Landmark Africa : Building Landmarks
Landmark Africa has executed mixed-use developments in Africa, creating a unique set of business, leisure and lifestyle destinations across the continent
The Challenges and Opportunities of Africa’s Standard Gauge Railway
Africa's Standard Gauge Railway represents a real opportunity for the continent, but construction isn't without its challenges.
National Alcohol & Liquor Factory (NALF)
The Spirit of Ethiopia Ethiopia’s National Alcohol & Liquor Factory has been producing alcohol since 1906, combining this historical legacy with a drive towards modernisation Writer: Dani Redd | Project Manager: Ryan Gray Gin is a distilled alcoholic drink that derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries. It originated as a medicinal liquor produced by Italian monks, and soon became an object of commerce in the spirits industry. Gin became widespread in the UK after William of Orange’s Glorious Revolution in 1688, and subsequent import restrictions on French brandy. By the 1730s, more than 10 million gallons of gin were being distilled annually in London – it was made at factories and at home in bathtubs, hawked by pedlars and given as substitutes for wages. The population was so gin-crazed that parliament had to pass five major legislative acts to prohibit production and consumption. Gin travelled to lands prone to malarial infections with British soldiers and colonists, and soon became the drink of choice to mask the bitter flavour of the anti-malarial quinine.Indeed, fast forward to the present day and this medicinal elixir has evolved to the delicious gin and tonic we know and love. Gin is undergoing a renaissance, with new craft brands skilfully blending interesting new herbal and floral botanicals. And this popularity isn’t just restricted to European countries like the UK and Holland. “My favourite liquor is Baro’s Dry Gin,” says Mesfin Abate Woldesenbet, CEO of Ethiopia’s National Alcohol & Liquor Factory (NALF). “The quality of gin we are producing is equal to the international standard, with a…
Groote Schuur Hospital : 82 Years of Patient Care
Healthcare in South Africa is challenging, but Groote Schuur Hospital continually rises to the occasion with its rich legacy, passionate CEO, and expert staff.
Londani Coal
Powered by more than CoalNot only is Londani Coal ambitiously expanding operations, it is also determined to continue empowering staff and engaging the local community Writer: Dani Redd | Project Manager: Josh Mann South Africa is a country powered by coal. Last year it produced 258.9 million tonnes, around 70 percent of which was used domestically (taking care of 80 percent of the country’s needs), with the rest being exported, activity which accounts for nine percent of the world’s supply. Needless to say, coal mining is a major contributor to the country’s GDP, also providing around 100,000 direct jobs. But that’s not to say the mining industry is without its challenges. According to Selim Kaymak, Chief Executive Officer of Londani Coal, net investment in the industry has declined by 15 percent in the past eight years, while major energy producers face their own difficulties – high debt levels and operating costs, capacity constraints and aging equipment. And then, of course, there’s the ongoing impact of COVID-19. “The demand for electricity and liquid fuel products is dropping and the producing entities have limited stockpiling space for stock feed or end products,” Kaymak says. “This will in turn impact or disrupt current coal supply streams which will have an adverse effect on a market already under pressure.” It is hard to imagine how companies can survive, let alone thrive, in such challenging conditions, but Londoni Coal is doing just that.A young and dynamic companyThe firm was established in 2006 in the South African province of Mpumalanga. In January 2017 it re-commissioned a processing plant…
Inside the business of tourism with Latitude Hotels
Nick Brown, Co-Owner of Latitude Hotels, explains that expanding Africa's business hospitality offering benefits both travellers and local communities.
