Africa Outlook - issue 96

YA L E L O U G A N D A | E G E N C O

Issue 96

9MOBILE

Growing a booming national economy in Nigeria

CONSOLIDATED BANK GHANA Forward-thinking finance from the heart of Ghana

LOMÉ CONTAINER TERMINAL Driving maritime investment and performance culture

Keletsositse Olebile, CEO of Botswana Investment and Trade Centre discusses surmounting global challenges

travel magazine ISSUE 07

SOUTH AUSTRALIA T R AV E L G U I D E

Natural wonders and Aboriginal culture in the continent’s gem

T R AV E L B U S I N E S S

T R AV E L G U I D E

Accommodating the remote work revolution

The rock that’s on a roll

OUTSITE

GIBRALTAR

Award-winning photographer, NORI JEMIL, discusses dismantling industry stereotypes and the tireless thirst for travel

I

n a changing world, where the travel industry must adapt to challenging global situations, our mission at Outlook Travel remains the same. We will continue to showcase some of the world’s most inspiring destinations, offering real insight and comprehensive travel guides for when global mobility resumes.

The major component of the publication takes the form of our Outlook Travel Guides, providing executives, avid travellers and our existing 575,000 international subscribers with the ultimate rundown of all the major economic drivers and thriving hubs across the world, with exclusive input from tourism industry associations and stakeholders – the people who know these places the best.

You can join the vast numbers of tourism sector players enjoying the exposure we provide across our digital and print platforms with a range of options, from advertising through to free-of-charge editorials, extensive social media saturation, enhanced B2B networking opportunities, and a readymade forum to attract new investment and increase exposure.

THAILAND TRAVEL GUIDE

THAILAND This Southeast Asian country is a perennial favourite, thanks to an intoxicating combination of beautiful beaches, world-renowned cuisine and incredible temple complexes Writer: Dani Redd | Project Manager: Jordan Levey

K

nown as the ‘Land of Smiles’, Thailand is a friendly country that welcomed 38.27 million tourists to its shores last year.

There are plenty of reasons why this Southeast Asian destination is so popular.

For a start, there’s the beaches. In the south, Thailand’s two coastlines stretch for miles, populated by swathes of icing-sugar soft sand, the bays speckled with dramatic limestone formations. Thailand is also home to 1,430 islands, ranging from full moon party spots like Koh Pha Ngan to the more off the beaten track Similan Islands, a national marine park popular with scuba divers.

Then, there’s the food. Thailand’s noodles, stir fries and curries are beloved around the

world, characterised by the fragrant taste of lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and tulsi. Every town is bursting at the seams with floating markets, street food stalls and high-end restaurants where you can try delicious local dishes.

Thailand’s rich spiritual heritage also attracts tourists. Golden temples and larger-than-life Buddha statues can be found across the country. Visitors can experience colourful religious festivals in the northeast of the country or explore the underground cave shrines in Kanchanaburi and Phetchaburi.

Despite Thailand’s popularity, it’s easy to find a quiet corner to relax, be it on a deserted island or an eco-retreat in the craggy mountains north of Chiang Mai.

SEYCHELLES TRAVEL GUIDE

S E YC H E L L E S Most people visit this archipelago in the Indian Ocean for the beaches, but it has much more to offer than that Writer: Dani Redd | Project Manager: Jordan Levey

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escribing the Seychelles, it’s easy to veer into cliché. These picture-perfect islands are blessed with white sand beaches lapped by translucent water, fringed with palm trees and interesting rock formations. The dramatic sunsets, laidback atmosphere and a wide range of luxury accommodation make them a popular spot for honeymooners.

The Seychelles consists of 115 islands and some small islets, located

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in the Indian Ocean at a crossroads between Asia and Africa. Most of the action is concentrated around the three major islands: Mahé, La Digue and Praslin. Mahé is the largest and most populous; home to the capital, Victoria, and transport hub to the rest of the islands. La Digue is renowned for having some of the best beaches in the archipelago. Praslin, meanwhile, is home to the idyllic Vallée de Mai nature reserve.

But there’s more to the Seychelles

than just the beaches. Trek through the granite mountains and lush rainforests of the Morne Seychellois National Park. Try some of the island’s traditional Creole dishes at a local restaurant. Or if you’re a nature lover, head to Bird Island to observe its population of fairy terns and common noddies, as well as the giant Aldabra tortoises endemic to the archipelago. You’ll be bowled over by what the Seychelles has to offer.

WELCOME FROM THE EDITOR

Painting Africa Green

EDITORIAL Head of Editorial: Phoebe Harper phoebe.harper@outlookpublishing.com Senior Editor: Marcus Kääpä marcus.kaapa@outlookpublishing.com Junior Editor: Jack Salter jack.salter@outlookpublishing.com Junior Editor: Ed Budds ed.budds@outlookpublishing.com

In this concerning age of climate change, the second

PRODUCTION Production Director: Stephen Giles steve.giles@outlookpublishing.com

largest continent in the world faces a unique dilemma

Senior Designer: Devon Collins devon.collins@outlookpublishing.com Designer: Matt Loudwell matt.loudwell@outlookpublishing.com Social Media Manager: Fox Tucker fox.tucker@outlookpublishing.com BUSINESS CEO: Ben Weaver ben.weaver@outlookpublishing.com Managing Director: James Mitchell james.mitchell@outlookpublishing.com Sales Director: Nick Norris nick.norris@outlookpublishing.com Commercial Director: Joshua Mann joshua.mann@outlookpublishing.com TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Vivek Valmiki vivek.valmiki@outlookpublishing.com BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Thomas Arnold thomas.arnold@outlookpublishing.com

– it represents one of the lowest contributors to global warming yet is the most exposed to its impact.

In this respect, Africa is recognised as one of the most vulnerable regions in the world to the worsening environmental crisis. Yet in the nexus of African industry, companies and businesses are united in their commitment to change.

In the West African nation of Togo, our frontrunner, Lomé Container Terminal (LCT) operates under the banner of Terminal Investment Limited – an entity owned by international shipping giant MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company. In a conversation with LCT’s global spokesman Giles Broom, we explore how the terminal is preparing to embark on green energy projects,

HEADS OF PROJECTS Callam Waller callam.waller@outlookpublishing.com

taking strides into the sphere of clean resources.

Eddie Clinton eddie.clinton@outlookpublishing.com

In the financial realm, Consolidated Bank Ghana is advancing the future

Matt Cole-Wilkin matt.cole-wilkin@outlookpublishing.com SALES MANAGERS Sales & Partnerships Manager: Donovan Smith donovan.smith@outlookpublishing.com Jordan Levey jordan.levey@outlookpublishing.com Josh Hyland josh.hyland@outlookpublishing.com Krisha Canlas krisha.canlas@outlookpublishing.com Ryan Gray ryan.gray@outlookpublishing.com PROJECT MANAGERS Cameron Lawrence cameron.lawrence@outlookpublishing.com Kyle Livingstone kyle.livingstone@outlookpublishing.com

ADMINISTRATION Finance Director: Suzanne Welsh suzanne.welsh@outlookpublishing.com Finance Assistant: Suzie Kittle suzie.kittle@outlookpublishing.com Office Manager: Daniel George daniel.george@outlookpublishing.com CONTACT Africa Outlook East Wing, Ground Floor, 69-75 Thorpe Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR1 1UA, United Kingdom.

Sales: +44 (0) 1603 363 631 Editorial: +44 (0) 1603 363 655 SUBSCRIPTIONS Tel: +44 (0) 1603 363 655 phoebe.harper@outlookpublishing.com www.africaoutlookmag.com Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/africaoutlook Follow us on Twitter: @africa_outlook

of banking whilst maintaining solid commitments to CSR activities and upholding the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

“We are committed to understanding, monitoring, and managing the impact of our social, environmental, and economic investments to enable the bank to contribute to the larger goals of sustainable development,” shares Deputy Managing Director, Thairu Ndungu, in recognition of the company’s efforts in desalination projects across local communities.

Meanwhile, we discuss green brewing methods with AB InBev Namibia following the incorporation of its new Global Sustainability Officer and find out how Airports Company South Africa is striving for carbon neutral operations.

Take a deep dive into the Sustainability Summit Africa for all matters concerning sustainable procurement in our Topical Focus, and encounter the innovative Zambian start-up empowering women as champions of clean energy with WidEnergy.

Enjoy a host of other fascinating business insights from the Botswana Investment and Trade Centre, Sybrin, Electricity Generation Company Malawi, and many more.

We hope that you enjoy your read.

Phoebe Harper Head of Editorial, Outlook Publishing Africa Outlook issue 96 | 3

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CONTENTS TO P I C A L F O C U S

14 Sustainability Best Practice in Procurement Driving growth through sustainable buying and sourcing decisions

I N D U STRY S P OTL I G H TS

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18

REGULARS

6 NEWS Around Africa in seven stories

8 EXPERT EYE Making a Business of Positive Impact

10

BU SI N ESS I N SI G H TS

10 Technology Dialling Namibia Telecoms across Southern Africa and beyond

12 Sustainability Women Leading the Last Mile Combining sustainable energy with female empowerment

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4 | Africa Outlook issue 96

18 Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC) Continuing to grow a booming national economy in Botswana

36 West African Health Organization (WAHO) Promoting better health through regional integration

46 Botswana Chamber of Mines (BCM) Taking care of the mining sector in Botswana and across Africa

52 Kenya Renewable Energy Association (KEREA) Powered by clean technologies and sustainable solutions

194 THE FINAL WORD What is your greatest success story of initiating change within your company?

AFRICA OUTLOOK ISSUE 96

F O O D & DR I N K

F E AT U R E S

142 Yalelo Uganda

58 SHOWCASING LEADING

Fish for Today

Tell us your story and we’ll tell the world

150 CIS Group

Modern cage aquaculture on Lake Victoria

COMPANIES

Tailor-Made Remote Site Solutions

S UPPLY CHAIN

60 Lomé Container Terminal Togo’s Terminal Driving maritime investment and performance culture in Lomé

84 Logico Logistics Delivery that Defies Transport services overcoming logistical challenges

110 T EC HN OLOGY

110 Sybrin Harnessing Synergy with Sybrin Three decades of digital inclusion in financial software

Integrated support services that improve on-site quality of life

158 AB InBev Namibia Beer for the People “Smart Drinking” and sustainability in Namibia

118 9Mobile

164 NAS Airport Services Limited

Mobilising for the Future

Catering to Kenya

Healthy growth in the Nigerian telecoms sector

Airborne food services making a recovery

CO N STR U C TI O N

168 M&D Construction Khula Nathi Forming the building blocks of society in South Africa

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90 Airports Company South Africa Connecting the Rainbow Nation Management of South Africa’s principal airports and international gateways

F INANCE

96 Consolidated Bank Ghana Bank to the Future Forward-thinking finance from the heart of Ghana

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126 Orange Sierra Leone Bright Telecoms Experience unrivalled mobile services in Sierra Leone

EN ER GY & U T I L I TI E S

132 Electricity Generation Company Malawi (EGENCO) Revolutionising Malawi’s Energy Sector EGENCO is creating a better tomorrow for Malawi’s future in sustainable energy

168 H E A LTH C A R E

174 SYNLAB Nigeria Changing the Narrative The customer-centric market leader in quality pathology services

MI N I N G

182 GPC Groupe Advancing Guinea A local leader in the Guinean mining industry

O I L & G AS

188 Samsung Heavy Industries Nigeria 96

132

Flourishing Heavyweight Partnership A manufacturing match made in heaven, by way of Nigeria and South Korea

Africa Outlook issue 96 | 5

NEWS

Around Africa in seven stories…

FOOD & DRINK

ANGOLA FINDS THE PERFECT BLEND LONG COVETED BY coffee connoisseurs worldwide, Angolan coffee is making its long-awaited return to the mass market. In the 1970s, around a quarter of a million tonnes of the original Angolan black gold was produced annually.

Despite being a legendary brew, sought after by aficionados around the world, the production was halted by civil war. But now, after 20 years of peace, Angola is bouncing back, and two Angolan companies are expanding into the global market once again.

Aiming to bounce back to being one of the world’s top coffee exporters, the companies, Café Cazengo and Fazenda Vissolela are expanding their operations, and increasing dynamic production in the agricultural heartland of Luanda.

MINING

MINERS REMAIN IMPRISONED EIGHT MINERS REMAIN trapped underground in Burkina Faso. They have been stranded for more than two weeks, with rescue workers trying to reach them.

The zinc mine at Perkoa flooded following heavy rain last month, with the government of Burkina Faso since launching a comprehensive judicial

inquiry, whilst the Canadian mining company, Trevali, says it is working constantly to locate the missing crew.

When the mine flooded, the eight workers were reportedly deeper underground than their colleagues, more than 500 metres from the surface, with electricity and communication links also assumed to be cut off.

FIFA PENALTY PANDEMONIUM FIFA HAS IMPOSED penalty sanctions on six African football associations in the wake of March’s 2022 World Cup play-off matches but will not order the replays requested

by Algeria and Egypt.

Senegal, Nigeria, and Democratic Republic of Congo have all been instructed to play one match behind closed doors as well as paying a 6 | Africa Outlook issue 96

Algeria lining up during the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations

penalty fine, after pitch invasions and the lighting of fireworks.

Algeria, Egypt, and Morocco have

PHOTO BY BEN SUTHERLAND FROM CRYSTAL PALACE, LONDON, UK - FLICKR, CC BY 2.0

SPORT

additionally been fined by the world governing body for football. No results will be overturned, despite Algeria lodging an appeal with FIFA for a replay of their second-leg loss to Cameroon, a result that saw the Desert Foxes eliminated on the away goals rule. The Algeria Football Federation felt aggrieved with several decisions made by Gambian referee Bakary Gassama during the recent fixtures.

ECONOMY

TECHNOLOGY

INFLATED SENSE OF WEALTH

ANTI-SOCIAL MEDIA CRACKDOWN

KENYA HAS RAISED its minimum wage by 12 percent as inflation soars within the East African nation.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has announced this dramatic increase to offset the astronomical living costs that continue to rise. This announcement comes a few months ahead of the presidential and parliamentary elections.

Inflation hit a seven-month high in April, driven by skyrocketing fuel and food prices, as well as droughts affecting several areas of the country.

“We believe it is imperative to TECHNOLOGY

ANIMATION PROVING THE REEL DEAL MOROCCO HAS RELEASED its first ever animated films, as part of a test run commissioned in 2019 by Moroccan TV channels Al Oula and 2M, in partnership with FICAM, the international festival of animation of Meknès.

The first of their kind for both

review the minimum wage to protect our workers from further deterioration,” Kenyatta told a Labour Day rally.

Kenya’s finance minister unveiled a $28 billion budget last month, focused on resurrecting the economy amid high unemployment after the COVID-19 pandemic.

scriptwriting and technical prowess, this is the first steps of the Moroccan film industry looking to become a major player in the world of animation.

Animation studio Artcoustic, along with Lorem and Neverseen, all based in Casablanca, will produce two series each, with each consisting of 20 to 30 episodes, and the content of these films will honour the cultural heritage of the country, whilst using the native dialect of the North African nation.

SENEGAL IS PREPARING a law to regulate social media across its nation. President Macky Sall has said Senegal plans to moderate all online activity.

Political tensions that occurred during local elections in January have led to fears of widespread violence through online mobilisation.

“No organised society can accept what is happening here today. We are going to put an end to it, one way or another,” said the President.

There remain widespread fears that the introduction of legal measures could be used to crack down on people using social media to organise demonstrations against Mr Sall’s administration.

ECONOMY

TRY A LITTLE TENDERNESS THE CENTRAL AFRICAN Republic has adopted bitcoin as legal tender, where alongside the CFA franc, it will become the official currency.

The cental African nation has additionally legalised the use of cryptocurrencies.

The National Assembly voted unanimously in favour of this move, which puts the Central African Republic on the map of “the most courageous and visionary countries in the world,” according to the presidency of the Central African Republic.

In September 2021, El Salvador became the first nation in the world to adopt bitcoin as a legal tender and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) instantly branded the decision as dangerous for “financial stability, financial integrity and consumer protection”.

Africa Outlook issue 96 | 7

Making a Business of Positive Impact

T

oday, the world is prioritising the Ukraine-Russia war and over the past two years, interest has been largely focused on the COVID-19 pandemic. All the while, malaria remains a grave concern in Africa, and especially in sub-Saharan Africa.

Even though the pandemic is not yet behind us, its consequences have been significantly reduced. It is now time for diseases like malaria to receive the attention they deserve.

Despite remarkable progress in the past 20 years, malaria remains a leading cause of ill-health and death in sub-Saharan Africa, where only six countries account for over half of all malaria cases globally.1 In 2020, Africa accounted for 602,000 - or 96 8 | Africa Outlook issue 96

Centred on health, education and financial empowerment, the Ecobank Foundation is dedicated to improving the quality of life across Africa.

Elisa Desbordes-Cissé tells us more Written by: Elisa Desbordes-Cissé, Head of Ecobank Foundation

percent of malaria deaths around the world, and 80 percent of these deaths were of children aged under five years old. The same year, 34 percent (or 11.6 million) of expecting mothers in

Africa suffered from malaria, resulting in 819,000 children born with low birthweight, putting them at increased risk of long-term health problems.

Malaria is more than just a health issue, however. It is also a socioeconomic issue affecting us all in one way or another, including business productivity, educational attainment and families’ disposable income.

For example, Africa loses 4.3 billion workdays and 1.5 billion school days due to malaria each year.2 A single episode of malaria costs a family on average nine USD, or three percent of the average annual income, and a person suffering from malaria can lose one to three weeks of work per episode.3 The World Bank estimates

EXPERT EYE HEALTHCARE

that 100 million people are pushed into poverty due to catastrophic health expenditures such as this.4 This has a significant impact on our businesses and Africa’s economy, with research suggesting that the presence of malaria in some African countries reduces annual GDP growth by up to an estimated 1.3 percent.5 Essential services are also under pressure. To take just one example, according to Uganda’s Ministry of Health, malaria accounts for 30-50 percent of outpatient visits at health facilities, 15-20 percent of all hospital admissions, and up to 20 percent of all hospital deaths. For any African business, this should be cause for concern.

We know that malaria has a wideranging impact on many sectors of society, including the private sector.

It is for this reason that we call on ALL to join the movement for malaria elimination. As one of the oldest and most pernicious diseases on the planet, malaria requires a whole-ofsociety approach and cannot be solely the burden of the Ministry of Health.

Unfortunately, unlike modern outbreaks such as Ebola and COVID19 which attract global attention, the age-old malaria continues to quietly decimate our people with limited attention. Echoing Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization, we might indeed question whether malaria would have had more attention if it was affecting other regions.5 It is a silent health emergency, one that we all too often overlook because we have grown up with it, yet it continues to kill our own.

Private sector companies have a particularly important role to play as stakeholders in an economy that is deeply

affected by malaria. For labourintensive companies afflicted by high-absenteeism in malaria-endemic regions, for example, investments in long-lasting insecticide nets or Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) in local communities have shown to pay for themselves in higher productivity.

Perhaps more importantly, the private sector can leverage its corporate social responsibility and marketing resources to support the malaria fight, for example to deliver behaviour change communication campaigns to employees and in the community.

There is also scope for win-win results here through innovation and public-private partnerships that both boost companies’ visibility and brand awareness and serve to reduce the grave malaria burden inflicted on our communities.

By working together, we can have a greater impact against this disease.

That is why, in 2020, the Ecobank Foundation partnered with not-forprofit organisation Speak Up Africa and the RBM Partnership to End Malaria to launch the Zero Malaria Business Leadership Initiative, which aims at mobilising private sector companies to contribute to malaria control and elimination efforts. The initiative is currently being implemented in five countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Ghana and Uganda.

With an initial donation of $120,000 per country, and a deep commitment to bring our expertise and network of business clients and partners to bear on this critical public health challenge, the Zero Malaria Business Leadership Initiative will strengthen existing resource mobilisation efforts at the national

level and support the effective implementation of countries’ national strategic plans for malaria control and elimination.

I call on all companies, large and small, to join us so that together we can take our continent to a prosperous, malaria-free future.

ABOUT THE EXPERT Elisa DesbordesCissé is Chief Operating Officer at Ecobank Foundation. She is a skilled development sector professional, with experience and expertise in communication, advocacy and corporate social responsibility.

During her 15-year career, she has worked for many pan-African and international development institutions, including the African Development Bank Group, UNITLIFE (a UNCDF initiative), the European Bank for reconstruction and development, the Africa Media Initiative and The ONE Campaign.

Elisa Desbordes-Cissé holds a Master’s degree in Political Science and Intercultural Management from the Institute of Political Studies in Aix-en-Provence, France. She also has a Magistra Artium in History and Sociology from the University of Bielefeld, Germany and a Masters in History from the University of Paris VII, France.

1 WHO, 2021; World malaria report 2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ PMC6266653/ 3 https://www.health.go.ug/programs/ national-malaria-control-program/ 4 World Bank and WHO (2019) Global Monitoring Report on Financial Protection in Health 2019.

5 Gallup, J. L. & Sachs, J. D. The economic burden of malaria. Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 64, 85-96 (2001).

6 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/ apr/13/who-chief-tedros-ukraine-ethiopia-tigray

Africa Outlook issue 96 | 9

DIALLING NAMIBIA Internet service provider MTN Namibia is focused on providing services that benefit people and the planet. We speak to Elia Tsouros, Managing Director of the company, to learn more Writer: Marcus Kääpä

T

he African telecoms sector is a growing space.

Continually developing urban and rural areas are being interconnected via telecoms and digital services to better communication across the continent.

10 | Africa Outlook issue 96

MTN Namibia (MTN) is an internet service provider based in Windhoek, Namibia. The company is committed to connecting Namibians from all walks of life to the global village, enabling learning, communication, and innovation to improve the livelihoods of Namibians and growing the economy.

MTN continues to invest in infrastructure, partnerships, and new technologies to assist in bringing the country to the cutting edge of modernisation.

MTN was launched in 1998 as the first Internet Service Provider (ISP) in Namibia, operating as UUNET (Pty) Ltd until 2006. With the acquisition of UUNET (Pty) Ltd by Verizon in 2006, the company operated under the Verizon Business banner as a wholly owned subsidiary of Verizon Business South Africa (Pty) Ltd.

In 2009, MTN Group Limited, through its indirect wholly owned subsidiary, MTN Holdings (Pty) Ltd, acquired Verizon Business South Africa and renamed it MTN Business Solutions (Pty) Limited. As a result, the company changed its name again to Mobile Telephone Networks Business Solutions (Proprietary) Limited t/a MTN Business Namibia.

Today, one of the most significant ways business is shaping the world is through energy use and its contribution to climate change.

Both scientists and policymakers largely agree that Africa’s population is more vulnerable and most impacted by the effects of climate change in comparison to many other regions globally. Because of this fact, MTN believes that the growth and success of any business should not come at the expense of the planet and its future.

MTN NAMIBIA TECHNOLOGY

Acknowledging the environmental concerns that we all face today, MTN focuses on reducing its environmental impact by placing its attention on the realms of energy and climate.

At present, MTN’s largest impact is driven by its energy use, and the company is actively pursuing multiple energy-reduction and efficiency initiatives and investing in renewable energy resources.

We find out more with Managing Director, Elia Tsouros.

Africa Outlook (AO): Firstly, could you give us some insight into your career with MTN and how you began with the company?

Elia Tsouros (ET), Managing Director: I was initially employed in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector with Unilever and then took on the opportunity to join Datatec/Unipalm Pipex to launch the first internet business in South Africa. Thereafter my career in telecommunications commenced and has been on an upward trajectory since.

I have worked in all aspects on the telecoms business sector and my last appointment before MTN acquired the business was as head of sales for Verizon South Africa. At MTN, I was initially head of sales for MTN

Enterprise business South Africa, but following this, I joined MTN Group in various roles including Executive Head of Enterprise for the MTN Group.

AO: What is your current take on the technology sector across Namibia?

Is it a particularly exciting or challenging space to be working in?

ET: The sector is exciting and challenging at the same time, as companies and institutions are inventing new ways to navigate through the pandemic and economic downturn, which in turn has resulted in innovations and out-the-box thinking for MTN. Customers are now also more willing to open up and create an ecosystem with providers like MTN, and various providers are now also collaborating and partnering together to create opportunities.

AO: Could you expand on MTN Namibia’s efforts in developing and deploying its own fibre network? Has this been successful so far?

ET: We are a premier communications provider with a class comprehensive regulatory license allowing us to offer all forms of communications technologies and solutions.

At present, we have deployed some of our own fibre segments where required, but overall, there is enough fibre infrastructure available for us to partner on infrastructure, otherwise the business case does not stack. MTN is a big advocate for infrastructure sharing.

AO: Finally, could you tell us more about the role that MTN plays for Namibian infrastructure, and what the company has planned for the future?

ET: MTN has sponsored infrastructure for communications purposes at many educational institutions, charities and institutions in need.

We also have a fully-fledged intern/ graduate programme where we help educate young graduates and give them exposure to the professional environment.

Moving forward, we are six to 12 months from the deployment of our first full services mobile data tower deployment, making us the 2nd mobile network operator in the country!

MTN’S BRIGHT STRATEGY • BEST CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE • RETURNS AND EFFICIENCY FOCUS • IGNITE COMMERCIAL PERFORMANCE • GROWTH THROUGH DATA AND DIGITAL • HEARTS AND MINDS • TECHNOLOGY EXCELLENCE

Africa Outlook issue 96 | 11

WIDENERGY AFRICA SUSTAINABILITY

WO M E N L E A D I N G THE LAST MILE I

n a country where access to electricity stands at 31 percent – and just 11 percent in rural areas according to the Africa Hub of Sustainable Energy for All – there is a pressing need for last mile distribution.

At the forefront of addressing Zambia’s energy demands, WidEnergy Africa is the inspirational company dedicated to the empowerment of women and providing last-mile distribution of clean energy solutions.

Since inception in 2016, WidEnergy has evolved from a humble start-up employing women as door-to-door agents, to a company of scale and ambition, backed with the funding of significant partners. We lift the lid on the women changing Zambia’s energy landscape with CEO and co-Founder of Wid Energy Africa, Ms. Lliane M. Ndananeze.

Africa Outlook (AO): What drew you to work in the energy industry, particularly in Zambia?

Ms. Lliane M. Ndananeze, CEO and Co-Founder (LM): I was inspired by the need to give back by making a positive change and impacting people’s lives. In 2013, my family and I relocated to Zambia after spending seven years living and working in Washington D.C. During a trip outside Lusaka, we visited a clinic where nurses had to use their phone torches to help a pregnant mother deliver her baby, and they explained how access to electricity was a big challenge in the Chinyunyu neighbourhood. That was my “aha moment” and from then 12 | Africa Outlook issue 96

Ms. Lliane M. Ndananeze

With the goal to reach 45,000 households in the next four years, WidEnergy is the female-founded start-up delivering sustainable energy and empowerment for the women of Zambia Writer: Phoebe Harper

on, I knew I was going to spend the next chapter of my life working with women to turn this around. Two years later, we went back to the same area, recruited and trained women as sales agents to sell Pico-solar products on a cash basis. And that is how WidEnergy was established in September 2016.

AO: Could you briefly introduce us to WidEnergy Africa?

LM: WidEnergy Africa is a company that focuses on a lending portfolio

and a distribution network. We offer an affordable path to electrification with our Pay As You Go (PAYGO) solar solutions. Our mission is to empower women to become the champions and advocates of clean and renewable energy.

We conduct direct sales in local communities, working with our door-to-door sales agents whom we recruit and train. Our field teams, 40 percent of whom are women, own the sales and the on-boarding process. This also allows our field teams to build solid and long-term relationships with our customers within their communities. Customers are connected to energy, the internet and mobile money at each point of sale. Our goal is to reach 45,000 households in the next four years and to directly impact up to 300,000 people in Zambia.

AO: Why is it so important to you to empower African women as agents for climate change?

LM: Despite the ongoing rhetoric about women’s empowerment, we are yet to witness tangible progress.

Investing in women pays dividends since women invest 90 percent of their earnings in food, health and education for the household. Given the significant role that women play in Africa and Zambia in particular, whether in the formal or informal sector, at WidEnergy we believe that any efforts to empower Africans as agents for climate change must include women.

Besides, agriculture and electricity

supply are the most affected by climate change in Zambia. In such situations, women and children are the most vulnerable. To me, it’s a no-brainer, we cannot reach our goals without involving women.

AO: What are some of the ways you think Africa can achieve gender equality in the off-grid solar sector?

LM: In terms of how WidEnergy is achieving this, we provide our beneficiaries with affordable and quality access to renewable energy. Since our

WidEnergy Africa customer

WidEnergy Africa staff

WidEnergy Africa team

solar home system kits are bundled up with mobile phones, it gives our beneficiaries, 56 percent of whom are female, more opportunities to access other digital platforms such as mobile money, which was recently classified as one of the catalysts of sustainable development by the GSMA (a global organisation unifying the mobile ecosystem to discover, develop and deliver innovation foundational to positive business environments and societal change) and the UN. Access to renewable energy has given our female beneficiaries an opportunity to sustain and scale up their small business activities. Such is the case with many of our customers who have been able to save, and with those savings, send their children to school.

Our female sales agents, who earn a commission on kits sold, say that the best reward is being able to provide for their families. Being empowered has given them a voice, and they have seen first-hand the positive effect that off-grid solar has on their families but also within their communities.

AO: Tell us about your funders especially AECF and how they have helped you in your journey? Do you believe that more support to SMEs is needed?

LM: I am grateful for the support we have received and continue to receive from AECF, that has allowed WidEnergy to grow our engagement on matters to do with gender equality, creating jobs for those at the lower

end of the pyramid while creating economic opportunities for many women. AECF invested and believed in WidEnergy when we were a startup, women-led, and underfunded at the time.

AECF provided us with a nonrepayable grant, an interest-free loan and technical assistance, all of which have tremendously strengthened our business. The funding from AECF became our stepping stone to the PAYGO business model, a capitalintensive model. AECF, being our first investor, played a significant role in the subsequent funding we received from the Rural Finance Expansion Programme, Energy and Environment Partnership Trust Fund, Innovations Against Poverty as well as GSMA. SMEs in Africa require support in terms of funding and advisory services. This will allow them to prove that their innovative business models are not only sustainable, but that they can also advance gender equality in the communities that they serve.

Africa Outlook issue 96 | 13

Best Practice in Procurement We uncover Sustainability Summit Africa, where procurement and supply chain professionals are convening to drive environmental and socio-economic growth Writer: Jack Salter

S

ustainable procurement practices are gaining momentum.

Procurement, through the implementation of more sustainable buying and sourcing decisions, is a critical, powerful lever for businesses to protect and grow long-term environmental and socio-economic value not only for themselves, but also for their supply chain partners and the communities in which they operate.

With a heightened understanding that sustainable procurement is about ‘doing good business’, it was against this backdrop that the first Sustainability Summit Africa (SSA) was launched in 2021.

SSA, hosted by Smart Procurement World, provides key insights into the drivers, current practices, and the future of sustainable procurement with a specific focus on Africa, bringing together thought leaders to define the business case and the

14 | Africa Outlook issue 96

roadmap ahead.

Following on from the enormous success of last year’s inaugural SSA, Africa’s first-ever continent-wide sustainability conference, the online conference is returning for 2022, taking place on the 11th and 12th of May. The question that remains on the minds of many business leaders is whether sustainable procurement and supply chains are a reality for Africa, particularly as the continent navigates the COVID-19 pandemic.

In this regard, SSA 2022 is a must-attend, not-to-be-missed gathering for decision-makers and organisations striving to advance their implementation of sustainable procurement strategies.

How should sustainable sourcing be managed in cross-border procurement? What are the threats and opportunities for public sector organisations and stakeholders?

These are just some of the questions

and issues that a host of renowned local and international speakers featured at SSA 2022 will deliver their valuable views on.

VALUE CREATION There is a sustainability knowledge gap that is preventing many firms from making meaningful progress and delivering real value through their sustainability programmes.

Delegates at SSA 2022 can expect to gain an understanding of how to position the value of sustainable business practices in their organisations, and the role they can play.

The event will explore new ways to engage suppliers and adopt key performance indicators for sustainable procurement practice, as well as the professional skills needed to reap the benefits of such efforts.

Sustainability is no longer a mere box-ticking exercise, for companies

TOPICAL FOCUS SUSTAINABILITY

and their supply chains; SSA 2022 will examine this, as well as other critical issues, and provide companies with valuable information on how to manage their low carbon transition, in an urgent call to action to address their climate change risks and opportunities.

SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY CHAIN Two-thirds of the average company’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) footprint lies with suppliers, whilst some studies estimate that up to 90 percent of a firm’s sustainability impacts come from the supply chain.

According to a CDP 2019 Global Supply Chain report, meanwhile, a company’s supply chain on average contains 5.5 times as many GHG emissions as its own operations, driving many businesses to encourage and collaborate on better, more responsible practices with their suppliers and create shared values.

Managing sustainability in the supply chain and in procurement is therefore

critical for overall business health and success, and procurement leaders have the power to make a substantial difference in their organisations’ sustainability.

However, many companies are hampered by a lack of in-house understanding of the importance of ESG issues within the supply chain, and by their suppliers’ limited comprehension of ESG considerations.

Becoming proficient in ESG can unlock efficiency, financial and reputational gains for a company.

Additionally, ESG leaders can pass on their knowledge to suppliers to help them improve upon their own practices, reducing Scope 3 emissions and improving their social impact throughout the value chain.

Whilst the benefits are clear, the impact of sustainability programmes often hinges on choosing the right measures. When evaluating suppliers’ sustainability performance, for instance, factors to consider include energy usage, waste disposal, packaging materials, and more.

Under the theme of ‘The Road to Best Practice’, SSA 2022 is a vital gathering that will help to chart the best path for sustainable procurement in Africa.

IMAGES WWW.SUSTAINAFRICA.CO.ZA

are realising that sustainable business practices and supply chains can lead to real, tangible business value.

Indeed, the World Economic Forum (WEF) asserts that value creation from sustainable procurement practices can raise revenue by up to 20 percent, reduce supply chain costs by as much as 16 percent, and increase brand value by up to 30 percent.

SSA 2022 offers opportunities for benchmarking, as powerful presenters who come from a range of backgrounds, from retail to the mining industry, look at global best practices and their local relevance.

The summit’s opening keynote will enable delegates to benchmark their organisation’s sustainable procurement policies and practices, with Australiabased Carsten Primdal, a Chief Sustainability Advisory Officer and Global Advisory Board Leader, putting the spotlight on global best practices and their Carsten relevance in Africa. Primdal Primdal has assisted numerous global organisations to implement and manage sustainability programmes that create lasting value.

Sanjeev Raghubir, Sanjeev Group Sustainability Raghubir Manager at Shoprite Holdings, the largest supermarket retailer on the African continent, is another of the event’s high-profile speakers, who will discuss the impact of environmental disasters on the retail sector and its supply chain, and how they can be mitigated.

Climate change, driven by greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, is directly impacting retail businesses

Africa Outlook issue 96 | 15

YA L E L O U G A N D A | E G E N C O

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Growing a booming national economy in Botswana

CONSOLIDATED BANK GHANA Forward-thinking finance from the heart of Ghana

Delivering iconic energy, resources and infrastructure projects for over a century

LOMÉ CONTAINER TERMINAL

VETERINARY PRACTICE PARTNERS

Ready for lift off in European aerospace R&D

Doctor-partners given more opportunity in the veterinary industry

TRADING LINE GROUP

TRINITY INDUSTRIES,INC.

The expediters of the Danube charting new waters for Romania’s future in remote piloting

At the vanguard of modern rail solutions and freight innovation, we hit the railroads with the Executive Team behind Trinity Industries, Inc.

Driving maritime investment and performance culture

Keletsositse Olebile, CEO of Botswana Investment and Trade Centre discusses surmounting global challenges

“Strong family values are the foundation of Hazell Bros’ civil construction projects,” says Managing Director, Geoffrey Hazell

Massimo Maffeis, CEO of Maffeis Engineering discusses sustainable stadia and façade engineering solutions

Trade Centre discusses surmounting global challenges Keletsositse Olebile, CEO of Botswana Investment and

construction projects,” says Managing Director, Geoffrey Hazell “Strong family values are the foundation of Hazell Bros’ civil

sustainable stadia and façade engineering solutions Massimo Maffeis, CEO of Maffeis Engineering discusses

RICH TAJER, Enterprise CCO of Commericial Vehicle Group, discusses innovation and engineering perfection discusses innovation and engineering perfection RICH TAJER, Enterprise CCO of Commericial Vehicle Group,

performance culture Driving maritime investment and

TERMINAL CONTAINER LOMÉ heart of Ghana finance from the Forward-thinking

BANK GHANA CONSOLIDATED

Botswana national economy in Growing a booming

9MOBILE

Issue 09

Raising healthy, happy, sustainably farmed salmon in Florida

AERNNOVA

PIONEERING ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION

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ATLANTIC SAPPHIRE

DP WORLD

Shipping since antiquity in Romania

9MOBILE

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GERMAN SOLAR ASSOCIATION (BSW)

behind Trinity Industries, Inc. innovation, we hit the railroads with the Executive Team At the vanguard of modern rail solutions and freight

INDUSTRIES,INC. TRINITY

future in remote piloting charting new waters for Romania’s The expediters of the Danube

LINE GROUP TRADING

Tell us your story, and we’ll tell the world. infrastructure projects for over a century Delivering iconic energy, resources and

CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING AND PIONEERING

veterinary industry opportunity in the given more Doctor-partners

aerospace R&D in European Ready for lift off

PARTNERS PRACTICE VETERINARY

AERNNOVA

salmon in Florida sustainably farmed Raising healthy, happy,

antiquity in Romania Shipping since

DP WORLD

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Africa Outlook, APAC Outlook, EME Outlook and North America Outlook are digital and print publications aimed at boardroom and hands-on decision-makers, reaching an audience of more than 800,000 people around the world; spanning the full range of industrial sectors.

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With original and exclusive content compiled by our experienced editorial team, we look to promote the latest in engaging news, industry trends and success stories from across the globe.

Your company can join the leading industry heavyweights enjoying the free exposure we provide across both digital and print platforms with a free marketing brochure, extensive social media saturation, enhanced B2B networking opportunities, and a readymade forum to attract new investment and to help you grow your business.

Visit www.outlookpublishing.com/get-involved for details on how your company can feature for free in one of our upcoming editions.

www.outlookpublishing.com/get-involved

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHTS Welcome to our series of spotlights.

These reports dive into specific segments of economies across the region, featuring exclusive insight from associations and organisations in the know.

Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC) West African Health Organization (WAHO) Botswana Chamber of Mines (BCM) Kenya Renewable Energy Association (KEREA)

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

SPOTLIGHT ON INDUSTRY IN BOTSWANA An overview of Botswana’s industries and the state of the financial sector as it pursues continued economic growth Writer: Ed Budds | Project Manager: Krisha Canlas

B

otswana as a nation remains one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world, with around 12 percent of its people living in the capital and largest city, Gaborone.

Formerly one of the world’s poorest countries, Botswana has been busy transforming itself into an

18 | Africa Outlook issue 96

upper-middle-income nation, with one of the world’s fastest-growing economies.

With an ambitious government mandate encompassing everything from investment promotion and attraction, export promotion and development, and management of the national

BOTSWANA INVESTMENT AND TRADE CENTRE (BITC)

brand, Botswana is making commendable progress towards achievement of these aspirations.

Botswana has sustained one of the world’s longest economic booms, with the nation’s economic growth since the late 1960s staying on par with some of Asia’s largest economies. The government has consistently maintained budget surpluses and has accrued extensive foreign-exchange reserves.

This impressive economic record in comparison

to some of its neighbours, has been steadily built on a foundation of diamond mining, prudent fiscal policies, and a cautious foreign policy. Botswana’s economy is heavily dependent on diamond mining, which contributes to around 50 percent of the government’s revenue. It is also rated as the least corrupt country in Africa according to the Corruption Perceptions Index by international corruption watchdog, Transparency International.

Africa Outlook issue 96 | 19

Putting the ‘Fab’ in Fabric “We started from humble beginnings, and with time, the company has built a reputation among industry buyers for technical excellence, ethical standards, quality products, and reliability.”

The words of Mukesh Josh, Founder and Managing Director of Nortex, reflect the company’s growth into the largest terry towel manufacturing company in Southern Africa.

Backed by a team of creative and dedicated staff, the company continues to grow from strength to strength, and has recently gone through a major asset expansion that has vastly increased its production capacity.

Expanding into the homeware market, Nortex is now in the position to dominate the towel manufacturing sector within Southern Africa, as well as looking to expand its horizons in Europe and North America.

Nortex was established in 1990 and produces topquality terry towels, micro cotton towels, knitted Snag Free® towels, and baby napkins. The company utilises modern, state-of-the-art machinery, which makes the manufacturing process smooth and efficient.

Nortex’s design studio is equipped with the right expertise to create innovative, unique collections and colours, ensuring customers get the freshest and most fashionable towels in the industry.

From various cotton fibres and yarns to a range of colours, Nortex has come a long way, emerging from accessories to a category that today is an important part of home furnishing. The company has expanded its range of contemporary designs, innovative constructions, and new fibres, all coming together to create the finest bath collections.

One of Nortex’s core values is ‘customer first’, and so products are continuously introduced, upgraded and enhanced to meet consumer preferences.

The Nortex Indulgence collection, amongst the most popular Nortex products, was designed in the studio with two things in mind: luxury and style. With an opulent weight of 630 gsm (grams per square metre), the Indulgence Towel has hollow fibre hygro-technology which means it only gets thicker and fluffier as its washed and tumble tried.

Made from 100 percent African cotton, it has a chic ridge design at the edges, and comes in an array of stylish bright and natural colours to suit individual tastes and preferences.

The Inspire collection, meanwhile, is the ultimate luxury micro cotton towel. Specially cultivated long fibres are woven into extraordinarily long loops that give these towels a special spa-like feel. Not only are the Inspire towels about looking and feeling good, but they also receive top marks when it comes to absorption, making them a solid long-term investment.

For a modern look and feel fitting of today’s urban mindset, look no further than Nortex’s Urban Stitch collection. From fresh pastels to earthy tones, Urban Stitch’s thick, soft pile and high thread count make this collection the go-to towel to stock in a contemporary bathroom. With an all-natural feel, high-quality materials, and Nortex’s signature soft finish, Urban Stitch is the ultimate modern towel.

Nortex’s White Diamond towels are an eco-friendly alternative, yet still retain the vital absorbance and quick-drying qualities. They have a light yet super soft feel, with a multitude of bright colours available.

Specially knitted for the hospitality industry is Nortex’s Snag Free® collection. Manufactured with a unique warp knit construction to prevent pulling or snagging, these towels are more durable than their woven counterparts, and withstand more washes than normal

towels. They are the preferred choice of the hospitality industry thanks to their durability, high absorbency, and soft touch.

Remaining product collections offered by Nortex include Raphael Stripe towels, an effortless update to the home that complements an array of interior styles from contemporary to retro. Nortex’s ultra-absorbent and attention-grabbing beach towels allow countless days of water-filled fun to be enjoyed in style and comfort, whilst the company’s zipped and plain gym towels keep valuables safe during the intense heat of a workout.

Delivering quality on time, every time, Nortex prides itself on being the industry standard when it comes to customer service and care, and has achieved 98 percent on-time deliveries. Nortex supplies all leading linen wholesalers and retailers nationwide in Africa, and whilst the company does not sell to individuals, it encourages people to contact the relevant agent in their area to guide them on where they can purchase their Nortex towels.

Looking for soft, plush, elegant, simple luxury towels?

A Nortex towel is what you need.

9807, Phase 4 Industrial, Francistown, Botswana T +267 2414773

www.nortex.co.za

Africa Outlook issue 96 | 21

Experience Fine Luxury Textiles are everywhere.

From carpets, rugs and furniture to clothing and towels, textiles are responsible for so many items that we use on a daily basis shape, most of which we enjoy without giving them a second thought.

Established in 2019 as the second division of Nortex, Joshtex is a new terry towel manufacturing facility based in Ladysmith, South Africa, developed to specialise in Jacquard designs and Yarn Dyed products.

Just as Nortex is known for its Snag Free knitted towel, manufactured by only five factories in the entire world, Joshtex should be known for its Jacquard/Textured and Yarn Dyed towels.

With an investment of over $10 million, Joshtex’s state-of-theart manufacturing facility produces luxury terry towels and kitchen towels using 100 percent African Ring Spun Cotton.

In the all-encompassing realm of textiles, Joshtex is striving to become the world’s largest terry towel and kitchen towel manufacturer.

A multi-faceted organisation, the mission of Joshtex is to provide world-class terry towels of outstanding quality, that give customers a competitive advantage through superior products. The company produces and exports exclusive towels for major retailers and brands across the world, with the Southern African region being its dominant market.

The name Mukesh Josh is known worldwide for quality, price and on-time delivery, standards he set as the foundation for Nortex Botswana in 1990.

He has taken a huge leap forward with his vision and expanded into Southern Africa, bringing with him technical skills as well as his dynamic drive and experience, proving that he is still the best in the field.

Starting up the factory and personally overlooking and retraining every process, he has placed his Gold Standard name on it by calling it “Joshtex”. He has proven to be a businessman of high integrity and respect for his customer, and has imparted this character to those around him.

As the father of the business, he has won the hearts

of the employees in a nation where hope was failing, and transformed people into motivated and successful professionals. This attitude of quality is reflected in the products that we create, with the highest standards of quality being monitored and implemented from raw material to finished goods.

ABSORBENT, SOFT AND DURABLE Terry towels, available in a wide range of colours and weights, are fabrics woven with many protruding loops of thread, which means they can absorb large amounts of water.

Easily the most common type of terry cloth on the market, terry towels are used around the world in our bathrooms as bath towels and wash cloths due to how absorbent and durable it is.

Terry cloth is unique in the way it is manufactured, woven using two warp beams – the ground warp which creates the base fabric, and the pile warp designed so the uncut loop piles stand up on the base fabric.

products, underpinned by the values of customer satisfaction and delight, superior quality and performance, concern for the environment and the community, and a safe workplace that promotes healthy work habits.

Finished with a ribbed border, Joshtex’s Luxury Collection of towels have unmatched lustre and softness, whilst the company’s Opulence Collection is an essential for every bathroom. Upgrade your everyday bath routine with Joshtex’s soft and sophisticated texture-rich towels, whose sculpted floral pattern in warm, sun-faded, luxury hue colours provide plenty of textural interest.

Complemented by the Florida, Royal Touch and Kitchen Collections, Joshtex’s terry towels allow people to experience fine luxury.

You can say a lot about towels, but the true test is in the way it feels. Go ahead, feel it!

The pile warp is what increases the surface area and maximises the absorbance of terry cloths and makes them soft to the touch. Impressively, terry cloths can absorb in excess of 20 times its weight.

Looped piles can be found at a variety of heights and densities depending on the preferred composition, whether it be a softer, luxurious touch, or a less thick, more breathable feel. Put simply, the higher the piles and the denser the loops, the more absorbent the fabric.

Made entirely from thick and absorbent African Ring Spun Cotton, Joshtex’s soft towels are a delight to wrap up in after a shower or a long soak in the bathtub. The company uses sustainable cotton, sourced from Africa, which when compared to other cottons lasts much longer and retains its softness for the lifetime of the product.

Alternatively, lounge by the poolside or beach in style with Joshtex’s selection of beach towels, which range from plain and sophisticated to vibrant and oversized.

91 Helpmekaar Road, Ladysmith, 3370, Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa

Joshtex offers state-of-the-art manufacturing in terms of its designs, weaves, and the excellent texture and feel of its

www.joshtex.co.za

T +27 (036) 631 0526

Africa Outlook issue 96 | 23

Asuquo Nkposong Quasquicentennial. Standard Chartered Bank is celebrating 125 years in Botswana in 2022. We opened for business in Botswana in 1897 making us Botswana’s first financial institution. In 1956, we opened our first branch in Lobatse (more to come on this location) and were one of the first companies to list on the Botswana Stock Exchange in 1989.

In March 2022, we converted our flagship Gaborone branch in the Main mall to a fully solar powered operation achieving approximately 11 metric tons of CO2 savings (17,881km car emission and 423 tree processing equivalent) in its first 91 days.

As we celebrate this significant milestone, we reflect on the challenges, learnings, and successes that we have achieved while navigating the ever evolving economic and business landscape.

Build partnerships to expand the reach and scale of financial services for SMEs and particularly, women owned businesses.

Underlying our longevity has been our unique position as the front runner for financial innovation – the bank of firsts in Botswana leveraging on our international network and local expertise to the appreciation of our diverse clients and stakeholders.

Let me introduce the next turn in our journey: Leading Chapter 3 – Accelerating Zero, Lifting Participation and Resetting Globalisation.

The world is being reset. We are living and working at an extraordinary moment in time and there has never been a more important time for us to accelerate change and innovation with an eye to the future. Doing more of the same, but a bit better, won’t keep us in the game.

Accelerating Zero: Putting the world on a sustainable path to net zero by 2050.

Across our global network, we have set ambitious targets to provide up to $300bn for green and transition finance by Jan 2023, achieve net zero from our operations by 2025 and source all energy from renewable sources by 2025.

In June 2021, we proudly launched a first-of-its-kind, wholly solarpowered Express Banking Centre (EBC) in Lobatse, Botswana. The hybrid distribution channel has been built from recycled materials, reducing our carbon footprint in construction and operation.

Lifting Participation:

Standard Chartered Bank is committed to support the Governments Citizen Economic Empowerment Program (CEEP) drive. This program is aimed at empowering wholly owned citizen companies of Botswana where SMME’s take the initiative to generate employment.

Our Vendor Prepay (VPP) supplier financing solution is a fully digital integrated solution to support this program. It affords both large corporates and suppliers the opportunity to monetize their trade supplies. It provides multi-market financing, better pricing to both local and foreign suppliers, reduced transactions costs, access to FX at favourable rates, improves efficiency as it embeds digitisation and automation, eliminates time spent on supplier queries on payment status and improved data reporting to build long term loyalty.

Resetting Globalisation: Provide access to the best and most innovative solutions to both the private and public sectors.

In 2019, Standard Chartered Bank Botswana launched the first of its kind fully digital bank in Botswana effectively achieving 100% banking penetration across Botswana without the need for a physical presence.

We provide an unrivalled suite of over 70 services on the platform, from end-to-end account opening to various onshore and offshore investment products. This has revolutionized the quality of banking services Batswana expect to receive.

Straight2Bank In 2021, we enhanced our award winning online banking platform for our corporate clients, Straight2Bank NextGen. The enhanced platform, developed alongside our clients, is equipped with a modernised, highly-intuitive user interface which promotes greater usability and enhanced user experience. There is an inbuilt intelligence which features greater contextual insights throughout the user transaction journey and provides moment-based priority tasks.

Some of the distinct features in Straight2Bank NextGen are: the depth of customisation which enables clients to personalise the application with biometrics, voice analytics and artificial intelligence, multi bank liquidity reporting and physical pooling of balances, multi-language optionality, integrated FX quotes and payments, investment and chatbox requests.

Straight2Bank delivers relevant contextual guidance information and ondemand data and business insights ensuring our clients always stay up to date with their financial information.

The Bank provides our clients with a unique opportunity to transact directly with suppliers and investors in China. This service is nonexclusive and available to our clients across all segments in the Bank.

The service will be through our digital platforms and effectively reduces transaction costsr by making direct payments in RMB.

The Bank is offering six categories of services: • Onshore RMB current accounts: this transactional cash account in CNY which will enable transacting locally and for remittances to counter-parties in China in CNY. • This account is also digital and set up on our electronic platforms (Straigh2Bank and SC Mobile Botswana) to enable seamless processing of transactions.

Virtual Accounts Virtual Accounts (VA) are designed for corporates with large buyer, supplier or subscriber base. This product allows our corporate clients to reconcile each counter-party’s transactions while maintaining only one physical account for the Corporate. VAs are not physical accounts; they function like “physical account numbers” for each of your clients.

The benefits of this product are: corporates can centralise funds in one physical account for better visibility and control, payer information is captured in the account statement and also available through various reports in Straight2Bank, accuracy of payer identification is assured every time a deposit is made using VA, Ease of reconciliation as client can assign a VA number to each payer or subscriber and VA’s can be linked to align to the varied ERP systems of our corporate clients.

Chinese Renminbi The Bank launched the Renminbi (RMB) onshore banking services to the Batswana market for our local and international customers.

Standard Chartered has been named overall Best RMB Bank every year since 2018. In 2020, Standard Chartered was crowned the “Best Offshore RMB Bond House”. Our commitment to Botswana is to provide investment opportunities to Batswana.

• RMB Trade: for payment of good and services, and trade financing.

• Foreign exchange solutions – spot, forward and swap Options. Our platforms are integrated to our Financial Markets dealing board that enables end-to-end transaction banking / FX trades under this currency.

• Corporate loans.

• Investment solutions – Bond Connect and CIBM Direct, China is actually the 2nd largest bond market globally.

• Treasury management.

The launch of this product has laid the foundation that will allow Botswana tap into the USD200bn Africa-China trade corridor. Botswana’s imports from China are estimated to have been rising with a growth rate averaging 29.3% over 2018-2020 versus 9% contraction for the previous three-year period. Data from Statistics Botswana shows strong growth in imports from China in 2021, up 183.4% year-on-year.

We have remained steadfast in our brand promise to be Here for good and resilient in our commitment to the economic growth and financial development of Botswana.

sc.com/bw Africa Outlook issue 96 | 25

PATHOLOGY YOU CAN TRUST!

Botswana’s healthcare in safe hands

D

iagnofirm provides the highest quality medical laboratory services in Botswana to all healthcare professionals and their patients, employing a successful combination of well- trained staff and the most advanced technologies available. With an emphasis on professionalism, accuracy, and attention to detail, we have surpassed international quality standards and have received many awards for our efforts.

Since 2007, Diagnofirm has been offering histological services that fit the unique needs of our valuable clients. Our services include consultation and diagnostics on tissue samples.

With over 40 Branches covering the entire country, we are the best choice for convenient, quality, and affordable clinical testing. With a wide range of tests, state of the art instrumentation, and technically proven methodologies, we strive to provide a fully comprehensive service in clinical testing.

In terms of our collective vision and mission, DML strives to be a regional leader in the field of Pathology, offering total solutions to healthcare organisations and medical health care companies ensuring delivery of high quality, unsurpassed clinical diagnostic service and integrity.

We have a clear and precise list of objectives which we ensure are met across all operations within the company. Firstly, we aim to provide quality pathology services to our clients at a reasonable cost.

We ensure that these services are also provided online, meeting international standards, while also allowing improved access. We aim to remain highly competitive in all the services that we provide, and to provide excellence in patient care by being at the forefront with highly skilled personnel, continued education and the latest technology in the field of medical laboratory medicine.

We are aiming to train the next generation of medical laboratory scientists and technicians by providing the highest quality of in-house training to students, including guidance on creating outstanding and appropriate ethical behavior. We are also maintaining our promise to uphold community development, with a sound corporate social investment scheme.

Our customer care assistants show compassion towards our clients and their families and display utmost respect for the health professionals that need our assistance. Their professionalism shows in every aspect of their duties, from answering the phone to attending to patients, to storage and retrieval of data. At Diagnofirm, attending to our clients quickly and thoroughly is our topmost priority, and this aligns with our core values.

As an organisation we have a carefully thought-out list of imperative core values which we adhere to in every project, process and new venture going forward. These values allow us to achieve excellent customer satisfaction, whilst also reaching congruence with national goals. We believe in aligning our goal settings along pillars and ethos of Botswana‘s vision. We have an immense dedication to these crucial strategies, and by not compromising any of our core values and always aiming to achieve the best possible customer satisfaction, we ensure that we have strong working relationships with partners, customers and employees alike.

Other key core values are as follows: • • • •

Inclusiveness: by using the input from our staff and clients in our quest to provide quality services.

Competitiveness: by recognising that in medicine the landscape is forever changing, we constantly adapt to and recognise the ever-fluctuating customer needs and requirements.

Diversity and personalised customer care: by recognising that each customer is a unique individual and customising care to satisfy their need and requirements.

Collaboration: through the programmes we carry out in social activities within the community, with training institutions and in the corporate world, as well as in our work practices.

• • •

Excellence: through the recognition of Quality in all our services and methodologies.

Innovation: by keeping abreast with the latest technologies in medical laboratory science.

Social Responsibility: by putting the needs of Botswana and its people first by providing the latest technology at affordable prices.

Diagnofirm is Botswana’s first ISO 15189:2012 accredited medical laboratory, which brings key advantages to clients dealing with the company. Choosing an accredited laboratory provides peace of mind, as well as an assurance of a job well done, in an efficient and professional manner. Other benefits to the client include the knowledge that results are always traceable to international standards, as well as receiving the insurance that tests have been carried out by competent staff on well-maintained, regularly calibrated equipment. Clients can be certain that results are as reliable as possible when dealing with Diagnofirm. Additional benefits include the fact that in the event of a dispute of any variety, the results will carry far more weight than those from a non-accredited laboratory, strengthening the clients’ position in search of resolution to their dispute.

Diagnofirm Medical Laboratories offers exhaustive pathology tests which include: · Kidney Function Tests · Heart Disease Tests · Molecular Biology Tests · Drugs of Abuse Tests · Genetic Disease Tests · Autoimmunity Tests · Gastrointestinal Infectious Tests · Liver Function Tests · Diabetes Tests · Fat Metabolism Tests · Cancer Markers · Infectious Disease Tests · Urinary Tract Infectious Tests · Therapeutic Drug Monitoring Tests · Food Handlers Tests · Biopsies · Pap Smears · Allergy Tests · Fertility Tests · DNA Tests CONTACT DETAILS: Tel: 395 0007 | Email: lab@diagnofirm.co.bw LinkedIn: Diagnofirm Medical Laboratories Facebook: Diagnofirm Medical Laboratories www.diagnofirm.co.bw

Africa Outlook issue 96 | 27

An Exclusive Interview with Crosscorn’s Chief Operating Officer, Cobus Campher

Crosscorn has attracted increasing visibility and attention in the agricultural sector in Botswana over the past five years. Can you tell us a little more about yourselves?

Crosscorn Proprietary Ltd was established in 2012 as a seed distributor in Botswana. During its first five years, the company built a reputation as a high-quality seed provider through sustained marketing, good customer relations and service.

In a country where 80% of the population is engaged in agriculture, Crosscorn’s seed sales today accounts for approximately 40% of the market. It aims to capture 75% of the seed market by 2025. Crosscorn processes, bags and brands its own products to the highest market standards. The government plays a prominent role in Botswana’s agricultural sector, and its Integrated Support Program for Arable Agricultural Development (ISPAAD) accounts for 90% of Crosscorn’s sales. Efficiency, flexibility and dependability have been hallmarks of the company’s relations with government, especially over the difficult tender seasons of 2018-2019.

Recognising the need for a trained agronomist with extensive agricultural experience, Crosscorn appointed me as Chief Operating Officer in 2017. I am fortunate to have as my Sales Director Tebogo Motingwa, a former Extension Officer with 7 years’ experience working for government. Our management team is young and passionate about agriculture, with a strong company ethos and a sustained emphasis on teamwork, technological improvements and training. In a word, we want to make a difference, and we are driven by the goal of helping Botswana to increase agricultural production significantly while assuring food sufficiency, both quantity and quality, for every table. We determined at the outset to project Crosscorn as an innovator in a market of importers and distributors. In particular, our strategy aimed to address the glaring need for locally produced seed, a key component in food security.

You mention innovation and locally produced seed, both so welcome in this post COVID period especially, when the agricultural sector needs to regroup and to make a fresh start. Can you be specific about what has been Crosscorn’s strategy, both in the past and going forward?

Starting in 2018, Crosscorn elected to craft a novel profile which would concentrate on exploiting the existing potential and resources of Botswana rather than in passively importing them. At the same time, it aligned key parts of its strategy on obvious priorities of government. This “micro-macro” approach has served us extremely well. We have deepened our market significantly, heightened our visibility and earned ourselves recognition for innovation and leadership in both public and private circles.

We have the distinction of being Botswana’s first agribusiness company to produce its own seed for local consumption. Starting in 2018 and increasing steadily each year, maize seed production will reach 700MT by June 2022. Not only is the seed homegrown, but it is specially adapted to Botswana’s climate and soil conditions – and it comes in 7 different varieties, 90% of which are produced locally, including water efficient and protein enriched maize.

From local soils to local farmers, Crosscorn now provides unmatched varieties and qualities of homegrown maize, sorghum, and cowpeas, all uniquely adapted to Botswana and reaching an estimated 30,000 farmers per season. A dozen products are distributed in our distinctive packaging across the country and more are in the offing: bitter sorghum, IT-18 Cowpeas, mung beans and fodder. We have unmatched market positioning in this regard, in both

quantity and quality of product. Our distinctive “micro” strategy concentrating on a unique product offering has an important “macro” corollary: burgeoning national self-sufficiency in food. Food security and import substitution are national priorities of the highest order in countering juvenile malnutrition and promoting food assistance. The Botswana Vulnerability Assessment Committee (BVAC) estimates that 38,000 people needed food assistance in 2019-2020, an 8.5% increase over the previous year. As a result, Crosscorn has developed a relationship of mutual trust and support from and with government, including ongoing engagement with the Ministry of Agriculture through the Director of Crop Production. Our home-grown maize strategy can be showcased nationally and wwith regional organizations such as Water Efficiency Maize for Africa (WEMA) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Crosscorn intends to capitalise on this relationship to partner with government in counselling reforms in the industry, with structural changes and stable price increases being paramount.

Does Crosscorn’s strategic outlook focus only on seed? Do you feel there are opportunities in other agricultural sectors with a view to both diversification and incremental revenues?

Crosscorn has now reached a stage in its development where it can continue to build on its core business while simultaneously considering select diversification into other sectors with high revenue potential to enhance shareholder value. Two in particular would fuel its evolution into a genuinely diversified agricultural concern. The most attractive one is the meat industry, the largest GDP component of Botswana’s agriculture and its second largest export earner.

Thanks to government’s liberalisation of meat exports last year, Crosscorn will launch a historic private endeavour with an established abattoir in Botswana to supply meat to South Africa. Starting next month, we aim to supply approximately 100MT of meat per month and gradually increase that offering over time.

Crosscorn feels strongly that its competitive sales model and product range can be transposed to neighbouring countries with comparable climatic and soil conditions. Namibia and South Africa in particular offer cross border opportunities starting this year.

The Namibian market offers a limited opportunity for Crosscorn but one which is undeveloped and relatively non-competitive. A steady and growing stream of revenues can be envisaged through the application of more varied product better suited to local conditions as well as additions to existing ones.

Among the former, “dry land” and WEMA varieties of

water efficient maize, as well as cowpeas; among the latter, deficit White Maize (one third of national cereal consumption) and wheat. In the case of South Africa, Crosscorn can profit from Botswana’s immediate contiguity to North West Province. Both share similar climatic and soil characteristics. Crosscorn’s modern, integrated and delivery capacities based on products uniquely adapted to local conditions would have a certain appeal to emerging entrepreneurs and would attract regional government attention and support.

With a view to assessing Crosscorn’s future, would you discuss the New Crop Production Programme announced recently by the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food Security and what you perceive would be its major opportunities for the company?

Its aim will be to increase and rationalize agricultural production, the seed industry in particular, by promoting needed changes in ISPAAD. ISPAAD is 100% reliant on government and supports 100,000 communal farmers who cannot do without it. We know it very well and our relations are close. But there is no question that its efficiency and operating capacity suffer from a lack of basic agronomical expertise and autonomy. A very important aspect of this for our business is price control. At current prices, the seed industry in Botswana is not profitable. The possibility of less price regulation from government would be a most welcome opportunity. Crosscorn would have greater latitude to set the price of its home-grown maize, thereby reaping for itself and its customers the advantages of local production.

At the national level, adequate food supply and greater self-reliance would be natural corollaries. In this context, let me stress how strongly we feel that the private sector be involved in needed government changes in the industry. We can and should apply all our experience with ISPAAD to counsel changes. And we can back it up with our considerable agronomical and financial expertise. With Crosscorn’s history of leading reform in the industry, I am confident that our management team will be a strong partner for the New Crop Production Programme.

We have a vision of a renewed Botswanan agriculture based on the most up to date agribusiness knowhow, techniques, and practices; a lighter, freer, and more efficient ISPAAD; enhanced food production for the Botswanan people, at more affordable prices; a rejuvenated meat export industry led by the private sector; an ever more prominent private sector leading the way for agriculture to finally assume its rightful role and attention.

e-mail: cobus@crosscorn.co.bw Facebook: CrossCorn (PTY)Ltd Tel: +267 396 0758/9

www.crosscorn.co.bw Africa Outlook issue 96 | 29

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

Interview: Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC) Keletsositse Olebile, CEO of BITC talks us through ongoing challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and the difficulty of global recession

Keletsositse Olebile

INTERVIEW

CEO of BITC

B

otswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC) is at the forefront of driving the transformation of Botswana into a globally recognised trade and investment destination.

Through its critical role within Botswana’s economy, BITC encourages domestic investment and expansion, promotes locally manufactured

30 | Africa Outlook issue 96

goods to regional and international markets, contributes towards improvement of the investment climate through policy advocacy, increases citizen participation in the economy and creates sustainable job opportunities.

Dedication to proactive and continuous collaboration with key stakeholders is at the forefront of BITC’s strategy. This includes partnership with Botswana Foreign Missions abroad, which has greatly expanded Botswana’s footprint in international markets and provides a platform through which businesses, beneficial partnerships and industry associations can be identified by providing a point of information exchange for both international and domestic investors.

We discuss the origins of the company since its creation in 2011, and how it has developed and progressed. Keletsositse Olebile, CEO of BITC talks

us through ongoing challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and the impact of global recession on the organisation’s mandate He also details the company’s plans for development in the next five years. Olebile strongly believes Botswana has got great potential for establishing itself as the economic hub of Africa, which requires the nation to be innovative, agile and visionary.

Africa Outlook (AO): Can you talk us through the origins of the BITC, how it came about, and its initial vision?

Keletsositse Olebile, CEO (KO): BITC was established by an act of parliament in 2011/12 from a merger of two entities: Botswana Export Development and Investment Authority (BEDIA), and International Financial Services Centre (IFSC).

This organiation was created with the mandate to promote local and foreign investment, encouraging and facilitating export development and promoting the national brand.

Dubai Expo 2020

services. BITC has managed to leverage the opportunity presented by the ongoing Dubai Expo 2020, to take the lead in ensuring positioning of the country on a global scale and promoting Botswana’s compelling value proposition.

Trade Promotion and Development

INTERVIEW

AO: Since inception, how has BITC developed and progressed in terms of its key objectives and the messages it tries to get across?

KO: BITC commenced operations in April 2012 and over the years, BITC has focused on growing both domestic and foreign direct investment through a targeted approach, by developing sector value propositions to sell investment opportunities within Botswana’s prioritised sectors. BITC has also developed a market strategy which informs our approach to investment promotion missions, for example choosing which markets, sectors and companies to target. BITC has also established presence in some of the world’s key markets; with offices in South Africa targeting the broader African region, India targeting Asia-Pacific region and UK targeting Europe. This is aimed at increasing our global footprint for creating awareness about Botswana, opportunities, and offerings.

Due to the advent of COVID-19, BITC prioritised domestic investment by developing a strategy to stimulate economic activity of local investors (start-ups and expansions). The key focus for the organisation entailed provision of market intelligence insights to empower Batswana and domestic investors with facts to make investment decisions. Partnerships with local authorities were established and enhanced to improve expansions of local companies through investment facilitation

32 | Africa Outlook issue 96

We aim to align with the government’s objective of transforming Botswana into an export led economy.

BITC’s key initiatives entail development of an exporter’s development programme targeted at capacity building of local companies for export readiness. BITC also facilitates export market access through targeted export promotion missions and the management of the Botswana Trade Portal. BITC invests in global research and market intelligence to inform government priorities and guide our strategy direction and identification of investment and export opportunities.

Nation Branding awareness and management To build a strong nation brand, BITC has intensified its efforts towards global awareness by adopting a wholistic view of Botswana through a threepart focus; live, work and invest in Botswana.

Key initiatives include active global citizen participation where Batswana in the diaspora is engaged to promote awareness about Botswana from wherever they are. Nation Branding is also central to all investment promotion missions. The ongoing PUSHA BW campaign is another effort geared towards building a strong national image and promoting awareness and confidence in local products and services.

PHOTO: BOTSWANAINVESTMENTCONFERENCE.COM/#EXPO

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

BOTSWANA INVESTMENT AND TRADE CENTRE (BITC)

OVERVIEW

OVERVIEW

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Africa Outlook issue 96 | 33

INTERVIEW

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

Business facilitation In order to build a conducive investment environment, BITC has established the Botswana One Stop Services Centre to facilitate both new and existing investors to enable them to secure different government clearances and approvals with ease. The BITC Aftercare and Advocacy programme is aimed at increasing private sector input into government decision making on doing business in Botswana.

BITC’s key message is to establish Botswana as the most attractive destination for foreign direct investment, trade and tourism. Further, to elevate Botswana from a middle income to an upper middleincome country by the year 2036 in line with the National Vision 2036.

AO: What do you find most exciting about working in Botswana’s industrial sector?

KO: Firstly, BITC is key to driving Botswana’s economic development agenda, and an even more exciting prospect is BITC’s tripartite mandate of investment promotion, trade development, promotion and nation branding. Botswana has got great potential in establishing itself as the economic hub of Africa.

34 | Africa Outlook issue 96

AO: On the flip side, what are its biggest challenges?

KO: In terms of challenges, BITC depends wholly on government subvention for implementation of its strategy, which continues to be reduced against increasing stakeholder expectations on the organisation to deliver on its mandate. The other challenges involve the ever- increasing investor needs, as well as global competition for FDI and export markets.

Additionally, we are challenged by an uncertain operating environment (pandemic outbreaks, global economic recessions, climate change, etc).

AO: How have the local industries navigated the COVID-19 pandemic?

AO: What trends are currently transforming the sector? How are you responding to them?

KO: Government COVID-19 relief measures have included embracing e-commerce for selling and marketing their products and services.

Implementation of the economic transformation and recovery plan are under way, and the private sector has also shifted their range of products in response to the pandemic.

KO: Some recent trends that continue to transform the sector include the introduction of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area, as well as general global economic recovery. Another influence on this transformation is the Government’s Reset Agenda.

Our response includes development of a strategy to leverage on the ongoing Expo Dubai 2020 (ROI will be tracked over a five-year period). We also plan to implement a midterm review of our strategy, in order to inform our strategic thrust, continued implementation of the Domestic Investment strategy and we are also currently developing the Botswana Nation Brand Strategy. This is along with continuous alignment with national priorities such as: ERTP, National Transformation Plan and National Reset Agenda.

AO: How do you see BITC developing over the next five years?

KO: Firstly, by becoming the APEX investment and trade promotion agency in Africa. Also: - Leading Botswana’s transformational journey into an export led and knowledge-based economy.

- Forming collaborations and partnerships with strategic partners from the ongoing Dubai Expo 2020.

- Decreasing reliance on government subversion.

- Innovating in attracting investment and facilitating exports.

- Maintaining our status as a high-performance institution.

INTERVIEW

BOTSWANA INVESTMENT AND TRADE CENTRE (BITC)

Tel: +267 3633300 Email: enquiries@bitc.co.bw www.gobotswana.com Africa Outlook issue 96 | 35

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

SPOTLIGHT ON HEALTHCARE IN WEST AFRICA Exploring a borderless future for the health sector in West Africa in the wake of COVID-19 Writer: Phoebe Harper | Project Manager: Krisha Canlas

T

he healthcare sector across Africa is fraught with challenges. Faced with limited infrastructure, critical care capacity, and extreme labour shortages worsened by talent migration, the conditions facing the continent’s most fragile health systems have been exacerbated by the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic. Indeed, the level of skilled

36 | Africa Outlook issue 96

health workers across the continent as a whole has now fallen 60 percent below the United Nation’s minimum threshold. According to a McKinsey report, sub-Saharan Africa has only one to five percent of the ICU beds per capita, compared to European and East Asian countries, while the population bears nearly twice the disease burden per capita, measured by disability-adjusted life

years (DALYs), compared to the rest of the world.

In the realm of West Africa, the formation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), seeks to consolidate the region to further strengthen its key sectors. Unsurprisingly, healthcare is a key staple of this. Founded in 1975, the fifteen regional members of ECOWAS comprise Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d’ Ivoire, The

Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal, and Togo.

Fostering the idea of self-sufficiency amongst its Member States, ECOWAS’ efforts in healthcare are embodied by the West Africa Healthcare Association (WAHO), which as a specialised agency enjoys administrative and financial autonomy.

INTRODUCTION

WEST AFRICAN HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WAHO)

Africa Outlook issue 96 | 37

Africa Outlook talks with UG MC

UNIVERSITY OF GHANA MEDICAL CENTRE LTD

Dr Darius Osei CEO of the University of Ghana Medical Centre LTD

World Class Patient Care, Training and Research

The 1,000-bed University of Ghana Medical Centre LTD (UGMC) is an ultramodern medical centre offering worldclass health services in Ghana, West Africa and beyond.

It is located at the University of Ghana, the country’s premier university located in Legon, Accra. The UGMC seeks to embody the spirit of hospitality which Ghana is globally acclaimed for and is focused on delivering an unparalleled patient experience through the deployment of a client-centric approach throughout every facet of its operations.

The UGMC currently has 809 staff including 147 doctors, 480 nurses and many other supporting staff, and it focuses around three core areas: Clinical Care Section Services rendered at the UGMC’s clinical services section include Cardiac Catheterisation Lab services, Neurosurgery, Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, Cardiology, Sex Dysfunction Clinic, Sleep Medicine, Artificial Reproductive Technologies (IVF), Bioethics and Palliative Care, Plastic / Cosmetic Surgery, Fluoroscopy, CT scans, MRI, Mammogram and a host of other medical imaging services.

Medical Training and Simulation Centre (MTSC) The Medical Training and Simulation Centre (MTSC) of the UGMC is a nationally recognised multi-disciplinary academic centre committed to achieving excellence in medical education through the use of high-quality and cutting-edge computer-based simulations.

The MTSC is open to the training of three categories of people namely, pre-service health professionals who are students who desire to learn various skills in a realistic but risk-free environment before encountering real patients; practising health professionals to enable them to upgrade their skills in the diagnosis and management of various disease conditions and the public.

Medical and Scientific Research Centre (MSRC).

The UGMC Medical and Scientific Research Centre (MSRC) aims to facilitate cutting edge translational research that will discover new treatments, methods and procedures to improve the health status of Ghanaians, Africans and the world. The Centre serves as a central hub for local and internationally funded research projects.

Africa Outlook (AO): What is your take on the healthcare sector across Ghana at the moment? Do you find it a particularly exciting or challenging environment to be working in?

Dr Darius Osei, CEO (DO): I would like to say that Ghana, with a current population of about 30 million people, has in recent times established a relatively successful national medical insurance system, and the quality of medical practice in the country - where it is available - is relatively high compared to other countries in the sub-region.

The country also has well-established and sophisticated administrative structures for the supervision of medical education and accreditation. However, some challenges faced include insufficient financial health investments when it comes to practical training opportunities to empower our health workers to deliver a number of pertinent and complex services. The establishment of the UGMC, which has the vision of providing quaternary services, is a welcome development.

Other challenges in Ghana’s healthcare sector include a relatively low percentage of highly specialised and skilled cadre of

www.ugmedicalcentre.org health workers in the country, a disparity in healthcare services rendered to the rich and poor, and the pervasiveness of cultural and religious beliefs which often results in undue delay for patients who are in need of urgent care.

AO: Are there any major ongoing or recent projects that you would like to pay special mention to?

DO: The full operationalisation of the UGMC in March 2022 is worthy of mention here. Our Cardiothoracic Centre, the second largest in Ghana, just finished conducting a number of open-heart surgeries successfully. Moreover, our 16-bed general ICU is the largest in the country. This is in addition to a six-bed paediatric ICU, a 10-bed neonatal ICU, a four-bed cardiothoracic ICU and a seven-

bed neurosurgery ICU, as well as 12 theatres and state-of-the-art IVF Centre.

AO: How has UGMC navigated the COVID-19 pandemic?

DO: 2020 was a really challenging year for all of us as was the case globally. However, for us at the UGMC, it was particularly challenging because, although the project was yet to be completed, the UGMC was designated as one of the National COVID-19 Treatment Centres by the Ministry of Health in April 2020. Nevertheless, during that year, the UGMC successfully managed more than 700 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 including patients who required intensive care services. We also managed over 4,000 subscribers of the COVIDConnect online service which was a

collaborative project between UGMC and PharmAccess, an international non-profit organisation (NGO) with a digital agenda dedicated to connecting more people in sub-Saharan Africa to better healthcare.

AO: Looking ahead, what are your key priorities for the coming year? Are you aiming to hit any specific targets, reach any goals, expand or diversify at all?

DO: We intend to make the UGMC one of the best destinations for medical tourism in the sub-region by distinguishing ourselves in the provision of worldclass healthcare, training and research in Africa. We are actively pursuing this agenda and currently recruiting specialists from all over Africa and the rest of the world to realise this vision.

UG MC

UNIVERSITY OF GHANA MEDICAL CENTRE LTD World Class Patient Care, Training and Research

ADDRESS: P.O.BOX LG 25, Legon, Accra, West Africa GHANA POST GPS: GA-337-6980 CONTACT: 233- (302)-550843, 233-(302)-550844, 233-(302)-550845 WEBSITE: www.ugmedicalcentre.org FOLLOW US

University of Ghana Medical Centre ugmedicalcentre

UGMC

• CLINICAL SERVICES • MEDICAL TRAINING AND SIMULATION CENTRE • MEDICAL AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH CENTRE Africa Outlook issue 96 | 39

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

Interview: West African Health Organization (WAHO)

INTERVIEW

Director General at WAHO, Stanley Okolo, shines a light on regional health integration and the current state of healthcare in West Africa

Stanley Okolo Director General, WAHO

S

ince 1987, WAHO has operated as the proactive, consolidated body dedicated to improving the state of healthcare across West Africa through regional integration. Acting as the bridge between both Member States and the regional community, WAHO continues to advance a high-impact and cost-effective healthcare agenda for the region. We find out more with Director General, Stanley Okolo.

Africa Outlook (AO): Can you talk us through the origins of WAHO, how it came about, and its initial vision?

Stanley Okolo, Director General (SO): WAHO was created by a protocol A/P2/7/87 adopted by the Heads of State of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on 9 July 1987. This protocol originated from a November 1984 decision of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers that approved the merging of the West African Health Community (WAHC) based in Lagos and covering the five English speaking countries and the “Organisation

40 | Africa Outlook issue 96

de la Cooperation et de la Coordination pour la lute contre les Grandes Endémies” (OCCGE) based in Bobo-Dioulasso and involving French-speaking countries. WAHO was established with the mission of “the attainment of the highest possible standard and protection of health of the peoples in the subregion through the harmonisation of the policies of the Member States, pooling of resources, and co-operation with one another and with others for a collective and strategic combat against the health problems of the sub region.” Its initial vision is “to be a pro-active tool to facilitate regional health integration.”

AO: Since inception, how has WAHO developed and progressed in terms of its key objectives and the messages it tries to get across?

SO: From the creation protocol, the main objectives of WAHO are as follows: • Promote research into the major endemic diseases in the region and undertake activities aimed at controlling these diseases and their eradication.

• Promote the training of medical specialists and of paramedical personnel, and where necessary, support the training of future medical graduates.

• Collect and disseminate technical information, epidemiological and others related to health research and training in Member States.

• Assist in the establishment of technical information centres in Member States.

• Promote and harmonise the establishment of laboratories for the production of vaccines, medicines manufacturing and quality control in the region.

• Encourage cooperation in the control and eradication of drug dependency and abuse in the region.

• Promote exchange of personnel and health technologies among Member States.

• Provide advice on all health-related aspects of development projects to Member States.

• Support the strengthening of health services and infrastructures of Member States.

• Provide assistance to Member States to resolve health problems in the event of emergencies following natural disasters.

• Collaborate with sub-regional, regional and international organisations to address health problems in the region.

• Promote cooperation between scientists and professional groups contributing to health development.

• Propose conventions, agreements, regulations, and recommendations on regional health issues and undertake tasks entrusted to the organisation in this regard.

Therefore, since its inception WAHO has developed several strategic plans in collaboration with stakeholders in order to implement its stated objectives.

At this juncture, WAHO has had strategic plans for the following periods: 2003-2007 for the first strategic plan, 2009-2013 for the second, and 2016-2020 which the third strategic plan covered. Currently, WAHO’s Vision 2030 Strategic Plan, its fourth, was recently adopted by the ECOWAS Ministers of Health, and the plan for its implementation through the years is in progress.

INTERVIEW

WEST AFRICAN HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WAHO)

Africa Outlook issue 96 | 41

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

Stanley Okolo (left) with the current ECOWAS Chair of Authority, H.E. Nana Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana

Stanley Okolo (left) with the President of Niger following 2020-2021 elections, H.E. Mohamed BAZOUM

Stanley Okolo (left) with the President of the Gambia, His Excellency, Adama BARROW

INTERVIEW

Stanley Okolo (left) with HE President George Weah at the Commission of the Bo-Waterside Facility

AO: What do you find most exciting about working in West Africa’s healthcare sector?

SO: The most exciting considerations about working in West Africa’s healthcare sector is WAHO’s political mandate that allows it to work with the Heads of State and Governments, the ECOWAS Health Ministers, partners, and the regional community in a variety of health areas. For instance, the project Sahel Women’s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend (SWEDD) project, is a World Bank funded project, that targets amongst many of its objectives, reduction of total fertility rates (TFR), in the West African region, and reduction of maternal and child mortality rates. What is exciting is that, although

42 | Africa Outlook issue 96

fragmented in theoretical concepts in terms of funding, implementation, and end beneficiaries, the objective is achieved through the synergistic efforts of all involved. Many of WAHO’s projects are indicative of this kind of synergy. As a result, (i) partners and countries have confidence in WAHO; (ii) partners and countries continue to contribute to WAHO’s activities; (iii) there are measurable changes in the different health systems and an improvement to regional collaboration; and (iv) Member States are more inclined to adhere to the resolutions and guidelines proposed by WAHO at the ECOWAS Assembly of Health Ministers.

AO: On the flip side, what are its biggest challenges?

SO: WAHO’s biggest challenge includes the chronic issue with human resource capacity both internally and at national level, that prevents WAHO from attaining its maximum potential. Other notable challenges include balancing the interests of external funders and the objectives of regional health interventions most beneficial to the ECOWAS population, increasing WAHO’s visibility throughout the region and the global stage particularly when

WEST AFRICAN HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WAHO)

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AO: How has WAHO navigated the COVID-19 pandemic?

Stanley Okolo (right) at the National School of Health Science in Mauritania with Resident Doctors

communicating WAHO’s interventions to ECOWAS Member States. Although progress has indeed been made in the region when considering some of the health indices that were previously reported in areas such as maternal and child mortality, and prevalence of non-communicable diseases, the current regional health indicators remain a challenge due to a myriad of factors.

SO: On February 14, 2020, before the first COVID19 case was even reported in the region, WAHO convened an emergency meeting of the ECOWAS Ministers of Health to agree on a regional approach on coordination, collaboration, and communication to mitigate the impact of the pandemic in our region.

WAHO and the Health Ministers agreed on the use of rapid response teams deployed from WAHO, create a regional commodity stock as there were serious shortages at the time, raise funds for the region and maintain regular communications.

The fundraising efforts were successful by all accounts, as WAHO was able to raise significantly more than the target of USD 51 million for procurement of medical goods such as PPEs, mechanical ventilators, diagnostic test kits, etc. In addition, the funds went towards distribution of the goods to all Member States, and training for frontline healthcare providers and laboratory technicians.

The procurement and delivery of the critical medical products was facilitated through the support of the federal government of Nigeria through its provision of a storage warehouse for storing the procured

INTERVIEW

...Your Medical Care Is Our Concern

Africa Outlook issue 96 | 43

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

INTERVIEW

WAHO staff at Atlantic LifeSciences in Ghana to boost the initiative of local drug and vaccine manufacturing in West Africa

goods and equipment and a military aircraft used to distribute the goods to 13 of our 15 member states.

The two exceptions were of course Nigeria and Ghana. In this case, Ghana sent its military plane to Nigeria to accept the goods.

In response to the border closures, WAHO worked with the ECOWAS Ministers of Health and Transportation to develop a harmonised protocol to provide guidelines such as non-pharmaceutical measures for land and air travels, testing and entry protocols, costs of PCRs and digitisation of test results for regional travel to minimise fraudulent results through recognised laboratories.

The process of digitising the tests was developed in collaboration with PanaBios, and the plan is to maximise its use throughout the 15 member states.

Another notable contribution from WAHO to the regional response efforts to COVID-19 was the support given to Institut Pasteur in Dakar, (IPD), in the form of seed funding to produce rapid diagnostic test kits.

Note that there was support and collaboration from partners such as the Africa CDC ensuring that our response efforts were optimal for the West African ECOWAS population.

44 | Africa Outlook issue 96

“THE OBJECTIVE IS FOR WA H O T O B E K N O W N THROUGHOUT THE REGION A S T H E P U B L I C H E A LT H POWERHOUSE THE FOUNDERS I N T E N D E D I T TO B E ” – S TA N L E Y O K O L O , D I R E C T O R G E N E R A L , WA H O

AO: What trends are currently transforming the sector? How are you responding to them?

SO: The health sector is truly unique, and its evolution is a constant. The current pandemic brought into even greater focus what is required to transform the health sector, particularly in our region. The shortage of critical materials, medical equipment, and later COVID-19 vaccinations at the height of the pandemic accelerated the need for local production of pharmaceutical and nonpharmaceutical goods. WAHO has been a dedicated force in pushing this agenda. Not only has WAHO

WEST AFRICAN HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WAHO)

COVID 19 Medical Equipment donation by EU partners

guided our external funding partners in recognising the readiness of Member States to boost local production, WAHO has also been working with several of our laboratories in the region that are progressively advancing this initiative. For instance, the Institut Pasteur Dakar (IPD), plans to commence production of COVID-19 vaccines in the coming months. The pandemic also exacerbated chronic issues such as reduced access to healthcare. Thus, another trend is the advocacy for Universal Health Coverage within the region. WAHO’s response to this trend has been just as dedicated. Not only did WAHO convene the very first UHC Summit with the ECOWAS Ministers of Health and other key members of the government sector, which led to the Accra Declaration where countries pledged to work collaboratively to develop meaningful strategies and legislative interventions to promote UHC. AO: Has WAHO got any projects in the pipeline you wish to highlight?

SO: Acceleration of local production of vaccines and medications to reduce the dependency on foreign imports. The successful launching of the West African Medicines Regulation and Harmonisation

Donation of face masks by Trangreen Nigerian Limied To ECOWAS/WAHO

programme ensures that the incentive to locally produce is at the fore moving forward. In addition, this initiative leads to a heightened level of pharmaco-vigilance in the regions that ensures only high-quality and safe drugs are circulated within the pharmaceutical markets in the ECOWAS region.

AO: How do you see the organisation developing over the next five years?

SO: WAHO’s plan over the next five years is to continue to build its institutional capacity by ensuring heightened visibility, high-quality outcomes of projects and programmes, and the full operationalisation of the Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control, currently functioning at half-capacity. The objective is for WAHO to be known throughout the region as the public health powerhouse the founders intended it to be.

INTERVIEW

Stanley Okolo (right) with the Regional Director of UNFPA at the National Laboratory in Chad

West African Health Organization (WAHO) wahooas@wahooas.org www.wahooas.org Africa Outlook issue 96 | 45

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

46 | Africa Outlook issue 96

BOTSWANA CHAMBER OF MINES (BCM)

SPOTLIGHT ON MINING IN BOTSWANA An insight into the dominance of mining in Botswana, where the industry is forecasted to sustain the economy far into the future Writer: Ed Budds | Project Manager: Matt Cole-Wilkin

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vast expansion of the exploration for minerals is taking place in Botswana, and whilst this is a welcome development for the nation, it is essential that the progress is achieved smoothly with due regard for the appropriate legislation.

The direction that the mining industry pursues therefore is not only significant for the organisations involved, but is crucial for the country’s buoyancy in the world’s economy.

Debswana Diamond Company operates mines in Orapa, Letlhakane and Jwaneng is the largest diamond company in the world in terms of value

PHOTOGRAPH ©MARGINPAR

of carats produced annually. The mining sector in general terms provides about 40 percent of all government revenue. Small amounts of coal are also produced, largely for domestic consumption, with the majority used for power generation. Botswana also continues to be ranked highly within Africa for policy, investment attractiveness and its tax regime.

In 2019, Lucara Diamond Company unearthed in Botswana the second largest diamond ever found in the world, but whether it’s diamonds, gold, uranium, copper, or even oil, the industry is thriving and continues to produce positive results throughout the Southern African nation.

Africa Outlook issue 96 | 47

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

Interview: Botswana Chamber of Mines (BCM) Botswana Chamber of Mines specialises in collective problem solving and is driving to improve the industry. Charles Siwawa, CEO, tells us more Africa Outlook (AO): Could you talk us through the origins of BCM, how it came about, and its initial vision?

Charles Siwawa

INTERVIEW

CEO, Botswana Chamber of Mines (BCM)

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xisting to serve the many interests of the mining industry, both in Botswana and across the continent of Africa, BCM holds great influence over decision making on key policies and strategic decision making within the government, non-governmental organisations and other related bodies.

BCM’s vision places itself as an effective and unified voice for the mining industry that also educates and shares vital knowledge between its stakeholders.

The Chamber has managed to successfully fulfil this mandate in its short history, and the future looks bright as the mining industry continues to expand through exploration and the establishment of mining operations across Botswana. All mining companies in the country are affiliated to BCM, and the organisation is run by an executive committee.

BCM endeavours to ensure that legislation in the country is conducive for mining companies, and at the same time tries to develop good working relationships with legislators.

48 | Africa Outlook issue 96

Charles Siwawa, CEO (CS): The chamber was formed in the 1980s by a few companies that were operating in Botswana at the time, with the sole purpose of trying to focus on challenges that were common to all mines and attempting to resolve them.

The Chamber then operated from various mines, but as the number of mines increased, so too did the complexity of those issues. The mines then decided in 2010 to set up a secretariat in Gaborone, and we’ve been going from strength to strength ever since.

HIGH PURITY MANGANESE OPPORTUNITY SERVING THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE MARKET

The Company is developing a portfolio of high quality manganese oxide deposits to produce around 120,000 tonnes per annum of high purity manganese sulphate from ore from its K.Hill project. Giyani’s Botswana assets are held

100% through its local subsidiary Menzi Battery Metals (Pty) Limited and recognises it has a fundamental responsibility to protect and improve the lives of employee and community stakeholders.

During 2022, Giyani will complete its feasibility study over its flagship K.Hill project, close to the town of Kanye, and commence construction of a demonstration plant for pre-qualification with select battery manufacturers.

HIGHLIGHTS: • Phase I plan to produce 120,000 tonnes per annum high purity manganese sulphate for the EV market • All mining and processing to take place in Botswana • Option study in progress to integrate solar power and lower carbon footprint • Goal to become only the second company globally outside of China to produce battery grade manganese from captive ore

Giyani Metals Corp | 2010 Winston Park Drive | 2nd Floor | Oakville | ON L6H 5R7 | Canada Phone: +1289-291-7632 | Email: info@giyanimetals.com

INTRODUCTION

Giyani Metals (TSXV: EMM) is a Canadian listed company focused on the responsible development of a sustainable and low carbon supply of battery grade precursor materials for the electric vehicle industry from its operational hub in Botswana.

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

INTERVIEW

Open-pit gold mining, Northern Botswana

AO: Since inception, how has BCM developed and progressed in terms of its key objectives and the messages it tries to get across?

CS: We believe that we have done very well in terms of our objectives, because really the focus is on advocacy to ensure that the mining industry is taken care of in relation to the people that we deal with, which is primarily the government and many other organisations around us.

We pride ourselves on having grown through that space. We’re also affiliated with the greater business community in the country, which is Business Botswana. Through this, we have established links with all the industries and government ministries throughout Botswana.

We are also now linked to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Chamber of Mines. All southern countries that have a chamber of mines have formed a body, which we are also a member of called Mining Industry Association of Southern Africa. And of course, there’s the Association of Chamber of Mines and other Mining Associations (ACMMA), which looks at engaging the African Union. We are also affiliated with the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM),

50 | Africa Outlook issue 96

“ T H E C H A M B E R I S G O I N G TO SPREAD ITS WINGS AND GROW WHILST IMPLEMENTING ITS M A N D AT E T O T H E F U L L E S T EXTENT POSSIBLE, MEANING W E S H O U L D B E A B L E TO S E E SIGNIFICANT GROWTH” – C H A R L E S S I WAWA , C E O , B O T S WA N A CHAMBER OF MINES

which is the body that unites the whole mining world and looks after mining issues. With this, we’re well-connected in taking both our industry and our country forward.

AO: What do you find most exciting about Botswana’s mining industry?

CS: The whole issue of transparency is what drives the industry. The linkages on issues affecting the industry, whether its within ourselves as the industry or through engagement with the government,

have a process that is inevitably smooth. There will of course be challenges from time to time, but the process is relatively smooth in comparison, because there is significant engagement with our counterparts, but Botswana’s mining industry is good. That is why, in some other jurisdictions and publications, Botswana features as the number one destination within the mining arena.

Soda-Ash mining

AO: On the flip side, what are its biggest challenges?

AO: Have you got any projects in the pipeline you wish to highlight?

CS: There’s one or two major challenges, starting with the markets which are extremely volatile at the moment. A mining operation would start based on the commodity prices that prevail at the time, provide for contingencies and escalation in costs etc, then suddenly, after three or four years, the mines shut down due to excessive fluctuations in prices, rendering the mine as loss making. The fault would not necessarily lie with the mining companies themselves., it’s just the way the world economy moves. Eventually the operation would have to go back to the drawing board. The low number of skilled employees is also a further challenge that we have been facing over the past few years.

CS: The country has had mines that have met challenges with commodity prices. When that happens, and the operation’s revenue is below the cost line, then it creates negative profit lines.

Therefore, it means having to liquidate it or close it, and we’ve had a couple of those closures in the previous five years because of commodity prices.

But now, all those mines are bidding to open once more because the prices have increased again to the point where they can make a profit.

The other thing is you have what is called the African Mining Vision, and this is really encapsulated in the African Union agenda. With this, the issue is to beneficiate Africa’s minerals in the areas or in the countries where they are mined – this is what the vision refers to. If copper mining takes place for instance, there should be activities that beneficiate this product to its logical conclusion, so that this export of copper is in finished form rather than the raw or semi-raw format. Studies have been undertaken and continue to be carried out on various minerals, hopefully leading to positive benefits. This is a very exciting opportunity for the country.

AO: How do you see BCM developing over the next five years?

The second major challenge is that of our health, safety and environmental challenges. The industry believes in its performance and monitors this quite closely. We think the industry is on top of issues in this respect, but you will always get challenges popping up from time to time. In this area the mining industry takes care of employees in terms of their health and safety, and of course, the environment itself within which they operate. When we put our heads together as an industry, we can collectively resolve these challenges.

INTERVIEW

BOTSWANA CHAMBER OF MINES (BCM)

CS: Membership drives the Chamber, so we are encouraging all those new mines and projects to become members. By doing so, it places the Chamber on a positive growth path which then of course drives its strength. Currently we are sitting at circa 30 members, but we believe there is scope to increase that membership. The Chamber is going to spread its wings and grow whilst implementing its mandate to the fullest extent possible, meaning we should be able to see significant growth.

Tel: +267 3914686 info@bcm.org.bw www.bcm.org.bw Africa Outlook issue 96 | 51

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

SPOTLIGHT ON RENEWABLE ENERGY IN KENYA Access to clean and affordable energy is expanding in Kenya. We explore the significant role of renewables in the country’s diverse power generation mix Writer: Jack Salter | Project Manager: Jordan Levey

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enewable energy, coupled with technological innovation, is changing the way that energy is produced, distributed and consumed.

In Kenya, renewable energy currently accounts for 73 percent of installed power generation capacity, whilst 90 percent of electricity used in the East African country is generated by green energy sources such as geothermal, wind, solar and hydroelectric.

Speaking at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), the President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, told the international community that Kenya is determined and on course to achieve a full transition to clean energy by 2030.

As the energy sector accounts for three-quarters of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, innovative new low-carbon energy solutions are

52 | Africa Outlook issue 96

critical to both reducing GHGs and ensuring that people have access to clean renewables.

Significant progress has been made by Kenya in the advancement of affordable, green energy, having increased access to electricity from below 30 percent in 2013 to in excess of 75 percent in 2020.

Despite making significant strides in the development of renewable energy, however, around a quarter of the Kenyan population is still without access to electricity, necessitating policy changes to diversify the energy generation mix and the promotion of public-private partnerships to finance renewable energy projects.

Kenya’s flagship installation, the Lake Turkana Wind Power (LTWP) Project, is the largest publicprivate investment in the country’s history at a cost of €625 million, and is the biggest wind power

plant in sub-Saharan Africa. Comprising 365 wind turbines, each with a capacity of 850 kW and a highvoltage substation, LTWP supplies renewable energy to the Kenyan national grid, and is committed to the sustainable application of all resources to the benefit of the environment.

The electricity generated by LTWP has reduced Kenya’s reliance on fuel imports from neighbouring countries, saving more than €281 million between 2018 and 2011, and enabled the continued economic growth of the country in the process.

The development of new and renewable sources of energy is one of the key projects of Kenya Vision 2030, to transform the nation into a newly industrialising, middle-income country and provide a high quality of life to all citizens in a clean and secure environment. To increase access to electricity in rural areas of Kenya, the Energy Access Scale-up Programme will connect one million households with electricity over the next five years.

Meanwhile, Kenya is steadily exploiting the potential of geothermal energy, as the eighth largest geothermal power producer in the world and the largest in Africa. Exploration of geothermal resources in the Great Rift Valley, part of an intra-continental ridge system that runs through Kenya from north to south, first commenced in the 1950s.

The region of Olkaria was later identified as the best candidate for exploratory drilling. Olkaria lies

within the Naivasha sub-basin, known for its hot springs, grounds and fumaroles, and is home to the Olkaria I Geothermal Power Station, the first geothermal power plant to be built in Africa.

Using today’s technology, the Great Rift Valley has an estimated geothermal potential of 15,000 MW; nearly half of Kenya’s energy is derived from geothermal plants, however the high costs and risks associated with field development pose significant barriers for private sector backing.

To achieve the renewable energy goals set out in Kenya Vision 2030, the Kenyan government has also launched several solar energy projects, of which the Garissa Solar Power Plant (GSPP) has significantly reduced energy costs and become the largest solar power plant in East and Central Africa.

Through GSPP, Kenya has for the first time developed a major solar power plant to harness its abundance of solar energy resources, diversify the power generation mix, and reduce energy costs, thereby promoting the development of clean, reliable, sustainable and affordable electricity.

Kenya is a world leader in the number of solar power systems installed per capita, with more and more Kenyans resorting to solar energy rather than connecting to the electric grid.

Committed to working together with other countries, Kenya is accelerating the development and deployment of clean technologies and sustainable solutions.

INTRODUCTION

KENYA RENEWABLE ENERGY ASSOCIATION (KEREA)

Africa Outlook issue 96 | 53

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

Interview: Kenya Renewable Energy Association

INTERVIEW

Kenya has made great strides in the adoption of clean technologies and solutions, facilitated by the Kenya Renewable Energy Association. Andrew Amadi, CEO, tells us more

Andrew Amadi Chief Executive Officer Kenya Renewable Energy Association

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n independent non-profit organisation formed in August 2002, the Kenya Renewable Energy Association (KEREA) is dedicated to the growth and development of renewables in Kenya. Promoting the interests of members of the renewable energy industry, we delve into the Association’s core activities and objectives with CEO, Andrew Amadi.

Africa Outlook (AO): Can you talk us through the origins of KEREA, how it came about, and its initial vision?

Andrew Amadi, CEO (AA): KEREA was created from the Technical Committee that was developing standards for solar technologies in 2002. It was recognised that in addition to having standards, it was also helpful for peers to self-regulate the implementation of these standards. The initial vision was to create a conducive environment for the development, adoption and uptake of renewable energy technologies in Kenya.

54 | Africa Outlook issue 96

AO: Since inception, how has KEREA developed and progressed in terms of its key objectives and the messages it tries to get across?

AA: KEREA has been instrumental in the development of standards in the renewable energy sector, which has been accompanied by the development of enabling regulations for the growth of the sector. The key messaging has been the importance of renewables in the energy mix as well as climate mitigation efforts, and later on the economic advantages presented by renewable energy solutions.

AO: What do you find most exciting about Kenya’s renewable energy sector?

AA: Kenya is a continental and global leader in renewable energy. 92 percent of the electricity generated on the grid in Kenya comes from renewable energy sources. Kenya is the largest market in Africa for off- grid solar products such as solar lanterns, solar home systems, and stand-alone solar solutions for productive use such as solar water irrigation pumping and solar powered mills. Kenya boasts the largest installed capacity in electricity generation from geothermal sources and the largest wind farm in Africa.

AO: On the flip side, what are its biggest challenges?

AA: Unsustainable biomass remains the biggest challenge in the transition to renewable energy, mostly from wood fuel, which constitutes over 60 percent of the primary energy consumed.

There is also the challenge of an unpredictable tax environment for renewable energy, whereby exemptions have been withdrawn or their implementation impeded by unfavourable and sometimes unfair interpretations of the exemption criteria. While there have been significant investments made at a national level, consumer financing and project financing still face significant barriers.

INTERVIEW

KENYA RENEWABLE ENERGY ASSOCIATION (KEREA)

AO: What trends are currently transforming the sector in your region? How are you responding to them?

AA: The global reduction in the cost of solar panels has significantly increased interest in solutions, even though financing is still a challenge. There has been an increase in the understanding of the sector and opposition towards the development of coal and nuclear-powered projects from the general public.

The sector has experienced significant growth Africa Outlook issue 96 | 55

INTERVIEW

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

in the uptake of solar home systems, which now constitute approximately 25 percent of connectivity, ever since Tier 2 solar home systems were added to the national electrification strategy in 2018.

The sector has recognised the decline in demand for solar home systems and is now positioning for the productive use of renewable energy and more emphasis of the economic advantages over the environmental benefits. Also, as a result of being one of the largest off-grid solar product markets in the world, there is now an increase in the generation of electronic waste from off-grid solar products.

An initiative called the Kenya Solar Waste Collective has brought together sector players to start joint initiatives to manage electronic waste.

A joint situational analysis and strategy has been prepared in collaboration with the Energy Private Developers association in Rwanda.

The Kenya Solar Waste Collective has also made plans for setting up a producer responsibility organisation (PRO), ahead of the pending Producer Responsibility Regulations. Players from manufacturing and telecommunications have also joined the initiative to create a PRO that will manage all electronic waste in the country.

56 | Africa Outlook issue 96

“KEREA HAS BEEN I N S T R U M E N TA L I N T H E DEVELOPMENT OF S TA N D A R D S I N T H E R E N E WA B L E E N E R G Y S E C TO R ” – ANDREW AMADI, CEO, KEREA

AO: Have you got any projects in the pipeline you wish to highlight?

AA: KEREA has partnered with the Association for Electric Mobility Developers Africa to create a working group that will coordinate information and activities in the transition from internal combustion engine vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs), with the target to have five percent of new vehicles in the market to be EVs by the end of 2025.

KEREA has also created a working group to coordinate activities around creating an enabling environment to scale up the productive use of renewable energy solutions, targeting entire value

chains with the inclusion of marginalised groups and designed within the circular economy.

KEREA is also piloting the aggregation of smaller rooftop solar solutions for small and medium enterprises, to make the ticket size big enough to attract investment while extending the benefits of economies of scale to the segment. This is being coordinated by the use of smart metering technologies and enhancing the technical and ethical skills of workers in the value chains.

to having a crucial role in the market, and being sustained from value services to the private sector beyond advocacy.

INTERVIEW

KENYA RENEWABLE ENERGY ASSOCIATION (KEREA)

AO: How do you see KEREA developing as an association over the next five years?

AA: I see KEREA transitioning from operating essentially as a club for a small number of corporate companies to having a very wide and broad membership including any skilled worker in the renewable energy value chain.

I envisage KEREA becoming a primary knowledge provider on matters of renewable energy, as well as having more public engagements and breaking down renewable energy to the general population.

Finally, I see KEREA shifting from reliance on donor and development partner supported projects

Tel: +254 740 541896 info@kerea.org www.kerea.org

Africa Outlook issue 96 | 57

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

AFRICA OUTLOOK is a digital and print product aimed at boardroom and hands-on decision-makers across a wide range of industries on the continent.

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

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

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Growing a booming national economy in Botswana

CONSOLIDATED BANK GHANA Forward-thinking finance from the heart of Ghana

LOMÉ CONTAINER TERMINAL Driving maritime investment and performance culture

TO G O ’ S TERMINAL With strategic access to the continent and abroad, Togo is a West African maritime & logistics hub. We take a look at Lomé Container Terminal, and speak to executive members of its associated businesses, to learn more about the port, the country and the wider MSC Africa network.

Writer: Marcus Kääpä | Project Manager: Kyle Livingstone

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est Africa is one of the continent’s primary regions of maritime trade and activity.

With easy access to Europe and a direct path to the Americas, West Africa has grown to develop a multitude of bustling hubs across the many countries that make up its vast coastline.

Among these, Togo has been a rising star. Sitting on the underbelly of the region, Togo’s capital city of Lomé is

situated in a strategic location that has access to Central and Southern Africa and is able to facilitate the shipping of goods from all over the continent to those abroad, such as East Asia.

With an office based in Lomé, the aptly named Lomé Container Terminal (LCT) is one of the many terminals under the banner of Terminal Investment Limited (TiL).

TiL is the terminals arm of MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), a global leader in

transportation and logistics. MSC also owns MEDLOG, the inland transport and logistics provider.

MARITIME WORLDWIDE Present in 155 countries, MSC facilitates international trade between the world’s major economies, and among emerging markets across all continents.

Founded in 1970 and headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, since 1978, MSC is a privately-owned organisation Africa Outlook issue 96 | 3

Keletsositse Olebile, CEO of Botswana Investment and Trade Centre discusses surmounting global challenges

www.africaoutlookmag.com/work-with-us

LOMÉ CONTAINER TERMINAL SUPPLY CHAIN

TO G O ’ S TERMINAL With strategic access to the continent and abroad, Togo is a West African maritime and logistics hub. We take a look at Lomé Container Terminal, and speak to executive members of its associated businesses, to learn more about the port, the country and the wider MSC Africa network Writer: Marcus Kääpä | Project Manager: Cameron Lawrence

W

est Africa is one of the continent’s primary regions of maritime trade and

activity.

With easy access to Europe and a direct path to the Americas, West Africa has grown to develop a multitude of bustling hubs across the many countries that make up its vast coastline.

Among these, Togo has been a rising star. Sitting on the underbelly of the region, Togo’s capital city of Lomé is

situated in a strategic location that has access to Central and Southern Africa and is able to facilitate the shipping of goods from all over the continent to those abroad, such as East Asia.

With an office based in Lomé, the aptly named Lomé Container Terminal (LCT) is one of the many terminals under the banner of Terminal Investment Limited (TiL).

TiL is the terminals arm of MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), a global leader in

transportation and logistics. MSC also owns MEDLOG, the inland transport and logistics provider.

MARITIME WORLDWIDE Present in 155 countries, MSC facilitates international trade between the world’s major economies, and among emerging markets across all continents.

Founded in 1970 and headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, since 1978, MSC is a privately-owned organisation Africa Outlook issue 96 | 61

Integrated solutions for Ports & Coastal protection Engineering & consulting for environment, safety and infrastructure

Harbors are vital to our economy. They are international doorways to the world, but also to prosperity and wellbeing. They are first and foremost places of industry and logistics. However, in the past decade they have moved towards a more balanced blend of economic, social and environmental values. For us at Antea Group, this model of sustainable growth is aimed at all port developments, our ambition is to build sustainably growing ports with you, where growth is combined with a sustainable transition in a blue economy.

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LOMÉ CONTAINER TERMINAL SUPPLY CHAIN

driven by the Aponte family. As the world’s largest container carrier, MSC today is on top of a fascinating growth story. It has evolved from a one vessel operation into a globally reputed business with a fleet of 700 vessels and more than 110,000 people spanning its 155 countries, including 40 African nations.

MSC GROUP AT A GLANCE Today, the MSC Group employs more than 110,000 people across a range of business activities and is a benchmark for customer service within the transportation industries.

MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company encompasses: CARGO DIVISION: • MSC • TiL • MEDLOG PASSENGER DIVISION: • MSC Cruises • Grandi Navi Veloci (GNV) • SNAV MSC IN AFRICA - AT A GLANCE: • Present in 40 countries • 50 ocean services and local feeders • 123 weekly calls at 60 different

MSC has also developed over decades a logistics offering that includes the trucking, rail and barge networks operated by MSC and by its subsidiary MEDLOG, as well as essential cargo storage facilities.

MSC created TiL in 2000.

That company evolved into one of the world’s largest and most geographically diverse container terminal managing investors, handling over 53 million TEUs per year, at different locations around the world.

African ports • Road and rail transport solutions • Hinterland logistics: Feeder services, Rail, Truck in West Africa, South Africa, East Africa • Warehousing and storage solutions • Active partner for exporters of soft agricultural commodities such as cocoa, cotton, cashew nuts, sesame, among many other types of cargo.

64 | Africa Outlook issue 96

MSC’S COMMITMENT TO AFRICA “Since the very first MSC ‘liner’ service arrived in East Africa in 1971, the company has demonstrated a longterm commitment to the continent and it continues to invest in shipping, logistics and infrastructure,” begins Giles Broom, a global spokesman for the business. “MSC has, over the years, invested in local teams, inland networks and container terminals to bring international trade opportunities to businesses across the African continent.”

Recognised and respected as a global leader in container shipping, the company’s roots as a family enterprise set it apart in a competitive marketplace. According to Broom, MSC is a business founded on a genuine passion for the sea, on longstanding nautical heritage, and on a sense of commitment to people and communities.

MSC’s consistent growth has also seen it strategically and successfully manoeuvre into an increased portfolio of transportation solutions. This expansion has not only been at sea but also in rail, road and port terminal infrastructure, through subsidiaries MEDLOG and TiL. Its executives speak of a clear ambition and vision to grow its presence in Africa. Today, MSC operates almost 50 weekly ocean services connecting Africa to the rest of the world. It invests in, and manages, state-of-the-art terminals which, combined with trucking solutions, depots and warehouses, enable the transportation of goods to, from and around the continent.

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s a key partner of Lomé Container Terminal (LCT) & Terminal Investment Limited (TIL), Antea Group recently conducted a detailed study of the evolution of the Togolese coastline in the context of more than 50 years of coastal development. Therefore, providing necessary inputs to the stakeholders for the design of a futureready Togolese coastline, open for business and offering state-of-the-art environmental and social protection.

“Do what you promise, do it with boundless effort, and always try to improve yourself” was the remarkable quote that accompanied Antea Group when its story started in 1951.

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Present on the African continent for more than 30 years, Antea Group combines a strong knowledge of local markets and an international in-house experts’ network to assist your organization in its activities.

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Among our wide range of services, you will find the one that fits your needs: • Climate-proof infrastructure design, feasibility studies, detailed designs, and preparation of tender documents for the extension of a basin,

For any question, opportunity, or challenge you are facing, contact our International Business Development Leader:

Tom D’Haeyer International Business Development Leader Tom.Dhaeyer@anteagroup.be +32 494 53 31 87

LOMÉ CONTAINER TERMINAL SUPPLY CHAIN

Every week, MSC’s vessels make 123 calls at 60 different African Ports servicing 35 maritime African countries. While the shipping container is MSC’s DNA, it also runs a niche operation in Project Cargo where large, heavy pieces of cargo

that are too big or bulky for a standard shipping container are carried in an out of Africa. This includes anything from equipment such as pipes to help construct energy installations or electrical transformers to support the development of hydropower.

MAJOR ASSET IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INTRA-AFRICAN MARKET “Thanks to the Lomé Terminal (LCT), Togo has developed into a transhipment hub linking West, Central and Southern Africa to each other on the one hand, from Senegal to Angola or from South Africa to the Ivory Coast for example, but also to the rest of the world. LCT is the fourth largest terminal in Africa, and the number and size of ships is increasing.

“Lomé is not only a strategic hub for international trade, but also a major asset in the development of the intra-African market. MSC contributes to this and plays a “connector” role thanks to its maritime network, its logistics and transport services with MEDLOG throughout the sub-region and of course via the LCT. “This has encouraged other companies to settle in Togo and to develop their imports and export capabilities for intra-regional or international trade.

Developing the maritime centre of Togo has contributed to the country’s competitiveness, facilitating trade, economic growth and employment.”

- Gregory Krief Managing Director of MSC Togo, Managing Director of MEDLOG Togo, Niger & Benin, and board member of LCT

68 | Africa Outlook issue 96

FACILITATING TRADE With the support of dedicated teams in more than 40 countries in Africa, MSC’s global stature is intertwined with its local presence within the heart of African communities and executives across its cargo businesses are excited about being part of the continent’s future.

Each of the MSC agencies across the more than 40 countries have responsibility for commercial and operational activities in their respective countries.

“Over the past five decades, local teams have accumulated both experience and expertise in how best to handle any type of goods, along with a comprehensive knowledge of global port operations,” Broom says.

“That’s why we’ve become the trusted transportation partner for so many of the world’s most prestigious companies, delivering countless cargoes and commodities with the utmost care.”

African nations are emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic with renewed focus and drive to achieve

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LOMÉ CONTAINER TERMINAL SUPPLY CHAIN

MSC SUSTAINABILITY As a family company, MSC places people front and centre while respecting the planet.

Sustainability is a strategic imperative for MSC and, above all, a business priority. The company’s strong core values and long-term view reflect its commitment to playing its part in creating a sustainable future.

MSC believes that operating sustainably benefits the company’s colleagues and crew, its customers and the communities in which it operates.

MSC is ambitious and takes pride in acting responsibly and delivering on its commitments, collaborating with its stakeholders in search of sustainable solutions to address global challenges.

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the continent’s bold vision of a better future built on trade.

Of course, there is still much more to be done. Crucial to delivering on goals to grow intra-African trade will be ongoing investment in infrastructure and transport links, including the construction of new roads, terminals, and multimodal and hinterland networks.

The better the infrastructure on the continent, the more sustainable Africa’s industrial growth will be for its nations, economies and the health and well-being of the environment and its people.

Investment in manufacturing capability and establishing more robust supply chains will be important for reducing over-reliance on foreign imports and turning Africa’s wealth of resources, and prized commodities and goods, into ever more export opportunities.

At the same time, facilitating the import of essential goods will have a vital role to play in ensuring the free flow of many necessary commodities,

such as those that are proving so essential to public health during the pandemic.

Increasing both import and export capacity can also boost employment and local economies.

AfCFTA Since January 2021 with the establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which will facilitate trade between 54 of the 55 nations of the African Union, a gigantic market has opened with incredible business opportunities.

Because of this, MSC will have an even more important role to play, not only as a shipping company but also as a provider of logistics and land transport.

The successful launch of AfCFTA shows the ability of the African nations to work together to facilitate smooth movements of goods and people within the continent, from customs cooperation to transit time.

This has already proved to be good

CFAO Technology & Energy A standard-bearer in the technological infrastructure market

Our key Commitments to Africa Contribute to economic growth on the continent > Support industrialisation in Africa > Cater to the continent’s emerging middle class >

With Africa For Africa

CFAO is a key player in mobility, healthcare, consumer goods, infrastructure and energy.

Its distribution network comprises 158 subsidiaries and is the largest on the African continent. As a preferred partner to leading international brands, the Group covers the entire value chain, drawing on nearly 170 years of hands-on experience and local expertise.

www.cfaogroup.com

LOMÉ CONTAINER TERMINAL SUPPLY CHAIN

Groupe Boukari Groupe Boukari is a leading provider of high quality international products and services in Togo. Boukari Sarl has for more than 15 years been associated with the Michelin Manufacturing Company as its distributor in Togo and Benin.

Aside providing Tyres and tyre related services, we have been providing Pneumatics, Lubricants, Batteries, Regulators, Air Conditioners and specializing in general trade (Import-Export).

At Groupe Boukari, we value high quality products for higher performance for your business operations and that is why we have a selection of high quality products under one roof. Our product offer includes brands such as MICHELIN , BFGoodrich, Millers Oil, YANTA Battery and AUX Air-conditioners.

news for perishable cargo such as fruit and vegetables, which need to be delivered as quickly as possible to ensure freshness and prevent food waste.

Described by the World Economic Forum as “a global game-changer”, AfCFTA has the potential to increase intra-continental exports by 81 percent and exports to non-African countries by 19 percent. But AfCFTA could be a step towards a more sustainable future, too; for example, by shifting cargo transportation from road to rail, especially in landlocked countries, to reduce the number of trucks on the road.

For this vision to become a reality, this cross-border collaboration will also need to be extended to infrastructure and transport links. In other words, it is not enough to simply invest in services and logistics in individual countries. MSC says it’s important to have a joined-up and intra-continental approach if the company is to help Africa achieve its full potential.

74 | Africa Outlook issue 96

From Senegal to South Africa, MSC’s local teams apply their deep understanding of each country’s needs and challenges to problemsolve for customers.

The company believes that African businesses should be benefiting from the latest shipping technologies and improved logistics services, particularly in landlocked countries, which is why MSC has been investing in local infrastructure since the very beginning – and continues to do so.

MSC already has more intraAfrican trade connections than any other carrier and has said it remains committed to future growth both on and beyond the coast.

A bright future for Africa requires investment in its infrastructure, economies and people to help it achieve its potential. International logistics companies have a supportive and enabling role to play in respect of initiatives such as AfCFTA as well as to help deliver the infrastructure needed to facilitate trade between

For more information on our product and services, we recommend you to contact us through phones, fax, e-mail address or by visiting our offices located in Lome, Togo, where our technical sales teams will be more than willing to serve you.

www.pro.africa.michelin.com/en

LOMÉ CONTAINER TERMINAL SUPPLY CHAIN

OVH Energy Togo S.A. In July 2016, Oando PLC, Nigeria’s leading energy group, signed a contract to recapitalise and partially sell its downstream business to a consortium of Helios and Vitol. The new company, renamed OVH Energy, is the second largest oil company for Nigeria’s downstream activities.

Its assets include more than 350 service stations, 84,000 tons of storage space and a jetty for fuel supply, as well as adjacent activities (mainly the filling and distribution of LPG, lubricants and a stake in a bulk supply and supply company based in Ghana).

and within African countries to boost the continent’s economy as a whole.

For MSC, this includes recruiting local workforces, creating new opportunities for small farmers, and providing access to its wider global network to African businesses.

Africa’s growth will come from within and this is a time of great promise and excitement.

“We are glad to be already present on the continent and look forward to being part of its future,” Broom tells us. “As a world leader in container shipping with strong ties to Africa, MSC is passionate about providing the support businesses need to thrive in this new environment.”

CONTAINER TERMINAL INVESTMENT MSC’s unique combination of cargo businesses means it is well positioned to help Africa capture the opportunities posed by AfCFTA, including through its terminals arm.

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“Africa has been a beneficiary, whereby a top shipping line has brought private sector investment and best practices into local economies and infrastructure and developed jobs for local people,” Broom says.

In Africa, historic investments span Togo, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Morocco. The project of LCT was created at the end of 2008 following the signature of the concession agreement with the Togolese State.

Lomé Container Terminal (LCT) at the port of Lomé in Togo, facilitates direct services from Asia and Europe, serving also the landlocked countries of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso and the northern areas of Nigeria.

Along the coast in San Pedro, Ivory Coast, MSC/TiL started to operate the terminal container and developed a hub and the domestics volumes and initiated with the authorities a second phase with a new terminal with a capacity of one million TEU (twentyfoot equivalent units) per year.

Health and Safety: Our top priority is the protection of people, the environment, assets and the development of every community we operate. Strengthened by our EHSSQ management systems, we are committed to world-class practices in all aspects of our business operations.

Strengthened by our Environment, Health, Safety and Quality systems, we are committed to achieving zero incidents. The company follows a highly flexible investment approach based on “first principles” and applies the investment tools of developed countries in Africa. It focuses on the acquisition and/or creation of high-potential platform companies in key economic Supply Chains, with a focus on portfolio operations as a driver of value. Africa-specific factors, including economic liberalization, technology-driven productivity growth, population dynamics and urbanization, are driving broad-based and secular growth and creating attractive investment opportunities on the continent.

Performance: Driven by operational distinction. We strive to limit the impact of our operations on people and the environment – this is driven by the processes deployed to monitor and evaluate the performance of our activities. We are committed to continuous improvement and every employee has a responsibility to ensure that we achieve our goals.

www.ovhenergy.com

CUSTOMER-FOCUSED - OWNERSHIP - TEAMWORK - SECURITY - INTEGRITY Our vision is to be the oil and natural gas company of choice, consistently and safely providing excellent energy solutions. Our mission is to build a customercentric organization by applying the highest safety standards and delivering exceptional value to our shareholders.

• • • • •

Fuel Lubricants Gas Delivery of diesel Car maintenance

+228 22 27 04 22

WWW.OVHENERGY.COM

LOMÉ CONTAINER TERMINAL SUPPLY CHAIN

In May 2017, MSC and San Pedro Port signed a 35-year concession agreement for the expansion of the San Pedro Container Terminal (“TCSP”).

With a total initial investment of near CFA 300 billion (460 million), this ambitious project will allow the Port to handle 14,000 TEU cargo vessels and benefit from new shipping technologies, facilitating transhipment operations and generating vast opportunities to foster development.

The Port of San Pedro will become one of the most competitive ports of the region, the subregions as well as of the West African coast.

LOMÉ CONTAINER TERMINAL Togo is one of the countries where all the main MSC cargo brands are visible – MSC shipping, MEDLOG and TiL. The country prides itself on having 78 | Africa Outlook issue 96

“ L C T H A S A C C O M P L I S H E D A G R E AT D E A L I N I T S Y O U N G H I S T O R Y A N D H A S P L AY E D A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN TIL’S AFRICA PORTFOLIO, AND IN SUPPORTING MSC’S SHIPPING NETWORK” – D AV I D E L B E Z , T E R M I N A L D I R E C T O R F O R A F R I C A , T I L

a stable government and economy, where the maritime sector is a major contributor. It doesn’t have as significant a set of security or congestion issues that can be seen in many other African ports and cities.

Local authorities and government are said to be supportive of companies seeking to invest and the country has increasingly marketed Togo as a place to invest and – pre-pandemic – for its tourism and beaches.

Support from the Lomé port authority and Ministry of Maritime Economy

was critical for the development of LCT. TiL, for its part, has developed since 2014 a substantial berth of 1,050 metres that handled 1.64 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent unit) of cargo in 2021. Investments were allocated to help develop the terminal towards a total annual capacity of 2.7 million TEUs. “LCT has accomplished a great deal in its young history and has played a significant role in TiL’s Africa portfolio, and in supporting MSC’s shipping

MARINA ATLANTIC GROUP is a very innovative company that offers you the challenge of providing real and concrete solutions to your maritime, commercial and transport problems. Thus, as Marina Atlantic Group contributes to your happiness, it participates also in development and emancipation proving at the same time that it is committed to the goals of the SDGs. Our Services: • Ship Consignment • Armed Guards • Diving Operation • Crew Change Operation • Garbage Removal • Provision Supply • Spares & Logistics • Bathymetry and survey work • All civil engineering works,

infrastructure, maintenance, paving, earthworks • Construction, repair and installation of fenders • Making, repairing, checking, installing bollards and applying coats of paint

MARINA ATLANTIC GROUP SARL U est situé dans la zone Portuaire (Kanyikopé Rail à côte Du Centre De Santé District Sanitaire N°2) Tel: +228 22 27 50 35 / +228 22 27 93 01 Mobile: +228 99 55 67 77 / +228 91 57 84 77 Operation: +228 93 54 53 10 E-mail: marinaplongee.s.a.r.l.u@gmail.com | operations@marinaatlanticgroup.com | diving@marinaatlanticgroup.com

BP: 17 Lomé 263 NIF: 1000553863 RCCM: T.G.LOM 2015 B CNSS: 52777

LOMÉ CONTAINER TERMINAL SUPPLY CHAIN

ATLAS Services

ATLAS Services, official distributor of Sibre Created in 2016 at Lomé (TOGO), ATLAS Services specializes in the supply of equipment for Ports, Container Terminals, Mines , Industries and in the distribution of high security brakes of Sibre, led lights of PHOENIX Lighting Company, Equipment of (Dutch lanka trailers, ALTAI super wifi, MOTOROLA, Honeywell ) in West, East and Central Africa.

Through it’s experiences and expertises, ATLAS Services’s team professionally ensures quality deliveries for the needs expressed by customers for their satisfaction.

T +22891278100 E contact@atlasservices.tg

www.atlasservices.tg network,” El Bez tells us. “The terminal is continuing to roll out the results of pre-existing investment commitments with a view to growing capacity and always seeking to improve productivity, efficiency and safety.”

Two new ship-to-shore (STS) cranes should arrive by the beginning of 2023, on top of five new hybrid rubber-tired gantry (RTG) cranes, new terminal chassis, and container handlers. In the meantime, the terminal has been making use of two mobile rented harbour cranes, until the STS cranes arrive.

In addition to the physical assets that are already on order to make the terminal even more productive, LCT is investing in data analytics-fed Business Intelligence to enhance engineering, finance, activity-based costing (ABC) and preventive maintenance (PM).

The terminal has 860 employees FTE (full time equivalent), but on a daily basis offers employment to 80 | Africa Outlook issue 96

around 1,600 FTEs, and several subcontractors such as security services and maintenance contractors, as well as operators and dockers – the latter of which are employed by the port authority.

Safety is a paramount concern for its local management, as the business continues to expand, reaching a high of 35 gross moves per hour (GMPh) in the second quarter of 2022, thanks to the hard work and dedication of its much-valued workers. Listening to employees’ views and ensuring that safety performance metrics are maintained are key priorities.

LCT serves all the countries in West Africa, as well as many in the north, such as Morocco, and a number in the south including Angola and South Africa.

Externally, LCT has connected services reaching as far as South America and India via an Indian Ocean service. For LCT’s customers,

Paterson Simons Paterson Simons & Co. (Africa) Ltd. is the market leader in sales, lease, rental, and service of heavy lifting and handling equipment with a focus on mining, ports & logistics, and the oil & gas industries in West Africa.

We are proud to have been providing STS and RTG full maintenance including reliability engineering services to LCT for over 7 years and have been on a path of continual improvement with the terminal to help them operate more efficiently and safely as the terminal grows. We are Konecranes port service partner for West Africa and work closely with them to deliver exceptional service across the region.

T +44 (0) 1273 625969 E website@patersonsimons.com www.patersonsimons.com

LOMÉ CONTAINER TERMINAL SUPPLY CHAIN

ideegrafik.de

The ultimate combination for uncompromised safety in port operation

Brakes, Couplings and Components

SIBRE Siegerland Bremsen GmbH Auf der Stücke 1 - 5 35708 Haiger - (Germany)

info@sibre.de | www.sibre.de

WEST AFRICA’S HEAVY LIFTING SPECIALISTS With over 70 years of experience, Paterson Simons is the market leader in crane, reach stacker, telehandler, and forklift sales and service in West Africa.

We represent several key manufacturers and all our sales come with a full working manufacturer’s warranty and are backed up by a first-class service team based in subsidiary offices throughout West Africa.

+44 (0) 1273 625969 | website@patersonsimons.com | www.patersonsimons.com

Africa Outlook issue 96 | 81

LOMÉ CONTAINER TERMINAL SUPPLY CHAIN

this not only means that the terminal has open access to multiple African regions, but also an interconnected network spanning many continents across the world.

AGRICULTURAL EXPORTS: GHANA While Lomé is an important hub, MSC ships call along the West African coast, including in Tema, Ghana’s leading port. The company

was recently recognised as the Outstanding Shipping Company of the Year at the Ghana Agricultural and Agro-Processing Awards.

This is the first time MSC Ghana has received this award. It recognises business excellence and a company that has created significant impact in their industry.

This is an especially noteworthy award for MSC Ghana. Agriculture accounts for 54 percent of the GDP, and over 40 percent of export earnings in the West African nation.

MSC was the largest shipping line in the country for 2021.

In the 2020-2021 season, cocoa production was 1.04 million tonnes in Ghana. This is the highest in 10 years for exceeding the one million tonnes target. MSC says it is proud to be the leader in helping the Ghana Cocoa Board attain this level. In 2021, MSC

transported 13,000 TEUs of cocoa beans and 4,500 TEUs of other cocoa products.

MSC was also previously awarded Shipping Line of the Year by the Cocoa Board of Ghana. MSC ships the commodity on dedicated weekly vessels in Tema and Takoradi.

MSC works with the Ghana Cocoa Board, as well as its subsidiary the Cocoa Marketing Company (CMC), which is legally authorised to produce, market, sell and regulate cocoa beans in Ghana.

LOMÉ CONTAINER TERMINAL Tel: +228 22 53 70 00 info@msc.com www.lct-togo.com

AFRICA OUTLOOK – LOGISTICS REPORT Bolloré to sell Africa logistics business To MSC

ro-ro (roll-on/roll-off) terminals, two wood terminals and a river terminal, plus a conventional stevedoring activity, according to the company’s website.

In a major piece of news for the African logistics market at the end of March 2022, Bolloré Group confirmed in a statement that it had agreed to sell Bolloré Africa Logistics to MSC.

With regard to shipping activities, Bolloré Group has a network of 85 maritime agencies, including 74 African agencies in 32 countries. Some 7,100 port visits may be processed in a year on behalf of the world’s largest shipping lines and on behalf of its many customers who include shipowners, operators, traders and manufacturers.

MSC stated soon afterwards that the acquisition would reaffirm its longstanding commitment to invest in Africa and to strengthen supply chains across the continent, as well as connecting it to the rest of the world.

The 5.7-billion-euro transaction would include all of Bolloré Group’s shipping, logistics and terminals operations in Africa, as well as its terminal operations in India, Haiti and in Timor-Leste.

Bolloré Africa Logistics is involved with all administrative and customs procedures for its customers both before and after transportation, for import and export, and manages the carriage of goods to their final destination.

MSC declined to provide fresh comment on the deal to Africa Outlook as the acquisition process – although well underway – is still ongoing for months ahead and remains subject to the receipt of approvals from relevant authorities.

It operates three rail concessions in Africa: Sitarail, Camrail and Benirail. Essential for the development of the countries it crosses, the railway is a competitive transport tool that enables exports of agricultural production and feeds national economies. It enables smoother flows of goods and people between the border countries and contributes to giving landlocked hinterland countries access to the sea.

Bolloré Africa Logistics describes itself as present in 42 ports and operating in 16 container terminal concessions, seven

The progress in this acquisition will be a hot topic for the Africa logistics market in the second half of 2022 and beyond.

82 | Africa Outlook issue 96

LOMÉ CONTAINER TERMINAL SUPPLY CHAIN

Dare, Innovate and Even Surprise

BUY MORE SARL specializes in the sale of computer equipment and consumables - Office automation & computer maintenance - Local network installation.

It is a partner company of major brands that has an agreement to represent HP, DELL, CANON and CISCO. It puts at your service a team of professionals who will be able to advise you in order to define your needs and offer you reliable and efficient products.

You will find a wide range of latest generation IT products such as: Laptops, Desktops, Screens, Photocopiers, Printers, Inverters, Switches, etc.

Rue des Evala à 10 m de la pharmacie Mathilda - 22 BP 177 Lomé +228 90 97 76 05 / 96 07 38 32 / 22 50 02 08 info@buymoretogo.com / stbuymore@yahoo.fr www.buymoretogo.com

NIRAS is an independent self-owned multidisciplinary engineering and consultancy firm with more than 100 years of experience.

Steelduxx a private owned company, incontournable in logistics of breakbulk, containers and roro to West Africa.

Recently we also started an exceptional and unique joint venture operation bringing Asia, Europe and Africa together.

We are offering marine chartering, freight forwarding, marine technical services, consultancy, ship management related services and and agency & maritime services.

Today NIRAS is one of the leading Scandinavian marine engineering consultants and with our headquarters in Denmark and branch offices in Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia we are part of major marine terminal projects on a worldwide basis – including Lomé Container Terminal.

YOUR MATCHMAKER IN LOGISTICS

NIRAS (Head Office) Sortemosevej 19 DK-3450 Alleroed Denmark NIRAS Africa Rhapta Heights – 3rd Floor, Rhapta Road, Westlands 25496-00606 Nairobi Kenya

www.steelduxx.eu

www.niras.com

www.niras.com and www.niras.com/sectors/ports-and-ma-

NIRAS Middle East Dubai Digital Park Building A2, Office 108 Dubai, UAE

Africa Outlook issue 96 | 83

LOGICO LOGISTICS SUPPLY CHAIN

D E L I V E RY T H AT DEFIES Logico Logistics is thriving in an adverse industry. Clint Brook, Managing Director, unpacks the challenges and how they are being confronted Writer: Jack Salter | Project Manager: Cameron Lawrence

The fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry comes with its own set of challenges, which need to be understood and appreciated in order to be competitive and successful in the sector.”

Enter Logico Logistics (Logico).

An experienced retail and FMCG specialist with a unique understanding of the field, Logico provides transport services in both long haul and local transport environments, guided by its vision to support customers with cost-effective, service-driven and innovative end-to-end solutions.

The company has achieved this by continually seeking to extend its reach and expand its service offerings through long-term sustainable partnerships with valued customers, whilst remaining profitable and delivering an acceptable return rate to 84 | Africa Outlook issue 96

shareholders.

“Logico has always operated in the FMCG environment, and we have had relationships with FMCGs for as long as we have been trading,” says Clint Brook, Managing Director of Logico and orator of the opening statement.

Established in 2004, Logico specialises in patented Volumax curtain side super link trailers and officially has the biggest Volumax fleet in South Africa (SA). Logico’s ability to tailor the design of its Volumax trailer racking systems offers customers an optimised capacity and lowers the cost-per-case with the subsequent reduction in transit damages.

Volumax trailers enable clients to double stack palletised goods, representing an area of opportunity for clients within the packed products sector.

Logico’s fleet of abnormal extendable flat deck trailers, meanwhile, is used to service a host of clients, mainly in the piping industry, specialising primarily in the transportation of large-diameter pipes. Major pipelines already serviced include those of the Durban Metro, Koeberg Nuclear Power Station, Lesotho Highlands Water Project, Mossgas Offshore Oil Platform, and more.

With trailers stretching from 12 to 18 metres in length, complemented

Clint Brook, Managing Director, Logico Logistics

by a fleet of secondary distribution vehicles in Johannesburg, Logico has recently diversified into other industries beyond the FMCG sector, such as fertiliser and break bulk.

“We have a very broad spectrum of customers, covering almost everything including paint, chemicals, tiles, car filters, oil, minerals, feed, fertiliser, hand sanitiser, liquor, foodstuffs, cool drinks, and milk to name a few,” Brook tells us.

“Importantly, Logico is also RTMS

(Road Traffic Management System) and DG (Dangerous Goods) certified,” he adds, citing the company’s full compliance with the transport industry’s regulatory and legislative requirements.

CHALLENGING CIRCUMSTANCES Logistics acts as a feeder network to a number of industries, especially retail, agriculture and manufacturing.

Without transport and logistics,

basic supply and demand principles cannot be met as both producer and consumer would be far removed from today’s inter-connected modern world.

The logistics landscape in SA is a difficult environment to operate in, however, with fuel prices doubling in the last two years, insurance rates rising exponentially, and even trailers being hijacked, a problem which continues to plague hard-working truckers in the country.

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LOGICO LOGISTICS SUPPLY CHAIN

“We had an armed robbery recently, and then we had another hijacking.

They came to our yard armed, stole a truck and trailer loaded with alcohol, and abducted four of our staff,” Brook informs us.

“Hijackings are a regular occurrence in SA. In fact, a similar logistics company to ours closed operations at the end of March, not because they’re failing but because the country has failed them. It’s very sad and unfortunately it’s becoming the norm.”

Due to the current situation in SA, which is making life difficult for transportation companies, Logico has invested in measures to improve truck security and staff safety.

Brook acknowledges that the logistics space has slumped, as it also wrangles to fend off inflationary

86 | Africa Outlook issue 96

increases that he admits is of the industry’s own doing. Coupled with increasing fuel prices, which have been steadily going up for over a year in SA, it is playing havoc with cash flow for the industry.

Transportation, along with shipping, is by far the most expensive aspect of logistics, however it has reached the point where the cost of transport is no longer sustainable and there is an evident need for change.

“Logistics is an exciting space to be working in at the moment because of new behaviours driving change to the status quo. Things are changing in terms of the way we do business, the ways in which we transact, and the way we now engage with our clients; there’s evidence of innovation in everything we do,” shares Brook.

VALUE-ADDED LOGISTICS Through its capacity as an integrated logistics firm, Logico is built on a combination of trust and comprehensive value-added service provision.

The company is always looking to grow its value chain, working on projects to drive down the cost of transport for clients.

“This could come in many shapes or forms, from stock holding and secondary distribution to offering different costing solutions that allow customers to extract as much value out of an asset or solution as possible, or offering performancebased standards (PBS) where asset solutions can offer as much as 24 more pallets per rig, significantly driving down transport costs,” Brook outlines.

LOGICO LOGISTICS SUPPLY CHAIN

“ L O G I C O H A S A LWAY S O P E R AT E D I N T H E F M C G E N V I R O N M E N T, A N D W E H AV E H A D R E L AT I O N S H I P S W I T H F M C G S F O R A S L O N G A S W E H AV E B E E N T R A D I N G ” – C L I N T B R O O K , M A N AG I N G D I R E C TO R , LO G I CO LO G I ST I C S

PBS is the foundation of an alternative regulatory system for heavy vehicles in SA, in which such vehicles are designed to perform their tasks as productively, safely and sustainably as possible, underpinned by the basic principle of matching the right vehicles to the right tasks.

“There are a number of PBS operations within SA currently, but none on the key corridor between Durban and Johannesburg. This is something that I have been driving for a while, and even in some past positions, but nothing has come of it yet,” he continues.

As a privately-owned, one-stop logistical solutions shop, Logico is in constant communication with clients, many of whom are spoken to daily and are only ever one phone call away from a decision at any given time.

It is Logico’s round-the-clock commitment to customers that upholds its long-standing relationships, some of which have lasted for up to 15 years.

“All of our customers have my number, and my phone is on 24/7.

I think what a lot of our valued customers like is that they can call us late at night in an emergency and ask

the team to pull a rabbit out of the hat and make something happen,” says Brook.

“We have numerous long-standing relationships and partnerships with clients that we pride ourselves on. The fact we’ve been able to maintain these relationships and service those clients for all these years is quite a feat in this day and age.”

Key to that are supplier relationships, which truly are the foundation of Logico’s success as they form a large percentage of the company’s business.

“Contracts with big companies form a sturdy base from which to operate, rather than on a more ad-hoc basis which is often more profitable in most instances but comes with risk.”

SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGY When used as a substitute for diesel, liquefied natural gas (LNG) significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and owing to the Africa Outlook issue 96 | 87

LOGICO LOGISTICS SUPPLY CHAIN

“ W E A R E A LWAY S U S I N G T H E L AT E S T T E C H N O L O G Y AVA I L A B L E W I T H R E G A R D T O E M I S S I O N S , A N D A R E LO O K I N G TO E X PA N D O U R F L E E T I N TO D UA L- F U E L A N D E L E C T R I C W H E N I T B E C O M E S AVA I L A B L E I N S A” – C L I N T B R O O K , M A N AG I N G D I R E C TO R , LO G I CO LO G I ST I C S

88 | Africa Outlook issue 96

LOGICO LOGISTICS SUPPLY CHAIN

lower level of fuel impurities, engine longevity also improves and therefore saves money in the long run.

Logico recently signed an agreement in October 2020 with emerging domestic natural gas and helium producer, Renergen, to supply LNG at filling stations along the N3 national route between Johannesburg and Durban.

Dual-fuel trucks are undoubtedly the way forward, and as the ability to implement them is on both Logico’s and SA’s doorstep, they are expected to become a reality in the mediumterm. The adoption of sustainable solutions has reached a tipping point, and the likes of Logico are among those leading the pack as it looks to mitigate the environmental impact of its logistics operations.

“We are always using the latest technology available with regard to emissions, and are looking to expand our fleet into dual-fuel and electric when it becomes available in SA,” notes Brook, who foresees a steady year ahead before a prosperous 2023 for the company.

“2023 will probably be a year of expansion for Logico with a possible increase to our asset base, but for this year we’ve not seen any major boosts in volumes or rates, and I don’t expect to see any changes in that regard for the remainder of 2022.

“We’re just going to keep on an even keel and steer a steady ship this year, and maximise the bottom line as best as we can in the current circumstances,” he concludes.

LOGICO LOGISTICS Tel: 011 – 901 1033 info@logico.co.za www.logico.co.za

Africa Outlook issue 96 | 89

90 | Africa Outlook issue 96

AIRPORTS COMPANY SOUTH AFRICA SUPPLY CHAIN

CONNECTING T H E R A I N B OW N AT I O N As a key driver of the domestic economy, Airports Company South Africa is critical to national development. Framed by sustainability, we profile a colourful leader of Africa’s aviation industry Writer: Jack Salter | Project Manager: Cameron Lawrence

A

model for successful privatisation.

Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) is the prime example of how an innovative, private enterprise can emerge from a loss-making, stateowned operation.

South Africa’s airports were owned and operated by the state until 23 July 1993, when ACSA was officially established and the country’s nine principal airports were transferred to the company, including three

critical international gateways: O. R. Tambo, Cape Town, and King Shaka International Airports.

Although the South African government remains a 74.6 percent majority shareholder, ACSA is legally and financially autonomous, and operates under commercial law.

ACSA today is a mature organisation, having emerged from a phase of radical, sustained transformation and reconstruction to become an efficient, expanding commercial force.

Africa Outlook issue 96 | 91

AIRPORTS COMPANY SOUTH AFRICA SUPPLY CHAIN

iFirm Trading and Projects (Pty) Ltd The Director of the iFirm Trading and Projects (Pty) Ltd Thulani Raymond Ntobela is a retired Lt-General in the South African Police Service who retired with 33 years of service in 2014 as the Provincial Commissioner of Mpumalanga province.

He has spent 28 years in the detectives. He was a Provincial Head of the detectives in the Western Cape where he spearheaded a Ten- PointPlan for the detectives with a slogan “Investigate to arrest and don’t arrest to investigate”.

He has managed big projects where senior police officers and politicians were successfully prosecuted. He holds a National Police Diploma , Bjuris and LLB degrees .

ACSA SUSTAINABILITY FRAMEWORK BUSINESS – ACSA strives to enhance its reputation, improve the passenger experience, increase stakeholder satisfaction, contribute to airport traffic and to diversify the business.

PEOPLE AND SOCIETY – ACSA is committed to contributing to black economic empowerment and supporting the growth of black businesses, providing improved access to airports for all South Africans, improving airport connectivity to the regions it serves, and creating a positive environment for anyone working in or moving through the airports.

ENVIRONMENT – ACSA is determined to minimise its environmental impact and strives to have carbon-neutral operations.

92 | Africa Outlook issue 96

ACSA generates aeronautical revenue derived from government-regulated charges or tariffs paid by airlines, including fees for aircraft landing, aircraft parking and passenger service charges. Non-aeronautical revenue, meanwhile, is sourced from the likes of retail sales, concession fees, property leases, parking fees, hotel operations, and advertising.

The company also participates in equity investments abroad and provides technical advisory and consultancy services to airports, from which it generates non-core sources of revenue.

Despite revenue decreasing by more than 60 percent as a result of COVID19, ACSA plans to be back operating at pre-pandemic levels by 2025.

The devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the aviation industry was felt globally and the path to recovery will be long, but ACSA is confident that the solid balance sheet, strong reputation, and enduring competitive advantages at its foundation will stand the company in good stead.

He belies that the iFirm Trading and Projects (Pty) Ltd exists because of its customers and therefor the main focus of the company should be customer centricity.

Having commanded multi disciplinary forces in the past, he believes in combining skills and expertise with small organisations in the fight against corruption. It is for this reason that the iFirm’s expertise is not only known to our customers but to our competitors as well.

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ACSA AT A GLANCE VISION: To be the most sought-after partner in the world for the provision of sustainable airport management solutions by 2025.

MISSION: To acquire, develop and manage world-class airports and related businesses for the benefit of all stakeholders and the socioeconomic development of South Africa.

VALUES: Passion – Results – Integrity – Diversity – Excellence (PRIDE).

VALUE PROPOSITION: Connecting people to places, dreams and opportunities.

94 | Africa Outlook issue 96

PHOTO: BY PRETORIATRAVEL - OWN WORK, CC BY-SA 3.0 Gautrain at O.R. Tambo International

INTERCONTINENTAL FOOTPRINT Africa’s biggest and busiest airport, O.R. Tambo International, facilitates over 21 million passengers a year alone, with more than 50 percent of South African passengers travelling through the airport. Situated in Johannesburg, it is the hub for passengers and cargo within both South Africa and the African continent, from which there are over 150 international destinations that can be reached.

ACSA’s airports are all becoming vital centres and catalysts for economic growth in South Africa, as well as access hubs for the rest of the world.

They are being transformed into multi-faceted, world-class, global gateways for travel, trade and commerce; business opportunities are abounding as a result, particularly in property, retail and advertising.

Whilst providing world-class, secure infrastructure for airlines to transport people and goods, the

PHOTO: BY NITHIN BOLAR K - OWN WORK, CC BY-SA 3.0

Check-in booths in the International Terminal

PHOTO: BY @FRY_THEONLY FLICKR, CC BY-SA 2 .0

O.R. Tambo International

company recognises that it has a key role to play by facilitating growth, job creation, and accelerating inclusive economic participation.

ACSA recently welcomed Germanbased leisure airline Condor’s intent to operate direct flights from Frankfurt to O. R. Tambo International Airport, which will add much-needed traffic from Europe to South Africa and help to reignite the country’s tourism sector, an integral driver of economic activity and job creation.

ACSA is looking to further expand its intercontinental footprint, and these additional flights will enhance South Africa’s connectivity to global markets, in particular Europe and North America. Likewise, O. R. Tambo International will provide Condor with access to the South African Development Community (SADC) market, one of the fastest-growing trade blocs in Africa.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE ACSA is aligned with the South African government’s National Development Plan objectives, and focuses on creating sustainable value that positively impacts the business, people and society, and the environment.

These three fundamental elements are the core tenets of ACSA’s Sustainability Framework, ensuring that the company’s decisions and actions are taken in concert with its journey towards Vision 2025, to be the most sought-after partner in the world for the provision of sustainable airport management solutions.

In February 2016, ACSA launched its first 200 sqm solar power plant at George Airport in the Western Cape, further demonstrating its commitment to clean energy generation and sustainability.

Solar radiation is converted into electricity through photovoltaic (PV) technology, and the use of renewable energy is at the heart of ACSA’s sustainability goals as well as the

AIRPORTS COMPANY SOUTH AFRICA SUPPLY CHAIN

company’s aspirations to reduce its reliance on the national power grid.

Kimberley Airport is the second airport in the ACSA network to boast a solar plant, launched in 2016 and designed to deliver 500 kWp (kilowatt peaks) of production per year. With ambitions to install solar farms at all regional airports, ACSA has also taken a number of steps to alleviate noise pollution, including changes to flight frequency over the same areas and flight patterns, and formed alliances with local authorities in neighbouring areas to enforce zoning prohibitions.

Through its socio-economic development (SED) initiatives, ACSA seeks to improve quality of life by facilitating sustainable access to social and economic opportunities.

ACSA mainly focuses on communities in and around the nine airports that it operates; most of the company’s airports fall within

poverty nodes that the South African government has specifically identified as needing focused intervention.

ACSA also contributes to other community development projects around the country that meet the criteria of its SED strategy, which focuses on the likes of education, youth and female development, persons with disabilities, environmental sustainability, and more.

GLOBAL RECOGNITION An important development for ACSA has been the introduction of a multidimensional balanced scorecard (BSC) management system.

BSC enables ACSA and its stakeholders to consider the company’s objectives, decisions and actions – and to assess progress – in relation to four major determinants of business success: financial performance, customer satisfaction,

business systems, and human capital development.

This approach allows ACSA to plan for a future filled with technological, global, economic, and regulatory challenges, and maximise the company’s expertise and intellectual capacity. Indeed, ACSA is blessed with a skilled and motivated complement of staff and management, whose excellence has been recognised globally with numerous awards.

The company has won more than 50 international awards, and this is because of the hard work and dedication of its employees, without whom the required personal touch and ongoing improvement in service quality would not be achieved.

It is because of the governance, efficiency and service levels at ACSA’s airports that the world views the company as a true leader in South Africa’s aviation industry.

Africa Outlook issue 96 | 95

CONSOLIDATED BANK GHANA FINANCE

BANK TO T H E FUTURE Consolidated Bank Ghana Limited is cashing in on new technologies to take a quantum leap into the future of banking. Deputy Managing Director, Thairu Ndungu, tells us more Writer: Jack Salter | Project Manager: Donovan Smith

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of technology in general and mobile money in particular, but CBG has not been left behind with its digitisation in customer services.”

The Ghanaian government is relentlessly driving digitisation and financial inclusion, heightening the need for all players in the financial industry to adopt digital solutions.

One such player in West Africa’s second-most populous nation is Consolidated Bank Ghana (CBG), Ltd. whose Deputy Managing Director, Thairu Ndungu, expects the banks who get their digital financial solutions right to emerge as leaders in customer experience.

Ndungu has more than 30 years’ experience in the financial sector.

Having worked at Standard Chartered Bank’s London-based Africa Regional Office for 16 years prior to a stint at Nubuke Investments LLP, he has been CBG’s Deputy Managing Director

since the bank’s very inception in August 2018.

CBG is an Indigenous Ghanaian Universal Bank wholly owned by the Government of Ghana and licensed by the Bank of Ghana under the Specialised Deposit-Taking Institutions Act, 2013 (Act 930). With a corporate head office located in Accra, Ghana’s capital and largest city, CBG today has 114 branches spanning 13 regions across the country.

Accra also hosts the headquarters of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which is spearheading the re-emergence of talks over intraAfrican free trade.

AfCFTA aims to reduce the cost of trade and commerce between African countries by providing a comprehensive and mutually beneficial agreement among member states, backed by the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) and sponsored by the African Export-Import Bank.

Africa Outlook issue 96 | 97

CONSOLIDATED BANK GHANA FINANCE

Set to raise the prominence of Accra and give it a greater spotlight as the continent’s financial capital, the expectation is that AfCFTA will increase the trade business offered by banks, such as CBG.

AFRICA OUTLOOK: HOW DID YOU HELP TO PIONEER THE BANKING INDUSTRY IN GHANA?

THAIRU NDUNGU, DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR: “I came to Ghana to support the clean-up of the financial industry by the Bank of Ghana (BoG).

“Some financial industry players were experiencing systemic issues that were a risk to the industry, so BoG had to intervene to protect depositors.

“CBG came into existence as a result of the clean-up, and entered into a purchase and assumption transaction with the BoG-appointed receiver of seven challenged institutions.

“Through CBG, the industry is now relatively stable with the confidence of depositors and investors increasing every day. My role at CBG has placed the building blocks for the formation of a solid and sound, regulated entity to replace the space left empty by the defunct banks.”

98 | Africa Outlook issue 96

NEW TECHNOLOGIES CBG offers various personal, business, and digital banking products to its customers, as well as services such as remittance, payments and collections, bancassurance, and investment.

The bank’s suite of digital services, e-bundles, cards, and other solutions are built to ensure that all financial and banking needs are just a tap, swipe or click away. As part of its efforts to build a dominant small and mediumsized enterprise (SME) bank in the digital space, CBG is setting up SME centres across Ghana to cater to the financial needs of SMEs. “This project is very important to us because our ultimate ambition is to build a strong bank to support the country’s SMEs to drive economic growth,” outlines Ndungu.

“The ultimate aim of the centres is to incubate SME businesses with modern practices supported by technology, create sustainable partnerships that will last for a very long time, and increase employment opportunities for the youth.”

According to a survey by The Economist, new technologies will have a greater impact on banks in the coming years, with DevOps methodologies and modern cloud-based platforms driving the core transformation of banking and the value of artificial intelligence (AI) differentiating the winners from the losers.

In the last two years, CBG has been revamping its technology infrastructure and implementing a new technology reference architecture. As an aspiring digital-led bank, the foundations laid by CBG have to be fit for purpose and be able to leapfrog the bank to the next level of technological maturity.

“We are coming to the tail end of this project, and the final phase is an upgrade of our mobile and internet banking platforms to give our cherished customers a better look and feel for a more appealing customer experience,” Ndungu reveals.

Aptivaa A pioneer in risk management and regulatory reporting for financial services, Aptivaa, continues to expand its industry partnerships with Consolidated Bank Ghana to extend its reach with its regulatory technology with our local partner First Vision Technology.

With 17 years since its founding, Aptivaa has emerged as a major player in financial risk management and related areas such as regulatory compliance and strategic planning.

With structured methodologies and a systematic modular approach, we can seamlessly adapt to your needs. The unwavering focus of our team is on domain expertise and a commitment to excellence.

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by Aptivaa, intelligently integrates cognitive technologies, including AI, ML, and NLP into robotic process automation.

CogNext Analytics provides a State-of-Art AI-ML based Platform on Enterprise Risk Management which helps Banks to cater to their regulatory compliances and also perform advance analytics. Platform X from Cognext Analytics provides a technology system that is focused on providing configurable, interactive, scalable and cost-effective solutions that allows financial institutions to remain in control of risk, finance, and regulatory compliance, to establish integrity and transparency of results, and to adapt and respond quickly to regulatory changes.

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CONSOLIDATED BANK GHANA FINANCE

CONSOLIDATED BANK GHANA – AT A GLANCE MISSION: To be the preferred Ghanaian bank for providing simple, secure and differentiated banking experiences to customers.

VISION: To be the most trusted bank in Ghana.

VALUES: Integrity, Excellence, Innovation, Teamwork.

A CHANGING WORLD Lifestyle changes stimulated by the likes of social media proliferation, information abundance and the introduction of COVID-19 protocols have made the Ghanaian population more tech savvy.

The internet has subsequently become a distribution channel harnessed by banks in order to 100 | Africa Outlook issue 96

meet the ever-changing needs of customers, best exemplified by the tremendous rise in mobile money transactions on CBG’s networks as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Customer expectations are changing and increasing quickly, but they are very diverse, so banks should focus on strategies to serve their different needs,” Ndungu says.

“The winners will be those that focus on the individual when it comes to both service and marketing.

Banks are not just competing with each other for customers; they also have FinTechs entering the market in their droves. Products are now commoditised, and as such, the difference will be in providing a unique customer experience.”

Being a mass market bank, CBG has also seen USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) sign-ups increase by over 500 percent since 2020. USSD-based mobile banking embraces financial inclusion by

Trusted Identities, Secure Transactions and Security Solutions

Secure Cards Documents Tokens Devices

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CONSOLIDATED BANK GHANA FINANCE

Mobus Property Ltd We at Mobus Property Ltd are proud to be affiliated with Consolidated Bank Ghana, a prominent institution we deeply resonate with as an indigenous Ghanaian company and its sound values.

With Mobus being a property development, management and investment company striving for world class service delivery, we practice strict discretion with our developmental projects, only investing in ones with sound economic fundamentals.

It is through our strategic partnerships with institutions such as CBG, and our earnest desire to develop homes our homeowners will be proud of both functionally and economically that we have been able keep going as a company for fifteen years this year.

“AT C B G , C U S T O M E R S A R E AT T H E H E A R T O F O U R B U S I N E SS A N D C E N T R A L TO E V E R Y T H I N G T H AT W E D O ” – T H A I R U N D U N G U, D E P U T Y M A N AG I N G D I R E C TO R , C B G

allowing users without a smartphone or data/internet connectivity to transfer money, check account balances and generate bank statements, among other uses. This has led CBG to search for better ways of serving the unbanked or underbanked Ghanaians without using its branches.

Indeed, the purpose of the modernday bank branch is changing, as branches today tend to operate in a more advisory capacity, and can co-locate with the likes of supermarkets and kiosks.

“Since we opened our doors to the public, we have seen transactions carried out at our branches half from 80 percent to 40 percent of the bank’s total transactions,” notes Ndungu.

“Consequently, we have entered into partnerships with telcos to offer 102 | Africa Outlook issue 96

mobile loans through their platforms.

In June, for example, we launched Vodacash together with Vodafone Ghana, and we are in the process of launching a mobile overdraft product with both Vodafone and MTN.” Although mobile banking is on the rise in Ghana as a whole, CBG’s rapid increase in mobile banking transactions and account sign-ups has been accelerated by the bank’s numerous product offerings, fast and robust digital platforms, and the 24/7 support services provided to customers.

“At CBG, customers are at the heart of our business and central to everything that we do,” Ndungu emphasises. “We also believe that loyal customers need to be rewarded.

For this reason, we are working on

By partnering with institutions with complementary skills and resources, who are also in alignment with our values of integrity and honesty, we are assured of incorporating quality practices every step of the way to meet the premium real estate needs of the burgeoning Ghanaian economy and beyond.

It has been heartwarming to see the impact Mobus has made on the real estate market in Ghana and after six developments, two cities and two countries, we are grateful to have the opportunity to celebrate its 15th year of operations in Ghana with the launch of Ricardo Apartments mid-2022. Ricardo will be Mobus’ 7th development in Accra and will be made up of mostly studios and one-bedroom apartments, with a few two-bedroom units.

To keep in touch with Mobus, visit www.mobusproperty.com.gh or call +233302760613.

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CONSOLIDATED BANK GHANA FINANCE

Alsale CBG has proven over the years to be a great initiative needed to instill confidence in the Ghana Banking Industry since their inception in 2018.

Truly, they have stood by and continue to standby their cherished customers and the Ghanaian public during the period. It is these great ideals of fidelity, inspiration and confidence which our company ALSALE Services Limited is attracted to and for which reason we are proud to partner CBG to deliver value to its customers by providing support services to their banking operations.

As the bank journey to provide value to Ghana, Africa and the world at large, ALSALE Services is positioned to continue to offer the support, which meet its growth needs.

a Loyalty Management System to identify and reward loyal customers.”

CBG’s Loyal Management System application will measure loyalty based on the consumption of its services, helping to identify repeat customers and reward them accordingly with points, virtual gift cards, coupons, and other incentives.

INVESTING IN GROWTH A great area of growth for CBG has been its international remittance (IR) business, facilitating the fast, reliable and convenient receipt of funds from abroad.

The bank is investing in payment technologies, partnering with FinTech and money transfer agents, which are all avenues to bringing convenient banking to the doorsteps of its customers while increasing its IR market shares.

CBG’s core banking system, Temenos T24, will also be upgraded to facilitate transactions. “With the new technologies that are evolving, we need to move to the latest version of T24 in order to exploit them,” explains Ndungu.

Indeed, CBG is constantly exploring 104 | Africa Outlook issue 96

emerging technologies such as the likes of AI, machine learning (ML), cloud computing, APIs, big data and blockchain technologies to provide superior services.

New concepts and strategies are also being leveraged by the bank, including Banking as a Service (BaaS) and Banking as a Platform (BaaP), to offer diverse products and services to the customer.

“We have created and resourced a data science unit with data engineers and scientists. We intend to use data mining and models to focus more on selling products to individuals rather than mass advertising them,” Ndungu tells us.

ALSALE congratulates the Board management and staff of CBG for all their enviable achievements and we say congratulations.

PARTNERS AND PEOPLE Suppliers and partners are key stakeholders in the CBG business model, without whom the bank would not have made such rapid progress in its three and a half years of existence.

They range from cleaning companies that keep CBG’s premises in pristine condition, to security and technology providers that ensure customers are serviced in a safe and timely manner.

Ahmad Adade Boakye Managing Director / CEO ALSALE Services Limited Accra – Ghana alsalesservices.com

Veneka Veneka is proud to be CBG’s Instant Card Issuing partner and we are excited to help CBG drive both their customer service and their Card and Ebanking business.

Veneka’s Indigo Solution is an on-premises and cloud-based digital banking platform that is used in African 30 countries.

Indigo’s modules have been developed to drive Card and Ebanking and sales and revenues:

“A L L B A N K S A R E I N O N T H E D I G I TA L T R A N S F O R M AT I O N , S O P A R T N E R S H I P S H AV E B E C O M E R E A L LY I M P O R TA N T ” – T H A I R U N D U N G U, D E P U T Y M A N AG I N G D I R E C TO R , C B G

Ndungu highlights the support of Temenos, the supplier of its T24 core banking system, and their implementation partner, Inlaks, for the integration of seven different data centres into one, in a record nine months.

“These kinds of partnerships are what have generated our growth to amazing and unimaginable levels,” recognises Ndungu.

“All banks are in on the digital transformation, so partnerships have become really important. You have to look at your business and ask yourself: Can we do this alone? Can we co-create? Can we make more by collaborating?”

Likewise, employees are central to everything that CBG does. It strives to create a working environment where the wellbeing of everyone is taken into consideration, achieved by focusing on individual training and development needs.

A human capital management system is also in place, which serves as a hub for the needs of each individual member of staff, complemented by an online training portal with a wide selection of training materials for both technical and soft skills.

106 | Africa Outlook issue 96

“The heartbeat of our workplace is continuously monitored by using third-party employee perception surveys, the outcomes of which are converted into quantifiable, measurable action points.

“We have undertaken a journey of building a strong culture that fosters teamwork and collaboration amongst our various teams. This is well built into our ongoing three-year strategy, where the people side of CBG features prominently,” Ndungu states.

The bank has tasked itself with building a meritocratic organisation where hard work is rewarded at the end of each year. From the onset, CBG embarked on a system that encourages pay for performance rather than attendance.

There is also a belief in clear and concise communication with staff, so that employees know exactly what is expected of them and how to execute those expectations.

“Feedback from both staff and management is well integrated into the communication systems. We strongly believe in the feedback of our employees and therefore encourage them to be more vocal and assertive.”

• Indigo In-Branch enables the issuing of debit, prepaid and credit cards instantly to customers via the branch network.

• Indigo Portals enables banks to expand prepaid and credit card programs via Partners such as Government, NGO, Fintechs and Corporates. Portals offers the partner secure access to issue, fund, defund and manage large volumes of co-branded cards.

• Indigo Kiosk is a customer selfservice solution for banking halls, airports and partners offering customer on-boarding, KYC document validation, card issuing and pre-paid card top-ups.

• Indigo Card-Holder Portal and Mobile App offers a fully branded digital experience to card-holders for card-based transactions, card management, card top-up and enquiries.

• Indigo Agent offers card issuing and customer on-boarding functionality to banking agents with transactional services such as payments and cash in / cash out.

• Indigo API’s presents all the card issuing and card management functionalities to the banks existing digital channels in easy-to-use API’s.

• Indigo Dashboards drives branch, internal, agent and partner sales teams with real time reporting and dashboards on sales performance.

• Indigo Revenue Engine ensures that fees are collected from customers and that sales commissions are calculated and distributed.

www.veneka.com

CONSOLIDATED BANK GHANA FINANCE

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Africa Outlook issue 96 | 107

COMMUNITY BANK Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes and activities provide an avenue for CBG to achieve a balance of economic, environmental, and social practices whilst simultaneously fulfilling stakeholder expectations.

CBG’s CSR activities focus on three key thematic areas, namely health, quality education, and community and employee engagement.

“We are committed to understanding, monitoring, and managing the impact of our social, environmental, and economic investments to enable the bank to contribute to the larger goals of sustainable development,” shares Ndungu.

A multitude of impactful CSR initiatives have been undertaken to date by CBG. To help Ghana combat the COVID-19 pandemic, it donated personal protective equipment (PPE) and other medical supplies to the Ministry of Health, including sets of protective gowns, ICU patient monitoring system, bedside patient monitors, and Veronica buckets with unique corporate metal stands.

108 | Africa Outlook issue 96

The donation forms part of the bank’s GH₵1 million commitment to help the country combat the pandemic. Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in Ghana, the bank has made additional donations to the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) and the COVID-19 National Trust Fund.

At the height of lockdown, food items were also distributed to around 2,000 people in some of the most underprivileged communities in the Greater Accra, Ashanti, and Northern Regions of Ghana.

As part of its regional CSR activities, CBG has donated school items such as desks, chairs, cupboards, pens, pencils and exercise books to the Mantukwa Primary School, located in the Sunwani West District of the Bono Region. For the people of Nyapienya, a small community in the town of Asutsuare, the bank supported the construction of a mechanised borehole and a desalination machine to purify water sources in the area.

“The community, which hitherto was sharing pond water with animals that was unsafe and disease-infested,

CONSOLIDATED BANK GHANA FINANCE

MORE TO COME

now has a potable source of water,” Ndungu informs us.

One of the United Nations’ (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) is to end poverty in all forms everywhere, as well as ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all ages. As a bank, CBG strives to care for the wellbeing of all by giving back in life changing ways.

“In addition to the CBG’s three CSR pillars, driven by UN SDGs 3 (Health), 4 (Education), and 8 (Community), the bank together with other organisations has contributed by reducing poverty and thereby helping to achieve UN SDG 1.”

CBG turned three years old in 2021, and has already chalked a number of impressive successes.

However, it should be remembered that the bank is still in its infancy and has a lot of catching up to do.

Coupled with the speed at which new technologies are emerging, CBG therefore strives to take big strides into the future of banking in the coming years.

“This is the year we consolidate the huge investments we have made into technology infrastructure to differentiate ourselves in the industry,” Ndungu sets out.

“We are going to accelerate our offerings to the MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) sector by not only introducing relevant

products to them, but also by offering business advisory services through our SME centres that we are launching.”

The goal for CBG is not only to bank this sector, but also support MSMEs into the next level of business maturity through the use of technology.

As well as making inroads into banking the mass market through mobile phones, this will entail lending and investing at a macro level. To achieve this, CBG will need a strong platform and FinTech partners that will allow it to serve this section of society, without them coming into its branches.

Tel: +233 0302 216000 info@cbg.com.gh www.cbg.com.gh Africa Outlook issue 96 | 109

HARNESSING SY N E R GY W I T H SY B R I N Bringing financial inclusion to the developing world, Sybrin is Africa’s preferred software partner. We decipher digital transformation and continual innovation with Group CEO, Marius Mare Writer: Phoebe Harper | Project Manager: Josh Hyland 110 | Africa Outlook issue 96

SYBRIN TECHNOLOGY

vision - the reason we are in business,” he shares.

Combining this passion with purpose, Sybrin is the tech company to make finance accessible, and inclusive, accelerating Africa’s digital transformation one customer at a time.

“From a financial industry perspective, our purpose at Sybrin is to contribute to financial inclusion across the continent. We’re looking for ways to make it easier, cheaper and safer,” continues Mare.

MAKING WAVES

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The advent of globalisation and digitisation has placed businesses under increasing pressure to do more, with less.

“We are witnessing an information technology renaissance in Africa, and I am excited to play my part.”

The opening words of Marius Mare, Group CEO of digital finance superstar Sybrin, encapsulate the dynamism and force of digitalisation as it makes waves across the continent.

For Mare, it is the social currency that technology carries, and its power

to bring about positive societal change, that drew him to the industry.

Indeed, this personal mission resonates entirely with Sybrin’s own raison d’être, which has driven the company’s operations for over 30 years.

“Digital transformation is a subject that deeply resonates with me, not only as the Group CEO of a tech company, but also in its ability to bring about positive change on our continent.

“It is at the very core of Sybrin’s mission statement for its purpose and

Since inception, Sybrin has continued to cement an expansive footprint in line with consumer shifts in the digital realm.

“We are currently seeing a significant increase in the number of digitisation initiatives – driven by key factors such as increased demand from customers to interact digitally with their service providers, an increase in regulatory requirements, an explosion of cybercrime, and the need to shift cost-to-income ratios,” Mare explains.

As the company expands to accommodate a burgeoning digital appetite, it has recorded a consistent growth rate of over 30 percent yearon-year and has accumulated over 250 employees along the way.

“We are rapidly expanding to best serve our growing customer base,” he adds.

The company’s portfolio encompasses clearing and payments, account opening, digital identity, anti-money laundering, risk rating, and business digitisation solutions.

All Sybrin offerings are developed on a modern Rapid Application Development (RAD) platform, allowing customers flexibility to adapt and evolve their services in a configurable fashion. In addition to software solutions, the company also offers system integration and solution support services throughout Africa Outlook issue 96 | 111

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SYBRIN TECHNOLOGY

15 countries spanning both Africa and Southeast Asia.

“Today, businesses need to be leaner and smarter - and are expected to fulfil their customers’ requests instantly; we can help them achieve this in an easier and more affordable way.”

To date, Sybrin has sold more than 800 systems across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. Its solutions are

currently deployed in 20 countries worldwide with active expansion into new territories top of the agenda. But despite this international presence, Africa remains the company’s true heartland.

“A major differentiator is the fact that our solutions are developed here in Africa, so we understand the local market’s needs. Our regional in-country support teams provide services in the language and culture of our customers.”

A LEGACY OF INNOVATION On the African digital landscape, Sybrin has established a reputation as an industry innovator, bolstered by its decades of experience in the sector.

WO R L D P R E S C E N C E

AFRICA OUTLOOK: WHAT MAJOR PROJECTS ARE SYBRIN CURRENTLY WORKING ON? MARIUS MARE, GROUP CEO: “To mention just a few, we are working with the government authorities within some of our regions to establish the concept of “Decentralised- or Self Sovereign Identity”. In short, this means that everyone’s identity is managed in the blockchain using various credentials - and the ultimate benefit to each citizen is that they own their identity and thus mitigate the need for repetitive Know-Your-Customer (KYC) processes.

“Elsewhere, we are working with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to create an open-source Transaction Fraud Monitoring solution which will be key in governing mobile person-to-person (P2P) money transfers. These solutions are aimed at creating financial inclusion across all developing countries.”

114 | Africa Outlook issue 96

“We are one of the pioneers of digital finance on the continent, having implemented the first cheque truncation system in Africa,” Mare tells us proudly.

“Sybrin has invested significantly over the last few years in innovating our offerings.”

The latest move in this area is embodied by Sybrin’s foray into passive biometric liveness detection, which is currently being trialled on smartphones.

“This is a very exciting development here at Sybrin,” says Mare. “We are proud to say that our Liveness Detection solution underwent rigorous testing, by an accredited FIDO Alliance Lab, to conform to

The BancX Partnership Programme Our partner programme is tiered depending on the level of involvement. We work with a variety of businesses that cover referrals, resellers, distributors, implementation partners, and professional services.

In tandem with your team, we’ll engage your client to deliver business results through our flexible financial services platform, backed by professional services and support teams.

Delivering on our promise to customers through collaboration with partners drives our mutual success.

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Marius Maré, CEO of Sybrin weighs in on the partnership with BancX: “As the financial services landscape evolves further into digital banking and software-as-a-service with Sybrin as a major player in Africa, we have selected a number of specialised partners who are leaders in their respective fields to deliver value to our customers. BancX, whose offering covers both SaaS and BaaS, has proven an excellent fit for us in the FinTech space.”

Fund* goes live in record time The Fund is a collaboration between several multinational manufacturers in South Africa. It aims to facilitate transformation across a particular sector’s value chain by providing access to developmental funding, market access, and capacity development for qualifying black-owned entities.

The Fund needed to, very quickly, put a loan origination and management system in place in order to start distributing loans.

* Client details withheld for compliance reasons

Find out more about the BancX partnership programme and how we can grow together.

Contact info@bancx.com

In response, Sybrin called on BancX to provide a “fast start” implementation of its financial services platform. The fast start comprises a front end with pre-configured user journeys that connect to the microservices backend.

The system went live in 2 weeks, giving the Fund a fully functional, cloud-based platform to create and manage loans in record time.

The Fund continues to grow off of the foundational BancX platform in its pursuit of operational excellence.

SYBRIN TECHNOLOGY

D I G I TA L E M P I R E

ISO/IEC 30107-3 and meet globally recognised performance standards for biometric recognition. Our solution successfully passed the tests by detecting level A and B attacks from 10 Presentation Attack Instruments (PAIs), including paper masks, reconstructed faces on busts, videos, live persons, and more.

“Our combined use of image processing techniques and neural networks for passive liveness detection allows us to return a result in less than half a second using only a selfie, resulting in a frictionless user experience.”

This latest venture is set to open doors for various industries, including finance, insurance, telecommunications, crypto, travel, marketplaces, vehicle rental, gaming, and esports to name but a few.

But progress doesn’t stop there.

In a world where digitisation is accelerating rapidly whilst facing a shortage of developers, continual innovation is essential. Sybrin’s RAD platform in this fast-paced realm is instrumental, by increasing 116 | Africa Outlook issue 96

speed-to-market by up to five times.

“As a software solutions provider, we need to keep innovating and provide our markets with solutions that are relevant in the everchanging business and technology environments.

“From a business perspective, we are obviously seeing the need to digitise - this then automatically creates the requirement for solutions such as digital identity, regulatory technologies, onboarding, etc. From a technology perspective, we need to keep abreast of advances such as cloud, blockchain, and RAD.”

FUTURE SYNERGY For the immediate future, Sybrin’s priorities are clear in the rollout of its innovative products that harness the capabilities of modern technology and deliver it to the masses.

“Over the next 12 to 18 months, a key objective of ours is to enable our customers to take advantage of these solutions in their own digitisation journeys. We are also expanding into new markets which will require

significant attention.

“In addition, our new owners also provide new synergies that need to be explored over the next 12 months.”

As the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) revolution continues to run its course, this endless excitement, passion for the limitless potential of technology and its power in furthering society whilst levelling the playing field, will continue to propel both Mare, and by default, Sybrin, long into the future.

“I was very excited to join Sybrin and be given the opportunity to contribute to 4IR on the African continent.”

On Africa’s digital journey, Sybrin stands as a partner of choice.

SYBRIN Tel: +27 11 367 6900 sales@sybrin.com marketing@sybrin.com www.sybrin.com

SYBRIN TECHNOLOGY

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Africa Outlook issue 96 | 117

MOBILISING

FOR THE FUTURE Nigeria’s telecommunications industry is flourishing through innovation and dedication to its customers. Jurgen Peschel, CEO at 9mobile, details his experience Writer: Ed Budds | Project Manager: Josh Hyland 118 | Africa Outlook issue 96

9MOBILE TECHNOLOGY

A

fter completing his studies and academic graduation in 1995, Jurgen Peschel, CEO of 9mobile, dived straight into the world of telecommunications.

He anticipated the impending change in how the industry was set to develop societies through new services, meaning freedom for

people and endless opportunities for businesses.

Additionally, having taken part in launching the prepaid telecoms boom, the revolutionary step of mobile technology into the mass market, and laying fibre in many countries and under the oceans, Peschel has remained firmly at the

forefront of new developments in telecoms.

“This is what creates my fascination for telecommunications. The change in societies and the accelerating momentum of developing economies are exponential due to the innovation telecommunications has delivered,” explains Peschel.

Africa Outlook issue 96 | 119

9MOBILE TECHNOLOGY

Nigeria is Africa’s number one economy and has one of the fastest growing populations. Being relatively well-developed with sufficient capital, the Nigerian telecoms industry is wellregulated with experienced network operators, seeing all companies competing in a relatively open and unrestricted market. 9mobile is the fourth and final entrant in the Global System for Mobiles (GSM) voice and data spectrum of the sector.

“To have come in at the time we did about 14 years ago, with three other players who were already well established and still achieve significant success in terms of market share capture, has been one of the most remarkable entry success stories of the global telecoms industry,” states Peschel.

9mobile credits this success to the nature of the Nigerian people as a very dynamic group who are always

open to rewarding innovative service offerings. Since first joining as CTO and subsequently rising to CEO, Peschel has observed clearly that the only way to survive and thrive in the Nigerian market is to stay on the cutting edge of innovation, which continues to spearhead 9mobile’s winning strategy.

Being a data-centric operator, one of the strongest brand appeals of 9mobile is reliable, quality data strength.

“We were the only network that was 4G ready, which was why the launch of our 4G LTE service in Nigeria was seamless,” Peschel tells us.

EXPANSION AND ATTENTION TO DETAIL Around two thirds of Nigeria’s population are young people aged between 15 and 35, forming the largest customer base in the

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telecoms sector, and Peschel aims to offer innovative and breakthrough products to this key demographic.

“Since coming on board as CEO, my objective has been to create that enabling space for our people to unleash their creative potential, which translates into viable products that we can offer to the market, whether as entirely new offerings or as revamps of existing ones,” explains Peschel.

With 13 million customers across all 36 states of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and with over 2,000 employees working across the various segments and channels of the organisation nationwide, 9mobile’s blossoming business is built around three critical pillars: quality of service, innovation, and exceptional customer experience.

For 9mobile, retail is not part of sales but instead falls under the umbrella of care, with each customer remaining important regardless of revenue.

120 | Africa Outlook issue 96

9MOBILE TECHNOLOGY

Creating an enabling environment.

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CONNECTING AFRICA Anchor Telecoms is an engineering service comapny that supports the telecommunications industry within Nigeria and the African continent with products and services of the highest international standards, partnering with renowned telecommuniction operators and original equipment manufacturers from around the world.

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Africa Outlook issue 96 | 121

9MOBILE TECHNOLOGY

“I follow up on customer complaints and so do my leadership team. This dedication to listening and committing to resolve issues allows us to stand out from the competition,” adds Peschel.

“Each customer care agent takes every call personally and pursues its resolution with direct feedback to the affected subscriber. We are accessible via all channels, and we spend time in our experience centres to attend and understand the needs of our clients.”

9mobile continues to drive major initiatives promoted and supported by the Federal Government of Nigeria to promote digital inclusion for the Nigerian people. One such project is the rural telephony, which aims to deliver mobile networks and services into remote rural and untapped areas of the country. With the support of international networks and solution providers, connectivity is being established in remote areas, but equally, services are being deployed to allow people access to affordable

devices with data capabilities.

9mobile is deploying the National ID services to millions of Nigerians who are not registered, enabling people to access an increasingly growing suite of services including enrolment in education, opening bank accounts, registering for pension accounts, or accessing electoral services.

“We are the exclusive partner for the government in this regard and remain instrumental in driving the further development of Nigeria into a modern and inclusive society, leaving no one behind,” Peschel tells us.

9mobile is in the process of renovating and overhauling the company’s entire network, with special focus on renewable energy and carbon footprint, such as the migration to gas generators from diesel.

“In our data centres, we have just completed the modernisation from legacy diesel technology into using liquified natural gas (LNG), which produces much lower emissions and

AFRICA OUTLOOK: HOW BRIGHT IS THE FUTURE OF TELECOMS IN NIGERIA? JURGEN PESCHEL, CEO: “We are excited about the future

Western Buckland Nigeria Limited Founded in 2010, Western Buckland Nigeria Limited is laced with an assemblage of local and seasoned high profiled professionals with vast experience and skills at providing superior service and business-valued technology solutions.

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exhausts much less carbon dioxide.

With the modernisation of all our diesel engines on remote sites into hybrid, we have deployed solar technology and lithium batteries,” explains Peschel.

of broadband in Nigeria. We have seen much progress with respect to articulating frameworks that will help drive the growth of broadband, having seen the benefits that broadband penetration has created for economic growth, improving productivity, accelerating innovation, and providing opportunities for new products and services.

“From my interactions with critical stakeholders, I have seen a commitment to the growth of the telecoms and technology sectors of the country. There is a desire to create a level playing field for all the players and ambitious initiatives that will bolster the industry, such as the National Broadband Plan and the National Digital Economic Policy (NDEP) of the Federal Government, which ensures that Nigeria is at the forefront of the latest technology that drives growth across all sectors.

“This is a well-regulated market with mature network operators, and the potential to contribute to the nation’s development is taken with great seriousness. We can see the importance of this sector to the nation through the recent report on the contribution of telecommunications to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which reached 14.3 percent.”

122 | Africa Outlook issue 96

INVESTING IN TEAMWORK 9mobile possesses a highly committed, high-performing team whose drive and determination form the key foundations of the organisation.

“The sheer enthusiasm of the team here, the talent and passion our people show for the business, make it an absolute pleasure to work with and lead as CEO, and this translates to a real capacity to deliver on our brand promise,” Peschel acclaims.

In reciprocating these vital attributes, 9mobile invests purposefully in its personnel through training and retraining, to ensure that everyone has the proper tools and equipment to contribute effectively to the overall business goals, while also running a

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Africa Outlook issue 96 | 123

9MOBILE TECHNOLOGY

“In the area of education, we are currently on a drive to train 1,000 youths in Kano State, northwest of Nigeria, with specialised vocational skills under the 9mobile-sponsored Digital Jobs and Entrepreneurship initiative,” outlines Peschel.

Going forward, 9mobile remains determined to stay true to the company’s core promises of quality of service, innovation, and superior customer experience for all subscribers. The aim is to further improve its impact from the

124 | Africa Outlook issue 96

African brands need world class branding and advertising but also need to resonate with African customers. That is what led Seven Brands CEO, Jasmine Montgomery to set up an agency that combines London calibre strategy and creativity with a passion for Africa.

Seven Brands is an international marketing consultancy specialising in high growth markets across Africa, Asia and The Middle East.

Although the HQ is in London, the London team don’t work on London clients. They work on African clients, bringing international calibre strategy and creative conceptual work to Africa.

coaching plan that ties into succession planning for every individual role. This way, everyone in the company knows the potential they can aspire to reach.

“We ensure everybody is brought on board to feel a sense of belonging and be personally invested in the company’s goals and vision, whether you work in the call centre, the front desk, or right through to the executive management team,” notes Peschel.

9mobile’s considered approach towards corporate social respon-

sibility (CSR) is anchored on three strategic pillars of health, education, and the environment. Adding to the company’s legacy Telecommunication Engineering Postgraduate Programme and the Pan-Africa Prize for Literature, 9mobile has recently commenced a masterclass training initiative for teachers in different states in the country.

Seven Brands

Their stated ambition is to help put Middle Eastern, African & Asian brands onto the list of top one hundred global brands.

products and services offered to improve lives across Nigeria. 9mobile plans to continue investing in new infrastructure, network upgrades, enhanced products, and services that will enable the provision of excellent services for subscribers.

“To date, Nigeria is the 54th market I worked for within the telecommunications space, and it is an ever-fascinating industry that is far from reaching its end. There will be much more digitisation ahead for us, fuelled by more innovations including 5G, which telecommunications will deliver and further enhance everyone’s lives,” concludes Peschel.

9MOBILE pr@9mobile.com.ng 9mobile.com.ng

Seven specialises in creating, marketing, communicating implementing and managing international brands that appeal to multicultural audiences and consumers, bringing international insight, local understanding and on the ground technical expertise to help empower the next generation of international power brands.

Perhaps Seven’s most impressive achievement was developing the Zain brand into a brand worth over $2billion over ten years. Their work involves making global brands local and local brands global. They work with international brands such as Coca-Cola, Mercedes and Jeep on the localisation of their brands for consumers in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. And they work with local companies in Africa such as Safaricom, Aluko Oyebode, Elbbin & Nibble, Azeu Cinemas and 9 Mobile, giving them world class brands.

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9MOBILE TECHNOLOGY

Outlook Creative Services

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

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Africa Outlook issue 96 | 125

ORANGE SIERRA LEONE TECHNOLOGY

BRIGHT TELECOMS We peel back the layers of Orange Sierra Leone, as it builds on the strong sub-Saharan presence of one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators Writer: Jack Salter | Project Manager: Josh Hyland

S

ierra Leone has significant potential for growth in mobile services.

Home to almost eight million people, Sierra Leone has a considerable mobile penetration rate of around 50 percent of the population.

Driving an unrivalled customer experience in the West African nation is Orange Sierra Leone (Orange SL).

Orange is one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators, present in 26 countries with 253 million customers worldwide given the keys to a responsible digital world.

Launched in October 2017, Orange SL has a total of 50 million customers across 16 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, strengthening the Orange brand’s strategic position on the continent.

The launch of Orange SL followed the acquisition and rebranding of Airtel Sierra Leone, then the country’s leading mobile operator with over 1.3 million customers at the time.

As a result of the rebrand, Orange

SL ranks as one of the world’s most powerful brands, and benefits from being aligned with a large international group. Indeed, as part of Orange, the company gains access to the group’s expertise, technical knowhow, and an extensive product and service portfolio.

PROGRESSIVE INVESTMENT Within just over a year of the acquisition, US $33 million had already been invested into Orange SL, which earlier disclosed a modernisation and expansion plan to enhance the reliability, coverage and quality of its network, voice and data services.

A global operator on a local scale, Orange is committed to improving the quality and availability of its services by venturing into untapped and underserved geographical areas, offering Sierra Leoneans the innovations that the group is delivering elsewhere.

Orange SL also relieves companies from their communication burdens, Africa Outlook issue 96 | 127

ORANGE SIERRA LEONE TECHNOLOGY

and gives them ample time to focus on their core business. Orange Business Services is a dedicated department that provides global IT and telecommunications services, that support both local and multinational companies, local government bodies, and public sector organisations in every aspect of their

ABOUT ORANGE A leading network operator for mobile, broadband internet, and fixed line telecommunications in 26 countries, Orange’s enterprise IT and communications services extend to more than 200 countries and territories.

Orange has a rich 40-year heritage of improving the world of communications through high-performing infrastructure and innovative services that have marked the history of telecommunications, from the first telematics services in France during the 1980s, to today’s NFC, cloud, 4G, fibre, and IPTV services that it is launching on a global scale.

Throughout this period of international and technological progress, Orange’s role has been to help customers communicate, interact and collaborate more.

Orange can be a powerful and positive agent for change, and that’s why its investments go beyond high performing networks, and into the products and services that make life easier for customers.

Orange aims to become the leading operator by investing in tomorrow’s networks, driving continuous innovation through cooperation with other players in the ecosystem, and leveraging its quality of service and expertise.

128 | Africa Outlook issue 96

communications.

Today, Orange SL is the nation’s leading telco, and with significant investments made to extend the Orange group’s 3G network, full 3G coverage is now offered by the company in Sierra Leone. The network offers strong coverage in the capital, Freetown, and other major towns in Sierra Leone, as well as providing internet access to customers living outside of urban strongholds; thus, Orange SL is proud to be the only mobile operator that is present in almost every village, town or city in the country.

The construction of a new data centre in Bo, meanwhile, is the first such facility to be built in the city, as Orange SL leads the way to provide quality data and network services to be enjoyed by the people of Bo. Orange SL has also progressively deployed 4G, allowing customers to experience better streaming, faster downloads, quicker browsing, as well as greater capacity to send and receive big files.

As part of Orange SL’s promise to bring the best connectivity to Sierra Leone, the company has gone one step further with the launch of 4G+.

At 10 times faster than the speed of 4G, customers can experience even quicker browsing, streaming and downloading speeds like never before.

Computer Shop Situated in the heart of Freetown, Sierra Leone, Computer Shop Limited is a multinational Information Technology Enterprise offering a wide gamut of technological services.

Although located in the heart of Freetown, Sierra Leone, Computer Shop Limited operates throughout West and Central Africa.

Since the company’s foundation in 2002, Computer Shop Limited has been proven beyond all reasonable doubt as a force to be reckoned with in Africa’s Information Technology sector. The business was established

by Mr. Kassem Wahab, after founding Computer Shop Limited’s Head Office in Sierra Leone at the junction of Howe Street and Lightfoot Boston Street in Freetown.

For all your Information Technology business needs, Computer Shop Limited has the answer.

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SECURE MOBILE BANKING With 5G now on the horizon, investments planned in the coming years will enable Sierra Leonean customers to take advantage of the group’s expertise and momentum in terms of innovation and the development of the digital ecosystem.

As well as the imminence of 5G coverage in Sierra Leone, further mobile money projects and investments are planned by Orange SL. Orange Money is the company’s innovative, mobile phone-based payment system that allows users to

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COMPUTER IT FOR EVERYONE

SHOP

Computer Shop is a multinational Information Technology Enterprise operating mainly in West Africa and Central Africa.

Our head office in Sierra Leone was established in 2002 by Mr. Kassem Wahab, since its establishment in Sierra Leone, has proven beyond all reasonable doubts to be a formidable force to reckon with in the Information Technology business.

13 Lightfoot Boston Street, Sierra Leone, Freetown

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ORANGE SIERRA LEONE TECHNOLOGY

carry out simple banking operations and transactions in total security, and does not require a bank account.

Customers can deposit into and withdraw from an Orange Money account, transfer money from person to person in Sierra Leone, buy Orange airtime for voice calls and data bundles for internet browsing, pay for goods and services from utility companies and service providers, and perform mobile banking transactions.

The payment system was developed by Orange and conforms to worldwide security standards and protocols. It has undergone thorough risk analysis and audits by external parties, to ensure that Orange Money security meets international mobile banking norms.

Built-in protections include a strict policy on anti-money laundering, Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures and transaction monitoring, PIN-protected transactions, and in the event that a phone is lost or stolen, money can only be recovered upon replacement of the SIM card which requires the physical presence of the owners and proof of identification.

Orange Money is developed in partnership with commercial banks in Sierra Leone, who work with Orange to ensure adherence to controls, the security of transactions, and compliance with Bank of Sierra Leone regulations.

Loans can also be accessed via Orange Money accounts. Orange Money Lajor is a small loan service that allowed fully KYCed and active Orange Money users to be able to access loans using a mobile phone.

The loan is available 24 hours a day, as long as loanees have qualified to take it.

BRIDGING THE DIVIDE The launch of the Orange brand in Sierra Leone confirms the group’s confidence in the country’s ongoing economic recovery, and its wider 130 | Africa Outlook issue 96

commitment to bringing the benefits of new digital services and creating value for all the regions it serves.

Orange SL promises to meet the emerging needs of customers with innovative, affordable and relevant solutions that will empower consumers, give them the freedom to do as they choose, and provide them with the digital tools to meet life’s daily challenges.

Digital technology is Orange’s core business, to give everyone the means to communicate, support business growth and innovation, make it easier for customers to access mobile finance, and protect their digital life, while bringing them information, education, culture and entertainment.

Orange SL also remains committed to taking the group’s network and services deeper into the country, right up to the doorsteps of each and every Sierra Leonean, with the aim of bridging the domestic digital divide.

Indeed, as a committed operator, Orange contributes to the objectives of sustainable development, and is making digital equality a priority by improving population connectivity and sharing essential digital knowledge. Orange is making sure its digital services are useful and accessible to everyone, whilst doing everything it can to be an attractive and responsible employer.

Orange SL has also broken ground on the construction of an early childhood pre-school in Lokomasama.

The proposed pre-school is a multipurpose facility, just like any other early childhood education centre in Freetown, in a bid to create the literacy foundation of kids in the community.

With the support of the Orange group, Orange SL can truly deliver on these commitments; in doing so, the company will continue to win the hearts and minds of customers in Sierra Leone, and Orange will emerge as one of the most admired brands in the country.

Betelcom “ OUR VISION IS TO BE THE MOST TRUSTED PARTNER FOR OUR CLIENTS BY CONSISTENTLY DELIVERING SPEED AND QUALITY SERVICES TOGETHER WITH CUTTING EDGE EXPERTISE AND SKILLS OF OUR PEOPLE FROM ACROSS OUR GLOBAL NETWORK.” Who we are?

Betelcom means excellence in delivering high quality products, services and value for our customers.

We bring a broad perspective along with in-depth knowledge of a vast array of our work. We deliver real results, focusing on strategic and practical actions tailored for our clients.

Our Reputation lies in building lasting relationships with our clients and focus on delivering value in what we do.

Let Betelcom apply its professional capabilities to your business.

Betelcom offers Civil work services for telecom’s infrastructure, build and supply Greenfield as well as rooftop towers and logistical support.

Betelcom has a wide range of expertise and can help with towers and equipment’s to fit your development needs.

www.groupebetelcom.com

Speed & Quality Telecommunication Infrastructure and Network Development company in Sierra Leone BETELCOM was created on May 23, 2013 in Conakry, specializing in the deployment of Telecommunications Networks.

The dynamism of our technical teams supported by experienced leaders has imposed us on the telecommunications services market.

The quality of our works in terms of the supply and installation of Pylons is no longer to be demonstrated.

Guinea • Sierra Leone • Mali • Niger • Senegal 3 Carlton Carew Road, Off Wilkinson Road, Freetown, Sierra Leone Telephone: (+224) 622 81 54 59 Email: info@groupebetelcom.com www.groupebetelcom.com

ELECTRICITY GENERATION COMPANY MALAWI (EGENCO) ENERGY & UTILITIES

R E VO L U T I O N I S I N G M A L AW I ’ S E N E R GY S E C TO R EGENCO is working towards a bright future in sustainable power supply. We speak to William Liabunya, CEO, who tells us more about the landscape of energy production for the nation Writer: Ed Budds | Project Manager: Joshua Mann

132 | Africa Outlook issue 96

E

lectricity Generation Company Malawi (EGENCO) is making huge strides towards a better, more sustainable future in Malawi’s energy sector. The company is currently playing a leading role in expanding the nation’s electricity generation capacity, through a range of exciting and ambitious projects.

We take a detailed look at achieving sustainability, key priorities for 2022, and overcoming the many challenges faced in the energy sector such as the destruction of power plants caused by several brutal cyclone disasters.

After graduating from the University of Malawi in 1993, William Liabunya joined the Ministry of Energy and Mining for six years, before moving to the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM), the state-owned utility that at that time oversaw generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity in Malawi. From a maintenance engineer, he then rose swiftly through the ranks to become a Power Station Manager. When The Electricity Act was amended to allow for more players in the energy industry, which Africa Outlook issue 96 | 133

ELECTRICITY GENERATION COMPANY MALAWI (EGENCO) ENERGY & UTILITIES

also resulted in EGENCO being responsible for power generation, he was appointed CEO for the company in January 2017. He now draws on 29 years of varied engineering experience, 24 of which came in the electricity industry.

Liabunya tells us that, “Malawi has fallen behind in power generation with one of the lowest electrification rates in Africa for a long time,” and he therefore channels this into the source of his motivation, especially as he has been given the opportunity to be central to future electricity generation development.

He further tells us, “I am excited to help increase capacity in the country and witness the sustainability of our generation.

“There is much more that we can do as a nation to ensure that we are adequately supplied with power.

EGENCO was an opportunity to fulfil

a personal ambition and revolutionise Malawi’s energy sector for the benefit of its people and economy. “ Liabunya firmly believes the current state of the energy sector in Malawi is both exciting and challenging. On the positive front, it is compelling because the government has opened the industry so that independent power producers (IPPs) can now sell to Single Buyers and to ESCOM, which is responsible for just transmission and distribution. EGENCO, while still government-owned, is one of these new entities able to sell power to the grid. The competition in general is excellent for national development.

On the other hand, EGENCO is still unable to generate enough power to meet the growing demand. The main source of power is hydro (90 percent) and has been severely affected by climatic change, as the rainfall pattern in the country has been severely

EGENCO - UPCOMING PROJECTS There are many projects that are under implementation, as follows: KAPICHIRA DREDGING –The project has helped EGENCO reclaim lost active water reservoir capacity at Kapichira Hydro Power Station.

NKULA CAPITAL DREDGING - EGENCO also engaged Motal Engil to carry out capital dredging at Nkula power station pond. This has helped in claiming the lost active storage at the dam due to heavy siltation.

KAMMWAMBA COAL-FIRED PROJECT - In line with the strategic direction of diversifying power sources, the company embarked on the Kammwamba coal-fired power plant project, envisaged to increase the baseload.

WOVWE EXPANSION - A feasibility study to investigate the flow of Wovwe River and validate the possibility of adding more units at existing power stations.

Aquarius Systems The diversity among African countries is immense, from climate to culture to natural resources. But one element that all African countries have in common is the challenge of water management. The challenges can range anywhere from water scarcity to catastrophic flooding.

Another common element is how land use affects African lakes, rivers and reservoirs. Human activities on land directly impact the waterways by feeding sediments, nutrients and pollutants into the system. These inputs change the natural conditions of the waterway, resulting in a variety of issues.

One problem in African waterways is caused by the presence of too many nutrients. The nutrients can fuel explosive growth of invasive aquatic plants. Infestations of nonnative weeds, like the floating water hyacinth, can impact navigation, fishing, and hydropower production.

In arid regions, water hyacinth contributes to water scarcity as well.

It happens through a process called evapotranspiration, whereby the plant vaporises the surface water and transfers it into the atmosphere.

For 30 years Aquarius Systems has been expertly assisting African water managers to confront aquatic weed infestations. Customers from Cote D’Ivoire to Malawi to Kenya have successfully used our Aquatic Vegetation Shredders, Aquatic Plant Harvesters, and support equipment to manage and restore their waterways to usable condition. Aquarius Systems understands the aquatic environments across Africa and provides water managers with the solutions they require.

SALIMA SOLAR - A project for solar in Salima. On 28th October 2021 EGENCO signed a contract with a Chinese firm called Chint Electric to develop the first 10 MW of the scalable 50 MW project which will have battery storage capacity.

350MW MPATAMANGA PROJECT - EGENCO is one of the investment participants in the Mpatamanga project. This is a 350MW hydropower plant.

50MW COMBINED CYCLE GAS TURBINE - EGENCO is conducting a feasibility study for the Development of a 50MW Combined Cycle Gas Turbine, which would diversify the energy mix.

www.aquarius-systems.com

134 | Africa Outlook issue 96

Restoring Lakes, Rivers & Reservoirs to a Clean and Usable Condition Manufacturers of Surface Water Management Equipment • Aquatic Weed Harvesters • Aquatic Vegetation Shredders

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Macsteel Malawi Ltd Macsteel Malawi Ltd exists to supply quality steel, wire, fencing, engineering and roofing products to the construction industry.

Established in 1966, Macsteel Malawi is owned 50-50 by Press Corporation Ltd and Macsteel Group South Africa. Macsteel Malawi is the largest and leading manufacturer of wire products & roofing sheets, and the biggest distributor of reinforcing steel in Malawi.

Kapichira dam before Cyclona Ana damage

Amongst the big steel distribution projects recently supplied, is none other than 3,500 tons of steel for the magnificent EGENCO plant at Tedzani. At Macsteel, we take pride in our superior product quality, range and our efficient service delivery at all times.

www.macsteelmw.com

Damaged Kapichira Dam after Cyclone Ana

declining in recent years. In addition, lately Malawi has been battling cyclones that are affecting power generation because of flash floods that resulted in the destruction of key power infrastructure in both 2019 and 2022. Liabunya adds that, “this year in fact has been the worst because as we speak, we have lost Kapichira Power Station which is responsible for 30 percent of our installed capacity resulting in the country experiencing damaging load shedding.”

Starting its full-scale operations on 1st January 2017, EGENCO emerged as a result of the unbundling of ESCOM, as part of the Power Sector Reform Programme. Owned by the Government of Malawi with shareholding by the Secretary to Treasury and Secretary to President and Cabinet, the company is the leading power producer in Malawi, with an installed capacity of 442.85 megawatts (MW). The mandate is to both generate and sell power 136 | Africa Outlook issue 96

predominantly to the single buyer.

Liabunya believes strongly that the biggest difference separating EGENCO from the competition and the other IPPs joining the industry is that firstly; they are a government owned company. This means operating the power plant with the aim of serving the Malawi nation and contributing to the economy of the country. Secondly, EGENCO is different because of a vast experience in running power stations, more specifically the hydro stations. He explains how, “our approach to business also sets us apart because we are results oriented and we want to generate power for the people now, whilst also looking at the future.”

Sustainability is evidently at the core of the business. For example, while other competitors in the industry are installing power plants without battery backup, EGENCO’s solar plants have battery backup to ensure that the nation’s grid system

Amotech Africa The Amotech Africa and EGENCO partnership was forged in 2017. We have, for the last five years, seen EGENCO’s willingness to invest in quality test and measurement solutions.

Amotech Africa is proud to have enabled EGENCO to safeguard its assets and enhance safety in the workplace. Through continuous training and technical support we believe we will empower the EGENCO team to deliver on their mandate of generating power for generations.

Congratulations for the milestones achieved so far. As a partner we believe we have only scratched the surface and look forward to a continued collaborative partnership with EGENCO.

T +254 709 223 344 E info@amotechafrica.com www.amotechafrica.com

ELECTRICITY GENERATION COMPANY MALAWI (EGENCO) ENERGY & UTILITIES

M AL AW I

BUILD ON OUR STRENGTH Macsteel Malawi Limited, the most reliable supplier of high quality Steel, Roofing, Fencing and Engineering Products.

Head office Raynor avenue, Limbe, Malawi P.O.BOX 5651, Limbe T 0888 960 003 /004 E steel@macsteelmw.com

Regional office Lilongwe, Kanengo T 0885 995 001 /165 E kanengo@macsteelmw.com

www.macsteelmw.com

Follow us:

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Reliable Assets. Safe Environment.

Amotech Africa is the leading test and measurement solutions provider in the region. We offer a variety of premium solutions tailored to the unique needs of our clients, technical training, technical support services, instrument calibration and repair services. Our solutions cut across various industries. With the right skillset and a deep understanding of the African landscape we guide our clients on the most ideal solutions that best fit their needs within the environment that they operate in. We believe in fostering long-term partnerships with every client to ensure they get maximum value from their investment.

With our headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya we have a presence in Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi, Malawi, Zambia, Ethiopia, Sudan and Congo. +254 709 223 344 info@amotechafrica.com

www.amotechafrica.com

Africa Outlook issue 96 | 137

ELECTRICITY GENERATION COMPANY MALAWI (EGENCO) ENERGY & UTILITIES

NICO General NICO General has played a pivotal role in securing risks of EGENCO through tailor made Insurance policies that have mitigated its risk and hence allowed the energy giant to focus on its long-term plan of doubling electricity generation within the next 10 years.

Over the past 50 years, the group has been a key partner of energy production and supply by providing various financial solutions to aide in the growth and development of the sector.

From the establishment of EGENCO as a stand-alone entity in 2017 NICO is proud to have been part of this landmark transition, which has seen energy generation growing from 364MW to 442MW in the last five years.

www.nicomw.com Rehabilitated Nkula A Power Plants

is stable and is operated without disturbances. “Our competitors are investing in quick fix solutions like solar and diesel plants, while our main power source is hydro which is base load.”

There are several ongoing projects as part of a strategic plan, aiming to double power generation in Malawi by 2033, providing a road map to guide all work. The strategic plan is in tandem with the National Energy Policy of 2016 and the Integrated Resource Plan of 2017.

EGENCO has also built up an impressive list of completed projects in recent times. “We completed the dredging project (removing of silt from the dam), expansion and river training (diverting a river that was bringing silt and trash at the pond) at Tedzani power station. The project started in September 2018 and was completed in 2020 taking a total of 18 months. The lost live storage capacity of the dam due to siltation was 138 | Africa Outlook issue 96

“ T H E C O M P A N Y I S C R E AT I N G A B E T T E R T O M O R R O W F O R M A L AW I T H R O U G H I M P L E M E N TAT I O N O F S U S TA I N A B L E E L E C T R I C I T Y P R O J E C T S F O R T H E N AT I O N ” – W I L L I A M L I A B U N YA , C E O , E G E N C O

reclaimed. The expansion of the dam and the reclaimed capacity means that we can keep more water at the pond. This means that we can run the machines at full capacity for longer hours during peak periods resulting in increased capacity.”

There is also Tedzani III. “This project was about rehabilitation, modernisation and uprating Tedzani III. The project has made the machines more efficient and more reliable and has added 10MW to the national grid.”

And a final example is Kanengo Diesel Phase II. “This scheme was part of the peaking plant project and was completed having added new diesel

generators. It was commissioned in December 2019 and has so far added 10 MW to the grid.”

Projects aside, Liabunya believes the most important development is the entrance of EGENCO on the power market in Malawi, which has significantly contributed to the end of power load shedding in the country.

A further accomplishment worth noting is that the company has for the first time managed to bring total electricity to the islands of Likoma and Chizumulu after 19 years of unreliable power generation and supply on these two major tourist attractions.

A vital component of running a

ELECTRICITY GENERATION COMPANY MALAWI (EGENCO) ENERGY & UTILITIES

The natural way to transport goods to and from Malawi

combine@combinecargo.mw

www.combinecargo.mw Combine Cargo Malawi Ltd Nkula A Power Station - One of EGENCO’s hydro power stations

@combinecargomw_ltd

Africa Outlook issue 96 | 139

Likoma solar power plant

“ O U R M O T T O ‘ G E N E R AT I N G P O W E R F O R G E N E R AT I O N S ’ I S A K E Y D R I V E R T O OUR DECISION MAKING IN BUSINESS M A N A G E M E N T T H AT O U R I N V E S T M E N T M U S T B E S U S TA I N A B L E F O R G E N E R AT I O N S T O COME” – W I L L I A M L I A B U N YA , C E O , E G E N C O Done Deal - Liabunya and Dennis Chu Liang of CHINT Group sign a contract for a 10MW Solar Power Plant in Salima

successful company is the way in which EGENCO is premised on the principle of equal opportunity, whilst also leveraging diversity and innovative spirit. Regardless of gender, colour, race, religion, or cultural beliefs, everyone has a chance to contribute to the growth of the company and help it achieve its mandate. Secondly, the company believes that innovation is the key 140 | Africa Outlook issue 96

to growing its business. It therefore explores and nurtures ideas capable of improving the ability to generate safe, reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy.

At its core EGENCO believes in efficient and sustainable utilisation of natural resources. Liabunya details how, “while we focus on giving power to the current populations, we also prioritise ensuring that we

utilise the resources so that the future population of Malawi can also use this to power their homes and industries.” The setting up of a gender and social inclusion department two years after initial establishment is a clear testimony to the commitment to diversity shown by EGENCO, as a tool to incorporate success in modern governance systems.

The company is constantly striving

ELECTRICITY GENERATION COMPANY MALAWI (EGENCO) ENERGY & UTILITIES

EGENCO’s diesel power plant in Kanengo, Lilongwe

At work - A dredger dredging at the Kapichira Power Station dam before Cyclone Ana

to create a better tomorrow for Malawi through implementation of sustainable electricity projects for the nation. Liabunya states how, “our motto ‘Generating Power for Generations’ is a key driver to our decision making in business management, and that our investment must be sustainable for coming generations.” With this in mind, the company is implementing projects to ensure that it meets the current demand for electricity in the country, whilst also growing the national capacity so that more households can have access to electricity. The company believes that if it can generate power for over 50 percent of the Malawi population within the next 15 -20 years, the lives of many people

especially in rural areas will improve tremendously. When communities have electricity, it enables numerous opportunities and livelihoods subsequently improve. It will mean people have access to information through internet, radio, TV, and social media, as well as enabling students to study anytime of the day and night without disturbances.

Looking ahead in terms of hitting specific targets for 2022, the company’s top priority is to have Kapichira Power Station, which was brutally ravaged by Cyclone Ana, back online as soon as possible.

Additionally, another major priority is to redesign and reconstruct the existing structure so that it can withstand future cyclones. Most

importantly, they would like to see great progress on two game changing projects, Mpatamanga Hydropower and Kamwamba phased coal fired plants. The phased solar plant at Salima is another milestone the company wants to reach and achieve in the year coming, suggesting an extremely productive and groundbreaking time for EGENCO, as well as a bright future for the power generation sector across Malawi.

ELECTRICITY GENERATION COMPANY MALAWI (EGENCO) Tel: (+265) 01 836 000 egenco@egenco.mw www.egenco.mw Africa Outlook issue 96 | 141

FISH FOR TO DAY For sustainably produced tilapia fish, Yalelo is Uganda’s #1 catch. We speak to the CEO, Piers Mudd, about the fastest growing aquaculture business in Africa Writer: Jack Salter Project Manager: Kyle Livingstone

The Yalelo brand is rapidly becoming a beloved household name in East Africa, known for its superior taste and freshness.”

Loosely translated as ‘for today’ from the Bantu family of languages, Yalelo Uganda (Yalelo) grows fresh, sustainably raised tilapia fish in the clear, open waters of Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest lake by area and the world’s biggest tropical lake.

Tilapia makes an excellent addition to a healthy, balanced diet, as a rich natural source of protein, Omega 3 142 | Africa Outlook issue 96

and calcium whilst being low in fat and cholesterol.

Piers Mudd, CEO of Yalelo and orator of the opening statement, has always been deeply passionate about the aquatic environment, having grown up on a beach in the exotic

climes of the Caribbean.

“My career path came via the military, where I served as an officer for five years and conducted frontline operations in Iraq and Afghanistan before building my own business in the energy industry,” he recalls.

YALELO UGANDA FOOD & DRINK

FirstWave, the largest vertically integrated freshwater aquaculture business in sub-Saharan Africa, has been a true pioneer of scaling aquaculture on the continent. “It is definitely an exciting space to be working in when we are breaking new boundaries on a monthly basis,” Mudd adds.

SCALING OPERATIONS

“I moved into aquaculture following a deep realisation that I just wasn’t passionate about or proud of what I was doing at the time, so I took the decision to switch career and focus on an industry with tremendous opportunity and one that really got

me energised and excited.”

Three years of researching and networking later, Mudd joined Yalelo in August 2019, one of three subsidiaries comprising the FirstWave Group (FirstWave) together with Yalelo Zambia and Aller Aqua Zambia.

Yalelo’s state-of-the-art production facility is situated in Buikwe District, close to the city of Jinja on the shores of Lake Victoria, from which the company dispatches fresh product daily to its growing fleet of retail shops in Kampala and regional customers in Kenya and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The bulk of Yalelo’s sales volume currently trades as ‘whole round’ (unprocessed), however it offers a complementary preparation service through its retail shops in Uganda.

“Our client base spans all generations and demographics as fish is so popular in the region,” notes Mudd.

To capitalise on the tremendous depth of the market, Yalelo is finalising the construction of a fish processing facility at its main production site, set to be complete by April 2022, along with additional hatchery ponds and connection to the national power grid.

Five further commercial premises are currently under construction, three in Kampala and one at each of the respective border points with Kenya and DRC; an exciting step as Yalelo opens up to new territories and continues to expand on its customer reach.

“Completing our fish processing facility will present further significant opportunity to scale our operations in an efficient fashion, whilst creating the conditions to allow for further processed products such as gutted and scaled, filleted and frozen fish,” Mudd outlines.

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YALELO UGANDA FOOD & DRINK

“OUR CLIENT B A S E S PA N S A L L G E N E R AT I O N S A N D DEMOGRAPHICS AS FISH IS SO POPULAR IN THE REGION” – PIERS MUDD, CEO AND M A N AG I N G D I R E C TO R , YA L E L O U G A N D A

“A mains power connection will significantly reduce the cost burdens associated with internal power generation, as well as introduce electricity to the local community for the first time.”

Mudd attributes the rapid rise of Yalelo, whose Ugandan operations only commenced as recently as 2020, in part to the company’s bespoke facilities, designed and built with a myriad of integrated operational efficiencies.

Together with a proven, scalable production system, a company culture with purpose and belief at its core, and a world-class team of passionate, determined and technically competent personnel, Yalelo has subsequently become a market-leading sustainable food producer in Uganda.

With ambitious plans to scale the business to 30,000 tonnes of annual fresh tilapia production within the next five years, belief is strong at Yalelo that extraordinary things can be achieved going forwards.

“The team at Yalelo ceaselessly pushes for progress like no other I have ever worked with. We are incredibly proud to have achieved a potentially world record-beating speed of scale-up for any greenfield 144 | Africa Outlook issue 96

aquaculture company globally, even during the COVID-19 pandemic and across the Ugandan national election cycle,” acclaims Mudd.

“Despite extraordinary adversity, our Ugandan team has achieved almost impossible performance metrics, already positioning themselves alongside equivalent companies that have taken 10-plus years to achieve anything close. This is a truly unique team and a truly unique business, delivering high impact daily.”

SECURITY AND SUSTAINABILITY Yalelo already supplies millions of meals per month regionally, at a price point that is lower than the most popular competing protein sources.

Bringing high-quality, sustainably raised, affordable protein to mass consumers in East Africa is a highimpact endeavour in which Yalelo is making a meaningful contribution to

Koudijs Animal Nutrition Koudijs Animal Nutrition supports Yalelo to produce the highest quality fish. The role of Koudijs is to provide the most nutritious and safe fish feed.

Our global formulation expertise, nutritional knowledge and feed trials conducted in our R&D center enable us to design the most effective and economic fish feeds.

As Koudijs we are close to our partners and invest in modern factories. Through our presence, we actively support the development of these communities.

Making sure the fish grown by Yalelo is tasty, safe and affordable for the consumers.

YALELO UGANDA FOOD & DRINK

Parth International Ltd is a proudly East African logistics company, with over 20 years of experience.

Our experience, your advantage.

Consolidation & Warehousing | Transportation | Exportation | Air freight | Importation | Customs clearance RAJA CHAMBERS, PLOT 3 PARLIAMENT AVENUE T +256-414-255717 | info@parthinternational.co | www.parthinternational.co

FEED PERFORMANCE FOR YOUR TILAPIA Koudijs is a global player in aquafeed solutions and a proud partner of Yalelo.

We contribute to the success of aquaculture farmers by delivering high-quality fish feeds and on-farm support for optimal results and revenue.

dhk22020_AQUA_advertentie_160x97mm.indd 1

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YALELO UGANDA FOOD & DRINK

regional food security.

“The establishment of a rapidly scalable production system, paired with an innovative route-to-market strategy, ultimately intends to capture efficiencies across the complete value chain, reduce costs, and in time allow us to reduce the price that we charge the end consumer,” explains Mudd.

Yalelo also prides itself on being a

YALELO – AT A GLANCE VISION: To lead Uganda in becoming a regional aquaculture powerhouse, by sustainably developing region-wide fish protein resources.

MISSION: To stabilise regional food security by sustainably producing a reliable and affordable supply of fresh fish.

COMMUNITY: Empowering communities and contributing to their long-term socioeconomic and infrastructural development is an investment in the company’s future, and provides a solid foundation for future success.

PRACTICES: Working with local authorities, government bodies and other key stakeholders, Yalelo has committed itself to an environmental and social impact strategy that places environmental sustainability, social responsibility, accountability, and traceability at the core of its operations.

By doing so, the company demonstrates its dedication to the preservation of the operating environment and surrounding communities in which it works, for the benefit of future generations.

146 | Africa Outlook issue 96

tech-enabled, data-driven enterprise.

By adopting Microsoft Dynamics 365 as the company’s core ERP system, as well as specialist aquaculture production planning software platform, AquaManager, Yalelo is exceptionally advanced in the level of data visualisation available to its teams, allowing for rapid, insightful and ultimately confident decisionmaking across all business functions.

Meanwhile, Mudd states that the company is currently at “95 percent readiness” to go through its first audit process for Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certification.

“ASC represents the global gold standard for best practice sustainable aquaculture operations, and as such offers a robust set of guiding operational principles that ensure we are positioning sustainability excellence at the centre of all our company functions,” he reveals.

“It has been incredibly inspiring to see the way in which our teams,

FISA Over the last years, Fisa is proud to have become a strategic partner of Yalelo, manufacturing nets for tilapia farming in Zambia and Uganda.

In aquaculture, the cost of fish feed is very high. In contrast, nets represent a much lower cost. However, if the nets fail, the production is lost. This is why at Fisa we know the great importance of providing Yalelo and all our clients with the highest quality nets, thus contributing to giving them the necessary security so that they can continue with their successful projects.

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YALELO UGANDA FOOD & DRINK

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YALELO UGANDA FOOD & DRINK

guided by our Environmental and Social Department, have adopted such incredibly high standards and made them a core component of their everyday work.”

Yalelo runs a meticulously detailed Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) that

tracks the company’s sustainability performance and profile across all areas of the business, which is shared with all stakeholders.

Equally, a Vendor Management Programme established by Yalelo reflects the company’s push to identify and work with suppliers and partners

that satisfy acceptable levels of governance, quality, and sustainability.

“This applies to both local and international suppliers, each of which are as important as the next in ensuring the business maintains its growth profile and can sustain daily operations.”

MAKING A DIFFERENCE 60 percent of Yalelo’s workforce is sourced from local communities, who once existed in relative rural isolation and relied on subsistence farming and wild catch fishing prior to the onset of the company.

Through monthly engagements with an established Local Community Committee, fully transparent hiring

initiatives that give precedent to local residents, and a procurement programme that favours local suppliers, Yalelo has an extremely positive relationship with the local community and has already made a considerable different to the lives of many in the Buikwe District.

“In addition, we maintain an ongoing corporate social

responsibility (CSR) programme that includes projects such as borehole installations, the establishment of a local security post and clinic, and access road maintenance and repair,” Mudd informs us.

As a sustainable and responsible producer of tilapia, Yalelo is well on the way to making ‘Uganda’s #1 Fish’ available far and wide.

Tel: 07793-199-96 info@yalelo.ug www.yalelo.ug Africa Outlook issue 96 | 149

TA I LO R - M A D E R E M OT E S I T E SOLUTIONS

CIS GROUP FOOD & DRINK

We sit down with the executive team at CIS Group, whose integrated services and solutions strive to improve on-site comfort and wellbeing Writer: Jack Salter Project Manager: Kyle Livingstone

LOCAL ENTITIES, INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS A single point of contact for tailormade solutions on the African continent.

Since 1992, this has been the defining role of CIS Group (CIS).

Constantly adapting to the most isolated environments, CIS has supported the remote offshore and onshore projects of major players in the fields of energy, mining, construction, and the armed forces for three decades.

With a total of 290 operating sites and 15,000 employees, CIS’ subsidiaries support extreme zone operations in 19 countries worldwide, 14 of which are in Africa, where it has been present for more than 28 years.

From large-scale mining projects in Mauritania to operations in the Katanga jungle, from oil platforms in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to oilfields in the Algerian desert, the group’s local companies are dedicated to providing quality, international-standard services to its clients.

Isolation, fast-paced work, and crowded conditions can compromise and complicate on-site lifestyles and living environments; as such, improving the quality of life for people on-site is CIS’ ambition for all four corners of Africa and the rest of the world.

52 percent of CIS’ revenue was generated in Africa in 2021, with more than 26 million meals provided across the continent. Catering has been Africa Outlook issue 96 | 151

CIS GROUP FOOD & DRINK

Ferwerda Worldwide Meat Suppliers Ferwerda Worldwide Meat Suppliers is based in Rotterdam and owns a private coldstore (8000 m2) with 3000mt of stock. On daily basis, we export to many African countries, all kinds of frozen meat, like beef, pork, lamb, mutton, chicken, poultry products and sausages.

We offer high quality products, imported from South America, Australia, New Zealand and many European countries. We also supply a whole frozen range of frozen items like fish, butter, vegetables, French fries, ice cream and pizzas.

Mauritania base

customs as well as international quality standards.

Working closely with clients to develop menus that are adapted to their residents, the chefs at CIS also prepare traditional dishes every month or during dedicated events, whilst through its health4you nutritional programme and colourcoding system, the group promotes balanced, healthy diets on-site.

Our salesmarkets worldwide include: ship supply, cruise vessels, remote site catering, import companies, offshore, peacekeeping & military forces (un) and hotels.

FIGHT AGAINST FOOD WASTE the core business of CIS from the very beginning, around which it has developed smart, innovative solutions for remote sites.

Bringing turnkey solutions to clients to optimise daily on-site management and improve the quality of life of residents, CIS optimises the supply chain and guarantees best practices in food safety.

“On-site mealtimes are convivial in their own right, and our chefs are the masters of this,” acclaims Eugène Badji, Executive Chef within CIS since 2006.

CIS’ catering teams do everything possible to develop recipes that combine conviviality, culinary expertise and nutritional balance, while respecting eating habits and 152 | Africa Outlook issue 96

CIS addresses the environmental footprint that can arise from introducing community projects, through multiple initiatives and by encouraging conservation as part of a sustainable strategy.

“CIS deploys a connected scale solution through food waste monitoring, to limit food waste and better manage our kitchens,” says CIS Managing Director, Yannick Morillon.

“Out of a total of six scales installed on our sites, CIS was able to avoid 42 tonnes of food waste in 2021, the equivalent of 79,000 meals! With organisation, good tools and good products, you can perform miracles.”

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CIS GROUP FOOD & DRINK

multi-technical maintenance, the safety and comfort of residents is secured, as is the performance of on-site equipment.

CIS, whose activities in Eritrea are carried out at an isolated site on the Dahlak Archipelago, is a true showcase of the group’s full catering and facility management expertise.

OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE Because CIS plays a central role in the wellbeing of thousands of workers around the world, the group is committed to operational excellence for all customers.

Health and safety is a fundamental principle for CIS, and the continuous pursuit of ‘zero incidents’ is therefore a top priority.

CIS Chad catering teams

154 | Africa Outlook issue 96

2021 saw CIS Chad celebrate a record 16 years without a lost time injury (LTI) at the Komé 5 site, with more than 13.8 million hours of work completed without an LTI. CIS’ Mauritanian subsidiary also recently celebrated 10 million hours without an LTI in April 2022, thanks to the commitment of its teams to limit the risk of accidents.

INNOVATION AT THE HEART OF CIS’ STRATEGY Through its Innovation Committee, CIS integrates technological developments into its services to anticipate future needs and bring added value to its operations.

“The growth of CIS is based on our capacity for innovation, anticipation,

and adaptation to the future needs of our customers and residents,” notes Morillon.

It is CIS’ range of value-added services that differentiates the group, as it seeks to improve on-site quality of life, work with customers and partners on the living environment of the future, anticipate the energy transition, and reduce its environmental footprint.

Around its core business of catering and facility management, CIS has developed smart4you, a complete range of smart solutions to bring comfort and safety to residents, and contribute to the performance of customers through the daily management of their sites.

CIS in Congo

Culinary training

CIS in Malawi

“ O N - S I T E M E A LT I M E S A R E C O N V I V I A L I N T H E I R O W N R I G H T, A N D O U R C H E F S A R E THE MASTERS OF THIS” – EUGÈNE BADJI, EXECUTIVE CHEF SINCE 2006, CIS GROUP

“The solutions implemented by the group are based on the smart4you brand, which is built around the four pillars essential to life on-site: safety, wellbeing, monitoring, and performance.”

LOCAL CONTENT As CIS is usually one of the first organisations to establish a presence in the vicinity of major new industrial projects, the group always pays particular attention to the local area in all operations.

CIS is committed to sustainable

development, and has put in place policies and actions to advance the socio-economic and environmental prospects of local populations.

Over the years, CIS has been able to develop its operations in the DRC and diversify its client base. The DRC is the second-largest country on the African continent and is rich in natural resources, which is why it is considered by the group as having strategic importance and great potential.

“In 2021, CIS’ subsidiaries in DRC had more than 500 employees and 17

operations,” Andreas Michelis, Director of Subsidiaries in Congo, tells us.

By promoting local employment, CIS further contributes to local economic development in its countries of operation in Africa.

Over the past ten years, a policy of nationalising management positions has been implemented, enabling the group to achieve a 99 percent local employment rate.

In Chad, for instance, all management positions have been nationalised and all staff dedicated to the operations of CIS client, EEPCI (ExxonMobil), are Chadian nationals.

“Today, more than 99 percent of our staff are Chadian, and there is real pride in seeing compatriots hold management positions and deliver both qualitative and quantitative performance,” states Haroun Yaya Sabre, HR Director of CIS’ Chadian subsidiary.

Africa Outlook issue 96 | 155

CIS GROUP FOOD & DRINK

Yannick Morillon in DRC

CIS supporting an orphanage in Chad

Virtual reality module in Burkina Faso

Training is also an essential tool for enhancing skills, enabling employees to improve their abilities, adapt to change, and foster their professional development. Last year, 71,000 hours of training was provided within CIS, up from 54,000 in 2020.

In addition, 11 African chefs from Chad, Mali, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Senegal took part in a unique training course in France in 2019 with an experienced chef.

“This is a real opportunity for the evolution of the skills of our chefs in terms of culinary techniques, food safety and brigade management.

“Significant training programmes have enabled nationals to reach the 156 | Africa Outlook issue 96

management positions they hold today. I am an example of this, after 18 years with CIS Chad,” Sabre adds.

To improve employees’ learning capabilities, CIS is implementing a virtual reality training project in its kitchens that will be gradually rolled out to its African subsidiaries in 2022-23.

SOCIAL PROJECTS Complementary to this, CIS is supporting local agricultural production by developing partnerships with local suppliers and creating cooperatives with local farmers.

In 2021, at the group’s Tasiast site in Mauritania where it has been

operating continuously for a decade, two thirds of purchases were made with local suppliers.

“Our Mauritanian subsidiary in particular obtains local flour from Grands Moulins de Mauritanie, and most of its meat comes from Mauritanian livestock (sheep and camels),” shares Morillon.

In Burkina Faso, meanwhile, CIS supports an agricultural farm that produces vegetables without pesticides or chemical fertilisers, purchasing 4,000 chickens per month from a local family business.

Agricultural groups are likewise supported by CIS in Mali, where the group incidentally contributed to a spraying campaign against Malaria in more than 10 villages in the town of Yanfolila.

An agricultural programme has also been set up in the industrial Arlit region of Niger, with a direct economic impact on the employment of 50 women and indirectly affecting more than 1,000 Nigeriens in the area, where a drip irrigation system has been installed to limit water consumption.

“Since September 2021, our Algerian subsidiary, Cieptal, has been implementing a local fruit and vegetable direct-to-farmer project where 45 tonnes of local fresh fruit and vegetables are delivered twice a

CIS GROUP FOOD & DRINK

“THE GROWTH OF CIS IS BASED ON O U R C A PAC I T Y F O R I N N O VAT I O N , A N T I C I P AT I O N , A N D A D A P TAT I O N T O T H E FUTURE NEEDS OF O U R C U STO M E R S AND RESIDENTS” – YA N N I C K M O R I L L O N , M A N AG I N G D I R E C TO R , C I S GROUP

week, stored in a new warehouse in Algiers, and then transported to the site,” Morillon continues.

“Without intermediaries, Cieptal can better control the supply chain, as well as the quality and freshness of the goods to the satisfaction of its customers.

“Finally, the Mozambique First project encompasses all aspects of CIS’ local content and sustainable development initiatives in Mozambique. In order to be fully integrated in each country, we work in close collaboration with national and regional authorities, as well as with local entities, and encourage the employment of citizens from the populated areas near the project,” reveals CIS Mozambique Site Manager, Sérgio Moreira.

CIS’ sustainable development programme, ‘A Brighter Future’, was launched in 2018 in Chad, through which the group carries out social projects each year in villages close to its operating sites.

Support for orphanages, donations, village electrification, access to drinking water – the list of social actions goes on, carried out with the sole aim of improving the standard of living in local populations.

“CIS participates in many community support efforts through sponsorships and other means. We

CIS logistics team in Mozambique

are particularly committed to helping the most disadvantaged, and finances and supports orphanages in Burkina Faso, Chad, Congo and Niger,” Morillon confirms.

“In Burkina Faso, CIS purchases soap from a women’s association, allowing them to benefit from a monthly income. Last year, the group also helped to finance a soccer tournament in Darou Fall, Senegal to strengthen peace and social cohesion in the village.

Social and environmental concerns in the context of CIS’ activities, and

relations with stakeholders, have always been at the heart of the group’s priorities.

It is up to CIS to intensify this virtuous model, which will also enable the emergence of new drivers of sustainable growth.

CIS GROUP www.cis-integratedservices.com Africa Outlook issue 96 | 157

AB INBEV NAMIBIA FOOD & DRINK

BEER FOR THE PEOPLE Namibian beer is rooted in history and culture.

At the heart of community-centric brewing, we speak to Herman Franken, Country Manager at AB InBev Namibia, regarding the company’s drive towards Smart Drinking and greener methods for people and planet Writer: Marcus Kääpä | Project Manager: Kyle Livingstone

N

amibia is a beer-loving country to the core.

If you look to the pool of publicly available facts, the numbers share that Namibia is the sixth highest consumer of beer per capita in the world, while only being 44th for total alcohol consumption – a surprising contrast.

For Herman Franken, Country Manager at AB InBev Namibia, this fact stems from the country’s historic association with Europe.

“It is part of Namibian culture that comes from a deep heritage of beer brewing arriving with German settlers; the first brewery in Namibia opened its doors in the year 1900 in Swakopmund,” he begins. “Today, the beer market is currently shared between individual Namibian breweries and AB InBev Namibia.

“A significant change in the industry is the proposed acquisition of Namibian Breweries and Distell by

the Heineken Company. This shifts the Namibian beer and beverage market from a majority locally controlled entity to a market dominated by international beverage giants.”

BEER OF NAMIBIA AB InBev Namibia is the only entity on the African continent that directly carries the AB InBev name, with most of its sister companies trading under legacy names such as SAB, Nile Breweries, Zambian Breweries, and many other well-known brands.

The company started as an imports business in the 1980s under the name of Castle Breweries. Castle Breweries was later sold to SABMiller, and ultimately after the acquisition of SABMiller by brewing giant AB InBev in 2016, adopted the AB InBev name.

“As part of AB InBev, we ascribe to the new company purpose to “Dream Big to Create a Future with More Cheers”, along with our 10 guiding Africa Outlook issue 96 | 159

AB INBEV NAMIBIA FOOD & DRINK

principles used to root company culture across the globe,” Franken tells us. “As one of SABMiller’s last actions before the merger, a modern brewery was built in the town of Okahandja, north of Windhoek, starting production in September 2014.

“We directly deliver to and service all major wholesalers and retailers, along with selected bars, restaurants, hotels, nightclubs and other HORECA customers,” Franken adds.

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STEWARDS OF THE ENVIRONMENT SMART AGRICULTURE AB InBev Africa depends on high-quality agricultural crops from thriving communities and healthy ecosystems to brew its beers. The company’s Smart Agriculture Goal focuses on where it can drive the greatest impact: in its direct sourcing programmes with the company’s agricultural development teams who work with over 20,000 farmers across 13 countries to produce AB InBev Africa’s six priority crops: barley, hops, rice, maize, sorghum and cassava.

WATER STEWARDSHIP More than just a key ingredient in AB InBev Namibia’s products, water is a critical resource for the health and well-being of every community around the world. Namibia has been identified by the AB InBev Sustainability Team as a water stressed region. Water resource challenges are magnified by climate pressures and inadequate infrastructure. The growing scarcity of freshwater resources is not just a material issue for the company; it is a global risk to the economic, social and environmental well-being of its communities. As a member of the world’s leading brewer, AB InBev Namibia is committed to being a part of the solution to the growing water challenges across its communities and supply chain.

160 | Africa Outlook issue 96

Herman Franken, Country Manager

“Local production consists of the 750 millilitre (ml) returnable glass bottles for the ever-popular Carling Black Label, and Castle Lager, and the 660ml returnable Castle Lite. The local production of beloved brands was supplemented with the novel production of Eagle lager using local Mahangu grain (pearl millet) as an affordable 750ml returnable option.

Non-returnable glass bottle and can options of Carling Black Label, Castle Lager, Castle Lite and the flavoured Flying Fish were, and still are, imported from South Africa to service the retail, on premise and convenience markets.”

Believing in consumer choice and the premiumisation of the market is a core part of AB InBev Namibia, and in light of this, the company introduced the international premium brands Corona Extra, Budweiser and Stella Artois in 2018. Lion Lager, a brand with a historic legacy in Namibia, was reintroduced in 2020, followed by the amazingly popular Brutal Fruit Ruby Apple Spritzer introduced in 2021.

AB InBev Namibia consists of a team of around 150 permanent employees, including all the functions to run a brewery, logistics operation, competitive sales team and all the necessary support functions. Sales representatives cover the entirety of the country, with team nodes in the Namibian capital Windhoek, as well as Oshakati in the north and Swakopmund at the west coast of Namibia respectively.

Outside of beer, cheaper wines imported from South Africa play a significant role in Namibia, with upmarket wines, spirits, flavoured alcoholic beverages (FABs) and ciders increasing in participation in the higher income bracket. According to Franken, Namibia follows the gradual premiumisation trend observed throughout the emerging African markets, however this trend is somewhat hampered by the Namibian economy.

“The economic outlook in Namibia has been tough for several years, with the country effectively being in recession with a stagnant and contracting economy since 2016,” he elaborates. “The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on an already stressed economy that is heavily dependent on tourism, with the country’s GDP contracting by 8.5 percent in 2020. With economic contractions, ‘luxury’ items such as alcoholic beverages felt the pinch with the beverage market contracting during 2020 and showing no significant growth in 2021.

“Alongside the economic conditions, the alcoholic beverage industry experienced several restrictions imposed by the government, in addition to the existing measures to curb the spread of COVID-19. To combat the impact of the virus and keep consumers safe, AB InBev chose to take the value of our products directly to the consumer, launching campaigns to reduce the price to the consumer in informal market bars and retailers. By creating consumer value, we could drive business to customers big and small to ensure they could keep their business running.”

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Internally, AB InBev Namibia puts the safety of its employees first, with the implementation of social distancing standards, workfrom-home (WFH) adopted where possible, company-issued masks and sanitiser, along with regular testing for employees at risk.

GREEN BREWING AB InBev Namibia strives to incorporate green methods and practices throughout the business, focused on utilising sustainable resources and helping drive forward the global effort towards environmental preservation.

“AB InBev has reached a global scale where mergers are closely regulated and controlled to ensure proper competition concerns are adhered to,” Franken explains. “In Namibia, there are currently no explicit merger or expansion plans, but we are investing

WORKING WITH THE SPORTING COMMUNITY AB InBev Namibia is a proud sponsor of the award-winning national men’s cricket team through its brand Castle Lite. The Namibian Cricket Team collaborated with Castle Lite in 2020 to launch the Responsible Together Campaign calling Namibians to embody responsible behaviour during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

into the company to drive our local future, including into solar energy and returnable packaging.

“We are building a business that will last for the next 100-plus years globally. During 2021, we changed our purpose to “Dream Big to Create a Future with More Cheers” and re-affirmed our commitment to shared prosperity for our communities and our planet.”

For AB InBev, sustainability is key to fulfilling the company’s global purpose. Because of this, the business has appointed its first Chief Sustainability Officer at global level to drive business outcomes and deliver shared value through the company’s environmental social and governance (ESG) agenda.

The AB InBev Sustainability Goals focus on water stewardship, circular packaging, climate action and smart agriculture.

“The focus for AB InBev Namibia will be related to water stewardship, where we intend to have a measurable impact specifically on water availability or water quality within our communities,” Franken explains. “An additional focus will be climate action, aimed at driving the use of renewable energy on our plants.”

SMART DRINKING A vital part of AB InBev’s ESG agenda is “Smart Drinking” and ensuring that all consumer experiences with company beers are positive.

During 2021, the company launched a number of Smart Drinking initiatives aimed at disrupting harmful drinking. These included introducing voluntary guidance labels on all the SKUs (stock keeping units) produced locally, aimed at helping consumers understand why and how alcohol should be consumed within limits.

“For Global Smart Drinking Week, we changed the logos on many of our loved brands to smart drinking tips and launched campaigns on social media to drive behavioural change amongst our consumers,” Franken continues. “Furthermore, we launched an in-trade campaign with Budweiser at selected restaurants called “Have a Burger with That, Bud.” which consisted of a Budweiser Burger combo deal to encourage consumers to eat before or whilst they are having a drink.”

AB InBev has further launched a Festive Campaign called “Live for Tomorrow” to call on its consumers to make responsible choices today for a better tomorrow. The campaign included key engagement with the Ministry of Trade on a podcast style platform to discuss how, as a business, AB InBev Namibia can drive behavioural change amongst its customers and consumers.

“For the rest of 2022, the aim is to focus on drinking and road safety in a manner that engages directly with our government, our customers and our consumers,” Franken affirms.

PEOPLE ARE OUR PRIORITY People are at the heart of AB InBev 162 | Africa Outlook issue 96

AB INBEV NAMIBIA FOOD & DRINK

Namibia. Striving to do the best for the community, the company is keen to show its recognition of the fact that people are the bedrock and the future of the business.

“We are the only African country with AB InBev presence where we do not own a significant share of the market... yet,” Franken says. “We are the proverbial ‘small guy’ in the market. However, AB InBev Namibia’s people pride themselves on being resilient like the desert Welwitschia plant the brewery is named after.

Dedicated, diligent and passionate people are at the core of our teams; we recruit, develop and retain people who can be better than ourselves.

“With a young management team, pending corporate rebrand, and a shift of reporting lines to South Africa, we are re-inventing the business to be more agile and more empowered within Namibia itself. We drive a diligent Rewards and Recognition agenda in line with one of our company principles: “Our greatest strength is our people”.”

Monthly recognition programmes and incentives culminating in yearly awards serve to recognise those that perform on various levels. In addition, employee engagement is a core driver that is diligently tracked, measured, and most importantly, actioned on, to ensure employees are heard and play an active role in bettering the work environment for everyone.

“As a business, we believe that volunteering is key to keeping employees engaged. We strive to get everyone involved and to contribute to the communities where we live and work,” Franken continues. “During 2021, the employees gathered at our brewery to clean the town of Okahandja, for World Environment Day. The third COVID-19 wave was particularly difficult time for our frontline workers and for Namibian Heroes Day, our employees came together to give all the nurses in Okahandja a lunch pack.

“Diversity and inclusion are key elements of AB InBev Namibia’s ESG agenda, and we are proud to state that Namibia has the highest female representation - at 53 percent - on our leadership team in our business within Africa. Further, 78 percent of our senior leadership team are women.”

THE FUTURE OF NAMIBIAN BEER According to Franken, 2022 is set to be a growth year for AB InBev Namibia, not just due to the resurgence of the beer market and hope for the Namibian economy, but also due to a focus shift for the business.

“We are looking to build a stronger team, improve our production and distribution efficiencies, and leverage our portfolio and people talent to grow in the Namibian market,” he says.

“We believe in betting on the trend of

premiumisation in the market, while still growing the core of our business.

“On top of this, we believe in going rural and directly to our consumers as far as possible, to provide a safe alcohol alternative in areas where traditional beverages might still hold sway. We also believe in giving consumers a choice and want to provide a future in which everyone can celebrate, share and “Cheers”. We dream big to serve up new ways to meet life’s moments, move our industry forward, and make a meaningful impact in our communities and the world.”

AB INBEV NAMIBIA Tel: +264 62 5088001 www.ab-inbev.com Africa Outlook issue 96 | 163

NAS AIRPORT SERVICES LIMITED FOOD & DRINK

C AT E R I N G TO K E N YA With COVID-19 in the rear-view, NAS Airport Services Limited is answering the need for rising catering services across Kenya and expanding its business lines for the future.

Stephane Lopez, General Manager of the company, tells us more Writer: Marcus Kääpä | Project Manager: Kyle Livingstone

T

he COVID-19 pandemic has certainly pushed companies to re-assess their plans and priorities moving ahead through the decade.

In the realm of airline catering, this period has really proved to be a make-or-break moment, with a substantial level of adaptation required to deal with a global pause in travel and the resulting disruption caused to travel-based services.

“For everyone across every industry, the impact of COVID-19 in the last two years has been like exploring the unknown and has remained unprecedented until quite recently,” begins Stephane Lopez, General Manager at NAS Airport Services Limited, an inflight catering company based in Nairobi, Kenya. “We have weathered the storm whilst ensuring our mandate to protect our customers, team members, our shareholders and our company.

“This has been our focus over the period, and all the while we have shifted our mindset and business by diversifying our business lines.”

In light of this need to diversify, NAS has entered the retail sector, as well as developing it’s laundry business and laboratory division and forming partnerships with new customers.

For Lopez, this diversification is one of three key elements of the company that have kept NAS in the air during this trying time.

“I believe that we are still operational in the sector due to expanding into these fields, the long-term and new customers’ relationships that we have had and developed during this time, but most of all, our dedicated staff,” he continues. “Our team members are our biggest asset and they have been the key to everything that we have accomplished throughout this challenging time.

“The sacrifices that we have all made have helped us pull through, and it has not only showed the level of passion that they hold, but also their incredible team spirit.”

The Kenyan economy, and Africa in general, is very resilient. Despite the challenges faced and the unquestionable negative impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, this resilience has carried Kenya and the wider continent forward through the past two years.

“When you fly out of Nairobi (Kenya), at the entrance to the airports there are large adverts from the tourism board that say: ‘If you have something to take home, it’s our resilient spirit’, and it really is true,” Lopez muses.

73 YEARS IN OPERATION NAS has a long and proud history of service, having been established in 1949. The company is an on-site airport catering facility serving domestic and international airlines that fly in and out of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, Moi International Airport (MIA)

Africa Outlook issue 96 | 165

NAS – SERVICES AT A GLANCE NAS PRISTINE NAS Pristine offers outstanding laundry services both to airlines at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi and Moi International Airport in Mombasa, and to private customers with its collection point located in a shopping mall.

NAS CUISINE NAS prides itself in providing hygienic and safe on-site catering services for corporates. This service is available in and around the cities of Nairobi and Mombasa.

NAS LAB At NAS, food safety, quality and customer satisfaction are key priorities. Microbiological testing provides a crucial quality check on consumer products to determine whether they meet the desired specifications for raw materials, intermediate and finished products. It also enables process verification and confirmation of adherence to regulatory guidelines.

NAS SERVAIR Inflight services are the core of NAS’ airline business and is mainly tasked with delivery of a high standard inflight experience to its esteemed customers on board.

TANAFO AND BEI POA KITCHEN

in Mombasa and Kisumu International Airport (KIS) in Kisumu.

“NAS is a 73-year-old Kenyan company owned by Servair, a Gategroup member, and we carry a very strong and supportive relationship with our people and shareholders,” Lopez tells us proudly. “NAS is built on consistent growth and bold innovation that dates back to its formation as a company, pre-dating the establishment of JKIA and has the unparalleled advantage of growing with the airport.”

From humble beginnings operating out of a wooden shack, today NAS boasts state-of-the-art world-class brands, reputable fully integrated inflight catering services, laundry solutions, airport bars and lounges, laboratory and ship chandelling services and a fully-fledged corporate catering brand – NAS Cuisine.

“We are primarily based in Nairobi, and we have around 950 staff across the whole company,” Lopez continues.

“Our core business is in the area of in-flight catering, though we also operate many other diverse business lines such as corporate catering, and in Mombasa, a shipping line catering segment.

166 | Africa Outlook issue 96

Tanafo is a ready-to-eat meal brand coined from the words TAMU NAS FOODS, offering meats such as lamb chops, chicken wings, and beef ribs among many others. Bei Poa Kitchen products evolved from the company’s Tanafo concept, during the pandemic. This concept has enabled it to respond to its customers’ new needs within JKIA. PASSENGER COMFORT SERVICES A variety of cafes, restaurants and facilities at JKIA, Moi and Kisumu Airports.

NAS NATURE HOUSE This is NAS’ very lastest “homemade” development with the implementation of its own green house enabling the company to produce fresh herbs and vegetables with two main goals which are first providing the best fresh products to its customers and second engaging one step further into the company’s sustainability move.

“We also have our laboratory which is very important to the company for multiple reasons. Firstly, it allows us to control our food safety processes, but it also allows us to work with our suppliers and other businesses such as hotels that require our services. Our retail sector business has evolved and we are supplying some supermarkets, and as such they have made use of our laboratory for such

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ELDOVILLE DAIRIES LTD ELDOVILLE DAIRIES LTD ELDOVILLE DAIRIES LTD ELDOVILLE DAIRIES ELDOVILLE DAIRIES LTD LTD P.O BOX 24390-00502

P.O BOX 24390-00502 P.O BOX 24390-00502 P.O BOX 24390-00502 P.O BOX 24390-00502 NAIROBI, KENYA NAIROBI, KENYA NAIROBI, KENYA NAIROBI, KENYA TEL:020-3883431/0706-521096 NAIROBI, KENYA TEL:020-3883431/0706-521096 TEL:020-3883431/0706-521096 FAX: 020-3884540 TEL:020-3883431/0706-521096 TEL:020-3883431/0706-521096 FAX: 020-3884540 EMAIL: customercare@eldoville.co.ke / fa FAX: 020-3884540 FAX: 020-3884540 EMAILELDOVILLE : customercare@eldoville.co.ke / farm@eldoville.co.ke FAX: 020-3884540 DAIRIES LTD CHEESE PRODUCTS LTD EMAIL: customercare@eldoville.co.ke / farm@eldoville EMAIL: customercare@eldoville.co.ke / farm EMAIL: customercare@eldoville.co.ke / farm@eldoville.co.ke P.O BOX 24390-00502 CAMEMBERT CHEESE BRIE CHEESE NAIROBI, KENYA

BRIE CH

FRESHVEGETABLES READY TOREADY COOK VEGETABLES FRESH TO COOK VEGETABLES TEL:020-3883431/0706-521096 FRESH READY TO COOK TEL:020-3883431/0706-521096

FAX: 020-3884540 ROOTSLICED ONIONS JULIENNE GINGER PEELED ONIONS DICED ONIONSARROW SLICED ONIONS DICED ONIONS ONIONS JULIENNE PEELED GARLIC PEELED LOCAL CUCUMBER FAX: 020-3884540 ONIONS DICED ONIONS SLICED ONIONS JULIENNE PEELED ONIONS EMAIL: customercare@eldoville.co.ke / farm@eldoville.co.ke

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EMAIL: customercare@eldoville.co.ke / farm@eldoville.co.ke

MOZZARELLA BLOCK/GRATED CHEESE PRODUCTS

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ELDOVILLE DAIRIES LTD BRIE 24390-00502 CHEESE P.O BOX NAIROBI, KENYA

TEL:020-3883431/0706-521096 PANEER CHEESE MOZZARELLA Surprisingly for NAS, COVID-19 has not only brought FAX: 020-3884540 E : customercare@eldoville.co.ke / farm@eld ZUCCHINI/BABY MARROW ZUCCHINI STICKS ZUCCHINI SLICES SWEET P challenges to the fore, but also provided the company with ELDOVILLE DAIRIES LTD P.O BOX 24390-00502 GRATED CARROTS CARROT: SLICES, DICES, STICKS LETTUCE FRE the drive to reach out and expand in many alternative areas GRATED CARROTS CARROT: SLICES, DICES, STICKS LETTUCE ELDOVILLE DAIRIES LTD GRATED CARROTS CARROT: SLICES, DICES, STICKS LETTUCE FRENCH BEANS DAIRIES LTD ELDOVILLE DAIRIES LTD ELDOVILLE NAIROBI, KENYA TEL:020-3883431/0706-521096P.O BOX 24390-00502 FRESH READY TO EAT AND DRINK FRUITS P.O BOX 24390-00502 FRESH READY TOMILD EATCHEDDAR AND DRINK FRUITSELDOVILLE P.O BOX 24390-00502 BLOCK/GRATED MILD LTD CHEDDAR SLICESCHEESE PANEER MOZZARELLA BLOCK/GRATED DAIRIES of business. This diversification of services has opened FAX: 020-3884540 PANEER CHEESE NAIROBI, KENYA NAIROBI, KENYA MOZZARELLA BLOCK/GRATED ORANGES SWEE NAIROBI, KENYA WATERMELON ORANGES WATERMELON SWEET E 24390-00502 : MELON customercare@eldoville.co.kePINEAPPLE / farm@eldoville.co.ke P.O BOX TEL:020-3883431/0706-521096 TEL:020-3883431/0706-521096 uc t s TEL:020-3883431/0706-521096 MILD CHEDDAR BLOCK/GRATED MILD CHE NAIROBI, KENYA NAS up to a whole new wealth of opportunity, and in CHEESE lightPRODUCTS FAX: 020-3884540 FAX: 020-3884540 r Prod u FAX: 020-3884540 CAMEMBERT CHEESE BRIE CHEESE O TEL:020-3883431/0706-521096 E : customercare@eldoville.co.ke / farm@eldoville.co.ke EMAIL: customercare@eldoville.co.ke / farm@eldoville.co.ke ARROWSLICES ROOT GINGER PEELED LOC FAX: 020-3884540 EMAIL : customercare@eldoville.co.ke ZUCCHINI/BABY MARROW ZUCCHINI STICKS ZUCCHINI SWEET POTATO SLICES & DICES GARLIC PEELED / farm@eldovi of this, the company is planning to keep growing in such a E : customercare@eldoville.co.ke / farm@eldoville.co.ke ZUCCHINI/BABY MARROW ZUCCHINI STICKS ZUCCHINI SLICES SWEET POTATO SLICES & DICES FRESH READY TO COOK VEGETABLES FRESH READY TO COOK VEGETABLES way.

ONIONS DICED ONIONS SLICED ONIONS JULIENNE PEELED ONIONS ONIONS DICED ONIONSSPINACH SLICED JULIENNE PEELED CABBAGE SLICED CHOPPED ORSPINACH KALE TOMATOES CA CABBAGE SLICED CHOPPED ORONIONS KALE TOMATOES CABBAGE SLICED CHOPPED SPINACH OR KALE ELDOVILLE TOMATOES DAIRIES LTDCAPSICUM “Our plan is to continue to grow our equipment capacity P.O BOX 24390-00502 MILDCREAM CHEDDAR BLOCK/GRATED MILD CHEDDAR SLICES MILD BLOCK/GRATED MILD CHEDDAR SLICES CHEDDAR CHEESE 20G PORTION GREEKCHEDDAR FETA CHEESE CHEESE NAIROBI, KENYA as much as we can. As with many companies following the PANEER CHEESE CHEDDAR CHEESE 20G PORTION GREEK FETA CHEESE MOZZARELLA BLOCK/GRATED TEL:020-3883431/0706-521096 ARROW ROOT GINGER PEELED GARLIC PEELED LOCAL CUCUMBER FAX: 020-3884540 MANGO DICES/SLICES STRAWBERRIES COVID-19 period of uncertainty, investingMANGO in our production DICES/SLICES STRAWBERRIES GRAPES APPLES FRESH READY TO EAT AND DRINK FRUITS ARROW ROOT GINGER PEELED GARLIC PEELED LOCAL CUCUMBER EMAIL: customercare@eldoville.co.ke / farm@eldoville.co ORANGES WATERMELON SWEET MELON PINEA tools – especially in our culinary capacity – is particularly FRESH READY TO COOK VEGETABLES important,” Lopez says.

“NAS is CARROT: an old company, butLETTUCE we GRATED CARROTS SLICES, DICES, STICKS FRENCH BEANS GRATED CARROT: SLICES, DICES, STICKS LETTUCE FR ONIONS DICEDCARROTS ONIONS SLICED ONIONS JULIENNE PEELED POTATOES: FRENCH FRIES POTATO SLICES JACKET POTATOES POTATO POTATOES: FRENCH FRIES POTATO SLICES JACKET POTATOES ONIO POTATOES: FRENCH FRIES POTATO SLICES JACKET POTATOES POTATO DICES/CUBES have a start-up spirit – we have a young mindset.

MILD CHEDDAR CHEDDAR BLOCK/GRATED MILD CHEDDAR SLICES CHEDDAR 20G PORTION GREEK FETACHEESE CHEESE CREAM CHEESE CHEESE 20G PORTION GREEK CHEESE FETA CHEESE CREAM “Our investments do not fall on a singular aspect of the FRESH READY TO EAT AND DRINK FRUITS FRESH READY TO EAT AND DRINK FRUITS ORANGES WATERMELON SWEET MELON PINEAPPLE business, but instead we are investing in our businesses MANGO JUICE ORANGE JUI PASSION JUICE MANGO JUICE ORANGE JUICE PINEAPPLE JUICE TROPICAL FRUITS JUICE PASSION JUICE ORANGES WATERMELON SWEET MELON PINEAPPLE MANGO DICES/SLICES STRAWBERRIES GRAPES overall and streamlining our activities throughout GRATED POTATOES CARROTS TURNED CARROT: DICES, STICKS LETTUCE FRENCHC CABBAGE SLICED CHOPPED SPINACH OR KALEand TOMATOES CAPSICUM & CHIPS PUMPKIN DICES BALLS BEETROOT POTATOES TURNED &SLICES, CHIPS PUMPKIN PUMPKIN CHOPPED SPINACH OR BALLS KALE DICES PUMPKIN TOMATOES our many business lines with new machinery POTATOES TURNED &CABBAGE CHIPS SLICED PUMPKIN DICES PUMPKIN BEETROOT DICEDBALLS CHEDDAR CHEESE 20G PORTION GREEK FETA CHEESE CREAM CHEESE equipment combined with digitisation and sustainability engagements across all our processes with the overall aim to grow our production and operations.”

We are situated inSTRAWBERRIES Karen, Nairobi, Kenya and Oljororok,Nyandarua, KenyaPINEAPPLE JUICE MANGO DICES/SLICES GRAPESJUICE APPLES PASSION MANGO JUICE ORANGE JUICE MANGO DICES/SLICES STRAWBERRIES GRAPES APPLES PANEER CHEESE

MOZZARELLA BLOCK/GRATED MAIL

MAIL

MILD CHEDDAR BLOCK/GRATED

MILD CHEDDAR SLICES

MAIL

MAIL

CHEDDAR CHEESE 20G PORTION

POTATOES: FRENCH FRIES PLANNING FOR THE FUTUREPOTATO SLICES

JACKET POTATOES

GREEK FETA CHEESE

CREAM CHEESE

Managing Director (Lucy Karuga): 0723 27 96 27 | Tel: (+254) 020 3883431 CABBAGE SLICED FRENCH FRIES SPINACH KALE TOMATOES sales@eldoville.co.ke |CHOPPED www.eldoville.co.ke POTATOES: POTATOOR SLICES JACKET POTATOES

POTATO DICES/CUBES

With this in mind, the future of NAS’ focus rests on the people that the company serves, and those that make it MANGO JUICE JUICE FRUITS PINEAPPLE JUICE TROPICAL FRUITS JUICE PASSION JUICE MANGO JUICE PASSION JUICE ORANGE JUICE PINEAPPLE JUICE ORANGETROPICAL JUICE what it is.

“The first priority is to remain as agile and flexible for our POTATOES: FRENCH FRIES & CHIPS POTATO SLICES DICES JACKET POTATOES POTATOES TURNED & CHIPS PUMPKIN DICES PUMPKIN BALLS BEETROOT DICED POTATOES TURNED PUMPKIN PUMPKIN BALLS customers as possible, and remain their preferred supplier,” Lopez explains. “Of course, there is always competition that keeps us on our toes and thinking outside the box. But, across our range of business lines, the first and foremost necessity is to stay close to our customers and to respond POTATOES TURNED & CHIPS PUMPKIN DICES PUMPKIN BALLS to their requirements and expectations.

“For NAS in Kenya, it is also critical that we remain an Stephane Lopez, General Manager attractive employer in the country and continue to be a people-centric company. That’s key for us and has been since the beginning of the COVID-19 opportunities that we can move into, because this adaptpandemic and the resulting challenges.” ability has helped us remain resilient in the past two years, and it provides NAS a greater chance to offer its services to Within this sphere of planning, NAS aims to continue growing its in-house talent those customers and businesses that need them.

“On top of all this, we must remain on top of our through training its current staff, recognising their personal goals, equipment maintenance to ensure that everything keeps and bringing aboard new talent operating smoothly and to the best standards possible moving forward.” for the coming years as well.

“We must continue to grow our talent pool because they will be very important for NAS AIRPORT SERVICES the future of the company,” Tel: +254 - (0)20 6972000, Lopez says. “This is in line with +254 - (0)20 – 6827900 exploring new business lines and https://nas.ke Africa Outlook issue 96 | 167

CAPSICU POTAT

POTATO DIC BEETROO

BEETROOT DIC

K H U L A N AT H I The construction industry in South Africa faces numerous challenges.

Rukesh Raghubir, CEO of M&D Construction, describes the solutions found in laying the foundations for change Writer: Ed Budds Project Manager: Eddie Clinton

168 | Africa Outlook issue 96

I became passionate about construction at a very early age, intrigued by the significant role it plays in ensuring the effective functioning of societies.”

Whilst engrossed in his studying, Rukesh Raghubir, CEO of M&D Construction (M&D), became extremely interested in the positive impact that construction plays in uplifting poor communities. This remains a major focus for M&D to this day, as demonstrated by the company’s Khula Nathi motto, meaning ‘Grow With Us’.

The critical role that this industry plays in helping to deliver essential basic services and those needed to drive economic growth and development, whilst simultaneously creating employment, as well as training and development opportunities, is unfortunately yet to be fully realised by the South African government.

“We need a steady pipeline of projects to ensure sustainable employment for community members, but until then we are equipping individuals with skills that

M&D CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION

they may possibly never use again because of a lack projects in their areas,” explains Raghubir.

This predicament comes despite the infrastructure backlogs in many of areas of the nation. While the government has reiterated its intent to use infrastructure to resuscitate an economy that was severely battered by the COVID-19 pandemic, the large projects that were identified to drive job creation, as well as skills development and training, are yet to materialise on the ground.

After completing a BSc in Civil

Engineering at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in 2000, Raghubir launched his professional career as a design engineer for the KwaZuluNatal Department of Transport, where he gained vital experience working in the public sector, a major driver of construction activity across South Africa.

“In 2006, I was approached by M&D Construction Group’s founder, Andrew Murray, to help him launch and develop a civil-engineering construction division as a Director and shareholder of the company.

It was an opportunity I accepted with enthusiasm, enabling me to participate in the management of a construction business, while stimulating my entrepreneurial flair,” details Raghubir.

LANDSCAPE OF THE INDUSTRY IN SOUTH AFRICA Operating a successful construction company in current conditions requires a strong and focused management team.

The South African construction industry has been in a slump since Africa Outlook issue 96 | 169

M&D CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION

2009, mainly due to underspending by the government on essential service delivery infrastructure, however, a highly anticipated large public works programme is set to resurrect the South African economy.

Importantly, it is also intended to create jobs for the many unemployed South Africans.

“In addition to the significant investment that we have made into strategic markets, we have a strong balance sheet and low debt levels.

Our clients, therefore, know that we are a robust construction company that will be able to weather the tough economic climate to complete their projects successfully.

Remaining nimble and quick to respond to available opportunities as they emerge, M&D has grown significantly over the years yet has always retained its entrepreneurial flair.

“These traits are complemented by

M&D GROUP AT A GLANCE: M&D is a Level 1 Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) company with a 100 percent BO and 51 percent BDWO shareholding.

M&D has a national footprint, as well as the skills, experience and capacity needed to also participate in technically complex projects in other African countries. A true multi-disciplinary construction company, M&D comprises the following divisions: • Infrastructure Division • Pipeline Division • Energy Division • Special Projects Division M&D’s niche: civil, mechanical and pipeline infrastructure for the bulk water, mining, heavy industrial, marine, energy and petrochemical sectors.

170 | Africa Outlook issue 96

our core values, namely ‘being safe’, ‘doing it right’, ‘finding the best way’ and ‘doing what we say’, and we bring these to all our projects. Certainly, another key competitive edge is our ongoing focus on harnessing sophisticated systems and digital technologies to remain an industry disruptor and innovator,” adds Raghubir. An example is MDOS which stands for M&D Operating System.

This system is an entrepreneurial operating system which was implemented in 2017 to better manage the growth of the business and to ensure everyone across the various sites were all pulling together in the same direction.

Furthermore, the company now owns more than 200 items of construction equipment, which ensures that projects are kept on track with minimal disruption.

ONGOING INNOVATION AND EXPANSION M&D is extremely active in the mining space, amongst other sectors, and is currently working for Northam Platinum Limited (NPL) at Zonderiende, Exxaro Coal at Belfast Coal Mine, Wesizwe Platinum at Bakubung, Impala Platinum at Shaft 12, Anglo Platinum at Mogalakwena, Ivanplats at Platreef Mine and Tronox Sands at Fairbreeze and Brandt se Baai.

Mining remains a very strategic market for M&D, providing ample opportunity to demonstrate their value offering as a leading construction company. The stellar work that M&D is currently undertaking for NPL is another sound example of the extent of the skills and experience on show in supplying world-class construction services to the mining industry.

“We deploy larger haulage trucks to further fast-track production, combining this with incentive schemes that have helped to ensure that our team meets its daily targets.

RIB CCS Construct Tomorrow’s Built Environment Today Technological advancements have always driven the built environment forward. It’s this technology that’s helped increase productivity, improve collaboration, and tackle more complex projects. It’s what drives our business too and what makes us the preferred supplier of specialised software solutions to the engineering and construction industry, serving thousands of users in over 80 countries.

Underpinned by 40 years of industry expertise, passion, and innovation; we offer digital solutions that are intelligent by design, fit-for-purpose, and aimed at transforming operating models and adding value to the businesses we serve.

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M&D CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION

Moreover, daily planning meetings are held between team members to confirm that they are always aligned with M&D’s core values, while also facilitating teamwork that is conducive to high levels of productivity and efficiency.

Digitisation of all processes has also been a major recent focus for M&D, such as the use of Building Information Management systems to generate construction documents from 3D models, including progress reports, technical queries, proposed alternative construction methods, method statements, and constructability reviews.

Notably, this focus on digitisation

has increased productivity for M&D, resulting in minimised rework and delays, improved communication and coordination between clients, subcontractors and suppliers, and has helped to attract qualified individuals to bolster operational excellence.

“As part of a longer-term strategy, we are also exploring a more riskbased approach to helping clients spend on infrastructure delivery by securing funding for projects through our relationships with key financial institutions,” details Raghubir.

M&D also credits a significant portion of its success to a strong supply chain that is also aligned to the company’s core values.

“ R E M A I N I N G N I M B L E A N D Q U I C K TO R E S P O N D T O AVA I L A B L E O P P O R T U N I T I E S A S T H E Y E M E R G E , M & D H A S G R O W N S I G N I F I C A N T LY O V E R T H E Y E A R S , Y E T H A S A LWAY S R E TA I N E D I T S ENTREPRENEURIAL FLAIR” – R U K E S H R AG H U B I R , C E O, M & D CO N ST R U C T I O N

172 | Africa Outlook issue 96

“Many of these suppliers of construction services and products have been with us right from the beginning and have grown with us over the years, staying true to our motto of Khula Nathi.

“Our Khula Nathi motto is also applied internally, where our staff know that we are loyal and therefore reciprocate our loyalty. As a result, we have been able to retain the relevant skills and experience we need to deliver results to public and private sector clients throughout the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

More than 60 members of our team have been with us for more than a decade; this speaks volumes of their commitment and the working environment that we have created over the years to develop and retain the people we need to help us grow the group,” Raghubir adds.

POWER IN PEOPLE Meanwhile, the reskilling of employees is ongoing at M&D, to ensure that

M&D CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION

the group is well positioned to grow its presence in the post-COVID-19 economy. More recently, the company also embarked on a drive to facilitate the registration of all engineers with the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) as professional engineers.

This continued thrust of development is especially pinpointed towards enabling the company to continue attracting and retaining the best talent, including young, vibrant and dynamic engineers. M&D wants all its construction sites to be managed by professional engineers, project managers and construction managers, ensuring that all projects are in competent hands.

“This development is yet another example of how we are investing in our important human resources to ensure continued growth of the company. It provides our people with an incredible opportunity to achieve their full potential and, in the

process, enhance our operational and management skills to take M&D to new heights,” Raghubir tells us.

M&D’s team consists of the perfect balance between young and seasoned staff. Junior construction professionals have an opportunity to be moulded and integrated into a successful career in construction by their more experienced counterparts ,to introduce fresh thinking and ensure business continuity. “We continue to meet and, in certain instances, have even exceeded our socio-economic targets. For example, regarding community relations, on the Moretele South Water Supply Bulk Pipeline, M&D hired all its ancillary plant and equipment from small, medium and micro enterprises to ensure that it was able to meet its enterprise development targets on this contract.”

About 120 locals worked alongside M&D’s team when the project peaked between November 2020 and February 2021. To further

demonstrate the company’s commitment to previously disadvantaged communities located within the project footprint, M&D paved a 1.8 kilometres gravel road in Hammanskraal to help uplift the area.

“I remain very proud of the role that my team and I have played in growing M&D over the years and diversifying its offering. The group is now one of the country’s foremost providers of multi-disciplinary construction services to public and private-sector client bodies. In my capacity as CEO, a role that I have fulfilled for more than eight years, I continue to steer the company into new growth areas,” concludes Raghubir.

M&D CONSTRUCTION Tel: +27 11 463 1962 info@mdconstruction.co.za www.mdconstruction.co.za Africa Outlook issue 96 | 173

SYNLAB NIGERIA HEALTHCARE

CHANGING THE N A R R AT I V E Advancing an accessible agenda for public health care, SYNLAB Nigeria is committed to delivering quality pathology services with an unparalleled customer focus. CEO Kenneth Okolie tells us more Writer: Phoebe Harper | Project Manager: Callam Waller

At the end of the day, quality healthcare is not equitably distributed, and last I checked, it is a basic human right.”

The powerful opening words of Kenneth Okolie capture the mission that is at the very core of Nigeria’s leading pathology provider, SYNLAB Nigeria (SYNLAB).

The Nigerian branch of the company operates as a key part of the wider SYNLAB Group, reputed as the largest diagnostic service provider in Europe with a presence in over 40 countries and employing over 20,000 people.

With a strategic focus on providing quality pathology services for human health, SYNLAB is well-established as the market leader in Nigeria with over 32 client centres that include 11 laboratories.

Africa Outlook issue 96 | 175

SYNLAB NIGERIA HEALTHCARE

Sysmex SICKLE CELL DISEASE SITUATION IN NIGERIA: According to current WHO statistics, 150,000 babies are born with sickle cell disease annually, making Nigeria the highest ranking globally, and certain to increase by 54% in 2050, with a high prevalence rate of childhood mortality and morbidity. Lack of early diagnosis especially in newborn and young children has posed a significant problem in early identification and medical interventions.

Sysmex has introduced HemoTypeSCTM, a rapid diagnostic tool that can help detect Hb A, S and C at an early stage of the disease, so they can have specific treatment.

“ W E A L S O H AV E A L O T O F L O G I S T I C A L C H A L L E N G E S W I T H P O O R R OA D N E T WO R KS A N D A L AC K O F P OW E R , A N D I N T H E M I DST O F A L L T H I S , YO U ’ R E S T I L L E X P E C T E D TO D E L I V E R E F F I C I E N T A N D E F F E C T I V E H E A LT H C A R E ! ” – K E N N E T H O KO L I E , C E O, SY N L A B N I G E R I A

As CEO of the company, Kenneth is passionate about making quality diagnostic services as accessible as possible across Nigeria and West Africa, furthering the sector to become comparable with the developed world.

“Our key priorities revolve around creating more access for people to quality medical diagnostics which is made available as affordably as possible. By understanding that we’re in a resource-challenged environment, we are aware of the obligation this puts on us to ensure we improve access.”

IDENTIFYING OPPORTUNITIES IN CHALLENGES Both Kenneth and SYNLAB are fully alert to the challenges that prevail 176 | Africa Outlook issue 96

in Nigeria’s healthcare sector. But far from fatalistic and stoically undeterred, such impediments are rather seen as a gateway to opportunity.

“To an average person the industry appears filled with challenges, but it’s more a case of opportunity,” he tells us. “There are significant infrastructural issues in that the average public health facility is poorly built, managed, and equipped.

“We also have a lot of logistical challenges with poor road networks and a lack of power, and in the midst of all this, you’re still expected to deliver efficient and effective healthcare!”

Despite this fraught context, Kenneth acclaims that this creates a window for the private sector to intervene.

• The use of HemoTypeSC does not require electricity, No machine/ equipment, No buffer, No reagents.

Thereby making Hb Genotype test suitable for low resource income areas and inexpensive for all categories of persons.

• With HemoTypeSCTM, newborn Hb Genotype test is possible at birth meaning it can test neonates without having to wait for 6 months to 1year when the levels of fetal haemoglobin is reduced.

HemoTypeSC does not have any form of interference with Fetal Haemoglobin. This feat makes early detection of Sickle Cell Disease possible and as such Sickle Cell patients can be managed early thereby eradicating the incidences of early deaths attributed to lack of early detection and management.

We advocate making Newborn Hb Genotype testing a national and state policy in all healthcare facilities thereby making early detection of Sickle Cell Disease possible at birth and as such Sickle Cell patients can be managed early thereby eradicating the incidence of early deaths attributed to lack of early detection and management.

www.sysmex-wca.com

HemoTypeSC™ Universal screening for sickle cell disease and sickle cell trait

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50 – 90 % of all babies born with SCD will die before 5 years of age 1. The HemoTypeSC™ screening test for sickle cell disease is possible from birth. The test also identifies sickle cell traits, who might themselves be asymptomatic carriers of the disease, but who could inherit the disease to their children. ✔ 10 min test – no instrument required ✔ Reliable for neonatal and adults screening ✔ From capillary blood (1–2 µL) or blood collection tubes (EDTA blood) ✔ Excellent performance: > 99 % clinical accuracy 2-3 The HemoTypeSC™ test kit (50 tests per kit) is CE-IVD approved.

Obiageli E Nnodu et al.: Implementing newborn screening for sickle cell disease as part of immunisation programmes in Nigeria: a feasibility study, Lancet Haematol 2020; 7: e534–40.

Steele et al.: Am J Hematol. 2018 Oct 5. doi: 10.1002/ajh.25305.

3 Quinn et al.: Br J Hematol. 2016 Nov; 175(4):724–73 1

2

Early screening can break the cycle of despair.

Let´s test now and save our children!

www.sysmex-wca.com HemoTypeSC™ is manufactured by Silver Lake Research · www.silverlakeresearch.com

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a genetic condition that is present at birth. It is inherited when a child receives two sickle cell genes – one from each parent.

normal RBC

sickled RBC

SYNLAB NIGERIA HEALTHCARE

BD About BD BD is one of the largest global medical technology companies in the world and is advancing the world of health by improving medical discovery, diagnostics and the delivery of care.

The company develops innovative technology, services and solutions that help advance both clinical therapy for patients and clinical process for health care providers.

BD and its 75,000 employees have a passion and commitment to help improve patient outcomes, improve the safety and efficiency of clinicians’ care delivery process, enable laboratory scientists to accurately detect disease and advance researchers’ capabilities to develop the next generation of diagnostics and therapeutics. BD has a presence in virtually every country and partners with organizations around the world to address some of the most challenging global health issues.

“The bigger problem that we must address is how to solve these problems without the cost being passed to the client or patient.

“At the core of what we are trying to do in Nigeria is understanding the challenges that bring an opportunity to correct the narrative with regards to healthcare. We don’t believe that we can fix the system, but we believe that we can play a role,” he shares confidently.

In fulfilling these aspirations, SYNLAB pursues an agenda of ambitious growth to expand its footprint and make its quality, customer-centric services as widely accessible as possible.

“One of the crucial things that we’ve decided to do at a very senior level is to focus on making quality healthcare and pathology services available and accessible.

“With this as the backdrop, creating accessibility means that we need 178 | Africa Outlook issue 96

to get ourselves into spaces where we are not present since we want to ensure people have access to quality laboratory test results and supporting services.”

This expansion is imperative to the collective health of the nation, as laboratory services play a critical role in clinical and patient care management.

Indeed, a late, or a wrong result, can have serious implications for a patient.

BD helps customers enhance outcomes, lower costs, increase efficiencies, improve safety and expand access to health care.

For more information on BD, please visit bd.com or connect with us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/bd1/ and Twitter @BDandCo.

HARNESSING TALENT As an extension and result of the challenges outlined above, Nigeria is a classic example of ‘brain drain’ in practice, as many of the country’s trained practitioners and medical professionals selectively pursue employment opportunities in Europe or America.

“You can’t blame them!” quips Kenneth. “I think that second only to oil, human resources are probably Nigeria’s biggest export.”

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SYNLAB NIGERIA HEALTHCARE

In a bid to combat this and foster local talent, SYNLAB has begun partnering with strategic universities to keep Nigerian medical professionals on native soil.

“If I can partner with universities, and influence their training at a foundational level, we’ll be able to create better-skilled employees who are knowledgeable about both modern applications of medicine, and theoretical aspects,” he explains.

“The average time to train a person at SYNLAB before you can attend to

patients and get into full operations is six months. If I am losing people to the developed world at a fast rate, it impacts my operations.”

It is a career pathway founded on practical training that is not dissimilar to Kenneth’s own, although the practice has evolved significantly. “Having grown through the system, what I learned in school and what I see on a day-to-day basis are worlds apart.

“Working in a company like SYNLAB offers you access to the best-in-class updates in science

Inqaba Biotec West Africa Ltd (IBWA) Our expertise in the life science industry was put to test during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a result of our successful involvement with the diagnostic market, offering complete lab setup to capacity building, our renewed mission is to facilitate life science research and diagnostics in West and Central Africa by making it possible for researchers and diagnosticians in the region to be at par with their counterparts in other parts of the world. This is evident in the range of products we offer in-house and through our renowned partner brands.

www.inqababiotec.africa

Kidney awareness

Run For the Future, Wellness Campaign

and technology. If my team or those that have the opportunity to work at SYNLAB are the only ones that can access this kind of information, the development we’re striving to drive will be extremely slow. But if we’re able to give many people access to this same information, even if they are not employees, they may be able to replicate a path of what we’re doing in other places. In that way, we drive development.”

THE DIGITAL DIFFERENCE

Kidney awareness team

180 | Africa Outlook issue 96

Working in conjunction with the talent of human resources is SYNLAB’s advanced incorporation of digitalisation as the foundation of its operations and a critical element in streamlining efficiency for the services it offers.

The company is one of the most digitally focused pathology service providers in Nigeria, but what separates SYNLAB in this respect, is how

SYNLAB NIGERIA HEALTHCARE

Inqaba Biotec West Africa Ltd (IBWA) is a subsidiary of Inqaba Biotechnical Industries (Pty) Ltd, South Africa.

The company was incorporated in 2014 and within Ibadan, Nigeria.

IBWA aims to provide genomics products and services to researchers across West and Central Africa. In 2015, we setup our first office in Nigeria at the Bioscience Unit of IITA. In 2018, we moved to our own premises which is located right opposite IITA. As a company, our mission is simple – to facilitate life science research in West and Central Africa by making it possible for researchers in the region to be at par with their counterparts in other parts of the world.

www.inqababiotec.africa Celebrating 20 years of uniqueness!

digitalisation is entirely tailored to the customer, as the central tenet around which the entire business revolves.

“Our focus, 100 percent of the time, is how can we help our customers – doctors, patients, corporate organisations, any customer we have, meet their outcome. Every customer has a unique set of expectations, and that philosophy is what drives us in improving our digitalisation efforts,” says Kenneth.

These efforts encompass management systems and web interfaces to create a paperless system centred on accuracy and efficiency. This eliminates the risk of wrong requests being received by the laboratory and reduces the waste of both time and resources.

“We put time into reviewing our processes and seek ways to automate manual processes. We have been able to innovate in how we can better improve our operations and customer

engagement, from the way they order their tests, down to how they receive their results.

“SYNLAB is consistently looking for ways to improve – there is no state of perfection, there is only a state of constant improvement.”

In an age where digitalisation is a common offering for an increasing number of businesses, SYNLAB’s combination of this with unparalleled customer service and an intimate understanding of their clients makes all the difference.

“As a business, it is possible to be functionally responsive, but psychologically non-responsive.

“Anybody could copy our digital software, but because there is a reason behind our action, you cannot copy the soul behind what we do.”

A VISIONARY FUTURE In the years ahead, SYNLAB will continue to grow as the company

champions its vision of providing quality laboratory services to as wide an audience as possible in Nigeria.

“We are helping to build a new way of seeing things. We understand that the actions that we are taking will inspire others to join in and contribute. I want to look back in 20 years and say, we did this, we caused the snowball to start rolling,” closes Kenneth.

“We want to be the organisation that inspired change and a new generation to believe that what is possible in the developed world is also possible in Nigeria. By doing this, we are helping to shape a new narrative.”

SYNLAB NIGERIA Tel: +234 700 079 6522 ng.enquiry@synlab.com www.synlab.com.ng Africa Outlook issue 96 | 181

A DVA N C I N G GUINEA Specialising in logistics, construction and mining, GPC Groupe is forging a promising future for Guinea.

General Director Aly Kaba explores localised value, and harnessing people power Writer: Phoebe Harper | Project Manager: Joshua Mann

182 | Africa Outlook issue 96

GPC GROUPE MINING

My country is one of the richest in terms of minerals in the world,” opens Aly Kaba, General Director of mining, logistics and construction specialist, GPC Groupe (GPC).

In the resource-blessed lands of West Africa, the nation of Guinea boasts a mineral wealth that is almost unparalleled on the continent. The country hosts deposits of world-class bauxite, iron and gold, with open-pit mining activities benefitting from 75 percent purity.

Africa Outlook issue 96 | 183

GPC GROUPE MINING

Kaba expresses an extreme pride and patriotism in the country that he calls home, and where GPC has established itself as a major player of industry. He brings to his role a wealth of experience, with over 15 years spent in various positions at major multinational companies specialising

AFRICA OUTLOOK: COULD YOU TELL US ABOUT SOME OF GPC’S RECENT OR ONGOING PROJECTS?

ALY KABA, GENERAL DIRECTOR: “We are currently working with GAC as they are developing a bauxite mine and its exports infrastructure here in Guinea. We previously executed their ‘GAC Railway’ project, which is the extension of their rail line from Kamsar to the Tinguilinta mine. The project was successfully delivered on time.

We demonstrated our competence in strictly respecting security standards, customer satisfaction, but most importantly, the high quality of work delivered on time.

“We recently signed a new contract with GAC which is a mining subcontract worth $34.4 million and is one of the largest contracts ever awarded to a local company. We are proud of this one as it is going to propel our company and give us real credibility in the mining sector.”

184 | Africa Outlook issue 96

in iron ore, bauxite, and gold. This has also included interventions on various public and private infrastructure developments.

The GPC enterprise is composed of wholly-owned subsidiaries and joint venture companies. The group unites three different companies holding 100 percent, including GPC Mining, BAA DECOR-PORCELANOSA and Wolf Guinée. The joint venture companies under its remit include Civil Solutions Guinée, Pharma Advance Guinée, and Jovi Africa.

“Our main client today is Guinea Alumina Corporation (GAC), a wholly owned subsidiary of Emirates Global Aluminium Company,” shares Kaba.

During the course of his tenure at GPC thus far, Kaba has witnessed and navigated the peaks and troughs of the country’s industrial landscape.

At present, the overall potential of mining in Guinea remains untapped.

Despite its capacity and resources, the sector pales in comparison to agriculture as an economic force. Today, the accumulation of Guinea’s mining operations contributes to between 12 to 15 percent of the nation’s GDP. “The country’s mineral endowments have been poorly exploited for a long time,” he observes. But hope prevails, as government interventions within the past decade have stimulated further activity for the industry. Since 2013, a renewed mining policy has promoted greater profitability for investors, broadened Guinea’s tax revenue base, and promoted more local value.

As a result, the industry today is in relatively good stead, and stands as a realm ripe with opportunity.

“Although we are in the middle of a transition, the industry in Guinea is now doing well. The country has significant potential for mining to be considered one of the levers of the national economy.

“The opportunities are endless in this industry and the business climate is conducive to companies.”

Auxin Mining Services AUXIN Mining Service Guinée SA has always been a faithful partner to GPC Group, providing drilling and blasting service at GAC mine. After almost 2 years’ smooth cooperation and good interaction, we have formed a strong and long-term relationship.

AUXIN Guinée is founded in 2016, Conakry, Guinea. Operating a factory in Boké, the production capacity is 20 000 tons of ANFO, 12 000 tons of emulsion explosive and 3 million pieces of detonators per year.

With one professional drilling and blasting team, Auxin Guinée already completed successful blasting projects in all the six regions in Guinea.

Besides the domestic market, AUXIN Guinée is also capable of exporting explosive and accessories to other west-African countries by vessel or truck, already covering Sierra Leone, Gabon, Ghana, AUXIN Guinée is looking for more partners in west-African.

AUXIN Guinée is making greater contributions consistently to the surrounding communities, providing more jobs and caring for the community. Auxin Guinée also pays attention to the environment and employee’s safety continuously.

We have specially set up a Safety and Environmental Protection department, and build a reliable HSE framework.

sales@auxinminingservices.com

Promoting the development of the mining industry, making customers more successful.

Supplier of explosives and accessories, as well as drilling and blasting services in Guinea.

Dolphine 2, Lanseboundji, Matam, Conakry, Guinea

00224-623030966 | sales@auxinminingservices.com

GPC GROUPE MINING

LOCALLY LED Returning to the promotion of local value as a key tenet of the national mining policy, Kaba’s belief and confidence in Guinea’s local content is absolute.

“The opportunity is here for all the local companies who want to evolve with the local content,” he says.

“For over seven years, our local content has been among some of the best in the world. The mark of local companies compiled was very pure, and GPC was there at the right moment to make it a reality.”

This sentiment is fully encapsulated by the GPC mantra, “Our Mining with Local Value”. Such emphasis has fuelled GPC’s successes, establishing its strategic differentiation as the only company local to Guinea that operates for a multinational from start to finish – from the stages of stripping, drilling, or felling, all the way through to the finished product.

GPC’s focus on local value extends not just to corporate entities across

the country as it propels economic development, but arguably most importantly to the employment opportunities this brings and the people at the heart of GPC, the majority of whom are Guinea nationals.

“We are very keen on making locals work, and we want to promote a local workforce,” says Kaba.

THE PEOPLE DIFFERENCE A close-knit company strengthened by family, GPC understands and appreciates the value of a localised

workforce. It is an ethos that unites the whole GPC team.

“GPC was established in early 2000 and formalised in 2009 by my two brothers and I,” Kaba explains. As mentioned, of the 560 employees that are the backbone of GPC, an overwhelming 95 percent are Guineans, and just five percent expats.

“Today, I can say that we have one of the best teams in our different fields,” he comments proudly.

In order to attract and retain the best staff, GPC adheres to strict recruitment practices, and invests

GPC GROUPE MINING

heavily in formation to keep pace with a dynamic industry and ensure that everyone is well-equipped to perform their work both safely and efficiently.

Through continual investment in training and empowering its workforce, Kaba recognises the company’s own progress as a reflection of the country as a whole.

“We heavily invest in our workforce because it has enormous potential,” he says. “We invest in them in terms of training, and we do our best to retain it.

“By doing that, we really participate in the development of our country and the revitalisation of our economy.”

This returns to the note of collaboration that runs at the very core of GPC and its offering to customers. As a client-centric organisation, this overriding emphasis on the customer is key in differentiating GPC from the

competition.

“GPC believes in the power of collaboration, which creates a win-win for both parties.

“We grant the highest importance to customer satisfaction and relationship. Our goal is not a ‘one shot’ - we want our clients to obtain the results they signed up for, that’s why we make sure they are satisfied from the beginning right through to the end.”

NEW HORIZONS

“Our priority right now is to make sure we successfully achieve the contracts we already have, especially with GAC as we have a 16 months contract with them,” Kaba shares hopefully.

“In addition, we will be investing in even more efficient equipment so that we can respond to more RFPs and thus expand our customer portfolio and extend our turnover,” he closes.

With this guiding ambition, a promising future for Guinea’s mining industry is safe in GPC’s hands.

For GPC in the years ahead, Guinea’s future is exciting and defined by opportunity. Kaba hints at the prospect of a GPC Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast branch set for opening, with some clientele already secured.

In the shorter-term, a client-centric focus prevails as GPC seeks to fulfil its current contracts.

GPC GROUPE Tel: +224 610 10 77 89 Contact@gpc-groupe.com https://gpc-groupe.com Africa Outlook issue 96 | 187

SAMSUNG HEAVY INDUSTRIES NIGERIA OIL & GAS

F LO U R I S H I N G H E AV Y W E I G H T PA R T N E R S H I P Shipbuilding giant Samsung Heavy Industries Nigeria forms the ultimate collaboration in manufacturing.

Jongseok Kim, Managing Director, details his experience Writer: Ed Budds | Project Manager: Joshua Mann

We believe in a future which builds capacity and capabilities within local companies and the local workforce, a future where the combination of South Korean efficiency and expertise, fused with Nigerian talent and passion, presents limitless possibilities.”

The opening mantra of Jongseok Kim, Managing Director of Samsung Heavy Industries Nigeria (SHIN), provides the driving force behind SHIN’s success, as it continues to expand operations in the highly competitive oil and gas maritime sector.

A subsidiary of Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) in South Korea, Kim was appointed as the new Managing Director of SHIN this year. Majoring in a Bachelor of Science in Naval Engineering in 1995, he decided to join SHIN because of a desire to work with the very best in the industry.

“SHI is one of the largest shipbuilders in the world for the commercial shipbuilding and offshore business, with unbeatable leadership and competitiveness in the building

“Nigeria remains the single biggest market in Africa, with an abundance of youth, talent and skills ready to take on any challenge” - Jongseok Kim, Managing Director, SHIN

of high-value special purpose vessels including LNG carriers, FPSOs, drillships, and other offshore-related vessels,” Kim explains.

A professional expert in the oil and gas industry, Kim can call upon a vastly impressive array of experiences, having occupied several key positions in the operations, planning, execution, and completion of SHI’s wide variety of shipbuilding and offshore projects as a Project Director, Project Manager, Contract Manager, and Warranty Engineer for over 26 years.

Previously, he held the position of Project Director for the Coral FLNG project, which is hailed as Africa’s very first Floating Liquified Natural Gas (FLNG) facility. The vessel is 432 metres long and 66 metres wide with 13 utility and process modules in place. It also has eight-storey living quarters, accommodating up to 350 people.

With a liquefaction capacity of 3.4MMPA annually, it is perceived as a technological jewel. SHI was responsible for the entire vessel’s construction process, from hull design to commissioning, as well as topside production design and manufacturing. “By implementing SHI’s highest level of management system and proactively cooperating with the client, we were able to achieve a contractual milestone, despite persisting challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” explains Kim. Africa Outlook issue 96 | 189

SAMSUNG HEAVY INDUSTRIES NIGERIA OIL & GAS

As SHI’s prime African subsidiary, SHIN is engaged in the heavy industry sector of the oil and gas maritime industries in Nigeria. SHIN began its Nigerian operations in 2013 with the construction of the SHI-MCI FZE fabrication and integration yard in Lagos. In bringing together South Korean technology and Nigerian human capital, the company has successfully exemplified the value created from combining international knowledge and expertise with Nigerian partners.

One of SHIN’s greatest milestones to date is the construction of the SHI-MCI Yard in Nigeria, built to carry out the in-country aspect of Total’s Egina project as well as other hightechnology and high value-added projects.

Crucially, the construction of the yard involved an investment of over $300 million by Samsung, which is one of the largest foreign investments to be made within the nation. This is the first-ever fabrication and integration yard in Nigeria and the only FPSO integration yard in the entirety of Africa, equipped with cutting-edge facilities that are optimised for world-class, ultra-large, high-value projects. Some of its impressive facilities include an in-door fabrication shop (6,300m2), blasting and painting shop (4,550m2) that can maintain humidity and optimum temperature. The yard also has a robust 502 metres long quay wall with 12.5metres berthing water depth.

The core services of SHIN are focused on EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) contracts, which is why the company is making proactive efforts on winning orders for large-scale offshore projects. In addition, SHIN seeks to contribute to the nation’s economic development through collaboration with Nigerian companies.

“As proven through the successful completion and sail away of the world’s largest FPSO, Egina, we have 190 | Africa Outlook issue 96

proved our full capability to carry out large-scale offshore projects in Nigeria that meets world-class standards and expectations.” he continues.

This exchange of knowledge and potential is proof that SHIN is in Nigeria for the long term, and the company will continue to demonstrate its faith in the country by training and investing in Nigerian workers through the execution of projects. This workforce is now the core of a developing, locally trained, international-certified marine construction capability, benefitting all shipping and marine construction and maintenance companies operating in the West African region.

Emerson Many critical processes on offshore platforms rely on the continuous performance of subsystems and equipment, such as fuel management, level management and valve remote control systems.

In order to prevent unplanned shutdowns caused by equipment failure that result in lost production and inefficiency, Emerson’s offshore and marine solutions are engineered with life at sea in mind.

Emerson’s long range of experience in the offshore world makes us the perfect partner to ensure excellent project execution, a smoother building phase and optimal operation and production.

INVESTING IN NIGERIA Nigeria’s economy is bouncing back from an inevitable downturn following the COVID-19 pandemic, and the government has introduced several measures to kickstart the economy

www.emerson.com

AFRICA OUTLOOK: WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR INITIATIVES TO CONTRIBUTE AND GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY? JONGSEOK KIM: “As the subsidiary of one of the largest corporations in the world, we believe that it is our responsibility to contribute to the holistic development of society.

“Based on the corporate philosophy of sharing and co-prosperity, we have been actively participating and carrying out various corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities in Nigeria. Our full commitment to the Nigerians is focused not only on shipbuilding and yard fabrication competencies, but also on the human level. For example, between 2015 and 2019, SHIN partnered with Vision Care and carried out a yearly Eye Camp in Nigeria, where SHIN funded cataract surgeries and treatment for the most vulnerable Nigerians in communities at risk of blindness. In total, over 572 patients and 1,593 outpatients successfully recovered their eyesight.

“Additionally, in 2020, SHIN handed over 5,000 COVID-19 test kits to the Nigerian government to help fight, control, and mitigate the virus during the early stage of the pandemic in Nigeria. Furthermore, to extend support to the community, the company also donated 496 bags of rice and 12,000 reusable face masks from South Korea to three states within the country.”

SAMSUNG HEAVY INDUSTRIES NIGERIA OIL & GAS

Maximize your FPSO operation to exceed performance expectations.

Production control, energy costs and maintenance are daily challenges that must be considered when optimizing the production on board your FPSO (Floating Production Storage and Offloading).

Emerson provides customized offshore solutions for FPSOs, like radar-based cargo monitoring and valve remote control for high safety on board.

Make Emerson your trusted partner from start to finish.

www.emerson.com

Africa Outlook issue 96 | 191

SAMSUNG HEAVY INDUSTRIES NIGERIA OIL & GAS

in 2022. For example, it is seeking to diversify into new and unexplored markets such as agriculture, by establishing more support through legislation in other sectors. One of the biggest achievements to date is the Petroleum Industry Act which enabled NNPC to become a limited company, allowing access to funding externally from financial institutions to execute independent projects which weren’t possible before.

SHIN is set to utilise its skilled labour force to ensure that it generates and provides the capacity needed in the industry to achieve its desired goals.

Nigeria remains the single biggest market in Africa, with an abundance of youth, talent and skills ready to take on any challenge. All investors have the opportunity to be part of the country’s huge growth potential in the coming years.

“There are limitless possibilities for

the future of building, repairing, and maintaining high value-added ships to serve the needs in Africa and beyond,” adds Kim.

DIVERSIFYING OPERATIONS INTO CLEANER ENERGY SOURCES Rapid economic growth achieved since the industrial revolution has come at the expense of the planet, with the use of fossil fuels destroying forests causing environmental pollution and thereby global warming in the process. As a direct result of this, from an industrial point of view, the main issue is how we can reduce carbon emissions as the calls for decarbonisation increase.

For this very reason, SHI has raised over one billion USD to develop environmentally-friendly ship technologies to accommodate the needs of the market.

“As the biggest fabricator of LNG carriers in the world, SHI continues to take a lead in the energy transition and is also a pioneer in FLNG, making it possible to explore and produce LNG on water,” explains Kim. Furthermore, SHI is taking a step closer to carbon neutrality by developing ammonia-fuelled vessels with fuel cell-generated engines.

Ammonia is regarded as a highly suitable marine fuel as it does not emit carbon dioxide during combustion and is easy to store, transport and handle. SHI aims to commercialise ammonia fuel propulsion ships by 2023, by developing its very own ammonia fuel supply system.

“We believe that there could be policies and mandates in place for project owners to actualise the development of these vessels.

This will increase the domestic gas availability for the nation and bring

about the emergence of gas power plants all over Nigeria to end the power shortage in the country. As a subsidiary, SHIN is able to implement SHI’s innovative and unparalleled shipbuilding technologies in Nigeria as well,” Kim details.

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted major projects and the oil and gas industry at large, but SHIN continues to navigate the fallout and its various consequences.

“HSE (Health, Safety, and Environment) is considered the number one priority at SHI and its subsidiaries. We continue to establish our own safety culture and make every effort to prevent accidents and ensure on-site safety,” adds Kim. SHI’s safety culture and measures go beyond educating and training the workforce. “Even the most rigorous training of employees cannot sufficiently guarantee the highest level of safety on-site as the safety will greatly depend on each individual workers’ actions and decisions,” Kim explains.

Kim alluded that in line with SHI’s HSE management policy, all forklifts at the SHI-MCI yard were recently equipped with cameras that monitor and alert only the human body movements around the equipment for up to 10 metres range, in real-time.

“As a subsidiary of SHI, we continue to adhere to SHI’s technical guidance and safety improvement measures to ensure that we can deliver the same level of safety as the Geoje Shipyard in Korea, while making sure every worker goes home safe at the end of the day,” says Kim. The company also continues to receive constant support and technical guidance in regard to COVID-19 prevention protocols. This has included the installation of a sanitization chamber at the entrance of the yard and office. Anyone entering the premise must pass through the chamber and get their body temperature checked and their

hands completely sanitised.

All workers are also provided with high-grade face masks to be worn at all times. This is alongside carrying out weekly COVID-19 tests for all workers, whilst the offices are also sanitised frequently. Despite the pandemic, SHI and SHIN remain unaffected in completing the projects on time.

“Some of these awards, projects, and targets I mentioned are all positive indications and proof that SHIN’s 10th year of operation in Nigeria has been a success so far, and that we are headed towards even more achievement in the future,” concludes Kim.

It is SHIN’s belief that the future of the company, as well as Nigeria, lies in the capacity and capabilities of the Nigerian people, and in that regard, they are certainly in safe hands.

SAMSUNG HEAVY INDUSTRIES NIGERIA Tel: 0803 930 8846 enquiries@samsung.com www.shi-mci.com Africa Outlook issue 96 | 193

THE FINAL WORD To round off each issue, we ask our contributing business leaders for their views on the same question

What is your greatest success story of initiating change within your company?

David El Bez

Terminal Director for Africa, TiL

“LCT has accomplished a great deal in its young history and has played a significant role in TiL’s Africa portfolio, and in supporting MSC’s shipping network.

Thanks to the efforts of the LCT team and management, the terminal is continuing to roll out the results of pre-existing investment commitments with a view to growing capacity and always seeking to improve productivity, efficiency and safety.”

Ms. Lliane M. Ndananeze

CEO and Co-Founder, WidEnergy

“In an effort to make diversity and inclusion a reality, our sales agents own the sales and the on-boarding process. This strategy has enabled our female sales team to leverage their natural ability to 194 | Africa Outlook issue 96

relate with the social context of our customers, gain confidence in their contribution to building better communities and establish solid and long-lasting relationships with our customers.

"That’s a WidEnergy story I am proud of: from dreaming of women as agents of change to seeing them become real agents of change.”

Herman Franken Country Manager, AB InBev Namibia

“Entering Namibia, I inherited a team that lived through tough times during COVID-19, economic recession, and multiple shifts in management. As a management team we changed our routines, started working together closely, and built a local AB InBev Namibian team identity and purpose.

Critically we decided to invest into training for middle management and spent time and effort in aligning the broader company to the goals and plans for the year. During this time a change in reporting lines happened,

shifting from Botswana to South Africa.

“We have tried in many small ways to shift the way Namibia works and how we look at our operations as a team – with still a road ahead to grow.

At the end of the day a manager is not responsible for the results in a direct way, but rather responsible for the people who are responsible for the results. That is a change I am proud to drive every day to empower my team and have them empower their teams.”

Rukesh Raghubir Director, M&D Construction

“I am proud of the role that I have played in helping to build a robust and resilient management team and sufficient cash reserves to weather tumultuous episodes.”

Are you a CEO/Director interested in telling your story?

Contact Africa Outlook now!

Driving maritime investment and performance culture in Lomé...

LOMÉ CONTAINER TERMINAL SUPPLY CHAIN

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60 68 LOMÉ CONTAINER TERMINAL SUPPLY CHAIN

TO G O ’ S TERMINAL With strategic access to the continent and abroad, Togo is a West African maritime & logistics hub. We take a look at Lomé Container Terminal, and speak to executive members of its associated businesses, to learn more about the port, the country and the wider MSC Africa network.

Writer: Marcus Kääpä | Project Manager: Kyle Livingstone

driven by the Aponte family. As the world’s largest container carrier, MSC today is on top of a fascinating growth story. It has evolved from a one vessel operation into a globally reputed business with a fleet of 700 vessels and more than 110,000 people spanning its 155 countries, including 40 African nations.

MSC GROUP AT A GLANCE

A

s a key partner of Lomé Container Terminal (LCT) & Terminal Investment Limited (TIL), Antea Group recently conducted a detailed study of the evolution of the Togolese coastline in the context of more than 50 years of coastal development. Therefore, providing necessary inputs to the stakeholders for the design of a futureready Togolese coastline, open for business and offering state-of-the-art environmental and social protection.

Today, the MSC Group employs more than 110,000 people across a range of business activities and is a benchmark for customer service within the transportation industries.

MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company encompasses: CARGO DIVISION: • MSC

W

• TiL

est Africa is one of the continent’s primary regions of maritime trade and

activity.

With easy access to Europe and a direct path to the Americas, West Africa has grown to develop a multitude of bustling hubs across the many countries that make up its vast coastline.

Among these, Togo has been a rising star. Sitting on the underbelly of the region, Togo’s capital city of Lomé is

• MEDLOG

MSC has also developed over decades a logistics offering that

the African continent.”

Recognised and respected as a

includes the trucking, raillogistics. and barge global leader in container shipping, situated in a strategic location that has transportation and MSC also networks operated by MSC and by the company’s roots as a family PASSENGER DIVISION: access to Central and Southern Africa ownsitsMEDLOG, theasinland transport subsidiary MEDLOG, well as enterprise set it apart in a competitive • MSC Cruises essential cargo storage facilities. marketplace. According to Broom, Grandi Navi Veloci and is able to facilitate the•shipping of(GNV) and logistics provider.

MSC created TiL in 2000 to MSC is a business founded on a • SNAV secure berths and terminal capacity genuine passion for the sea, on goods from all over the continent to in the major ports used by MSC. longstanding nautical heritage, and MSC IN AFRICA - AT A GLANCE: those abroad, such as East• Asia.

MARITIME That companyWORLDWIDE evolved into one on a sense of commitment to people Present in 40 countries of the world’s largest and most and communities.

With an office based in •Lomé, the Present in 155 countries, MSC 50 ocean services and local geographically diverse container MSC’s consistent growth has also feeders terminal managing investors, handling it strategically and successfully aptly named Lomé Container Terminal facilitates international tradeseen between • 123 weekly calls at 60 different over 53 million TEUs per year, for both manoeuvre into an increased portfolio (LCT) is one of the many terminals the world’s and African ports TiL and MSCmajor terminals,economies, and serving of transportation solutions. This multiple shipping lines at different expansion has not only been at sea • Road and rail transport solutions under the banner of Terminal among emerging markets across all locations around the world. but also in rail, road and port terminal • Hinterland logistics: Feeder MSC’s COMMITMENT TO AFRICA infrastructure, through subsidiaries Investment Limited (TiL). services, Rail, Truck in West continents.

“Since the very first MSC ‘liner’ MEDLOG and TiL. TiL is the terminals arm ofAfrica, South Africa, East Africa Founded inin1970 and headquartered service called East Africa in 1971, the Its executives speak of a clear • Warehousing and storage company has demonstrated a longambition and vision to grow its MSC Mediterranean Shipping in Geneva, Switzerland, sincepresence 1978,in Africa. Today, MSC solutions term commitment to the continent Active partner anda it continues to invest in shipping,organisation operates almost 50 weekly ocean Company (MSC), a global •leader infor exporters ofMSC is privately-owned soft agricultural commodities

such as cocoa, cotton, cashew nuts, sesame, among many other types of cargo.

logistics and infrastructure,” begins Giles Broom, a global spokesman for the business. “MSC has, over the years, invested in local teams, Africa Outlook inland networks and container terminals to bring international trade opportunities to businesses across

services connecting Africa to the rest of the world. It invests in, and manages, state-of-the-art terminals

which,96 combined | 3with trucking issue

solutions, depots and warehouses, enable the transportation of goods to, from and around the continent.

“Do what you promise, do it with boundless effort, and always try to improve yourself” was the remarkable quote that accompanied Antea Group when its story started in 1951.

Today with more than 3,300 engineers and consultants all around the world, we keep our promise and deliver the technical input managers need to keep their organizations prosperous, safe, and sustainable.

Present on the African continent for more than 30 years, Antea Group combines a strong knowledge of local markets and an international in-house experts’ network to assist your organization in its activities.

a new terminal, quay wall renovation or maintenance dredging.

• Long term technical assistance including preparation of procurement processes for contractors and engineering firms • ESIA or QHSE studies, trainings, or audits • Soil and sediment characterization for geotechnical investigations.

• Numerical modeling (hydrological, nautical, sediment,…) to evaluate the impacts of current activities and future developments and optimize dredging strategies.

• Create positive impact for the community and environment by adopting water stewardship, develop green energy or thrive in the blue economy.

Depending on the specificity of your project, Antea Group will put together the perfect team of local experts, expat professionals, and desktop engineers to deliver what is needed and when it’s needed. We bring flexible and sustainable answers, build a strong trust relationship with our clients, and can operate worldwide thanks to our global presence.

GLOBAL INTEGRATED ENGINEERING AND CONSULTING PLAYER

Whether you are representing a port authority or a terminal operator, we can bring you our vast experience with both public and private Supply Chains for the main challenges you face today.

Among our wide range of services, you will find the one that fits your needs: • Climate-proof infrastructure design, feasibility studies, detailed designs, and preparation of tender documents for the extension of a basin,

For any question, opportunity, or challenge you are facing, contact our International Business Development Leader:

Tom D’Haeyer International Business Development Leader Tom.Dhaeyer@anteagroup.be +32 494 53 31 87

6 | Africa Outlook issue 96

Lomé Container Terminal has told its story.

Now, why not tell yours? Our bi-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.

Reaching an audience 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.

To share in this unrivalled opportunity, contact one of our project managers today!

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96

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Growing economy in national a Botswan

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ent and Investm ges swana challen of Bot global , CEO unting Olebile ositse es surmo Kelets discuss Centre Trade

Complementing the production of Africa Outlook, APAC Outlook, EME Outlook and North America Outlook magazines, Outlook Publishing’s awardwinning in-house team is now utilising these same

Outlook Creative Services

specialist production skills to offer a full and bespoke range of editorial, design and marketing services via its new Outlook Creative Services division.

For more information on how we can work with you in providing a plethora of completely flexible and customisable production services, please visit: www.outlookpublishing.com/creative-services

DESIGN:

E D I TO R I A L :

Stephen Giles +44 (0) 1603 363 634 steve.giles@outlookpublishing.com

Phoebe Harper +44 (0) 1603 363 655 phoebe.harper@outlookpublishing.com

Devon Collins +44 (0) 1603 363 656 devon.collins@outlookpublishing.com

Marcus Kääpä +44 (0) 1603 363 653 marcus.kaapa@outlookpublishing.com