Issue 40
Maluti-A-Phofung Municipality
Unlocking Sustainable GrowthWriter: Emily JarvisProject Manager: Arron Rampling In pursuit of its Vision 2020 to become more technologically advanced and unlock new socio-economic development with the help of the indigenous entrepreneurial spirit of the local people, Maluti-A-Phofung (MAP) Local Municipality – situated in the Free State Province of South Africa – is targeting a more equitable, sustainable, healthy and crime-free societal future.Established in December, 2001, in accordance with the relevant Government policies, Maluti-A-Phofung comprises 35 wards across approximately 4,421 square kilometres situated in one of the “most beautiful landscapes in the world”.“By 2020, unemployment and poverty will be unheard of and we will open ourselves to the rest of the world to discover our unique African cultural history,” says the Municipality.Made up of four former TLC local authorities – namely QwaQwa Rural, Kestell, Phuthaditjhaba and Harrismith – the Municipality combines rural villages established on tribal lands with urban landscapes and has access to strategic trade links that serve the Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. “Harrismith is an economic hub for people living in Tshiame, Intabazwe and Qwaqwa. By contrast, the rural areas of MAP comprise commercial farms and major nature conservation centres such as Qwaqwa National Park, Platberg, Sterkfontein Dam and Maluti Mountain Range,” MAP highlights.“The area is not only a tourist attraction destination, but also contributes immensely to local upliftment by generating gross agricultural income for the whole of the Province and is also highly regarded for its beef production.”Free StateWith a mission statement that encompasses self-reliance and coordination with various stakeholders in the delivery of development and sustainability,…
Dodhia Packaging Limited
Keeping a Close Eye on QualityWriter: Emily JarvisProject Manager: Stuart Parker Driven by the increasing demand for a high quality finished product supported by a strong value-add proposition, Nairobi-based packaging manufacturer, Dodhia Packaging Ltd (DPL) continues to explore ways to differentiate itself from the ever-competitive Kenyan market. Producing a range of corrugated cartons and boxes for clients across a variety of verticals, the Company has steadily improved its quality, range, volume and capacity of products since establishment in 1974.“Five decades later and DPL is now capable of producing in excess of 2,000 tonnes a month; making us the largest player in the Kenyan cardboard packaging market,” confirms Navraj Dhillon, Director. “One of the main factors that made this possible has been our continuous improvement strategy, where we are investing in higher speed machinery through add-ons and modifications to make productivity the best it can be.”The Company’s recent partnership with Riley Packaging in Uganda further supported this strategy, resulting in DPL becoming one of the largest suppliers of corrugated cartons in East and Central Africa.An ISO 9001:2008 certified Company, DPL has a reputation for keeping a close eye on quality and customer service, conducting all the relevant checks before a product leaves the factory. “Competition in the local Kenyan market is fierce and price is a major factor for our customers. The kind of product we supply makes it very easy for a client to source it elsewhere in such a short period of time.Therefore we need to ensure our quality is always as close to 100 percent as possible and…
Golden Coach | Golden Fleet Ltd
The Gold Standard in Tanzanian TransportationWriter: Emily JarvisProject Manager: Callam Waller Having aggressively expanded its fleet of trucks over the past seven years to meet the overwhelming demand for goods’ vehicles across East and Central Africa, Golden Coach | Golden Fleet Ltd has proudly built a high-profile brand known in Tanzania and the surrounding countries for exceptional customer service and industry expertise.Starting out as coach transportation Company, Golden Coach in 1990 – an operation which was joined by the establishment of Golden Fleet in 2002 – Founder, Mohamedraza Dewji made the decision to capitalise on the increased demand for goods transportation, particularly in the mining industry. To stand out in this increasingly saturated market, the Company has invested in a series of continuous improvement initiatives, focusing on the quality of its drivers and fleet; as well as implementing the relevant employment practices, and health, safety and environmental challenges that face modern businesses today.“We have been quick to adapt and implement these practices in our business in order to build on our pre-existing brand and reputation garnered from Golden Coach. Setting the benchmark high remains an important pillar of our business,” says Managing Director, Ali Dewji.These high standards have allowed the business to diversify in terms of the goods it can carry; such as becoming fully compliant with international legislations and training for an audit of cyanide transportation, which Golden Coach | Golden Fleet has been transporting since 2004. The Company’s services now comprise specialised warehousing, cyanide storage, general storage, consultancy, and logistics and transport services.Moreover, joining hands with a…
Joburg Market
Keeping Joburg FreshWriter: Matthew StaffProject Manager: Joshua Mann Joburg Market (JM) – formerly known as Johannesburg Fresh Produce Market – has long played a critical role in setting the price barometer for the fresh produce industry in South Africa, representing a “huge, sprawling marketplace that swarms with people from the early hours of the morning”, and with a clear strategy in place to uphold this influence long into the future.Comprising 40 percent of the national fresh produce market (FPM) in terms of both volume and turnover, the Company is the only FPM accredited by the South African National Accreditation System; one of many accolades which instils a sense of responsibility within the market that few can parallel.“The Company is 100 percent owned by the City of Johannesburg (COJ) Metropolitan Municipality. It was created in terms of the provision for alternative delivery mechanisms as embodied in the Municipal Systems Act and became a private Company wholly owned by the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality in 2000. It was later converted into a state-owned Company in line with the implementation of the Companies Act of South Africa,” Acting CEO, Josiah Mazibuko explains. “ the Company has rigidly adhered to its mandate and core business of providing and managing world-class facilities for the fresh produce markets Industry, while remaining agile and responsive to market industry trends.”With significance spanning beyond SA borders and into the wider SADC region also, JM continues to operate a comprehensive and integrated trading system optimising the latest technologies in order to improve its yields and tonnages year-on-year.Arguably its…
Excellerate Property Services
Boosting Business Through ConsolidationWriter: Emily JarvisProject Manager: Stuart Parker As the continent’s oldest multidisciplinary property services Group, Excellerate has remained optimistic in spite of slowing headwinds in many African economies and is keen to identify and quantify new opportunities with the help of its latest consolidation and continuous improvement strategy.“Even with the concern around China, a major African trade partner that is dominating the big global economic agenda, the sub-Saharan African region is still set for positive growth,” said Marna van der Walt, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Excellerate Property Services (EPS).Guided by the Company vision to be “Africa’s leading trusted provider of fully integrated, self-performing property related solutions and services, driven by quality, excellence and forward-thinking”, Excellerate has diversified its offering in line with the growing impetus for infrastructure projects across the continent’s core and emerging economies.“Sub-Saharan Africa remains rich with untapped opportunities, even in the face of slowing growth due to global economic conditions... An increasing number of sub-Saharan countries are becoming important markets for Excellerate, in addition to our core South African market,” she added.According to the Company, Excellerate’s portfolio under management has witnessed a 12-fold surge over the past decade, reaching highs of R150 million. The Company now has a presence virtually throughout Africa with a footprint in 17 countries; and a continued aptitude for further geographic expansion into North Africa and the Middle East over the next few years.“Growth is much higher this side of Limpopo... We’re building scale and are far from done. Once we plant a flag in a country we want…
Betts Townsend
Strengthening its East African FootholdWriter: Emily JarvisProject Manager: Stuart Parker Building strategic business partners with high-profile international clients over the past two decades has resulted in a significant number of lucrative growth opportunities for project management firm, Betts Townsend, who have tripled their workload in the past year.Having delivered the ZAR 1.8 billion flagship Bay West Mall on-time and on-budget at the start of June, 2015, the Company has now turned its attention to East Africa’s booming commercial market, with well-regarded multinational and local names alike driving growth and healthy competition in the region’s retail sector. Seeing the continually growing confidence in its own offering based on exceptional project execution and an ever-growing portfolio, Betts Townsend is feeling the welcome effects of renewed market confidence and subsequent international entrants into the African retail and leisure market.Michael Taylor, Managing Director (MD) of Betts Townsend’s African Interest explains: “International retailers and hospitality firms are taking a shine to East Africa, which is a step in the right direction to increase investor confidence and boost the construction industry from a project funding perspective. Betts Townsend stands out from the crowd as we are an experienced ‘go-between’ that marries together the right combination of international standards and an understanding of the pitfalls and challenges in regional markets.”Combining the strong entrepreneurial spirit of its founders together with a results-driven continuous improvement strategy has allowed the Company to set the benchmark high and deliver in foreign markets outside its initial South African foothold and capitalise on the emerging middle-class movement in East Africa.Nairobi footholdAmong Betts…
UMSO Construction
Uncompromising QualityWriter: Emily JarvisProject Manager: Tom Cullum “In our 20th anniversary year, I am pleased to say that we have successfully exceeded our growth strategy, ensuring that our historically consistent growth continues into the future. This is reflected in our current capacities and our ability to operate nationally,” says Tollo Nkosi, Umso Construction’s Chief Operations Officer (COO).“In advancing the same agenda and our intended business growth – increasing our market share, operational efficiency, nurturing talent, increased focus, managing risk and increasing profitability – we have had to restructure the business to gear-up for targeted opportunities.”Founded in 1996 with a vision to empower black communities – initially placing emphasis on establishing a footprint in the Eastern Cape – Umso has taken significant steps to alleviate skills shortages and build long-lasting customer and business relations. This vision led to the transformation into a prominent Historically Disadvantaged Company (HDC) by the Company’s stakeholders in 2004.“Over the past two decades, our management philosophy has inspired the flourishing and sustainment of long-lasting customer and business relations by ensuring that we consistently meet agreed requirements across specification, safety, time and cost,” Nkosi notes.In an economy where the market is highly saturated and increasingly competitive, Umso has adopted a philosophy of continuous improvement that has allowed the Company to diversify its offering in accordance with the customers’ needs and become a multifaceted organisation that can add value to any project, small or large; in the public or private sector. Today, the Company has developed specific expertise in the construction of roads, water and sewer reticulation, concrete…