Ekurhuleni Muncipality
Ekurhuleni's Aerotropolis set for take off Key to Ekurhuleni municipality's 2055 Growth and Development Strategy is the aerotropolis masterplan. Africa Outlook has a look at the proposals. Writer Ian Armitage Project manager Stuart Platt It's no secret that there needs to be improvement in how South Africa is managed at a national, provincial and municipal level. According to the auditor general, only five percent of municipalities obtained clean audit reports in the financial year 2011/2012. There are currently 343 municipalities in the country and worryingly five of South Africa's nine provinces did not have a single municipality with a clean audit, including Gauteng, the country's economic engine. The Gauteng Province is divided into three metropolitan municipalities – City of Johannesburg, City of Tswane, and Ekurhuleni - and two district municipalities (Sedibeng and West Rand), which are further divided into seven local municipalities. In 2009, the Gauteng Provincial Government deployed a specialised team in Ekurhuleni to assist in accelerating 'the provision of services, infrastructure development and to deal with outstanding disputes'. The municipality had been facing challenges in its finances, infrastructure and planning. It also lagged behind in providing key services. The municipality requested that the provincial government step in and deploy a team to assist in the short term, isolating and resolving issues that may be impeding proper service delivery in specific areas. Much has since changed. But there is still work to be done. In his latest state of the city address, Mayor Mondli Gungubele talked at length about the municipality's 2055 Growth and Development…
AON Benfield : Why Reinsurance?
AON Benfield is the global reinsurance intermediary and capital advisor of worldwide insurance, reinsurance and risk management specialist AON plc. Basically, it provides balance sheet protection to insurance and reinsurance companies.
Paradigm Project Management
Paradigm shift Is South Africa losing its status as the gateway to Africa? Not if Gauteng-based multidisciplinary mining consultancy Paradigm Project Management is anything to go by. Africa Outlook talks to Jeremy Clarke.. Writer Ian Armitage Project manager James Mitchell Contrary to concerns that, when it comes to mining, South Africa is losing its status as the gateway to Africa, recent research has found that South African companies that support the mining sector beyond the country's borders have in fact expanded. In One Thing Leads to Another: Promoting Industrialisation by Making the Most of the Commodity Boom in sub-Saharan Africa, Mike Morris and David Kaplan of the University of Cape Town, along with Open University's Raphael Kaplinsky, provide the most up to date information on companies that service or supply the mining sector, and on the developers of patents. According to the book, these companies have benefited from the increased demand and the expansion of projects by South African-based mining companies, particularly with regard to expansion into sub-Saharan Africa. One such company is Gauteng based multidisciplinary mining consultancy Paradigm Project Management (PPM). The company was founded in 2006 and in a short space of time has built up a substantial client base and has delivered on an impressive array of projects. "PPM operates in the sub-Saharan mining industry and this has seen major changes in the last nine months," says Director Jeremy Clarke. "The current state of the industry varies from country to country. South Africa, for instance, is seeing a contraction of the industry due…
Secequip
Secequip: Trustworthy & Reliable South Africa's notoriously high crime rate is recognised across the world and it presents huge opportunities for firms like Secequip. Writer Ian Armitage Project manager Donovan Smith From April 2011 to March 2012 there were 15,609 murders in South Africa, as well as 101,203 cases of aggravated robbery. According to the country's latest victims of crime survey 57 percent of respondents felt that housebreaking/burglary was the crime most feared in their area of residence. This has fuelled a boom in the country's private security industry – the largest private security industry in the world with nearly 9,000 registered companies. "There's certainly opportunity for people like us," says John Rogers, Managing Director of Secequip, and expert in the South African security industry. "Secequip is an exclusive importer and distributor of leading security products, including award winning Pyronix and Texecom alarm panels. In addition to Secequip's extensive intrusion range, the Group also supply CCTV equipment, video surveillance, motion detectors, perimeter detection and heat and smoke detectors." The firm's headquarters are based in Johannesburg and it has a national network of 12 branches across South Africa. "In South Africa crime is a fact of life – and, in my view, homeowners need to make provision for the installation of security systems that will offer protection when they are most in need," says Rogers. "Modern, state-of-the-art security systems, such as the ones Secequip provide, focus on providing reliable security, while at the same time placing an emphasis on being user-friendly, and providing a range of additional…
Cardno BEC
Into Africa: Cardno seeks expansion Africa is undergoing a period of unprecedented economic growth and this represents huge opportunity says Bruce Johnson, Area Manager/ Manager New Projects, Cardno BEC. Writer Ian Armitage Project manager James Mitchell Africa is undergoing a period of unprecedented economic growth and is increasingly catching the attention of foreign investors, who have contributed to a rapid increase in capital expenditure. In fact, it's nothing new - foreign direct investment in Africa has been on the rise since the early 2000s, increasing fivefold in 2000-2010. It is the real deal and the continent's economic outlook for 2013 and 2014 is promising, confirming its healthy resilience to internal and external shocks and its role as a growth pole in an ailing global economy. Africa's economy is projected to grow by 4.8 percent in 2013 and accelerate further to 5.3 percent in 2014. "Now is the time for Africa," says Bruce Johnson, Area Manager/ Manager New Projects, Cardno BEC, the head of project development, service and business development within the Cardno BEC engineering team. "We agree that Africa's potential is huge; there are fantastic opportunities in Africa. Its large reserves of undeveloped mineral resources are in demand and in that there is opportunity." Cardno BEC is part of Brisbane based environmental and engineering consulting services company Cardno Limited. Cardno, with its large project history in Africa, strong infrastructure capabilities, and prior experience working with government policy makers around the world, is uniquely positioned to provide the services to help Africa fulfil its potential, says Johnson.…
Zimpost
First past the post As Zimbabwe postal company Zimpost continues to evolve we speak to Managing Director Douglas Zimbango about a $5 million upgrading project aimed at modernising its business methods. Writer Ian Armitage Project manager Eleanor Watson Things change. It is a fact of life. And with the decline of the letter – with people opting for faster means of communication like cell phones and the internet – Zimbabwe's postal company Zimpost has had to evolve. The letter has never been less popular and the number being posted continues to fall. Zimpost has responded. "We have experienced an 85 percent decline in mail volumes. The reduction in postal output and the advent of quicker online methods of communication have forced us to move into new revenue streams," Zimpost Managing Director Douglas Zimbango says. "The postal service has suffered from electronic substitution. Today mobile devices provide SMS and social media services so people have shifted away from letters. Fewer people are writing them, send bills or even pay bills via postal mail." According to Zimbango the decline started in 2003. Back then Zimpost handled 100 million pieces of mail. In 2004 it was half that. Today it has dropped down to around 15 million pieces of mail. Cutting costs and surviving have had to become a priority for Zimpost, along with changing the way it does business. "It is not just a case of saying the letter is dead and us shutting up shop - our postal service plays a pivotal role in the country in…
DTC Botswana
A cut above the rest In 2011 De Beers and the Botswana government signed a ten-year agreement to move the London DTC to Botswana. Writer Ian Armitage Project manager Debbie Clark Botswana has experienced a serious resurgence of mining activity, with more discoveries seemingly every month. Speaking with me in 2012, Charles Siwawa, CEO of the Botswana Chamber of Mines, said the minerals sector of the country was flourishing and that "exploration for a wide variety of minerals is active and several new minerals projects were launched during last year." Botswana, he said, is a country "getting back to its feet" following the disastrous effects of the 2008 global economic meltdown. "The downturn in the global economy commencing 2008 has had serious repercussions on the mining sector in Botswana," Siwawa explained. "The industry went into a lull with some companies closing down whilst others retrenched staff all in an effort to reduce costs and weather the storm. I think since 2010 however the economic landscape has been changing, picking up, to the extent that in July 2011 we had the highest world record sales of diamonds from Botswana. That has tailed off slightly in terms of production and we are not yet back to the pre-2008 crisis levels but we are certainly producing diamonds and the economy is picking up." Diamonds are of course a girl's best friend; they're Botswana's too. And in August last year, De Beers began rough stone sorting in the country, a first step in its transfer from London to Gaborone. Rough…
Hutz Medical
African health solutions The Hutz brand has become synonymous with high quality hospital equipment and is aiming to take advantage of growth opportunities at home in South Africa and across the African continent. Writer Ian Armitage Project manager Eddie Clinton Hutz Medical specialises in the manufacture of high-tech medical service supply systems, commonly known as Bedhead Trunking, Ceiling Mounted Pendants, that falls under the fixed capital equipment requirements in the construction and refurbishment of all Hospitals. With over 40 years of experience, Hutz offers "specialised solutions to suit customer requirements", says Julian Hutz, the company's Sales and Marketing Director. "Our products are known for their innovative, modern and aesthetic designs which are underpinned by practical technology; therefore they are dependable and durable," he explains. "The Hutz range of hospital equipment has been developed in consultation with healthcare professionals. This enabled us to create a range of user-friendly equipment, tailored to the care giver. "Our products play an important role in the design of new medical facilities and the upgrade of existing ones, helping hospital staff to deliver high standards of care. We understand the needs of the industry and this is reflected in the equipment we produce." The Hutz range of products includes various medical services supply units, operating theatre ceiling pendants, technical panels/walls, high care and intensive care ceiling pendants, medical lighting, as well as x-ray viewing screens and attachments. According to Mr Hutz, this is "an exciting time" to be involved in the medical industry. "There are plenty of opportunities for companies like us,"…
Swakop Uranium
World's third largest uranium deposit Swakop Uranium has started developing the $2.5 billion Husab mine near Swakopmund, the third-largest known primary uranium deposit on the planet. Writer Ian Armitage Project manager Debbie Clark Emerging Namibia based miner Swakop Uranium's Husab mine has the potential to transform the nation. It will create thousands of jobs, increase export earnings and taxes and will elevate Namibia past Niger, Australia and Canada to the second rung on the world ladder of uranium producers. The project is ambitious and daring. It'll see the creation of the world's third-largest uranium mine, with first production in the third quarter of 2015. It will reach 15 million pounds per annum of nameplate production by 2017. "The project officially kicked off on 18 April but we actually broke ground in October last year," says Grant Marais, Swakop Uranium's Director of Communication and Stakeholder Involvement. "Several contracts have been awarded, bulk earthworks have commenced, construction on the temporary road to the Husab mine is well under way, Nampower has approved guaranteed power supply for the mine and the first water from the temporary pipeline was delivered from the reservoir near Rossing into a newly built pond on the Husab mine." The project's 8km uranium mineralisation has been confirmed as the highest-grade granite-hosted uranium deposit in Namibia and one of the world's most significant discoveries in decades. "Swakop Uranium was established in 2006 to explore, evaluate, develop and produce uranium oxide as a source of fuel for low cost, environmentally-friendly, nuclear power," says Marais. "Husab will be…
Sundry Foods Limited
What a catch Nigeria's Sundry Foods is targeting growth in the quick service industry through its restaurant brand Kilimanjaro and recently launched seafood chain Coral Blue Seafood Restaurant. Writer Ian Armitage Project manager Eleanor Watson Ask any fund manager, investor or business development direct and they'll all say the same thing – this is the time to invest in Africa. The continent is regularly touted as the ultimate investment destination and it's easy to see why it is so attractive. Over the past decade Africa has been the second-fastest growing economy in the world according to the World Bank, with GDP increasing an average of five percent a year. Oil-rich Nigeria ticks all the right boxes so far as investors are concerned and, as its middle class grows along with the appetite for foreign brands, more foreign restaurants and lifestyle companies are entering the country. Locally-owned and operated Port Harcourt based Sundry Foods Limited (SFL) is taking advantage of the obvious opportunity, says Managing Director Ebele Enunwa. "We are building new restaurants mainly in different cities around the country," he explains. "We want to offer good wholesome African food." SFL is an integrated food services company founded by young and enterprising Nigerian professionals from diverse backgrounds within and outside the food industry who saw a gap in the provision of quality food services in the retail, commercial and industrial sectors and the urgent need to fill it. SFL has many strings to its bow. It is an integrated food services company. "We provide a full range…
