McCormick Property Development
Pioneering Rural Retail DevelopmentWriter: Emily JarvisProject Manager: Stuart Parker McCormick Property Development (MPD) has been refining its business model over the past 33 years in order to respond to changing industry trends across African retail; most recently responding to the increasing demand for upmarket retail malls and mixed-use developments from the growing middle-class in South Africa.Influenced by his father and Company Founder, John, Managing Director Jason McCormick has largely remained focused on addressing the retail needs of the previously disadvantaged and rural areas of South African through a unique strategy that remains largely unchanged since 1983. He recalls: “My father developed a model that allowed us to break up the main construction contract into smaller, more manageable ones, designed as a way to better manage our full turnkey service property development offering, with us project managing every aspect; from architects to financing, facilities management to asset management. This has been a vital contributor to achieving a stronger return on investment, as well as ensuring long-term, sustainable growth of assets.”From humble beginnings, this family-owned business emerged as the first of its kind to focus solely on the provision of retail facilities in the former homelands of South Africa, where black residents previously had to travel hours to access formal retail facilities.“My father was somewhat of a visionary in that he saw opportunity where no-one else saw it at the time. Bringing retail services to the poorest of the poor was a huge challenge, but hard work and sheer perseverance eventually allowed retailers to see the opportunity that existed in these…
Khoemacau Copper Mining (Pty) Ltd
Long-term Commitment to BotswanaWriter: Emily JarvisProject Manager: Arron Rampling Khoemacau Copper Mining (Pty) Ltd (Khoemacau), a subsidiary of Cupric Canyon Capital (Cupric), has, in recent years, emerged as a prominent name in Botswana’s mining industry; with its sights firmly set on developing new copper and silver mineral deposits in the northwest region.Designed to add value to underdeveloped copper assets, construction of Khoemacau’s US$200 million copper mine in Zone 5 near Somelo is imminent and with the build due to take place throughout 2016 and 2017, the Company expects to export its first copper shipment in the first half of 2018.Addressing the reasons why US-based Cupric Africa entered the country, Johannes Tsimako, Regional Manager of Khoemacau strongly believes Botswana operates a pro-mining culture that recognises the infrastructural benefits that the industry can bring to the country’s economy.“There aren’t a lot of mines in the northwest region of Botswana, which makes Khoemacau a crucial component in the development of the region. The benefits to the local communities stretch from power and communications infrastructure to skills development. This is part of our parent Company’s philosophy,” he said.Leveraging excellenceKnown for its conducive work environment and huge deposits of copper along the Kalahari Copperbelt, Botswana is among the highest-ranked jurisdiction on the African continent when it comes to mining and exploration projects. Ranking 17th in a global survey in 2014, the country was commended for its attitude to work, reasonable approvals process and firm grasp of regulations.In line with these figures, Cupric is applying its decades of mining experience and world-class standards to work…
CSI Construction Group
High Standards of WorkmanshipWriter: Emily JarvisProject Manager: Stuart Parker CSI Construction Group has had the privilege of working on a number of significant construction projects across Tanzania; applying its local knowledge and proactive approach to business to provide the highest standards of workmanship.Since forming 28 years ago as a subsidiary of the wider Coastal Steel Industries Group, CSI Group today comprises four divisions that collaborate together where necessary to deliver holistic construction, electrical, engineering and installation solutions.Although the youngest Company in the Group, CSI Electrical has quickly caught up with the pace of the other three divisions, demonstrating its commitment to quality and safety management systems by not only becoming the first ISO 9001 accredited Tanzanian electrical contractor, but also obtaining an OSHAS 18001 accreditation along the way. Chris Glasson, Managing Director of CSI Electrical explains: “From its commencement in 2007 with an annual turnover of US$250,000, CSI Electrical now has a direct workforce of 200 persons, an indirect workforce of 70 persons and expects to achieve an annual turnover in excess of US$10Million in 2016.”Modelling itself on international best practices across sustainability and health & safety, CSI Group has led the market in delivering high quality and cost-competitive installations, with all divisions continuing to develop a reputation as the indigenous contractor of choice in Tanzania.“Leveraging our team of locally qualified professionals, we are able to provide quality services to our clients that rival international standards, both of which help to give us a competitive edge,” says Zuh Versi, Project Engineer and shareholder at CSI Construction.Knitted together by cross-shareholding…
Maersk Namibia
Enhancing Namibian TradeWriter: Emily JarvisProject Manager: Tom Cullum After witnessing substantial evolution in terms of its capacity and trade during the past 20 years, the Port of Walvis Bay in Namibia has grown to international notoriety as a growing cargo hub for southern Africa that now handles five million tonnes of cargo per annum. The country therefore represents a vital part of the award-winning Maersk Line Africa operations, as the Company continues to capitalise on inter-regional and international trade opportunities, edging closer towards integration of both its upstream and downstream service offerings.With a presence in Namibia spanning more than 18 years, Maersk Namibia represents one of the largest and most reputable groups operating in the shipping and oil & gas industries today; with the wider Maersk Group reporting profits of $5.2 billion last year. In Namibia, the Company is making concerted efforts to further align itself with the wider Group to consolidate its processes and offer the same seamless service levels throughout its operations. However, the Company faces many economic challenges that have the potential to hinder growth.“I believe one of the biggest challenges we face along with other emerging markets is to start connecting the dots inland and create efficiencies and cost advantages to move business from landlocked locations into and out of the ocean gateways. When looking locally we need to ask ourselves as members of the community how ready are we as a region to facilitate more digitised, automated and standardised processes to facilitate cross-border and inter-regional trade,” Maersk Namibia Managing Director, Robert Maslamoney said in…
Broll Property Group
Shaping the Future of Property ServicesWriter: Emily JarvisProject Manager: Nick Norris Proudly celebrating its 40th anniversary, Broll Property Group has been strengthening every facet of its business to further penetrate the sub-Saharan Africa property market; embracing an ethos of local employment and addressing current market trends to enhance its international status.The globally reputed and leading property Group has developed from a single service property management line into a multi-disciplinary, award-winning Company that today, services the investor and occupier markets across sub-Saharan Africa.“Reaching the 40-year milestone is of huge importance to us,” says Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Malcolm Horne. “It goes back to the old saying that life begins at 40. We’ve grown the business with a solid platform, having developed it in such a way that we are now a single point of contact across the continent for a range of property services.“As a forward-looking business, we believe in Africa and its future despite the doom and gloom we often hear about. We are old and mature enough to have a solid foundation and strong roots on the continent, and young enough to start enjoying what we have achieved while working on our next milestones,” he adds.Shaping the Group’s futureWhen South Africa became a democratic nation in 1994, Broll saw an opportunity to venture into Africa and opened its first office outside the country in Namibia in 2003. In order to secure long-term business on the continent, the Group signed an affiliation deal with CBRE the following year. Through this affiliation, Broll is able to access global market…
Microensure
Unprecedented InsuranceWriter: Matthew StaffProject Manager: Callum Philp MicroEnsure has enjoyed an unprecedented rise in registered customers over the past 12 months as a result of its innovative product and distribution approaches, and is already setting its stall for the next 12 months in the low-income insurance bracket across the continent.The increase to seven million customers served in Africa, from the one million accounted for at the beginning of 2014, provides the answer to a question the Company asked itself prior to inception in 2002: “Is it possible to insure the low-income mass market?”A resounding “yes” has been the response from Ghana and Kenya initially, and now from a further eight markets across Africa, through its partner Group model comprising telecoms, banks and other aggregators.With a global headquarters in the UK, MicroEnsure provides a turnkey solution portfolio from its regional headquarters in Nairobi - in partnership with its distributors - for brands looking to use insurance to drive their business: its offering including innovative product design; customised, customer-facing mobile technology; back-office operations; risk management; policy and claims administration; customer engagement; and ongoing product performance management. Marketing Director, Peter Gross adds: “Low-income customers can’t afford to pay the same premium as typical insurance customers, and yet they face greater risk. We found that we could serve this market sustainably by lowering administrative costs, reaching scale quickly, building great products, and preserving trust through fast claims payment. “In the process we uncovered dozens of new ways to provide insurance and we’ve become the fastest-growing provider in Africa by outreach.”An additional four million customers around…
SPAR Lowveld Distribution
Keeping an Eye on What’s in StoreWriter: Matthew StaffProject Manager: Callum Philp SPAR Lowveld Distribution has enjoyed yet another 12 months of successful progression and expansion as it once again leveraged the wider SPAR brand’s reputation to maintain its Southern African momentum.Overseeing logistics services for 29 SPAR stores, as well as 18 smaller SUPERSPARS, 27 Tops Liquor stores, 11 Savemore outlets and two pharmacies in the region in 2014, the Company’s continuous improvement strategy comprised the ambition to introduce an additional eight new stores by the end of 2015; a drive which is well on the way to completion across South Africa, Swaziland and Mozambique.As one of six main distributors for SPAR South Africa, the Lowveld operation may be the smallest, but still carries the weight of a brand name which is among one of the most prestigious in the retail sector in the wider region. As a consequence, the necessity to continually develop and seek new value propositions for its clients is of paramount importance.Subsequently, the operation comprises not only the expected logistics services, but also a full marketing function, advertising and promotional activities, retail operations, management consultancy and store development assistance.The result is an all-encompassing portfolio of services to not only aid the main SPAR brand, but also a range of independent small, medium and large retailers in a position to either tackle the convenience markets or compete with the major chains, respectively.Learning curveOf course, the core business aims of SPAR Lowveld Distribution revolve around product procurement, warehousing and distribution services, but the focus is very much…
PPC Zimbabwe
Laying the Foundations for Infrastructure GrowthAs Zimbabwe’s largest producer of ordinary Portland cement, and the only local producer of grade 42.5 cement, PPC is ideally positioned to play a leading role in developing the country’s infrastructureWriter: Emily Jarvis | Project Manager: Ben Weaver As Zimbabwe’s largest and oldest cement manufacturer, Pretoria Portland Cement (PPC) continues to remain one step ahead of the increasing competition filtering into the local market. With its operational performance buoyed by increased infrastructure projects in Zimbabwe, driven by the government’s concerted focus on addressing the infrastructure gap through foreign direct investment (FDI), PPC is strengthening its production capabilities with the advent of a second manufacturing plant in order to cater for demand. “What is opening up now is private sector participation...The government has come to the realisation that the best way to progress is through FDI, and to become investor-friendly,” stated PPC Zimbabwe’s Managing Director (MD), Njombo Lekula, earlier this year.Some of the major multi-million dollar infrastructure projects taking place in Zimbabwe today include the refurbishment of the Kariba Dam wall, construction of Kariba South Power Plant and Plumtree-Mutare Highway construction; all of which have been made possible through public-private partnerships (PPPs).To cater for these projects, PPC is spending $86 million on expanding its production facilities to meet increasing demand, as the country’s cement market evolves from mostly cash-in-hand sales for home building and renovation, to renewed maintenance spending on the nation’s infrastructure.Msasa expansionEquipped with its new plant in Msasa, near Harare, which is due to be fully completed by 2020, PPC will be…
Fruit & Veg City
Freshness and Value at a PremiumWriter: Matthew StaffProject Manager: Callum Philp Fruit & Veg City has spent more than two decades bringing new levels of freshness to South Africa and the surrounding sub-Saharan region, and has maintained its strong entrepreneurial flair in broadening its presence further in 2015.Incepted in 1993 by brothers Brian and Mike Coppin, the business remains a family one to this day, facilitating the kind of flexibility that has been required for a Company striving to continuously update and innovate its model in order to keep ahead of grocery trends and retail opportunities.This is further driven through the attendance of continentally- significant events such as the African Retail Congress which helps keep the business firmly ahead of the industry curve, but any knew knowledge is always applied back to its core values established from day one.“Since the beginning it has always been a family business, with emphasis placed on good old family values such as wholesomeness, trust, honesty and integrity,” the Group states on its website. “The brothers’ vision was to create a store that would resemble a marketplace of old, where farmers brought their fresh produce from their farms to be sold to the public. This was how their first store in Kenilworth, Cape Town was run, and this is how every Fruit & Veg City store that has opened since is also run.”Nearly 23 years later, and 130 stores throughout Southern Africa - as well as Australia - have followed this philosophy, with the refusal to rest on its laurels evident each year via…
Nuvo Rubber Compounders
Compounding ExcellenceWriter: Emily JarvisProject Manager: Joe Palliser Specialising in the manufacturing of natural and synthetic rubber compounds, NUVO boasts an extensive range of compounds for a wide variety of applications across the mining, industrial, automotive, transport and building industries.This year marked the strategic rebranding of Natal Rubber Compounders (NRC) to create a refined and revitalised Company; NUVO Rubber Compounders. The newly formed Company is now almost a year old and has continued to leverage its four decades of experience to deliver on its promise of manufacturing quality products while striving to break new ground in terms of research and development (R&D).“Established in the mid-1970s, NRC has grown into a business that invests not only in state-of-the-art technology and machinery, but in its processes and staff that deliver a quintessential product and service offering that exceeds all expectations,” the Company notes.With its manufacturing facilities strategically located in KwaZulu-Natal – often considered as a hub for South African industry – NUVO has “grasped hold of the reins” since new ownership in 2008 and invested in its continuous improvement and advancement to stay one step ahead of its competitors.“With an affinity toward innovation, the NUVO Group of Companies have advanced, and our progression has not only led to investment in new technology and equipment, but in the actual brand ideology and identity itself. In early 2015, the Company adopted the name NUVO as a representation of their progress and ability to break new ground in the rubber industry,” the Company highlights.Where others have played safe in terms of pushing the boundaries of…
