Our aim was to target other large industry in South Africa and later expand this beyond the borders of South Africa, and industries such as mining, agriculture and construction are some of these focus areas where we apply our knowledge, capability and entrepreneurial minds to finding solutions for some very difficult challenges.

“Our focus toward the customer I believe makes us a preferred supplier,” explains du Plessis. “Today, quality, cost and delivery are expected and without this you cannot do business.

However, it’s the trust factor that makes customers do business with companies.”

Championing local

This element of trust can also be applied more widely in the way that Bosch looks out for local people on many fronts.

First is through the development of people in the form of skills training.

“South Africa, being in a period of transformation, lacks readily available skills,” says du Plessis. “Therefore, our focus is on development at grassroots level, and to this end we have invested substantially in pre-school and secondary school scholarships.

“We also offer learnerships to the local community and through these initiatives we envisage creating a larger skills pool from which we can recruit.

Bosch aims to be an employer of choice in all fields.”

The Brits plant is something of an educational hub for the company and community, and Bosch has also

“BPS (Bosch Production System) quality and production management are methodologies developed in the automotive sector which lends itself to be easily applied across other sectors.”

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State-of-the-art machinery inside a Bosch South Africa facility

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enabled a black-owned enterprise to manage and run training for previously disadvantaged individuals.

Supporting local enterprise through its procurement network is another example. To this end, Bosch attempts to source as much as possible locally, contributing to the overall APDP initiative as well as countering the impact of an often negative exchange rate.

“We also, of course, make use of our international leverage and supplier network that Bosch has worldwide to ensure that we purchase those materials or sub-components that are not yet available or manufactured here in South Africa,” adds du Plessis.

Such suppliers, whether local or

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international, must carry a minimum certification level including IATF 16949 accreditation. In situations where this is not immediately apparent but could be developed through the help of Bosch, the company’s supplier development programme kicks in.

The firm is also a keen supporter of BEE, something it wishes to increase its contribution towards. “Black Economic Empowerment is the vehicle introduced by government to drive transformation in South Africa and includes development of suppliers and preferential procurement from black owned entities,” explains du Plessis.

“Bosch is actively engaged in these initiatives.”

By continuing to manufacture quality

products to complex requirements and build trust in South African communities, Bosch appears set to add to its already well-established legacy in the country.

“Our focus is growing our business and expanding beyond that which we are known for doing,” du Plessis concludes.

Robert Bosch South Africa Tel: +27 11 651-9600 Lilian.Steele@za.bosch.com www.bosch.africa

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Adaption and

Expansion Gold Leaf Tobacco tells a story of a local manufacturer competing against international heavyweights in Southern Africa, the company continuing to expand and looking to react to the industry’s changing dynamics Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Vivek Valmiki

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old Leaf Tobacco Corporation, a South African born manufacturer, began life in 2001 and has steadily expanded since, conducting business in Malawi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Kenya and Zimbabwe.

The company holds distribution rights for Voyager, RG, Chicago, Sahawi, Sharp and Savannah brands, and is a full-service contract manufacturer for various blends and

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variants of high-quality cigarettes.

In South Africa, Gold Leaf enjoys a market share of around 15-20 percent in terms of sales, employing in excess of 400 people.

The company is operating in an industry which has been transformed by the monumental rise of e-cigarettes and vaping in recent years.

According to a study by Research and Markets, the e-cigarette market is estimated to reach $44.6 billion

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AFRICA by 2023, this demand driven by factors such as increasing health concerns among smokers, demand for smokeless and ashless vaping, and surge in the number of vape shops and designated stores.

It is a trend which has forced traditional manufacturers to adapt, although in Africa the full effect of vaping models is yet to be felt.

“Whilst these devices have not yet fully made their way to Africa on such a large scale, mostly due to their costly attributes, the tobacco market has nonetheless slowed down over the years,” explains Ismail Khan, General Manager of Operations for Gold Leaf.

“Having said this, as a manufacturer, one is required to constantly mould and develop the products which are sold, and in this regard we have introduced various flavours across our cigarette range such as apple-mint, orange-mint, peppermint, cherry-mint, grape-mint and a few others.”

Khan joined the business in 2006 in anticipation of a new challenge. “This was a chance to build myself as an individual,” he says.

“The team at Gold Leaf have been acquiring experience and expertise to ensure that they have sufficient skills, capacity and capability to build on the business and take it to Africa and the rest of the world. This vision inspired me, and I was glad to accept the opportunity as Gold Leaf viewed me as a dynamic asset to their business.”

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On top of this vision, Gold Leaf’s commitment to producing a quality product also appealed to Khan, this being a key differentiator for the company in his eyes.

“This allows us to gain a competitive edge and sense of satisfaction so that our consumers are 100 percent satisfied with the products that they purchase,” he adds.

Expansion and adaptation

As well as introducing new flavours to stay ahead of the market, Khan confirms that Gold Leaf is strongly evaluating the possibility of diversifying into the e-cigarette and vaping arena.

He cites stricter industry-wide health regulations which are implemented globally, and how these, along with shifts in consumer behaviour, could see this subcategory take off not only in South Africa, but the wider continent.

C O R P O R A T I O N

“It’s something which is being considered and we believe that it may well capture a very large share of the cigarette market,” says Khan.

“It is very important for us to evolve with the times and ensure that our commitment to quality extends into the evolution of the business.

“Research and development is hence key to running a successful business. We regularly do tests on our tobaccos and are constantly monitoring market trends to assess whether particular flavours are more in demand and what the consumer is looking for.”

Asides an evolving and growing product range, the concept of expansion can be applied geographically, with Gold Leaf having extended its manufacturing operations into Malawi, the DRC and Zimbabwe.

“These sites are very young and of course not nearly as large as the South African division,” Khan continues.

Overseas projects are particularly popular The e-cigarette market is estimated to reach $44.6 billion by 2023

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IN-SIGHTS

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s an independent cigarette manufacturer, connecting and negotiating with the international suppliers of materials can represent a challenge. Their minimum order quantities or the guaranties requested can sometimes be seen as obstacles.

IN-SIGHTS, having developed partnerships with the major suppliers of components for many years, can support your business development by: • Providing competitive price offers for all types of materials (papers, acetate tow, filters, adhesives, foils, blends, packaging and more) • Proposing a local supply through a bonded warehouse in Africa • Committing to a constant technical support (including for brand design)

Contact: Olivier.zelie@in-sights.org

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Business Development - Consulting IN-SIGHTS is a French independent company created early 2016 by Olivier ZELIE, with as main focus, to support the African Tobacco industry and link premium suppliers of cigarette materials with African cigarette companies while proposing adapted approaches.

Before creating IN-SIGHTS, Olivier Zelie had been working in the Tobacco Industry for 20 years at multinational suppliers (Cigarette papers, tipping, acetate tow, ...) with a clear focus on long-term partnerships, quality and confidentiality.

IN-SIGHTS currently officially represent in Africa the following suppliers, among others : Rhodia Acetow, Wattenspapier (Delfort), PMJ Pujadas Adhesives, Gundlach Packaging Group, Essentra Group, …

Besides these long-term partners, In-Sights can also provide, on a case-by-case basis, most of the other materials needed to produce cigarettes (Aluminium foil, flavoured capsules, Tobacco blends, …) as well as a service of brand and packaging design.

As a solution Provider, IN-SIGHTS can also supply, upon request, some materials from a bonded warehouse located in South Africa, offering shorter lead-time and flexibility.

Looking forward to developing new collaborations together …

“Having said this, we are focusing a lot of energies into spreading Gold Leaf to these areas and taking these businesses to new heights.”

Forward thinking

Khan is also keen to stress the importance of staff development and knowledge transfer in determining the future path of the business.

Indeed, a key part of Gold Leaf’s stated corporate values comprises cooperation and teamwork, factors which enable it to act ethically and respectfully.

“We believe that knowledge is there to be shared,” Khan adds. “Skills and technical expertise which can be passed on by the management of Gold Leaf to its employees can only better the future of the company.

“With this philosophy in mind, our employees are comfortable that they are being trained and upskilled without hesitation, and therefore the trust

Contact : olivier.zelie@in-sights.org

...our employees are comfortable that they are being trained and upskilled without hesitation, and therefore the trust relationship between management and employees is solidified” relationship between management and employees is solidified.”

Further, such training is extended to local disadvantaged people in the areas surrounding its factory in Linbro park Sandton, Johannesburg.

“We provide these people with the necessary skillset to operate in a tobacco factory, with the objective of either employing them or empowering them to find alternative employment,” Khan says.

By investing in the future both in terms of people and product, Gold

Leaf appears well set to expand its market share both at home in South Africa and further afield.

Gold Leaf Tobacco Corporation Tel: +27 11 574 3621 info@gltc.co.za www.gltc.co.za

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Textiles

Reignited

Braitex Tensilon continues to serve South Africa’s textile needs having adapted to changing and challenging industry backdrops ever since it began life in 1948 Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Vivek Valmiki

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ery few industries have been left untouched by globalisation over the past few decades.

Ease of transport, improving connectivity and the allure of outsourcing to save money has resulted in many local trades being overtaken by manufacturing powerhouses, especially those with immense labour forces in Asia.

The textiles trade is a case in point,

Dr Rudolf Erich Heinrich Rosochacki, Owner and Chairperson who comes into work every day at the age of 90, standing with Jacobus Venter

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but with challenge comes opportunity and the chance to innovate.

“Working in this industry for the last 36 years has been extremely testing,” comments Jacobus Venter, CEO of narrow fabric manufacturer Braitex Tensilon.

“Our customer base, especially in the clothing sector, has shrunk tremendously, meaning we’ve had to diversify our operations into industrial products and today we find ourselves with a new operation in Springs catering for this sector.

“This, plus the return of clothing manufacturing to South Africa, have reignited the excitement in the industry.”

Braitex is a South African textile stalwart. Founded in 1948 by the late George Rosochacki, the company grew from small beginnings into one of the most prolific manufacturers of narrow fabrics on the continent.

Today Braitex operates production facilities in Cape Town and Gauteng, converting hundreds of tonnes of raw material into high quality products every year for both local and international customers.

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THE BRAITEX PORTFOLIO

Braitex Tensilon specialises in the manufacture of high quality woven, knitted and braided narrow fabrics, famed for its production of elastics, webbings, cords, strapping, lashing, curtain, mattress and other tapes.

The firm has operational centres in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, serving customers in South Africa and abroad from industries such as clothing, mining and packaging.

Such products require top quality raw materials, with Braitex only using suppliers which can consistently deliver. The company is also adept at forward buying, vital in safeguarding against volatile currency exchange rates which helps to protect customers and employees.

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The power to adapt

Asked what stands Braitex apart from others in the textile trade, Venter points to the company’s immense experience contained within its ranks, experience which has allowed it to develop both capable people and quality products.

“We have the ability to access capable and motivated people at all levels of our organisation,” he adds.

“Africa is growing younger, more educated and skilled and is willing to participate in an industrial future. We build on this.

“In spite of significant market and opportunity fluctuations in the last 15

years we are producing and innovating products in response to the need of the market. But let me reassure you, these are all words. Come and have a look at our products. Beautiful, strong and durable products made by hands and minds and machines on African soil.

“On the clothing front, we have upgraded our jacquard and other weaving, knitting, printing and finishing equipment to make us a world class operation. This allows us to cater for the entire spectrum of requirements in narrow fabric applications.”

Venter highlights the importance of innovation, and this is no better

demonstrated than by Braitex’s move into the industrial sector as a means of futureproofing the organisation.

This includes introducing products like harness, tye down and PVC coated webbings, mattress and other tapes, strapping, lashing and lifting products.

The latter products are particularly sought after in the mining and forestry sectors, aiding companies in the movement of import and export goods, with such elastication and strengthening fabrics also useful for the likes of car, shoe, medical and transport industries, to name but a few.

“Why should we do this?” Venter asks.

VENTER AND BRAITEX Venter decided to join Braitex as a financial manager in 1983 at a crossroads in his career, choosing to stay in South Africa over moving to Saudi Arabia with previous employer Fluor.

“The diversity of my future role in Braitex became evident almost immediately when I was asked to head IR in parallel to the financial function, which included computerising the company’s technology, which was unheard of at the time,” he recalls.

“In 1986 I was appointed to the board as financial director. In 1987 the decision was taken to consolidate our manufacturing facilities and we relocated the Springs and Elsies River plants to Atlantis.”

“With only a hand full of staff members joining the journey to Cape Town I soon found myself fully embroiled in the intricacy of manufacturing. During the mid-1990s interaction with our customers became necessary which is a role I still cherish today.

In 1995 I was appointed joint MD and in 2005 became CEO.”

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Spicoly Plastics CC is a South African manufacturer of plastic products, conveniently located in Kraaifontein Industria, near Cape Town.

Spicoly Plastics CC manufactures plastic products to serve a wide range of industries including agriculture, construction, educational, engineering, household, medical, packaging, plumbing, promotional and textile.

Tel: 021 987 7201 Fax: 021 987 8045 Email: orders@spicoly.co.za info@spicoly.co.za logistics@spicoly.co.za www.spicoly.co.za

“These are vibrant and growing industries. As mentioned, our population is young and growing and connected in the sense of aspiration and use of cell phones and the internet. This holds true for Africa north of us.

“We expect that commodities like timber for housing and goods to build infrastructure in towns will need our products to transport, to lift and hold together.”

Driving development

This pride in development can also be applied to the company’s most important asset, its people.

Braitex has a long and proud history of providing secure employment opportunities, offering its workers the chance to build skills and work their way up the ladder.

“All industries, especially textiles, have had to contend with lower margins in current times,” Venter

explains. “This, however, does not detract from the decades of consistent work and ability to develop and improve our employees.

“We comply with and embrace transformational processes that are shaping our society. We have an active learnership programme developing people to move from school to becoming directors in a complex industry.

“We do what’s best for the health of our company, attracting a keen and bright workforce who can look forward to a long career as long as we remain profitable. We live and work by the slogan ‘Proudly South African’.”

And it is this proudly South African mantra that will guide Braitex moving forward. Venter, passionate about the betterment of both the company and the country in which he lives, concludes by stating his priorities for the year ahead.

“The purpose of business is to

remain profitable. In addition, we hope to build efficiencies to allow our competitiveness to continue to grow.

“As a result of that, we foresee our whole working team, from cleaner to CEO, being healthy and productive and having a satisfactory career. In this we see a direct stabilising influence we hope to bring to our communities.

We plan to remain and thrive and continuously evolve with our vibrant, exciting nation.”

Braitex Tensilon Clothing – Tel: +27 21 591 2217 estrauss@braitex.co.za Industrial – Tel: +27 11 815 6943 christog@braitex.co.za www.braitex.com

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HITTING THE

Sweet Spot CPC Engineering, thanks to its agile setup and full suite of engineering and drafting expertise, is able to support clients across continents throughout the entire life of a mining project

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Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Donovan Smith

ustralia has long supported the African mining industry.

According to the AustraliaAfrica Minerals and Energy Group, there are more than 185 ASX-listed mining and other resource companies operating over 430 projects in 37 African countries.

This amounts to an estimated footprint of more than $40 billion based on current and potential future investment.

“At the moment there is no shortage of opportunities to work,”

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says Rod Davies, General Manager of CPC Project Design at Perth-based CPC Engineering, a company supporting a range of mining projects across multiple regions including Australia and Africa.

“Companies are always trying to progress projects and expand plants, although a slowing impact both in Africa and Australia has been the sourcing of financing for such plans. The world is becoming more risk averse, but by February after the Christmas shutdown we tend to see investment picking up

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and we are starting to see those green shoots again.”

The opportunity for Davies to join CPC, by his own admission, came out of the blue, but it was too good to turn down – the GM headhunted on recommendation from colleagues of his retiring predecessor.

It is an industry he has always held a passion for, stemming from a young age.

“I like big machines and how they do things, to put it simply,” says Davies. “I loved the idea of working

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in big processing plants and felt as if it would be like having a giant train set to play with. I actually started out in a metallurgy processing plant, rather than in engineering.”

Sweet spot

CPC’s size and scope of expertise was a key draw for Davies, this being a key differentiator for the firm which has been in operation since setting up in Kambalda, Western Australia, in 1970.

Today the company employs over 350 qualified and skilled personnel

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split between design and engineering units, a combined team which is able to provide a full suite of services from studies and fabrication through to construction and maintenance.

These services are conducted from offices and workshops located in Perth, Kalgoorlie, Kambalda, Port Hedland, Ravensthrope and Esperance, perfectly positioned to serve Australian mining clients, many of which are based nearby.

“We’re one of few engineering houses that cover the entire

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discipline,” says Davies. “We have metallurgists and process engineers and can start right away with the design of a plant, taking it all the way through to mechanical and electrical phases, the full scope.

“We are also the perfect size for our clients and can react quickly to their requirements and are backed up by reliable systems. I like to call it a sweet spot that we are in – we are not a giant multinational and can move quickly.

Our clients can also pick up the phone to our CEO.” It is also from these Western Australian facilities that CPC supports its clients’ projects based in Africa, the company also ensuring staff are on the ground to oversee the work and provide crucial engineering and design support.

A diverse portfolio

Closer to home, the firm has a number of ongoing projects with clients covering numerous areas of mining and engineering.

Davies cites work with AngloGold Ashanti in WA, where CPC is supporting the study and design stage at the Boston Shaker underground mine supporting infrastructure at the Tropicana site, located nearly 330 kilometres east-northeast of the town of Kalgoorlie. Ground work on this is expected to begin by Q2 of 2019 after final investment decisions are taken.

“We are also on a project with Talison Lithium at its Greenbushes operations south of Perth,” continues Davies. “We have just finished the studies for a second new crushing

CPC IN AFRICA Many of CPC’s clients rely on the firm’s expertise to deliver projects in Africa, including Melbourne-based Syrah Resources which developed the Balama Graphite mine in the Cabo Delgado province of northern Mozambique.

As well as delivering the Front End Engineering Design (FEED) study for the project, CPC was also awarded the engineering and procurement contract for the mine’s design phase, a process which was completed inside 12 months and managed from the company’s Perth office.

BGRIMM

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GRIMM is a leading Chinese company operating in the minerals industry, specialising in the production of mineral processing equipment using the latest technologies.

The firm, founded in 1956, carries 60 years of experience in its ranks, a formidable track record that has seen it cater to needs across a mine’s life, from production through to closure.

As well as supply leading equipment, BGRIMM also consults with clients and provides engineering services and is a leading light when it comes to research and development. For example, it is the major research undertaker in National ERC for Comprehensive Utilization of Metallic Resources as well as National ERC for Clean Extraction and Energy Saving in Nonferrous Metallurgy.

Its research capabilities have seen it awarded dozens of patents and qualify similarly large numbers of individuals in disciplines such as metallurgical engineering and mechanical engineering.

BGRIMM operates under the following vision and values…

Corporate vision: To be a world leader in technology and equipment for development and utilisation of mineral resources.

Following the completion of the engineering phase, a team from CPC joined the Syrah construction and commissioning teams on site to ensure smooth project delivery.

Core values: Turning rock into gold by delivering efficient solutions; creating value to achieve reciprocal benefits with clients.

Ongoing work on the African continent includes study phase support for Blackrock and its graphite asset in Tanzania, the client requesting maximised local input in terms of employment and procurement, the latter very much managed on a best for project basis. Having completed the DFS, CPC will continue providing engineering and project management services into project delivery

Xxxxxxxxthe xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx “Taking advantage of technical resources of BGRIMM and BGRIMMMAT, we deliver technology, equipment and packaged solutions featuring high efficiency and low energy consumption for the comprehensive utilisation of mineral resources. We strive to acquire remarkable social and economic benefits whilst leaving a lighter trace on the earth.”

CPC is also assisting AVZ Minerals in the DRC with feasibility studies on what is thought to be a significant lithium deposit.

The drill core samples have already arrived in Perth with testing set to commence before the flow sheet verified and optimised.

T +86 10 6329 9261 F +86 10 6329 9632 E bkjd@bgrimm.com

www.bgrimm-mat.com Xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx

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680m3 Flotation Cell Larger size for larger benefit Leading performance for value recovery Sustainable technology for chemical & energy saving

Premier Supplier of Equipment: Flotation Cell & Column Magnetic Separator Vertical Mill & Attrition Scrubber Agitator Tank

Serve the Mining Industries with Innovative Technologies Who we are

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• Premier Chinese institute in the mineral Industry

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• Clients over 50 countries

• Supply advanced mineral processing equipment

BGRIMM Machinery & Automation Technology www.bgrimm-mat.com

T +86 10 6329 9261 | F +86 10 6329 9632 | E bkjd@bgrimm.com

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ANDRITZ

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NDRITZ Separation is the world’s leading separation specialist with the broadest technology portfolio and more than 2,000 specialists in 40 countries.

For more than 150 years, we have been a driving force in the evolution of separation solutions and services for industries ranging from environment to food, chemicals, and mining and minerals. As the OEM for many of the world’s leading brands, we have the solutions and services to transform your business to meet tomorrow’s changing demands – wherever you are and whatever your separation challenge.

T +65 6512 1800 E separation.sg@andritz.com

www.andritz.com/separation

BMI GROUP

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e deliver innovative waterproofing and protection systems for the mining industry, designed to transform the way people live and work. Providing protection, added value and peace of mind for engineers, installation companies, general contractors and owners alike.

Artist impression/technical drawing and real life image of a CPC project

plant and are now entering the detailed design phase for Talion’s main contractor MSP. “This is a key part of the site’s expansion, and the first new plant CPC designed for the project is now approaching 80 percent through construction.”

In New Zealand’s Foulden Hills, CPC is engaged in a somewhat less conventional project involving diatomaceous earth that was

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discovered by gold prospectors in the early 1870s.

“Plaman Global’s operation, which we did the study work for, will entail digging up black diatomaceous earth, refining it and turning it into animal feed. The diatomaceous earth is a natural product formed from microscopic fossils and rich in natural organic matter, which helps with animals’ growth, digestion and reduces the need for antibiotics as well.

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BMI Group is a standard industries company, like GAF, the leading manufacturer of roofing and waterproofing solutions in North America. Together, we are the largest roofing and waterproofing business in the world.

E bmi.engineering@bmigroup.com

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SEPARATION

FILTER PRESS SUPPLIER FOR THE WORLD’S LARGEST GRAPHITE RESOURCE ASK YOUR SEPARATION SPECIALIST As a separation specialist with a successful history in the mining and minerals industry for more than five decades, ANDRITZ SEPARATION is ideally equipped not only to supply and start equipment and systems but also to support customers in maximizing process

efficiency over the complete plant lifecycle.

Thousands of references are available showing best practices over long-term partnerships with customers in different segments of both the mining and minerals treatment industries all around the world. This makes

ANDRITZ SEPARATION the right choice to solve any customer problem today and in the future. All challenges are addressed by project development and execution in close collaboration with the customer. Thus ANDRITZ SEPARATION stands for long-term reliability.

andritz.com/separation

TERANAP TP – The Bituminous geomembrane - Mining environmental protection solutions for 45 years - Excellent ageing performances - Technical assistance on site • Better interface friction angle (savings about embankments and earthwork) • Better dimensional stability (no wrinkles on Teranap so no stress cracking, workforce time saving) • Excellent puncturing resistance • Possibility to get rid of geotextiles • Wind uplift resistance • Easy connection to concrete (and details) • Installation under extreme conditions • Certification for potable water • Excellent chemical resistance

bmi.engineering@bmigroup.com

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SKILLED MATERIALS HANDLING

CPC continually updates health and safety policy to ensure safe operations

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killed Materials Handling specialises in bulk materials handling equipment.

We are committed to working with our customers to design, manufacture and supply robust reliable, fit for purpose bulk materials handling equipment.

An innovative approach to engineering design and manufacturing, supported by 30-plus years of experience, partnerships within Australia and overseas ensures that we deliver optimal equipment and ongoing support and spare parts globally for all materials handling requirements.

To date we have supplied 1,000-plus conveyors to 60 clients worldwide in the energy, mining, cement, agriculture, food and waste handling sectors.

T: +61 3 9544 4188 E: smh@skilledmaterial.com.au

www.skilledmaterial.com.au “I didn’t know you could feed diatomaceous earth to animals, and if you look carefully enough you can find this sort of product for people to eat as well.”

CPC’s work is not just limited to Africa, Australia and New Zealand, however.

Davies also points to a project with repeat customer First Quantum Minerals in Panama, a huge copper deposit spread over a concession that consists of four zones totalling 13,600 hectares. CPC assisted First Quantum with the design stage in Perth, the project now advancing into the commissioning phase.

refreshing our safety practices is absolutely essential,” says Davies.

“When we start a new project and recruit blue collar workers or unskilled labour, we must make sure we not only choose the right people, but that our induction processes are spot on.

“Standards are routinely checked and kept fresh. We require everyone working on a job to go to a different area on a weekly basis and carry out an inspection on how other people are working. Talking about safety is so important. These peer reviews are a crucial part of our management philosophy for safety.”

Regarding CPC’s own employee base, Davies doesn’t deny that it is a Uncompromising standards challenge to find adequately skilled Successful delivery of these projects engineers to join the organisation. all around the world would not be While the company’s cohort of possible without an uncompromising engineers is made up of multiple stance on standards, both in terms of nationalities, they are all Australian quality and HSE (health, safety and residence, and many have come environment). through the ranks to become key “Maintaining vigilance and continually assets having acquired valuable

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TRUE AUTOMATION

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rue Automation, based in Perth, Western Australia, provides system integration services to many prestigious clients from around the world. Continuing this spirit, True Automation is proud to have successfully delivered the control system for CPC’s Balama Graphite Project in Mozambique for the miner Syrah Resources.

The highly productive collaboration between True Automation and CPC started with the design phase and continued through to site commissioning and performance optimisation of the plant. In addition, True Automation continue to provide resources to ensure the ongoing successful operation of the plant.

T +61 1300 880 641, +61 8 6118 0900 E admin@trueautomation.com.au

www.trueautomation.com.au

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CHAIN CONVEYORS

SIDE WALL BELT CONVEYOR

SPARE PARTS

true automation Innovative Process Control Solutions True Automation specialise in providing advanced process control solutions and industrial automation systems to the mining and minerals processing sectors.

We offer an extensive range of engineering services to ensure we deliver outstanding solutions to satisfy our clientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; business requirements. With a strong customer focus, we are dedicated to working closely with our clients to deliver high quality and cost effective control systems.

Our goal is to deliver control systems that are effective, intuitive, scalable, reliable and maintainable.

Suite 166, 580 Hay Street Perth Western Australia 6000 T +61 1300 880 641, +61 8 6118 0900 E admin@trueautomation.com.au www.trueautomation.com.au

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experience and training.

“We are a competitive payer and can offer tremendous experience,” Davies adds. “Four or five years ago we took on a lot of young engineers who are now in their early 30s and very good – we now need to promote them, offer more opportunities and retain them.

“It is about keeping the right balance between younger and more experienced engineers to ensure a continual passing on of knowledge.”

In terms of environmental stewardship, CPC has a detailed Environmental Management Plan

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It is not unusual for supervisors to be walking around with iPads now, not paper and hard copy design drawings”

structured to meet the requirements of the AS/NZS ISO 14001 (2004) Environmental Management Systems standard.

Looking ahead

Executing projects to these exacting standards will also require CPC to stay abreast of key technological trends influencing the mining sphere.

“This sector is inherently conservative, and the development cycle of a project can be a number of years,” says Davies. “This means when something new comes along you have

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CPC employs over 350 qualified and skilled personnel

CPC is based in Western Australia, serving clients with operations here and in Africa

“We have metallurgists and process engineers and can start right away with the design of a plant, taking it all the way through to mechanical and electrical phases, the full scope”

to be aware of it, otherwise it can be three or four years before you can actually implement it.

“We come across the saying that we need to be at the leading edge of technology, not the bleeding edge.

By that I mean it’s a race to be first to second place, i.e. let someone try it first and make sure it works.

“There have been some fantastic developments that have made their way into the mining industry – we are extracting more at faster speeds than ever before.

“Further, connectivity in mines

is massive and engineers like us are using bigger and bigger programmes.

It is not unusual for supervisors to be walking around with iPads now, not paper and hard copy design drawings.”

Keeping a keen eye on developments like this will ensure CPC remains a relevant, reliable supporting partner to mining operations at home and abroad. And it is this continuation of the sweet spot position the company currently occupies that is a key priority for Davies moving forwards.

He concludes: “I want to consolidate

the growth we have experienced over the past couple of years. That requires replacing projects we have finished with some new ones and keeping our team as strong as it is now. I am optimistic for the year ahead.”

CPC Engineering Tel: +61 (8) 9365 0300 cpcprojects@cpceng.com.au www.cpcengineering.com.au

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STEADY SUPPORT PW Nigeria has been side by side with the country’s development since the 1970s, providing critical support to mining and infrastructure projects Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Donovan Smith

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hen thinking of Nigeria’s economy and industry it is difficult to look beyond oil & gas.

The sector alone accounts for around nine percent of the West African nation’s GDP and more than 80 percent of its export revenue, making it a staple of the country’s economy since oil was first discovered in Oloibiri in 1956.

Nigeria is also abundant in other

resources. Minerals such as tin, iron ore, coal, limestone, niobium, lead and zinc are all present in high quantities, while the sheer size of the state translates into a large amount of arable land.

Activities in the mining sector began to nose-dive considerably during the mid-1970s due to a number of political and economic factors, especially the focus on crude oil production as a major source of foreign exchange.

However, the industry is beginning to contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s income once more. In 2015 it accounted for 0.33 percent of GDP and today is worth around $1.4 billion a year, employing 0.3 percent of the country’s workforce.

Playing its part in this recovering trade is PW Nigeria, an engineering specialist serving both mining and construction sector clients and working for the likes of the World

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Bank, federal governments, state ministers, local government authorities and multinational corporations.

“We have helped to construct critical infrastructure throughout West Africa, in particular Nigeria, and are at the forefront of the rejuvenation of the long dormant mining industry in Nigeria,” the company states proudly on its website.

The firm was originally founded in 1948 in Ireland as H&D Flinn Ltd, moving into Nigeria and becoming PW Nigeria in 1974 thanks to close partnership between both Nigerian and Irish investors.

Over the years it has built up a sound reputation, serving clients across industries from oil & gas through to banking, drawing on five key strengths.

These include a large and modern fleet of construction equipment,

highly trained and dedicated staff, extensive expertise in all types of contract, adherence to quality standards that meet Nigerian, British and US specification, and expertise in the importation of equipment and materials.

Further, PW Nigeria has built up experience in international and local financing, understanding how to analyse the financial viability of its projects and ensuring people on the ground keep costs under control.

Mining magnate

A huge part of PW Nigeria’s success has come in support of the country’s (and wider region’s) mining industry, chiefly through the movement of enormous amounts of earth which facilitate large scale mining operations.

PW NIGERIA IN NUMBERS PW Nigeria boasts a diverse portfolio comprising mining, earthmoving, roads and bridges, airport runways, infrastructure development, water supply and sewage projects.

Here are some numbers that demonstrate its footprint to date: • 5,000 kilometres of roads constructed • 100 kilometres of airport runways built • 200 bridge structures completed • 65 million cubic metres of earth moved

DANGOTE CEMENT

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angote Cement Plc is Africa’s leading cement producer with three plants in Nigeria (Gboko, Benue State, Obajana, Kogi State and Ibese, Ogun State). Dangote Cement also has operations in 17 other African countries, namely: Ghana, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal, Cameroun, Liberia, South Africa, Kenya, Zambia, Sierra Leone, Congo, Zimbabwe, South Sudan, Chad, Mali and Niger. The company is also about to set up a cement plant in Nepal.

Dangote Cement is a fully integrated quarry-to-customer producer with production capacity of up to 29.3 million tonnes in Nigeria. The Obajana plant is the largest in Africa with 13.25 million tonnes capacity across four lines. The Ibese plant has four cement lines with a combined installed capacity of 12 million tonnes. The Gboko plant has four million tonnes capacity.

Through its recent investments, Dangote Cement has eliminated Nigeria’s dependence on imported cement and is transforming the nation into an exporter serving neighbouring countries.

In 2015, Dangote Cement commissioned its plants in four African countries: Ethiopia (June 4), Zambia (August 4), Cameroon (August 27), and Tanzania (October 10). The plant in Congo, Brazzaville, was commissioned on November 23, 2017. The other plants spread across African countries are at various stages of completion.

Dangote Cement has adopted a policy Xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx of continuous expansion especially across Africa because cement is an essential building material with no viable substitute, and Africa will need billions of tonnes in the coming decades as governments in Africa focus on addressing the continent’s infrastructural deficit.

T + 234 1 448 0815/16

www.dangote.com

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TECHNICAL MECHANICAL SERVICES (TMS)

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echnical Mechanical Services (TMS) is one of Europe’s leading suppliers of genuine and original spare parts for mining, quarrying, civil engineering and plant hire machinery.

Headquartered in Liege, Belgium, where it also runs a central warehouse, the company draws on more than 30 years of experience in the field, with presence stretched across 40-plus countries on the continent and in Africa.

TMS supplies parts for the likes of heavy earth moving machinery, trucks, drilling machines, road making machines, cranes, engines, transmissions, undercarriage, forklift trucks, filters and GET, as well as competitive prices for caterpillar machines rebuilt to zero hours.

Liege is a strategic location for the business as many major brands it supplies parts from have significant physical presence in the region. The central warehouse is the hub where all parts are processed and shipped directly to the end customer, with brands supplied including Hitachi, Liebherr, Komatsu, Atlas Copco and Sandvik, among many others.

Applying the extensive experience gained in the likes of Ghana, Tanzania, Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone, the company has expanded its mining capabilities in Nigeria, now offering a full suite of services.

These include site clearance and topsoil stripping; overburden removal; drill and blasting of hard rock; loading and hauling of ore; crushing, washing and sorting of ore; tailings storage, facility construction and initial dam construction; and mine site infrastructure development works.

The company made a breakthrough in Nigeria in June last year, securing a contract with Symbol Mining Limited for the mining and crushing services for

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the Macy Open Pit deposit, covering the 12-month life of mine plan.

Speaking at the time of the award, Symbol Mining CEO, Tim Wither commented: “The execution of the Mining Service Contract is a major step in moving closer to establishing the first industrial scale mechanised mine in Nigeria in recent years.

“Symbol Mining are very pleased in partnering with the PW Group who have vast experience operating in Nigeria, and to date have shown great support in the goal of advancing the Macy deposit into production, which is expected to be the first of many projects on the imperial tenements and in Nigeria for Symbol.”

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In Africa, TMS has local agents in no fewer than 33 countries stretching from west to east, including Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Morocco, Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana and many more. TMS are also proud to be authorised distributors across Africa for 2 World renowned brands, MTG ground engaging tools, and Berco Xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx undercarriage .

The firm has employed experienced local representatives who understand their industry and are able to handle any enquiry – one phone call and they can be on site at a client’s request.

Aftersales service includes a repair and return facility, which can evaluate damaged parts before mending and returning.

T +44 161 427 8410 E sales@tms-uk.com

www.tms-worldwide.com

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PW Nigeria’s suite of services is backed up by key support functions covering exploration and geological work such as mapping, geochemical surveys, elemental analysis and excavation of logging and trial pits.

In the exploration arena, PW Nigeria offers a range of drilling services, from rotary core and reverse circulation to water boreholes and downhole surveys, among others. Much of this work is conducted through a joint venture with Meridian Drilling Ltd, a firm with vast experience operating across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Construction custodian

Asides provision of crucial support to Nigerian mining projects, the company has also played a leading role in the development of infrastructure across the country, completing work on motorways, township roads, bridges, dams, water supply projects, cement

plants and telecommunications sites.

As a major civil engineering contractor, PW Nigeria prides itself on its ability to complete a project from start to finish covering all aspects of construction, from concept to commissioning.

A particular proven specialism is in the realm of airport development, the company being the contractor of choice for the Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria for many years, recently completing work at Lagos, Kaduna, Enugu, Benin and Jalingo airports.

“All of these projects are undertaken under extremely tight timescales where every hour is critical and safety to the travelling public is paramount,” PW Nigeria says on its website.

“This often involves working on “Live’’ runways during non-peak hours which requires detailed planning and execution to avoid any delays and associated costs. Once again safety and performance are critical.”

Road building is a key part of PW Nigeria’s portfolio of expertise

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Overseas projects are particularly popular

SMT

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stablished in 1991 in Belgium, SMT provides a broad range of advanced products, services and solutions for the transport and infrastructure sectors across Europe and Africa.

Reinforced by the operational agility of its dedicated sales and service network, SMT works in partnership with its customers, delivering value to improve their performance and support their growth.

We are your partner of choice throughout the lifetime of your equipment, contact us for more information.

T +234 807 109 0267 E info.nigeria@smt-group.com

www.smt.network

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THE BEST WAY IN BUSINESS

SMT is a premium distributor and aftersales partner for the equipment and transport industry.

SMT Nigeria - Lagos 322 A Ikorodu Road - Ikeja +234 807 109 0267 info.nigeria@smt-group.com

SMT Nigeria - Abuja Plot 412 - Opposite Julius Berger IDU Industrial Estate +234 (0)807 109 0262

SMT Nigeria - Kano 26/27 Ibrahim Taiwo Road +234 807 109 0280

SMT Nigeria - Port Harcourt n° 200 Airport Airforce Road Eliozu +234 807 109 0254

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A responsible partner

A safety-first ethos is thus taken extremely seriously by the company, which welcomes regular feedback from staff, clients, suppliers, contractors and visitors on how it can improve standards even further.

Its aim is very much to become a zero-harm organisation through colleagues taking responsibility for the safety of themselves and others within the company.

“No job is so important that we cannot take the time to perform it safely,” PW Nigeria states.

Further, the firm also recognises its social and economic responsibilities to its employees and the wider community, working hard to establish positive relations before, during and after projects are completed.

In terms of its own staff, PW Nigeria supports their development through the provision of in-house training programmes and also helps them to

We continue to run community development programmes in the areas we operate, we build schools and provide water infrastructure and we sponsor local initiatives and local organisations” pursue qualifications externally.

The company also openly recognises that its operations can adversely impact the day to day activities of local communities.

“In recognition of that we have continued to pursue a policy of engaging with the community to address their needs,” it states.

“We continue to run community development programmes in the areas we operate, we build schools and provide water infrastructure and we sponsor local initiatives and local

organisations.”

By continuing to look out for both its own and local people, PW Nigeria will not only play an important practical role in the resurgence of Nigeria’s mining industry, but also in the development of the communities these projects impact.

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Bloom Through an ambitious and transformative diversification drive, Oserian is opening up new opportunities for both its own and other local businesses around Lake Naivasha Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Lewis Bush

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daptation, innovation and diversification – three simple terms at face value, but traits that many businesses are having to exercise in order to address challenges and ensure a sustainable future.

From global financial crashes and fluctuating commodity prices to new legislation and changing consumer behaviour, organisations across all industries around the world are having to adapt, innovate and diversify in order to survive.

Kenya’s Oserian, one of the world’s leading exporters of fresh cut flowers, is no exception.

“We face head winds at home and abroad,” begins Neil Hellings, the company’s Managing Director. “The imposition of VAT on crop protection in 2018 has created additional financial challenges given the duration before such cash outgoings can be recovered.

“The Kenyan Bureau of Standards’

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Neil Hellings, Managing Director

and other related government handling of the importation of fertiliser and how it is established to be compliant has done substantial damage to our sector – easily resolved issues have taken an unfathomable amount of time and starved the sector of crucial inputs.”

Outside of the country, a slowdown in sales for crucial events like

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Valentine’s Day has also presented a challenge, but one which Hellings believes can be solved by adherence to the three aforementioned traits.

“Sustainable production techniques and gaining market advantage from them will become ever more important,” he adds, “and those farms that ‘get in early’ and embrace it have a chance to enhance their earnings.”

Hellings and Oserian are no strangers to facing adversity, the company approaching 50 years in existence evidence of its longevity and staying power.

Aware of the company’s esteemed reputation, Hellings decided to join Oserian in 2014 to drive a re-alignment exercise.

“Like many businesses that approach 50 years of existence, Oserian had in some, but not all areas lost its focus,” he recalls.

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“That lack of focus becomes a breeding ground for inefficiency and the loss of the ability to act instantly and decisively. Also, possibly for the first time in its illustrious history, Oserian did not have a large-scale strategic challenge that was of its own making.”

Diversify to thrive

This situation soon changed.

In 2015 the company launched a huge diversification strategy, named Oserian Two Lakes, a scheme which continues to blossom to this day.

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The groundwork involved consolidating three growing areas (comprising 1,650 acres) into one ringfenced farm, freeing up space to create a new town centred around employment arising from the wideranging uses of the company’s geothermal power resource.

Hellings states that a comprehensive masterplan is in place and that certain phases of it are already in motion, including the development of a new business park for local horticultural and agriculture companies.

Named Two Lakes Flower Park, the site now has eight tenants and is able to cater for the full range of needs, from turnkey solutions to basic land rental, the provision of heated greenhouses being a particular draw for clients.

“As the number of businesses operating from Oserian Two Lakes grows, so too will the need for the social infrastructure to support those that work here,” Hellings explains. “This includes residential development, so social and low-cost

PROFILE: OSERIAN DEVELOPMENT COMPANY Based near Lake Naivasha, northwest of Nairobi, Oserian Development Company’s site spans more than 5,000 acres and handles more than a million stems of flowers every day.

The company’s founder, Dutch marine veteran Hans Zwager, bought what was then a large cattle ranch in 1969, running it as a vegetable farm until 1982 when a colleague suggested growing a flower called statice. The business never looked back from that moment.

Zwager also helped establish the East African flower auction, TFA, allowing African farmers to sell all year round.

Today the company is best known for its roses, growing more than a dozen varieties.

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Oserian prides itself on providing employment opportunities

GREENLIFE’S FARMER/GROWERCENTRIC APPROACH In the recent past, working day and night with the farmer/grower in mind, we have made major breakthroughs to present niche products. For this reason, we are playing a vital role in the food value chain to feed the country and as well as empowering flower/ ornamental growers to color the world.

THE GREENLIFE PROMISE Our innovation, product development endeavors, research and development policies, make us as the most collaborative and trusted partner in agriculture, providing top-notch crop protection innovations to enhance the prosperity of farmers, wherever they are.

Our strategy is to grow through farmer/ customer-centric innovation – no idle research, we do not punch the air but like a skilled boxer, we aim at the real challenges facing the farmers. We seek new and better ways to develop and deliver products that create value for our customers.

GREENLIFE continues to build new partnerships with key partners – flower growers, fresh vegetable exporters to help them in the ever-demanding compliance with market certifications. Our major contribution to these partnerships is to ensure with wide consultation, we have ensured that every year we are releasing ‘safer’ products.

SEEING AFRICA THROUGH GREENLIFE LENSES Our vision is to be the most collaborative and trusted agricultural partner in Africa. To make this a reality, we continue to invest in young graduates through graduate training and development programs. These programmes are key in setting ‘Greenlife cultural values’ that guide our individual and organisational

behaviour. Having this in place, we are confident that the GREENLIFE brand will continue to influence African livelihoods for a long time.

THE FUTURE HAS NEVER BEEN THIS BRIGHTER With changing trends, challenges associated with climate change, pest and disease resistance - growing crops and feeding the increasing population, the African farmer is burdened. They face constantly evolving climatic, agronomic and commercial challenges while meeting the expectations of their own customers: food value chain partakers, value addition players and middlemen. These demands are also constantly evolving. However, GREENLIFE is always ready to offer a ‘hand’ to the farmer. We are uniquely positioned to build programmes that help farmers upskill themselves and make their businesses more resilient.

IT IN AGRICULTURE GREENLIFE continues to implement information technology in its operations through the Mkulima Smart Application.

Farmers from all over the country can now access all Greenlife products and services through the application on https://portal. greenlife.co.ke, while farmers in more remote areas can access the same resources through Greenlife’s USSD code *431#. The Mkulima Smart Application aims to bring farmers closer to the information they need, including stockists close to them where they can get Greenlife products as well as make it easy for Greenlife to provide tailor made solutions for every farmer and their farms.

T +254 722 563 698, +254 735 544 544 E festus@greenlife.co.ke

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units all the way to CEO’s residences, medical and educational facilities, sport and recreation centres and the infrastructure around sustainable development.”

Such infrastructure, according to Hellings, entails grey water treatment plants, rainwater harvesting, geothermal and solar power, a possible hydropower via a recovery turbine and a biomass generator.

“Our project has already thrown up some new and challenging scenarios arising from our implementation of a solar-geothermal hybrid mini-grid,” he continues, “but we are not fazed by this and, if commercially viable, we will continue to introduce other renewable sources of energy.

“Maintaining and enhancing this

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momentum is now front and centre for the coming year. Crucially, we have installed our first one MW solar power station and we are delighted with its power production. We appear to have a solar generation hot spot in addition to being blessed with our geothermal resource.”

Social guardian

Oserian is also blessed with a strong employee base that acts as the driving force for the business, be they permanent or seasonal workers.

CSR programmes are thus of vital importance, ensuring employees from both its own operations and tenant companies (almost all of whom are local) enjoy a comfortable standard of living in numerous ways.

POWERFUL PROSPECTS Kenya’s future development hinges on the provision of reliable and affordable power. The country is awash with energy generation potential, something not lost on Hellings.

“It is absolutely crucial,” he says. “We are blessed with a wide range of sustainable generation options in Kenya – hydro, wind, solar, geothermal. Our energy costs, for a wide range of reasons, are too high and routinely reported upon as a hurdle to economic development.

“Our President and his government have made production of substantially cheaper power a key part of their economic strategy. As our Deputy President recently stated at an investors’ conference, it was clear that Oserian’s diversification would surely succeed because of the advantage of its cheap, renewable and stable power production.

“We have continued on our own drive to carbon neutrality and last year took 340,000 litres of fossil fuel out of our farm operations. We are exploring, albeit on a smaller scale, how to finish the job of removing the likes of the few motorbikes we still have and replacing them with a suitably sturdy electric option.”

JW SEAGON

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W Seagon Group has more than 58 years of insurance experience in Kenya and has been active in Africa for more than 25 years, with clients in 18 African countries, and 10,000-plus clients worldwide.

Combining local knowledge with international expertise, the company acts as a broker for Bupa in Kenya, as well as several other leading medical insurance companies including Allianz, Cigna, Aetna and AXA. JW Seagon provides a wide range of insurance solutions for Oserian, including international medical cover through Bupa, local medical cover, as well as comprehensive protection for every other risk covering Motor, Commercial Combined, Public Liability and the widest cover available to businesses operating in this sector, under their packaged and unique JW Seagon Horti Plan.

JW Seagon uses its international experience and expertise combined with its local insight and understanding to develop its own policies and wording.

This knowledge and understanding results in the most comprehensive, cost effective covers available on the market today.

This suite of insurance products is backed up by unrivalled customer service. The company promises 24/7 support and personal attention for all clients, whether you need to make a claim, check benefit levels or request more information.

Xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx JW Seagon’s vision reads: “Be the region’s most trusted insurance provider, in every market in which we operate, providing a comprehensive one stop shop solution for all your insurance needs.”

T + 254 (0) 709 455 000 M +254 (0) 722 205 705 M +254 (0) 734 205 705 E talk2us@jwseagon.com

www.jwseagon.com Xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx

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Commercial Combined Insurance brokers in Kenya since 1993.

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“This is fundamental to our business,” says Hellings. “We are very proud that from the start of this year all our primary school children are now being fed a breakfast and lunch for free.

“The number of pupils has risen rapidly as parents see the benefit of the scheme and absenteeism is now unheard of. With a higher and more reliable uptake of calories, the children’s capacity for learning is also improving.”

Oserian has also recently upgraded its health centre to a cottage hospital level, now containing maternity and dentistry services for the 11,000-strong community, made up of employees and their dependants.

“We continue to focus upon diversification in our employment practices as well,” continues Hellings.

“We now have greenhouses operated entirely by our deaf workers and have fitted additional health and safety safeguards to ensure we are able to communicate in an emergency.

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“We do not discriminate on the basis of gender or religion and take no regard to where an individual comes from within Kenya.”

frustrations in doing business in Kenya, but having run businesses in both West and East Africa, I can say that Kenya has opportunity the likes of which I have not seen elsewhere on the continent.

Flowering optimism “An undisputed pro-business Oserian’s focus on diversification and government, a very stable currency, a employee welfare has sown the seeds well-educated, hardworking workforce for a brighter future for the community with excellent command of English based around Lake Naivasha. and highly developed IT skills, rapidly Looking ahead, Hellings is ardently improving strategic communications optimistic about the ongoing and logistics are just some of the development of the company, stating reasons why anyone considering that a key objective for the rest of 2019 investing in Africa should put Kenya at is to commence the demanding task the top of its list. of further exploiting its geothermal “Of course, within Kenya, Oserian resource, be it in the form of steam, Two Lakes is the place to head!” geothermal fluid or non-compressed gas.

Keeping his cards close to his chest, he also points to new technological breakthroughs in the pipeline ahead.

OserianDevelopment Co. Ltd But what about the future Tel: +254 722 509600 development of Kenya more widely?

Overseas projects are particularly popular info@oserian.com Hellings passionately concludes: www.oserian.com “For sure there are challenges and

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Estate & Engineering Limited

NAIROBI OFFICE Bishop Garden Towers, 4th Floor T - 020-2725885/7; 2726198/9 infonairobi@oburambeche.co NAKURU OFFICE Trade World Building, 3rd Floor Kijabe Row, NAKURU T - 051-2211962 oburambeche@africaonline.co.ke

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South Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s M&D Construction is swimming against the tide, surpassing the R1 billion revenue mark and setting new heights for multistorey social housing projects Writer: Tom Wadlow Project Manager: Eddie Clinton

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It is an extremely challenging period for the South African construction industry as is evidenced by the number of contractors that have already gone into business rescue.

“M&D has managed to buck the trend and we have been focused on growing our company in a shrinking market and tough economic conditions. In order to do this, we had to use one eye as a telescope, so we could look into the future and align our strategy to our environment, whilst using the other eye as a microscope, to ensure the daily operational issues were being managed well.”

For Rukesh Raghubir, CEO of M&D Construction, the need to differentiate and innovate has never been more important.

A construction sector that is recovering from recession and facing very low growth again this year, companies have been forced to revaluate the way they do things in a bid to become more efficient.

“Constantly identifying areas for improvement and adapting and thriving through change – these are both fundamental pillars of M&D Construction Group’s rapid growth and diversification,” Raghubir continues.

“We have survived these political shocks by having a resilient management team, sufficient cash reserves to weather tumultuous

episodes, and always focusing on servicing clients to the best of our ability, guided by our core values.”

M&D is well-versed in dealing with market fluctuations. Established in 1982 with only a few fixed assets to its name, the firm has grown into a diversified operation with a strong presence in the building, civil construction and roads and earthworks industries.

This translates into an inventory of 100 items of capital equipment which are used on project sites, and a landmark turnover of R1 billion this past financial year.

Raghubir joined the company in 2006, from Group Five. “I was excited by the prospect of taking M&D from a small unknown company and turning it into a force to be reckoned with in the SA construction space,” he recalls.

This has been achieved through what the CEO describes as an unwavering commitment to “growing a great company with great people and great partnerships”, referred to internally as the four Gs. It is a vision supported by core values, which include: ‘being safe’ on project sites; ‘doing it right’ first time and every time; ‘finding the best way’ by constantly innovating; and ‘doing what we say’ by always delivering on very high expectations. All of this, crucially, is underpinned by M&D’s ‘Khula Nathi’ motto, which translates from isiZulu to ‘grow with us’.

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JOINED UP COMPETENCIES Being multi-faceted, it is starkly clear, is a huge differentiator for M&D as it can cater to major aspects of a project as a coherent unit.

The company comprises several specialised units, including: Building (10 ongoing projects): Long-associated with public sector higher learning institutions and healthcare facilities, it is one of only a few contractors that has also specialised in inner city refurbishments, having successfully completed the renovation, restoration and redesign of numerous residential, commercial and public space buildings.

JOBETRANS

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obetrans is a transport and procurement specialist which has been in operation since 2012.

The company specialises in abnormal loads such as construction and mining equipment, and structural steel fabrications.

Jobe Procurement and Transport is a black female-owned company with a BBBEE Level 2 status and has enjoyed stable growth ever since it came into business.

Civil Engineering (Seven ongoing projects): Operates primarily in the mining, water and energy sectors, drawing on the skills contained within the wider group. Works include mining infrastructure, water treatment plants and pump stations, and civil structures for fuel, gas and electricity projects.

The organisation is committed to providing customers with an environment centred around the following values:

Pipe Laying (Four ongoing projects): Recognised as a leader in this field, M&D has its own equipment and expertise able to lay steel pipes up to three metres in diameter. It predominantly serves, water, oil & gas, and mining clients, and recently became the first native contractor to have its workshop certified to ISO 3834-2 quality standards by the South African Institute of Welding.

• Respect and appreciation

Road & Earthworks (Two ongoing projects): Roads and Earthworks is complementary to the other units, demonstrated by recent works around mining sites and the construction of a precast stormwater culvert and stream upgrade with two steel bridge crossings for a ‘green’ initiative in Central Johannesburg.

Oil & Gas (Two ongoing projects): M&D’s newest division focuses on tank farm construction, fuel depot refurbishments and new builds in the oil & gas space.

Plant Division: Serves all divisions. While certain plant items, such as large side booms, are specific to the pipe laying industry, most of the equipment can be deployed in general building, earth moving and civil engineering projects.

The fleet is regularly renewed and upgraded to ensure high productivity levels and fuel efficiency.

Rukesh Raghubir, CEO of M&D Construction

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• Cooperation, dedication, honesty and trust • Professionalism • Hard work and dependency • Reliability • Efficient services to customers The company also prides itself on its CSR activity.

“We take care of Bathandeni Special Care Centre for children with disability from disadvantage families,” it says.

“Every year on Mandela day we arrange an event for the children and adults from the centre to celebrate Mandela day with.

“We usually cook lunch for the children every day from Monday to Friday. We donate anything possible that the Xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx centre might need. We are really proud to be part of the national that can assist communities that requires any kind of need.”

T +27 11 741 0022 E magdeline@jobeprocurement.co.za

www.jobetrans.co.za

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Will travel the distance for you.

We specialise in Procurement Services, Transportation and Escorting of abnormal loads.

www.jobetrans.co.za

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M&D’s recent milestone achievements owe themselves to a strong portfolio of both completed and ongoing projects covering a range of industries and applications.

A key project for this year is the upgrading of fire protection systems for Transnet Pipelines, both in Gauteng and at the client’s petroleum product storage facility in Kroonstad, Free State.

The Kroonstad upgrades, valued at R78 million and due for completion in July, are multidisciplinary by nature and encompass civil, structural, building and mechanical engineering, in addition to electrical instrumentation control.

“A major component of the work scope entails constructing a new pumping station that will be fed by a new bolted-steel water-storage tank with a capacity of 910,000 litres,” explains Raghubir. “Extensive foundation work was required before our team could commence building the main structure.

“We are also working in a hazardous and explosive environment that is in operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week throughout the year. Work has to be carefully coordinated with the daily Transnet Pipeline operations at the terminal.

“Considering the many ‘unknowns’ on this construction site, upfront planning can be an extremely complex undertaking, especially when we do large concrete pours and receive sizeable deliveries of construction materials and equipment.”

At the opposite end of the construction spectrum is a landmark social housing project in Vosloorus, Gauteng, known as the KatlehongTokoza-Vosloorus Complex.

M&D was appointed by the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality and Development Bank of Southern Africa to build eight 10 storey socialhousing blocks on the 11-hectare site, which will result in 320 bachelor and 450 two-bedroom units.

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Combined with an adjacent development being completed by another contractor, this development will accommodate more than 4,500 people.

“Importantly, this pilot project aims to deliver an integrated sustainable development that also caters to the social, economic and infrastructural needs of residents of this large township,” Raghubir adds.

“While a relatively straight forward design, quality control is essential right from the outset, considering the sheer extent of the building operations. One simply cannot afford to have many snag items per unit on this project, so absolute accuracy is required as the building starts climbing from foundation level.”

This is the first time that a social housing development in South Africa will exceed the conventional four-storey limit, facilitating the betterment of many more citizens – citizens who may also stand to benefit from theoretical and

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Overseas projects are particularly popular

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zalama Security started providing security services to Murray and Dickson’s Central Basin AMD project in Germiston in 2013.

The company has now grown to offices in seven provinces and have plans moving forward to operate its armed response unit nationally from a singular control room.

“We see this partnership as a genuine empowerment and upliftment. Nzalama Security’s management is very proud that we are able to put bread on the tables of such a significant number of families. We hope to see our partnership with Murray and Dickson grow in the future and wish them success,” states Nzalama’s Managing Director, David Mokwebo.

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SERVICES OFFERED INCLUDE: • Guarding of commercial & residential buildings, shopping malls, construction site camps and equipment, farms & plots • VIP & general escorts, installation of CCTV, electric fences and burglar alarms • Armed response service.

• Private investigation

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practical training offered, covering skills such as steel fixing and shuttering, as well as painting and tiling.

The project has also involved many M&D divisions. For instance, the Civil Engineering unit has been tasked with significantly upgrading existing services in the area like water reticulation and sewer systems.

Meanwhile, the Roads & Earthworks Division will improve the road network to accommodate additional traffic in and around the complex once the development has been completed. It is currently underway, the earthworks beginning in 2018.

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Sol Plaatje University’s new Library and Student Resource Centre showcases another string of competencies

Track record

In terms of recently completed developments, the Building Division’s work on Sol Plaatje University’s new Library and Student Resource Centre showcases another string of competencies.

“The structure’s concrete façade

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“The structure’s concrete façade that appears as if floating 2.4 metres off the ground was the most demanding aspect of the entire project,”

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PROJECT PRIDE Asked what M&D project instils the most pride, Raghubir answers: “It is a difficult question to answer as I am proud of many of them.

“However, the stellar work we recently achieved at Vedanta Zinc International’s (VZI) ambitious Gamsberg project, part of the South African zinc grouping’s Black Mountain Mining (BMM) operations in the Northern Cape, is definitely a more recent milestone.”

Working with EPC contractor ELB Engineering Services, M&D ensured the timely delivery of the mine’s zinc concentrator, completing the civils component of the project by September 2018 and employing 300 people at peak construction.

M&D’s Roads & Earthworks Division was awarded the contract to construct the external roads, a deal which was extended in August 2018 to include construction of internal plant roads, increasing the project value by 47 percent.

The unit was forced to think on its feet when it discovered materials from the various borrow pits for the road layer works did not meet the engineering design specification once construction had commenced, suggested a new, blended solution with aggregates sourced from a nearby quarry.

Gamsberg site

“There have been numerous other challenges,” adds Raghubir, “not least the extreme remoteness of this construction site.

“It is located about 1,000 kilometres from our home base and just under 300 kilometres from Upington, the closest major urban centre in the province. Careful logistical planning is therefore required to ensure that the project proceeds according to schedule.

“Meanwhile, the close proximity of the construction works to an environmentally-sensitive area adds another level of complexity to the project.”

By the time the Roads & Earthworks division has completed the project, it will have undertaken 101,000 cubic metres of bulk earthworks, constructed 30,600 cubic metres of layer works, 12,500 square metres of cape seal surfacing, 14,900 square metres of inter-locking paving and 13,500 metres of kerbing.

that appears as if floating 2.4 metres off the ground was the most demanding aspect of the entire project,” Raghubir recalls, “and the stellar outcome also led to the project being awarded a Fulton Award in 2017.

“The judges were impressed by the project’s role in pushing boundaries

of architectural and engineering, in terms of concrete construction.

Seamlessly blending in with the roof of the structure, the façade is a three-dimensional concrete envelope that is functionally, structurally and technically separated from the inner core of the building.”

M&D deliberately chose a construction that was not the most cost effective, opting to guarantee quality and surpass very demanding expectations.

The 220-millimetre-thick walls were climb-formed by M&D and supported eccentrically off slender steel columns, with significant consideration given to limiting the influence of concrete shrinkage.

“By involving us early during the design phases of the façade, we were able to share critical insights on shuttering, staging technology and construction sequencing,” Raghubir continues. “In addition to advising on an acceptable, consistent concrete colour variation, the building division helped optimise the programme and align costs to the client’s budget.”

Other impressive features of the structure, located in Kimberley, include reinforced concrete fire escapes on the western wall that are hung with

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tension rods and internal steel stair cases hung from the sloping roof slabs.

A fundamental factor in successfully competing projects such as this is a reliable network of suppliers and subcontractors, partners who share the same values relating to safety and quality and growing alongside M&D’s own success.

“M&D Construction Group’s philosophy regarding its supply chain partners is enshrined in its motto of ‘Khula Nathi’,” Raghubir elaborates.

“Another important consideration is that we have demonstrated our

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commitment to smaller participants in the industry. A sound example is the role that we continue to play as ‘big brother’ to many emerging contractors on our projects to ensure that they also thrive in the same manner as M&D, despite an increasingly tough operating environment.”

Corporate citizen

M&D’s ongoing focus on quality of course reverberates internally among its own employees as well as with suppliers.

The company is committed to

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ongoing investment in mentoring, skills development and training, covering the whole spectrum of the organisation from building site to corporate head office.

Raghubir mentions a partnership with Corporate Sufi, a provider of training and development programmes to clients which include billion-dollar enterprises.

“The programme has been very successful in enhancing focus and accountability, while developing engaging, empowered and invigorated leadership, who are able to assist in

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By 2021, M&D is hoping to be turning over R1.8 billion, operating as a B-BBEE level 1 organisation

“We are laying the foundation for a brighter future by ensuring we set clear policies which will attract investment and grow our economy”

In 10 years’ time the company’s vision is to be a R7 billion enterprise at the forefront of technology, benefitting all stakeholders

building a business with trust and connection,” he adds.

“Survival in this industry is dependent upon leaders who are focused on the positive and finding opportunity for future growth by breaking traditional mind-sets.”

M&D also looks after people in its surrounding communities in the form of CSR initiatives, a flagship example being its involvement in upgrading Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital’s Ward 32, the paediatric surgery of the staterun hospital in Soweto.

Working with non-profit organisation

Surgeons for Little Lives, M&D Construction provided expertise and materials to deliver a new children’s bathroom, library and playroom area, along with new sluice and locker rooms, restrooms and kitchen areas for nurses.

“I am very proud of the outcome,” says Raghubir. “Importantly, there is now ample space for parents and the nurses, while the children also have a comfortable environment in which to play to assist them in their quick recovery.”

Looking ahead, it is clear that M&D, through its ability to adapt, diversify

and care for its communities, is wellset to thrive through what are still challenging times for South Africa’s construction industry.

In 10 years’ time the company’s vision is to be a R7 billion enterprise at the forefront of technology, benefitting all stakeholders.

By 2021 M&D envisions turning over R1.8 billion, being 100 percent black-owned and operating as a B-BBEE level 1 organisation with more diversity at board level. There is also a plan to expand into property developments and digitise the business through adoption of a cloud-based environment.

In the shorter term, Raghubir sets out his priorities for the year ahead, concluding: “Our President Cyril Ramaphosa has been very busy in addressing the concerns of the people of South Africa.

“This is a clear indication that we are laying the foundation for a brighter future by ensuring we set clear policies which will attract investment and grow our economy. This process will create many opportunities from which our company can benefit from, provided we remain relevant and are able to act swiftly, as we have done so successfully in the past.

“We need to appreciate that this will not happen overnight and will be a process that may sometimes seem slow. It may have a few bumps along the way, but in the end, we will be rewarded with success and our purpose of building a better country for everyone will be realised.”

M&D Construction Tel: +27 11 463 1962/1222 info@mdconstruction.co.za www.mdconstruction.co.za

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FIRM Foundations

outh Africa’s construction industry is battling through strong headwinds.

In recession last year, the sector is set to emerge from this through 2019 according to research

by Fitch Solutions, which forecasts growth of 2.4 percent.

This is far below the growth predicted for the wider Sub-Saharan region, which is set to expand by 6.8 percent this year.

However, while South Africa’s

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Motheo Construction Group continues to build vital infrastructure across South Africa despite facing a challenging industry backdrop

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Writer: Tom Wadlow Project Manager: Eddie Clinton

construction sector has endured troubled times, it has not been a story of struggle for every company.

Far from it. Those that have been able to adapt and innovate against a challenging backdrop have emerged strongly, and Motheo Construction Group certainly falls into this category.

“Motheo has seen significant growth over the past three years,” comments company Director Tim Potter. “The South African construction industry is currently in

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a very challenging place, and we are grateful and blessed to be growing and flourishing during these very turbulent times.

“Motheo is ideally positioned to excel in this current phase, and this is because of our understanding of the operating environment.”

Established in 1997 by Dr Thandi Ndlovu, the organisation today stands as one of South Africa’s prominent black female-owned construction companies (52 percent of shares are

owned by six black women) and is a leading provider of social housing.

It predominantly contracts on low tech residential and non-residential buildings and has the ability to carry out its own electrical work, while the company also operates a civil construction division.

For Potter, the chance to join up with Ndlovu more than 20 years ago was too good an opportunity to turn down.

“An initial two-year contract with

Murray and Roberts has turned into a lifetime journey in the South Africa space,” he recalls.

“Around the time that fellow Motheo Director Chris Cudmore and I had started our own construction company we met Dr Thandi Ndlovu, who too had entered into the low-cost housing space. More than 21 years ago the Motheo Construction Group, as we know it, was formed.

“As founders, Chris Cudmore, Dr Thandi Ndlovu and myself are proud

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to say that we have established a truly empowered South African company.”

Building foundations

Headquartered in Randburg, Johannesburg, the firm has completed works across almost all of South Africa’s nine provinces and is considering options in the only part of the country it is yet to enter – the Western Cape.

Operating from branch offices in Johannesburg, Kimberley East London and Durban, Motheo has successfully handed over a great number of projects in recent years.

Among the most recent is the completion of a school in Centurion, a development which was opened in January 2019 by Panyaza Ledufi, MEC for Education. Fitted with new classrooms and recreational areas, the school is a potentially lifechanging asset for many local children who can now learn in comfort.

In the commercial sphere, in 2017 Motheo handed over a factory for Gayatri Cans in Gauteng, a two-year development valued at around R100 million. Another landmark industrial project was completed a few years earlier, in 2013 in the form of a R63 million waste depot in Kwa-Zulu Natal.

For Potter, however, it was in 2010 and the refurbishing of Orlando train station in Soweto that instilled him with a particular degree of pride.

Finishing in time for the FIFA World Cup, the development, costing around R60 million, involved raising platforms and improving access for disabled visitors.

On the residential front, Motheo has carved its own special reputation for delivering affordable dwellings.

In November 2018, the company entered a 50-50 joint venture with WBHO to build a 12-storey block for Divercity Group comprising 670 apartments and retail outlets.

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orobrik, South Africa’s leading brickmaker, is proud to be associated with Motheo Construction Group. “Our relationship dates back at least 10 years when we started supplying a variety of different bricks and pavers to various Motheo Construction Group contracts for building contracts around South Africa,” states Musa Shangase, Commercial Director.

This national company is female black-owned and has a wide range of contracts in progress – we currently have orders to supply face bricks and pavers to, among others, a school and a Tvet college.

“We are particularly delighted to supply cement bricks that will be used in the construction of a Breaking New Ground housing project in Pietermaritzburg,” continues Shangase. “We believe that every citizen of our country deserves a home they can call their own and this is our vision as the market leader in manufacturing bricks. It is our responsibility to help provide social infrastructure including housing, schools, hospitals and community centres.”

In addition to adding dignity to South African citizens by living in a home constructed from brick, our products are environmentally sustainable as the manufacturing process is in line with ISO Environmental System certification.

To equip South Africans with skills, Corobrik has three registered Building Training Schools, in Durban, Cape Xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx Town and Gauteng. A qualified training instructor runs courses to teach unskilled people to lay bricks and clay pavers. Once they graduate, they are able to obtain employment to support themselves and their families.

E iinfo@corobrik.co.za Academy learners being addressed by CEO, Dr Thandi Ndlovu

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INDUSTRY RECOGNITION Motheo has been recognised by its peers in the form of a number of awards, some of which received through the years being: 2014: Certificate of Recognition awarded to Dr Thandi Ndlovu for 10 years of long service to SAWIC Gauteng.

2014: Certificate of Recognition awarded to Dr Thandi Ndlovu in recognition of her selfless service as the President of South African Women in Construction 2002 – 2012.

The project, valued at R283 million and covering six inner city blocks in Johannesburg, also involves refurbishing three buildings for commercial use.

The JV also covered the ABSA Towers development, a R267 million contract to refurbish a 30-storey office building into new offices, 532 apartments and a restaurant.

All of these examples highlight the scope of Motheo’s footprint and contribution the company continues to make to the development of vital South African infrastructure.

Potter’s fellow Director Chris Cudmore outlines this further, adding: “On your way to work or school this morning, chances are that you could have gone through a station built or

2014: Dr Thandi won the Award for the Most Progressive SAWIC Gauteng Contractor.

2016: Govan Mbeki Awards KZN: Glebelands CRU – Best Community Units Awards – built by Motheo.

2016: Govan Mbeki Awards KZN: Kingsburgh West and Welbedacht Projects – First and Second Informal Settlements – both built by Motheo.

2016: Govan Mbeki Awards KZN: Kwabejane – Best Rural Project – built by Motheo.

2016: Govan Mbeki Awards KZN: Best Woman Contractor.

2016: Govan Mbeki Awards Northwest: Best CRU Project.

2016: Govan Mbeki Awards Northwest: Best Woman Contractor.

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Motheo Construction has undertaken a range of both commercial and residential projects

refurbished by Motheo. You may have even travelled by train – on railway lines, built with advanced precast technologies – by Motheo.

“Today you may find yourself in one of 10 MTN Service Centres that Motheo has built or refurbished around the country. Or eating in a McDonalds built

by Motheo.

“In the unlikely event that your car was stolen in Johannesburg, you may find yourself in the vast Aeroton Vehicle Safeguarding Unit, which was designed, financed and built by Motheo… and if you get thirsty and need an energy boost, grab a Monster energy drink, bottled in a factory built by Motheo.

“Although we remain passionate about housing, we are far more than a housing company.”

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“We build not only with bricks and mortar, not only by putting roofs on hundreds of thousands of heads, but by raising the South African flag high”

Futureproofing

As well as its varied portfolio, this statement is also proven true by the Motheo Centre of Excellence.

“The Motheo Academy is up and running,” says Potter. “It is working internally for Motheo, but also for external clients, providing real training to young people associated with our projects.”

This is the crux of what the academy is trying to achieve. By teaching skills and transferring its vast constructionrelated knowledge, the company is ensuring future generations of engineers and other skilled workers, thus helping to futureproof the industry and the individuals in question.

Motheo Centre of Excellence

delivers both accredited and nonaccredited training, including leadership and management development, vocational qualifications, learnerships, EPWP-aligned initiatives, mentorship, internships, apprenticeships and short courses.

The business and technical applications covered include construction and the built environment, engineering and manufacturing, telecommunications and management and support services, targeting both unemployed youth and community members as well as Motheo’s own employees and those of other companies.

And it is on this notion of building a foundation for South Africa that Cudmore concludes.

He says: “The name Motheo means foundation. We are building a business based on a firm foundation and through this are building our nation.

“We build not only with bricks and mortar, not only by putting roofs on hundreds of thousands of heads, but by raising the South African flag high.

We at Motheo are truly empowered, a true example of a South African company.”

Motheo Construction Tel: +27 11 789 8440 www.motheogroup.co.za

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A year on since we last spoke with Managing Director Charles Haba, Century Real Estate has continued to make service-driven strides across Rwanda’s real estate market and beyond Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Eddie Clinton

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wanda. A small Central African nation spanning just 26,338 square kilometres, the country arguably struggles to compare to the continental powerhouses of Nigeria, South Africa and Egypt.

This said, however, it would be wrong to underestimate a nation brimming with confidence and a GDP growth rate of 7.2 percent.

Take Kigali’s real estate industry, for instance. A sector bolstered by government incentives, political stability, positive demographics and infrastructural modernisation, Cytonn Investments has revealed that Rwanda’s capital city recorded an annual urbanisation rate of 4.9 percent in the 12 months of 2018.

An industry on the rise, such positivity is no better reflected than by the growing ambitions of Century Real Estate Rwanda, a leading Kigali-based company.

“It’s been an amazing 10 years since this company was born,” explains Charles Haba, the company’s Managing Director. “We started out as

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STRIVING FOR SATISFACTION Motivated by its vision to remain a reliable one-stop property shop that portrays world class standards in its professional real estate services, Century Real Estate Rwanda has developed an extensive solutions portfolio that includes: • Corporate Real Estate Services • Industrial Leasing • Property Tours • Mortgage Advisory Services • Office Leasing • Rentals • Sales • Title and Deed Processing • Valuation and Advisory Services

a typical estate agency, formed off the back of a merger between two such businesses, but have since diversified to become a one-stop property shop, offering a broad range of professional services.”

One year on from our last conversation with Haba, the company has remained progressive as ever, providing not only property selling, purchasing and rental solutions across both the residential and commercial

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markets, but equally service excellence in property development, management and consultancy.

“Resultantly, we now stand as the leaders in the Rwandan market in terms of real estate management, with more than 150,000 square metres constituting our portfolio,” adds Haba.

Acclaimed credibility

Outside of Kigali, Century Real Estate has a presence both nationally and

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globally, owed to the establishment of an expansive network of strategic alliances with other estate agencies, developers, retail brands, private equity firms and other cardinal businesses.

“Our portfolio covers the entirety of Rwanda, while we also represent clients in the UK, Dubai, Turkey, South Africa and a number of other East African countries,” reveals Haba.

Many of the firm’s most esteemed

portfolio projects, however, remain within Kigali itself, Kigali Heights typifying this. An 18,000 square metre architectural marvel featuring prestigious office space and retail, Century Real Estate remains heavily involved in the management of Rwanda’s first Grade A commercial mixed-use development.

“To say that this is a flagship development for the country,” Haba reiterates, following on from last

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year’s conversation, “is arguably an understatement.

“Involved with Kigali Heights from the outset, undertaking appraisals, feasibility, advisory, letting and now management of the property, we were pleased to see the project awarded the Africa Property Investment (API) Summit & Expo’s Africa Property of the Year award in the Mixed-Use Development category in 2017.”

Further, the 2018 edition of the exhibition awarded the Kigali Business Centre, another reputable project that Century Real Estate offers its leading services to, the Best Alternative Asset Development and Best Refurbished Building category.

A complex that opened just five months ago, it has already reached 70 percent occupational capacity, housing

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a number of renowned local brands – testament to Century Real Estate’s work.

“Recognition of these projects means a lot to the product itself, but also our own brand and business,” explains Haba. “Having our name alongside globally recognised buildings in each of these categories is a huge achievement.”

Reactive, adaptive and proactive

A decade in the making, the Kigalibased property services provider has a number of exciting endeavours on the horizon through 2019 and beyond, one such opportunity being its involvement in Century Park Hotels & Residences – a development that has again already seen strong uptake.

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wanco Engineering Services is an engineering company that offers different and unique services in the field of construction.

Its range of services includes but is not limited to: • Design and construction: residential, commercial and affordable Housing • Waterproofing • Epoxy flooring • Concrete repair • Road marking • Supplying and fixing all types of marble and granite and other highend finishing material The company is part of Allegra Holdings Companies that is specialised in construction and related services.

Rwanco Engineering is known for joining clients from the design stage until the keys of the building are exchanged, using quality materials and advanced construction systems to produce a building which can serve for long periods of time with minimum cost of maintenance.

“We are a company offering a comprehensive construction services to produce your quality building which meets your requirements and financial budget.’’

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Engineering Services CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING PROFESSIONALS Building constructions - Construction Chemicals Specialists - Affordable and high ended housing contractors

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Rwanda is home to an increasing number of modern residential developments

“This is the first really premium development in Rwanda, showcasing homes that are valued at up to $1 million,” reveals Haba. “Aiding the success of such a prestigious build is something new and exciting, but equally makes a bold statement from our company in the local market.”

Moreover, Century Real Estate has also been brought on board to help market a 10,000-unit development, set to be Rwanda’s most substantial property complex that will break ground towards the end of 2019.

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Technology will begin to play a more active role in the market. It’s something we’re aware of and are already using in our administration systems”

“This will also feature a 22,000 square metre commercial centre, educational facilities and an on-site hospital, a site that will undoubtedly be a game changer for Kigali’s real estate landscape,” adds Haba.

Monumental projects in mind, the MD remains grounded, maintaining that the company’s team are crucial to the success of the business. Hiring based on attitude, the company has been able to ensure that it remains customer-centric, with its staff immersing themselves in the

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Affordable housing is a big focus area for the company moving forwards

“We now stand as the leaders in the Rwandan market in terms of real estate management, with more than 150,000 square metres constituting our portfolio”

business’s core values.

“Our employees have really been central to our success,” he reveals,” and will continue to be crucial in allowing us to consolidate our recent successes.”

Consolidation, however, is only part of the plan for Century Real Estate looking ahead.

Highlighting the affordable housing market as an area of growing interest, Haba continues: “For sure, this is going to be the overriding trend that will define how sustainable we remain in

the market during the course of the next five years, and there’s definitely a gap in the market for our operational expertise.

“Second to this, technology will begin to play a more active role in the market. It’s something we’re aware of and are already using in our administration systems, but we want to raise the stakes and take this application to a much higher level, remaining ahead of the curve.”

All things combined, Century Real Estate will undoubtedly continue

to capitalise across a multitude of different market channels, remaining reactive, adaptive and proactive in the face of sweeping changes and new opportunities.

Century Real Estate Rwanda Tel: +250 732 000211 info@centuryrwanda.com www.centuryrwanda.com

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An esteemed portfolio spanning Tanzania, Rwanda and Nigeria, Epitome Architects continues to spearhead innovative developments across the African continent Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Eddie Clinton

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nation on the up, Tanzania is poised for continual prosperity throughout 2019 and beyond.

Statistics from the World Bank reveal that the country has sustained an average growth rate of between six and seven percent over the course of the past decade, resulting in dampened poverty and rising

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socioeconomic development.

One sector excelling in this climate is the nation’s construction industry.

Having accounted for 7.8 percent of GDP in 2010 and more recently 13.6 percent in 2015, businesses in this sphere such as Epitome Architects Limited have continued to make substantial headway.

Formerly known as Lanplan-Icon Architects until 2011, Epitome has successfully served across multiple segments of the Tanzanian market as an architectural firm, providing esteemed design and construction monitoring services for education, commercial, residential, industrial, retail, transportation, business and healthcare developments, amongst others.

“We’ve become adept in providing a multitude of solutions, from architecture, interior architectural design, master planning, landscape

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architecture, contract administration and project management,” explains Architect David Kibebe, the company’s Director who is also a former Secretary General of East Africa Institute of Architects and currently The Honorary Secreatary of Architectural Association of Tanzania.

Having joined Epitome straight out of university in August 2005, Kibebe quickly rose through the ranks of the company, now having held partner

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status for a period of eight years.

“My heart was set on working in architecture after my brother mentioned a field of architecture to me when I was in high school,” he explains, “and I was especially interested in working in the private sector. Having secured a position with what was then Lanplan-Icon, I showed a willing to learn as I became a registered architect within two years, and the rest is history.”

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Having been involved in a range of projects with the firm that is registered with the Architects & Quantity Surveyors Registration Board and the Royal Institute of British Architects, Kibebe has played a crucial role in aiding the meteoric rise during the past 14 years.

An empowered portfolio

This rise is largely owed to the completion of numerous

transformative projects across Tanzania, Rwanda and Nigeria.

Asked which one of these particularly stands out to him, Kibebe replies: “Our TANHOUSE development in Dar es Salaam is one that we’re all very much proud of.”

Situated along the Ali Hassan Mwinyi Road, the building is iconic for the region with its innovative design, offering attractive, open-plan offices to a number of resident companies.

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“A key request of our client on this project was a unique design that would fundamentally change the surrounding cityscape,” Kibebe reveals. “This in mind, we worked closely with our client to understand requirements and ideas allow our innovation to take place and come up with a design that achieved these demands.”

A fresh and visually stimulating project, the TANHOUSE has served to provide Epitome Architects with new contracts, with other clients having

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contacted as a result of the successes of this development.

“We’re proud of the end-to-end service we were able to provide here – I feel it’s a living embodiment of our emphasis on service excellence,” continues Kibebe.

Alongside the laboratory renovation project, the government regional hospitals diagnostic laboratory upgrade is another that springs to mind for the Director as a truly meaningful development.

EPITOME ARCHITECTS LIMITED Epitome Architects’ philosophies are centred around working closely with its clients in order to identify any specific requirements, using this understanding to turn concepts into a reality.

From there, the firm then works with an esteemed network of partners, bringing in mechanical, structural and electrical engineers, quantity surveyors and alike, while planning and overseeing project delivery.

Each stage of design is coordinated between its associates to the end, ensuring that it never has to compromise on its client’s requirements.

“It’s our job to keep a grasp of all aspects and ensure that they are integrated seamlessly, ensuring that the proposal presented to the client is what is delivered in practice and achieved to 100 percent satisfaction,” states Kibebe.

“This was financed by philanthropic foundation Abbott Fund who worked together with the Ministry of Health of Tanzania, identifying that the condition of regional hospital labs was sub-par,” explains Kibebe. “As a result, Abbott planned to upgrade such facilities across the country, and we were brought on board as the architectural presence.”

Working alongside US-based lab design specialist Design4All in delivering the project, the completed works have since helped improve the quality of care for millions of people, with the labs providing support to district hospitals.

“Seeing how people are now able to get the diagnosis and treatments they need in a faster and more accurate manner is really a great feeling,” Kibebe adds.

Elevating communities

This sense of care is imbedded into the core of the business, reflected in a multitude of Epitome’s social

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Dieynem Co. Limited

Dieynem Co. Limited are a local contractor in the fields of electrical works, air conditioning and mechanical ventilation.

Plot No. 40, Block 128, Muheza Street, Kariakoo T: +255 22 217 1512 | dieynemco.limited@yahoo.com

responsibility initiatives that include its internally funded and managed orphanage.

“This orphanage has the sole purpose of helping to change fortunes for children in need,” explains Kibebe. “It’s something that’s close to our hearts. We believe its part of our duty to give back to communities in such ways.”

This outlook is further evident in the company’s accentuation of the importance of training, providing both existing students and graduates with opportunities to gain industry experience and real-life insights into architectural practices.

“We’ve recently been limited on this due to the government’s emphasis on providing most public sector jobs to public sector institutions,” explains Kibebe. “There are fewer projects for us to train students in field works as per curriculum requirements and we’ve seen that they are increasingly struggling to get field works positions and jobs in the private sector as a result.

“However, despite these challenges it’s still a big part of our culture to ensure we provide business opportunities to young people.”

really relish between now and delivery in 2020.”

Moreover, in tandem with these ever-growing local ambitions, a key focus for Epitome over the New Horizons coming months will be bolstering its Such challenges aside, 2019 is still set international presence, aspirations that to be an exciting year for Epitome. will serve to provide the company with Sailing in the economic tailwinds, the a greater growth platform and a wider company has recently secured a new regional scope. and exciting contract commissioned “We’ve already been working in

by India-based firm Hester Biosciences Rwanda and Nigeria, and we’re now Africa Limited. A proposed animal also registered to do business in South vaccine facility in the Kibaha Cost Sudan,” Kibebe comments, “and it’s region in Tanzania, the project will be these alternate markets, amongst a new endeavour for the architectural others, that will captivate much of our company. attention moving forward.”

“It’s a specialised facility,” explains Kibebe, “which will provide a new test for us.

“Coming on board as the project consultant and architect, we will be tasked with not only matching but Epitome Architects Limited exceeding the capabilities of Hester Tel: +255 22 2113965/6 Biosciences’ factories in Nepal, India info@epitome-arc.com and elsewhere – a task that we will www.epitome-arc.com

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The Office Services division of Servest is building a strong foundation to drive sustainable growth and differentiate in what is a competitive and evolving facilities management industry in South Africa Writer: Tom Wadlow Project Manager: Lewis Bush

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acilities management is a complex business.

With many companies boasting large portfolios of services and managing multiple sites for numerous different clients, no job is ever the same, and consistent standards are a must in order to succeed.

Add in the relative maturity of the market in South Africa, and the challenge for FM providers to thrive becomes even clearer to see.

“This density of competition, the regulatory environment, as well as the fact that it is a labour-intensive industry, makes it an extremely challenging environment to operate in,” remarks Xolile Sizani, Group CEO at Servest.

“Furthermore, barriers to entry are low and clients are price sensitive.

However, with intensification of the fourth industrial revolution, as well as the increasing pressures on businesses to contain and drive down costs, the industry is actually poised for growth through innovation.

“Additionally, recent research conducted in the sector indicates that companies are planning to outsource more of their facility needs in the upcoming year.”

New beginnings

Ross Anderson, Managing Director for the Office Services Division of Servest, became part of Servest in 2007 when his previous employer was acquired by the company, working up through the ranks into the Managing Director’s chair.

An important part of his upcoming remit will be to implement a joined-up strategy based on the vision of the wider Servest Group, which recently appointed Xolile Sizani as Chief Executive Officer.

Ross Anderson and Xolile Sizani

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ABOUT SERVEST OFFICE SERVICES The Office Services division of Servest is a very diverse business, offering multiple complimentary soft service offerings to clients across South Africa.

The Office Services division has 10 branches, with operational infrastructure in another five regions across the country.

The company’s service portfolio includes: • Washroom/hygiene services • Pest control • Chemical deep cleaning of ablutions • Specialised kitchen deep cleaning • Indoor plants • Water cooler machines These solutions are rented, serviced, and maintained by the firm’s trained teams around the country. Servest Office Services also sells a range of related products, including: • Paper consumables (e.g. toilet paper and hand towels) • Hand soaps and sanitisers • Cleaning chemicals • Janitorial consumables and equipment • Large specialist cleaning capex equipment • Plants and containers (including living walls) • Water coolers and bottled water

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Asked if he was excited by the new chapter, Anderson is quick to reply: “Definitely. The vision is to build a strong foundation for sustainable and profitable growth through driving a high-performance culture that is focused on our customers, processes, people and effective execution.

“We also want to help grow blackowned businesses, and in particular, black female-owned businesses, to improve our contribution to economic empowerment of these entities and to

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support our clients’ BBBEE strategies.”

Such a foundational strategy involves several key focuses, including the creation of a high-performance culture, appointment of appropriately skilled and experienced leaders, and the development and implementation of a new growth strategy.

“Our current goal is to expand our African footprint even further through a focused approach around mergers and acquisitions.

“Our aim is to bring solutions

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LESIPHO TRUST Asides supporting local people and businesses through employment and supply chain activities, Servest invests in a great range of other community-based developments.

Lesipho Trust is a non-profit organisation established in 2014 to manage and channel, amongst other things, socioeconomic development spend for all divisions of the Group.

It supports many bodies, including the National Council for the Disabled, JAM (Joint AID Management), Middleburg Care Village, Netcare Rehabilitation Hospital, and The South African National Council for the Blind (SANCB).

Lesipho Trust also provides bursaries for children who were previously disadvantaged.

solely geared to support our clients to meet their strategies, and our integrated solution approach enables us to partner with them as strategic partners, assisting them on delivering on their triple bottom line and not just managing their facilities.â&#x20AC;?

Standing out

Anderson, in describing the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aim to become strategic partners of clients, also touches on some key differentiators which help to set

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KEY FEATURES OF SERVEST’S NEW OPERATING SYSTEMS App driven installations, servicing, deliveries, audits and site queries.

App links to internal systems where tasks are automatically created to order required service and installation stock, schedule contractual jobs, manage onsite complaints and product repairs.

Built in SLA and workflow for each process in concept.

Escalations created for each process in order to ensure SLAs are met with 100 percent job completion and problem resolution within set time frames.

Servest Office Services apart from competitors.

In an ever-diverse and complex industry, the ability to adapt and pioneer is paramount to a company’s success, which is exactly what the new group strategy is all about.

“For us, innovation in terms of systems, new products, the constant drive for delivering back of house admin accuracy, exceptional service delivery, improving turnaround times, and communication, stand us apart,” Anderson says.

“We are always asking the question – can we do it better, smarter, or more efficiently?”

This relies upon a skilled, motivated and loyal cohort of staff, the company giving recruitment preference to internal candidates and facilitating promotion within the organisation. Careful succession and career planning are bolstered by internal and external training

Notification of service or task progress and completion can be sent to clients so as to ensure high level of communication.

Totally paperless environment created – from proof of service or delivery, action reports, pest activity reports and graphs, to site audits. This includes the linking of the statement and invoice with the proof of service.

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opportunities, ensuring Servest retains its best talent for the long term.

Anderson also points to the important role of procurement, both in terms of operational efficiency and the positive impact the company has on local enterprise.

“Although the group has a procurement team, I have my own setup based on the volume of product that we procure and consume or sell monthly,” he explains.

“Forecasting, procuring (locally and abroad), warehousing, logistics and distribution is a pivotal component to our service delivery and success.

“All of our paper products and chemicals are locally sourced as well as some of our janitorial consumables and equipment. Around 95 percent of all plants are grown locally, with the majority coming out of our own farms, and all plant containers are sourced locally.

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the ongoing identification of quality businesses to acquire.

First and foremost, however, is to perfect the newly implemented operating systems in order to deliver excellence to clients.

“This new operating system we believe sets Servest Office Services apart from any of our competitors with regards to systems and SLA management,” Anderson says.

“Our system is a completely web-based computer aided facilities “All of the washroom equipment management solution that we have is imported and the rest of the developed further to be our service janitorial equipment and large cleaning operating system. equipment are imported items too, but “This new breed of software procured through local companies.” merges powerful functionality with Looking ahead, Anderson identifies sophisticated technology to extend three major focusses that will help facilities and SLA management across solidify the company’s position as a the country. Concept optimises go-to FM provider. process efficiency, accuracy and This includes the development of a productivity. By centralising data and high-performance sales team to drive processes throughout our national organic growth, complemented by operations infrastructure, concept

provides a secure, seamless flow of information.

“The system makes use of live data and links our service teams to our offices through handheld devices so as to increase efficiencies, shorten turnaround times, post queries, provide escalations, assign tasks onthe-go, and optimise resources and routing.

“Our goal is to have the best and most accurate systems in place to ensure that we service right each time, never miss a service, carry out necessary repairs swiftly, bill 100 percent accurately each time, and thus always delight our clients.”

Servest Office Services Tel: +27 860 22 55 84 info@servest.co.za www.servest.co.za

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English Point Marina, Mombasa

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Contractor

Commitment Laxmanbhai Construction continues to contribute to East Africa’s growing demand for buildings, operating with its trademark commitment to excellence, quality, innovation, sustainability and safety Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Eddie Clinton

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Dusit Hotel, Nairobi

Britam Tower, Nairobi

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he outlook for East Africa’s construction industry is a promising one.

In January this year, consultancy giant Deloitte released its African Construction Trends (2018) report, a study which contained many eye-catching headline statistics.

Top of this list of figures was that the total number of projects in East Africa has risen by 96 percent in the space of a year between 2017 and 2018, the combined value of such schemes also increasing by a massive 167 percent.

Around 84 percent of current projects are owned by state governments, although foreign investors, especially those from China, are playing an increasingly important role when it comes to funding, particularly for large infrastructure developments.

Deloitte’s research also found that Kenya was the region’s top performing country last year.

The nation currently has the largest number of high-value projects which represent a sum of $38 billion, a large proportion of East Africa’s $87.1 billion total, which alone accounts for 18.5

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Superior quality has always been at the heart of Laxmanbhai Construction Ltd. which has set us apart since day one within the Kenyan market” percent of the value of construction activity on the entire continent.

Large transport projects such as the Nairobi-Mombasa rail line are playing a key role in this developing picture, which is helping companies of all shapes and sizes to thrive.

Enter Laxmanbhai

Laxmanbhai Construction is among those businesses flourishing in this lively industry.

Drawing on more than six decades’ experience of the construction, financing and development of major projects in Kenya, the company is part of the Laxmanbhai Group of Companies which also has a strong presence in India and the UK. Indeed, the firm can be accountable for the entire lifecycle of a

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development, managing and owning many of its property assets.

“Wherever we work, our clients, consultants value our trademark commitment to excellence, quality, innovation, sustainability and safety,” the company states. “We capitalise our full range of expertise and collaborate with both clients and their investors to deliver successful projects that consistently set new benchmarks in the construction industry.”

This is proven by a track record which has seen Laxmanbhai Construction complete prestigious projects for the likes of Hilton, i&M Bank and Dusit Hotels & Resorts, among many others, covering sectors such as commercial, residential, health, retail, tourism and leisure, education, government and industrial.

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The company’s project teams are able to impart significant knowledge on the latest construction trends through in-depth reporting and exploration, advising clients on the local and global situations which will help assist them in terms of controlling costs, managing risk and maximising value.

Commitment

This approach is underpinned by a series of unwavering commitments relating to quality, health and safety and the environment.

“Superior quality has always been at the heart of Laxmanbhai Construction Ltd. which has set us apart since day one within the Kenyan market,” the firm states. “Today, that culture has not changed.”

Ever striving to boost its standards to internationally-recognised levels, the firm is determined to exceed client expectations on every project, all the while adhering to extremely stringent

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health and safety standards.

Such standards apply to work on both project sites and back offices, Laxmanbhai committed to creating an injury-free, safe working environment for not only its employees, but also clients, suppliers, subcontractors and other construction partners.

The third commitment revolves around sustainability and the environment.

“We believe that the protection of the environment is an important element of our corporate culture and that no process is so important that we cannot find a safe, healthy and environmentally friendly and sound way of achieving it,” the company states on its website.

It does this by taking steps to decrease the impact of projects on the environment and surrounding community, another key component of Laxmanbhai’s modus operandi.

The company makes particular efforts to conduct thorough and

thoughtful planning of developments, making sure the neighbourhoods it operates in are safe. “Giving back to the communities in which we work has been a long-standing tradition with Laxmanbhai Construction Ltd for the past 65 years,” it declares.

This responsible, committed approach to construction in Kenya will stand the firm in good stead moving through the rest of 2019 and beyond as it seeks to fulfil its stated mission.

It reads: “The mission of Laxmanbhai Construction Ltd. is to continue serving our clients and our community with an honest, reliable performance and a customer-first attitude. We are dedicated to the essential integrity of each job and to continue improving a full-service of quality construction since 1953.”

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BIG SAVE BIG FAMILY Starting out as a soft drink wholesaler in Pretoria in 1989, Big Save Group has adapted and grown as the industry has evolved, today employing more than 1,350 people Writer: Tom Wadlow Project Manager: Lewis Bush

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he dawn of South Africa’s democratic age in the mid-1990s brought with it tremendous change across almost all areas of social and economic life.

A newly-elected government, end to apartheid and liberalisation of the economy created fertile ground for business to thrive, an environment which saw new wholesalers and retailers like Big Save Group emerge.

Cornering its own niche in the Pretorian market, the next decade saw the family business thrive thanks to low operating costs, high margins and a lack of serious competition.

However, fast-forward to the present day and Big Save’s more recent story is one of adaption,

Tony Ferreira, Director of Operations at Big Save Group

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growth and innovation, sparked by a transformation in South Africa’s wholesale and retail scene.

“From 2005 onwards then all the dynamics started changing within the townships and informal areas,” explains Tony Ferreira, Director of Operations and son of company founder Johnny Jardim Snr. “Massive infrastructures were built such as shopping malls. Many of the corporates were then chosen as the preferred tenants to fill up these huge developed sites and this type of development impacted the local stores like us and our customers, who were already trading in the area.”

This prompted a shift in strategy, the family deciding to join major buying groups with national footprints in a bid to compete with the larger players. Big

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Save also entered the realm of retail, serving consumers directly.

Today the company comprises of seven owned outlets, four liquor depots and two hybrid franchise stores.

These stores are based in the northern Gauteng Province area of Pretoria and Tshwane, the southern Gauteng Province area of Evaton, Limpopo Province in the Marble Hall area, North West Province in Rustenburg and Mpumalanga Province in Komatipoort, all of which are served by a centralised Big Save distribution centre.

“Today we occupy over 60,000 square metres of space and employ over 1,350 people,” Ferreira says proudly, “and our journey continues as we still see the opportunities that this great country has to offer.”

Local champion

While recent years have seen a marked rise in Big Save’s footprint, the company’s priority now is to consolidate this growth and support local traders through extensions of its existing larger stores, staying true to its family-owned principles.

“We believe we stand apart from other cash and carry providers in South Africa because we still maintain a family business structure, and from this structure we are quick to execute

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BIG SAVE – THE BEGINNING “Big Save started as a family business in Pretoria 1989 as Waltloo Softdrink Wholesalers, in the area of Waltloo which is on the outskirts of Mamelodi,” recalls Ferreira. “The business was founded and funded by our father Johnny Jardim Snr who risked all his life savings, operating as a Coca-Cola depot on a 450 square metre premises.

“We were a family business of five, with four sons heading operations and 12 staff members. In the beginning it was tough just selling Coca-Cola beverages as summers were great, but winters were very difficult in trying to keep the business afloat.

“As we traded we saw an opportunity – we noticed that our customers, who drove into our drive-through system and lined up in queues to purchase our Coca-Cola products, always had their vehicles filled with other items of groceries, sweets, tobacco and perishables which were purchased in the city.

“We tried to eliminate that travelling cost for our customers and slowly started introducing all of these lines that we saw in their vehicles over the winter periods.”

The Big Save brand was thus formed in 1995 on the same Waltloo Softdrink Wholesalers site, expanded into a 1,250 square metre wholesaler cash and carry. decisive decisions,” says Ferreira.

“Big Save also sees the importance of ploughing back into the community by not only funding certain events and projects, but on bringing the business element to the community.”

This community cohesion is vital to Big Save’s identify and purpose, proven by the fact the company provides financial knowledge and training support to local people so they can run their own businesses.

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Learnerships are also offered to younger generations who are interested in pursuing a career in wholesale or retail.

In its own stores, Big Save stocks shelves with products made by local producers, giving them a platform to compete with larger corporates.

“Making these types of investments and caring about our communities and their wellbeing definitely gives us recognition and sets us apart from being just another cash and carry in this country,” Ferreira adds.

This is reflected in Big Save’s own strategy for its next phase of development. “Instead of broadening our footprint we have strategically planned that our growth going forward is to service and assist the local trader in trading,” Ferreira continues.

“In today’s tough economic climate,

a lot of our local traders have either sold or rented out their stores to foreigners who have entered our country for easy access to money.”

Part of this will involve supplying them (and Big Save’s own stores) with more fresh produce, Ferreira noticing a heightened consumer demand for fresh meat, fruit and vegetables.

Consumers are also favouring convenience in the form of smaller stores closer to home, another trend that Big Save is adapting to with a push to open more of these outlets.

“These types of stores require less capital to set up and customers want easy access, in and out type of shopping with fresh goods at discount prices,” Ferreira explains. “We have noticed that these small stores also bring intimate service, better ranging and better pricing to attract the customer.”

Big Save started life as a wholesaler before diversifying into retail

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ENJOY OUR AWARD-WINNING BLACK LABEL

Not For Persons Under The Age Of 18.

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We have noticed how our customers trust our Big Save brand... We use our customers’ feedback on which category or product to increase and introduce the next product based on this”

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Keep Walking South Africa Johnnie Walker launches new campaign inspired by iconic and pioneering South Africans.

South Africa is filled with many powerful stories of ordinary and extraordinary people who create change for themselves and their communities. Johnnie Walker is proud to announce its new brand campaign commemorating South African achievement and progress. It’s an evolution of the iconic whisky brand’s drive to inspire progress.

we realise that South Africans are ambitious and determined. We want to salute those who have taken their steps today, to be an icon tomorrow. A multitude of people, progressing with purpose,” says Njongwe.

Other recognisable faces featured in the campaign include fashion designer Thebe Magugu, artist Nelson Makamo, businessman Ze Nxumalo, cinematographer Motheo Moeng and leading female trombone player Siya Makuzeni.

The world-famous adjure to ‘Keep Walking’ is particularly meaningful in a South African context. Consumers no longer want to be dictated to and are looking for brands to partner with them in how they are represented and tell their stories in an authentic way. The ‘Keep Walking’ campaign is a push to move forward with optimism and celebrate every milestone reflective of real, inspiring stories.

Njongwe believes that the brand is succeeding in its quest to dispel the stereotypes that exist around whisky lovers and the ‘old boys club’. “Beyond the number of powerful and accomplished women featured in the campaign, we enlisted one of the country’s leading directors, Dani Hynes from Egg Films, to help us connect with a broader, previously untapped audience,” says Njongwe.

“Johnnie Walker as a brand exists to inspire personal progress and this campaign has tested our ability to really connect with our local audience under this mission,” says Zumi Njongwe, Marketing & Innovation Director at Diageo.

The result is a campaign that pays homage to moving forward together, led by a global champion of ambition and perseverance in the form of Trevor Noah.

The brand has brought together the likes of South Africa’s most famous media export Trevor Noah, the country’s first black female pilot Refilwe Ledwaba , actress and businesswoman Enhle Mbali and Olympic swimmer Chad le Clos as part of the faces of this campaign.

“In tune with the growing importance of authenticity in storytelling and finding people in different fields who truly embody the brand, we specifically selected South Africans who have had impact both locally and globally in their respective fields. As a brand

The campaign is an important addition to the South African progress narrative. ‘’We chose to shine the spotlight on prominent South African achievers who have contributed to a nation’s growth through times of transition and uncertainty,” she explains. “Every South African – whether they are in the public eye or not – has a role to play and a story to share. By honouring our heroes, and remembering how far we’ve come, we hope to inspire South Africans to always ‘Keep Walking’,” Njongwe concludes.

NOT FOR PERSONS UNDER THE AGE OF 18.

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Staying fresh

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Another central part of remaining relevant in South Africa’s changing wholesale and retail landscape involves embracing technology and introducing new, improved products.

“We have noticed a huge increase in consumers using tech to search for a product, and there is a big interest in online shopping through smartphones and applications,” identifies Ferreira.

“Loyalty programmes are also now a big part of most retailers and this can only work if the right systems and technologies are in place.”

Responding to this, Big Save is about to launch a new loyalty scheme based on a brand new, simplified point of sale system, a much more advanced way of tracking loyal customers than store cards and phone numbers. The development involved three years of experimentation and feedback, bringing together the best of technology and simplicity.

Further, new products will be

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appearing on the shelves, with Ferreira explaining how Big Save plans to build on its own-brand range which currently has 22 product lines across numerous categories.

“We have noticed how our customers trust our Big Save brand,” he adds. “We use our customers’

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feedback on which category or product to increase and introduce the next product based on this.

“It’s a process that gets everyone involved, from the customer and the supplier to our working staff – we all come together for testing of products and packaging.”

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To celebrate our 100th year, KWV’s Master Blender created this very special blend, a brandy that truly transcends time. Behind the awardwinning KWV label, you will taste and experience a piece of South African history.It all began in 1918 with our first ever brandy. Two large potstills were used to distil what has become known as KWV’s legendary 1926 vintage. Some of this vintage bottled 92yrs ago, is resting in this very bottle. Each bottle of Centenary is sold for R100 000 making it the most expensive brandy to ever be sold in South Africa.

Nearly two decades later, KWV experienced another historic moment – albeit catastrophic.

In 1942, a fire devastated much of KWV’s Stellenbosch cellars and only one brandy cask remained. Brandy from this very special cask has been added to craft this superb bottle of brandy.

To purchase contact KWV Wine Emporium. http://www.kwvwineemporium.co.za/ +27 21 807 3007

HEINEKEN SA Globally Local Sandton, 27 March 2019 - A leading developer and marketer of premium beer and cider brands, Heineken is the world’s most international brewer. Led by the Heineken® brand, the group has a powerful portfolio of more than 250 international, regional, local and specialty beers and ciders, and is committed to innovation, long-term brand investment, disciplined sales execution, and focused cost management.

Boasting a well-balanced geographic footprint with leadership positions in both developed and developing markets, Heineken employs approximately 73 000 people and operates 167 breweries, malteries, cider plants and other production facilities in more than 70 countries.

HEINEKEN South Africa is a key player in the beer and cider industry in the country, with an impressive portfolio of brands, including Heineken®, Sol, Windhoek, Miller Genuine Draft, Amstel, Strongbow, Soweto Gold, and Tafel. HEINEKEN South Africa is a joint-venture between HEINEKEN N.V. and Namibia Breweries, employing around 1500 people directly and through its dedicated third-party service providers.

HEINEKEN SA is committed to the growth and continued partnership with the Big Save Group.

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Built on trust

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This cohesion, especially internally, relies on trustworthy and loyal staff who care about their customers and ultimately the business.

Ferreira admits that finding the right individuals to join the family enterprise can sometimes be challenging, so Big Save’s focus has been on what it can do to train, develop and keep staff for the long term.

“We want to encourage those who come to work with hope to improve themselves, and those who are survivors who work to provide for themselves and their families,” he says.

“We try our utmost to make sure we keep our staff happy.”

Likewise, Big Save’s supplier network is also built around trust.

“This is crucial in any business,” Ferreira continues, “especially when you rely on certain brands from suppliers that make your business run. We have a dedicated team at our distribution centre which are further split up into teams of buyers, and they are each allocated various suppliers to deal with daily.

“We have a model in place that means we make sure that our buyers are aware of the outside trade on pricing, and that our suppliers know that we will not accept any deal pricing without being negotiated. Our transparency and loyalty to brands is what makes our business smooth running.”

A bright future

Ferreira is thus an optimist for the future, both in terms of his company’s fortunes and the wider development of South Africa as a young democratic nation.

He calls on political and business leaders to be transparent and work towards the betterment of the country as a whole, and is confident that positive development will ensue if this happens.

“We have a diverse range of people who are wanting to go forward and are willing to work hard to achieve together,” he says. “Even though we have been through turmoil, we are still very optimistic as we can see change coming – we just hope that all the issues will be addressed.

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“If this happens South Africa will be a great country for business and investors to trade in, regardless of the timeframe it takes for change to happen.”

And what of Big Save’s future?

Ferreira concludes: “We still believe we have a lot more to offer and we believe we can bring the Good Life! to our customers. Good Life! is our company motto or slogan and we notice how this impacts a lot of people within our business. Opportunity is still alive and well, we can only prioritise in keeping up with growth and staying positive.”

“We still believe we have a lot more to offer and we believe we can bring the Good Life! to our customers”

Overseas projects are particularly popular

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Big Save Group Tel: +27 12803 9189 contactus@bigsave.co.za www.bigsave.co.za

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The Supersonic Age of Second Hand Retail Cash Converters Southern Africa is not only expanding its family of franchisees, but also equipping them with the digital tools required to run successful, modern businesses Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Josh Hyland

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he trading of used goods has been a cornerstone of commercial activity throughout human history.

An economical way of acquiring essential items, be it clothing, tools, gadgets and almost anything in between, the second-hand retail industry has become a mainstream alternative to buying new.

However, while the rise of established second-hand trading has enabled consumers to live more

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economically, it has also carried with it some unwelcome reputational stereotypes.

Issues of trust, wheeler-dealing and sleazy salesmanship are all tags that are commonly associated with this realm of retail, but organisations like Cash Converters have built themselves up by offering a fresh way of doing business.

“Our group founder Brian Cumins describes it as taking the sector out of the steam-driven era and propelling it into the supersonic age,” explains Richard Mukheibir, CEO of Cash Converters Southern Africa.

“It was about mainstreaming the industry and making the average consumer in the street comfortable with the brand and its professional approach to second-hand retail.”

Mukheibir established the South African wing of the business in 1994 after flying over to Perth to meet with Cumins.

It was a time of tremendous change in the country. Nelson Mandela, having been released from prison in 1990, won the landmark democratic election of May 1994 and swore in a new postapartheid era.

For Mukheibir, it was a time of post-

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isolation optimism that matched his entrepreneurial desire.

“I come from a small business background and always wanted to do something myself,” he says. “The timing was such that I had been in a large corporate, and one of our now ex-partners had been in the UK and seen what Cash Converters was all about.

“We had a look at it and thought it was a good fit for South Africa and a growing consumer society.”

A growing family

The ensuing years have been a story of establishment and growth of the Cash Converters brand and business model

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across Southern Africa.

Today, the company has 85 franchisee-operated stores all over Southern Africa, with a further six set to open their doors to customers in the near future. These stores vary in size, the average being around 450 square metres with some nearer to the 1,000 square metre mark.

This footprint translates into a network of nearly 1,500 employees who process approximately three million transactions every year, a figure set to rise further as new outlets open and existing stores increase business activity.

This is part of an aggressive growth plan launched into the business in 2017,

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when the company moved into a new corporate head office in Midrand.

“It feels like yesterday that we moved in,” recalls Mukheibir. “The new site effectively is double the footprint of our former office and we’ve capacitated to manage 125 stores, so there is the room for us to keep growing.

“We need to put the resources in ahead of the store numbers to ensure consistency when new outlets open.”

Modernising

This capacity to expand not only encompasses physical space at the new corporate HQ, but also the

technological capability to seamlessly handle frontline and back office processes.

“Last year we launched a new point of sale (PoS) system into our business based on a single view of the consumer,” Mukheibir says. “This is a huge leap from the paper-based, manual processes that we had when we started.”

The new system is adding around 40,000 sets of customer data every month, with 250,000 records already secured in the new system.

For Mukheibir, data is a new form of currency. “We have the ability to manage and monitor what customers are doing in our stores, which clearly

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gives us a distinct advantage,” he adds.

“We can see what is being bought, by whom and where.”

The new POS system, named CCPOS and hosted over a Microsoft Stack platform, delivers a myriad of other benefits, including the ability to be more efficient with debit card-based loan provision which in turn is boosting levels of customer service.

It also, crucially, enables greater visibility over inventories, allowing franchisees to keep a firmer grasp on what is selling strongly and thus what products their store may need to acquire.

“It further lays the foundation for us to go into web shopping, and the next step for us has been to hire a new group marketing manager with a strong data background,” says Mukheibir. “She has a track record in Africa and will be responsible for building out our data warehouse and helping us make the most of the data we have.”

Beyond the new POS system, Cash Converters Southern Africa has also just brought online a centralised jewellery processing centre,

responsible for refurbishing purchased items to a condition as close to new as physically possible.

The firm has a similar setup regarding electronics, with franchisees able to remotely plug in devices and connect to a team at head office who will validate software and data, another example of technology enabling connectivity between stores and central management.

Shared values

These geographically separated franchisees are also joined by a shared set of values that stem from the top of the Cash Converters organisation.

Formed of just five words – professionalism, passion, integrity, collaboration and respect – this ethos is what ensures a consistent customer experience across the board, no matter which store they may find themselves using.

Asked what he looks for in a potential franchise partner, Mukheibir explains: “At every step of the process we look to these five characteristics and for ‘people person’ individuals. “

“Our franchisees should have a common value set with us and the complementary skills to run a business – for example, if arriving for an interview with us two or three hours late, then we need to deduce whether that reflects their general professionalism.”

“We prefer those with experience in the traditional industry, as we pride ourselves on a new way of doing things with different values.”

A one to two-hour face to face interview is just one step of a thorough vetting and onboarding process, with successful applicants given store tours and shadowing sessions before any franchise is awarded.

“This is really important as it gives the prospective owner a feel for what the day-to-day will look like,” Mukheibir continues. “We are an owner-operated business, and don’t sell our franchises to managers. The owner opens and closes the store, and we have found this to be a very successful model and a differentiator for us.”

An online training portal bolsters any hands-on training and further ensures consistency of operation across the Cash Converters network.

Made up of more than 500 individual pieces of content, the system again mitigates any potential barriers presented by the distance between stores, removing the need for franchisees to make regular visits to head office, or vice versa.

“This has greatly helped us over the past three to four years,” says Mukheibir. “It is paramount to the credibility of Cash Converters that our offering and level of customer service is consistent across all of our stores.”

The next generation

This uncompromising approach to standards and values has resulted in 25 years of successful operation in Southern Africa, a milestone that the CEO is proud to reach and a legacy that

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D’Amico Attorneys congratulate Cash Converters Southern Africa as they celebrate their 25th anniversary as the leader in the retail of second-hand goods. They operate franchises throughout Southern Africa.

As their preferred commercial and franchising lawyers, D’Amico Attorneys are proud to be associated with Cash Converters’ success.

D’Amico Attorneys provide specialist advice and tailored franchise agreements and supporting documents to franchisors and franchisees. They are on the panel of legal advisors to FASA (the Franchise Association of South Africa).

15 Peter Place, Bryanston, Johannesburg, South Africa Tel: +27 (011) 463-3110 | www.damico.co.za

Cash Converters currently has 85 franchisee-operated stores open all over Southern Africa

he wishes to continue long after he departs the business.

“We see ourselves as sustainable wealth creators for our franchisees,” Mukheibir says. “It is about making sustainable profits and the fact we have been around in Southern Africa for 25 years validates what we have done so far.”

This is no better demonstrated than by the company’s first South African franchisee, who has just signed a 10-year lease extension. Mukheibir also wants to empower future generations, with Cash Converters franchises passed down to children who will continue to develop their family business.

This formed part of the focus of a recent training fortnight at head office,

and succession planning will no doubt help ensure the smooth handover of franchises once original owners are ready to retire or take on new challenges.

And it is the passing down of knowledge that Mukheibir hopes to be able to extend to the wider Southern African community as part of a future corporate social responsibility drive, a key element of the newly-appointed marketing manager’s remit.

An exciting and rewarding future ahead, the CEO remains positive as he was back in 1994 with regards to the future flourishing of retail in South Africa. Another set of elections, another cause for optimism.

He concludes: “The past 12 to 18

months have been a bit of a rocky ride for the country, but once we’ve passed the elections in May the situation will become a lot less volatile, and we can get down to building the country.”

“We’ll be able to concentrate on growing the economy once again, and this is where Cash Converters can contribute.

“Every store that we open generates its own microeconomy around it, and further digitisation and expansion will only increase the positive impact of our brand, not just in South Africa but other Sub-Saharan countries we are looking at investing in.”

Cash Converters South Africa Tel: +27 87 820 4060 www.cashconverters.co.za

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he trading of goods has been the backbone of commerce throughout the development of human civilization.

From ancient markets and bazaars through to out of town shopping centres and ecommerce, the retail trade has evolved enormously as time has elapsed.

In Nigeria, this is no different. “The retail industry in Nigeria is historically, and arguably, the oldest alongside agriculture, both of which have existed for centuries though evolving with

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Retail is on the rise in Africa’s most populated country, with Lagos-based Hubmart broadening its horizons thanks to a fresh, customer-centric offering Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Josh Hyland

the times,” explains Anthony Atuche, Acting CEO of Lagos-based retail chain Hubmart.

“Nigeria was the major hub for the exchange and distribution of goods in West Africa, first among the empires

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and then between the colonials as far back as the 15th century because of its seaports and inland waterways which made it conducive for trade.”

What many would see as modern retail, however, is a relatively new construct.

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“There was a brief stint in the 80s with the emergence of iconic departmental stores like Kingsway, UTC and Leventis which diminished due to the unfavourable economic clime of that era, but it is flourishing again this decade with the introduction of more retail brands annually,” Atuche continues.

“This is evident in the growth in the market size nowadays which has almost doubled, reaching a rate of 3.5 percent from two percent a couple of years ago.

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Hubmart prides itself on a convenient, affordable and personable offering at its stores in Lagos

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“This growth signals opportunities as retailers are becoming more creative in their offerings, and customers are enjoying the best of both worlds in terms of competitive pricing of the open markets and a wide range of products and categories choices.”

Enter Hubmart

Hubmart signifies this new era of retail in Nigeria.

Operating three stores in Lagos, the 100 percent Nigerian-invested company is set to open a fourth in May 2019 in Omele, on the mainland of the city.

Spanning 1,250 square metres, the new site will be a timely addition to what is a very densely populated residential area, and is proof that the company’s multi-format concept has been a hit with consumers so far.

Boasting a wide selection of fresh produce that is competitively priced, Atuche points to the company’s subbrands as a key differentiator in what is an exciting, vibrant retail market.

Hubmart employs more than 500 people across its stores

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“Hubmart shouts out our fresh offers which emphasises the total customer experience,” he says.

“Our HubDeli and bakery stand out with alluring and addictive recipes.

This is combined with high quality and fresh proteins from our butchery department, along with our grocery and non-grocery offers, all of which are simply unrivalled. Our consistency in all we do is a virtue by itself.”

Hubmart’s sub-brands will soon include HubCafe, designed to celebrate Africa’s coffee heritage, while HubCare caters to customers’ health and beauty needs.

Atuche’s ambitions are bold, the company striving to one day become the leading retailer in Nigeria.

“We have over 500 employees who strive to create the ultimate shopping experience through quality customer service and a conducive shopping atmosphere which emphasises value at the best price,” he says.

FrieslandCampina WAMCO is excited to drive customer satisfaction with Hubmart.

Nigeria’s fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry is a highly competitive sector with several brands jostling to earn the share of mind and heart of the target audience.

The entrance of the modern trade business (hyper stores) has heightened the rate of change, and the need to constantly meet the everyday needs of customers and consumers.

Working in this environment is no easy task.

It requires close management of business relationships and the ability to constantly adapt. This is what makes FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria’s business relations with Hubmart Nigeria very significant.

Nigeria is the largest economy in Africa with a population of over 180 million people, making it a country of endless possibilities.

The country’s foremost dairy company and market leader is FrieslandCampina WAMCO, an affiliate of the Royal FrieslandCampina in The Netherlands, which has been providing branded high-quality dairy products throughout Nigeria and West Africa.

At the heart of its operations in Nigeria is the passion to make quality dairy nutrition accessible to Nigerians. This is strongly rooted in the company’s mission - nourishing Nigerian with quality dairy nutrition and overall strategy for product delivery.

For over 60 years, the company has deliberately positioned itself as a provider

of branded high quality dairy nutrition throughout Nigeria and West Africa. With a clear strategy of providing affordable nutrition through a range of low unit portion packs (LUPP) of its premium brands – Peak and Three Crowns evaporated and powdered milk – consumers can access quality and affordable dairy nutrition. This strategy is efficiently applied via the company’s extensive distribution network pan Nigeria.

Hubmart Nigeria is one of FrieslandCampina WAMCO’s Key Business Partners in the Modern Trade Channel. For the company, Hubmart is a strong chain store and operates a unique model that supports our company strategy to serve the 24-seven consumer and customer.

Hubmart understands the growing shopper need for convenience, hence by having food courts within each store outlet, it is able to creatively drive affinity with consumers and also ensure high store traffic and stock rotation which we support with the deployment of Brand Ambassadors, who drive conversion at the point of purchase in their outlets.

The company is opening new locations with the same standard and quality customer service and with our joint business planning approach, we see a lot of sustainable business initiatives and opportunities doing business with Hubmart. So indeed, FrieslandCampina WAMCO is excited to continue driving customer satisfaction with Hubmart, even in years to come.

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Indeed, Hubmart operates under the motto ‘happy to help…always’.

“This is our guiding principle and biggest differentiator in the market,” Atuche adds. “Through every decision to every action, from top management to the sales representatives on the shop floor, we strive for the total customer experience.

“This is only achievable through regular and consistent customer insight collation and analysis. Data accrued from the process has helped us stay on top of our game – we are different to and ahead of the rest.”

Such an approach is in response to the ever-changing lifestyles of Nigerian consumers, who are leading increasingly busy lives and demand simplicity, speed and value for money when it comes to their shopping activities.

CORPORATE CITIZEN As well as looking after its customers, Hubmart firmly believes in giving back to the local communities where it is based.

To this end, the company will be engaging in numerous corporate social responsibility activities covering health, education, community empowerment and poverty eradication.

Further, Hubmart is also determined to ensure all of its products are ethically sourced and handled in accordance with the highest quality and safety practices.

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Retail is one of the drivers of the economy in the country and the growing demand for more convenient and consistent shopping experiences with more variety puts modern, organised retail in the focus of investors”

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Hubmart operates various sub-brands such as HubDeli, HubCare and HubCafe

Retail – Nigeria’s next big industry?

The changing dynamics of Nigerian retail in response to consumer demand is also opening up enormous potential for further growth.

The sector already accounts for 16 percent of the country’s entire GDP, with research by McKinsey forecasting a $40 billion opportunity for food and consumer goods by 2020.

Another, perhaps more illuminating demonstration of this uplift can be seen in terms of floor coverage.

In 2005, Nigeria had just two shopping malls (the Palms Lekki Mall in Lagos and Ceddi Plaza in Abuja) and 30,000 square metres of retail space.

In 2017, retail space was measured at 326,958 square metres, representing a tenfold growth in just 12 years. The country is also home to several more shopping malls in cities such as Port

Harcourt, Ilorin, Owerri, and Onitsha.

Many factors are contributing to this, not least Nigeria’s growing middle class, which currently makes up around 24 percent of the nation’s population.

This rise in spending power, coupled with ongoing urbanisation, points towards a retail market on the up.

And the opportunity for this growth to accelerate is clear for all to see.

Despite the rapid escalation of retail space, Nigeria is still some way behind other markets like South Africa, which is still the continent’s most developed retail economy.

Atuche is thus an ardent optimist for the future of both Hubmart and the country’s retail sector.

He concludes: “Nigeria, as the biggest economy in Africa, is bursting with opportunities in industry, trade and commerce.

“Retail is one of the drivers of the economy in the country and the growing demand for more convenient and consistent shopping experiences with more variety puts modern, organised retail in the focus of investors (both local and foreign).

“This rising demand is evident in the increase in investments in the retail industry, resulting in the astronomical rise in the opening of retail stores in major cities around the country. This cake is growing rapidly.”

Hubmart Tel: +234 1 802 824 4137 info@hubmart.com www.hubmart.com

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Exceeding

Expectation Synonymous with innovation and digitisation, GIG Logistics is striving to transform customer experience and raise the logistics bar across the African continent Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Josh Mann

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The food problem of Africa is not the result of shortages in production, but rather a consequence of our inability to store food during harvest in the rainy season to ensure that we have enough during the dry season.”

Piqued by forays into the study of farm management and agricultural economics at University, Ayodele Adenaike’s interest in logistics was nurtured from a young age as he went on to produce a thesis that assessed the storage capabilities of small-scale farming enterprises across SubSaharan Africa.

“Building on this, I found it relatively easy to function very well on my first job as a purchasing store officer and ultimately make a full-time career in logistics.”

Fast forward to the present day and, having expanded his expertise after spending 11 years with international industry specialist DHL, Adenaike now hold’s his most prestigious position to

date, standing as the Chief Operating Officer of GIG Logistics.

A Nigerian subsidiary of indigenous technology and intelligence-driven management company GIG Group, GIG Logistics was formed in 2012 with a mandate to address the major challenges of the country’s logistics industry.

“It was rare to find a logistics company with a perfect blend of structured processes as well as a vast knowledge of the local environment,” states Adenaike. “It was the ideal opportunity and I believe that this company is truly revolutionising the way in which logistics is done in Africa.”

Inventive ingenuity

GIG Logistics largely differentiates itself in two ways, as Adenaike explains: “Firstly, we consider ourselves as a technology company before we see the logistics aspect. In other words, GIG logistics is a tech company offering logistics services.

ONE GROUP, SIX COMPANIES GIG Logistics’ solutions are categorised as follows: • Ecommerce last delivery mile: Empowering businesses by offering leading courier solutions and customer services.

• Customer to customer deliveries: Providing affordable domestic courier services to virtually every location in Nigeria.

• Business to business deliveries: Aiding businesses with manufactured goods from warehousing to distribution.

• Business to customer deliveries: Providing logistics solutions for manufactured goods from warehouse to retail.

• Movers: Supporting office and home moving requirements.

• International deliveries: Leveraging a network of thirdparty delivery partners in 220 countries around the world.

Across Nigeria, the company offers same-day delivery services in major cities such as Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja, and has a 24-hour window for nationwide deliveries.

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NSIA INSURANCE LIMITED INSURANCE AND BUSINESS IN A GROWING ECONOMY. Businesses are vulnerable to various risks that may threaten their existence and consequently, a drawback in the economy. It is therefore essential that businesses leverage insurance solutions to mitigate losses; ensuring economic sustainability and development.

Over the last 20 years, NSIA Insurance Ltd (Formerly Known as ADIC Insurance Ltd), one of Nigeria’s leading distributors of diversified risk management products and services, has consistently supported and protected the Nigerian economy through the design and delivery of innovative risk management solutions for businesses and households.

NSIA continually strives to create value by operating with integrity and ensuring client satisfaction through continuous product innovation and effective service delivery whilst maintaining the highest possible standards and building trust in the Nigerian business environment.

Our strategic partnership with GIG Logistics, one of Nigeria’s leading logistics companies, is one of our many initiatives towards innovation and economic development achieved through the provision of tailor-made insurance solutions, creating protection in the unforeseen event of losses that may occur as a result of carrying on business activities.

NSIA Nigeria Ltd is a member company of the NSIA group with footprints Xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx throughout Africa including xxxxxxxxx Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Togo, Senegal and Nigeria. The company is present in locations across five of the six geo political zones providing both life and non-life risk management solutions to several industries, including oil and energy, marine, engineering, financial institutions and FMCGs.

T +234 1 2805378/9 E enquiry@nsiainsurance.com

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NSIA Insurance Limited is one of the most progressive composite insurance companies in Nigeria with a branch network that ensures quality service delivery across the nation. We offer a wide range of insurance products to meet the changing financial, investment and lifestyle risk needs of both corporate, commercial and individual clients.

We are one of the most capitalized companies in the Nigerian insurance sector and our partners benefit from our simple and cost efficient administration processes and highly experienced team collectively creating value and ensuring the satisfaction of our customers.

NSIA Insurance Limited was incorporated originally as African Development Insurance Company (ADIC) before its acquisition by NSIA Participations. The group has its presence in 12 countries which includes Cameroun, Congo, Gabon, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Nigeria, Togo and Senegal.

Corporate Head Office: 3, Elsie Femi Pearse Street, Victoria Island. Lagos

Tel: +234-1-2805378-9, +234-1-2714977 Email: enquiry@nsiainsurance.com

www.nsiainsurance.com

• Lagos •Abuja • Port Harcourt •Ibadan • Enugu • Kano • Kaduna • Onitsha. • Warri.

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“Secondly, and equally, we are committed to providing exceptional service delivery for our customers, exceeding expectations through innovative delivery solutions.”

Emphasising its focus on these two elements, the company is allowing consumers to seamlessly interact and transact with businesses with ease.

From its flagship agility application that helps improve internal efficiency and the promising development of its mobile app, to its planned incorporation of artificial intelligence and use of electric vehicles, GIG Logistics is proactively ensuring it remains well ahead of the regional curve, leveraging the latest and best in industry capabilities.

THE GIG LOGISTICS FOOTPRINT GIG logistics currently has 82 service centres spread across Nigeria, with 100 percent presence in all the states in the west, south and southeast.

Alongside its substantial domestic footprint, the firm is also extending its services overseas, with its flagship branch having opened in Houston, Texas in early 2018.

Moreover, the company is registered to begin business in Ghana by Q2 2019, with its wider sights set on China, the UK, Dubai and East African countries such as Rwanda and Kenya.

“Ultimately, we are set to move from being the leading logistics company in Nigeria to the leading logistics company in Africa owned by Africans,” states Adenaike.

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“In my opinion, any logistics business that is not ready to play the tech game is preparing to become extinct,” Adenaike states.

modernisation and digitalisation.

“Ecommerce is a huge business and Africa is a large market that is relatively untapped, and we realised early enough that ecommerce is nothing Explosive expansion without logistics,” states Adenaike.

Standing itself apart from the crowd, “I’d even say it is the future of logistics, the company has grown astronomically and so we have positioned ourselves in recent times, evident in the to play a significant role in capitalising explosive expansion of its ecommerce on this.” client base.

Recognising a need for cash-onWith 1,500 SMEs now registered on delivery management due to many its ecommerce platform, this number online transactions in Nigeria remaining has risen five-fold in the past year, up largely cash-based, the company built a from 300 in early 2018, driven by the customised application that provides a company’s continual emphasis on unique fix to this problem.

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heart of the organisation through its educational, technological and leadership-centric initiatives. One recent example in particular includes the firm’s co-sponsor of Techpoint Build 2019, West Africa’s biggest startup event and a major gathering of SMEs, investors and promising businesses.

“We’ve also determined that SMEs are a major factor in our rapid growth, so we have implemented an initiative to help train them on how to do online business at scale,” Adenaike continues.

“This a win-win for each party and the wider economy.”

Readied for rapid growth

“Clearly some challenges still crop up,” adds Adenaike, “but as we create solutions to deal with these, we increasingly offer better and more efficient services to the customer.

“Now, thanks to this, merchants can view their transactions on our customer portal and top up their wallet from the comfort of their offices.”

Progress provision

The firm’s technology-enabled solutions aside, the company is playing a key role in providing the platform for socioeconomic progression across Nigeria.

One such indication of this is its emphasis on staff, regularly sending its management team on refresher courses at the Lagos Business School to broaden their knowledge.

Adenaike continues: “Equally we have a training school called the GIG Learning Academy at the GIG Group level, an initiative that allows us to reiterate our company mission, vision and values to all our members.

“We believe in making investments in our staff, as they are our most valuable asset.”

CSR is another area that the company excels in, embedded in the

All things combined, GIG Logistics is becoming increasingly well positioned to capitalise on the opportunities of a continent that is offering ever-more promising potential.

“Logistics is key to the economic growth of any nation, accounting for a significant percentage of internally generated revenue in many countries,” Adenaike says. “It is thus a profitable and rewarding sector to invest in.”

Specifically, for the year ahead, the COO affirms that the company is aiming to maintain its rapid expansion plan to establish presence in every major city in Nigeria by the end of 2019, as well as initiate further movement in its international ambitions and technological developments.

He concludes: “Our philosophy is that no logistics company in Nigeria knows the local terrain better than we do. A shark can’t survive in rivers where the crocodile is king, and I like to think that GIG Logistics is the crocodile of the Nigerian logistics space.

“We do what we do better than the rest.”

GIG Logistics Tel: +234 8 139 851120 info@giglogistics.ng www.giglogistics.ng

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ater – lifeblood to almost all living things that inhabit earth.

From hydrating humans to powering plant photosynthesis, it is rightly labelled the world’s most precious resource, with rivers, coasts and lakes the focal point of civilizations throughout the whole of human history.

Through time water has taken on a tremendous range of other use cases, not least in the industrialisation

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State-owned ZESCO Limited is charged with powering the nation, operating with a vision to become a regional hub for electricity trading by 2025

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Writer: Tom Wadlow Project Manager: Callam Waller

of society. Its ability to generate power, be it steam when heated or through sheer force of movement, has catalysed socioeconomic advancement all over the world.

And it is the latter, hydrokinetic energy which is proving key to the powering of Zambia’s development.

Landlocked in the heart of Southern Africa, the nation has turned to its rivers as the means to generate the required power to industrialise.

Indeed, of Zambia’s 2,800 MW

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of installed electricity generation capacity, 85 percent is hydro based, and ZESCO Limited is the state-owned body responsible for the vast majority of power generation, transmission, and distribution.

The company was formed in 1970 after the Zambia Electricity Supply Act was passed in parliament.

“This Act brought together the electricity undertakings that were previously managed by the local authorities,” the firm states. “The

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corporation traces its origins to 1906 when a small thermal station was established in Livingstone to serve a small section of the town.”

Today ZESCO is wholly owned by the government, whose Permanent Secretaries of the Ministry of Finance and National Planning, and the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Water Development, sit on the organisation’s board.

Mandated to provide safe and reliable electricity in order to improve

the quality of life for all, ZESCO recently reignited collaboration with the Zambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ZACCI), the umbrella organisation representing businesses across all sectors of the economy.

Having rekindled their partnership on February 1, 2019, Hazel Zulu, Public Relations Manager for ZESCO, said: “In line with its vision of ‘Being The Hub for Electricity Trading in The Region by 2025’ and mission of ‘Making It Easy for People to Live a Better Life’, ZESCO

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TO MEASURE POWER QUALITY IS TO KNOW.....

And Zambia is now number 1 in the regionâ&#x20AC;¦

Phone: +46 (0)31-799 02 80 www.metrum.se

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ZESCO has laid the foundation for economic development, for business houses and captains of industry to get on board and utilise the electricity potential available”

has laid the foundation for economic development, for business houses and captains of industry to get on board and utilise the electricity potential available.”

Harnessing hydro

A huge part of this foundation is a series of hydropower projects that, as mentioned, generate the vast majority of all Zambian electricity.

In Southern Province, for example, a 120 MW development has been built as part of a joint venture with TATA Zambia worth $245 Million, a project which is operated by Itezhi Tezhi Power Corporation.

“The hydropower station, which was originally constructed to provide storage capacity for the Kafue Gorge Power Station, is located on the Kafue River some 300 kilometres from the confluence of the Kafue and Zambezi rivers, with both the Itezhi Tezhi Power Corporation Ltd (ITPC) and ZESCO

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having the Itezhi-Tezhi dam as a shared facility,” ZESCO explains.

At the other end of the scale, the Shiwang’andu hydropower station is providing a lifechanging stream of electricity to the people of Chinsali, a town in Muchinga Province and one of the most historic and scenic locations

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in Zambia.

This one MW scheme is a prime example of how ZESCO is looking to use hydro to boost socioeconomic development in rural parts of the country.

On the Kafue River, a primary tributary of the Zambezi River and 55 kilometres upstream of the confluence, the company is developing an enormous 750 MW facility.

The Kafue Gorge Lower Hydro Project is situated 17.3 kilometres downstream of the existing 990 MW Kafue Gorge Hydro Power Station dam site and will be the third largest hydropower plant in Zambia once completed in 2020.

Providing employment to 4,000 people at project peak, the development will also open up opportunities for development in the surrounding area, with surplus power having the potential to supply new business ventures.

Zambia advanced to first place in power quality Power quality is now in large focus in Africa, ensuring economic development and that electricity is available to all people.

Zambia has high ambitions to become the “central energy hub in the region” and with that comes challenges to improve the security of supply, and this work has already started. With the strong regulator (ERB) pushing to comply to the grid code, the utilities took the opportunity and are now proactively improving the supply. The trend is very clear, more and more sensitive equipment is used in the grid and the loads are increasing. If you combine that fact with the plans for installing more renewable energy on the grid, you need to have very strong knowledge and control of the grid’s strength.

Zambia is taking the lead in terms of installed power quality analysers, and Metrum now has nearly 400 measurement points across the country. Now there is great knowledge about the importance of measuring and analysing power quality data from the Metrum system.

Renewable energy the way forward Renewable energy is the way to go but you must not forget the solar panels and wind turbines will pollute the quality of supply of electricity. Maybe you have experience yourself of flickering lights at home, that is a perfect example of bad power quality. It may not mean so much for you individually but imagine what the effects are on industrial

equipment and interconnection points to neighboring countries. This is already well understood in Zambia and with the vast number of analysers installed we can now detect problems on the grid before it becomes a big costly issue. To find the source of the problem and even prevent power cuts to supply a better product to the industries, interconnection points as well as end-users are very important. This proactive mindset is now paying off and more is to come.

Leader in capacity building Metrum has been a long-term competence partner since the very beginning, not only supplying the system but also providing knowledge sharing and training on several occasions every year both in Sweden and locally. It’s very important to build up the capacity and bring the expertise. Metrum has a broad training programme and great connection with the top names in power quality from the academic world.

Artificial intelligence improving power quality Metrum is leader in power quality with new technologies such as artificial intelligence and solutions to predict trends as part of our third generation power quality analysers.

Combined with the most user-friendly system this gives great synergies to our clients in the African market.

“Metrum has a large focus on Africa, and with its population aimed to double by 2050, we will be there to ensure all people will get access to electricity, with good power quality,” says Ola Parnevall, Metrum Business Development Manager for Africa.

T +46 (0)31-799 02 80

www.metrum.se

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Grid guardian

ZESCO is not just about electricity generation, however. The company is also responsible for Zambia’s transmission grid, a highway for electricity delivery across the nation and into neighbouring countries.

“The ZESCO transmission grid comprises transmission lines and substations at 330 kV, 220 kV, 132 kV and 66 kV voltage levels,” the company explains.

“The backbone of the grid is built on a robust 330 kV system from the southern part of the country where the major generating stations are located through Lusaka and Central provinces to the Copperbelt.”

Export of electricity to African neighbours is an important business for ZESCO, especially during off peak seasons. Key customers during these

periods include Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Botswana and Tanzania.

As more hydro projects come online, connectivity to the grid will be vital in ensuring this extra power makes it to the communities and industries that need it.

ZESCO alone cannot modernise Zambia’s electricity grid, however.

A key part of its ongoing work comes in the form of partnerships with private enterprise, for example with Metrum, a leading provider of intelligent measurement systems of power quality.

Designed to avoid downtime and issues with power quality, Metrum’s solutions leverage the power of artificial intelligence and other leadingedge technology to provide full-scale visibility over the quality of power being supplied through a network.

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ambia will soon have a new creditworthy intermediary renewable energy power purchaser: GreenCo Power Services Limited (GreenCo).

GreenCo will act as: • Renewable energy creditworthy power buyer and seller: GreenCo buys power from small to medium sized IPPs, on-selling through longterm contracts to utilities and private buyers; it also executes shorter-term trades on the SAPP; • Aggregator of risk and risk capital: Strongly capitalised, GreenCo assumes credit risk of utilities and private buyers, resulting in reduced tariffs; • Operational aggregator of renewable energy supply; • Downside support: Where buyers fail to pay, GreenCo sells to alternative buyers or through SAPP markets; where termination scenarios arise, GreenCo uses its capital structure to cover outstanding commercial project debt in affected IPPs; • Champion of new renewable energy services and innovations for the region in partnership with the public sector.

ZESCO works with many partner companies in order to supply Zambia and neighbouring countries with power

GreenCo will be embedded in the local and regional electricity sector and will be able to take practical steps to diversify and mitigate risk, catalysing sustainable structural market change, and supporting growth of national and regional electricity markets. GreenCo will operate as a member of regional power pools and will mitigate both demand-side and supply-side risks.

GreenCo will help unlock the private capital required to meet Sustainable Development Goals at reduced cost, with less reliance on host government support, and at lower generation tariff to utilities.

Whilst GreenCo will start operations in Zambia, it will provide regional market support and become a renewable energy offtaker in neighbouring countries.

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Grant support from

Addressing creditworthiness to increase generation and growth of renewable energy markets through partnerships and innovative solutions.

Zambia will soon have a new creditworthy intermediary power purchaser for renewable energy projects.

GreenCo is working closely with ZESCO and will act as an aggregator of small and medium size renewable energy projects, improving their bankability, reducing tariffs and attracting new sources of investment.

GreenCoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vision is to lead innovation and sustainably transform renewable energy markets in Africa Partners

Supported by

info@africagreenco.com | +260 973 802792 | www.africagreenco.com

Lusaka

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The company supplies ZESCO with MASEN such instruments, building on work it has already carried out with the likes of Copperbelt Energy Corporation asen was founded in 2010 and Another example of ZESCO’s is a major player in Morocco’s focussed on the mines in the north of involvement in a public overall energy strategy. The Zambia. private partnership is its company oversees implementation Metrum has Swedish origins and of the country’s renewable energy FibreCom business. was founded in 2004 with the intention programme aiming to achieve 52 of creating the next generation percent of the national electricity mix This time the focus is from renewable sources by 2030. of power quality instruments and broadband. FibreCom systems. Now owned by multiple services are available in all As manager of all integrated renewable energy project aspects ranging from stakeholders, including the Swedish 10 provincial centres and generating electricity to contributing government, the company is looking to the surrounding districts of to the local economy and communities, impart its expertise on Africa and help Zambia, offering the widest Masen is transforming natural energy build a reliable energy supply across coverage of fibre optic into power for progress. the continent. connectivity in the country.

Another important collaboration will “FibreCom is strategically come with GreenCo Power Services positioned in ZESCO to Limited, a creditworthy intermediary provide mission critical renewable energy power purchaser. services of power grid The company’s remit is simple – to protection and Supervisory increase private sector investment Control and Data Acquisition in energy generation in Sub-Saharan (SCADA), but also advance Africa by mitigating the credit risks www.masen.ma the deployment of ICT in the associated with the current lack country through the provision of creditworthy offtakers. This is of the backbone network to important for Zambia, as it will bring Building on potential other service providers,” the investment into its ever-growing Such partnerships will be crucial company states. power market and decrease pressure moving forwards, especially given the on utilities companies like ZESCO. scope for Zambia to generate more power.

ZESCO believes there is potential to generate up to 6,000 MW, more than half that currently being produced in the country.

For example, it has highlighted Batoka Gorge on the Zimbabwe border as a site where 1,600 MW could be generated, with further new generation projects identified at Devil’s Gorge (500 MW), Mpata Gorge (540 MW) and Mumbotuta Falls (300 MW).

Through a mixture of state-backed and public private partnership investment, the future certainly looks promising.

A clearly stated goal to become the hub for electricity trading in the region by 2025, if ZESCO can get these Overseas projects are particularly popular projects off the ground then it stands Assessing power quality is vital to avoid outages and ensure a reliable supply to fulfil this bold ambition.

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Outlook Creative Services

Outlook Publishingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s award-winning 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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Future perspectives of the oil & gas industry

EVENT DETAILS WHEN: April 1-5 WHERE: Malabo, Equatorial Guinea WEBSITE: www.yearofenergy2019.com/appo

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IN 2019 the African Petroleum Producers Organization (APPO) will present its seventh edition of the African Petroleum Congress and Exhibition in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.

This conference organised by Africa Oil & Power entails a first-level meeting of oil ministers, top-level executives and opinion leaders. In a time of positive growth for Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s oil & gas sector, APPO offers the members of the African energy industry this exceptional platform.

For the continentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s oil producers this represents an opportunity to guarantee the prosperity and stability by gathering and jointly generate ideas.

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Starting from governmental cooperation, moving through the coordination of the private sector and concluding with intercontinental alliances, we shed light on energy coalitions needed to achieve progress.

In this the seventh African Petroleum Congress and Exhibition. We invite all stakeholders to contribute with their vision for the advancement of the energy sectors of Africa.

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Summit 2019

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West Africa

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THE POWER sector in West Africa is facing a paradigm shift. The ECOWAS region has a population of over 380 million people, living in 15 different countries, each with their own challenges and concerns.

A lack of access to reliable power is the biggest inhibitor to growth according to the World Bank, also with pressure to reduce reliance on heavy fuel oil and increase state energy

EVENT DETAILS WHEN: April 9-11 WHERE: Dakar, Senegal CONTACT: natalie.stone@valemediagroup.com WEBSITE: www.wafpower.com

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Disrupting the B2B events business on the African continent security, focus is moving towards the next generation of green, cost effective power assets for the region.

This is why, on April 9-11, 2019, Senegal will see the third edition of Vale Media’s highly influential www.wafpower.com Summit taking place at the Novotel Hotel, Dakar, in partnership with SENELEC, ANER and the Ministry of Energy, Senegal.

West Africa’s most notable Power event will bring the leading C-level executives from the national power utilities, IPP’s and Ministry of Energy/ Power from across the region for an intimate three days of high level one-to-one B2B meetings, thought leadership, presentations and networking.

The Summit will cover the whole

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value chain of the power sector from financing through to execution and from generation to distribution in order to strategise on how the region can improve electrification rates, increase GDP and leapfrog the rest of the world on the adoption of new technologies.

Speakers and panellists will include CEOs, MDs, DGs and VPs from SENELEC, ANER, GridCo, NNPC, Sahara Power Group, ContourGlobal, Lekela Power, Rotan Power Limited, ABB, MAN ENERGY SOLUTIONS, GE, Ansaldo Energia, MASEN and Siemens.

There are a very small number of positions still available, so if you would like to meet with C-level decision makers from the power sector within West Africa please contact us for additional information.

In Partnership With

Hosted By

Endorsed By

@ VA LE M E D IA G R O U P

West Africa

Summit 2019

#W A FP

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AFRICA POWER SERIES

BRIDGING THE FINANCIAL GAP FOR OFF GRID / ON GRID POWER PROJECTS IN ECOWAS 9th - 11th April 2019 | Novotel | Dakar | Senegal

3 DAY SUMMIT 3 PANELS

3 The African Oil & Energy B2B Events Company

B2B MEETINGS 16 PRESENTATIONS

KEYNOTE PRESENTATIONS

FOCUSED ROUNDTABLES

SUMMIT TEAM ON-SITE SUPPORT

INTERACTIVE SUMMIT APP

NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES

PANEL DISCUSSIONS

4 ROUNDTABLES

PRIVATE PRE-ARRANGED B2B MEETINGS

The African Oil & Energy B2B Events Company

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WHEN: April 25-26 WHERE: Casablanca, Morocco CONTACT: marketing@gbbventure.com.

WEBSITE: www.redevelopmentsummit.com/ north-africa

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A networking forum to discuss the future of real estate

EVENT DETAILS

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Our sole focus would be to identify the challenges faced by project holders, while sourcing appropriate material suppliers, service providers, and other real estate project related solutions, and connect local business owners to leading global market leaders who are handpicked based on THE REAL Estate Development decades of accumulated experience in Summit – North Africa is curated by the industry.

GBB venture to create a B2B event in This summit will host 80 handthe real estate industry which allows picked solution providers and 120 collaborators an opportunity to project holders from North Africa to network meaningfully. engage in personalised face-to-face The core thought process behind meetings, purposeful networking, and the summit is to eliminate the common impactful knowledge sharing sessions pain points that plague suppliers and insightful panel discussions at the and buyers to connect with project Hyatt Regency in Casablanca, Morocco holders across regions. Thus, through on April 25-26. a combination of a rigorous selection Attending the RED Summit-North process and intelligent design, the Africa is not only for maximising RED summit – North Africa is an networking opportunities but also amalgamation of personalised face-to- adds some variety to your busy life. face meetings, purposeful networking, Meeting a whole set of new people, varied investment opportunities along exploring uncharted territories and with impactful knowledge sessions and enjoying a drink with peers is a bonus panel discussions. at the event.

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Complementing the production of Africa Outlook, Asia Outlook and EME Outlook magazines, Outlook Publishingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s award-winning in-house team is now utilising these same specialist production

Outlook Creative Services

skills to offer a full and bespoke range of editorial, design and marketing services via its new Outlook Creative Services division.

For more information on how we can work with you in providing a plethora of completely flexible and customisable production services, please visit: www.outlookpublishing.com/creative-services

DESIGN:

E D I TO R I A L :

Stephen Giles +44 (0) 1603 959 656 steve.giles@outlookpublishing.com

Tom Wadlow +44 (0) 1603 959 657 tom.wadlow@outlookpublishing.com

Devon Collins +44 (0) 1603 959 661 devon.collins@outlookpublishing.com

Jonathan Dyble +44 (0) 1603 959 660 jonathan.dyble@outlookpublishing.com