Amanz’Abantu Services
Water for the people Amanz' abantu Services was established as a private South African company in 1997 with the aim of providing water supply and sanitation services for peri-urban and rural populations in the Eastern Cape, one of the poorest regions of South Africa. Writer Ian Armitage Project manager: Sheridan Halls Life without clean water and sanitation is hard to imagine for most city dwellers however that's the harsh reality for many in South Africa's peri-urban and rural areas – and the situation needs fixing urgently. One company, Amanz' abantu Services (Pty) Ltd (the name means water for the people in Xhosa) has made its mark in this often-forgotten sector. Based in South Africa's Eastern Cape, the company was formed after the 1994 elections when the newly democratic South Africa re-incorporated former 'homelands' like the transkei and Ciskei under one umbrella – and took on the provision of their services too. The National Department of Water Affairs issued a challenge to the private sector to assist them in rolling out – on a turnkey approach – the then Reconstruction and Development Programme. Oliver Ive, Managing Director of Amanz' abantu, says the company grew out of "five or six large, well-established firms who came together with the objective of implementing a turnkey rollout for water services for the rural poor." And it's kept going – even beyond the initial period governed by a government contract, which Mr. Ive feels has given the firm "a certain character". "We had to go out there and find opportunities. We have…
NuWater
Leading the way with water Nuwater is a specialist provider of solutions and services for the treatment, reclamation and re-use of wastewater as well as the desalination of sea and brackish water. Writer Ian Armitage Project manager Sheridan Halls When apartheid crumbled in 1994, an estimated 14 million South Africans lacked access to a formal water supply and about half the country – some 21 million people – had no formal sanitation, according to the Department of Water Affairs. Since then, access to water has increased dramatically, but backlogs persist. At least 26 towns in the Free State, for instance, currently have no water at all in certain areas, water supply disruptions, or extremely unhygienic water coming from their taps. Water problems in these towns are mainly being caused through water treatment plants and pipes that are dilapidated while some dams are completely dry. Now, as that sinks in, this is a great point at which to introduce Nuwater, a specialist provider of solutions and services for the treatment, reclamation and re-use of wastewater (and the desalination of sea and brackish water). Nuwater can pretty much do it all and a central part of its offering is based on Reverse osmosis (RO), the technology of choice for large-scale desalination applications, be that desalination of seawater or wastewater containing high levels of dissolved salts. "We service our two main geographical markets of sub-Saharan Africa and South-East Asia from our offices in Cape Town and Singapore," says Nuwater's Michael Avant-Smith, who explains that the firm was established in…
S.A.M.E Water
Water works The United Nations has declared 2013 the International Year of Water Cooperation. According to UN Secretary general Ban Ki Moon: 'Water is central to the well-being of people and the planet, we must work together to protect and carefully manage this fragile, finite resource.' Writer Ian Armitage Project manager: Sheridan Halls Water. It is something we sometimes take for granted and it is often easy to forget its supply is finite. One day it will run out. So maintaining sustainable supplies for future generations is one of Africa and the world's biggest challenges. And this fact makes water and wastewater treatment vital. Enter South Africa's S.A.M.E Water, a "resourceful dynamic company which offers a wide range of services to the water industry". The company was formed in September 1966 and has a "successful range" of wastewater treatment equipment "designed to fulfil an entire spectrum of needs from the most basic to the most sophisticated equipment available," according to managing director Frank Schulz. "We have our own well-equipped manufacturing assembly workshops and skilled staff of approximately 80 people in our Johannesburg and Cape Town offices. Our technical skilled staff include: mechanical engineers, process engineers, environmental engineer, chemical engineers and auto-cad/solid worx drawing program operators and full time maintenance and installation crews," he says. S.A.M.E. Water's aim is to offer a "full scope" of services, "a type of one stop shop". "We do tender preparation, project planning, design, manufacturing, installation, commissioning, successful handover and aftersales of a full waste and water treatment plant. It is all…
Biotherm Energy
Winds of change Africa Outlook talks to green energy specialist Jasandra Nyker, CEO of independent power producer BioTherm Energy. Writer Ian Armitage Project manager James Mitchell South Africa's energy problems have been well documented and recent issues with the Medupi power station and its operating system, and the impasse between Exarro and striking workers, has ignited fears about winter power shortages and possible blackouts. Brian Dames, Eskom's chief executive, has admitted concerns with respect to Medupi and it is clear South Africa is in desperate need of more energy after a decade in which Eskom's pleas for investment in generation capacity were ignored. It has led to renewed calls for a broadening of the energy portfolio to include more flexible energy sources such as renewables. The government is already taking action and in November 2012, it signed the first round of agreements with independent power producers. In total, 28 projects are underway involving an estimated R47 billion in new investments, with those approved in the bid process's second round to turn sod later in the year. The first round projects will see an initial 1,4000 megawatts (MW ) of renewable energy added to SouthAfrica's energy mix by 2014. Bids for a third round have to be placed with the Department of Energy by August 2013. "It is all part of the Department of Energy's Integrated Resource Plan, through which it has planned the transformation of SA's energy mix to 2030," says Jasandra Nyker, CEO of South African independent power producer BioTherm Energy. "We won three projects…
BioTherm Energy
Winds of change Africa Outlook talks to green energy specialist Jasandra Nyker, CEO of independent power producer BioTherm Energy. Writer Ian Armitage Project manager James Mitchell South Africa's energy problems have been well documented and recent issues with the Medupi power station and its operating system, and the impasse between Exarro and striking workers, has ignited fears about winter power shortages and possible blackouts. Brian Dames, Eskom's chief executive, has admitted concerns with respect to Medupi and it is clear South Africa is in desperate need of more energy after a decade in which Eskom's pleas for investment in generation capacity were ignored. It has led to renewed calls for a broadening of the energy portfolio to include more flexible energy sources such as renewables. The government is already taking action and in November 2012, it signed the first round of agreements with independent power producers. In total, 28 projects are underway involving an estimated R47 billion in new investments, with those approved in the bid process's second round to turn sod later in the year. The first round projects will see an initial 1,4000 megawatts (MW ) of renewable energy added to SouthAfrica's energy mix by 2014. Bids for a third round have to be placed with the Department of Energy by August 2013. "It is all part of the Department of Energy's Integrated Resource Plan, through which it has planned the transformation of SA's energy mix to 2030," says Jasandra Nyker, CEO of South African independent power producer BioTherm Energy. "We won three projects…
