Stefanutti Stocks Swaziland : Taking Stock
Africa Outlook profiles Stefanutti Stocks Swaziland, a subsidiary of Stefanutti Stocks, one of South Africa’s leading construction groups.
Broll Property Services Nigeria : Invest in Nigeria!
Erejuwa Gbadebo, CEO of Broll Property Services Nigeria, discusses the “huge potential” of the country’s property industry.
Peri Southern Africa
PERI targets Africa Since May last year, Theunis Visser, Head of Business Development at PERI Southern Africa, has been heading the company's moves into the continent and he loves it.. Writer Ian Armitage Project manager Stuart Shirra A leading German supplier of formwork and scaffolding systems, with its South African subsidiary headquarters in Stellenbosch, PERI delivers to its customers a broad range of services related to formwork and scaffolding technology. PERI was honoured last year for the third time running with the Golden Arrow Award from the South African Professional Management Review (PMR Africa) publication as the best supplier in the Formwork and Bricks supplier category. The company is looking to expand. With numerous branches across South Africa and operating entities in neighbours Namibia, Botswana and Mozambique, Visser's brief was to look further for opportunities with his appointment covering all sub- Saharan countries aside from those already mentioned. And after an exceedingly busy year the firm is actively exploring "a partnership agreement in East Africa" and has "various other partnership offers and opportunities in Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Rwanda and in the DRC". PERI Southern Africa carefully planned its African expansion, approaching each county with a PERI Sales Strategy, making the company known through personal contact with construction companies as well as involvement in a trade fair or show and getting updates on specific major projects in the region. "First we will take part as a sponsor and make contact with contractors and professionals involved in construction and from there we develop those contacts into future…
Bophelong Construction
Taking the high road Africa Outlook talks to James Popper, CEO of Bophelong Construction, a South African BEE roads, civils and earthworks company. Writer Ian Armitage Project manager Stuart Shirra Randburg-based Bophelong has an impressive number of completed projects in its portfolio, mostly in Gauteng. Ongoing projects include the upgrade of Allandale Road, work with the SA National Road Agency Limited (Sanral), and several maintenance contracts in both the public and private sector. "We are a medium sized civil engineering company turning over about R250 million to R300 million per annum," says CEO James Popper. "We cover everything from road works – including road maintenance, earthworks and project management – to the installation of municipal services, sewer, water, minor concrete works and building works. "Through partnering with industry associates, we can also offer a full turnkey design and construction service, providing the perfect solution for any construction project. " The Allandale Road project is one of Bophelong's most high profile contracts. Its task is to address traffic congestion issues on what is a very busy road. It's going well and will soon be completed. "The work is part of the Waterfall Development in Midrand, which is a huge property development. The contract value is in the order of R43 million. We have been upgrading, re-grading the vertical alignment, widening the road, constructing a new intersection and relocating a bulk water line. It is a big project. "We also have had a lot of work come in from Sasol. We have three contracts, maintenance-type contracts." Popper says…
National Real Estate
Keeping it in the family National Real Estate in Bloemfontein currently manages over 12,000 residential properties in both the sectional title and property rental portfolios. It also manages more than 1,200 commercial properties and offers insurance services. Writer Ian Armitage Project manager James Mitchell Some of the world's most instantly recognisable businesses are familyowned. News Corp, Benneton, L'Oréal, Playboy, Gucci, Carnival Cruise Lines, and car giant Ford Motor Co, are just a few. Globally, family businesses - defined loosely as a business in which a dominant family owns 51 percent of an enterprise - account for around 70-80 percent of all businesses and are acknowledged as the strategic backbone of most economies and a key source of growth. Nowhere is this truer than in Africa - think of the likes of the Ackermans in South Africa, the Kenyattas in East Africa, and the Dangotes in West Africa. All of these have helped define the economies and the business environments of the regions in which they operate. The du Toit family's business is doing the same. National Real Estate was established in 1933 in Bloemfontein. Over the years it has had some name and ownership changes and today it is run by the du Toits, who took over in 2003. The company, which specialises in property management and related industries, is a market leader in the property industry in the Bloemfontein area. "It is our mission to be totally committed in serving our customers in the most effective means possible," says CEO Marius du Toit. "Family businesses…
Eigenbau
Engineering success Africa Outlook talks to Derek Weston, the General Manager of Sandton-based civil engineering contractor Eigenbau. Writer Ian Armitage Project manager Stuart Shirra Founded by Eddie Ross in 1981, civil engineering contractor Eigenbau is now almost unrecognisable from the firm that initially focused on concrete construction. In the years since it has diversified and now has many more strings to its bow. "We've evolved," says Eigenbau General Manager Derek Weston. "Our business now encompasses almost every aspect of civil engineering and building and we have our own Mechanical Engineering Division, which specialises in equipment for water and sewage treatment plants and pumping stations." That division was formed in 1997, he says, born out of the acquisition of Sewapurco. "It saw us broaden our activities and means that we've had a reasonably good last few years, despite the downturn. We were fortunate that we had some long term projects/contracts that took two or three years to complete during that period. Obviously there was a height of activity in getting everything ready for the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup and there was a lot of work building highways, stadiums and things like that. When that came to an end it left a tremendous vacuum. The government keeps reminding us that they have plans for infrastructure development but we are not seeing a lot of tenders coming out at this point." Several water projects across South Africa have contributed to Eigenbau's recent success. "Our Mechanical Engineering Division has been quite active on the water side. Certainly over the…
Murray & Dickson Construction : 30 Not Out
In its 30 years of existence, Murray & Dickson Construction has undertaken building projects from shopping centres to university buildings.
RO-AL Construction
Telecom boom leaves RO-AL purring Mobile telecoms in Africa: Africa Outlook talks to Willie Pretorius, Director of Operations at Ro-Al Construction, one of the leading players for mobile telecommunications infrastructure construction and maintenance work in South Africa. Writer Ian Armitage Project manager James Mitchell The upsurge in Sub-Saharan African mobile telecommunications has seen South Africa based RO-AL Construction grow tenfold in a decade. The firm, founded in 1991, began life working on medium-sized industrial, commercial, retail and institutional projects within the Johannesburg area. In 1995 it extended its operations to mobile telecommunication infrastructure development and maintenance and soon after completed its first project with mobile telecommunications operator Vodacom. RO-AL never really looked back and in the years since has refocused its attentions to the growing infrastructure for mobile phone networks, seeking ISO9001, ISO8001 and ISO14001 accreditation, and becoming one of the leading players for mobile telecommunications infrastructure construction and maintenance work in South Africa. Vodacom is still a client. "It started with Vodacom in Johannesburg and when they expanded we expanded with them. Today we have national coverage, with offices and resources strategically placed throughout the country," says Willie Pretorius, Director of Operations at Ro-Al Construction. Ro-Al Construction still has a fantastic relationship with Vodacom and services its GSM network. "Initially our relationship with them was predominantly around infrastructure maintenance but we've diversified to such a point where we can take care of about 80 percent of the various disciplines in that environment nowadays. We cover a lot more than before and we believe in servicing…
Stefanutti Stocks Botswana : Fairscape Precinct Opens its Doors
Africa Outlook talks to Tim Stow, GM of Stefanutti Stocks Botswana, the main contractor on Botswana’s groundbreaking Fairscape project.
Broll Namibia : Maximising Property Potential
Founded in 2003, Broll Namibia is a leading and independent property services company in Namibia aiming to maximise property potential.
