Africa Outlook - Issue 74

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AFRICA

ISSUE 74

How SENTECH SOC is spearheading the broadcasting and telecommunications revolution across South Africa through its digital content delivery, managed infrastructure and connectivity services

ORANGE AT AFCON 10 Harnessing the power of sponsorship to open up football to the masses

ETHIOPIAN PETROLEUM SUPPLY

ENTERPRISE 70 Capitalising on crude in Ethiopia

ALSO FEATURING: K O S M O S

E N E R G Y

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CHECKERS FOOD SERVICES 78 South Africa’s preferred hospitality and catering supplier

C S Q U A R E D

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METC ENGINEERING 86 A flexible, fresh approach to the world of engineering, procurement and construction management

J O M A N D AY

G R O U P

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

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L I M P O P O

LIMPOPO From Polokwane, SA’s northernmost economic and social epicentre, Limpopo’s diverse culture, captivating history and endless natural beauty is ready to be explored Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Jordan Levey

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impopo is often perceived to be the no-man’s land of South Africa. Wild and raw, it is for this reason, however, that the region is so captivating, showcasing some of the continent’s most stunning flora and fauna.

With a landmass larger than that of Portugal, Austria or Serbia, South Africa’s northernmost province is characterised by a historical culture, expansive plains and

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endless national parks which entangle rushing rivers and rocky outcrops.

Seven of South Africa’s 11 official languages are spoken here, owed to the area’s vast number of ethnic groupings. Yet despite this, the region merely accounts for roughly 10 percent of the national population, instead inhabited by an array of exotic wildlife, from rhinos to antelope to elephants.

Ecotourism takes centre stage, evidenced by the Waterberg region,

home to hectares upon hectares of beautiful, unspoilt scenery.

Meanwhile, shifting from the rural to the urban, you’re most likely to find yourself in Polokwane. The provincial capital, it is South Africa’s largest hub north of Gauteng, and was one of the major host cities of the historic 2010 FIFA World Cup. Whether you’re looking for business, culture, nature or indeed sport, Limpopo has something for everyone.

Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve, Limpopo

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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, Jordan Levey or Matt Cole-Wilkin to find out more. joe.palliser@outlookpublishing.com

+44 (0)1603 959 676

jordan.levey@outlookpublishing.com

+44 (0)1603 959 668

matt.cole-wilkin@outlookpublishing.com

+44 (0)1603 959 669

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 Art Director: Stephen Giles steve.giles@outlookpublishing.com Senior Designer: Devon Collins devon.collins@outlookpublishing.com Junior Designer: Matt Loudwell matt.loudwell@outlookpublishing.com

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

ADMINISTRATION Finance Director: Suzanne Welsh suzanne.welsh@outlookpublishing.com Administrative Assistant: Sophia Curran sophia.curran@outlookpublishing.com Office Manager: Daniel George daniel.george@outlookpublishing.com Digital & IT: Hamit Saka Helpdesk: James Le-May CONTACT Africa Outlook East Wing, Ground Floor, 69-75 Thorpe Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR1 1UA, United Kingdom.

Sales: +44 (0) 1603 959 652 Editorial: +44 (0) 1603 959 657 SUBSCRIPTIONS Tel: +44 (0) 1603 959 657 Email: tom.wadlow@outlookpublishing.com

AFRICA

Connecting the masses There are reams of statistics pointing towards a groundswell of connectivity activity going on across much of the African continent. From smartphone uptakes and digital money sign ups to fibre rollouts and mobile network installations, the opportunities to be reaped from connecting African consumers and businesses are there for all to see.

This theme forms an important thread of the 74th issue of Africa Outlook, starting with our cover story on South Africa’s SENTECH SOC. Responsible for providing broadcasting signal distribution services across the country, the company provides essential services across three main strands: content and multimedia, managed infrastructure and connectivity services.

“Connectivity and the accessibility of internet services are more important than ever before,” declares Mlami Booi, SENTECH’s CEO. “Telecommunications and infrastructure are some of the cornerstones of this digital economy, pillars that the economic development of Africa will be dependent upon.”

In an in-depth interview, Booi explains the company’s role in boosting the deployment of such vital infrastructure.

Google’s CSquared is another company making technological waves across multiple African nations, this having succeeded in laying the foundations in Kampala, Uganda, for consumers and businesses to connect to fibre. The company has since been active in Ghana, Liberia and Kenya, with bold expansion plans on the horizon.

We couldn’t go through this issue without acknowledging the recently completed Africa Cup of Nations, the regional flagship football tournament won

by Algeria. The event is keenly sponsored by Orange, the tech giant engaging fans through numerous channels such as virtual reality, a new addition to this year’s AFCON. Donna Soane, Global Sponsorship and Partnership Director, tells us more.

Also harnessing the power of technology is Pelebox, an Amazon Locker-style setup for medical prescription collections which is helping to cut down waiting times for vital medicines. We spoke to the brain behind the idea Neo Hutiri, recipient of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation.

Elsewhere we delve into topics and sectors such as CSR, food and drink, oil and gas, mining and supply chain, while our travel guide this month

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explores the best that Limpopo, South Africa’s Tom Wadlow Editorial Director, Outlook Publishing

northernmost region, has to offer.

Enjoy the issue!

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In this issue...

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NEWS

Around Africa in seven stories

EXPERT EYE

Canon’s Roman Troedhandl on the unstoppable acceleration of digitalisation in Africa

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SPORT Bearing Fruit: Orange at AFCON

Harnessing the power of sponsorship to open up football to the masses

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

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SENTECH SOC LTD Transforming Connectivity

Driving dynamic digital content delivery

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CSQUARED FibeRising Africa

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BOTSWANA TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION Strategic Success

HEALTHCARE Unlocking Efficiency

Turbocharging ISPs and MNOs across key African cities

The Royal Academy of Engineering’s Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation – Pelebox

TOPICAL FOCUS

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CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY The Agricultural Innovator

Redefining the parameters of meaningful social investment

BUSINESS TRAVEL

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LIMPOPO

Characterised by culture, nature and history

Connecting communities across Botswana

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MTN CONGO Congo’s Connectivity Champion

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Promoting digital inclusion through continued investment

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ETHIOPIAN PETROLEUM SUPPLY ENTERPRISE Petroleum Power

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JOMANDAY GROUP For the Love of Liberia

CHECKERS FOOD SERVICES Finding Value in Food Service

South Africa’s preferred hospitality and catering supplier

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METC ENGINEERING Redefining Effective EPCM

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CIM GROUP Modernising Money Breaking ground in the Mauritian financial services market

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KTVR BUS SERVICE Driving Growth

Driving development both at home and across borders

Bus Rapid Transit built for the masses

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GIGM Daring to be Different Inspired by customercentricity and technological transformation

EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION OFFSHORE CONGRESS HUB

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PROPAK WEST AFRICA

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INTERNATIONAL DRÂATAFILALET MINING CONFERENCE

The foremost forum for the region’s packaging industry

Showcasing the potential of Moroccan mining

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A flexible, fresh approach to the world of engineering, procurement and construction management

F O C U S

Technology takes centre stage at EPOCH 2019

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Capitalising on crude in Ethiopia

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AFRICA MINING SUMMIT

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THE NIGERIAN FOOD EVENT

A platform for authentic conversation on African mining

Identifying investment in Nigeria’s booming F&B market

THE FINAL WORD ENERGY & UTILITIES

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ENEO Cameroon’s Electricity Transformer

Validating a think big, start small approach to electricity

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What or who has been a source of inspiration for you during your career?

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Around Africa in seven stories…

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FOOD & DRINK

FINANCE

Egypt records 5.6 percent economic growth in 2018/19 fiscal year

PepsiCo in $1.7 billion deal to buy SA’s Pioneer Food Group American giant PepsiCo has provided a welcome boost to South Africa’s food and beverage sector after agreeing to buy Pioneer Food Group for $1.7 billion.

Chairman and CEO Ramon Laguarta said: “Pioneer Foods represents a differentiated opportunity for PepsiCo and allows us to immediately scale our business in Africa. Pioneer Foods forms an important part of our strategy to

OIL & GAS

Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation secures $3.15 billion licence funding Nigeria’s state-owned oil company has been granted $3.15 billion from Sterling Oil Exploration and Energy

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not only expand in South Africa, but further into Sub-Saharan Africa as well.”

As part of this transaction, the company will create a new operating unit for Sub-Saharan Africa, named PepsiCo SSA. This will be led by Eugene Willemsen, who most recently served as Executive Vice President of Global Categories & Franchise Management.

Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli has stated that Egypt’s economy is back on track after recording 5.6 percent growth during the 2018 to 2019 fiscal year.

The country has been in the midst of implementing IMF-backed reforms, a three-year programme which has involved a $12 billion loan from the organisation.

While the new financial approach has been praised by several international lending bodies, the resultant austerity programme has combined with inflation to leave many citizens struggling to make ends meet.

Among the reforms implemented were a devaluation of the currency, a new value-added tax and elimination of subsidies on fuel products.

Production Company Limited.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has been seeking funding in order to develop oil mining licence 13 in the country. The deal was announced by NNPC on Twitter, with oil mining licence 13 being wholly owned

by NPDC, the company’s upstream subsidiary.

This follows a recent announcement from the organisation which revealed a trading surplus of $1.76 billion for the month of May, up 17 percent on April.

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AGRICULTURE

ENERGY & UTILITIES

Masen prepares tender process for 230 MW solar plant

Ivory Coast and Ghana pledge new levy to combat cocoa farmer poverty Prolific cocoa producers Ivory Coast and Ghana have agreed to introduce what they call a ‘living income differential’ on all cocoa contracts in a bid to reduce farmer poverty.

This amounts to $400 a tonne and will begin during the 2020/21 growing season.

Both nations are renowned for the quality of cocoa they produce, and between them account for more than 60 percent of the world’s

AUTOMOTIVE

Renault to assemble and distribute in Nigeria via Coscharis Group

French automaker Renault has partnered with Coscharis Group to assemble and distribute cars in Nigeria.

The Logan and Duster models will be assembled in the existing Coscharis

supply. Large chocolate makers such as Mars told Reuters they welcome efforts to relieve farmer poverty, but warned that the levy may lead to overproduction.

Assembly facility in Lagos starting October 2019, while Renault Kwid and Renault Oroch will be imported from Brazil. These four vehicles will be distributed through the Coscharis Motors sales network throughout Nigeria.

Fabrice Cambolive, SVP and Chairman of the Africa, MiddleEast India Pacific region of Groupe Renault, said: “With a population of over 200 million, Nigeria is a strategic African country where Groupe Renault will extend its footprint.”

The Moroccan agency for sustainable energy (Masen) has opened the first stage of a tendering process for a 230 MW solar plant in the Atlas Mountains.

Situated near the town of Midelt, Masen is looking for partners to build, operate and maintain the Noor Midelt II facility, which will help the country to hit its energy generation target of 52 percent renewables by 2030.

Last year Masen awarded the 800 MW Midelt I to a consortium of companies – France’s EDF Renewables, UAE’s Masdar and Morocco’s Green Energy of Africa. The project is valued at $781.5 million.

TRAVEL

Tunisian tourism revenues rise by 42.5 percent in H1 2019 The Tunisian economy has benefitted from a recovery in the country’s tourism revenues.

H1 2019 income increased by 42.5 percent versus the same period in 2018, bringing in $692 million in earnings.

The sector had taken a severe downturn following a terror attack in 2015 which saw around 40 people lose their lives. Another attack in June 2019 may also hit tourism figures, although Tourism Minister Rene Tabelsi said the impact would be minimal.

Last year a total of 8.3 million tourists visited Tunisia, the tourism industry accounting for approximately eight percent of the country’s GDP.

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The Unstoppable Acceleration of Digitalisation in Africa Canon’s Roman Troedhandl on why the continent has the most to gain from the rise of digital connectivity

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Written by: Roman Troedhandl, Managing Director, Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA) and South Africa

hile we are on the topic of the fourth industrial revolution of many developed countries around the world, what about the digitalisation of Africa?

With annual revenues of industries including medical applications and mobile payments set to reach up to $75 billion by 2025 (according to the consulting agency McKinsey & Company), the question is raised as to what extent can ecommerce accelerate the continent’s economic and social development, particularly in the least developed and most vulnerable African countries.

We live in a digital world and the dependence on devices that keep us connected is growing exponentially.

The internet of things (IoT) has already given rise to 8.4 billion active connected devices and, according to Gartner, this figure is set to increase to 20 billion by 2020. This explosion is making everything smarter – from music, photography and shopping to sharing and accessing information – and this all requires connectivity and advanced technology to enhance people’s digital capability and arguably their lives.

Since the creation of Canon Central North Africa in 2016, we have proactively established partnerships with universities to facilitate access to new technology for students. These initiatives have offered young people knowledge and training using some

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of our most innovative products. We believe that the African region is an untapped market that has tremendous potential which we can support by providing our most cutting-edge solutions and services.

In Africa, as elsewhere in the world, technology is revolutionising people’s lifestyles.

After lagging behind other continents, digital technology is now experiencing unprecedented growth in Africa. The key driver for this growth is the young population – fascinated

by the digital world and pushed by the penetration of mobile phones.

In fact, the number of smartphones on the continent will reach 725 million by 2020 according to a report by the GSMA (World Mobile Network Association), and high-speed mobile internet will become widespread (by 2025, 4G will represent more than one in five mobile connections in West Africa).

Nowhere else has digital communication spread as quickly as it has in Africa, which is the region

ABOUT THE EXPERT Roman Troedhandl’s role includes managing the sales and marketing activities across 44 countries in Africa and all operational aspects of the business in Central and North Africa. In addition to his current role, Roman also leads the South Africa market.

Bringing fresh and innovative thinking, he focusses on expanding Canon’s local presence in the CCNA markets and South Africa, strengthening the network of distributors and partners through innovative management practices.

Troedhandl has over 28 years of industry experience, 26 of which have been with Canon serving across Europe, East Asia and Africa. He has a proven track record in business leadership and brings strategic ideas that will help accelerate the company’s growth in the region.

He was previously Managing Director – CEA (Canon Eurasia) for almost eight years, driving the overall operations in the region and playing a key managerial role in the company’s success and growth.

Troedhandl has a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Economy, Vienna, Austria. With his excellent knowledge and experience in the sector, he will be a key contributor to Canon’s growth in the Africa region.

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of the world with the most to gain from this digital renaissance.

New technologies can enable African countries to close the digital divide more quickly and accelerate economic growth, while also helping to manage resources more effectively and extending access to essential services such as health and education to the entire population. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), by 2050, thanks to the growth of new technologies, 12 of the 20 countries that will experience the largest economic boom in the world will be located on this continent.

African countries have also been working towards various national strategies (Senegal digital 2020, Mali Digital Plan 2020, Kenya National eHealth Policy 2016-2030, etc.) to accelerate access to the benefits of digital connectivity.

In the same vain, the Smart Africa

Nowhere else has digital communication spread as quickly as it has in Africa, which is the region of the world with the most to gain from this digital renaissance’ Alliance, which brings together 24 member countries, was created in 2013. By placing digital transformation at the heart of Africa’s economic development, it aims to accelerate the continent’s ‘digital opening-up’ by bringing together member states and the private sector around concrete initiatives.

Achieving digital transformation for Africa does involve major challenges

– ultimately the goal is to create optimal conditions for levelling the playing field and allowing growth to take off. Inspiring initiatives are emerging everywhere to exploit this pool of opportunities that is digital, but also to anticipate the deployment of future technologies such as cloud computing.

While the digital revolution in Africa has not yet been fully achieved, the continent is making progress and the prospects are huge. The next challenges facing the continent are the development of infrastructure and the training of the next generation to anticipate this continuous evolution of new technology.

At Canon, we will continue to support African countries in their development – through our expertise we will be interacting with younger generations and helping them quickly acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to exploit the digital space.

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Bearing Fruit:

Orange at AFCON As the dust settles on the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, we speak to Donna Soane about the tech giant’s long-standing support for the region’s most important football competition Writer: Tom Wadlow

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he first ever Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) was a somewhat unconventional affair by today’s football tournament standards.

One abandoned semi-final, the disqualification of South Africa and just two completed matches later, February 1957 saw Egypt lift the first ever AFCON trophy in Sudan.

The inaugural edition of the tournament, somewhat surprisingly, was held a year before the first ever European Championship, although few at the time would have predicted the event would reach the heights it enjoys today.

Slowly growing from just three participating teams in 1957 and 1959, AFCON was ironically rescued in 1996 by post-apartheid South Africa after it stepped in to stage the expanded 16team competition following

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Kenya’s withdrawal as host.

Fast-forward to 2019, and 24 nations have proudly occupied the continental footballing limelight and battled for the 31st Africa Cup of Nations title.

The event has also expanded commercially, not least in the form of sponsorship from some of the continent’s and indeed the world’s leading brands, companies looking to tap into a regionwide passion for the sport.

Orange is one such organisation.

Official sponsor for the sixth consecutive year, its collaboration with AFCON stretches back more than a decade.

“Football drives a true sense of positivity and optimism, an outlook which is very much shared by our brand,” comments Donna Soane, Global Sponsorship and Partnership Director.

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AFCON is one of the continent’s most prestigious sporting events, constituting 24 international football teams

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Abdallah el Said of Egypt during the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations Group A match between Egypt and Zimbabwe at Cairo International Stadium on June 21, 2019

“The importance of football and access to football across the continent of Africa is invaluable. It is a sport which truly has the possibility to not discriminate and can be played, enjoyed and supported by anyone.

“It does not matter if you have a perfect pitch or the right shoes – it has the ability to unify, to educate, to inspire, to give hope and opportunity. Football, when celebrated, empowers positive change in society.”

Bearing fruit

Orange has been part of AFCON and partner of the Confederation of African

Football (CAF) since 2008, a time when the company was seeking to expand its footprint and services across both this continent and the Middle East.

Identifying the tournament as a means to engage with a broader base of consumers, the company saw an opportunity to connect with people on a regional, national and personal level via their number one passion.

“Our ambition as a brand was to get people closer to what they loved – football,” says Soane.

“Our role was to enable them to do this by making essential telephone and internet services available to everyone.

“The CAF partnership

IMAGE BY LUIGI CHIESA - OWN WORK, CC BY-SA 3.0

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allows us to do this in a credible, meaningful and relevant way. It’s not about the technology, it’s about giving people access to football via the technology we have and that we are constantly developing.

“The CAF partnership is an important part of a wider story of Orange and football. We have been long term partners of national teams, leagues, clubs and grassroots tournaments across our African footprint preceding our CAF partnership in 2008, with football consistently representing over 70 percent of our national sport investments across MEA.” Orange’s involvement with AFCON has steadily evolved over the years, in no small part due to the exponential advances in available technology.

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For example, this year the company offered virtual reality experiences at stadiums for the first time, while several new digital platforms have sprung up in recent years which enable fans to access football more easily than ever before.

For football fan Soane, this everchanging landscape was what lured her into the tech sector in the first place.

“I started in global telecommunications over 18 years ago, when the landscape looked very different,” she recalls.

“Telecommunications was still a bit of the ‘new kid on the block’ at this time but it was at a turning point in capability and, having come from a media background, the sheer scope of this new era of communications was too hard to resist being part of.”

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A new addition to this year’s event was Orange’s best commentator competition, designed to provide another channel for fans to share their voice and views on their teams, while the Games of Change initiative was launched to help reduce the amount of plastic waste generated by the tournament.

The latter was an idea conceived in 2018 to leverage the access Orange has to football via its collaboration with African partners. First trialled in Cameroon, the company encouraged fans attending its sponsored matches to collect plastic waste from the surrounding streets.

Soane adds: “The more waste

collected, the more waste is recycled and turned into football kit and infrastructure including pitches – it takes 68,000 bottles to produce a mini football pitch.

“During this AFCON we proactively asked staff and fans in the fan zones to recycle their plastic waste, giving them the means to do so by working with local start-up companies to provide collection banks and containers.

“Waste which is collected will go towards producing a football pitch for a community in need of sports infrastructure.”

By continuing to support sporting events such as AFCON for the betterment of fans and their

Bigger and better

AFCON 2019 saw Orange step up its visible presence.

“We added colour both inside and outside the stadiums, celebrating the fans in fan zones and via our fan of the match and warm up programmes,” Soane continues. “The idea was to give them centre stage both pitch side and on the big screens. Access and experience are key, so digital forms a core part of our pan-African strategy.”

Orange was the official sponsor of the Africa Cup of Nations for a sixth consecutive year, the tournament having began on June 21 and concluded on July 19, 2019

communities, Orange’s initial 2008 objective of expanding its reach has taken on a socially steered dimension.

This legacy is important for Soane who, when asked who she supported during the tournament, gave a coy response.

“I am very fortunate to have seen football played by teams all over the world,” she says. “With regards to this years’ AFCON, I can safely say I was a proud supporter of all the 11 teams which qualified where Orange operates.”

Unfortunately for Soane, Algeria went on to lift the trophy after beating Senegal in the final.

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ith more than 4.7 million patients collecting monthly treatments from public clinics, South Africa has the world’s largest antiretroviral therapy programme. Yet despite this, it currently takes roughly three and a half hours to collect medicine in some instances, a statistic resulting in profound social and economic costs across the country.

Aiming to tackle this fundamental issue, Neo Hutiri, a South African electrical engineer, and his team at Technovera developed Pelebox – a smart locker system designed to dispense medicine to patients with chronic conditions, cutting down queues and easing pressure on the healthcare system.

Having won the Royal Academy of Engineering’s prestigious 2019 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, we spoke with Hutiri to find out just how transformative such a technology could be to South Africa’s and indeed the entire continent’s healthcare system.

Africa Outlook (AfO): Could you tell me a bit about yourself?

What inspired you to launch and develop Pelebox?

Neo Hutiri (NH): In 2014 I was diagnosed with turberculos, so my journey started as a patient. Standing in another three hour long queue to collect my chronic medication, I thought about how I could use my engineering and manufacturing background to solve the problem in front of me. I wanted to create technology that served people. I had studied electrical engineering and then worked at a steel manufacturing company before undertaking my masters in industrial engineering, looking at how to solve bottlenecks in systems using engineering. I had the right skills and experience to develop such a solution.

My journey with managing my disease

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is what launched me into the healthcare space – Technovera was born out of this frustration. I set out to build a social impact company that focused on the inclusion of technology with the aim of improving the last mile for chronic medication access in Africa. Technovera has developed Pelebox, a smart locker system that enables patients to collect their repeat chronic medication in under a minute instead of waiting for hours in queues at public clinics.

Unlocking Efficiency We spoke with Neo Hutiri, the man behind Pelebox and winner of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation Writer: Jonathan Dyble

AfO: Why is improving access to healthcare across Africa so important?

NH: Without proper healthcare, African economies will continue to suffer. Strained public healthcare systems struggle to meet the needs of all patients. For example, South Africa has the world’s biggest antiretroviral therapy (ART) programme for patients living with HIV and AIDS, and there’s been a steady increase in the number of patients with non-communicable diseases requiring chronic therapy. A patient’s experience tends to be one of long waiting times, typically above three hours. This poses potential adherence barriers which may lead to poor health outcomes and place a strain on the patients in terms of transport costs and loss of income.

Pelebox could work anywhere in the world where patients go to collect chronic medicine. If we can remove the patients collecting repeat medicine from the queue, we not only give them back a large amount of time over a year, making them more productive, we also remove thousands of people from the queue so that others can see doctors and nurses faster. Making chronic medicine collection more convenient increases the likelihood that these patients will adhere to their treatment programmes. So, it’s not just solving the problem that patients on chronic medication have, it’s also improving the healthcare system overall.

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We live in a world where tech promises to do so much more.

Technology inclusion is an important theme in healthcare. It’s for this reason that our technology is leveraging the power of the internet of things through internet-enabled smart locker devices. The solution can remotely track medication collection and treatment compliance while automating visibility on patient behaviour and patient outcome.

AfO: In your eyes, what more needs to be done?

NH: There is so much more that needs to be done. Governments need to create healthcare systems that are more efficient, managed effectively, and better staffed. Both the public and private sector can do more to support entrepreneurs such as myself, who develop systems to improve the healthcare system. It’s about

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My journey with managing my disease is what launched me into the healthcare space – Technovera was born out of this frustration” enabling those that have the will and the energy to solve these challenges.

This is an opportunity for socially minded entrepreneurs to contribute to addressing access to healthcare challenges faced by a country.

AfO: Can you tell me about the company’s ‘Think Inside’ principle and explain the motivations behind it?

NH: We live in a world that is consumption focused. Every day we are told that we need to be disruptive for disruption’s sake, redefine the status quo and think outside the box – these terms have become mainstream in the tech space. We want to build fast and ship products quickly so that we can remain relevant. This drive for more and more is pushing entrepreneurs and engineers to contribute bad products that do not further human prosperity.

In complex countries like South Africa, riddled with limitations and constraints, disruption alone is not enough. Designing technology without paying attention to this local context will result in failure. Parachuting tech into spaces without really paying attention to the human need or

Weakly supervised labeling approach

Neo Hutiri and his team

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embracing its complexity contributes to the creation of dystopia.

At Technovera, we have set out to embrace our local challenges as an opportunity to define our own box.

This box encourages creativity and shapes our frugal, relevant and context driven innovations. We call our highly localised approach to innovation the ‘Think Inside’ principle.

AfO: Is Pelebox’s technology still in the development phase or is it currently being rolled out?

NH: We installed a pilot site in 2017, and have since then installed five more systems in South African public clinics.

We’ve now got a national contract with the SA government, and by July 2019 we should have 14 installed in total, with many more planned. We’ve had over 10,000 patient collections

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with a 100 percent accuracy rate, and we’re now working on building more features into the system.

AfO: How has your involvement with the Africa Prize for Engineering helped to further your ambitions?

NH: During our time as part of the Africa Prize, some of the programme partners helped improve our focus areas, which included improvement in manufacturing, as well as building a brand that fits the type of work that we do. One of the most important pillars of the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation is the calibre of socially minded entrepreneurs building the face of Africa. The fact that the Prize brings together some of the best engineering minds across the continent to learn from each other and find opportunities to

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Technovera has a contract to roll out Pelebox across SA

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collaborate is by far the best value that I could have asked for, while together, creating best practices of how to build successful innovations and successful businesses.

AfO: How will the prize money and this accolade accelerate your efforts?

NH: We will use the prize money to increase our manufacturing capacity in South Africa. We also plan to build medicine tracking into our system to assist the clinics with data that can improve public healthcare. The next step is to reach more sites and find partners that are interested in working with us to reach five million patients.

AfO: I also see the company works with a range of different partners and sponsors. Why are such collaborations crucial?

NH: One of my favourite phrases is ‘standing on the shoulders of giants’. As an engineer, the foundation of my training emphasised learning from those who have come

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before you, gaining experience and inspiration from those who have built amazing things and allowing that to be the fuel for great design and innovation. Collaborations are extremely valuable to startups and businesses that are scaling up. It’s our partners and sponsors who have enabled us to reach this level of excellence in innovation, design and manufacturing.

Fundamentally, it’s a village that brings up a child. Having a variety in partners is all about an opportunity to access a broader range of resources and expertise. What has been really rewarding in our case has been our partners’ willingness to participate in a manner that helps us serve patients better.

Neo Hutiri receiving his Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation

We hope to have 42 operational sites by the end of 2019, and to have expanded to other Sub-Saharan African countries by the end of 2020”

AfO: Looking ahead, what are your key priorities for the year ahead?

NH: We are optimistic. We are aiming to increase our manufacturing capabilities and to keep improving our software. We hope to have 42 operational sites by the end of 2019, and to have expanded to other Sub-Saharan African countries by the end of 2020. Our mission is to reach over five million people by creating and promoting inclusive technologies solving challenging issues in health.

We are a team of young, hungry, willing designers and engineers that are looking to create an impact in Africa. We would like to extend an invitation to skilled technical volunteers, donors, funders and other partners that are interested in working with us to build an inclusive African healthcare system by leveraging the technology wave.

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CSR - KOSMOS ENERGY

The Agricultural

Innovator

Seeking to redefine the parameters of meaningful CSR contributions in Africa, Kosmos Energy is empowering sustainable business plans and entrepreneurs on the continent

“I’ve been here for six years,” she reveals. “I came because of the culture. I wanted to see the day to day impact of my work, and Kosmos provided this – working at an agile Writer: Jonathan Dyble company you can make a decision one day and implement a programme 24 When it comes to of the donor and receiver, tends to hours later.” corporate social During this time, Berry has helped be philanthropic and transactional responsibility, one of the to power a crucial shift at Kosmos, the – what we’re trying to do is change biggest challenges we face this perception and introduce a more company having made the decision is linked to the history of development lasting, commercial approach.” to tailor its social investment efforts aid in Africa.

For Lauren Berry, corporate social in line with local contexts during a “The way in which companies have responsibility can be both a challenging milestone period of reflection. engaged with the continent in the past She explains: “As we approached and rewarding sector to work in. has been relatively traditional, helping to the 10-year anniversary of the Highly experienced in the field, she build water wells or support volunteer previously worked on sustainability discovery of our assets in the Jubilee programmes, for example. These things and human rights issues for Chevron, Field in Ghana, we were asking are of course fantastic, but it is much ourselves what we could do in terms of Ann Taylor, the Earth Institute and more meaningful to bring a business lens the Fund for Peace, now standing as social investment that would give back to CSR, looking at how knowledge, skills the Director of Social Performance to the region in an impactful way. and support can be imparted in a more at Kosmos Energy – an independent “What was a bold question in the sustainable manner. deepwater oil and gas exploration and beginning quickly led us to thinking “The perception of how these production company headquartered in about Ghana’s future and how relationships work, both in the eyes entrepreneurship could be used as an Dallas, Texas in the United States.

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engine to fuel national growth.”

The obvious vehicle for this was agriculture. Accounting for approximately 34 percent of total employment across the country (according to the World Bank’s figures for 2018), it is equally an industry renowned as being relatively underdeveloped and ripe for modernised, innovative ideas.

“This is where our CSR efforts really kicked on,” Berry adds. “We launched the Kosmos Innovation Center (KIC) and have been enabling entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into business models, offering a mixture of skills training, support and even seed funding to the most promising companies.

“The idea is to promote Ghanaian people as local business leaders.

Effective CSR is all about listening and understanding. If more companies were to approach it in this way, not only would they be more successful, but Africa would benefit from more sustainable development prospects.”

Showcasing success

A prime example of such a promising startup that has successfully come through the KIC programme is TROTRO Tractor Limited (TTL).

An agricultural technology company that is improving global food and income security by building a network of tractor owners that farmers are able to utilise via SMS, TTL has already garnered a lot of attention.

“We refer to them as the Uber for tractors,” Berry adds. “The interesting thing about these guys is that they all had their own individual ambitions and interests in agriculture when they came into the programme, but when the founders met they hit it off.

“We’re particularly proud of them, not only in the way they have excelled, but equally because of their personal passion of giving back to Ghana and inspiring other entrepreneurs to get involved. It’s great when successful

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TROTRO TRACTOR TROTRO Tractor Limited (TTL) is an agricultural technology company that is improving global food and income security by building a network of tractor owners that farmers obtain service via SMS. This way, small landowners have access to affordable farm machine services to increase their productivity.

The company receives a 10 percent commission on all acres ploughed because of exchanges on their platform, plus additional revenue streams from the sale of GPS devices for tractor monitoring and security. It is also exploring additional revenue streams for the near future, including data captured on farms, crop types, planting, and harvesting and revenue from advertising, affiliate sales and partnerships.

Achievements to date: • Over 15,000 farmers and 300 tractors registered on the platform • Over 2,000 acres serviced • Over $40,000 paid out to tractor owners • Participated in several startup activities in Ghana, Nigeria, Germany and the Netherlands • Won the 2017 Ghana Startup of the Year Award in agribusiness • Won the Duapa Challenge organised by British Council in 2017, resulting in $2,500 of funding • Received a $250,000 grant from Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa • Won $50,000 in seed funding from Kosmos Energy’s Innovation Center

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CSR - KOSMOS ENERGY

businesspeople come through our programme and help mentor others – we take pride in building this community that is able to lean on itself from within.”

As our conversation moves on from TTL, Berry is quick to point to a second startup that the Kosmos team is excited to be supporting – Profish.

“Part of last year’s cohort, Profish is a startup that’s essentially trying to connect fishermen and their fish stock with processors, retailers and restaurants to improve the supply chain, ensuring that deliveries are always fresh,” she continues. “The plan is to improve logistical efficiency while simultaneously decreasing cost.”

PROFISH Profish, known as Lojaanor locally, is a Ghanaian business bringing technology solutions to the country’s fishery supply chain to ensure deliveries are always fresh. In 2016, the team visited different coastal regions in Ghana (Greater Accra, Volta, and Eastern regions), testing their assumptions and business ideas, collecting data and feedback and fine-tuning the business model.

Profish has provided a vital service to many Ghanaians

Receiving $50,000 from KIC in the same year as TROTRO Tractor, the company entered the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology incubator, receiving further training and support designed to help it grow and scale successfully.

Currently, the team is working to become investment ready and introduce its solution across Ghana.

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Two ambitious enterprises in their own right, both upholding Kosmos Energy’s vision of creating meaningful, impactful economic contributions, the pair account for just a fraction of KIC’s work.

“Currently, we’re directly supporting 14 enterprises, and that’s without mentioning the mentoring, skills training and other efforts that we offer to budding entrepreneurs outside the programme,” Berry adds.

For Africa

commercial lens. The potential that it brings from a sustainability standpoint is clear to see.”

Off the back of its initial successes, the company has begun expanding its CSR initiatives outside of Ghana, helping startups and entrepreneurs in more remote regions such as Mauritania. Further, back in Accra, the business is in the process of remodelling a space that will become KIC’s physical home – a first for the initiative.

With numerous success stories to call upon, Berry is optimistic about Kosmos Energy and KIC’s role to play moving forward, confident that its work will continue to develop over the coming years.

“I’d like to think that we’ve arrived,” she states.

With four participants of KIC’s AgriTech Challenge having come together to fine-tune the idea, the Profish team leveraged their different skills spanning agriculture, mobile web development, entrepreneurialism and shipping and ports to create what was a similarly promising, impactful business model.

“They received $50,000 in seed funding from Kosmos Energy,” Berry adds, “and have become one of the most successful companies we’ve helped. Within just five months, for example, they were already generating revenues equivalent to this sum.”

“Like any industry, there are of course challenges that we still have to overcome – there’s a pushback on perceptions in terms of what CSR engagement should look like, and it can be hard to get your head up above the noise and say we’re doing things differently with the plethora of entrepreneurship programmes on offer.

“That said, we’re optimistic about the fact that we’re looking through a

“I’m really excited for this to get up and running,” Berry states, eluding to the future of the programme.

“In the past, we’ve worked with partners to incubate the most promising companies, but through this we’ll be able to bring all of our entrepreneurs under one roof and extend the sense of fellowship and community that we’ve created.

“It’s great to know that the centre will be run in Africa, for Africans,

by Africans, serving as a hub of continuous learning.”

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L I M P O P O

LIMPOPO From Polokwane, SA’s northernmost economic and social epicentre, Limpopo’s diverse culture, captivating history and endless natural beauty is ready to be explored Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Jordan Levey

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impopo is often perceived to be the no-man’s land of South Africa. Wild and raw, it is for this reason, however, that the region is so captivating, showcasing some of the continent’s most stunning flora and fauna.

With a landmass larger than that of Portugal, Austria or Serbia, South Africa’s northernmost province is characterised by a historical culture, expansive plains and

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endless national parks which entangle rushing rivers and rocky outcrops.

Seven of South Africa’s 11 official languages are spoken here, owed to the area’s vast number of ethnic groupings. Yet despite this, the region merely accounts for roughly 10 percent of the national population, instead inhabited by an array of exotic wildlife, from rhinos to antelope to elephants.

Ecotourism takes centre stage, evidenced by the Waterberg region,

home to hectares upon hectares of beautiful, unspoilt scenery.

Meanwhile, shifting from the rural to the urban, you’re most likely to find yourself in Polokwane. The provincial capital, it is South Africa’s largest hub north of Gauteng, and was one of the major host cities of the historic 2010 FIFA World Cup. Whether you’re looking for business, culture, nature or indeed sport, Limpopo has something for everyone.

Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve, Limpopo

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The Business End

Avocado grove, Limpopo

ASIDE FROM ITS recent role in the world’s most famous international sporting event, Polokwane is also known for sterling accommodation, agreeable weather and a bustling centre.

Bordered by Botswana to the west, Zimbabwe to the north and Mozambique to the east, the entire province is favourably situated for trade with access to key strategic locations such as the Maputo Port. In addition, the capital lies on the N1 highway that connects South Africa to the rest of the continent via Zimbabwe to the north.

In terms of industrial prowess, Limpopo is home to 41 percent of South Africa’s platinum group metals,

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90 percent of the country’s red granite resources and roughly 50 percent of national coal reserves, alongside substantial antimony assets.

As such, it may come as no surprise that 400 prospecting and mining licenses have been granted across the region, the sector accounting for 27 percent of provincial GDP. Mining aside, Limpopo also harbours fruitful manufacturing and agricultural industries that contribute to its overall economic success. The latter of the two benefits from an abundance of naturally growing tropical fruit such as avocados, mangos and litchis in the east and vast quantities of livestock farms in the northern and western regions.

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FACTS & FIGURES

Languages: English, Northern Sotho, Tsonga, Venda Area: 125,754 km² Population (2016): 5.8 million GDP (2013): $18.47 billion Currency: South African rand Time zone: South African Standard Time Dialling code: +27 Internet TLD: .sa Climate: subtropical

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In Focus Polokwane THE PROVINCIAL CAPITAL of Limpopo, Polokwane is a modern city located just three hours from Johannesburg and two hours from Kruger National Park, acting as the country’s northernmost economic and social hub.

Wandering its famously broad streets, strewn with jacaranda and coral trees and parks on either side, will reveal a breadth of hidden

treasures, be it indigenous markets, major shopping centres or an assortment of cultural attractions.

The latter of is one of the city’s key selling points. With traditional paintings from Venda, Tsonga and Pedi artists showcased in the Polokwane Art Museum and the Sculpture Art Park home to the works of the indigenous African groups and Boers, it’s easy to take a tour of the city’s and indeed province’s captivating history.

The Hugh Exton Photographic Museum is particularly worth visiting,

home to a collection of 22,000 images including photographs of the first five years of the city on celluloid.

Much like art and culture, sport is another of the city’s popular attractions, and The Peter Mokaba Stadium, named after South Africa’s former deputy minister in Nelson Mandela’s government, is the epicentre for this.

Able to accommodate a capacity of 45,000 people with ease, the facility has seen a multitude of proclaimed football and rugby matches both locally and internationally.

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L I M P O P O

Mapungubwe National Park LO CATED NEXT TO the Kolope River, Mapungubwe National Park is one of Limpopo Province’s major attractions.

It lies south of the confluence of the Limpopo and Shashe rivers, approximately 15 kilometres northeast of the Venetia Diamond mine and bordering the Mapesu Private Game

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Reserve to the south.

Mapungubwe was established in 1995 and covers an area of 28,000 hectares, the site protecting the historical landmark known as Mapungubwe Hill.

The Mapungubwe Hill was the site of a community dating back to the Iron Age. Evidence has shown that it was a prosperous community, and archaeol-

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ogists have also uncovered the famous golden rhino figurine from the site.

Entry to the park costs foreign visitors R218 per day (R109 per child), with plenty of accommodation options available also.

For more information, visit the official website at: www.sanparks.org/ parks/mapungubwe

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L I M P O P O

Outlook Recommends “Limpopo, which occupies South Africa’s northern reaches, is a huge and diverse province characterised by traditional cultures, an interesting historical story, vast open spaces and terrific wildlife watching” – Lonely Planet

ACCOMMODATION

RESTAURANTS

NATIONAL PARKS

Pezulu Tree House Lodge

The Hat & Creek

Marakele National Park Mapungubwe National Park Balue Nature Reserve CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS

Fusion Boutique Hotel

Rumble Restaurant Bakone Malapa Northern Sotho OpenAir Museum

African Roots Guest House 30

Machauka Lodge Restaurant

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Hugh Exton Photographic Museum Polokwane Art Museum

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Mapungubwe National Park

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Transport Links

FOR INTERNATIONAL TRAVELLERS, the easiest way to reach Limpopo is via the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, located 330 kilometres to the southwest.

From here, national operator Airlink offers five daily flights to the Polokwane International Airport – a transit hub located five kilometres north of the city that handles

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approximately 5,000 aircraft and 38,000 passengers each year.

From Polokwane, getting around presents itself as a relatively easy prospect. Within the city itself, walking, taxi, rental car and public transport are all viable, accessible options, the former being preferred in many cases when exploring the centre.

Equally, if you’re looking to experience some of the province’s

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abundant nature-centric attractions, there are numerous tour operators offering a multitude of different experiences. Tembele Tours, Nhlamulo Destinations, Q&M Tours and Magoebaskloof Tourism, for example, provide a variety of trips and activities, from mountain biking and canyoning to horse-back riding and good, old fashioned guided tours.

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Landmark Attractions

IMAGE BY BRIEUC SAFFRÉ - MOKABA STADIUM, CC BY 2.0

Debengeni Falls

Peter Mokaba Stadium

“The stadium design was inspired by the baobab tree. At each corner you see a cylindrical steel structure that resembles the baobab’s muscular trunk.

They hold the sweeping, aerodynamic roof that is designed to flex in the high winds that frequently occur during summer rainfall in Polokwane” – City of Polokwane

Blyde River Canyon

“Situated near the dense forests of the Magoebaskloof, the roaring Debengeni Falls is a magical spot for picnicking or swimming in the crystal pool. Named for the deeply carved pool, Debengi means place of the big pot” – Safari Now

“In the verdant beauty of the Magoebaskloof, which is in the splendour of the northern part of the Drakensberg Mountain Range, is Debengeni Falls. This waterfall is an idyllic example of the untouched, untainted appeal of Limpopo Province. The Ramadipha River tumbles 80 metres into the massive bowl of water at its base, demonstrating the unharnessed power of nature” – SA-Venues

Echo Caves

“Nestled in the northern area of the famous Drakensberg Mountains, near Ohrigstad in the Mpumalanga region of South Africa, the Echo Caves are surrounded by breath-taking landscapes and spectacular hills. Declared a Historical Monument, the Echo Caves have proved to be a vital part of the history of the area, as several artefacts and items have been found within the caves. They are now known to be some of the oldest limestone caves in the world” – SouthAfrica.com

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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.

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AFRICA

eti

Opportu ng nity

ISSUE 74

SENTECH

SOC

LTD

is spearheading How SENTECH SOC telecommunications the broadcasting and Africa through its revolution across South , managed digital content delivery tivity services infrastructure and connec

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Transforming

Connectivity Championing digital content delivery, managed infrastructure and connectivity services, Sentech SOC is helping to revolutionise broadcasting and telecommunications across South Africa

S E N T E C H S O C LT D

Driving dynamic digital content delivery

Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Vivek Valmiki

NG METC ENGINEERI approach to the world 00

00

00

AFCON ORANGE ATpower of sponsorship Harnessing the to the masses to open up football

ALSO FEATURI

FOOD SERVICESand CHECKERSpreferred hospitality

M SUPPLY ETHIOPIAN PETROLEU ENTERPRISE 00 Capitalising on crude

S NG: K O S M O

South Africa’s catering supplier

in Ethiopia

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D C S Q U A R E

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A flexible, fresh and of engineering, procurement construction management

AY J O M A N D

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

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Transforming

onnectivity Championing digital content delivery, managed infrastructure and connectivity services, SENTECH SOC is helping to revolutionise broadcasting and telecommunications across South Africa Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Vivek Valmiki

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I became interested in telecommunications as a result of my interest in the mechanics of how radio works; how it is that you can have people communicating across distances as if they are close to each other.

“I am from a rural background – this curiosity was triggered at a time when I was shepherding my father’s sheep in the Eastern Cape village of Cingco.

I began asking questions, but no one could answer them, so I took an interest in scientific studies. The rest is history!”

Both inquisitive of and inspired by the ever-evolving capabilities of technology, Mlami Booi’s passion for telecommunications remains as pronounced today as it was 30 years ago.

An entrepreneur at heart, he spent many years as an engineer, regulator and businessman after graduating

from the University of Cape Town with a Master of Science degree in electrical engineering, now standing as the CEO of SENTECH SOC, driving digital innovation in the public sector.

“Connectivity and the accessibility of internet services are more important than ever before,” he declares. “Telecommunications and infrastructure are some of the cornerstones of this digital economy, pillars that the economic development of Africa will be dependent upon.

“It’s SENTECH’s mission to be a crucial part of this evolution, operating as an industry spearhead in delivering digital content. The role of our organisation in driving connectivity to facilitate the fourth industrial revolution is something we are very much proud of.”

27 years in the making

The organisation itself began life in 1992, initially having been formed as

AFRICAN UNION COMMUNICATIONS

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frican Union Communications SA has a well- established delivery framework for managed services, providing operators or third party vendors with global coverage and local expertise.

From our operation centre in South Africa, AUCOM SA manages networks and business support systems and hosted solutions for operators and service providers on a 24-seven basis, 365 days a year. By building on our accumulation of valuable experience, we are committed to continuously improving our service and efficient delivery model to the highest standards.

T +27 12 001 8670 E sales@aucom.co.za

www.aucom.co.za

STRIDING ON THREE FRONTS Responsible for providing broadcasting signal distribution services across South Africa, SENTECH’s business model has been segmented into three service offerings, namely: Content and multimedia: Services which cover broadcasting signal distribution, including business television delivered via satellite. Other value-added solutions that form part of this include telco-over-the-top services, broadcast monitoring and syndication, and hybrid broadcasting such as HbbTV and Hybrid Radio.

Managed infrastructure services: SENTECH has vast experience in managing different types of networks, from broadcasting to telecommunications. SENTECH has built up capabilities in network design, deployment, operation and maintenance. The facilities leasing and managed services offerings are collectively referred to as managed infrastructure services.

Connectivity services: The company has positioned itself as a public sector broadband organisation focused on closing the broadband access gap, especially in underserved areas. SENTECH plays a significant role in the implementation of SA Connect, a government project whose objective is to connect schools and clinics to broadband. Its strategy is to use wireless broadband to deliver services to any area.

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African Union Communications SA (Pty) Ltd is a leading organisation in supply, integration and support of Telecommunication & Digital Multimedia Platforms to the African market. We are committed to providing our customers with the most cost-effective and efficient systems available in the market. We work closely with our Strategic partners to Design, Integrate, Install and Commission the systems as per the customer specifications.

Professional services are provided, working in close corporation with all of our technology partners to ensure the best available End to End Turnkey Solutions for Digital Broadcast and Satellite systems in South Africa and Africa, focusing on: • • • • •

African Union Communications SA

394 Cliff Avenue, Waterkloof Ridge X2, Pretoria, Gauteng, SA Telephone: +27-12-001 8670 Email: sales@aucom.co.za Web: www.aucom.co.za

Consultation Network Design System Design System Integration Installation and Support

Providing End to End Turnkey Solutions for Digital Multimedia Platforms for Africa

African Union Communications SA commenced business in 2007 focusing on providing professional products and services to the Broadcast and Telecommunication market in South Africa and Africa. Our reputation is unrivalled in the market with our technical team having more than 25 years of experience in the industry, gained by providing solutions such as Satellite Distribution and Contribution Networks, RF Cable distribution Networks, Broadcast DTT Networks (T and T2), Direct to Home Satellite (DTH) platforms and OTT solutions.

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the subsidiary of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) responsible for delivering its signal distribution services.

Four years on and this role has expanded, SENTECH having transitioned into a common carrier of such services for licensed television and radio broadcasters – a market it has catered to ever since.

“Being a value driven company, we pride ourselves on being a well-run, profitable and responsible stateowned corporation, having received clean audit opinion for seven years in a row,” states Booi.

Headquartered in Radiokop, Johannesburg in the Gauteng Province of South Africa, the entity equally takes satisfaction from its self-sufficiency in delivering products and solutions to its customers.

This is not to say that SENTECH’s doors are closed when it comes to collaboration, however – the company is readily upholding supplier and partner relationships regarding demand management, acquisition management, contracts and management and logistics.

Booi explains: “While SENTECH is independent in delivering most customer products and solutions, some reliance is placed on our credible suppliers and partners when tapping into new business frontiers, especially in areas where there is inadequate internal capacity. We view these relationships as critical to the success of our business.

“We have adopted a strategic approach to supplier and partner relationship management, with an aim to develop mutual awareness of what is happening in the market in order to stay ahead of competitors, while continually communicating to provide timeous resolution of issues and ensure business continuity.

“Some of the benefits that accrue from these partnerships include negotiated prices, timely delivery of

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goods and services at the right quality and customer satisfaction.”

Responsible, agile and progressive

Perhaps the most crucial of this multitude of tangible benefits has been SENTECH’s ability to diversify and remain proactive, something that is integral to the organisation in the face of an ever-changing, fast-moving, technology-orientated landscape.

Such agility has seen SENTECH accumulate a unique skillset, alongside industry leading infrastructure and capabilities, that translates into a breadth of content and multimedia services, managed infrastructure services and connectivity services, evidenced by its expansions into the broadband network space.

“We are an ICT company aiming to deliver content through different electronic media platforms, and the provision of broadband connectivity, particularly to rural and unserved communities,” Booi explains.

Further, the company’s progressive ethos is also epitomised by its ongoing analogue to digital broadcasting services migration.

“Simply put, SENTECH has rolled out a digital television broadcasting network nationally,” Booi continues.

“The migration will improve the quality of services provided to the public, while also using spectrum resources more efficiently. In turn, this will enable the eventual release of spectrum to international mobile telecommunications (IMT) services and improve delivery.

“It is ready for consumption and will be rolled out as soon as people across the country have access to digital reception equipment.”

Much like the aforementioned broadband connectivity efforts, SENTECH hopes that rural communities will be the biggest beneficiaries of this migration.

These services are not the be-all and endall of corporate social investment for the organisation, however.

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he Kiswahili name ‘Harambe’, which means coming together, signifies the company’s preference to work through partnerships with like-minded people.

At Harambe, we pride ourselves in being able to offer turnkey solutions across the broadcast, IoT, security and telecommunications value chain with a wide array of western, European and eastern suppliers who provide us with excellent products.

Our services comprise of supply, installation, configuration, commissioning and support of all technology solutions infrastructure we supply.

As a major supplier to SENTECH, our solutions and products have ranged from FM transmitters, FM receivers, FM monitoring systems, audio codes, audio processors, test and measurement equipment, combiners, antennas as well as RDS solutions.

Harambe Technologies is a level 1 BBBEE accredited company.

NGUBANE & CO

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gubane & Co. was established in 1995 as an accounting and auditing firm, the operations having since grown to include financial advisory, forensic investigations, business and IT consulting. Ngubane & Co. is a black owned multidisciplinary professional services firm.

Ngubane & Co. is driven by unconditional commitment, with each individual committed to a career and lifestyle of discipline, balance, continual learning and goal orientation. We add value to our clients by assessing their holistic businesses and act as trusted advisors to solve the problems identified.

www.ngubane.co.za

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SHAPING FUTURE LEADERS PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE PROVINCIAL COVERAGE HOLISTIC APPROACH

A professional firm committed to providing solution driven services with ethics at the core.

Level 1 B-BBEE

www.ngubane.co.za

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Indeed, the company also takes an active role in more traditional CSR endeavours, supporting underprivileged communities in the field of education and health via initiatives such as its school’s connectivity programme.

“We have connected 52 schools to date,” Booi reveals, “and have established and funded a scheme to provide extra maths and science classes to 300 learners from Grades 10 to 12.”

AN ACUTE, ASTUTE ETHOS SENTECH connects South Africa to the world and the world to South Africa. This is reflected in its core philosophies, outlined as follows: Vision: To be a global leader in digital content delivery.

Mission: To connect customers anywhere through innovative solutions.

In achieving these, it acts with strict adherence to five core values: Integrity: Acting with honesty, fairness and openness.

Quality customer service: Committed to proactively ensuring high levels of satisfaction and build a relationship based on trust.

Innovation: Developing and supporting creativity and responsible risk-taking.

Accountability: Promise delivery.

Social responsibility: Achieving its mandate in a manner that benefits its employees, customers, suppliers, communities and the environment in all areas that the company operates in.

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In addition, SENTECH’s own staff are often on the receiving end of the merits accompanied by this responsible approach, the enterprise offering internal training and access to external resources to ensure its team remains competitive globally.

“Our training efforts allow us to not only prepare the country for nextgeneration technologies, but equally prepare our own workforce for the fourth industrial revolution,” Booi adds.

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“SENTECH drives a culture comprised of ethical leadership and innovation,” Booi states. “Our staff are champions of good governance and keep our company at the forefront

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of delivering reliable services to our customers.

“As such, currently there is much focus on delivering value added services through our infrastructure, adapting content delivery to changing consumer behaviour and unlocking niche opportunities in the digital landscape.”

While the network’s digital transmission migration is a flagship of this, the company is set to empower the next generation of television

transmission across South Africa. There will be many other focus areas in the way of harbouring new technologies moving forward.

“While we will continue to leverage our existing business, and look to augment services such as digital terrestrial television, we’re equally looking to provide OTT platforms, introducing and delivering audio, video and other forms of media across South Africa,” Booi reveals.

“We will also be branching out into the Pan-African market, offering consulting services, pursuing the acquisition of complementary assets to diversify our revenue further, and implementing a broadband strategy with the view of positioning ourselves within the fixed wireless market.”

Moving forward, these techcentric motivations will provide the foundations for the organisation’s wider priorities of achieving both organic and inorganic growth.

“Our industry is undoubtedly being disrupted by the different ways consumers can access content,” Booi reiterates in his concluding statements.

“Consumers want to be able to access their content at their own convenience from anywhere, at any time and from any device. This has revolutionised the way content is delivered to consumers and has enabled mobile operators and other service providers using IP to play in this space.

“Our competitor landscape has changed as a result, as has the value chain affected by consumer behaviour, but I believe such progression matches up well with our own ideals – for us, the revolution is exciting.”

Sentech SOC Ltd Tel: +27 11 471 4595 support@sentech.co.za www.sentech.co.za

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C S Q U A R E D

FibeRising Africa

By enabling ISPs and MNOs to better serve their customers, CSquared is helping to drive the fibre revolution across several of Africa’s most prominent urban centres Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Vivek Valmiki Working in an organisation that is committed to investing and developing broadband infrastructure in Africa is quite honestly a dream come true for me. I have worked in the ICT sector across the continent for almost 21 years and I know firsthand the real connectivity challenges facing the region. So, the opportunity to be part of a unique set of people and investors that are committed to changing the status quo was obviously a thrilling proposition.”

For Lanre Kolade, joining CSquared as its Chief Executive Officer in 2018 was something of a nobrainer.

A problem solver by nature and passionate believer that broadband access will enable Africa to fast-track economic development, Kolade is especially driven by the potential of technology to upskill populations and drive GDPs upwards, what he calls ‘FibeRising Africa’.

Central to this is boosting connectivity.

Lanre Kolade, Group CEO “Across the continent, submarine

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capacity is increasing but overall usage of these cables is still low since metro networks are not very pervasive,” Kolade observes.

“Hence, access to connectivity across the continent is limited, expensive and inefficiently deployed with various technologies still in use.

Intra Africa connectivity is an even bigger challenge, and we need to bridge the gaps by increasing cross border links between the countries.”

The CEO points to the World Bank’s Africa Digital Moonshot 2030 report as evidence of the need to accelerate broadband installations, while also citing that 31.6 percent of African’s have access to the internet (as of June 2018).

This number drops to just six percent when looking at broadband specifically.

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Expanding horizons

CSquared is determined to address this challenge.

Having first incorporated in September 2012, it has been breaking ground across Uganda, Kenya, Ghana and Liberia ever since, making marked progress in the past year since Africa Outlook last spoke to the company.

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C S Q U A R E D

AN INTRODUCTION TO CSQUARED In October 2017, Google, Convergence Partners, International Finance Corporation (“IFC”), and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (“Mitsui”) announced the completion of the CSquared joint venture.

Kicked off in 2011 as a Google initiative called Project Link, CSquared is a technology company making commercially driven investments into broadband-enabling infrastructure throughout Africa.

While a basic connection is useful when it comes to internet access, abundant, affordable broadband can transform communities, unlocking a thriving digital ecosystem.

The wholesale open access philosophy remains integral to the CSquared model and its shareholders.

For example, in August 2018 CSquared Uganda began building and deploying a broadband access network based on GPON technology and offering fibre to the home access to suburbs in Kampala. Covering 1,000 homes in its pilot phase, the project represents an effort to capture the upcoming growth in the fixed data market as the Ugandan economy and ecosystem matures with a rising middle class.

“As the first broadband company to offer wholesale FTTH services in Uganda, we are excited about uptake,” comments Kolade.

“With our wholesale service expansion into the residential market, end users have the freedom to choose any service provider using the same fibre connection, allowing them to access and enjoy large amounts of data at lightning speed.”

By investing in internet infrastructure and making it available to local internet service providers (ISPs) and mobile network operators (MNOs), CSquared helps bring high-quality broadband access to Africa’s major cities in the form of metro fibre, fibre to the home (FTTH) and city Wi-Fi hotspots.

Collectively, over 30 ISPs and MNOs now use these metro fibre networks to offer broadband services and 4G data to end users, with over 1,500 towers, commercial buildings and homes connected directly to CSquared’s fibre infrastructure.

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In Liberia, CSquared has been working tirelessly to connect the capital city Monrovia. Breaking ground in January 2018, it has successfully installed 165 kilometres of broadband cabling from which leading telcos such as Orange, MTN, Libtelco, PowerNet and Electroshack have all been able to offer fibre directly to customers.

This connectivity also extends, crucially, to governmental functions. The partnership with the Government of Liberia and USAID has enabled 51 institutions to be connected to CSquared’s fibre network, including the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Post & Telecoms, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Justice, National Elections Commission and the University of Liberia.

“Liberia remains one of the least connected countries in the world, with only five percent of citizens able to access the internet,” says Kolade.

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CSquared now operates more than 1,025 kilometres of fibre covering 23 service providers and 2,300 end-users across four Ghanaian cities

“CSquared brings the best-inclass, reliable, affordable broadband infrastructure to Liberia’s capital, directly impacting essential health, education and government systems, as well as helping to unlock the potential of the digital economy for Liberian citizens and private enterprise.”

Early 2019 further saw the company expand its investment into Ghana with expanded coverage into Kasoa.

CSquared now operates more than 1,025 kilometres of fibre covering 23 service providers and 2,300 end-users across four Ghanaian cities, the others being Accra, Tema and Kumasi.

Beyond broadband connectivity, the company is also acutely aware of the need to meet other market needs, a specific example being in the form of providing platforms to host content.

“We are open to what we do in our future markets,” adds Kolade.

“CSquared is actively exploring partnerships with both local and global content providers to facilitate fast and affordable access to their content through connectivity at the relevant data centres.

“In markets where we do not own infrastructure, we know it might make sense to partner with other infrastructure owners. It is crucial that we continue to add value to our offerings to further meet the needs and challenges of our customers.”

Building a smart future

“CSquared brings the best-in-class, reliable, affordable broadband infrastructure to Liberia’s capital, directly impacting essential health, education and government systems, as well as helping to unlock the potential of the digital economy for Liberian citizens and private enterprise”

These forward-thinking statements from Kolade tie into what he and CSquared believe will be a defining period for urban development across the continent.

From digitising key businesses, education, health, energy and other important policy processes to reducing costs and improving security, the creation of smart cities is paramount if the region is to handle projected population rises.

“African policymakers need to fully embrace the role of technology in

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ACCRA Carlton House Anumansa Street PMB KA43 Accra, GHANA Tel: +233-(0) 540 113 371) www.ecoband.net sales@ecoband.net

KUMASI Ecoband Networks The Village, 108 Prempeh/ Street Adum, Kumasi.Ghana.

Tel: +233-(0) 540 113 371) www.ecoband.net

Reliable Communication Solutions and Managed Cloud Services Ecoband Networks is a Tier-2 Internet Service Provider and Data Network Operator with points of presence in Accra, Tema, Kumasi, Takoradi in Ghana, Abijan in Cote d’ivoire as well as Berlin, London, Amsterdam and Paris in Europe. We are peering with Ghanaian and international operators at several Internet Exchange points worldwide. We have direct interconnect agreements with global carriers such as Cogent, Level 3, Hurricane Electric and PCCW Global at our POPs in Accra, Tema, Berlin, London and Paris where Ecoband Networks also offers co-location and hosted Cloud services. We are also peering directly with all major Content Delivery Networks such as Akamai, Amazon, Apple, CloudFlare, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Netflix and Yahoo.

Connectivity Solutions Ecoband Networks provides comprehensive and flexible satellite, microwave and fibre optic based solutions for Internet backbone connectivity well as broadband and MPLS services. Our strategic

partnership with the leading international providers of state of the art communication equipment and services, allows us to offer cost-effective solutions that help corporate networks to reduce costs, improve service and become more competitive.

International Parters Ecoband Networks is providing MPLS and IP transit services for multiple international carriers and operators with reliable fiber optic local loop as well as international fiber optic solutions.

We offer redundant service between Accra and our POPs in London and Paris via the WACS and the ACE submarine cables and offer direct peering with all the large CDNs.

Managed Cloud Services “Smart Office” - network based solution suite that empower businesses in the digital era with new capabilities.

The “Smart Office” suite includes: Smart Data Protection, Smart Cyber Security, Smart Cloud PBX and more, it was tailored for those businesses that want to enhance their employee efficiency, save costs and improve overall profitability.

AMSTERDAM Ecoband Networks International BV Haringbuisdijk 36, 1086VA Amsterdam The Netherlands Tel: +31 682156940 info@ecoband.net

COTE D’IVOIRE Ecoband Networks Côte d’Ivoire Abidjan, Cocody II Plateaux Vallons 06 BP 2871 Abidjan 06 Tél: +225 22 54 85 00 / 22 51 44 50 infos@ecoband.ci

A Critical Connecter in Africa’s Ecowas Region

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multifaceted connectivity services provider, Ecoband’s story is one that continues to develop across both its home market of Ghana and the wider region.

Entering the West African market in 2001, the company quickly built up its market share, bringing fresh competition and new technology to the market and challenging longstanding large corporations to offer more competitive prices. In 2005 Ecoband became a licensed operator in Ghana following the introduction of the first subsea network cable in West Africa, a key turning point from which the firm has never looked back.

“From this point we moved beyond simply being a reseller of other companies’ products and services to a licensed operator,” explains Alexander Sulzberger, CEO of Ecoband Group.

“We have been buying capacity on the cables that land in Ghana and have formed long-term relationships with carrier partners who use us not only in Ghana but also Ivory Coast for last mile connectivity services to their corporate customers.”

Partnering with leading providers of communication equipment and services, Ecoband offers comprehensive and flexible satellite, microwave and fibre optic solutions for internet backbone connectivity as well as broadband and MPLS services.

A regional and international expert Now firmly established, the next chapter of Ecoband’s journey is to build on its capability and reach both in the region and internationally.

Indeed, the company now has offices in Accra (Ghana), Kumasi (Ghana), Abidjan (Ivory Coast) and Amsterdam (Netherlands) where its holding company is headquartered, a platform from which it can grow into markets in these nations and beyond.

“We are using the brand and knowhow we have built up over the past 15-20 years to start new operations or acquire existing ISP businesses in the sub region,” Sulzberger adds. “We are in Ghana and Ivory Coast and are looking at the likes of Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal and Liberia to either start afresh or acquire a partner who would like to profit from our brand and expertise.”

Ghana acts as an ideal template to roll out across the region, the company owning and operating its own satellite and wireless radio network and working extensively with the likes of CSquared to install fibre optic networks, the Google-owned enterprise being its favoured provider of infrastructure for last mile delivery to corporate customers.

Central to this success is an unwavering approach to customer service, a factor which Sulzberger believes sets Ecoband apart from its competitors.

“We have always been focussed on the quality of our service,” Sulzberger states. “I see a lot of startup and established ISPs reduced to a shadow of their former selves due to the fact they don’t invest into human resources and technologies focused on customer relations.

“For me, this is one of the most important facets of a connectivity business, and one of the key reasons we have been able to expand out of Ghana is because we have built up close relations with international partners like PCCW Global, GILAT and Sonema for whom we carry out a lot of services.”

These observations are backed up by the company’s impressive customer base, the firm serving as a key supplier to many international brands with operations in multiple African nations, footprints which Ecoband can grow into as it moves into new markets.

Among the leading multinationals the company serves are KPMG, Allianz, Fidelity Bank, Societe Genrale and Merck.

CSquared – a fruitful partnership The aforementioned CSquared is another important partner. It entered the Ghanaian market in 2016 having successfully established itself in Uganda and has disrupted the last mile market. Helping to bring faster, more reliable internet to the people and places that need it, the company is both a customer and supplier of Ecoband.

“They approached operators directly and the Ghana Internet Service Providers Association and offered licensed operators their services, looking at what assets may already be in the ground and in need of operating more efficiently,” says Sulzberger.

“Ecoband was one of the first companies to sign and implement a service contract with CSquared, a timely move because we were receiving more and more demand from local and international customers to deliver fibre.”

Today Ecoband has around 100 deployed sites with CSquared in Ghana, and for Sulzberger, the priority moving forwards is to build on this so far successful collaboration. Indeed, CSquared is targeting Liberia as a new market to enter, a country which the CEO of Ecoband is eager to obtain an operating license in.

“We are now set up to become a premier B2B ISP and data network operator,” comments Sulzberger.

“We will use our existing contracts with international companies and leverage partnerships with multinationals who are in multiple countries in the region to expand our presence.”

Having proven itself as a reliable, quality and customer-driven operator since it first arrived in West Africa in 2001, Ecoband is primed to extend its influence and become a renowned connectivity brand both regionally and internationally.

PMB KA43, Accra, Ghana • E sales@ecoband.net • W www.ecoband.net

C S Q U A R E D

Africa is undergoing impressive urban growth and is envisioned to reach 2.4 billion inhabitants within the next decade, favouring cities over rural areas�

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LEADERSHIP FOCUS LANRE KOLADE Lanre Kolade has been the Group Chief Executive Officer for CSquared since November 2018. He has over 21 years of experience in the telecommunications industry spanning both Francophone and Anglophone Africa. Before joining CSquared, he was Managing Director of Vodacom Business in Nigeria. He also previously served as Managing Director of Vodacom Business for the west, east, central, and southeast regions in Africa.

Kolade started his career at SITA, a business solutions company, before attaining leadership roles in telecommunication firms GS Telecom and Gateway Communications. Kolade is a graduate of Wits Business School, London Business School, and Obafemi Awolowo University, holding a BSc in Electrical/Electronic Engineering A key development made

by Kolade at CSquared has been the installation of a new leadership team, which now comprises of the following key members: Adama Kane, Group Head of Legal and Regulatory Affairs Alexander Kiel, Group Chief Financial Officer Estelle Akofio-Sowah, Country Manager – Ghana and Liberia Philip Sakwa, Group Head of Human Resources Njeri Maina, Country Manager – Uganda

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spurring the development of urban cities,” Kolade says.

“Africa is undergoing impressive urban growth and is envisioned to reach 2.4 billion inhabitants within the next decade, favouring cities over rural areas. By 2030, it is expected that six of the world’s 41 megacities will be African.

“The urbanisation process undoubtedly has the power to transform an economy, however, it also comes with a set of challenges such as the need for mobility and access to urban services, access to clean water and sanitation, public health and safety issues as well as policy-related matters.”

People, as well as technology, will be the key to unlocking this potential.

In terms of CSquared’s own fortunes, the importance of identifying and developing talent is not lost on Kolade.

“We engage in various cross-training and educational activities to help individuals advance their skillset,” he continues.

“The fourth industrial revolution is here and the only way we can participate is to upskill our people in the relevant technologies. So, continuous training with a view to accelerate innovative thinking is how we approach this issue.

“We do not find recruiting skilled people a challenge – there are plenty of skilled individuals in Africa, and many have gone through training either locally or from overseas.”

A rapidly developing urban landscape and promising pool of skilled technicians who can help advance this ongoing socioeconomic story, Kolade signs off in confident fashion.

He concludes: “Yes we are optimistic. Africa is maintaining its position as the fastest growing region in terms of internet usage, though data volumes remain lower than other parts of the world. We expect this trend to aggressively continue.

Adama Kane

Alexander Kiel

Estelle AkofioSowah

“In terms of CSquared, we currently operate in four countries in Africa. We consider the entire continent as home and look at it as a four plus 50 strategy, so what we have is 50 more countries in view!

“However, we are also very pragmatic and will look at the markets where policy and regulations allow private participation with open access wholesale networks first. Our focus is very keenly on West and Central Africa for growth as well as exploring ways in which we can improve the value offerings for our existing customers.”

info@csquared.com www.csquared.com

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BOTSWANA

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Strategic

CORPORATION

SUCCESS From the introduction of next-generation LTE to extensive cost optimisation processes, BTC is championing change when it comes to connectivity Project Manager: Vivek Valmiki

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uch like the rest of Africa, Botswana’s telecommunications market is evolving rapidly.

As the rise of long-term evolution (LTE) technologies remains meteoric, and 2G and 3G continue to be replaced by their modernised successors in the form of 4G and even 5G, the country is beginning to leverage a host of new, transformative capabilities.

The crux of these is mobile connectivity, an industry that is anticipated to grow at roughly 12.3 percent per year and account for 79.3 percent of national telecom service revenue by 2023. Combine this with a whole host of associated branches such as the internet of things and cloud services, and it’s easy to see why Botswana is gearing up for a period of extensive, progressive change.

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Africa emerging as a hub of contact centre excellence Written by Bruce Arnold, Chief Executive Officer, Pivotal Data

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frica is emerging as a powerhouse in the global contact centre and business process outsourcing and services (BPO&S) sectors. Numerous countries in North and Sub-Saharan Africa already boast vibrant and growing captive contact centre and BPO industries, supported by large-scale communication and IT infrastructure investments.

These operations span multiple vertical markets, including the public sector, and facilitate a broad range of services, including inbound and outbound call management, customer service support, mobile app and technical support, sales services, finance and accounting services, and debt collections.

Various government and investment agencies across Africa have also adopted or are in the process of implementing national contact centre strategies, supported by IT-enabled services, to drive economic growth and job creation. These initiatives will lead to further development of the contact centre industries in these countries.

Rwanda is a case in point. According to the All Africa Global Business Services (GBS) and CX Investment Survey currently being conducted by Knowledge Executive, the country’s contact centre industry is enabled by excellent ICT cyber-infrastructure (expected to be worth $646 million by 2020) and collaborative support and incentives from government and development agencies, which also improve the ease of doing business in the country.

Kenya and Uganda are the other African nations emerging as key global BPO providers. While both countries are hampered by infrastructure challenges and geopolitical uncertainty, they have created burgeoning, vibrant contact centre industries. These competencies are predicated on a large pool of English-speaking, well educated talent and a growing techsavvy youth population, estimated to be 9.2 million in Uganda and 4.4 million in Kenya.

In Kenya’s case, the contact centre industry currently employs about 3,000 youth for brands such as Safricom and Equity Bank. The country has also formed a contact centre association and customer service professional body for the customer experience (CX) industry, as have Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

These initiatives aim to emulate, align and collaborate with markets such as South Africa, which was recently ranked second in the world by over 300 global enterprise contact centre decision makers in the 2019 Front Office Omnibus Survey conducted by Ryan Strategic Advisory.

Intra-Africa collaboration between countries such as Rwanda and South Africa aims to further promote and improve CX services across the continent, while enterprising customer service professionals in Zimbabwe (which boasts a contact centre industry with 3,600 workers) have formed the Chartered Institute of Customer Management (CiCM) and has opened regional hubs in

Namibia, Tanzania and Zambia.

These developments support and complement other developments within specific African markets, where contact centres and shared services facilities are favourably positioned to surpass many of their counterparts in developed and mature markets by embracing various advanced technologies.

According to the 2018 Genesys Cloud Transformation Survey, over 90% of contact centres surveyed in Botswana, Kenya, Ghana, Namibia and South Africa have already adopted multi-channel solutions to meet shifting market dynamics.

More tellingly, 56% of the African contact centres interviewed for the survey have adopted some form of cloud computing over the past 2 to 3 years. These captive and outsourced African operators understand that due to the historically slow pace of technological advancement on the continent, cloud adoption gives these contact centres access to platforms, applications and solutions previously only available to large enterprises.

This presents an opportunity to bridge the digital divide and leapfrog ahead of large contact centres and enterprises that are sweating their legacy systems.

As such, cloud adoption in Africa is forecast to grow by over 41% over the next four years, according to Knowledge Executive research. In this regard, African contact centre operators intend to deploy new technologies such as AI, web chat and intelligent automated agents or chatbots in the next 12 months.

To unlock this potential and realise the benefits, the contact centres included in the 2018 Genesys Cloud Transformation survey are taking various paths on their contact centre technology migration journeys. While almost 30% of the respondents want

to grow their premise-based models, more contact centres in Africa are opting for the flexibility of hybrid and full-cloud options.

And many will rely on cloud technology providers to realise these capabilities with flexible and stackable finance options, in addition to the appropriate technological solution and the industry experience and certified staff needed to implement and enable true omnichannel contact centre capabilities.

Partnering with client to realise pan-African success

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ivotal Data is a South Africanbased managed services provider that offers a range of industry-leading omnichannel digital contact centre, customer engagement and enabling IT and connectivity solutions.

Founded in 2012, the company’s entrepreneurial mindset, its bold, innovative company culture and its client-centric strategy have been the catalysts for the business’s rapid organic grown.

Various strategic acquisitions have built out capabilities and core competencies that have helped Pivotal Data become a recognised contact centre and customer experience (CX) market leader.

Over the years, Pivotal Data has developed proficiency within a range of industry verticals, with specific expertise and experience in providing captive corporate contact centre solutions in financial services for banking and insurance clients, the

telecoms market and the burgeoning business process outsourcing and services (BPO&S) sector.

African expansion plans

The company is now applying its vast experience, expertise and unique skills set to become a prominent multinational player, providing its award-winning capabilities to help clients achieve their pan-African growth ambitions.

Pivotal Data’s value proposition is built on the company’s vast industry experience and unrivalled technical capabilities, with its market-leading contact centre solutions and endto-end cloud services offering at the core of its success.

Award-winning capabilities

Pivotal Data’s impactful customer engagement and contact centre implementations have earned the company acclaim from the global leader in customer experience and contact centre technology, Genesys.

In 2019, Pivotal Data was

recognised as Genesys’ leading partner in Africa and achieved Gold Partner status – the highest

level within the partner program.

The company was also the proud recipient of the prestigious 2019 Genesys Partner of the Year award.

Pivotal Data is the only Gold partner with the ability to sell, deploy and support the full Genesys range of omnichannel and analytic solutions, including PureEngage, PureCloud and PureConnect, and Genesys Interaction Analytics (GIA) as on-premises, hosted or cloud deployment models.

For more information, email info@pivotalgroup.co.za or visit pivotaldata.co.za

B O T S W A N A

T E L E C O M M U N I C A T I O N S

This in mind, it’s understandably exciting times for Botswana Telecommunications Corporation (BTC).

An organisation established almost four decades ago to provide, develop, operate and manage Botswana’s national and international telecommunications services, the now privatised entity stands front and centre of the industry, helping to facilitate the aforementioned ascendancy.

Finding value

Providing both mobile data services in the form of its flagship beMOBILE brand, alongside its BTC Wholesale and BTC Fixed offerings, BTC remains a market leader in communications services, priding itself on upholding superior customer service through innovative solutions.

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C O R P O R A T I O N

BTC: A HISTORY From 1980 onwards, BTC took over from Botswana’s Department of Posts and Telecommunications in upholding the country’s telecommunications services, services that it monopolised until 1996.

At this time, an amendment of the Telecommunications Act repealed this monopoly, introducing other service providers and raising industry competition. Further, the industry became liberalised in 1998, quickly followed by the inauguration of two mobile operators in the national market.

Fast forward to 2006, and competition was also introduced to the international calling market, allowing ISPs to provide voice over internet protocol services. A year later, and all telecommunications network providers were given neutral licenses, permitting them to operate in the cellular and fixed line segments.

In 2008, BTC itself then was authorised to become a privatised entity and launched beMOBILE – its own mobile network. Eight years, on and the organisation became listed on the Botswana Stock Exchange following a successful IPO that saw 50,000 shareholders come on board.

Today, the company runs all three of its business units (beMOBILE, BTC Wholesale and BTC Fixed) under one roof, making it agile and responsive to its customers’ needs.

Pivotal Data paves path for Harambee’s African expansion

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ivotal Data is a proud technology partner to Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, an award-winning South African non-profit organisation that is changing the trajectory of young lives through impact sourcing and inclusive hiring.

Harambee builds scalable solutions for the youth labour market, leveraging innovative contact centre and customer experience (CX) technology to support young people who have been excluded from the formal economy.

Harambee then provides workreadiness programmes, using its real-world training methodology to up-skill these candidates, and its high-tech “pathwaying platform” to connect job seekers with opportunities developed through partnerships with businesses. It also applies matching tools to help employers quickly and reliably gauge work-readiness and increase retention.

Facilitating impactful contact The company’s Genesys-enabled contact centre, supported by Pivotal Data, sits at the heart of the social enterprise’s efforts to reach candidates that corporate networks can’t reach, and introduce these young people into the formal economy.

The resilient and scalable multichannel Genesys PureConnect contact centre solution developed

by Pivotal Data forms part of an integrated cloud-based solution that seamlessly integrates with Harambee’s core systems and data environments. This enables

Harambee to leverage its machine learning algorithms to inform how the company engages with the young people.

Integrating Harambee’s pathway platform with the contact centre solution also builds information into workflows and usable formats, which helps advisors to more accurately assess a candidate’s current status and skills to match these to relevant work opportunities.

Social and business impact The cloud model also ensures that Harambee benefits from a flexible licensing model to reduce IT costs.

“And by releasing our contact centre staff from the burden of manual dialling, Pivotal Data helped us achieve a 45% increase in productivity”, explains Harambee’s Head of Contact Centre, Jacques Jonker.

Harambee previously made roughly 50,000 call attempts a month, but since Pivotal Data implemented the Genesys solution, the contact centre now makes up to 1.5 million calls.

Harambee now works with about 500 business partners in South Africa, ranging from large corporates to micro-enterprises, across a wide spectrum of economic sectors, helping buyers and service providers to effectively and efficiently identify, screen, and train entry-level candidates through job readiness.

African expansion Following a successful partnership with the Mastercard Foundation in South Africa to equip young workseekers with work opportunities

and skills to enable them to become more employable and remain employed, the organisations looked to broaden the project’s reach and impact into Africa.

The Foundation and Harambee partnered on the Hanga Ahazaza – Rwanda Youth Employment Accelerator project which works to identify, screen and test a network of 100,000 young people and place 25,000 into work opportunities.

“To realise similar success in Rwanda, we want to replicate the wellestablished South African model, which relies heavily on Pivotal Data’s expertise and cloud capabilities to provision the contact centre technology in this new market,” explains Jonker.

“Once operational, our contact centre showcase will lay the groundwork for other operators, so that they can easily enter the market and scale to solve for unemployment, without breaking the bank. This will ultimately benefit the country on multiple fronts by driving economic growth and stimulating job creation,” concludes Jonker.

For more information, email info@pivotalgroup.co.za or visit pivotalgroup.co.za

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“We exhibit a sense of pride in the work we do and take accountability for the quality of our efforts and the organisation as a whole,” the company states on its website where it outlines its values statement. “We commit to the best customer experience through effective, efficient and agile service delivery within defined timeframes.”

Such traits are no better reflected than in the firm’s selection of mobile plans.

These come in the form of both prepaid and post-paid tariffs including its new TurnUp bundles, offering anywhere between 500 megabytes of data and five gigabytes of data, these two options costing P40 ($3.78) and P299 ($28.28) respectively.

Additionally, the company’s valueadded mobile services are another defining feature of the beMOBILE brand.

These include Nshape, a service which allows subscribers to share

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We exhibit a sense of pride in the work we do and take accountability for the quality of our efforts and the organisation as a whole... We commit to the best customer experience through effective, efficient and agile service delivery within defined timeframes”

airtime credit with friends and family; Ntshware, a free call back service; call barring, preventing certain calls such as international calls from being made; and CRBT, allowing users to suspend an in-progress call while accepting a second call.

Combined with the company’s extensive roaming footprint spanning anywhere from Canada to the UK to Australia, these are just some of BTC’s crucial differentiators, enabling it to remain at the forefront of the Botswanan telecommunications market.

Strategic success

The services in question have been crucial to the company’s recent rise, an upward trajectory that can largely be traced back to the integration of its three core service portfolios under one, united BTC brand in 2016.

Looking at the firm’s most recently available results figures for the

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financial year ended March 31, 2017, this is clear to see.

The company registered an impressive profit after tax of P237 million ($22.42 million), a 164 percent increase year-on-year, while its revenue also rose eight percent to P1.6 billion ($151 million), the jump in profit largely owed to a 26 percent fall in costs and 21 percent rise in data services revenue.

“I am delighted to report that this overall improvement in performance is a combination of both better business focus and improved operational efficiencies,” stated Lorato Boakgomo, BTC’s Board Chairperson, in the Annual Report. “Overall the company performed very well against the main strategic objectives of growing mobile market share and revenue, data and broadband revenue, optimising costs, and improving customer satisfaction levels.”

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I am delighted to report that this overall improvement in performance is a combination of both better business focus and improved operational efficiencies. Overall the company performed very well against the main strategic objectives...”

Moving forward, this sharp rise is not expected to be subject to much of a slowdown anytime soon, with the enterprise currently amid a three-year strategy focused on a new transformation and growth agenda in the short to medium term.

Centred around business growth, customer experience, operational efficiency, innovation and highperformance culture, the five-pronged blueprint is attempting to create a revitalised business environment, enabling the company to leverage and forge value adding strategic partnerships with both the public and private sector.

Such will be the latest chapter in BTC’s illustrious history, the organisation that was once the only telecommunications company in the country now standing as one of the Botswana Stock Exchange’s largest entities.

A company of many firsts and continuously changing the rules of competition

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rom the very first ground emergency medical evacuation in 1992 to a growing network of clinics and pharmacies in 2019, MRI Botswana Limited envisions to be a model healthcare organisation

that will drive the primary healthcare landscape of Botswana.

“Through innovative technology and a highly skilled team of healthcare professionals, we commit to offer the best emergency medical and primary healthcare services, putting our customers’ needs at the heart of our operations and focusing on building their lasting trust in us” says the Managing Director, Dr Lorato Mangadi.

Having pioneered emergency medical services in Botswana about 27 years ago, MRI Botswana remains the leading provider of pre-hospital emergency medical response and assistance. Our tagline ‘when seconds count’ indicates our promise and commitment to providing rapid response and rescue during crucial times when seconds indeed count.

MRI Botswana Limited has over the last five years undergone a tremendous transition and is today a truly diverse organisation, leading in every service we provide and continuously changing the rules of competition to stay ahead. Our key operations are as follows: • Med Rescue 992 which is coordinated through a 24/7/365 medical contact centre to provide pre-hospital assistance and inter-hospital transfers throughout Botswana and the SADC region. We have partnered with key international assistance companies to ensure that we provide superior service to our local, regional and international customers.

• Prime Health Clinics & Pharmacies is the first network of clinics and pharmacies that bring to the market quality, affordable and convenient healthcare services with the aim to influence a paradigm shift from high cost hospital centric care to a high value low cost primary care model. We embrace our tagline ‘your partner in health’ to leave long lasting impression on every life we touch. Our Prime Health Pharmacies are entrusted on a monthly basis to distribute chronic medicines to a large customer base across the entire breadth and span of the country.

• MRI Onsite, the first ever remote and industrial site medical services covering occupational health and wellness, primary healthcare and emergency medical services.

• MRI Training Academy the first ever training site that offers a variety of courses including First Aid and Healthcare Provider Courses (BLS, ACLS, PALS, ITLS) as well as Disaster Preparedness. The Academy is registered and accredited with the Botswana Qualifications Authority (BQA) and is also a recognised American Heart Association (AHA) training site affiliated with the Resuscitation Council of South Africa.

• MRI Contact Centre which leverages robust and cutting edge technology to provide inbound and outbound contact centre services to a wide range of clients across different business sectors. Our highly skilled and dedicated teams are always on standby to connect businesses to their customers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year.

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Congo’s Connectivity Champion MTN Congo continues to promote digital inclusion across the country through numerous investments in the likes of mobile money, content streaming and affordable smartphones Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Vivek Valmiki In Africa, the infrastructure 50 percent in 4G. problem is significant, and This translates into almost 2.5 the Congo is no exception million customers leveraging the firm’s to the rule. network, a network which accounts for “You are not unaware that in Africa, 67 percent of voice traffic, 69 percent of interpersonal exchanges are the pillar of internet users and 1.3 million mobile and society. As a result, telecommunications mobile money users. has become the largest facilitator and Such numbers are the result of contributing to its development is an sustained investment since Ouattara exciting goal. All this gives us a great became CEO. sense of pride when we do it well.”

More than 80 billion Congolese For Djibril Ouattara, CEO of francs ($48.4 million) has been spent MTN Congo, connectivity is key on numerous projects since 2015, to socioeconomic adding to the $90 million enablement. invested in the WACS Leading the company submarine cable which (part of South Africa’s has enabled enhanced MTN Group) since 2015, connectivity between he has overseen a period Africa and the rest of the of growth which has seen world. more Congolese citizens “The objective of and businesses connected this operation was to than ever before – MTN improve consumer data Congo is present in 190 services,” Ouattara says. localities and currently “In addition to submarine covers more than 92 fibre, we have connected percent of the Congolese all our high-traffic radio population in second sites to the core of the generation technologies network via the so-called (2G), 78 percent in 3G and Djibril Ouattara, CEO Metro optical fibre.

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“This means we can also connect companies with their offshore sites or headquarters or our data centre, if they decide to be hosted by us.

In addition to fibre, we have two backbones in microwave links between Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire.”

In the area of content distribution, MTN Congo was the first to launch an LTE network into the market and has been adding streaming capability through its 4G deployment.

Its video streaming service Tele Na Ngai, meaning My TV in local language, allows users to watch local Redefining the possible and international TV as well as movies, For consumers, MTN Congo is music, religious content and much broadening their horizons in a number more content relevant to the local of ways under its CHASE strategy, market. Tele Na Ngai is the number with three examples including mobile one streaming platform in Congo money, content streaming and with a subscription and usage level provision of a budget smartphone. that exceeds the most popular global Regarding the former, around half streaming platforms. of MTN Congo customers utilise such To address the second pillar of services, with 93 percent of electronic CHASE (handset), MTN Congo financial transactions completed via partnered with KaiOS to launch a 3G the company’s network. These services smart feature phone costing just $20, are free and accessible on all types of half the price of a typical entry level phone, supported by infrastructure smartphone. which ensures accounts are safe and “In February we launched MTN transactions are traceable (and stored Smart in Congo, the first of its kind for 10 years). in the market and bundled with free “In Congo, only eight percent of internet access to enable everyone the adult population have access to access the new world of digital to traditional bank accounts,” says services MTN is creating,” Ouattara Ouattara. “MTN Mobile Money is a adds. solution which can provide these vital All of these developments have services to the 92 percent who have enabled MTN Congo to offer a superior been excluded from the traditional service, one which is supplemented financial system.” by multiple channels of customer feedback.

“Our concern to maintain a quality relationship with our subscribers has led us to significantly improve our network to make it the best in the country,” Ouattara continues.

“We have invested considerably in MTN Congo the fluidity of services and also in our launched its corporate commitment through the CHASE strategy “PO Na YO” campaign “SAMU NA in September NGE”, which means “we stand for 2018 to help you”. This is a commitment we have bridge the digital made to our subscribers to offer them divide. It stands the best services available.” for: Coverage,

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Handset, Affordability, Service, Education.

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Uplifting society

MTN Congo’s 250 direct employees are responsible for delivering such a service, a cohort which has proudly

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EMPLOI SERVICE

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mploi Service offre un service de qualité dans la mise à disposition du personnel et la prestation pour toutes entreprises se trouvant dans son réseau de couverture et même au-delà. Nos 25 ans d’expérience et notre pole position sous régionale (Afrique Centrale) nous permettent d’avoir une assise et une matière considérable à satisfaire nos clients.

Plus globalement, nous sommes au service de tous nos partenaires actuels et futurs, quel que soit votre secteur d’activité, faites confiance aux professionnels au service de l’emploi que nous sommes.

www.emploiservice.cm remained intact despite recent economic hardships which have forced many businesses to make staff redundant.

Known as MTN’ers, the company’s employees are its most important resource and invested in heavily through training programmes in order to remain knowledgeable, competitive and motivated.

The company has also been able to continue contributing to the community via its CSR activities.

The MTN Congo Foundation, which is funded by one percent of the firm’s profits, has carried out several projects and programmes to date, including the construction of a medical and social centre for the elderly at a cost of more than $300,000, the site being renovated this year.

Another recent development is the Y’ello Start Up programme, a project which aims to identify and support the three best ideas in entrepreneurship creation.

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Indeed, it is initiatives like this that instils a sense of optimism in Ouattara regarding the future development of the country and the role that MTN Congo has to play, both through its core activities and community-focused contributions.

It is the company’s ambition to reach 95 percent of the population by 2G, 90 percent by 3G and 60 percent by 4G over the course of the next year, progress which will naturally lead

to higher internet and smartphone penetration.

And although Ouattara admits that there is much work to be done at both political and commercial levels to fully realise Congo’s digital potential, he signs off by stating why he switched to telecoms and joined MTN in the first place.

“I missed the adrenaline of telecom,” he says, “so when I had the opportunity to join MTN, I didn’t hesitate because this company represents for me the winning Africa, the Africa that is going global in terms of business management.”

MTN Congo www.mtncongo.net

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Petroleum Power Ethiopia’s sole importer and distributor of refined petroleum products, EPSE is helping to uphold the country’s rapid economic expansion Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Ben Weaver

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thiopia is a country on the rise.

Having recorded an average annual GDP growth rate of 10.3 percent between 2007 and 2017, Africa’s second most populous country has cemented its status as the continent’s fastest growing economy.

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Multiple industries have continued to prosper against this backdrop, from infrastructure to manufacturing to telecommunications, while investor confidence has also been consolidated and supported by an influx of foreign financing.

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“The future is bright for our country,” states Tadesse Hailemariam, CEO of Ethiopian Petroleum Supply Enterprise (EPSE) – an organisation that has come to embody this booming climate.

A nationally registered public enterprise that is the sole importer and distributor of sustainable refined petroleum products to the country, EPSE has been responsible for facilitating a significant spike in usage that has arisen in recent times.

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LEADERSHIP FOCUS TADESSE HAILEMARIAM A career in the oil industry wasn’t always on the cards for Hailemariam.

A geologist and geotechnical engineer by trade, he spent the early years of his career in this field, holding three distinct roles at the Ethiopian Institute of Geological Surveys between 1985 and 1996.

Branching out thereafter, he stood as the Project Manager for Addis Ababa Water Supply Authority’s Water III Project (199798); headed up the geotechnical division for Building Design Enterprise (1999-2005); and acted as Deputy CEO at Construction Design Share Company (2006-2013) before accepting his current position.

“Oil in many ways is related to geology, hence my interest,” Hailemariam reveals.

“When I undertook my postgraduate studies at the International Institute for GeoInformation Science and Earth Observation in the Netherlands, one of the university’s top professors, Dr Niek Rengers, told us how geology is everything.

“He explained how it applies to agriculture, infrastructure, medicine, environment, water, and therefore a geologist can be policy maker, planner, executioner and/or leader. This idea became the foundation for my aspirations and indeed career.”

“The demand for fuel is growing in parallel with the economy and, as a result, oil infrastructure including terminals, storage tank farms, pipelines and other related logistics are undergoing expansion and construction out of necessity,” Hailemariam affirms.

The statistics speak for themselves to this end. In 2013/14, for example, EPSE purchased 2,622,801 metric tonnes of petroleum products, a figure that rose to 3,501,759 metric tonnes by 2016/17.

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“It’s our role to identity and plan for this based on the number of vehicles, infrastructural projects, flights destined to Addis Ababa and other fuel consuming activities,” the Chief Executive adds.

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as the profound importance of Port Djibouti with Ethiopia being a landlocked nation.

Some gasoil and gasoline products are also purchased from Kuwait Petroleum Cooperation and Sudan Petroleum Corporation respectively, Going for growth while aviation fuel is often purchased Having initially been established in 1967 from the former. as Ethiopian Petroleum Association “Products are imported through Company, the organisation that has key entry points and ports across been know as EPSE since 2012 has Ethiopia,” Hailemariam explains. rarely deviated from its overriding “We then both distribute these to oil mission. marketers according to their market Commissioned to supply sustainable shares and store them in 13 strategic refined petroleum products including depots that we administer throughout gasoil, gasoline, kerosene, light fuel the nation. oil and heavy fuel oil to the country, it “Business is always about has done just this for the past 52 years, teamwork. We have very good procuring products via a series of open relationships with all our partners on international tenders. the supply chain and we will keep on The majority of these are acquired working closely with our customers via Djibouti, owed to both the strong and all stakeholders.” trade links, connections and relations This portfolio of depots and between the two countries, as well customers has continued to grow over

Fuel supply contract signing with Trafigura

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PETROCHINA INTERNATIONAL

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etroChina International (PCI) is a listed arm of a state-owned corporation, CNPC, and actively participates in global crude and refined products, trading for years through its overseas operations and value-added chain.

At the moment PCI operates four overseas refineries in Europe, Singapore and the Far East, besides 26 system refineries in China. PCI also owns and leases storage tanks in the Far East, Arab Gulf, Europe and America regions.

To date, PCI’s biggest involvement in the African market has been supplying 50 percent of the Ethiopia’s refined petroleum products requirements in 2017 and 2019. PCI is directly and indirectly involved in other African countries including, but not limited to Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique Mauritius, South Africa and some West African countries.

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Outlook Creative Services

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Whether you’re a producer, a service provider or an end-user, our focus, commitment and resources can bring you closer to global markets.

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EPSE employees engaged in tree plantation

Business is always about teamwork. We have very good relationships with all our partners on the supply chain and we will keep on working closely with our customers and all stakeholders” the years as demand has grown and expansion has been required, a natural process that is still underway today.

“In terms of our own investments,” Hailemariam affirms, “we are in the process of building a new depot in Dukem, some 30 kilometres south of Addis Ababa. Feasibility studies have been completed and basic engineering is underway, with the expectation that this will be completed in July 2019.

“In turn, we will then begin the engineering, procurement and construction procedures and aim to have the depot up and running by mid-2022.”

This latest facility will be coupled with other EPSE network expansions including the organisation’s work on

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the Awash petroleum reserve depot that both stores products and acts as an inland terminal for distribution, further helping to bolster the company’s capacity in line with the upward trajectory of the economy.

Corporate social stalwart

To say that the provision of oil is the only way in which EPSE is helping to support the socioeconomic situation in Ethiopia, however, would be false.

Social development is considered to be of equal importance to the enterprise, the public entity showcasing corporate responsibility by adhering to best industry practice and setting an admirable example in keeping with

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environmental and safety regulations.

“We are very much concerned about the protection of the environment,” Hailemariam states. “Fossil fuel contributes significantly to air pollution, so we partake in extensive tree planting initiatives and subsequent caretaking activities like watering and cultivation to reduce our carbon footprint.”

Environmental programmes are not the organisation’s only emphasis in terms of social investment.

In addition, EPSE also forms close relationships with various communities across Ethiopia, helping to raise the quality of life and provide individuals with lifechanging services and facilities.

Hailemariam continues: “We provide support for those living close to strategic depots, availing clean water by sinking boreholes and dealing with other issues following the requests of the communities so as to build sense of ownership.

“We’re also proud of the fact that all our employees are national citizens. We

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Vitol is pleased to support EPSE For over 30 years, our partners in Africa have benefited from our global reach and logistical expertise, as well as our growing energy infrastructure footprint across the region.

Material donation for needy school children

16m m3 + of storage across seven continents

EPSE employees visiting Renaissance Dam under construction on the Blue Nile River

will sometimes consultant international experts from abroad, but otherwise rely on our experienced local teams with expertise in mechanical, civil, electrical and electromechanical engineering.”

Advocating investment

All things combined, be it the company’s bold expansion efforts or

its CSR initiatives, the Chief Exec is quick to reiterate his optimism when asked about the company’s prospects moving forward.

“In terms of our own goals, we’re hoping to diversify and introduce new ways of transporting fuel across Ethiopia,” he states. “Currently we are limited to truck-based transportation,

357 million tonnes of crude oil & products shipped annually

6,800 ship voyages each year

a method which is expensive when compared to the use of trains or dedicated pipelines, but it’s something that we’ll be addressing.”

Equally, Hailemariam holds a similar outlook for Ethiopia on a broad basis, standing as a staunch advocate for oil and gas investment.

He concludes, outlining these views: “I’d like to invite all parties interested in investing in oil and gas infrastructures, be it oil terminals, developing depots, pipelines, gas stations, and even exploring the use of industry automation, to do so.

“To repeat, there is a bright future for the industry and in turn Ethiopia’s economic growth.”

Ethiopian Petroleum Supply Enterprise eth-petroleum@ethionet.et www.epse.gov.et

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frica’s economic ascent is set to continue throughout 2019.

A quick glance at the African Development Bank’s latest continental economic outlook report reveals that the region’s projected GDP growth rate is set to accelerate to four percent this year and 4.1 percent in 2020.

Couple this with the UN’s commonly referenced population predictions, forecasting that Africa could have more than 1.3 billion additional

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Upholding entrepreneurs, enterprises and communities alike, Checkers Food Services is showing how effective, efficient operations translate into mutual benefits for all

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Writer: Jonathan Dyble Project Manager: Lewis Bush

inhabitants by 2050, and it’s easy to see why the continent is rapidly emerging as a global powerhouse for the future.

Amidst such a climate, the region’s leading businesses such as Sonatrach and Shoprite Holdings are thriving, successfully capitalising on the abundant array of opportunities that span a vast multitude of sectors.

The latter of these corporations provides the perfect evidence of this, its 146,000 employees now serving

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35 million people everyday across more than 2,700 outlets. Home to a monumental food retail portfolio, Shoprite has grown from strength to strength, owed to continuous organic growth and innovative expansion strategies – strategies that Lance van der Spuy is all too familiar with.

“I joined Shoprite in 2009 as a Projects Officer in the Operational Projects department, reporting to the then COO, now CEO, Pieter Engelbrecht,” he reveals.

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“After two years with the firm I was asked to investigate the feasibility of Shoprite entering the food service sector by Whitey Basson, the Group CEO. Whitey was not only instrumental in founding the Group, and building it into the success it had become; he was always on the outlook for ways to increase its influence. A few months later, with the viability study and business model approved, we founded Shoprite’s newest division, Checkers Food Services (CFS), in December 2011.”

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Almost eight years on, and CFS has already begun to follow in the footsteps of its parent company.

Starting small and scaling rapidly in the Western Cape, the division initially focused on marketing predominently dry groceries and perishable products before expanding to become the first true broadline food service distributor in South Africa.

“By the start of 2015 our range had expanded to include fresh fruit and vegetables, a fresh butchery, cutlery, crockery, equipment, packaging and consumables, wine and liquor,” van der Spuy, the GM, explains. “From this base, our distribution footprint expanded into the greater Gauteng region at the start of 2016, covering South Africa’s largest market.”

A fresh approach

CFS is still a relatively young company in the grand scheme of things, but this is not to say that it isn’t a formidable player in South Africa’s food service market.

A rapid, sustained rise has seen it become renowned as no less than South Africa’s preferred hospitality and catering supplier, a status that van der Spuy himself is particularly proud of.

“None of our competitors locally can compete with the competitive offering we have,” he says. “Besides our low price leadership, owed to the backing that we have from Africa’s largest retailer, we are also able to offer our customers access to our retail stores through a linked business card that allows for emergency top up purchases at any of our 2,700 retail outlets at a discounted price.

This, paired with our quick order turnarounds (on average between three and 24 hours), means that our customers enjoy not only the best prices, but the widest access to the products they need.”

While Shoprite’s support is a key tool that CFS leverages to differentiate itself, so too is technology, the business already established as a food services industry disruptor.

HULAMIN CONTAINERS AFRICA’S GROWING APPETITE FOR CONVENIENCE Time-starved lifestyles are making convenience a key driver in the growth of the ready prepared meals market.

In South Africa for example, a third (34 percent) of consumers in 2018 used restaurant delivery or meal kit services, up from 29 percent in 2017 and 19 percent in 2016. Equally, environmental consciousness is on the rise and manufacturers and retailers are under pressure to offer today’s consumer convenience meals that are packed with nutritional punch, and that are not harmful to our planet.

Hulamin aluminium containers are perfect to take advantage of this market opportunity, for many reasons, the two most important being: they retain their structural integrity throughout the entire temperature range (they don’t release any chemicals when heated), and they are kind to the environment. Millions of metric tonnes of plastic finds its way into the ocean annually and it is projected that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the oceans than there are fish (by weight).

According to Britain’s Royal Statistical Society, only nine percent of the world’s plastic is recycled; in contrast, aluminium is 100 percent recyclable and of all the aluminium ever made, 75 percent of it is still in use today – now that’s sustainability!

With Hulamin Containers your product will be in safe hands as we are FSSC 22,000 accredited with the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFS), which means our containers are manufactured in a socially and environmentally responsible way.

CFS has greatly expanded its product range

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T +27 (0)11 6133 547/8 Blog www.responsiblepackaging.co.za

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“We were the first in the industry to transition online and have recently opened up our services to include unregistered SMEs and individuals in our ecommerce offering,” van der Spuy adds. “Although the Shoprite Group itself has yet to formally enter the retail ecommerce sphere, we’re proud to be providing key learnings to the group, particularly regarding last mile delivery.”

CFS launched the ecommerce website tailored to non-food service customers, promoting access to wholesale products and pricing.

Created to assist small businesses and entrepreneurs, it has proven to be the innovation that is valuable in enabling such enterprises to grow from competitive foundations.

“We’re helping to reduce the barrier of entry for persons with a limited credit history, or where transportation or location has previously been a prohibitive factor,” affirms the GM. “This service is free, as we charge no delivery or account fee, but we require a minimum order value of R1,000 ($72).

The minimum order value is there to ensure that we are attracting the entrepreneur or small business and not merely providing a home delivery service to end consumers.”

Partner power

Equally, cloud computing has become crucial to CFS, enabling it to maximise operational efficiencies and ensuring its stock of over 8,000 different products are managed in a dependable, accurate and scalable way.

“We’ve improved our platform over the years by adding bolt-on applications, and have coupled our use of the cloud with both international and local learnings and best practices in the area of storage and distribution,” van der Spuy affirms.

“We now have the necessary robust controls and reporting functionality that is required to manage by exception, giving us the ability to increase our scale without affecting the customer’s service level.”

Technology aside, CFS is not maintaining the status quo, but is committed to maintaining its stock according to constantly changing consumer tastes and trends. Efforts to this end are threefold, the company actively aligning its offerings within emerging trends; working closely with existing partners and suppliers; and establishing new, innovative relationships when opportunities arise.

“The world’s largest food service distributors are based in the USA, and we’ve spent time there to learn from them,” reveals van der Spuy.

Further, technology has not only helped to differentiate the enterprise in the way of delivering the last mile and managing customer engagement.

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or more than 20 years LANCEWOOD® has partnered with the South African food services industry, proudly supplying our wide range of award-winning products.

In 2019 alone, Lancewood was awarded three prestigious Qualité Awards and a remarkable 11 number one positions out of 800 entries at the South Africa Dairy Championships. Our mascarpone, which was awarded one of the three Qualités, received another impressive award, this time on the international stage at The World Cheese Awards in Norway. Competing against 3,500 entries, LANCEWOOD received the Gold Award in the ‘Best Jersey Milk’ category.

www.lancewood.co.za “We also base a lot of our insights on the consumer retail information that we have access to, and then leverage our existing supplier relationships which allow us to have a relevant range of private label and exclusively imported products.”

A key banner that CFS has become allied with to this end is Flavour & Co, a food and beverage sourcing firm that offers premium niche fine foods tailored towards more discerning and creative chefs. Through this,

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the company is able to continuously introduce exciting new products that can be found in its regularly released catalogue and promotional leaflets.

Van der Spuy continues: “We rely on our local suppliers and specialist partners (who remain our largest procurement base) to introduce new products, flavours and solutions that are authentic and relevant to the South African market. We act as a service provider linking manufacturers and customers, so our suppliers and partners are of the utmost importance.

Ultimately, we are custodians for the last mile, the last link in a much larger value chain.”

Concocting a culture

CFS’s local emphasis translates from supplier relations to employment

SUPPLY CHAIN NUMBERS Checkers Food Services operates from distribution warehouses in the Western Cape and Gauteng, its reach covering a region that accounts for more than 60 percent of South Africa’s national GDP. Leveraging its own in-house fleet, the organisation distributes more than 100,000 cases on a weekly basis to over 2,000 different customers. The firm also exports to some neighbouring countries, and supplies a number of vessels from the Cape Town and Durban ports.

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strategies, the firm looking to provide jobs to the local communities throughout Gauteng and the Western Cape where the warehouses are located.

In more recent times, it has also launched a sales graduate programme, proactively offering training to newly qualified university graduates, developing their skills and providing them the foundations for a sound career.

“Additionally, we have a monthly and annual ‘Super Service’ awards programme that recognises and celebrates individual and team achievements throughout the year in all departments. We are also attuned to their physical wellbeing and offer staff wellness initiatives and incentives,” van der Spuy reveals.

“We recognise that training is crucial for personal development to allow the staff to grow with the business.

Annually we determine a development programme for the entire team based on the individual’s needs and requirements, and these are rolled out over the course of the year.”

In the way of CSR, all staff members are encouraged to engage and support either the group’s initiatives or their own social initiatives.

There is a particular focus on the community it serves, tying in to a renewed customer service culture that has been imbedded to uphold the wider group’s CSR efforts.

“Personally, I assist Triga Ventures, a South African non-profit organisation that helps to equip entrepreneurs in the building of redemptive ventures,” van der Spuy states. “The idea is to solve some of Africa’s most pressing challenges while bridging the inequality gap that pervades our society.

“Triga Ventures has a world class accelerator that provides entrepreneurs from various verticals with access to a network of inspiring peers, generous mentors, valuealigned investors and donors.”

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Providing value

The Shoprite Group has established itself as a socioeconomic stalwart, helping to nurture entrepreneurs, enterprises and communities in South Africa, enabling prosperity in its existing geographies – and this will remain the primary ambition of CFS throughout the remainder of 2019 and 2020.

“Our objective is to continue to grow our market share off the resilient base that we’ve created in the last two years by continuing to deliver a strong value proposition to an ever-increasing customer base,” van der Spuy affirms.

Asked about whether the company will achieve this, the GM remains confident, citing buoyant optimism towards its overriding ethos that stands to be mutually beneficial to all parties.

He concludes: “Currently South Africans are experiencing a protracted period of slow and stagnant economic growth with salary and wage inflation that hasn’t kept pace with rising cost pressures.

“That said, CFS’s growth is still accelerating and is forecast to maintain double digit growth in the coming financial year as we continue to gain market share with a strong and relevant value offering to our customers.

“Our customers seem to be resonating with our value proposition that preserves their margins and finds innovative ways to keep their businesses healthy and competitive without sacrificing quality, something that we’re both proud of and excited about.”

Checkers Food Services Tel: +27 (0) 861 728 464 applications@checkersfs.co.za www.checkersfs.co.za

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Not for Persons Under the Age of 18. Drink Responsibly.

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VALUE ADDED SERVICE • Permanent placements of warehouse and retail staff • Accredited Training • Health and Safety Equipment and clothing • Moving & Packing Boxes • Payroll • Cleaning • HR, IR, Personnel Management

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FULL FUNCTIONAL OUTSOURCE • Production • Staffing • Planning • Reporting • Trend Analysis • Payroll

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REDEFINING

Effective EPCM METC was established in 2017 to offer a fresh approach to engineering, procurement and construction management work, the company continuing to gather momentum thanks to a string of successfully delivered projects Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Donovan Smith

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t is well documented that mining, one of the world’s oldest industries, is at the slower end of the scale when it comes to embracing change.

While the process of extracting minerals from the ground has been mechanised beyond any recognition since commercial activities first began, the uptake of digital technology, for example, has taken longer than many other industries.

Another (not mutually exclusive) characteristic long associated with the sector is the relative domination of large multinational corporations up and down the value chain. Resource

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rich and often able to survive fluctuations in commodity prices, corporate giants’ sheer size can also come at a cost – namely in the form of agility and flexibility.

It is against this backdrop that Steve Cathey and his business partners John Edwards, Ross Manning and Nick Tatalias decided to set up Metallurgical Engineering Technology and Construction (METC) in 2017.

“We had been working together for several years and the takeover of our employer MDM by Foster-Wheeler, then Foster-Wheeler by Amec, and finally Amec by Wood, all in the space

of three years, made us realise that we had to forge our own future and could not rely on large corporate companies to offer a stable future,” Cathey recalls.

“All set into taking the leap of faith, and Ross goes and resigns two months prior what the four of us agreed upon! The rest is history.”

Based in Sandton, South Africa, METC specialises in the design and building of metallurgical process plants, its team combined having worked on more than 75 such sites across the African continent throughout their careers.

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Now serving as a Director at the company, Cathey explains that the old way of doing EPCM (engineering, procurement and construction management) business in the mining industry could be about to end.

“METC builds metallurgical processing plants for mines in an open and flexible environment,” he says.

“It is our alliances and contracting

EXPANSIVE EXPERTISE METC’s team is a responsive, fast moving and flexible unit, skilled in completing studies and detailed design for metallurgical plants for brownfield and greenfield projects, as well as detailed engineering for plant sections and process islands.

The company has developed deep process knowledge in the following areas: • Material flow and material handling • Crushing, tooth roll, jaw, gyratory, HPGR • Comminution – FAG, SAG, Ball, Verti and ultra-fine milling • Heap leaching • Flotation • Leachings • Solvent extraction • Gravity recovery – spirals, centrifugal concentrators, DMS • Elution • Electrowinning (gold and copper) • Dewatering – thickening/ cyclones, filtration • Smelting • Sorters • Detoxification

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strategy that set us apart from other EPCM houses. We at METC believe that EPCM houses are ‘dead’, meaning that clients are seeing less and less value in these companies who simply sell hours, or bums in seats.”

Walking the walk

An example of this open and flexible approach in action can be seen in an ongoing project for Chemaf (Chemicals of Africa) in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Having acquired the Mutoshi copper and cobalt mine in Kolwezi in 2016, the client approached METC and Outotec for the detailed engineering and equipment supply for a 16 kt/a cobalt in hydroxide and 50 kt/a copper cathode production plant the following year.

Cathey explains: “The main objective was to design a project with minimal risk and maximised upside potential, using the significant experience of both Outotec and METC engineers in metallurgical plant design and Chemaf’s long experience in copper and cobalt plant operation and optimisation.

“With a strong team, the decision was made to commence with the project off the back of a strong cobalt price. Some steps were short-circuited and the project commenced with early works, with the control budget estimate following shortly after onsite work began, again adding value to take advantage of an early start and managing the risk thereof.

“METC signed the execution contract in December 2017 and issued ‘for construction’ earthworks drawings in January 2018 to get site staff up and running, which was a feat in itself. This was the second execution project as a new company and it quickly showed our strengths, but most importantly it also showed our weaknesses, which we started to address straightaway.”

Another project Cathey points to involves Ivanhoe Mines’ Kipushi zinc development.

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ith over a decade in operation the 100 percent black owned mineral processing and gas cleaning supply company, MIP Process Technologies (Pty) Ltd, has diversed into a group approach to business.

This is in line with the latest business trends worldwide according to Managing Director, Philip Hoff.

The gas cleaning and dust extraction business will now be known as MIP Environmental (Pty) Ltd. The international business will fall under MIP Global (Pty) Ltd thus offering better service to our international clients. MIP’s equipment can be seen from successful installations in Argentina, Australia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Brazil, Chile, Canada, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Lesotho, Mali, Mozambique, North America, Russia, Turkey, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

MIP Projects (Pty) Ltd and MIP Process Technologies (Pty) Ltd continues to supply the majority of the product range, depending on scope, which includes: • Attrition scrubbers • Agitators • Clarifiers • Flocculant plants • Horizontal belt filters • Reagent plants • Slurry samplers • Thickeners • Peristaltic pumps In 2018, MIP expanded its product offers with the addendum of an international brand of peristaltic pumps to its portfolio.

T +27 (0) 11 234 1007 E sales@mipprocess.com

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INDUSTRIES

MIP Industries (Pty) Ltd. | P.O.Box 677; Kelvin; 2054 | Tel: +27 (0) 11 234 1007 Fax: +27 (0) 86 682 2394 | E mail: sales@mipprocess.com | Website: www.mipindustries.com

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Located in the Haut-Katanga province of the DRC, the Kipushi Project is based on the high-grade, underground zinc-copper mine in the Central African Copperbelt, a site which saw 60 million tonnes of minerals mined between 1924 and 1993.

Ivanhoe acquired a 68 percent stake of the site in 2011 and selected METC as its EPCM and early works contractor, the project currently completing the engineering and procurement stage.

Execution is slated for early 2020 and will involve the development of a 105-tonne per hour concentrator and already developed underground mine infrastructure.

In South Africa, Cathey cites a second project completed with Outotec, one which he originally had an interest in while working for Tharisa Minerals.

“In 2013 I project managed a chromite and PGM (Platinum Group Metals) processing plant in Marikana, North-West Province,” he recalls.

“This is the largest chromite producing mine in the world, and recently METC was privileged enough to upgrade the PGM flotation circuit.

“What makes it even more interesting is that the worn out (7 year old) Outotec flotation

mechanisms were replaced with new Metso Minerals units. The two companies have recently merged, so we essentially removed Outotec mechanisms to replace them with ‘Outotec’ mechanisms.”

These are just a handful of examples of METC’s expertise in action, a common denominator on all projects being close and regular dialogue with clients about every step of the process, including selecting suppliers.

“As we work in Africa and beyond, the customer would sometimes specify a particular supplier that has stood them in good stead in the past and we at METC would obviously honour such a request,” Cathey continues.

“However, when you frequent the local friendly grocer on the end of the street you generally buy what products are fresh and suitably priced.

Being at the end of the tip of Africa, South Africa is still a strong player in the mining industry with leading edge technology in this sphere.”

Opportunities aplenty

Cathey also observes an underutilised talent pool, a wealth of available skills which have been on offer since the mining industry came under severe strain in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crash.

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ince Establishment in 1981, PACE has concentrated on tendering for and executing project orders for valves, actuators and ancillary equipment. Our strength lies in the ability to correctly interpret customer specifications and process conditions and provide economical, fit-for-purpose valve solutions, no matter how diverse the plant specification may be.

PACE services a cross-section of industry, including chemical, petrochemical, mining, minerals processing, power generation, iron and steel, pulp and paper and water treatment.

Operations governed by a quality management system consistent with ISO 9001 British Standards Institute.

Services include in-house control, automated valve package assembly and function testing.

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Our cable glands are available to suit a variety of applications and cover multiple international installation codes — from IEC to NEC — with a selection of approvals available on request. We manufacture using a range of materials which ensures that we are able supply the right cable gland for the right environment, in a short lead time.

In addition to cable glands, our innovative range of cable cleats are available for both standard and bespoke applications and come in various materials, ensuring that we can offer customers a product for every scenario. Our range of cable cleats are designed in accordance with IEC 61914 to ensure that safety always comes first.

If you’re looking for thread conversions and accessories, CMP offers a diverse range of products delivering quality and longevity.

CMP Products employs approximately 300 people worldwide and has more than six decades of experience in cable glands and similar products. If you have any questions about our cable glands, other items or the business in general, contact us — our team of CONTROLLED DOCUMENT specialists will be happy to help.

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It is his and METC’s ambition to further exploit this skills base as the company gathers momentum in the coming months and years, a thought which prompts the Director to recount his own, rather unconventional entry into the industry.

“I will never forget the interview with my first boss Neil Zondtag,” he says.

“I was a graduate in mechanical engineering with honours but with not a stich of experience, and Neil was looking for a project manager to execute a materials handling plant for a brick yard. The offered salary was twice that of the going rate for a junior engineer in the mining industry – needless to say Neil listened to my illusions of grandeur how well I could design and do mathematical sums, but I could see he was not convinced.

“After totally wasting my breath trying to impress this old General Manager that ran mineral processing

METC Engineering Tel: +27 087 808 8862 info@metcengineering.com www.metcengineering.com

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mines with his eyes closed, Neil asked me if the old maroon Opel student car parked in the dusty parking lot was mine, to which I answered yes.

“To what was a surprise to me, he asked if we could go and have a look at it, to which I replied yes of course, just to get out of the poorly progressing interview. He asked if it would be ok if I open the passenger door – I was getting more and more confused as to where this was going.

“He looked inside, and as any of my friends and colleagues would vouch, my cars may be dirty on the outside but inside it was as clean as a whistle.

He looked me squarely in the eyes and said you’re hired!”

Cathey refers to Neil Zondtag as a standout inspiration during his career to date, a career which now concerns building METC into an asset of true worth.

He intends to do this by going against the multinational corporate grain, removing what he describes as bull**** procedures that do not add any value, a harsh but true reflection of his past experiences with larger companies.

And the environment is certainly there to thrive, Cathey concluding buoyantly: “The appetite for higher risk projects within Africa are being pursued as these mines have grades sometimes 10 times that of mines in the more established first world countries.

“With slow economic growth elsewhere in the world, the opportunities in Africa are bringing investors into the continent which presents a myriad of opportunities, not only in mining.”

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J O M A N D A Y

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iberia is a country looking forwards after a turbulent recent past.

Strategically nestled on the West African coast and entering a new chapter of its development under the leadership of legendary former footballer George Weah, the country has been declared Ebola-free by the World Health Organization.

Optimism renewed, it is now time for enterprise to drive development forwards.

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Multifaceted Jomanday Group is driving development in its beloved home country and across borders as it continues to invest in entrepreneurial pursuits across a range of industries

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Writer: Tom Wadlow Project Manager: Josh Mann

“I would like to say that Liberia and Africa as a whole is ready for business,” declares Sekou Jomanday, Chairman & CEO of Jomanday Group.

“Any investors out there that are ready to work in Liberia or neighbouring countries, I can assure you that the business climate has improved and keeps improving as we have superior infrastructure in place compared to 10 years ago. Most industries are booming, and smart competition is like never before.”

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Determined to contribute to the upliftment of his beloved nation, he opted against his initial desire to enter the banking industry after discovering a flair for business at a young age.

“I started selling clothes in high school and I was very good at it,” he recalls. “I was making 100 percent margin on every item I sold with a minimal amount of effort, as I knew how to conquer my target group.

“Making enough profit at that age to take care of my high school expenses gave me a second thought of my career path.”

After breaking numerous sales records at various companies having obtained an MBA from Long Island University in New York, the creation of Jomanday Group in 2015 unified the wider interests of several subsidiaries, now a multifaceted holding company geared towards national and regional upliftment.

Sekou Jomanday, Chairman & CEO

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“We wanted to create an organisation that would contribute in improving the development and lifestyle of Africans in our region,” Jomanday adds.

“We also want to be the proof that when talking about business in Africa it’s not only Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, or South Africa that has something to offer, but that Liberia is equally equipped enough to provide esteemed, valuable products and superb, specialised services to the international market.”

Driving development

Indeed, Jomanday Group is one of Liberia’s most diversified business conglomerates with a reputation for sustainable development and product quality.

This is amply demonstrated by plans to build a rice milling facility in its home country through subsidiary Doramart Trade Limited.

“Being a country with 4.8 million people where rice is the staple food, it is necessary we become more self-sufficient,” Jomanday explains.

THE JOMANDAY GROUP PORTFOLIO With interests across a variety of sectors, Jomanday Group operates the following subsidiaries: Doramart Trade Limited: An importer of agro commodities distributing rice, cooking oil, spices, soybean, refined sugar, condensed milk, milk powder, spaghetti and more. Doramart Agro a leading agro-industrial company and is part of Doramart Trade.

Jomanday Real Estate: A local construction company that has built a solid reputation for delivering on-time and quality service at a competitive price, it has been influential in the rebuilding of Liberia.

Bellevie Care: Lifestyle retailer specialising in health and beauty brands in Liberia. Also provides personalised advice and counselling services to help achieve its motto of LOOK GOOD, FEEL GREAT every day.

Mega Class: A chain of high-end multinational retail outlets representing world class fashion brands, including Zara, Massimo Dutti, H&M, Bershka, Mango, Pull and Bear, Express, Stradivarius, Reserved, Mohito, Sinsay, and Forever-21.

Delta Bus Limited: An inter-city bus transportation company in Liberia serving both national and international routes, it is the first and the largest provider of such transportation in the country.

Jomanday Mining Company: Operates assets in gold and diamond mines in Liberia and neighbouring countries.

Jomanday Motors: A reliable source of quality pre-owned cars with an inventory containing vehicles from Europe and America.

Guaranty Security Service: Multi-disciplinary provider of security services and risk management. These services help to reduce the risk of both existing and emerging threats that individuals, business, and government face every day.

Jomanday Petroleum Inc: Involved in the distribution of petroleum products in the Liberian market.

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“Liberians spend as much as 18 percent of their income on rice, so keeping rice prices stable and affordable for them is a major factor in reducing poverty.”

Once complete, the mill will operate at a capacity of 30,000 tonnes per month and will help reduce reliance on imports which has forced prices upwards. “Our goal is to produce local rice that will be cheaper than imports while at the same time empowering our local farmers, who we will purchase paddy rice from,” the CEO adds.

It is not just in Liberia where Jomanday Group is continuing to make an impact, however.

Indeed, the company operates its diverse portfolio of businesses across the Sub-Saharan region with further operations in Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Ivory Coast, countries that the firm is seeking to expand its presence in across several disciplines.

“Our main aim for these expansions is to encourage growth and social

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THE SEKOU JOMANDAY FOUNDATION Jomanday Group implements its corporate social responsibility activities through the Sekou Jomanday Foundation (SJF), an organisation built to heal and improve the lives of children and young people in the slum communities affected by civil war and poverty.

“We work in partnership with SJF to protect vulnerable children from violence, exploitation and abuse,” Jomanday says. “To give them hope, we work with orphanages and disability centres as partners to give post-war, vulnerable and disabled children another a chance of a peaceful and bright future.

“Our programmes give these abounded and traumatised children the opportunity to go to school instead of being a breadwinner for themselves. We provide after school activities that create safe places where they can be children again and work on their future peacefully.”

development in the region,” Jomanday says. “We strongly believe that we can benefit from one another’s offer – as our business communities exchange goods and services with each another, it will encourage our governments to trade.

“Specifically, we have plans to move to the upstream activities in oil and gas in Liberia and neighbouring countries.

We are currently in the planning stage with international and local partners to ensure the rightful blocks are selected.”

Built by people

That Jomanday Group is in a position to continue expanding its already diverse portfolio is testament to three standout attributes in the eyes of the CEO. Among them is a commitment to staying on-trend, offering something different and not treading on the toes of potential competitors, while a second key differentiator comes in the form of a strict adherence to quality.

“We treat quality as our oxygen,” Jomanday explains. “Everything we do, starting from customer service

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right through to delivery, is carried out with a quality conscious. We can’t afford to jeopardise our image with inferior products – if it can’t solve a problem, then it shouldn’t increase the problem.”

What truly differentiates the organisation however, for Jomanday, is what he describes as a dynamic and energetic team that works fantastically together and doesn’t take no for an answer.

“Each one of our team members has reached a point in their self-growth where they are independent and take full accountability for every action they make on behalf of the company,” he adds.

“We are very mindful that a happy employee is a happy customer. For this reason, we retain our employees’ invaluable expertise by ensuring job satisfaction and enrichment through delegation of authority.

“As we have many subsidiaries within our group, we have the luxury of offering new positions and locations to employees that excel at their current job or for those facing challenges.”

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Another motivational strategy centres around the annual award programme, an event which recognises the best performing subsidiary and employees for their efforts during the year.

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of including cassava, pepper, rice and rubber.”

Jomanday’s closing words reflect the emboldened comments made at the beginning – a statement of pride in his nation, and an urge to look forwards.

“We have so many prospects and so much to offer but we didn’t know in the past how to harness and redirect all that energy.

A defining period of peace

It is this cohort of dedicated staff that will drive Jomanday Group into what appears to be a prosperous future.

“Even during the peak of war, you had foreigners that didn’t want to leave Liberia because of what it offers.

Liberians are full of natural joy and pure talent that can be a catalyst for a lot of achievement if we nurture it correctly.

“I strongly believe Liberia has had enough self-reflection and mental healing of our dark days. Those dark years allowed us to also see the other side of life.

“Liberians got to experience firsthand from our various host countries what the real benefits of peace and reconciliation look like – how peace contributes to sustainable development, how unity is stronger than division, how patriotism is the opposite of selfish individualism, and how self-sufficiency is better than Immediate priorities cited by the best of our country to the international dependency.”

CEO include the completion of the market,” he says. aforementioned rice mill and extension “We are committed to showing the of fuel stations across Liberia, the world that Liberia has its own share of entrepreneur full of confidence when exclusivity in terms of quality. As Italy Jomanday Group asked about the positive role his is known for fashion and Germany is company can play in years to come. known for being the best machinery Tel: + ​ 231 (0) 776 890 223 “Our companies are and will info@jomanday.com producers, Liberia should be known for continue to contribute to the future www.jomanday.com the best mines such as gold, and best development of Liberia by bringing the agro product producer for the likes

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Driving

GROWTH A BRT system built for the masses, KTVR is set rejuvenate opportunity, both socially and economically, in the Ekurhuleni region of South Africa Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Josh Mann

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ffective transportation and socioeconomic development are two pillars of any successful economy that almost always go hand in hand.

As economic opportunities have become increasingly defined by the mobility of goods, people and information, the transport sector in turn has revealed itself as an effective tool, instigating positive multipliers such as improved access to employment, reduced costs and expanded investment.

This in mind, it’s easy to see why the South African government launched the revitalised Public Transport Action Agenda in 2007.

The statistics tell this story. Looking back at 2009, public transport and walking were the primary transportation modes of 80 percent of South African citizens, when 40 million people across the country were without a valid driving license.

Yet despite this reliance on public transport, the most up to date National Household Travel Survey at the time showed that the vast majority of SA citizens were dissatisfied with

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Community-first

the options available to them, voicing concerns over safety, quality, levels of crowding, security, the distances between homes and stops, and the frequencies of travel.

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Coupling these issues with a growth in demand for transport due to increasing urbanisation, a solution was needed to prevent the state of transport affairs from becoming a major inhibitor to socioeconomic success.

Owed to the Public Transport Action Agenda, this came in the form of integrated rapid public transport networks (IRPTNs) and bus rapid transit (BRT) systems.

Using dedicated lanes, stations, modern buses and smartcard payment systems to provide a multitude of service benefits, BRTs have since proven to be a hit across South Africa – merits that were a key motivation behind the formation of the KTVR Bus Service.

“KTVR was founded in 2015,” states Buti J Mahlangu, Director of Public Relations at the organisation, “to provide rapid, safe, reliable and cost-effective transport services to commuters from Tembisa to Vosloorus via the OR Tambo Airport and the Isando industrial area.”

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150 community members from Tembisa enjoyed a tour on the Harambee bus from Tembisa’s station seven to OR Tambo International Airport. They were then taken on a tour of the airport itself, which included lunch provided by the City of Ekurhuleni. The return fare cost just R26.

Created to improve both efficiency and productivity and allow public transport to become more customercentric in all of its dealings, KTVR is upholding each and every one of the aforementioned benefits.

Equally, however, it has not been to the detriment of the region’s other transport operators.

“The BRT is in fact wholly owned by former taxi operators, members of the Ekurhuleni taxi industry (ETI),” explains Mahlangu, going on to outline KTVR’s mission of creating a platform from which taxi drivers can upskill and participate in local economic development.

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LEADERSHIP FOCUS BUTI MAHLANGU

Having qualified as an electrician in 1987, Buti Mahlangu has maintained a diverse career in the three decades since. Starting out as an underground mining electrician, a job he worked in for six years, he left the mining industry, purchasing four taxis to begin working as a self-employed transport provider.

“This remained my line of work until I was spotted by my colleagues as somebody who could help change Taxi Association affairs in 1995,” he reveals.

“Five years later, I was elected unopposed as its Regional General Secretary, a position that I still hold today. I was also named the Provincial Deputy Secretary in 2003, thereafter holding two positions at regional and provincial level until 2010 when I relinquished the latter.”

In the time since, Mahlangu has aided several taxi associations, drafting constitutions, facilitating business development and overseeing executive coaching for other leadership roles.

Most recently he was elected as Director of Public Relations for KTVR, a position he has held since 2015.

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“The idea is to expose them to new ventures and business ideas, helping them to diversify. Since the introduction of the BRT system, there has been a noticeable decline in taxirelated conflicts and attitudes towards transport have begun to change drastically.

“Once negotiations have been concluded between ETI representatives and the City of Ekurhuleni, a 12-year contract will be signed in which KTVR will cement its status as a fully-fledged organisation,

EMPOWERING EKURHULENI

set to eventually operate more than 210 articulated, 18-metre buses.”

This community-orientated ethos is the lifeblood of the transport company, further evidenced through the formation of a stakeholder forum, allowing interested parties to meet and discuss challenges, solutions and improvements.

“This makes KTVR unique in its approach,” adds Mahlangu.

“We are also running our services from 3am through to 12am, longer than any other provider. Our fares are competitive and affordable; we offer a seamless transport underpinned by a dedicated team of people working towards the same vision.”

Mandated to transform the region’s informal taxi industry and maximise the participation of ETI members in the local economy in parallel with the goals of the BRT in Ekurhuleni, KTVR is striving to meet several goals. These include: • Working together with the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality to unlock economies by addressing traffic congestions, thus making central business areas accessible.

• Upholding indirect contributions towards the green economy.

• Identification and ringfencing for the empowerment of the ETI members with complementary business opportunities.

• Creating job opportunities for affected ETI members, their families and the community.

• Facilitating an easy transition into BRT bus operation by ensuring maximum participation and consultation with ETI working groups.

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Enabling opportunity

Similarly, these community-centric attitudes are reflected in the enterprise’s employment strategies, adhering to extensive staff development policies.

“This is crucial in helping us to retain our best staff,” Mahlangu reveals, “as are the 13th cheques and annual bonuses that we pay to our employees every year.”

Corporate social engagement is equally high on KTVR’s agenda, the organisation actively engaging with local communities through a variety of different initiatives. Mahlangu continues: “I’ve worked with my team to develop several social investment policies.

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“We annually assist students in need, providing them with uniforms, and started a soccer tournament where high schools in Ekurhuleni compete in a league which we sponsor. We also engage matriculants in an essay writing competition, with the winner receiving R50,000 as a prize.”

All things combined, from KTVR’s emphasis on advancing members of the ETI and bolstering socioeconomic opportunities through effective transportation to its stakeholder forum and social investment initiatives, the organisation has positioned itself as a

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key enabler of opportunity.

Moving forward, this modus operandi is only set to gather pace, beginning with fleet extensions and route expansions.

“We want to be operating 80 buses

by December and 120 buses by March 2020, and hope to up our employee numbers from 100 to 600 by 2021,” the public relations specialist affirms in his concluding statements. “We’re also hopeful that the taxi industry and commuters will reap the benefits of a unique transport system that is highly subsidised by the government.

“BRTs are a tool of economic

emancipation and transformation for the previously disadvantaged; no country can be economically viable without its backbone – transportation.

I’m extremely optimistic about the future.”

KTVR Bus Service Tel: +27 (0) 11 823 1672 info@ktvr.co.za www.ktvr.co.za

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G I G M

Daring to be Different Established as a stalwart of African innovation, GIGM’s transport offering remains inspired by customer-centricity and technological transformation Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Josh Mann

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AFRICA “Technology is changing human behaviour rapidly.

Startups are springing up daily and the everincreasing penetration of smartphones is proof that businesses will have to take services to the palms of the hands of end users.

“Consumers are demanding technology that aids their lifestyle at home, at work and on the go, and with artificial intelligence and smart applications, people are beginning to create technology that meets such demand.”

Listening to Vuakpor Muogereh, it would be easy to think that she’s referring to the socioeconomic landscape of Silicon Valley, London, Singapore or another global tech hub.

As Chief Operating Officer of GIGM, however, she is in fact describing the transformative trajectory of one of Africa’s most rapidly innovating countries.

“The exponential growth in Nigeria’s population, currently estimated at over 200 million, is part of the reason that national industries like transportation are being explored in a similar vein to that of western countries,” she continues. “The reliance on technology in powering transportation is going to grow as global stakeholders look to solve mutual issues at scale.

“At GIGM, we are excited to be playing a part in pioneering this new wave, helping to change the way that people travel.”

A road transport platform providing mobility services to people across Nigeria, GIGM’s focus is defined by exceptional customer experience and innovative solutions – a combination that has enabled it to revolutionise the road transport space.

20 years in the making, it has rightfully become a household name through this approach, its footprint spanning almost the entirety of Nigeria.

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“Convenience for the user is the bedrock of all that we do,” Muoghereh states, providing an introduction to GIGM’s overriding ethos.

“From our captains (drivers) who undergo continuous professional development to our fleet, which is by every standard the best in the industry, and our safety procedures, which are meticulously followed through, GIGM is a holistic solution for public transportation needs.

“In every way, we are committed to providing first-class transportation every day.”

Mobility marvel

As already indicated in Muoghereh’s opening statements, technology has cemented itself as the crux of GIGM’s customer-centric model.

The company’s ecosystem is formed on the firm foundations of Mobility, an in-house built ERP which seamlessly integrates its entire operations chain, from bookings to maintenance,

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surveillance, tracking and driver management, among other things.

“Using Mobility, we’ve been able to launch numerous innovative products such as our pickup service, a seamless mobile app used for travel ticket or hire bookings, and our enterprise partner model scheme, today mobile app transactions makes up an average 30% of total revenue generated by GIGM daily.” Muoghereh explains.

Such services account for just a fraction of GIGM’s overall offering yet are evidence of the enterprise’s ethos of continuously creating new value for its customers.

Owed to its adherent, established customer-centric culture, such focus has become unwavering, the company is always aiming to walk in the shoes of its customers, analysing behaviours and trends in order to exceed expectations.

“There are several projects we are currently working on,” Muoghereh divulges, pointing to some of the firm’s recent efforts. “One of our focus areas is on reinventing intracity mobility, while we will also deploy our enterprise partner mobile application with this quarter. As a tool for transparent transportation, this will support GIGM’s aforementioned enterprise partner model, built for individuals or corporates who want to benefit from the lucrative transport industry without having to go through the hassle and bottlenecks conventionally associated with road transportation.”

In addition, the company recently signed a partnership with Jet Systems, further bolstering its own offerings with the addition of its Jet Movers vans.

Muoghereh continues: “We’ve added 100 of the futuristic Nigerian automobile company’s vehicles to our fleet, a move that has raised the service we render to consumers as they are designed with the optimal comfort of the user in mind.”

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Driving forward

Much like its services, GIGM’s facilities are a flagship of its emphasis on the ultra-modern, the company having recognised the multitude of benefits and in turn competitive advantages of investing in state-of-the-art terminals.

The company’s operational footprint currently spans through four of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones,

RESPONSIBLE, REPUTABLE While GIGM values the role of technology in enhancing and optimising its offerings, the organisation believes that its people are its greatest value.

“Our employees are essential for long-term sustainability,” states Muoghereh. “For this reason, we invest heavily in our people, providing a platform for committed workers to excel and build their dreams.

“We currently have captains who own buses within our system, for example, completely financed through our Owner Captain scheme and can now afford to live the quality of life they never imagined possible.”

Alongside its adept employment and training strategies, corporate social responsibility is equally an area where GIGM remains proactive, owed to its guiding principles of giving back to society.

“We do this independently and in partnership with The Edwin Ajaere Foundation,” Muoghereh adds.

“Our initiatives are focused on closing the gaps identified in the areas of knowledge, leadership and technology advancement. We believe that these areas are key to the development of any nation.”

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utilising expansion and consolidation as a key tool for growth, sustainability and its long-term goals.

“Our brand has been known to raise the bar in the Nigerian transportation market through various initiatives,” Muoghereh states. “For us, it is not just about being the lead in an industry but changing the game for all players.

“We dare to be different.”

Having successfully consolidated this status in Nigeria during the course of the past two decades, the firm’s ambitious

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...everything’s in place to launch our presence in Ghana in Q3 2019, which will be followed by steps into other countries on the continent”

expansion plan is now set to take a new, exciting, international direction.

“We’re currently working on our enterprising pan-African plan,” Muoghereh reveals.

“As a matter of fact, everything’s in place to launch our presence in Ghana in Q3 2019, which will be followed by steps into other countries on the continent. We believe that a diversified market is certainly a compelling path to accelerate.”

Gearing up for such a crucial,

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growth-orientated turning point that will be accompanied by new challenges and exciting frontiers, GIGM will remain dedicated to its core principles and philosophies moving forward.

Combining exceptional customer experience and innovative solutions, these values have proven successful in enabling the firm to champion the technology revolution for the road transport industry in Nigeria over the years – success that it will be hoping to replicate in other countries.

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For this reason, Muoghereh is markedly optimistic for the future.

She concludes, reflecting on the company’s 20th anniversary: “We learn by doing but we learn more by reflecting on what we have done.

“It is amazing how much GIGM has transformed the transport space within the last two decades. With agility, innovation, tenacity, passion and execution, we metamorphosed from a transport company with less than 100 buses to a transport platform

fully powered by technology.

“The coming year is a significant one and we are getting ready to dominate the transport space beyond Nigeria.”

GIGM Tel: +234 (0) 8139 851 110 contact@gigm.com www.gigm.com

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E N E O

Eneo continues to invest in crucial energy infrastructure upgrades and communitydriven projects, its think big, start small approach paying dividends Writer: Tom Wadlow Project Manager: Krisha Canlas

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he green shoots of economic recovery are starting to show in Cameroon.

Following a slowdown in GDP growth caused largely by falling oil prices, 2018 saw something of a rebound as the country’s economy expanded by four percent (up from 3.5 percent in 2017).

According to the World Bank this momentum, albeit tentative, is set

to continue through 2019, the organisation forecasting a GDP rise of 4.2 percent, with an average 4.5 percent growth predicted for 20202021.

This is being driven by the ramping up of public infrastructure projects, including the Kribi deep water port, the Memve’ele hydroelectric dam and several road projects, activities which are expected to increase

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private investment.

Further, diversification of the country’s energy generation in the form of increased LNG production and renewables is expected to ease the supply of electricity and benefit both consumers and businesses in industries such as manufacturing, agriculture and construction.

For longstanding national electricity sector operator Eneo, this forms a

promising backdrop from which to develop.

Indeed, Cameroon has been making steady progress in electricity supply over the past several years, as there has been a positive year-over-year development in electrification.

However, this progress has yet to be improved in view of the country’s potential. Cameroon currently has a 62 percent access to electricity rate,

which, while above the average in Sub-Saharan Africa, is behind the 100 percent seen in most North African countries.

This paradox is even more stark when a comparison between cities (93 percent) and rural areas (21 percent) is made.

Breaching the divide between urban and rural access to a reliable power supply is thus the challenge that Eneo

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Largest Manufacturer and Supplier of Wooden Transmission Poles in West & Central Africa OUR MAIN ACTIVITIES • • • CAMITEX International Corporation is a 100% family –owned business that was created on 14 September 1974 by Honourable Dr. AWUDU MBAYA Cyprian with headquarters in Douala, Cameroon. With three (03) treatment plants, CAMITEX International is the largest manufacturer of high quality treated wooden utility/ transmission poles in Central and West Africa; with an average annual production capacity of 150.000 poles. CAMITEX Poles are sourced from mature and well-managed forests and chemically preserved to last for over 30 years in service.

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Chemical preservation of wooden utility poles for the transmission of Electricity and Telecommunications networks; Export and local sale/distribution of our treated wooden poles Import and local distribution of electrical equipment (cables, transformers, insulators) Construction of Medium & Low Voltage electricity networks (with a special focus on rural electrification across Africa).

OUR MISSION CAMITEX exists to facilitate access to energy for all Africans by using innovative techniques to provide lasting solutions for the transmission and distribution of energy and telecoms networks across Africa. We also seek to diversify and invest in other profitable ventures in a bid to secure returns for our company.

OUR VISION We strive to grow CAMITEX in a profitable and sustainable manner to become Africa’s market leader in the manufacture of superior long lasting wooden utility poles while maintaining our values, objectives and a sound financial performance.

CAMITEX Poles will resist insect attacks and last for over 30 years!

+237 677 709 730 +237 677 516 884 +237 654 349 609 +237 677 754 510 +237 677 581 775

info@camitexintercorp.com camitex2002@yahoo.fr

www.camitexintercorp.com Situated at the Bassa Industrial Zone, P.O. Box 631, Douala, Littoral Region, Republic of Cameroon, Central/ West Africa.

CAMITEX is the first treatment plant in Central & West Africa to have acquired a Mini-Lab Spectrometer for X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis of treated poles to confirm their quality and ability to resist insect and other attacks during their service life on any overhead network.

OPERATION 3 MILLION TREES:

From 2016 - 2018, CAMITEX planted 3 million Eucalyptus Saligna trees in the Nkambe plateau, North west region of Cameroon.

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quality service while being a model of governance in Africa. To accomplish this mission, four values guide its dayto-day activities – integrity, cohesion, respect and commitment.

Think big, start small

Most of the electricity provided to customers yields from hydro (80 percent), with the remainder coming from thermal sources like gas.

In its approach to investing in renewable energy, Eneo has just developed, as a pilot, a solar production unit in what was initially a thermal site, making this power plant the first hybrid solar power plant in the country, and one of many existing thermal power plants the company hopes to transform in the future.

Further, to fulfil its distribution mission and given the contractual Cameroon’s electricity sector represents a huge field of opportunity limitation of its installed capacity, continues to work towards addressing, in Cameroon, adding on average Eneo also buys energy produced by and while the size of the task is not 100,000 families and businesses to independents such as KPDC, DPDC, underestimated by the company, there the grid every year. Around 3,700 ALTAQA, AGGREKO, Memve’ele, all of is potential that lies ahead. employees engage in Eneo’s three core which combine to deliver about 400 The development of infrastructure activities of producing, distributing and MW of capacity. to meet these challenges makes marketing electric power.

Spearheading this new era is Joel Cameroon’s electricity sector a huge These operations are underpinned Nana Kontchou, Eneo’s Chief Executive field of opportunity. by the company’s mission to provide Officer.

Recent reforms have customers with reliable energy and Having spent three decades at oil compartmentalised it by creating and gas tech giant Schlumberger, he several players, including Eneo which joined Eneo in 2014 and implemented became a producer and distributor, an improvement strategy defined by FAST FACT: while they have also paved the way setting bold objectives and focussing A MIXED-ECONOMY for many investors who can form on daily improvements – a ‘think big, COMPANY independent producers. start small’ style of leadership.

Indeed, a key part of Eneo’s work has While this represented a new Eneo is owned by three key been to create an industrial ecosystem direction for the company, the results groups of shareholders: inside Cameroon’s electricity sector. to date have more than validated this Actis Group: Majority For example, the company approach. shareholder based in the UK, encourages and stimulates the Since 2014 more than 400,000 holds a 51 percent stake establishment of local companies customers have been connected to the to produce equipment used in the grid, the average new connection time Government of Cameroon: construction of distribution networks dropping from 20 to six days, while Owns a 44 percent stake or connections (cables, meter cabinets, generation capacity has increased by Eneo employees: Holders of concrete poles, metal poles).

150 MW to 1,027 MW. the final five percent of the In terms of its own footprint, Eneo’s In terms of modernisation, more company reach is growing by the day. than 6,000 prepaid meters have been The firm serves more than 1,300,000 installed since 2017 and customers customers spread across all 10 regions can now pay within five minutes from

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Hon. Dr. Awudu Mbaya Cyprian, Executive President & SInce 1974

Founder Of Camitex International Corporation.

CAMITEX INTERNATIONAL CORP Since its creation in 1974, CAMITEX International Corp. has had a very long working relationship spanning four decades with Eneo.

As a member of the North West Association of Raw Poles Suppliers; CAMITEX was one of the major suppliers of raw poles in the 1980s and 1990s to the then SONEL’s Wooden Poles Treatment Plant situated in Bafoussam, a west province of Cameroon.

From 1995 CAMITEX set-up its own wood treatment factory in Cameroon’s port city of Douala, from where treated poles were distributed for the execution of electrification projects in Cameroon and West and Central African countries like Senegal, The Gambia, Mali, Central African Republic and Mauritania.

In the post economic crisis period, the government of Cameroon created the Rural Electrification Agency and laid emphasis on rural electrification. This opened up domestic demand for treated wooden poles and CAMITEX responded to this in 2010 by upgrading our Douala factory to become an automated plant in a bid to improve on quality. CAMITEX also expanded its production facilities by setting up two new treatment plants in Yaoundé (2012) and Bamenda (2015).

With improved quality and increased capacity, CAMITEX was awarded a European Union-funded rural electrification project to construct medium and low voltage lines in several villages of the southwest region under the Rural Electrification Agency’s Electricity for Rural Development RUMPI project. This project was executed using Camitex-treated poles

and brought electricity to thousands of villagers in that region. From 2015–2018, CAMITEX supplied a minimum of 25,000 treated poles to ENEO Cameroon as it stepped up its replacement programme.

The use of wooden, treated poles that can last for decades reduces the rate of carbon emissions, unlike those that occur during the production of steel and concrete poles. The fact that wooden poles are still being used in Europe, North and South America, Asia, Australia and Africa has encouraged CAMITEX to join in the fight for the survival of the wooden poles industry, which has been recently stained by poor performing untreated, or dipped/painted poles that have infiltrated ENEO’s network through ‘black market’ channels.

To fight this phenomenon and restore confidence in wooden poles which have a huge social and economic impact in Africa, CAMITEX sponsored and organized an international forum on the quality of wooden poles for the sustainable development of Africa that held in Douala in September 2018.

We have also signed up to the QUALITY PLEDGE Programme of our South African partner, Dolphin Bay Chemicals Pty. Ltd. Our large production capacity, coupled with the good quality of our long-lasting poles, has played a pivotal role in the expansion and maintenance of Eneo’s electricity network across Cameroon. We look forward to working with Eneo and all industry stakeholders in Cameroon and Africa to improve on the quality of treated wooden poles and ensuring their sustainability in service.

E info@camitexintercorp.com | camitex2002@yahoo.fr | W www.camitexintercorp.com T +237 677 709 730 | +237 677516884 | +237 654349609 | +237 677754510 | +237 677581775 Electrifying Africa...

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the comfort of their home instead of queuing for several hours at an agency.

Eneo’s workforce has also increased and diversified. 1,200 new recruits have joined in the past five years, and the proportion of female employees in management has risen from eight to 15 percent during this time.

Proactive maintenance

Distribution and maintenance operations have also improved, with 1,000-plus new transformers installed and some 300,000 poles replaced or repaired.

“At Eneo, a concerted effort has been made over the past years to focus on electrical poles as part of our network maintenance,” Kontchou explains.

“Faced with the challenge of hundreds of thousands of degraded wooden poles in the network infrastructure, there was a need to move beyond reacting to fallen

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poles. A prioritisation strategy was developed that acts on the most critical issues, while at the same time solving systemic root problems with sustainable solutions.”

The new strategy entails smart decision making regarding where to target repair resources and installing new metal and concrete poles which are superior to their wooden predecessors.

“While there is still much to do, the results at Eneo are promising,” Kontchou continues. “By December 2018 the number of wooden pole failure incidents (and related impact on electricity distribution) was reduced by 43 percent compared with the previous year.

The installation of intelligent meters, both pre and post-paid, is also part of the company’s modernisation effort.

This will help Eneo prepare for the smart grid in the future, and by the end of 2019 the company aims to have

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By December 2018 the number of wooden pole failure incidents (and related impact on electricity distribution) was reduced by 43 percent compared with the previous year

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20,000 prepaid and 40,000 intelligent meters installed. A SCADA system is also being piloted, a move which will allow it to gather, analyse and act on data in a far more effective manner.

Electrical education

Such a modernisation programme will also involve investment in education.

“As part of Eneo’s continuous efforts to invest in quality human capital and to ensure gradual replacement of its ageing workforce, we launched the Training of World Class Engineering Technicians (TWCET) programme,” explains Kontchou.

“It aims to provide tailored practical training to undergraduates in the field of electrical engineering in Cameroon’s state universities and higher education institutions, the ultimate ambition being to retain meritorious candidates as per the organisation’s recruitment process.”

This commitment to education is not limited to Eneo’s own engineers, however.

Public education initiatives are also valued in high regard, especially when it comes to electrical safety.

The company’s Public Safety Awareness Program, for example, was reinforced in 2018 with face-to-face safety talks on electrical hazards and efficient power consumption. This involved organising events in local communities as well as broadcasting safety messages in local dialects by community radio stations.

“In a bid to continuously position electrical safety as a national concern, partnerships with ministries were strengthened and new ones signed with professional organised groups and public institutions,” Kontchou adds.

“These included the Network of Cameroonian Mayors to fight against illegal actions or interferences of the public with the network.”

OLA ENERGY

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ebranded from Libya Oil Group, OLA Energy is an extensive panAfrican network of retail outlets selling a huge range of petroleum products.

“The new retail visual identity reflects the Group’s guiding vision to be Africa’s downstream marketer of choice, shaping African energy and empowering African born prosperity,” the company states.

“Above all, it encapsulates the spirit of what is a truly African business delivering the highest international quality standards; a brand created and driven by Africans, for Africans.”

The company operates more than 1,000 service stations, eight blending plants and over 50 fuel terminals across 18 countries in Africa, and is also present in more than 50 airports on the continent.

Its products and services cover many consumer and business requirements, its portfolio including domestic fuels, lubricants, LPG, and aviation and marine fuels.

CEO Mazen Binramadan states on the website: “OLA Energy has started a new chapter in its development.

“The recent launch of our new Retail Visual Identity reflects the commitment we have to the market.

Africa’s population is set to double by 2050. This growth will bring about a monumental rise in retail demand and other lines of the business.”

For more information on the rebrand and OLA Energy more generally, please visit: www.olaenergy.com

By the end of 2019, Eneo aims to have 20,000 prepaid and 40,000 intelligent meters installed.

Meanwhile, a SCADA system is also being piloted a move which will allow it to gather, analyse and act on data in a far more effective manner

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Corporate citizen

Education, along with youth employment, forms one of four key areas that comprise Eneo’s extensive corporate social responsibility strategy.

“This constitutes an integral part of Eneo’s core values and business conduct,” says Kontchou.

“Step by step, we are redoubling efforts to maintain our position as a good citizen at national and international levels. We strive to achieve good economic, social and environmental performances through a sustainably responsible approach.

“Throughout 2018, we worked with various development partners such as local government, non-governmental organisations and private sector business partners to implement CSI programmes in line with national strategies, Sustainable Development Goals and our core business operations.”

FAST FACT: POWERING FUTURE GENERATIONS More than 4,000 young Cameroonians are employed

by Eneo’s subcontractor companies.

Further, Eneo projects such as Tree for Life and D-Line Cleaners provided 10 fulltime and 650 part-time jobs in 2018.

The latter was launched in the Grand North Region to keep distribution lines free from dense vegetation and wild bush fires, a scheme which has resulted in network interruptions falling from 125 in 2016-17 to just six in 2018 on the concerned lines.

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Environment and health constitute the second major focus area of Eneo’s CSR activities.

An important initiative within this subcategory is sustainable tree planting, what the company calls its Tree for Life programme.

Funded through a public-private partnership involving Eneo, Fundong Council and the North West Association of Development Organisations, the scheme has seen 45,000 Eucalyptus Celina trees planted between 2015 and 2017 in the Mentang Communal Forest. The results have been promising, with 88 percent of the trees reported as growing well at the end of 2018.

Tree for Life will deliver two crucial long-term benefits to Eneo as well as serving to combat desertification in the Great North Region of Cameroon. Not only will it create a lasting supply of quality wood from which the company can build durable poles, the new forest area will also protect distribution lines from strong winds.

Evidence is pointing towards the latter benefit coming to fruition, as 67 percent of the 21,000 successfully planted trees have resisted challenging weather conditions, results which have led the project to extend into the Far North region with another 10,000 trees.

The Fundong Tree for Life project also provided parcels of land and capacity building for 68 female farmers involved in the cultivation and commercialisation of green vegetables and cocoyam.

Average annual earnings of these groups more than tripled in 2018.

Another environmental and health programme is centred around waste collection and recycling, as Kontchou explains: “This aims at transforming used metal barrels for fuel storage at our thermal plants and returning them safely to the environment as waste bins.

“In collaboration with some Eneo service providers and employee volunteers, 268 waste bins have been produced and distributed to schools,

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KSA exports its know-how in Sub-Saharan Africa and supports the main operators in their policy network performance improvement. We are experts in metrology of electrical energy especially in fraud detection.

Partners since 2015, OKSA has worked with ENEO on various projects such as: • Installation of smart meters • Network analysis • Analysis of PCB contamination in electrical oils • Verification and fraud detection PCB CAMPAIGN: In consultation with the HSE Directorate of ENEO, our teams sampled oil for PCB screening on about 1,000 transformers, in 15 cities of Cameroon during six months.

VERIFICATION & FRAUD DETECTION: OKSA has checked the connection and counting devices for 1,523 HV customers and managed to recover 48,258,438 KWH.

Step by step, we are redoubling efforts to maintain our position as a good citizen at national and international levels.

We strive to achieve good economic, social and environmental performances through a sustainably responsible approach”

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African leader for energy efficiency OKSA is the leading provider of energy effciency solutions for utilities and local communities in the Africa and Middle East region. Its long-term solutions involve state-of-the-art systems and technologies as well as innovative strategies, result of a long-standing expertise in industrial electrical engineering.

Since its creation in 1999, OKSA has developed several maintenance processes and modern methods for optimizing the performance of medium and low power grids voltage. Our service offerings are designed with the objective of reducing both energy costs and operation, increase productivity and modernize the facilities of our industrial customers and distributors of Electric Power.

Immeuble Omniprise, Angle av. Al Aloouiyine rue Al Mariniine Hassan , Rabat – Morocco Phone number : +(212) 537 26 47 74/73 FAX : +(212) 537 26 47 69 Email : info@oksa.co www.oksa.co

Outlook Creative Services

Outlook Publishing’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.

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

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Education and youth employment, environment and health, social solidarity and community involvement form the four key areas that comprise Eneo’s extensive corporate social responsibility strategy

hospitals and health centres, religious premises and Eneo sales points in the Center and South regions.”

The final two CSR focus areas cover social solidarity and community involvement/local economic development, an example of the latter in action being Eneo’s sustainable agricultural programme.

FAST FACT: MICRO SOLAR ENERGY Eneo is using small scale solar to power up underprivileged communities.

The pilot project saw the successful electrification of seven supply points with solar panels, notably schools, health centres, religious and public places in two localities of the Adamawa Region and Gandinang, serving over 1,500 inhabitants.

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“We implemented this to empower and improve the living standards of neighbouring communities, notably women and youths,” continues Kontchou.

“Through a public-private partnership framework involving Eneo, GIZ and local councils, 125 farmers regrouped in 75 associations in Massock Songloulou and Pouma districts. During 2017 and 2018, both communities created a cooperative facilitating access to financing and training, and successfully cultivated 160 hectares which produced about 12 tonnes of plantain.”

Powering the future

Eneo is able to invest both in community-driven projects its own production and distribution activities thanks to successful renewal of its operational concession last year.

The company has secured activities until at least 2031, a move which has allowed it to accelerate its investment plan and carried several commitments to the Cameroonian government.

These include improving service quality and safety, modernising facilities,

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facilitating access to new operators and extending coverage to a greater number of citizens and businesses.

These are goals which Kontchou is confident of achieving.

Citing strong investment conditions in several industries across the country and a vibrant young workforce readily available, he also realises the scale of the challenge which lies ahead.

He concludes passionately: “There is still a lot to be done and there is significant room for improvement, but there is also reason to believe.

“Eneo belongs to the entire national community because everyone can play an important role in improving the distribution of energy. As the government’s strategic partner in the electricity sector, we intend to play a full role alongside other players in the energy chain to address the many challenges facing the company and the sector.

“We foresee all the players in the sector working in synergy, and all customers being able to afford and pay their bills to ensure the financial balance of the sector and the continuation of investments on the network.”

Eneo Cameroon Tel: +237 233 42 99 72 contact@eneo.cm www.eneocameroon.cm

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A national company at the service of the environment Certified Integrated Management System: ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management ISO 45001:2018 Health & Safety Management

Construction lines Substation HTA/BT

BOCOM International, created in 2002 with its principal objective to protect the environment is the first acceptable waste management company in Cameroon and the central Africa Sub region.

Maintenance of electrical networks

OUR MISSION Provide to companies sustainable environmental solutions for the treatment of wastes generated from their activities.

OUR CORE VALUES

OUR CUSTOMERS

Every day we build a solid foundation through our core values which are:

Companies wishing to:

• Quality, Health, Safety & Environment • Professionalism • Integrity • Team spirit

• Manage their solid and or liquid wastes in a safe and environmental friendly manner • Characterize their wastes and or samples • Use recycled wastes oil as combustibles for their burners

Our services comprises of: • Collection and treatment of industrial and hospital wastes • Valorization and sales of recycled used oil • Waste characterization and sample analysis.

BP 8445 Douala Cameroun Tel +237 677 50 12 41 | +237 698 30 55 47 | exsasarl@yahoo.fr

B.P 9546 Industrial Zone MAGZI BONABERI- DOUALA CAMEROUN Tel: +237 (0) 699 92 34 29; +237 (0) 699 31 22 52; +237 (0) 696 63 00 33; +237 (0) 698 00 30 34; +237 (0) 698 00 28 96 Email: bocominter2002@yahoo.fr; bocominternational@groupebocom.com www.groupebocom.com

Hybrid solar plant at Djoum in South Cameroon

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Money Having been the first non-banking financial institution in Sub-Saharan Africa to issue Mastercard and Visa credit cards, CIM Group continues to pioneer new technology-driven solutions for its customers in Mauritius and elsewhere Writer: Tom Wadlow | Project Manager: Sam Love

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ub-Saharan Africa is one of the world’s most exciting regions when looking at the potential for technology to transform financial services.

Transform may not even be the most appropriate word. The sheer potential of digital and mobile to provide firsttime banking access to millions of African consumers is cause for a wave of optimism and activity.

Take mobile industry association GSMA and its latest State of the Industry Report on Mobile.

According to its findings, 395.7 million mobile money accounts were registered across Sub-Saharan Africa as of December 2018, up 13.6 percent year-on-year.

In terms of transaction volume and value, this respectively measured 1.7 billion and $26.8 billion, rises of 11.8 and 15.3 percent on 2017.

Kenya, notably through M-Pesa, is a leading light in this field, its mobile digital ecosystem and strong consumer

awareness well documented.

Indeed, the latest data from the Central Bank of Kenya shows that mobile money transactions stood at Sh3.98 trillion ($38.5 billion) in 2018, up 10 percent on 2017 and equivalent to $108 million of activity every day. Strikingly, the value of these transactions represents some 44 percent of the country’s GDP. It is this vibrant market which has attracted investment from the likes of Mauritian financial services firm Cim Group.

Led by Chief Executive Officer Mark van Beuningen, in 2018 the company set up a fintech hire purchase business under the name of Cim Credit Kenya.

Writing in the organisation’s 2018 annual report, he stated: “We engaged a technology partner to support us in deploying a fintechenabled business model leveraging upon Kenya’s unique mobile digital ecosystem and high consumer

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CIM GROUP – AN INTRODUCTION

AFRASIA

Listed on the Official Market of the Stock Exchange and headquartered in Mauritius, Cim Financial Services Ltd (Cim Group) operates in two major subcategories – finance and investment.

frAsia Bank Ltd is one of the main banks which has accompanied Cim Group in its growth strategy.

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Cim Finance: Responsible for the majority of the group’s revenue, this area of the business provides solutions to consumers, SMEs and large corporates and has been present on the credit market since 1987. The unit employs more than 600 people across offices and counters in Mauritius and Rodrigues.

With our expertise and reputation for excellence already well established, we offer tailor-made financial solutions for the different entities within the group and maintain a solid business relationship.

Investments: As well as owning a sizable share in South African payments firm iVeri Payment Technologies, Cim also operates a hire purchase business in Kenya under the name of Cim Credit Kenya.

AfrAsia has also been appointed as Cim’s settlement bank with Visa for all cards business operations, made possible through regular collaboration and commitment from both entities.

The group has been dealing with us since 2009.

Over the past decade, we have leveraged on our key strengths to better serve our client by responding to their evolving needs and providing financial support – this has involved substantial increases in Cim’s credit lines in order to sustain its development.

awareness of mobile phone app-based lending platforms.

“We are now partnering with a number of established consumer electronic and furniture retail players in Kenya, as we do in Mauritius, and looking to further expand our retail partner footprint.”

Cim’s home financial services market in is an important one, not least for the Mauritian economy to which it contributes around 11-12 percent of GDP. As in Kenya, technology has proven vital for Cim Group to strengthen its core business

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in Mauritius through the course of 2018 and 2019, the CEO having outlined several strategic moves made last year.

For example, the company has implemented an enterprise data warehouse (EDW) designed to give it a 360-degree view of its customers.

The new system has allowed Cim Group to gather real time data and insights, and deployment of advanced analytics will enable better and faster decisions to be made by management.

“We have also automated a number of our core lending processes

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T +230 208 5500 E afrasia@afrasiabank.com

www.afrasiabank.com

Transforming potential into performance

We are underpinned by our ambition to transform your business to its fullest potential in Mauritius, Africa and the region. Offering tailor-made corporate and investment banking solutions, our difference lies in our focus and commitment to our clients’ needs.

Corporate Banking | Global Business Banking | Private Banking and Wealth Management | Treasury and Markets AfrAsia Bank Limited is licenced and regulated by the Bank of Mauritius. afrasia@afrasiabank.com | Tel: +230 208 5500 www.afrasiabank.com | Mauritius | South Africa

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INVESTMENTS – IVERI Cim Group has a diverse property portfolio in Mauritius comprising office, commercial and land assets.

Another avenue of investment is in payment technologies, where the company has a significant stake in pan-African electronic payment solutions firm iVeri Payment Technologies.

Established in 1998 and based in Johannesburg, South Africa, iVeri provides ecommerce solutions for merchants and is used by banks in 10 countries across the continent. Western Africa is served from a base in Lagos (Nigeria), East Africa from Nairobi (Kenya) and Southern Africa from its headquarters.

One of the first ecommerce transaction companies in Africa, iVeri processes millions of payments every year.

More information at: www.iveri.com

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that now enables straight through processing of the loan application and approval process within a few minutes,” added van Beuningen in the 2018 annual report.

“Cim Finance Ltd processes over 500,000 small ticket size loans each year, therefore optimising the efficiency of our lending processes leads to significant improvements in turnaround time and customer satisfaction.”

Last year also saw the company pilot a digital platform for its retail merchant partners, a move which enable the 600 vendors where Cim does not have a point of sale process to provide a more efficient and customer-centric service.

Beyond business

Investments such as this appear to have placed the business in a strong position as 2019 progresses.

According to its latest financial statement, Cim Group increased its net operating income by 22 percent for the six months ending March 31, 2019.

This equated to 859.1 million Mauritian rupees (approximately $23.82 million) for the period, a solid half-year profit of MUR 191.3 million which is 34 percent higher compared to the previous year.

This promising return has been driven by a growing sales volume in the core consumer finance business, while the greenfield fintech hire purchase operation in Kenya continues to show encouraging progress in sales.

That Cim Group is performing soundly financially enables it to engage in an active corporate social responsibility programme.

Grounded in the vision to make a positive impact on the lives of those less fortunate, the firm’s CSR is initiated both in the form of financial investment and encouraging its own employees to participate in collective efforts.

Contributions are managed via a not-for-profit unit called Cim CSR Fund

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IVERI Helping Acquirers Build their Business iVeri supports acquirers to build their businesses by providing them with expertise, experience and a growing ecosystem.

Expertise The iVeri Payment Gateway is a tried and tested multi-channel, card present and card not present gateway.

Besides its sophisticated transaction capabilities, it can also switch transactions to multiple processors.

The gateway comes with a Terminal Manager for the driving of stand-alone payment terminals, as well as a terminal aggregator for integrated multi-lane uses. There are various APIs that allow for third party access to the system, options for ecommerce and a choice of models for MPos. Ecosystem iVeri has many integrations and interfaces with platforms that require payments. Many of these are currently focused on the hospitality industry, but there are also a substantial number of integrations in the retail and parking industries. Many of these integrations provide an acquirer with a competitive edge in niche industries in their markets. Don’t have current processing capabilities, iVeri is already integrated to most of the top third party processors.

Experience Working with banks in 11 countries, as well all the major card companies gives us a big-picture perspective on acquiring. Our customers have the comfort of our systems being used in many jurisdictions and meeting the requirements and certifications of the leaders in the industry. Our PCI-DSS certified data centre and tokenisation system have proven track records. The amount of corporate knowledge and experience that we have built of the 22 years of being in business shows in the sophistication and intricacy of systems.

www.iveri.com

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has many xpertise iVeri integrations and

The iVeri Payment Gateway is a tried and tested multi-channel, card present and card not present Gateway.

There are also various APIs that allow for Third Party access to the system

www.iveri.com

interfaces with platforms that provide an acquirer with a competitive edge in niche industries in their markets.

22 years of working with banks in 11 countries, as well as with all the major Card Companies has resulted in the robustness, sophistication and adaptability of iVeri's systems.

iVeri — At the Heart Of transactions

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Ltd to ensure a stringent governance process is followed, with projects being approved at director level.

Such projects are clearly split into three categories – engagement, education and environment.

In the first of these subcategories, Cim partners closely with Cité Coeur Immaculé de Marie in the Riviere Du Rempart district of northeastern Mauritius. Together the organisations renovate and construct houses for local families, while another partnership with Ti Rayons Soleil involves empowering female entrepreneurship in the area.

Education is another hugely important focus for Cim CSR. The group supports a number of programmes, many of which geared towards keeping children away from illegal drugs and alcohol.

For example, it sponsored the creation of an after-school club in

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The group supports a number of programmes, many of which geared towards keeping children away from illegal drugs and alcohol’ Riviere Du Rempart in partnership with NGO Gender Links, a scheme designed to help adolescents in their studies and to provide extracurricular activities such as painting, music and dance.

Arguably the most significant educational project being supported, however, is a drug awareness campaign aimed at schoolchildren aged 12-14 in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Human Resources, Tertiary Education and Scientific Research and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

The programme consists of a workshop called Train the Trainers

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which readied teachers and social workers for the rollout of the curriculum across their schools both in Mauritius and nearby Rodrigues. In terms of reach, some 1,120 students and 50 educational workers have been involved.

The third CSR focus area concentrates on the environment, the most important programme enacted last year involving the sponsorship of a project initiated by the Mauritius Wildlife Fund for the conservation of rare plants.

All projects combined, the 20172018 financial year saw Cim spend

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MUR 5.5 million on social activities, helping to embed the company into its surrounding communities and create a long-lasting social legacy.

And it is this legacy which the company will hope to embed as it moves through the rest of 2019 and onwards, building on what van Beuningen described as a very encouraging 2018.

“We believe that a well-executed Mauritian and regional strategy will reward shareholders with attractive returns and a strong growth story,” he stated in last year’s annual report.

Come 2019’s edition, and this forecast could well have been proven right.

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Technology takes centre stage at EPOCH 2019

EXPLORATION AND Production Offshore Congress Hub (EPOCH) has partnered with Lloyd’s Register to give all the delegates the opportunity to experience new VR technology to be used in the offshore industry.

EVENT DETAILS WHEN: September 16-17 WHERE: Thessaloniki, Greece WEBSITE: www.oilepoch.com

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EPOCH takes place in Thessaloniki, Greece, on September 16-17.

“We chose Lloyd’s Register as our VR partner because this company is a leading global provider of engineering and technology-centric professional services,” says Regina Chislova, EPOCH Project Director. “All delegates will be able to to try the virtual reality safety simulator recently launched by Lloyd’s Register during two days of the congress”.

Virtual Reality Safety Simulator was developed to help further support training and knowledge transfer in the energy industry. Through the application of the latest innovation and technology advancements, LR has built a virtual environment to help illustrate the need for a continued focus on safety and risk assessments in the industry.

To take a closer look at this and other technologies presented at the

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focus exhibition area, register for EPOCH via the event website.

There will be a two-day business programme full of cases and updates on major offshore projects in the Mediterranean and West Africa, including exploring for hydrocarbons across the Mediterranean by Hellenic Petroleum, Total and ExxonMobil.

Presentations are confirmed from NOCs, EPCs, drilling contractors, investors and governmental bodies.

Among them are Hellenic Petroleum, BP, Shell, ADNOC, Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, Oando Energy Resources, McDermott, Saipem, TechnipFMC, Transocean, Nabors, Lebanese Petroleum Administration, European Commission, Hellenic Hydrocarbon Resources Management and many others. To get the full list, please fill in the form at: www.oilepoch.com/request

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event, the exhibition attracted visitors from 32 different countries, the top five of which included Nigeria, Benin, Cameroon, Senegal, South Africa and Togo.

With sister shows in Kenya and South Africa, the exhibition is West Africa’s most convenient platform for business, innovation and knowledge in the industry. Join thousands of senior packaging managers, consultants, suppliers and printers as they collaborate in sharing important insights and crucial experience at the industry event of the year.

This September will mark the show’s PROPAK WEST Africa 2019 is seventh edition and is expected to the region’s largest exhibition and welcome more than 5,000 key industry conference dedicated to the rapidly stakeholders with over 200 leading expanding sector of packaging, industry brands on display. plastics, printing and food processing.

Enjoy unique networking and Taking place in West Africa’s economic learning opportunities over three days hub – Lagos, Nigeria – the exhibition with numerous product launches, will be held on September 17-19, 2019 at live equipment demonstrations from the Landmark Centre. the industry’s leading brands and With a record-breaking 4,265 a daily free-to-attend conference. attendees and at 2,049 square metres Running daily sessions of prominent in size, Propak West Africa 2018 was presentations, technical classes the largest edition to date. Attendees and panel discussions from expert increased by an astonishing 31 percent representatives and government from 2017 while the size of the show officials, learn about the latest itself grew by almost 40 percent issues surrounding the market and after adding a brand new third hall. understand how you can apply this Positioning itself as a truly international knowledge to your business.

The foremost forum for the region’s packaging industry

EVENT DETAILS WHEN: September 17-19 WHERE: Lagos, Nigeria WEBSITE: www.propakwestafrica.com

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LA R ST EM S A TA IN N IN DS G !

The Largest Packaging, Plastics, Food Processing, Labelling and Print Exhibition in West Africa

BOOK YOUR STAND NOW

GO

3

DAYS

4,500+ VISITORS

200+

www.propakwestafrica.com

EXHIBITORS

propakwa

propakwa

Get in touch to book now:

Ben Dale International Sales Manager Ben.Dale@montex.co.uk T: +44 (0)20 7886 3048

I N T E R N A T I O N A L

D R Â A - T A F I L A L E T

E V E N T INTERNATIONAL DRÂATAFILALET Mining Conference (DTMC) is East Morocco region’s prominent mining, fossils and meteorites exhibition and conference.

Held in Erfoud, Morocco on September 23-24 with the full support of Moroccan Ministry of Energy, Mines and Sustainable Development, this event aims to showcase the mining potential of the Drâa-Tafilalet region which is rich in minerals such as barite.

DTMC promises to be the gathering of top mining executives, representatives of regional executive authorities, investors, banks, industry associations, service companies and equipment producers for three days of networking, knowledge sharing and business matching The event also has a separate two days of conference, with a free-toattend exhibition, hosting the region’s leading mining and technology providers and post conference sitetours.

Show highlights • 700-plus attendees • 250-plus delegates • 30-plus exhibitors • 25-plus speakers

EVENT DETAILS WHEN: September 23-24 WHERE: Erfoud, Morocco WEBSITE: www.dtmconference.com

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Showcasing the potential of Moroccan mining Top three reasons to be a part of International DTMC 2019 1. Strong top-level government support

The Moroccan Ministry of Energy, Mines and Sustainable Development as well as the Drâa-Tafilalet Regional Council, Morocco have given their full support for Spire Events to organise the inaugural International DrâaTafilalet Mining Conference in the country.

2. The only platform in DrâaTafilalet Region to connect with key government and industry decision makers, especially in barite

With key central and state government ministers and officials present at the event, it is the ideal platform for companies wishing to enter this untapped market to gain the perfect head start. With the spotlight firmly placed on the Drâa-Tafilalet region and in particular its barite industry,

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this is the only event in Morocco for companies and investors who wish to understand specific issues affecting its mining sector such as supply chain and government policies as well as the barite industry.

3. Experienced global events organiser with profound understanding of mining and energy sector, especially within Africa “Spire Events is honoured to be selected by the Ministry as the organiser for the International Drâa-Tafilalet Mining Conference (DTMC) 2019,” according to Daniel Radziszewski, Managing Director, Spire Events (Singapore). “We will tap on our extensive global expertise and experience to deliver an invigorating and world class event.”

Email us at: enquiry@spire-events.com or Mahesh.babu@spire-events.com Call us at +65 6717 6016.

DTMC

DRÂA-TAFILALET MINING CONFERENCE

23 - 24 September 2019 Erfoud, Morocco

@DtmcMorocco1

Drâa-Tafilalet Mining Conference Morocco

DTMCMorocco

DTMCMorocco

CONFERENCE TOPICS HIGHLIGHTS: Special focus on artisanal mining and Draa-Tafilalet model Latest techniques on geological survey, sampling & exploration technologies to tap the unexplored resources of Draa-Tafilalet International spotlight on baryte market - Global industry analysis and forecast Outlook on lead, zinc and other base metals mining

Take Advantage of our Special Offer to Attend and Exhibit Today!

Contact Mahesh at +65 6717 8500 | mahesh.babu@spire-events.com Officially supported by

Organised by

www.dtmconference.com

WHERE GLOBAL INVESTORS CONNECT WITH MINING INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERS

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A platform for authentic conversation on African mining

EVENT DETAILS WHEN: September 24-25 WHERE: Gaborone, Botswana WEBSITE: www.grvglobal.com/AMS19

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THE FIFTH annual Africa Mining Summit (AMS), taking place in Gaborone, Botswana, is one of the only truly pan-African mining events where high-level delegates such as government representatives from established and emerging mining economies, mining executives, financiers and suppliers come together over a two-day period to engage in a series of highly focused thematic sessions and robust discussions.

Scheduled alongside keynote addresses and panel discussions is a number of networking events, a cocktail reception, cultural dinner, charity golf tournament and ‘matchmaking’ meetings, giving delegates

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the opportunity to engage directly on matters of mutual interest. This model allows for high-level as well as deep, authentic, conversations on mining in Africa, whether it be on financing the next project, engaging with the relevant ministry or identifying the breakthrough technologies available to safely and sustainably grow a business.

The AMS18 was described by our Patron, H.E. Albert Muchanga, the African Union Commissioner (AUC), as an institution growing from strength to strength. Supported by the AUC, the AMS is missioned to generate alignment and understanding between member states, ministers and ministries of mines and energy with the private sector investment community, and to join these key stakeholders in Africa to engage formally in developing and shaping exploitation of Africa’s continental and coastal natural resources and related industrial profile.

Come and join leading CEOs, entrepreneurs, investors and analysts for lively debates and discussions, gain valuable snapshots of projects and companies as well as insights into commodity market prospects, exploration hot spots and investment opportunities.

Please direct any enquiry regarding attendance, speaking or sponsoring to Glenn Fitzpatrick on +44 (0)20 3817 5317 or GFitzpatrick@grvglobal.com

A TRULY PAN AFRICAN

MINING EVENT

AFRICA MINING SUMMIT

PHAKALANE ESTATE HOTEL • GABORONE, BOTSWANA 24-25 SEPTEMBER 2019

NETWORKING & DEAL MAKING S U S TA I N A B L E G R O W T H P L A N S

INDUSTRY INSIGHT INV ESTM E NT

ONE-TO-ONE

OPPORTUN I TI ES

MEETINGS

GLOBAL MEDIA COVERAGE Book your place now: www.grvglobal.com/AMS19 or call 0203 640 8222

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Identifying investment in Nigeria’s booming F&B market

EVENT DETAILS WHEN: October 22-24 WHERE: Lagos, Nigeria WEBSITE: www.nigerianfoodevent.com

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THE NIGERIAN Food Event will be the premier international exhibition catering to the food, beverage and hospitality sectors in Nigeria. Taking place in West Africa’s economic hub, Lagos, Nigeria, the inaugural edition of the exhibition will be held on October 22-24, 2019 at the Landmark Centre on Victoria Island.

With a projected compound annual growth rate of 28.7 percent within the Nigerian food and beverage sector by 2025 and the fact that Nigeria’s GDP is the highest on the continent, the scope of opportunity for investment across the food, beverage and hospitality industry is huge.

The Nigerian Food Event will provide

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a perfectly-placed trade platform for international companies wanting to expand their footprint in the West African region and take advantage of the thriving marketplace. This October, the Nigerian Food Event will bring together more than 2,000 industry professionals and over 80 leading market brands on display, all under one roof.

With show-floor features including ‘Drink Lagos’, a premier pavilion for those who source, buy or serve drinks from sommeliers to bartenders. There will also be a ‘Chef Skillery’ which will invite leading chefs into a live kitchen demonstration area to provide exclusive tips and tricks from trending ingredient combinations to technique.

Further to the live demonstration features will be business-orientated conference sessions. The Business Hub and the Franchising/SME Hub will both host expert representatives as they share market insights, focussing on the more pertinent issues facing the industry. With tailored content for small-to-medium enterprises at the Franchise/SME Hub, the expo is aiming to attract companies of all sizes in 2019.

The organisers, Afrocet Montgomery, have a combined 146 years’ worth of experience specialising in running high end exhibitions and events in Africa, Europe and Asia. Entrance to the show will be completely free for industry professionals, you can find out more about registering to visit via the website.

3 DAYS

85 exhibitorS

2500 viSitorS the premier

internAtionAl

exhibition for the

food

beverage and

hospitality sector in nigeria

Book your stand today!

Co-located with:

Get in touch to book now: tom meek international Sales manager tom.meek@montex.co.uk +44 (0)20 7886 3028

www.nigerianfoodevent.com

Brought to you by:

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To round off each issue, we ask our contributing business leaders for their views on the same question

What or who has been a source of inspiration for you during your career?

Sekou Jomanday Chairman & CEO, Jomanday Group “I have many people who have directly and indirectly been a source of inspiration, but the ones with no doubt are my parents.

“They provided the initial inspiration in my career many years ago and still have a vital role in my life today. My father is responsible for many of my characteristics, teaching me to think big with no fear and never ever give up. He is a great guy who had a lot influence on me in the early stage of my career. Being an old-timer and experienced businessman himself, he was always there to advise and listen to my ideas.

“As for my mother, she was my main moral teacher, offering teachings such as honesty and integrity that I’ve been implementing in my day-to-day life and decision making for years.”

Steve Cathey Director of Projects, METC “I will never forget the interview with my first boss Neil Zondtag.

“I was a graduate in mechanical engineering with honours but with not a stich of experience, and Neil was looking for a project manager to execute a materials handling plant for a brick yard. The offered salary was twice that of the going rate for a junior engineer in the mining industry – needless to say Neil listened to my illusions of grandeur, how well I could design and do mathematical sums, but I could see he was not convinced.

“After totally wasting my breath

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trying to impress this old General Manager that ran mineral processing mines with his eyes closed, Neil asked me if the old maroon Opel student car parked in the dusty parking lot was mine, to which I answered yes.

“To what was a surprise to me, he asked if we could go and have a look at it, to which I replied yes of course, just to get out of the poorly progressing interview. He asked if it would be ok if he could open the passenger door – I was getting more and more confused as to where this was going.

“He looked inside, and as any of my friends and colleagues would vouch, my cars may be dirty on the outside but inside it was as clean as a whistle.

He looked me squarely in the eyes and said you’re hired!”

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Tadesse Hailermariam CEO, Ethiopian Petroleum Supply Enterprise “When I undertook my postgraduate studies at the International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation in the Netherlands, one of the university’s top professors, Dr Niek Rengers, told us how geology is everything.

“He explained how it applies to agriculture, infrastructure, medicine, environment, water, and therefore a geologist can be policy maker, planner, executioner and/or leader. This idea became the foundation for my aspirations and indeed career.”

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Driving dynamic digital content delivery...

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Transforming

Connectivity Championing digital content delivery, managed infrastructure and connectivity services, Sentech SOC is helping to revolutionise broadcasting and telecommunications across South Africa S E N T E C H

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Writer: Jonathan Dyble | Project Manager: Vivek Valmiki Indeed, the company also takes an active role in more traditional CSR endeavours, supporting underprivileged communities in the field of education and health via initiatives such as its school’s connectivity programme.

“We have connected 52 schools to date,” Booi reveals, “and have established and funded a scheme to provide extra maths and science classes to 300 learners from Grades 10 to 12.”

AN ACUTE, ASTUTE ETHOS

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Driving dynamic digital content delivery

SENTECH connects South Africa to the world and the world to South Africa. This is reflected in its core philosophies, outlined as follows: Vision: To be a global leader in digital content delivery.

Mission: To connect customers anywhere through innovative solutions.

In achieving these, it acts with strict adherence to five core values: Integrity: Acting with honesty, fairness and openness.

Quality customer service: Committed to proactively ensuring high levels of satisfaction and build a relationship based on trust.

Innovation: Developing and supporting creativity and responsible risk-taking.

In addition, SENTECH’s own staff are often on the receiving end of the merits accompanied by this responsible approach, the enterprise offering internal training and access to Social responsibility: Achieving external resources to ensure its team its mandate in a manner that remains competitive globally. benefits its employees, customers, “Our training efforts allow us to not suppliers, communities and the WWW.AFRICAOUTLOOKMAG.COM 2 nextonly prepare the country for environment in all areas that the generation technologies, but equally company operates in. prepare our own workforce for the Accountability: Promise delivery.

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fourth industrial revolution,” Booi adds.

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The latter point from the Chief Executive is pivotal in the eyes of SENTECH, the broadcasting and connectivity specialist continuously investing into the latest technologies in the aim of optimising and improving processes and service delivery.

“SENTECH drives a culture comprised of ethical leadership and innovation,” Booi states. “Our staff are champions of good governance and keep our company at the forefront

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of delivering reliable services to our customers.

“As such, currently there is much focus on delivering value added services through our infrastructure, adapting content delivery to changing consumer behaviour and unlocking niche opportunities in the digital landscape.”

While the network’s digital transmission migration is a flagship of this, the company is set to empower the next generation of television

transmission across South Africa. There will be many other focus areas in the way of harbouring new technologies moving forward.

“While we will continue to leverage our existing business, and look to augment services such as digital terrestrial television, we’re equally looking to provide OTT platforms, introducing and delivering audio, video and other forms of media across South Africa,” Booi reveals.

“We will also be branching out into the Pan-African market, offering consulting services; pursuing the acquisition of complementary assets to diversify our revenue further; and implementing a broadband strategy with the view of positioning ourselves within the fixed wireless market.”

Moving forward, these techcentric motivations will provide the foundations for the organisation’s wider priorities of achieving both organic and inorganic growth.

“Our industry is undoubtedly being disrupted by the different ways consumers can access content,” Booi reiterates in his concluding statements.

“Consumers want to be able to access their content at their own convenience from anywhere, at any time and from any device. This has revolutionised the way content is delivered to consumers and has enabled mobile operators and other service providers using IP to play in this space.

“Our competitor landscape has changed as a result, as has the value chain affected by consumer behaviour, but I believe such progression matches up well with our own ideals – for us, the revolution is exciting.”

Sentech SOC Ltd Tel: +2711 471 4595 support@sentech.co.za www.sentech.co.za

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SENTECH has told its story.

Now, why not tell yours? Our monthly magazine Africa Outlook is essential reading for business executives wanting to keep up with the latest in global news and trends affecting African businesses across all industries.

With a monthly coverage of over 185,000 readers, your company can take advantage of exposure in Africa Outlook with a FREE article and FREE digital brochure, as well as access to further digital and print-based marketing tools that could transform your business.

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E D I TO R I A L :

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Jonathan Dyble +44 (0) 1603 959 660 jonathan.dyble@outlookpublishing.com