SCC Insider - Edition 1

SPANISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN SOUTH AFRICA

SCC INSIDER

EDITION 1 SEPTEMBER 2022

C O N T E N T

PRESIDENT'S NOTE

4

WELCOME TO NEW

6

MEMBERS

NEWS AND INSIGHTS

9

EVENTS

25

INSPIRATIONAL TALKS

28

RESEARCH

34

Disclaimer: Articles published do not all reflect the perspective of the Chamber, but that of the authors.

-3-

SPANISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SOUTH AFRICA PRESIDENT'S NOTE

PAGE 4

Mr. Marcos Pelegrin President of the SCC in South Africa

Dear SCC Members and Friends of the Chamber, It is my honour and privilege to be elected as the President of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in RSA. As the Managing Director of LaLiga in South Africa, it is great to be part of such a prestigious organization, let alone to lead it.

It has been a pleasure to work and be part of the community since

2019. To me, it is important to be able to help all of the members of the chamber, which is why over the past couple of years I have been engaged in the many different committees within the chamber.

The Chamber’s mission is anchored by three pillars mentioned to you in the past, also known as the SCC’s ABC’s: Advocacy Benefit Connect

Advocacy We

are

actively

of

We host stimulating events with expert speakers

businesses by listening to their concerns and

and community leaders, as well as with elected

challenges

officials. We also host

and

advocating

Connect

working

with

on all

behalf levels

of

cultural events where we

government to ensure they are aware of and

celebrate and learn about Spain, such as the

responding to the obstacles and constraints you

Spanish Paella & Tortilla de Patatas competition

are facing.

and our well attended Gala and Awards Dinner.

Our

Benefit We have a variety of unique benefits for our members,

such

as

discounts

goal

is

to

curate

a

fun

and

stimulating

experience where you can interact with other

on

travel

and

transport of cargo, as well as opportunities to

businesses

and

developing

new

network.

promote your business, and education on a range of business and leadership topics.

-4-

learn

from

each

relationships

to

other,

while

expand

your

SPANISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SOUTH AFRICA PRESIDENT'S NOTE

PAGE 5

Through networking and expert speaker panels, the Spanish Chamber is a place where you can hear from other business leaders and/or experts in the different disciples and share strategies to address common challenges, such as shortages in skilled labour and increased costs due to supply chain disruption and the effects of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The Chamber is also aware of the current visa challenges that many FDIs are experiencing, and we are actively advocating for change to ensure that government policies and supports are in place to help our business community prosper and grow.

With many networking opportunities and services to support businesses, the Chamber embraces a culture of vibrant engagement and proactive advocacy. As your President, I would be honoured to connect with you to better understand your unique business needs and introduce you into our thriving business network. We are stronger if we work together.

Saludos Cordiales.

Marcos Pelegrin President of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce RSA

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SPANISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SOUTH AFRICA WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS

PAGE 6

“Collaboration gives the freedom to come out from the narrow scopes of life to the field of endless possibilities.” - Amit Ray The Spanish Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the companies that have joined the Chamber as members in the past few months. The Chamber is proud to have these companies in their respective industries as part of the extended SCC Family, and will strive towards building stronger relations between Spain and South Africa.

Bryanston Travel is owned and managed by Julie Van Acker, an accomplished Travel Industry professional with over 40 years of extensive experience in the Travel Industry.

Catalonia Trade & Investment is the public agency that works to attract foreign direct investment to Barcelona and Catalonia, promoting the area as an attractive, innovative and competitive business location.

ACCIÓ’s Johannesburg office opened in 1995 to provide Catalan companies access to markets in southern Africa and, especially, to the powerful market of the Republic of South Africa. Of the more than two hundred projects that have been carried out in recent years, many companies operate in the field of food. There are also a large number of reputable companies in the chemicals, power and industrial system sector.

Services generating most interest among Catalan companies include the search for marketing channels, scheduling business meetings and business missions.

Founded with the belief that people are connected through shared memories, Dream Hotels & Resorts was established with the dream of creating lasting memories by providing the right canvas: a varied portfolio of resorts and lodges including exclusive membership and ownership opportunities in South Africa’s most sought-after holiday destinations.

Dream Hotels & Resorts’ mantra across its 21 properties, ranging from the iconic Blue Marlin Hotel in Scottburgh, the Peninsula All-Suite Hotel in the Western Cape to Le Franschhoek Hotel & Spa in the beautiful Cape Wine lands all the way to Finfoot Lake Reserve situated in the Greater Pilanesberg, is to provide a concierge experience for all our guests. This “One Guest” approach centres on exceeding expectations to provide guests with the dream holiday they deserve.

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SPANISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SOUTH AFRICA WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS

PAGE 7

Habsburg is an early-stage and long term venture capital fund comprised of seasoned veterans and entrepreneurs from leading technology companies, who bring not only deep domain expertise, but also hands-on operating experience to the companies in our portfolio.

Habsburg investors began investing in 2000. In 2008, Habsburg’s investors decided to consolidate their various investments into Habsburg based in London, United Kingdom.

Early investments included Enterprise Outsourcing, SA Outsourcing, Tour Apps, Knowledge Apps, Monitor Apps, Timeshare Solutions, Finance Apps and Logistic Apps.

MAXAM is a global company, specializing in the design, development, manufacture and application of energetic materials.

- Blasting solutions for mining, quarries and civil works; - Cartridges and gun powders for use in hunting and recreational shooting; - Products and systems for the defense and security sector; Founded by Alfred Nobel in 1872, our team is made up of more than 6000 people of 80 different nationalities, present in over 45 countries, all with a common goal: our contribution to our clients' value chain, wherever they may be in the world, will lead to sustainable progress and development for society as a whole.

Polyroads is a specialist company, focusing on the development and manufacturing of Smart Materials for the mining and road construction industry. These products includes, mine haul-road stabilization, national road construction, factory floors, dust palliatives and spray-on dam geoliners. Smart Materials are also being used in - repairs to concrete water canals, sewerage dams, as well as lining of fresh water reservoirs and earthen dams.

TAAG presents itself as a leading company for modernisation of aerial transportation in Angola, through a reliable and financially sustainable operation that promotes Angola's image all around the world.

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Unlocking your vision Moonwater helps clients to unlock their vision. With our understanding and experience of multiple industries, systems and operations, clients are prepared to manage their businesses on a sold platform right from the start.

OUR SERVICES START A BUSINESS

GROW AND DEVELOP

MAINTAIN AND COMPLY

Business plan development and modelling

Analysis of business performance and recommendation to improve and implementation thereof

Annual returns and updates of CIPC information

Improvements and upgrading of systems, procedures and controls

Monitor system, controls, financial reports and KPI's together with business

Outsourcing

Accounting, VAT and payroll

Training, coaching and team building

Cash flow and working capital management

Strategy interventions

Financial statements

Skills Audit

Hosting and support

Company and name registration Register taxes - Income tax, PAYE, VAT Setup accounting system, procedures and controls Setup payroll Design reports to track performance Hardware and software, website (WordPress templates), telephony, email

Change and talent management Leadership Development Agricultural Management

012 004 3391 info@moonwater.co.za www.moonwater.co.za

Tax returns

SPANISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SOUTH AFRICA NEWS AND INSIGHTS

PAGE 9

NEW LEADERSHIP BOARD

ON

THE

SCC

Spanish Chamber of Commerce in RSA Marcos Pelegrin (LaLiga South Africa) is the new President of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in South Africa. appointment as Treasurer. Two new Directors were also appointed on the board: Mr. Mario Inchausti, Managing Director of Inventta, and Mr. Pedro Viudez, CEO of Habsburg Limited.

Congratulations to all board members who were elected!

We would like to thank all the members who attended the AGM in person and all those who were able to follow it online. Thanks to the Honorary Deputy President, Mr. Isaac Martín-

On May 27, we celebrated our 8th Annual General Meeting

(AGM)

at

the

Spanish

Embassy

Barbero for attending and co-hosting the AGM

in

with Mrs. Tshepo Ncube.

Pretoria. The meeting was presided by H.E. the Ambassador

of

Spain,

Mr.

Raimundo

Robredo

After the AGM we enjoyed a great lunch at the

Rubio.

Ambassador’s residence.

We are pleased to announce the appointment of

F o r m o r e i m a g e s o f t h e A G M , c l i c k h e r e.

Mr. Marcos Pelegrin, Managing Director for Africa at LaLiga, as the new President of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the Republic of South Africa. Furthermore, Mrs. Tshepo Ncube was again elected as Vice President of the Chamber and Mr. Ramiro Sebastiao accepted his

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SPANISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SOUTH AFRICA NEWS AND INSIGHTS

PAGE 10

NAVIGATING TOXIC LEADERSHIP WHILST UNLEASHING THE DIAMOND WITHIN Spanish Chamber of Commerce in RSA Working under destructive leadership is not only difficult for morale, it can ultimately affect team performance and instill a toxic culture.

Women leaders working in toxic environments

The

often face a double challenge, on one side, they

successful in their disciplines. The panel was

may

environment

moderated by Ms Poppy Matshaya (Director for

effectively, whilst on the other hand, they must

Southern Africa of IE Business School, Instituto

maintain

Empresa),

need

to

manage

a

hostile

level-headedness

when

leading

their

own teams.

panel

speakers

alongside

were

the

diverse

and

speakers;

very

Aurora

Carbonel de Barnola (Head of Consular Section at Embassy of Spain Pretoria), Tshepo Ncube (Head

In celebration of women’s’ month, the Spanish

of Global Corporates at Absa), Dr Fabiola Quesada

Chamber of Commerce RSA hosted a symposium

(CEO of Wild Spirit Foundation), Rashmee Ragaven

and panel discussion “Navigating toxic leadership

(Director of Department of Trade, Industry and

whilst

Competition,

unleashing

the

diamond

within”,

in

partnership with IE Business School and Mazars, on the 19 August 2022, at Mazars House, Melrose Estate, Johannesburg.

The address was spearheaded by Ms Manuela Sánchez

Aragú,

Senior

Lecturer

GBI

and

Zizikazi

Vikilahle

(Director

Outsourced Accounting Services at Mazars).

(Global

Business Institute) and Supervisor for the MBA Research Projects at UNISA SBL, and General Manager of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce RSA.

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SPANISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SOUTH AFRICA NEWS AND INSIGHTS

The

guests

which

honoured

PAGE 11

the

event

were

members of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, IE Business School alumni, employees of Mazars, and esteemed women in the corporate space. The symposium and panel discussion was informative and

nurturing

to

the

delegate

present.

The

Spanish Chamber of Commerce RSA was honoured for having successfully hosted this event, with the sponsorship of IE Business School and Mazars, as well as the powerful panel speakers.

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SPANISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SOUTH AFRICA NEWS AND INSIGHTS

PAGE 12

IBERCHEM SOUTH AFRICA PRESENTS BLIND SA: AN INTRODUCTION TO THE FANTASTIC WORLD OF FLAVOURS Iberchem Iberchem South Africa is a flavour and fragrance

Iberchem has a strong sustainability program in

manufacturer

place

based

in

Midrand,

North

of

to

which

company

is

Iberchem around the world. It now employs over

company, Croda, to become Climate, Land and

60 employees. In terms of fragrances, Iberchem

People Positive by 2030. “More than a fragrance

SA specialises in the creation of fragrances for

and flavour manufacturer, Iberchem South Africa

home care (detergents, surface cleaners, reed

is

diffusers, etc.). and personal care applications

Questiaux, General Manager of Iberchem South

(soaps, shampoos, body cream, etc.). For flavours,

A f r i c a. “ I t w a s o f p a r a m o u n t i m p o r t a n c e t o u s

the company creates taste solutions for sweet

that the local community would benefit from the

(confectionery,

goods

&

desserts,

The

to

determined to meet the ambition of its parent

corporate

level.

invited

contribute

baked

local

is

and is one of the 24 subsidiaries operated by

a

a

subsidiary

Johannesburg. The company was launched in 2018

also

at

each

citizen,”

said

Quentin

ice

company’s activity. At the same time, our parent

creams & lollies and dairy products, etc), savoury

company Croda was offering grants to launch

(soups, noodles, stock cubes and snacks, ready

local CSR campaigns across the world. So, we

meals, meats and fish, fresh and preserved foods,

took the opportunity to submit a project, Blind

etc.) and beverages (Soft & energy drinks, powder

S A, a n d w e g o t t h e g r a n t . ”

& syrups, juices & waters, etc.).

Blind SA: A unique project for the blind community of South Africa Iberchem South Africa launched Blind SA to help with the recruitment of blind people to be trained for product taste and sensory evaluations. Since almost 95% of blind people are unemployed, we saw this as a key opportunity for blind people to generate a sustainable income from taste panel work.

To establish the taste panel, Iberchem South Africa

partnered

provider,

YHO

with

Sensory

its

current

Space.

This

service sensory

research group developed online platforms to train sighted tasters to use in consumer research work. One of these platforms was adapted and deployed to screen and train blind individuals.

The platforms using text-to-speech translation software made it possible to use the online

-12-

SPANISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SOUTH AFRICA NEWS AND INSIGHTS

platforms

to

successfully

PAGE 13

screen

34

About Iberchem

blind

individuals. This combination of braille used for sample

identification

translation

made

and

the

text-to-speech

blind

taster

training

possible.

largest fragrance and flavour manufacturer and a leading reference across the industry. It counts

Within the next month, the shortlisted panellists will undergo further training, allowing them to become

Founded in 1985 in Murcia, Iberchem is Spain’ s

qualified

tasters.

The

funding

more

on over 1 000 employees and operates 24 centres around

the

world.

The

broadly made it possible to build 16 sensory tasting booths, allowing the blind panel tasting to be

conducted

under

global

sensory

research

standards, using smart science to enable blind people

to

express

sensory

evaluations

in

a

common sensory language.

Iberchem's headquarters in Murcia.

Spanish Secretary of State for Trade and Foreign Investment; Ms Xiana

Méndez,

the

Ambassador

of

Spain

to

South

Africa;

flavour

division

of

Iberchem runs by the name of Scentium Flavours

Mr

Raimundo Robredo, the Chief of Cabinet to the Secretary of State; Mr Erik Rovina, the CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Spain; Ms Inmaculada Riera and the COO of CEOE International; Mr Narciso Casado, and M. Quentin Questiaux, General Manager Iberchem SA.

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SPANISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SOUTH AFRICA NEWS AND INSIGHTS

STAINLESS DIVERSITY

PAGE 14

STEEL:

QUALITY

IN

Columbus Stainless The month of August is significant month in the

The evolution of the company has not only taken

history of South Africa where we commemorate a

place with the diversification and growth of the

pivotal turning point in the country which was

stainless steel grades we produce, but also in our

subsequently declared August women's month. In

people.

celebrating this momentous occasion, Columbus

contributed to the development of this material

Stainless takes this opportunity to commemorate

over five decades and will continue to do so as

the dedicated women within our workforce. As an

the only stainless steel plant in Africa. Parallel to

organisation we hold the belief that our greatest

this

asset is our people, and with them, we are able to

representative

innovate

gender stereotypes.

landscape.

and

traverse

The

the

changing

steelmaking

business

process

Columbus

our

Stainless

work

force

and

is

has

intentional

proud

to

steadily in

have

been

debunking

has

traditionally been a very male dominated field.

However, as the company grows and diversifies; our workforce is continuously evolving to include well qualified, capable women contributing to key roles within the organization. This has ensured that we continue to realise our vision of making tomorrow stainless.

So who are we?

Columbus Stainless is a subsidiary of the Spanish based Acerinox Group in South Africa and Africa’s only producer of stainless steel flat products.

Founded in 1966, Columbus Stainless is the only fully integrated, technologically advanced, single site stainless steel producer. The plant, based in

This year marks 30 years since the construction

Middleburg – Mpumalanga, produces a wide range

of the new Columbus Stainless factory following

of stainless steel grades from the Austenitic,

the formation of the Columbus Joint Venture by

Ferritic,

the Industrial Development Corporation, Highveld

families.

and Samancor (Columbus Joint Venture-CJV). The CJV was taken over by Acerinox SA in 2002 which now owns 76% shares in the company.

-14-

Utility

and

Duplex

stainless

steel

SPANISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SOUTH AFRICA NEWS AND INSIGHTS

PAGE 15

Like our diverse organisation, our products are used in a variety of industries, including the automotive

industry,

train

wagons,

power

generation, mining, farming, catering, brewing industries and various manufacturing industries.

In good markets, the mill has a melting capacity of 1 000 000 tons per annum to supply stainless steel flat products (coils, plates and sheets) to various final customers, distributors, engineering shops and mines globally (e.g. in Africa, Europe, the United States, Asia, etc.). Stainless steel has proven itself as a multi-functional and adaptable metal of choice and has proven successful in many application and offers great value to the manufacturing

industry.

It

remains

a

cost

competitive, low maintenance material of choice contributing to long term sustainability; being 100% recyclable and manufactured using recycled material. Indeed the future of manufacturing is Stainless – and the role of women in this industry has and will continue to grow from strength to strength.

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SPANISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SOUTH AFRICA NEWS AND INSIGHTS

PAGE 16

IF YOU DON’T SPEAK, YOU WON’T BE HEARD Tshepo Ncube | ABSA Group Research indicates that teams with greater gender diversity across their workforce and leadership will outperform a non-diverse one. South Africans celebrated Women's month during August, a reminder for some that organisations should challenge their stakeholders to see how they are performing on this metric.

Having worked at Absa for just over 5 years. it

There

excites me to be part of a company that is not

empathetic leadership and being there to rubber-

only actively addressing this issue to include

stamp decisions. Building communities that guide

more female voices in key decision-making roles

perceptions to ensure women’s leadership skills

but is also reaping the benefits of this long-term

are perceived correctly is part of the solution to

investment.

success.

In the last 2 years alone, CIB has brought in

There is no question that empathetic leadership

females from across the finance industry who

has its place but as an organisation, Absa is well

have

and

on the path of creating an environment where

clients and this has transformed into a direct

women are recognized and rewarded for their

contribution to the bottom line.

skill

brought

their

own

networks,

skills,

is

a

material

sustainably,

difference

rather

than

between

supporting

campaigns that’s simply rolled out as platitudes This is not by chance, but rather by deliberately

when Women’s Month arrives, or a Sustainability

identifying these women and investment in a

Report needs to be completed. One of the many

working environment in which women can thrive.

internal initiatives to change the narrative is Absa’s

participation

in

the

United

Nations’

This can be attributed to three deliberate focus

HeForShe

points.

perspectives by creating awareness about the

is

characterised

how when

women by signing a pledge not to engage in

leadership looking

to

styles

are

introduce

diversity.

leadership positions on the basis that they will the

behaviours that are discriminatory or harmful to women.

As Women’s Month has drawn to a close and the

In many cases, organisations elevate women into “Keep

informs

gives men a platform to stand in solidarity with

empathetic first

HeForShe

importance of gender equality. The programme

Women own the narrative… and it’s not

The

programme.

peace”

or

“Deal

with

the

softer

elements of the operations”. This unfortunately creates an environment where internal biases persist or are even accentuated.

social media and marketing teams move on to the next cause, we need to ensure that women in our businesses are not simply placed on temporary pedestals – they also need to be protected and supported

internally

by

the

perceptions

of

colleagues to fill their rightful place in leadership positions, all year round.

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SPANISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SOUTH AFRICA NEWS AND INSIGHTS

PAGE 17

Currency of success

It’s not just about women

The second is networking.

The third consideration is that building a diverse workforce or leadership team is not just about

Women still struggle to network, and when they

women or building women-focused initiatives.

do network, the connections they build are not as strong as those of their male counterparts. Men

As the leading Pan-African banking group, Absa

are often able to transition work relationships

will

into social relationships – such as a round of golf

Finance initiative in Kenya and one of the key

– but women still struggle in this regard.

messages from this global movement is that men

shortly

be

launching

the

100

Women

in

have a very real role to play in the advancement This is unfortunate as networking is the currency

of women inside of organisations.

of success.

Female empowerment and leadership initiatives It’s too often that we encounter women who

are necessary to guide women through the ranks

outperform their colleagues but when it’s time to

and create a world where every woman wake up

get

is

with the confidence to contribute and they need

because of the capacity in investing in the right

to be able to depend on their male counterparts

relationships. As ex-chair and sponsor of the

to support them for the right reasons. When

Banking on Women (BoW) initiative that was born

women are placed in organisations that train and

in 2014, I am very passionate about uplifting

develop leaders and have a culture of inclusion by

women and ensuring they have the know-how of

appointing women into positions of influence–

building the right networks.

they

promoted

they’re

overlooked.

Often

it

will

make

an

impact

no

matter

the

environment they find themselves in – and it will As somebody building a high-performance team,

reflect in the bottom-line.

the message needs to be clear: Absa’s “If you don’t speak up, you won’t be heard”

journey

has

been

deliberate

and

has

yielded some success in this respect. Our work to create an environment where women can not only

Absa has invested significantly in creating an

speak but be heard has resulted that we are able

enabling environment in which this can be done.

to attract confident, capable women to invest in

BoW,

an inclusive uplifting Africanacity future.

as

an

example,

was

developed

to

help

women speak up by focusing on the following four pillars: 1. U n l e a s h - E m p o w e r w o m e n w i t h t h e “ K n o w How” and remove hurdles to their success.

2. C o n n e c t

-

Create

connection

sessions

for

women to grow their insights and expand their networks.

3. L e a d - L i n k w o m e n t o r e l e v a n t p l a t f o r m s t o build and showcase their Talents.

4. I n t e g r a t e - A l l o w w o m e n t o b r i n g t h e i r w h o l e self to work.

BoW

cements

the

currency

of

success

by

accelerating the advancement and professional growth of women across Absa CIB, leveraging the capabilities of women, allowing opportunities to network and providing resources to support and build, communities.

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SPANISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SOUTH AFRICA NEWS AND INSIGHTS

PAGE 18

DEPARTMENT OF HOME AFFAIRS: VISA PROCESSING TIMES Andreas Krensel | IBN Immigration Solutions On the 14th of February

More so, some missions have insisted on creating

2022,

processes

Phaketha

Director

Vikwa,

of

consultants, and causing panic and frustration for

Department

both. Some missions insist on holding clients’

Home

Affairs

of

(DHA) Internal

2022

and

detailed

passports making

for

months

extensive

impossible

and

their Head Office in Pretoria and no longer at missions in-country, it was posited as a way to applying

immigration

legislation

planning

therefore

leading

difficult

to

to

of

loss

this Increased Processing Time?

visa applications would now be adjudicated at

consistency

processing,

What Can Be Done about

When the DHA first announced that long-term

and

travel

visa

the

T i m e s, f o r l o n g - t e r m v i s a s .

compliance

during

business and income for many of our clients.

implementation of the increased Visa Processing

ensure

immigration

Africa’s

This notice announced delegations signed on the January,

SA

Adjudications for South

C o m m u n i q u e N u m b e r 3.

of

with

legislation, confusing our clients and immigration

released

12th

out-of-line

Central

when during

adjudication – at the time, the immigration sector welcomed this.

I have written several letters to the DirectorGeneral and Minister of Home Affairs, asking the government

to

reconsider

the

centralisation.

More than this: I, along with my colleagues from IBN Immigration Solutions, WESGRO and several financial

chambers, to

have

the

written

Department

with

of

clear

Six months later, it is blatantly obvious that

suggestions

the centralised adjudication system is failing

Industry (DTI). Our voices are not being heard.

Trade

and

to produce its intended results, causing visa processing

times

to

be

increased.

The

What should overseas employers sending foreign

inevitable

assignees

to

increase in processing times have positioned

hopeless?

Not

south africa as an unattractive employment

international

and long-term residence location.

demand

slapdash

implementation

and

SA if

do the

about

corporates

that

more

this

issue?

immigration band

efficient

Is

sector

it

and

together

and

measures

are

introduced to mitigate the fallout caused by the Previously, processing took between six to eight

lack

weeks. Now, our immigration consultants have

delegations.

received

estimated

processing

times

of

planning

around

implementing

these

from

missions of up to eight months. Corporates will

We call on corporates and multinationals to add

not wait six to eight months for an assignee’s visa

their voices and write to the DHA and the DTI.

to be processed. Time is money – they will simply

Use your authority, name and brand to create

take

urgency around this issue. Local South Africans

their

business

to

a

efficient Processing Times.

country

with

more

want and need your business and Foreign Direct Investment

in

SA

and,

even

though

the

SA

government’s actions do not reflect this, so do they.

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SPANISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SOUTH AFRICA NEWS AND INSIGHTS

PAGE 19

A TALE OF TWO NATIONALISMS AND HOW THEY HAVE FAILED, AND CONTINUE TO FAIL SOUTH AFRICA Spanish Chamber of Commerce in RSA, in partnership with SwissCham Southern Africa On August 18 the Swiss Chamber of Commerce in

"new world" in which the surviving indigenous

South

peoples are marginalized by new foreign peoples

Africa

and

the

South

African-Canada

Chamber of Commerce, sponsored and hosted by

taking over the land.

Citadel, had the pleasure of presenting the event on the inspiring topic "A tale of two nationalisms

The economic example South Africa should look

and how they have failed, and continue to fail

to

South Africa."

matching the description of the so-called new

is

the

U.S.,

because

of

all

the

countries

world, they are the most successful one. Their The event also saw the collaboration of other

success

business

colonial

African

organizations Chamber

of

such

as:

Trade

Italian-South

and

was

achieved

economy

by

destroying

(exports

from

the

mines

old and

Industries,

plantations) and industrializing the country to

Austrian Business Chamber, Belgian Chamber of

combat unemployment and improve the structure

Commerce for southern Africa, Business Ireland

of its trade.

Johannesburg, South African Portuguese Chamber of Commerce, and Spanish Chamber of Commerce

He later addressed more specific issues, such as

in South Africa.

the dualism between the economic and political elites, both of whom are interdependent and

Mr. Moeletsi Mbeki, known for being an incisive

vulnerable to each other, and political corruption

businessman,

and

a

critical

sociologist,

and

a

waste

of

public

provocative political analyst, kindly accepted the

countries,

South

invitation to address this international audience

percentage

of

and introduce this complex topic to the guests.

servants,

and

GDP this

money:

Africa that also

has goes

among the to

negatively

pay

OECD highest public

affects

country's pipeline of successful entrepreneurs.

Mr. Mbeki immediately sought to answer some challenging

questions

about

the

country's

economic and political future, and about how to create

an

inclusive

tomorrow

for

the

entire

population, starting with the past: in order to understand how to rehabilitate the South African economy, it is necessary to understand where it came from and what place South Africa occupies in the world.

In his opinion, the country is the only African country (besides Mauritius) that is part of the group of nations called the "new world," most of which are located in the Americas.

He explains how the exclusion of most South Africans begins precisely with the creation of this

-19-

the

SPANISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SOUTH AFRICA NEWS AND INSIGHTS

The

two

nationalisms

PAGE 20

referred

to

are

the

Members

of

the

various

chambers

were

in

Afrikaner and the African nationalism, and both

attendance, and this event, in addition to its

have failed, Mbeki explains: the former because

informative and cultural purpose, also took an

Afrikaaners

the

interesting turn toward productive networking,

population and set the stage for economic failure,

with exchanges of ideas and opinions also with a

the latter because the new African elite had no

view

interest

the

business contacts. A final mention and thanks for

infrastructure created, leading the country to

the excellent success of the event should be made

steadily deteriorate.

to the delicious catering service provided by

marginalized

in

the

maintaining

majority

and

of

expanding

to

future

business

collaborations

and

Citadel.

At the end the speech before answering questions from

the

observant

presented

his

restructure important

audience,

personal

the

beliefs

country's

points

of

economy,

which

infrastructure

and

unemployment;

linking

Mr. on

are:

progress more

Mbeki how

the

to

most

investing to

to

Synopsis provided by the Italian-South African Chamber of Trade and Industry.

in

combat

sub-Saharan

Africa; reviewing exports with the rest of the world, and finally diversifying the sectors of the economy,

since

an

economy

based

on

crude

mineral exports will always be weak.

-20-

SPANISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SOUTH AFRICA NEWS AND INSIGHTS

PAGE 21

KAMOA-KAKULA COPPER MINE IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO Polyroads 2022 – Pioneer Holdings LLC awarded the contract to build 20 Km of haul/access roads for the mine.

Ivanhoe

Mines

New

Horizons

is

a

leading

mandate

to

provide

a

cost-effective,

highly

Canadian mining company committed to becoming

resilient,

a global leader in the supply of critical resources

construction solution for their haul/access roads,

required to transition our world to a low-carbon,

as well as for the local community roads, Pioneer

renewable future. One of its mining operations in

Holdings LLC partnered with Polyroads to supply

Africa is the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Mine in the

products from our Smart Material range for road

Democratic Republic of Congo, which is Africa’s

stabilization and road sealing.

environmentally

friendly

alternative

largest high-grade copper discovery.

Our

third-generation

soil

stabilizer,

SoilTech

This is a current and ongoing phased expansion

MKIII is the product of choice to stabilize the

project, projected to make the mine the second

roads,

largest copper complex globally. The mine is

materials.SoilTech

powered by clean, renewable, hydro-generated

certified with WFTAO, the World Federation of

electricity and is projected to be among the

Technical

world’s lowest greenhouse gas emitters per unit

Spain is a member country.

making

use MK

Assessment

of III

the is

in

situ

internationally

Organization,

of

which

of metal produced.

Smart Sealant AsphalTech, which is a polymer Hence Kamoa-Kakula Mine will have one of the

modified bitumen, will be used as the binding

most favourable environmental footprints of any

agent for the wearing course seals, capable of

Tier-One Copper Mine worldwide.

withstanding low, medium and high axle loads.

Earlier this year, Pioneer Holdings LLC, a Dubaibased company, was awarded the contract to build the initial phase of 20 Km of haul/access roads for the mine, as part of their ongoing expansion project. In keeping with the mine’s

-21-

SPANISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SOUTH AFRICA NEWS AND INSIGHTS

PAGE 22

In brief, some of the benefits of using SoilTech

Having

MK III for soil/road stabilization are:

Orapa largest

worked Mine

in

at

Anglo

American/Debswana’s

Botswana,

open-cast

one

of

diamond

the

world’s

mines,

for

Reduces aggregate consumption in the use of

stabilization and dust suppression of their haul

in situ materials.

roads, Polyroads is very excited and proud to be

Reduces water consumption.

associated with Ivanhoe Mines in the further

Cost-effective in reducing construction time,

development and expansion of their road network

plant and operational costs.

at

Reduces CO2 emissions.

Kamoa-Kakula copper mine in the Democratic

Reduces maintenance costs as long as roads

Republic of Congo.

this

impressive

and

giant

of

a

project

are maintained.

Allows for dual base stabilization via capillary migration

of

the

product

from

a

single

Contact person:

application from the base layer into the sub-

Julie Maria - Business Development Manager

base layer.

julie@polyroads.com

Stronger roads and longevity.

Water-based,

non-toxic,

non-hazardous,

environmentally friendly products.

Roads

open

to

stabilization disruption

all thus

to

traffic

24

hours

affording

operational

uptime.

after

minimum Asphalt

wearing course applied 7 days later.

-22-

at

SPANISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SOUTH AFRICA NEWS AND INSIGHTS

PAGE 23

A FESTIVAL OF TRAVEL WITH TAAG ANGOLA AIRLINES TAAG Angola Airlines One

of

the

is

Another extremely popular destination is Brazil

international

and TAAG boasts one of the quickest options

flights has been to boost their European routes

when travelling to Sao Paulo three times per

with newly introduced, twice-weekly flights to

week. Booking to Sao Paulo has never been easier

vibrant and exciting Madrid. This has successfully

or more affordable!

celebrating

opened

ways

their

other

TAAG

Angola

resumption

gateways

of

Airlines

within

Spain,

with

connections through codeshare partner, Iberia.

A part of its on-going commitment to ensuring passengers

receive

the

best

in

comfort

and

Outbound flights leave for the Spanish capital on

reliability, the airline has recently ordered six

Thursdays

new

and

Sundays

with

inbound

traffic

Airbus

A220-300

aircraft

which

will

be

designated for Mondays and Fridays, with a total

delivered in phases starting in 2023. The six new

flying time of 12,5 hours and two choices of

aircraft will bolster our fleet and will give us the

departure venue, Johannesburg (JNB) and Cape

range

Town (CPT), these flights are an excellent way to

intercontinental

travel into the hub of Europe.

efficiency.

“We

are

Madrid

very

excited

route

destinations amazing

to

and

about

our are

introductory

list

adding of

offering offers

this

and

some

consistent

yvonne@flytaag.co.za

says regional sales manager for TAAG,

Travelling for business or pleasure? Flights into Nigeria

(via

Luanda)

have

been

reintroduced with amazing fares for this 6-hour flight

-

one

of

the

fastest

routes

intra-African

with

available

between the two countries.

TAAG’s longstanding daily route to Luanda from Johannesburg is also back in full swing, as are the five times a week flights to Angola via Cape Town, where passengers are able to depart for Lisbon five days out of seven.

-23-

and

state-of-the-art

Yvonne Skerritt - Regional Sales Manager

Yvonne Skerritt.

Lagos

cover

Contact person:

savings on fares as well as increased frequency of flights”

to

markets

new

international Agents

flexibility

SPANISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SOUTH AFRICA EVENTS

PAGE 25

SCC UPCOMING MEETING EVENTS CALENDAR

AND

DATE

MEETING / EVENT

Friday, 09 September 2022

SCC Board Meeting

Tuesday, 27 September 2022

Knowledge Café : Reigning Chaos and how to achieve, effective, efficient and Economic winning Chaordic Strategies by Mr Pieter Geldenhuys.

Sep (TBA)

Round Table with Spanish Agri Association with Ambassador & ABSA

Oct (TBA)

Round Table Discussion with International Affairs Ministry & DTIC and Invest SA

Tuesday, 18 October 2022

European Chambers Golf Day Johannesburg at Ranpark Golf Club

Wednesday, 26 October 2022

Conference in Water Security and Renewable Energy (Potential Sponsor Mazars)

Wednesday, 02 November 2022

SCC Last Board Meeting

Friday, 04 November 2022

LaLiga/SCC Golf Day

Sunday, 06 November 2022

Spanish Paella Competition Festival

Thursday, 24 November 2022

European Chambers Golf Day CPT at Westlake

Friday, 09 December 2022

Year End Gala and Awards Dinner

(NB*) Dates are a subject to change

-25-

SPANISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SOUTH AFRICA EVENTS

PAGE 26

AI TOOLS WORKSHOP

&

TECHNOLOGIES

Eriscan Innovation We are pleased to announce our support to the AI Tools & Technologies workshop to be held by Eriscan I n n o v a t i o n o n t h e 6 t h o f S e p t e m b e r, w h i c h a s p i r e s t o b e p a r t o f t h e A I E c o s y s t e m d i g i t a l t r a n s f o r m a t i o n in Africa.

The importance of AI remains a formidable tool to respond with new and unforeseen solutions to problems created by inevitable disruptions. The workshop attendees will be exposed to practical demonstrations of these AI tools developed by South African specialists and developers.

Free entrance to Spanish Chamber of Commerce RSA members.

Program 9:00 - Introduction - Raluca Pauna

12:20 - The Data Journey Shawn Winterburn, CEO, and Co-owner - OQLIS

9:10 - AI and existing problems still unsolved Raluca Pauna - MSc IT Engineer (Buch), MM-IS (WITS), Theory of

12:50 - Summary and Q&A

Change post-graduate (Stanford, CA.) 13:00 - Guest appearance, dialling in from USA 9:40 - Summary and Q&A

Prof Melanie Mitchell (Melanie Mitchell is the Davis Professor at the

9:50 - Coffee break

Santa

Fe

Institute.

Her

current

research

focuses

on

conceptual abstraction, analogy-making, and visual recognition in artificial intelligence systems.

Melanie is the author or editor of

10:00 - Artificial Intelligence for Good: Demystifying AI and its

six books and numerous scholarly papers in the fields of artificial

benefits in business and society today.

intelligence, cognitive science, and complex systems. Her book

Prof Johan Steyn - Author, and AI Thought Leader, recognised as

Complexity: A Guided Tour won the 2010 Phi Beta Kappa Science

one of the Top 50 global voices on Artificial Intelligence (Swiss

Book Award and was named by Amazon.com as one of the ten best

Cognitive), Founder of aiforbusiness.net

science books of 2009. Her latest book is Artificial Intelligence: A Guide for Thinking Humans)

10:30 - Super Tools for Super Humans Andrew Bosma - CTO, and Co-owner - OQLIS

13:30 - Q&A

11:30 - Summary and Q&A

13:40 - Refreshments and networking

11:40 - Coffee break 12:00 - Detecting Solar Panels from Satellite Image Data using Machine Learning Ryan Shackleton, Software Engineer - OQLIS

SPANISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN SOUTH AFRICA

-26-

SPANISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SOUTH AFRICA INSPIRATIONAL TALKS

PAGE 28

WOMEN WHO INSPIRE OTHER WOMEN “Whatever the problem, be part of the solution. Don’t just sit around raising questions and pointing out obstacles.” - Tina Fey Even when immersed in a toxic environment, we can stand tall by appreciating our values, strengths and growth areas. Whilst there might be plenty of reasons to fall victim, we will all be so much richer for tapping into our inner resources and mentor our networks and act from a place of empowerment.

“More than ever, I am aware of the need to support and celebrate each other. I like to believe I am part of a global support group network of 3.5 billion people. Imagine: if you can fall back on the 3.5 billion sisters, and the many good men who are with us, what could we possibly not achieve?” - Nicole Kidman Therefore, whilst we proactively celebrate the achievements of women in August annually, we also want to take a moment to celebrate our male colleagues. As the Spanish Chamber of Commerce RSA strives for gender-equality, we see it as important to ensure that we are recognising and equally representing, respecting and supporting all genders!

TSHEPO NCUBE Head Global Corporates Africa at ABSA and Vice President of the SCC RSA

What do you think are the top 3 benefits of having more women leaders in companies?

"W h e n w o m e n b e c o m e l e a d e r s t h e y o f f e r d i f f e r e n t s k i l l s e t s a n d b r i n g i n t h e maternal instincts that every being yearns for and this introduces cultural and structural differences which encourages effective solutions. This also brings about the creative and unique sense of awareness that allows for individuals to dig deeper into detail to avoid any errors. Women leaders according to research have a huge impact on the bottom line numbers".

Did you climb up the corporate ladder with ease or difficulty?

"M y j o u r n e y

in climbing the corporate ladder has been with ease. I used

what you would call the performance currency and relationship currency. I worked hard and put in a lot of effort in whatever opportunity was given to me. This earned me a seat at the table and I have been fortunate enough to be recognised by the leadership in the organisations that I have worked for".

What does leadership mean to you?

"L e a d e r s h i p m e a n s a l o t o f t h i n g s t o m e , i t s a b o u t u s i n g y o u r p u r p o s e

to

support others through connecting with the team and in owning input and output in such a way that the results are achieved as collective. Leadership also means respecting and trusting others and focusing on strength and not weakness as well as bringing out the best in the teams".

-28-

SPANISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SOUTH AFRICA INSPIRATIONAL TALKS

PAGE 29

HELEEN WRIGHT Director of Moonwater Chartered Accountants and Girls for Art

What do you think are the top 3 benefits of having more women leaders in companies?

"W o m e n

are

better

listeners,

prefer

finding

solutions

as

opposed

to

confrontation and bring different perspectives and insights to the table".

What advice would you offer to a woman pursuing leadership in fields traditionally dominated by men?

"Don’t try to be a man".

Do

you

think

toxic

leadership

can

be

dealt

with

through

leadership/management training?

"No, toxic leaders choose unethical behavior to achieve their goals and training is not going to change their nature. Unless there is accountability and consequences, they will not change their behavior".

What does leadership mean to you?

"Being respected for your influence/contribution and your ability to support people in improving themselves and achieve their goals".

Do you have an outstanding success story of young professionals that you have proudly mentored?

"A s t r u g g l i n g y o u n g s t e r b a t t l e d f o r f o u r y e a r s t o p a s s h i s C I M A e x a m s . I took him under my wing and agreed that if he fail again, he will forfeit his salary in December (off course he wouldn’t, but he didn’t know that). I mentored him through all his assignments and he passed with distinction.

Today he is a highly rated cost expert in an international law firm".

-29-

SPANISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SOUTH AFRICA INSPIRATIONAL TALKS

PAGE 30

JULIE MARIE Business Development Manager at Polyroads

Have you managed to unleash the diamond within during your corporate journey? If yes, how long did that take you?

"I’m currently on a path of greater self-confidence and a greater sense of my

worth,

value

and

contribution

to

my

company

as

a

result

of

Management allowing me to the freedom to explore and experience. This has taken a lifetime of being comfortable in my space. However, with my current company, it’s been a journey of growth and self-development from the day I joined over 4 years ago".

What do you think are the top 3 benefits of having more women leaders in companies?

"Women embrace collaboration; Women add diversity to problem-solving; Women value accountability and interpersonal relationships".

What do you think can be done to attract, inspire and retain women leaders in the corporate world?

"F l e x i b l e

schedules

to

accommodate

‘life’s

surprises’;

Adjust

company

c u l t u r e a r o u n d c e r t a i n b i a s e s ; E m p o w e r wo m e n w i t h t h e r i g h t a c c e s s , motivations and experiences; Create an environment of transparency and a culture of trust".

What advice would you offer to a woman pursuing leadership in fields traditionally dominated by men?

"E m b r a c e t o u g h q u e s t i o n s a n d l e a r n a s f a s t a s y o u c a n ! A c c e p t t h e r e w i l l b e challenges that male colleagues won’t have to face however never selfdoubt!"

Do

you

think

toxic

leadership

can

be

dealt

with

through

leadership/management training?

"I think so. Through training, they can come to understand that leaders and managers are co-dependent and that both need to bring their own strengths to the table. Leaders are go-getters and set goals. Managers are hands-on and keep the wheels turning through strategy and implementation".

Wh a t d o e s l e a d e r s h i p m e a n t o y o u ?

"A g o o d l e a d e r r e q u i r e s m a n y s k i l l s e t s : h a s i n t e g r i t y ; a s t r o n g m o t i v a t o r ; has empathy; is supportive to name but a few…However, it also means not being afraid to roll up your sleeves occasionally and doing the ground work and being prepared to coach their team to success through empowerment and skills development".

-30-

SPANISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SOUTH AFRICA INSPIRATIONAL TALKS

PAGE 31

OLIVIA WADI Account Manager at AirFrance/KLM

What do you think can be done to attract, inspire and retain women leaders in the corporate world?

"Co m p a n i e s n e e d t o b e l i e v e t h a t w o m e n a r e c a p a b l e , w h e n a w o m a n i s appointed it must be made clear that the leadership role was granted based on merit and when women become leaders they should be encouraged to mentor other women".

Have you managed to unleash the diamond within during your corporate journey? If yes, how long did that take you?

"No I ’ m s t i l l i n t h a t j o u r n e y " .

Does your industry/sector prioritize diverse board membership and leadership teams?

"Wi t h i n t h e t o u r i s m i n d u s t r y w o m e n m a k e u p 7 5 % o f t h e i n d u s t r y h o w e v e r approx. 10% of tourism leaders are women most leadership roles are men".

What advice would you offer to a woman pursuing leadership in fields traditionally dominated by men?

"Fo c u s o n t h e t a s k a t h a n d a n d a l w a y s p u t y o u r b e s t f o o t f o r w a r d … t h i s w i l l dismantle the narrative that women CAN’T do it".

Do

you

think

toxic

leadership

can

be

dealt

with

through

leadership/management training?

"Ye s t o s o m e e x t e n t b u t t h e c o m p a n y s h o u l d l o o k a t i t s c o r p o r a t e c u l t u r e t o see if it allows for toxicity to thrive".

Did you climb up the corporate ladder with ease or difficulty?

"A l i t t l e o f b o t h " .

What does leadership mean to you?

"Le a d e r s h i p i s t o i n s p i r e ; t r u s t i n g y o u r t e a m a n d l e a d i n g f r o m b e h i n d " .

-31-

SPANISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SOUTH AFRICA INSPIRATIONAL TALKS

PAGE 32

FABIOLA QUESADA CEO of Wild Spirit Foundation

Does

your

industry/sector

prioritize

diverse

board membership and leadership teams?

"N o , i t d o e s n o t . B u t f e m a l e s a r e c h a n g i n g i t inevitable. Currently and for the past decade, 80 to 90% of students in most Veterinary universities are

females;

therefore,

the

sector

is

naturally

evolving".

Have

you

ever

suffered

from

“imposter

syndrome” as a woman navigating in corporate

What do you think are the top 3 benefits of

settings?

having more women leaders in companies?

"Y e s , o n r e c u r r e n t o c c a s i o n s . A s a w o m a n t h a t i s

"B e t t e r

breaking boundaries in wildlife conservation and

organization

science,

more empathy".

I

get

continuously

questioned;

despite

problem-solving skills

with

approaches, proactive

better

actions

and

having proven success, my subconscious inevitable question

myself.

Therefore

the

importance

of

What

advice

would

finding my internal strength and being true to

pursuing

myself is key".

dominated by men?

leadership

you

offer

in

fields

to

a

woman

traditionally

"W e a r e m a k i n g h i s t o r y ; t h e o p p o r t u n i t i e s a r e What

do

inspire

you and

think retain

can

be

women

done

to

leaders

attract,

there, stay focused on your dreams, and therefore

in

do not allow anyone to stop you, especially not

the

corporate world?

your inner fears".

"I b e l i e v e i t ' s i m p o r t a n t t h a t w o m e n e m p o w e r o t h e r women. The women that already are in leadership

What does leadership mean to you?

roles in other environments such as science, need

"I t i s a c o m b i n a t i o n o f c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s t h a t m a k e

to share experiences and encourage other women,

you stand up and the ones surrounding you: A clear

showing that despite challenges, it's possible and

target, empathy, team building, innovation and

worth it. Additionally, the key role that females

problem-solving".

play in families and the challenges combining it with work in a corporate high position it must be

Do you have an outstanding success story of

addressed and the system need to facilitate it".

young

professionals

that

you

have

proudly

mentored?

Have

you

managed

to

unleash

the

diamond

"I b e l i e v e s o ; I t r u s t I ’ m c r e a t i n g a n e x a m p l e

within during your corporate journey? If yes,

worldwide for many young women vets, scientists

how long did that take you?

and corporates to follow".

"I b e l i e v e t h a t I h a v e , t h a t i t ’ s a d i a m o n d t h a t needs to continue to be polished to shine at its best. I believe that as we grow personally and professionally, this diamond increases with us, and we become better".

-32-

SPANISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SOUTH AFRICA RESEARCH

PAGE 34

The subtle, yet convincing whispers to invest in SA. Priority Shikwambana | International Trade Officer Intern at Spanish Chamber of Commerce in RSA The

South

African

economy

offers

PUSH FACTORS FOR

great

opportunities for its investors, as it serves as a

INVESTING IN SA

gateway and launchpad to Sub-Saharan Africa.

This is due to its strong and vibrant economy, as well

as

its

membership

in

the

dominant

organisations such as the United Nations (UN), International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank (WB), G-20, and World Trade Organization (WTO), BRICS

and

the

Southern

African

Development

1

Multinational corporations have the greatest footprint in South Africa.

Community (SADC). This gives potential investors

A

special access to these diverse markets.

corporations have chosen South Africa as their

significant

preferred South Africa boasts of its abundance in natural

number

investment

of

location

multinational because

of

the

advantages of investing there.

and mineral resources, which provides investors with access to a thriving regional market that gives companies competitive edge in the different sectors that they choose to invest in. South Africa is also constantly working towards overcoming the challenges that may hinder its progress in social and economic development. On 24 March 2022, the country held its 4th South African Investment Conference (SAIC), in order to discuss investment

opportunities

and

challenges

with

2

A booming emerging Market.

The low cost of conducting business in South Africa is a pull factor, backed up by a welcoming climate and competitive edge in the region.

various stakeholders within the public and private sector

across

the

world.

This

is

particularly

important because the country ought to work towards

a

pandemic development

COVID-19 has

recovery

severely

plan,

affected

as

the

business

3

Plenteous natural resources.

South Africa has an abundance of precious metals.

The

phrase

"precious

metal"

applies

to

gold,

silver, platinum, and the other platinum-group metals (PGMs), which include palladium, osmium, iridium,

ruthenium,

and

rhodium.

They

are

precious metals because they are resistant to acid and other chemicals and do not erode easily (Conradie 2009: 2).

-34-

SPANISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SOUTH AFRICA RESEARCH

PAGE 35

AFRICAN CONTINENTAL

South Africa is the world’s biggest producer of Platinum Group Metals (PGMs), particularly gold,

FREE TRADE AREA

and is home to approximately 100 listed mining companies

with

operations

in

the

country.

According to the Trademap SA Import Report in

South Africa has also recently signed the African

2021,

to

Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement,

123,734,050 USD, with minerals at the top of the

which has been signed by many countries across

list amounting to 34,905,391 USD.

the African continent. According to the World

SA

exported

products

that

amount

Bank (2020), the African Continental Free Trade Area

(AfCFTA)

largest

free

participating

deal

trade

will zone

country.

establish by

The

the

world's

empowering agreement

each brings

together 1.3 billion individuals from 55 nations, with a total GDP of US$3.4 trillion. If utilized efficiently, the agreement has the potential to raise many citizens out of extreme poverty. Just like the AfCTA agreement, South Africa has many more

significant

trade

agreements

that

offer

great exposure to the global economic market.

South Africa also has sectors that are open for investment in the following sectors:

4

Equipment for capital/transportation, metals

Great exposure market.

to

a

and

global

electrical,

machinery

and

Textile Clothing and leather products.

Technical

industries

including

South Africa is a good member of the World Trade

communication, and electronics.

Organization

the

Consumer

majority of South Africa's main trading partners

products).

have

Green economy industries.

(WTO).

improved

Through Regional

Trade

access

numerous

to

deals

Economic

and

apparatus

(railways, airline, and water).

deals foreign

with

markets.

participation

Communities

in

Goods

Agro-processing

(RECs),

(mineral

(food,

and

IT, natural

beverages

and

tobacco).

favourable access to significant export markets has been gained (InvestSA 2018:7).

In the wise words of the great Sociologist, W.E.B. Du Bois, “nations reel and stagger on their way”.

Notwithstanding

the

fact

that

there

are

challenges that may hinder or slow down the progress of investment, South Africa remains an attractive business hub with great potential.

-35-

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SPANISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SOUTH AFRICA RESEARCH

PAGE 38

600 Million People Without Power: Africa’s Dilemma & The Renewable Energy Solution Author: Ashton Ngwenya | Talent Manager Africa at Polyglot Group Africa is home to 54 vibrant countries, over 1.2 billion people, and unfortunately, nearly 600 million people without power.

THE DILEMMA

Africa is facing an energy crisis. Energy poverty and

unstable

governments

electricity,

and

economic

exacerbated glass

ceilings

by has

seen Africa being pushed between a hard rock and a hard place situation.

With

the

world

will

skip

watching the

and

environmental

fossil

fuel

problems

and

mistakes the rest of the world has made – we are presented with a call to action. Which one? Who knows?

Electricity is the backbone of society. It’s used everywhere and plays multiple roles in people’s lives. It provides safety, further education, and improves quality of life, to name a few. Currently our infrastructure does not meet the necessary demand, which is where we are presented with an advantageous opportunity: renewable energy.

world and Africa may soon follow, and could even become

the

leading

force.

without

access

to

electricity,

one

could

only

imagine how much that would increase by the end of

the

century.

Going

off

the

population

prediction, by 2100, we could well enter the territory of over a billion people without access to electricity.

In addition, by 2050, demand for electricity will quadruple demand

between

already

2010-2040.

overwhelming

With the

current

precarious

power grid, without acting soon we will find ourselves in a crisis.

Which leads me to believe that the two big issues exacerbating

Renewable energy has steadily taken over the potentially

c e n t u r y , t h e p o p u l a t i o n i s e x p e c t e d t o q u a d r u p l e.

With approximately 600 million people in Africa

activists touting Africa as the next green utopia that

Africa is growing exponentially. By the end of the

inadequate

energy

poverty

infrastructure

and

in

Africa

are

overwhelming

electricity demand.

With

infrastructure not as well established as other countries, we find ourselves at a crossroads, fossil fuels, or renewable energy. I firmly believe

Inadequate infrastructure

that renewable energy is the way forward, but

Access or lack thereof, plays a massive role in

before we get into it – what exactly is the

energy inequality faced in Africa. With remote

dilemma Africa is facing?

communities scattered across sub-Saharan Africa, we

find

two-thirds

of

the

million, without electricity.

-38-

population

–

600

SPANISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SOUTH AFRICA RESEARCH

The

problem

PAGE 39

of

infrastructure

encompasses

multiple elements. However, connecting to the

Renewable solutions small scale & large scale

power grid is one of the predominant issues.

Obstacles in the way of power grid connections include; sheer distance, unsuitable terrain, and for small localised populations, it might not be seen

as

worth

it

when

balancing

costs

(for

telecommunications companies).

To address these two massive issues, we will be looking at renewable solutions from both a small and

large-scale.

infrastructure,

For I

the

issue

of

believe

that

lack

of

small-scale

renewables like off-grid solar and mini-grids are

Planning is urgently required to address this issue, especially as six countries

within

sub-

Saharan Africa are in the top 10 rapidly expanding economies

the

way

to

go.

They

are

quick,

actionable

solutions that don’t put added pressure onto the main power grid.

For the issue of electricity demand, large-scale renewable projects such as wind and hydropower

Electricity demand

have been highlighted. Wind is the most energy

Countries across Africa are heavily affected by

renewable energy, currently. They both provide

power outages, brought on by surges. Electricity

excellent amounts of electricity and are both

demand

becoming cheaper or equal to the cost of fossil

is

at

an

all-time

high,

in

efficient,

Africa;

it

increases around 3% annually, the highest of any

and

hydropower

is

the

cheapest

fuel sources like coal.

continent, yet currently, it can’t be sustained.

Africa,

As with any energy source, there are up-front

energy grid overloading occurs 40 – 50 days a

costs. However, there is a downward trend in the

year.

price of renewable energy, so much so that they

Electricity

is

unreliable,

and

in

South

are This is not just a South African problem, however, their

power

instability

does

affect

becoming

South African power. Zimbabwe does not produce enough of its own power and consequently relies on neighbouring countries like South Africa and Mozambique to meet demand. rapidly

power.

With

growing

demand

and

accessible

Off-grid Solar: The inadequate infrastructure which prevents the proliferation of electricity is based on the sheer distance between remote areas and the power

population

and

urbanisation, more and more people are going to need

realistic

Small Scale

prolonged blackouts due to a surge in imported

Africa’s

more

other

countries. For example, in 2021, Zimbabwe faced

With

a

avenue for Africa to implement.

becoming

greater,

Africa is presented with a ticking time bomb – how they move forward will determine the course for 16% of the world’s population.

grid. Unable to connect the two, those living far out are left without power, which is where offgrid solar comes in. Off-grid solar, as in the name, refers

to

solar

energy

that

is

produced

and

generated without being connected to the utility power grid.

Off-grid solar acts very similarly to on-grid, but instead of excess electricity being sent back onto the grid and repurposed, the off-grid produced energy goes into battery storage, which can later be reused at night and on cloudy days. While battery

storage

packs

themselves

can

be

somewhat cost-prohibitive, the benefits of the electricity given, far outweigh the initial expense.

-39-

SPANISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SOUTH AFRICA RESEARCH

PAGE 40

Coal

accounted

for

22.1%

of

Africa’s

energy

generation in 2020. In South Africa alone, coal supplies 87% of their electricity. Coal makes up a large part of Africa’s energy, yet when placed against wind, it is outperformed. When comparing coal to wind, from an efficiency perspective, wind provides 1,164% of its original input of energy, c o m p a r e d t o c o a l a t 2 9 %.

Wind is also a cheaper solution. It’s currently at 60c to 70c per kilowatt hour, 10c cheaper than Mini grid:

solar and 50% less than the predicted building

There’s also a mini-grid. It is a power grid that is

costs of the new coal power plants, Medupi and

significantly smaller and acts independently of

Kusile. This trend is growing globally, with two-

the national grid. Power grids, unlike batteries,

thirds of wind and solar being able to generate

are a more community-based approach. When

cheaper electricity than their coal counterparts.

neighbours generate excess electricity, it gets

In addition, as the price of solar and wind falls

put into the grid, and then is used by others. It’s

there are predictions that those projects could

a win-win situation.

undercut the cost of up to 800 gigawatts (GW) worth of coal plants.

Having a mini power-grid will provide people in those

remote

benefits.

communities

These

include;

with

night

a

number

safety,

of

better

opportunities for further education (e.g., having a light on to be able to do homework at night), and increasing jobs. For jobs in Nigeria and Kenya, which have some mini-grid programs, they are expected

to

decentralised

increase renewable

job

positions

energy

(DRE)

in

the

sector;

Kenya at 17,000, and Nigeria at 52,000+ jobs.

Large Scale

Hydropower: Hydropower, just like other sources of renewable

Wind The wind power potential in Africa is mighty, with much of the wind being faster than 8.5 metres per second. In fact, a study found that wind potential in Africa is at almost 180,000 terawatt hours (TWh) per annum, which is enough to supply the entire continent’s electricity demands 250 times over.

Africa’s most important form of renewable power, with the end of 2014 having 28GW of hydro capacity installed on the continent.

The countries with the most hydropower potential include

Ethiopia

and

Kenya,

at

260,000

and

40,000 GWh, respectively. Hydropower is a very

With wind being the most efficient renewable source, it is a perfect choice when choosing between fossil fuels and renewable energy.

energy, is underdeveloped in Africa. Yet, it is

cost-effective

renewable

solution.

The

plants

have a long life (50 – 100 years), and worldwide, hydroelectricity remains the lowest-cost energy option, and has the most potential for usage in large-scale / utility endeavours.

-40-

SPANISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SOUTH AFRICA RESEARCH

PAGE 41

Hydropower is a very critical energy source for a

Adopting

number

possibility and a cure to Africa’s ever-expanding

of

countries.

90%

of

the

national

electricity generation for:

renewable

energy

is

a

very

real

demand for electricity. However, we must be

Ethiopia

careful

Malawi

possibility of Africa becoming a green utopia, and

Mozambique

instead focus on the reality and likelihood of this

Namibia

being achievable.

to

not

become

over-excited

with

the

Zambia

Rather than leap-frogging, I believe we need to is from hydropower. Over the last decade, there

take a small leap of faith and start with actioning

have

small yet feasible projects like off-grid solar and

been

a

developments expected

number

of

new

commissioned.

to

be

constructed,

If

completed

electricity

hydropower

all

the

by

dams

2030

generation

are

mini-grids. The projects are essential for 600 million people to have electricity.

capacity

across Southern and Eastern Africa is expected to

In

d o u b l e.

renewable energy that will support our continent.

addition,

we

must

explore

the

large-scale

With renewable energy becoming even cheaper than coal, now is a good time to invest in those projects and reconsider the need to build coal plants that could well be obsolete in the near future.

Africa is an incredibly rich and diverse country that could well lead the world into the green future.

We

just

need

to

have

some

faith

in

renewable energy, investment and government cooperation.

Africa is in a great position to meet the everincreasing continent

demand in

a

for

electricity

sustainable

way.

across While

the it

is

exciting and an imaginable prospect; it requires informed decision-making and careful long-term consideration and planning.

While

some

have

put

forward

the

idyllic

‘leapfrogging’ scenario, it would be naive to think that this will be easily achieved. As mentioned earlier,

it

requires

planning

and

informed

decisions; these all require time, and money.

These issues are not environmental; they are economic, political, and human. The coal and mining industries provide a lot of jobs; in South Africa

alone,

dependent

on

more coal

than jobs.

120,000 This

people echoes

are the

importance of careful planning.

-41-

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