african review november 2011

Europe €10, Ghana C1.8, Kenya Ksh200, Nigeria N330, South Africa R25, UK £7, USA $12

November 2011

Computing:Virtual desktops forGhana’s schools P21

Construction:Building prosperityP44

Money transfer :Abdirashid Duale,Somalia’s newfinancial guru

The rationalesupportingrenewablesindustries

P18

P40

Mining:Zimbabwe’s mineralresurgence P57

African Review

of Business and TechnologyN

ovember 2011 Volum

e 47 Num

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.africanreview.com

www.africanreview.com

ATR November 2011 Cover_Layout 1 25/10/2011 11:21

E N J O Y C H A M PA G N E L A U R E N T- P E R R I E R R E S P O N S I B LY. l a u r e n t - p e r r i e r . c o m

“Keep your love of nature, for that isthe true way to understand art better.”

VINCENT VAN GOGH

S01 ATR Nov 2011 agenda_Layout 1 24/10/2011 17:55

Managing Editor: Andrew [email protected]

Editorial and Design team: Bob Adams,Prashanth AP, David Clancy, Prabhu Dev, LeeDuskwick, Immanuel Devadoss, Ranganath GS, Genaro Santos, Zsa Tebbit, Ewan Thomson and Julian Walker

Publisher: Nick Fordham

Advertising Sales Director: Pallavi Pandey

Advertising Sales Manager: Camilla CapeceTel: +39 06 97619380Email: [email protected]

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India: Tanmay Mishra Tel: (91) 80 65684483 Fax: +91 80 40600791Email: [email protected]

Nigeria: Bola OlowoTel: +234 80 34349299Email: [email protected]

Qatar: Saida HamadTel: (974) 55745780Email: [email protected]

Russia: Sergei SalovTel: +7495 540 7564 Fax: +7495 540 7565Email: [email protected]

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U.A.E.: Camilla CapeceTel: +971 4 448 9260 Fax: +971 4 448 9261Email: [email protected]

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Head Office: Alain Charles Publishing Ltd,University House, 11-13 Lower Grosvenor Place,London SW1W 0EX , Tel: +44 207 834 7676,Fax: +44 207 973 0076Middle East Regional Office: Alain CharlesMiddle East FZ-LLC, Office 215, Loft No 2/APO Box 502207, Dubai Media City, UAETel: +971 4 448 9260, Fax: +971 4 448 9261

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Printed by: Wyndeham GroupUS Mailing Agent:African Review of Business & Technology, USPS. No. 390-890 is published 11 times a year for US$140 per year byAlain Charles Publishing, University House, 11-13 LowerGrosvenor Place, London SW1W 0EX, UK. Peridicals postagepaid at Rahway, New Jersey. Postmaster: send addresscorrections to Alain Charles Publishing Ltd, c/o MercuryAirfreight International Ltd, 365 Blair Rd, Avenel, NJ 07001.

ISSN: 0954 6782

Serving the world of business

UP FRONT

3

REGULARS

FEATURES18 Business

Money transfer in Somalia

24 TechnologyVirtual desktops for schools in Ghana; the promotion of mathematics and science in Senegal;technology to streamline accountancy practices; information and communicationstechnologies for development and for social networking; and guidance on data managementfor small businesses

30 PowerLightning protection systems; methane operations in Egypt; mining and power opportunities inWest Africa; renewables and energy construction in South Africa; how Zambians use cellphonesto pay for electricity; and a clean energy initiative in Ghana

44 ConstructionHow an innovation in concrete can support economic development; planning for undergroundconstruction; and heavy vehicle use for highway construction

57 MiningRenewed investment prospects for mining operations in Zimbabwe

04 Agenda: Commercial innovationsand initiatives

14 Bulletin:Developments amongstkey enterprises

60 Solutions:Solutions offered toAfrican industry

Contents

Europe €10, Ghana C1.8, Kenya Ksh200, Nigeria N330, South Africa R25, UK £7, USA $12

November 2011

Computing:Virtual desktops forGhana’s schools P21

Construction:Investment in Zambianhousing P50

Money transfer :Abdirashid Duale,Somalia’s newfinancial guru

The rationalesupportingrenewablesindustries

P18

P42

Mining:Zimbabwe’s mineralresurgence P59

www.africanreview.com

Editor’s Note

Cover picture: Cement acts as a stabiliser forroad projects in the South African province ofMpumalanga

P18

P56

Africa is a continent that continually demonstrates the potential to lead on matters pertainingto global development, business affairs and industry. The financial landscape underpinning

its role internationally appears stronger, if still in need of serious revision and governance, butwith it is a strengthening of prospects for industry and research.As ever, this issue of African Review of Business and Technology embraces entrepreneurship inenterprise, endeavours in science and technology, and resource extraction and utilisation, inconstruction and logistics. This month, you can read of information and communicationtechnologies deployed in Somalia, of roadbuilding in Zambia and South Africa, of energyenterprises in Ghana, Mali, Tanzania and Uganda. There are conferences to learn about, andsurveys to read up on - supporting the investment potentials in energy, and in the digitaleconomy. And there are reports from constructors and miners on projects underground andalong highways, not only making buildings but improving building environments.And it is worth considering that, if sustainability is the goal for many, many are achieving this goalthrough endeavour, and many through partnerships, engaging with stakeholders. You arewelcome to engage with such stakeholders here.

Andrew Croft, Managing Editor

African Review of Business and Technology - November 2011

Audit Bureau of Circulations -Business Magazines


German media company Deutsche Welle is broadcasting its new televisionchannel for the Arab World - audiences from Morocco to Oman can tune

in to a six-hour block in Arabic – always in primetime throughout the region.DW-TV Arabia will continue to inform its viewers about the most importantdevelopments in Arab countries as well as the rest of the world. English-language programming will complete the channel’s 24-hour line-up.Up until now, the schedule alternated hourly between Arabic, or German withArabic subtitles, and English.The target audience for DW-TV Arabia comprises viewers in the Arab worldwho are interested in international and regionally-relevant issues and whoexpect reliable information about their own country.“With DW-TV Arabia’s consolidated schedule, we are offering attractiveprogramming in Arabic for our target audience between Morocco and theUAE,” says Deutsche Welle’s Director of Television, Christoph Lanz.Deutsche Welle began broadcasting in Arabic in 2002 with a two-hour block,which has been continuously expanded over the years. DW-TV Arabia can bereceived via Nilesat and Arabsat/Badr 4 between Morocco and Oman as wellas in Europe.

Power and automation technology group ABB is building three newsubstations and upgrading four existing ones in the northern regionof Algeria for Socièté Nationale de l'Electricité et du Gaz (Sonelgaz,the nation’s power utility. One of the new substations will power asolar panel factory that is being built close to the capital, Algiers,while the replacement of two power transformers at an existingsubstation will support the doubling of its power capacity. As part ofthe turnkey project, ABB is responsible for the design, engineering,supply, build-up and commissioning of the substations, includingcivil works. The project is expected to be completed in 2013.

“The new substations and the upgrades will significantly enhancedistribution capacity and help meet growing industrial andresidential demand for electricity in the country,” said Peter Leupp,head of ABB’s Power Systems division. "The technologies deployedwill also help strengthen grid reliability and improve power stabilityin the region.” Some of the main products to be supplied include powertransformers, high- and medium-voltage air- and gas-insulatedswitchgear, instrument transformers, surge arresters as well asauxiliary and telecommunications systems.

4

NEWS

An Egyptian e-Signature CompetenceCentre, the first of its kind across theMiddle East and North Africa, is providingsignificant support and services tocountries across the region looking toimplement e-government initiatives anddigital identity projects in a secure andsafe way. At the launch of the facility Eng.Yasser ElKady, CEO, ITIDA said, "The centrewill greatly help in creating and sustainingdigital identity as well as implementingnation-scale projects that require thepublic key infrastructure (PKI). I am truly

proud of the centre, its certified workforce,the scope of projects it has carried out andthe ones that we anticipate."The Egyptian e-Signature CompetenceCentre provides comprehensive solutionsand tailored programmes - in Arabic andEnglish - that are key to implementingdigital identity projects and services. Thecenter pays a great deal of attention toknowledge transfer and training as ameans of empowering prospect clients inthe public or the private sectors.Run by a highly skilled group of software

and information security engineers, thecentre will strengthen its partnership withcurrent and new clients by developinginnovative software design solutions,rigorous data analysis and ongoingsupport and consultation.Services that the Centre offers includeimplementation of e-government projects,IT network security services, businesscontinuity services, and trainingworkshops.

www.esignature-egypt.com

Deutsche Welle offers TV services in Arabic


Agenda / Northe-Signature competence centre opens in Egypt

Algerian grid gains substations

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle appears in a DW-TV Arabia talk showwith the Egyptian author Alaa al-Aswany and several young bloggers


Asmall rural community south-east of Mutare in Eastern Zimbabwe has beenbenefiting from a mini-hydro-electric scheme supported and subsidised

by Schneider Electric South Africa and its specialist electricity prepaymentsubsidiary, Conlog. The scheme, project managed by Practical Action (PA) a UK-based NGO with anoffice in Zimbabwe, is generating 24kVA from the hydro-driven turbine on theWengezi river and providing power supplies to Chipendeke, which comprises alocal school, clinic, two shops, a small maize grinding mill, some governmenthouses and local private dwellings. Conlog general manager, Jaap Grobler says the company donated 100prepayment meters to PA and also provided the computer and electricityvending management system and software to ensure the effectivemanagement of the revenue. “In addition, our technical specialists spent a week at the site, installing thesystem and providing training to the PA personnel and local community users.The money collected from the prepayment system will be managed by thecommunity forum and will be used to the benefit of the overall community.”

Citadel Capital has completed a US$70mncapital increase for platform company AfricaRailways Ltd. This brings to more thanUS$319.3mn the total equity and debt raised byCitadel Capital and its platform companies sincethe beginning of the year. Four developmentfinance institutions and a leading regionallyfocused private equity fund participated in thecapital increase, including: IFC African, LatinAmerican and Caribbean Fund, LP (ALAC,

US$20.2mn); Dutch development bank FMO(US$15mn); German development financeinstitution DEG (US$14mn); FISEA, a vehiclededicated to investment in Sub-Saharan Africaowned by France’s Agence Française deDéveloppement and managed by its subsidiaryPROPARCO (US$10.7mn); and the InternationalFinance Corporation (IFC, US$10.1mn).Following the capital increase, Africa Railways,the Firm’s platform for investments in the

African rail transportation sector, has total paid-in capital of US$110mn. Africa Railways will usethe proceeds from the capital raising to fundPortfolio Company Rift Valley Railways (RVR),which has a 25-year concession to operate acentury-old rail line with some 2,352 kilometres of track linking the Indian Oceanport of Mombasa in Kenya to the interiors ofKenya and Uganda, including the capital city ofKampala.

6

NEWS

Approximately, US$800mn has been spent to date on theconstruction of the Chambishi and Lusaka East Multi-FacilityEconomic Zones (MFEZs) in Zambia. The two MFEZs wereestablished under the Zambia-China Economic and TradeCooperation Zone (ZCCZ), the first overseas economic and tradecooperation zone established in Africa by the Chinese. Confirming that, so far, $800mn has been invested in theconstruction of the Chambishi MFEZ on the Copperbelt and theLusaka East MFEZ in the capital, ZCCZ president Tao Xinghu, thetotal committed investment in the MFEZs stands at aboutUS$1bn.Mr Tao, who is also China Non-ferrous Metal Mining Corporation(CNMC) vice president, said, “This is the measure put in place by

the Chinese government during the Forum on China-AfricaCooperation (FOCAC) to develop the economic zones in Africaand the committed investments have now reached $1 billion andhave created 6,000 jobs.”ZCCZ comprises Chambishi MFEZ which covers an area of 11.58square km and Lusaka East MFEZ which covers 5.7 square km,according to the Master Plan. The Chambishi MFEZ bears anestimated investment of $900mn over a five-year period and isexpected to attract about 50 to 60 enterprises. About 14companies have set base in the facility, including ChambishiCopper Smelter, Sino Metals Limited and Sino Acid Limited.

Nawa Mutumweno

Zimbabwe community sees the light

Around 200 households, representing about 1,200 people, directly benefitfrom household installations; approximately 1,800 indirectly benefit from theservices offered by retail, maize grinding, schooling and other activities


Agenda / East

Investment in new Zambian economic zones

Investors subscribe to EA rail


LOW COST OF OPERATIONIN POWER GENERATION

The low cost of ownership with Volvo Penta diesel power comes from high efficiency engines that offer exceptional reliability for maximum uptime. Easy installation and worldwide support are also reasons why world leading generator set producers choose Volvo Penta.

As a part of the Volvo Group, Volvo Penta has extensive resources for continuous development of innovative generator set engines.

www.volvopenta.com

5-16 liter Power Generation range

75 – 640 kW50 Hz 85 – 630 kVA60 Hz 70 – 550 kWe

Prime and Standby power for Stage 1, 2 and 3A.


Philips Monitors has recently appointedComputer Repairs Technologies (CRT), a

company that specialises in the 'break/fix'sector of the IT industry, as its service centrefor all warranty and out of warranty repairs onits monitors. This is providing Philips monitorcustomers with a specialist service centre thatfeatures a wealth of technical and ITexperience, delivering a service level thatmatches the Philips brand.Says TyroneYoung fromPhilipsMonitorsSouth Africa,"The move toappoint CRT asour servicecentre was astrategic oneas the company's reputation, skills in the fieldof monitors and commitment to the highestservice levels serves the Philips brand best.The company has a national footprint whichmeans that customers from Pretoria toPoffadder will have a branch that is withintheir provincial reach that will repair theirmonitor in the event of a fault."A monitor is a crucial component of anorganisation's ICT arsenal and renders a PCuseless if not in working order, making theservice centre a crucial component of the aftersales service. Says Rique Palma, Operations Director at CRT,"CRT is pleased to have been selected asPhilips'monitor service partner. In this relativeshort period we have established a soundworking relationship with Philips andconjunction with DCC, the sole distributor ofPhilips monitors in South Africa, have set upthe required processes and procedures toenable us to provide best-in-class service toPhilips and DCCs monitor customers. As CRTspecialises predominately in monitor repairs,we have the required infrastructure to performall operations relating to monitor repairactivities.

8

NEWS

The complex task of widening the entrance at the Simonstown Stillwater Harbour onSouth Africa's Western Cape has been undertaken using tools available exclusivelythrough Diamond Products, a specialist in the manufacture, assembly and sale ofdiamond tools and equipment for industrial applications. Cape Town-based concretecutting, coring and drilling company Concrete Worm was commissioned to undertakethe unique project, which involves cuttingaway sections of large concrete walls -known as caissons - in order to extend theentrance of the harbour by 11m. Concrete Worm managing director Peter Finkexplains that the harbour entrance requireswidening in order to create more space toprevent lateral movement of a new fleet oflarger South African Navy submarines, whichare brought to berth by four tugboats.“In order to widen the entrance of theharbour, the caissons must effectively besliced into individual slices that are each 8mwide and 15m deep. This is a highly-specialised job that has only beenundertaken in South Africa once in the past.”

South Africa's strengthening recovery, with growth projected at 3.5 per cent for 2011, is placing the spotlight back on the critical long-term challenge of tackling highunemployment rates, which, in turn, requires faster, more inclusive growth. Raising the investment and savings rates is crucial to achieving these important nationalobjectives. So says the World Bank in the economic report titled ‘South Africa EconomicUpdate’.Ruth Kagia, World Bank Country Director for South Africa, said, "We offer this first issuewith a view to contributing to the national debate on a consequential topic and helpshape informed policy decisions for sustainable economic recovery in South Africa."

Technologist selects newmonitor service centre


Agenda / SouthHarbour entrance extended withdiamond equipment

SA seeks investment and savings


Since 1976, Nigeria Gas and Steel Limitedhas been engaged in the production of

light steel pipes (wall thickness 1 to 3mm)for the furniture industry, and metalfabricators. In May 2011, the companylaunched its newest production line -catering for the manufacturing of heavyduty steel pipes (4 to 10mm wall thickness,and 5, 6, 8, and 10 inches diameter). According to Mr Hasib Moukarim, theManaging Director of Nigeria Gas and SteelLimited, this new expansion represents apromotion to a higher class of industry forthe company - which is directed to servethe construction and infrastructuralindustries in Nigeria and across West Africa.The product has been subjected to impactand hydro tests by SGS, and promoters lookforward to great demand from state andfederal governments who are keen tospend on infrastructure such as pedestrianbridges, highway rails, bus stops, airportterminals, traffic lights and posts, etc. This venture in manufacturing big diameterpipes is the first of its kind in Nigeria. MrMoukarim hopes that steel pipes wil beused in the future for building warehousesin place of traditional beams andstanchions. The company has also installeda bending machine in its premises, to meetthe requirements of contractors andarchitects who look for original andaesthetic shapes and designs for newconstructional projects.

nigeriagasproducts.com

Benin recently became the first West African country to finalise its membership into the AfricanTrade Insurance Agency (ATI) - Africa’s only multilateral investment and trade credit insurer.Companies can now apply for ATI products to back deals in the country. His Excellency Dr. ThomasYayi Boni, President of Benin and George Otieno, Chief Executive Officer of ATI signed the Treaty inSeptember 2011.“When African countries join ATI, they benefit in several ways. First, investors are more inclined to dobusiness in a particular country when their assets can be protected against political and relatedrisks. Second, African exporters and traders are able to compete globally when their payment risksare covered by insurance. And most importantly, ATI’s insurance can help secure financing for vitalinfrastructure needs,” noted ATI’s Chief Executive during the signing. ATI has recorded enquiries from financial institutions interested in projects in Benin from France,Italy, Mauritius, South Africa and the United Kingdom. With a value of US$35mn these projects - inthe energy, manufacturing, mining and telecommunications sectors - could substantially improveBenin’s infrastructural development.

10

NEWS

Opened by the President of the Gabonese Republic, His Excellency Ali Bongo Ondimba, inSeptember 2011, the multi-sector Nkok Special Economic Zone (SEZ) is the largest of its kind in Westand Central Africa. The 1126-hectare zone is the product of a partnership established in August2010 between the Republic of Gabon and the Singaporean company Olam International Limited,the world’s leader in distribution and supply chain management of edible farm produce. Nkok’s SEZwill be used primarily by wood processing industries. The zone’s construction period of 13 monthsis the fastest in history. Phase one of the project has benefited from more than US$200mninvestment and is expected to accumulate almost US$1.1bn of foreign investment per year – theequivalent of a quarter of Gabon’s annual budget.Nkok’s SEZ supports Gabon’s aim to diversify its agricultural and industrial sectors and is in line withthe ambitious sustainable development strategy for an emerging Gabon - Gabon Emergent - put inplace by President Ali Ondimba after his election in August 2009, entailing a range of political andeconomic reforms to improve the business climate and attract a level of investment that could turnGabon into a newly developed country by 2025, strengthening and diversifying the economythrough industrial development, expansion of the services sector and green growth.

Integrated energy group Oando PLC is committing 1.5 per cent of its pretax profits in2011, and one per cent in subsequent years, to support basic education in West Africa. The commitment entails increasing access to quality basic education for more than60,000 children in 100 schools across West Africa by 2015. The company will achieve thisby enhancing infrastructure to create conducive learning environments; providingeducational resources and teaching aids for effective learning, and promotingtechnology driven empowerment programmes in public schools.Commenting on the commitment, Oando Group Chief Executive Wale Tinubu said, “Weare passionate about increasing access to education in our region because we believethat knowledge is the bedrock of world-class aspirations.”

New steel pipemill forproduction in Nigeria

Nigeria Gas and Steel Ltd manufactures steel pipes toserve construction and infrastructure projects inWest Africa


Agenda / WestZone boosts Gabonese economy

Insurance move to benefit Benin

Oando pledges profits to education in Nigeria


The name Shantui has long been synonymous with bulldozers in China. We lead the market in just about every category of volume and share, and have for decades. Today, Shantui is the largest volume manufacturer of dozers in the world.

We offer a complete line of more than 20 dozer types and sizes, from swamp to desert, designed for all tasks, big or small. This includes the entire gamut of extensions for many

other practical uses. Our SD-520-5, at 520 horsepower, is the largest bulldozer ever built in China.

Being the market leader in China is one thing. But being the Value Leader worldwide is our real source of pride. And we will not rest on either of these laurels. It’s the Shantui Way.

SHANTUI VALUE WORKS FOR YOU.

This is one beast that will lighten your burden.

www.shantui.com

The name Shantui has long been

his is one beasTill w hgli

The name Shantui has long been other practical uses. Our SD-520-5,

t this is one beasburour ten yh

other practical uses. Our SD-520-5,

atht tden.bur

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e lead the market in just China. Wabout every category of volume and share, and have for decades.

, Shantui is the largest volume odayTTomanufacturer of dozers in the world.

e offer a complete line of more Wthan 20 dozer types and sizes, from swamp to desert, designed for all tasks, big or small. This includes the

The name Shantui has long been synonymous with bulldozers in

e lead the market in just about every category of volume and share, and have for decades.

, Shantui is the largest volume manufacturer of dozers in the world.

e offer a complete line of more than 20 dozer types and sizes, from swamp to desert, designed for all tasks, big or small. This includes the

other practical uses. Our SD-520-5, at 520 horsepowerbulldozer ever built in China.

Being the market leader in China is one thing. But being the VLeader worldwide is our real source of pride. And we will not rest on either of these laurels.

.ayy.Shantui WWa

ALUE WORKS FOR YOU.SHANTUI V

other practical uses. Our SD-520-5, , is the largest at 520 horsepower

bulldozer ever built in China.

Being the market leader in China alueut being the VVa

Leader worldwide is our real source of pride. And we will not rest on either of these laurels. s the It’’s

ALUE WORKS FOR YOU.

tasks, big or small. This includes the entire gamut of extensions for many

tasks, big or small. This includes the entire gamut of extensions for many

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comui.tan.shwwww.

S02 ATR Nov 2011 events bulletin_Layout 1 24/10/2011 17:58

12

NEWS

2011

December2-5 Building Materials Exhibition Nairobi Kenya www.kenyabuilding.com

11-12 Emerging Markets AirportsSuppliers Conference (EMASC) Dubai, UAE emergingairports.com

2012

January15-19 World Future Energy Summit Abu Dhabi UAE www.worldfutureenergysummit.com

24-26 Offshore West Africa Abuja Nigeria

www.offshorewestafrica.com

24-27 World of Concrete Las Vegas, USA www.worldofconcrete.com

February3-5 World Money Fair Berlin, Germany www.worldmoneyfair.ch

6-9Investment in African MiningCape Town, South Africa www.miningindaba.com

7-8 Ghana Finance & Investment Accra, Ghana www.euromoneyconferences.com

20-23 Enterprise Risk Management AfricaJohannesburg, South Africa

www.terrapinn.com

20-23 Nigeria Oil & Gas (NOG) Abuja, Nigeria www.cwcnog.com

21-23 Africa Energy Indaba Johannesburg, South Africa www.energyindaba.co.za

26-29 Plastex Cairo Egypt www.plastex-online.com

28 Feb-1 Mar CABSAT Dubai, UAE www.cabsat.com

28 Feb-2 Mar Africa Roads Johannesburg, South Africa www.terrapinn.com

Events / 2011-2012

The key to Finnish trade with Africannations is to work within, but also to

develop, EU-Africa legislation and regulatoryprinciples. There is plenty of scope forpartnership and for enhancing collaborativearrangements. One issue underconsideration within Finnish political societyis the European requirements for freshproduce exported by Africa to Europe, whichis governed by the operation of theEurepGAP standards, which enablestandardisation of and certification forcommon farm management practices. Suchissues offer opportunities for lively debate,which can translate into real change in thereal world.Veera Heinonen, Director of Communicationsat Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs, spoketo African journalists visiting Helsinki of thevalue that Finns place on debate – and thedesire amongst the Finnish nation to translate

reasoned debate into genuine change abroadas much as at home. Finland is a developmentpartner in Africa, working with African nationsto improve economic and social structures,legislative frameworks, and political relations.

Engagement with African nationsFinland engages with African nations atsupranational, regional, national, and locallevels. Supporting Ms Heinonen sentiments tothe visiting delegation of African media wasHeikki Tuunanen, Deputy Director General atthe Ministry’s Department for Africa and theMiddle East. Mr Tuunanen spoke of Finland’smajor objectives and motives in itsengagement with African nations. The Finnishnation’s objectives are political, humanitarian,and commercial. The origins of Finland’sapproach to development, however, is alsomoral; it is a prime Finnish principle that thereshould be no poverty in the world.

Finland as a development partner in Africa

The Africa Energy Indaba takes place 21-23February 2012 at the Sandton ConventionCentre, Johannesburg, South Africa. The eventbrings together energy providers, engineers,financial service providers, economists,government representatives and media.The Indaba is partnered with the South AfricanNational Energy Association (SANEA) and theWorld Energy Council (WEC). The WEC hasmember committees in nearly 100 countries,including most of the largest energy-producingand energy consuming countries, focusing onall types of energy including coal, oil, naturalgas, nuclear, hydro, and renewables. The SANEAis the South African member committee of theWEC, and the largest energy industry associationin Sub-Saharan Africa.

www.energyindaba.co.za


Energy Indabaset for Feb 2012


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14

NEWS

Bulletin / CommunicationsGovernments urged to leverage technologies for development More effective use of information and

communication technologies (ICTs) by

government programmes to support

micro and small enterprises (MSEs) will

help accelerate job creation and business

growth, according to the United Nations

Conference on Trade and Development

(UNCTAD) in the Information Economy

Report 2011: ICTs as an Enabler for Private

Sector Development, which reveals that

the ICT dimension is frequently absent

from private sector development (PSD)

strategies, and neither policymakers nor

MSE owners in developing countries are

harnessing these new possibilities to the

fullest; United Nations Secretary-General,

Ban Ki-moon said, “Although some

countries are already taking advantage of

the close links between ICTs and PSD,

much more can be done to make ICTs a

powerful force for improving the

competitiveness of their private sector.”

Power delivery infrastructuretechnologies highlighted The second IEEE International Conference

on Smart Grid Communications

(SmartGridComm), a global forum held in

October 2011 on the upgrade of power

delivery infrastructures worldwide,

highlighted technologies to support the

two-way flow of energy and information,

quickly isolate and overcome power

outages, facilitate the integration of

renewable energy sources and empower

consumers to optimise energy

consumption; developed by IEEE ComSoc

to provide an interdisciplinary approach

for facilitating the production, delivery

and use of electricity globally, IEEE

SmartGridComm 2011 offered an in-depth

exploration of enabling communications,

innovations and shared-field experiences

stewards and stewardesses usually have to

deal with; the lightweight iPad lets crews

quickly identify where each customer is

seated, who they are traveling with, their

Executive Club status and any special meal

requests - when all the passengers have

boarded and just before the doors are

shut, cabin crew are currently handed a

long scroll of paper, listing up to 337

customers, but with the new iPads cabin

crew will refresh their screen when the

doors have closed through wireless 3G

networks and will have a complete list of

passengers on board.

ranging from remote metering and

improved cyber-security to enhanced

consumer data services and on-road

electrical vehicle recharging.

Educational flash cards for smart devices Business analytics firm SAS has developed

Flash Cards for Apple iPad and iPhone.

Users involved in education can choose

from more than 3,000 flash cards or create

their own custom decks that can be

published for public download; "This is a

unique educational app for Apple mobile

device users," said Armistead Sapp, head of

the SAS Education Practice. "The flexibility

and build-your-own capabilities can help

learners from preschool up through the

workforce learn concepts and memorise

information to help them succeed."

BA takes the tabletBritish Airways (BA) cabin crew are trialling

the latest Apple iPad 2 model with 100

cabin crew, some on African routes, with

the aim to roll it out to all senior crew

members across the airline in the coming

months - enabling cabin crew to have

prior awareness of customer preferences

and a greater understanding of each

customer’s previous travel arrangements,

allowing them to offer a bespoke,

personalised service whilst doing away

with the reams of paper print-outs that

SAS Flash Cards


ConstellationNetworks has

grown its innovativesatellite broadbandbusiness on the SES

fleet over the last eightyears, connecting

remote villages andbusinesses to the

outside world and abrighter future.”

- Scott Sprague, SeniorVice President Global

Sales, SES

It is believed that BA is the first carrier to provide tabletsto cabin crews.


arikair.com

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16

NEWS

Bulletin / SatelliteNigerian satellite demonstrates high resolution capabilityEngineers from the Nigerian space agency (NASRDA) and satellite

manufacturer Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) continue the

commissioning of the new NigeriaSat-2 satellite from NASRDA’s

headquarters in Abuja; high resolution satellite imagery released

from NigeriaSat-2, ongoing calibration of the imaging payloads,

follows completion of systems testing .

SatLink handles engineering and operations for AMOS-5 SatLink Communications Ltd., a teleport delivering content

globally, has been appointed by Spacecom, operator of the AMOS

satellite fleet, as the prime provider of satellite engineering

services including TT&C (Telemetry Tracking & Commanding) and

IOT (In Orbit Testing), among others, for the AMOS-5 satellite;

from the 17°E orbital position, AMOS-5 will deliver high-power C-

band and Ku-band capacity to the entire African continent with

connectivity to Europe and the Middle East.

Communications for emergency response in the Niger Delta Afcom Satellite Network (Afcomsat), a provider of high quality

VSAT services to businesses, governments and individuals, has

been deploying dual mode satellite and TETRA systems in a fleet

of emergency response vehicles (ERVs) in the Niger-Delta region

of Nigeria; equipped with the latest VSAT technology and

integrated into Motorola’s TETRA Mobile System, the Afcomsat

system is deployed for a major multinational oil company and

provides full IP connectivity to the company’s network.

Improving oil & gas wireless sensors Paradox Engineering (www.pdxeng.ch) and Harris CapRock

Communications (www.caprock.com) have joined forces to serve

the telemetry market in the oil & gas industry; Paradox

Engineering’s PE. WSNi technology has been integrated into Harris

CapRock’s TConnect solution - which is based on Harris CapRock’s

VSAT satellite technology - to provide an end-to-end flexible

communication platform offering high performance, extreme

efficiency in data transfers, ease of installation and maintenance.

Advancing real-world systemsIEEE GLOBECOM 2011, an international conference on

communications technologies worldwide, will be held 5-9

December in Houston, in the USA, with 1,500 presentations

committed to the advance of real-world telecommunications,

engineering methods and IT business systems; the conference

will feature over 1,000 papers covering wireless network

performance, femtocells, game theory & congestion control,

cooperative spectrum sensing, mobile networks, intrusion

detection, wireless security, satellite & space communications,

vehicle & mobile ad hoc networks, and energy efficiency in

computing, multimedia communications technologies and

powerline communications, and smart grid.


This 2.5m resolution pan-sharpened example from NigeriaSat-2 shows the airport atSalt Lake City, USA, with the terminal buildings, runway layout and surrounding roadsall clearly visible

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17

MultiChoice and Pace bring new options for digital transmissionPace plc is working with MultiChoice Africa to support MultiChoice’s

launch of its GOtv offering, which is bringing digital TV services to

terrestrial subscribers in Sub-Saharan Africa via Pace’s next

generation set-top boxes, capable of receiving DVB-T2 standard

transmissions; the new set-top box is the first to deliver the latest

digital terrestrial television into Sub-Saharan African homes,

increasing consumers’ service reliability and content choice, and

making digital TV a mass-market reality for the first time.

Zambian operator adds video servicesIn Zambia, mobile communications provider ZAMTEL’s launched its

third generation (3G) technology, which is boosting Internet

connectivity among its customers, is also supporting mobile TV,

video-on-demand, video conferencing, telemedicine and location-

based services; “This means that ZAMTEL mobile customers will

have higher data speed and enjoy multimedia services such as

Skype calls and video chats using MSN,” said the telecom firm’s chief

commercial officer, Amon Jere.

(Nawa Mutumweno)

Broadcasters and TV producers experiment with mobile devices Strategies for branded connected TV and devices was a central focus

of the IBC Conference programme, held recently in The Netherlands;

the arrival of tablets, with larger screens and in-home Wi-Fi

connectivity, is predicted to make two-screen interaction,

particularly around the large reality show formats, soar.

Smarter strategy for a smarter African lifestyleSamsung Electronics has been pursuing market share through

innovations in Internet-connected TVs, consumer-inspired digital

cameras and the mobile technology,

combined with

plans for developing

Samsung’s regional

market presence, in

the context of

Samsung’s unifying

principle – Built for

Africa; one example of this effort is a programme – Samsung

Electronics Engineering Academy (SEEA), which was created to

develop young leaders for Africa’s future - Samsung intends to

develop 10,000 electronics engineers in Africa by 2015.

Bulletin / TV


NEWS

SamsungElectronics EngineeringAcademy (SEEA), which

was created to developyoung leaders for

Africa’s future”


Somalia is a land of many stories. There are those that makethe headlines, revolving around famine, political strife, debtand piracy. And then there are those that go largely

unnoticed – stories waiting to be told - like those of Somalia’s richuntapped natural resources, brimming with minerals and oil. Orthose of its universities which rank among the top 100 in Africa. Orthose of its telecom companies which offer some of the mosttechnologically advanced services in the world.

These stories portray a Somalia that is fast demonstrating thepotential to be a major global player.Observes Abdirashid Duale, an award-winning Somali entrepreneur and CEO ofDahabshiil, an African money transferbusiness, “Every time I go back to Somalia, Inotice a lot of positive changes. Things aregetting better.”

Abdirashid would know. He’s seen theworst of it. In the late 1980s, the remittancecompany that he had helped his father,Duale, manage in Somalia collapsed in theface of the civil war. Abdirashid and hisfamily were forced to flee to theneighbouring country of Ethiopia wherethey rebuilt the company from scratch,drawing on Duale’s extensive network ofinternational contacts.

Today, Dahabshiil is the largest Africanmoney transfer company with 24,000 agentlocations and branches in 144 countriesworldwide. The company servescommunities, businesses, developmentorganisations and humanitarian agenciesacross East Africa by enabling quick andreliable money transfers to and from Europe,North America and Asia. But just how important are its services toSomalia?

A lifeline in troubled timesRemittances have always played a significant role in Africa’sgrowth; but in Somalia, they are one of the main drivers of theeconomy. Most of the remittances come from Somalia’s diasporawho left the country decades ago to either build a better life orescape the civil war. Despite settling down in other parts of theworld, the diaspora – at least one million strong - continues tosupport family, friends and other people back in Somalia.

For a country which, for many years, lacked a central bank and

any other kind of financial infrastructure, remittances from thediaspora represent an invaluable lifeline. Estimated at up to $1bn,they offer a primary source of income for relatives and families.Much of the money is used for household expenses. Large sumsare also used to finance commercial projects across InformationCommunication and Technology (ICT), trade, education, healthand humanitarian activities in both urban and rural areas. In fact,80 per cent of the start-up capital for small and mediumenterprises was provided by the diaspora.(1)

Initially, Money Transfer Operators were hard to come by. Thecountry’s volatile economy and political instability caused many ofthe major MTOs to stay away. But determined and innovativeSomali entrepreneurs stepped in, and began establishing privatemoney transfer operations which, through a well-developednetwork of agents, flourished and sustained the economy formany years. One of them was Dahabshiil.

Today Somalia’s remittance network is so well-developed that itis often considered to be more efficient and reliable than other‘advanced’ African banking systems where bureaucracy andcumbersome regulatory frameworks make transactions muchmore complex.

RemittancesBUSINESS

18

Financing Somalia’sBrave New WorldHow a Somalian entrepreneur is leading the way in money transfer, servingcommunities, businesses, development organisations and humanitarianagencies across East Africa

Abdirashid Duale, CEO of Dahabshiil


S03 ATR Nov 2011 Business_Layout 1 25/10/2011 10:20

20 African Review of Business and Technology - November 2011

Bolstering the economyOver the last few years, Somalia’s financial landscape has witnessed aseries of exciting developments. Foremost among them is the re-establishment of the Central Bank of Somalia after more than 15 longyears. Located in Mogadishu, the bank is expected to promote much-needed financial stability in the country by developing monetarypolicies, enhancing the value of the local currency, and facilitatingprofitable credit and exchange conditions.

Encouraged by the bank’s restoration, many of the existing moneytransfer operators have begun to develop into full-fledged commercialbanks. In 2009, Dahabshiil introduced Somalia’s first-ever debit cardservice, ‘Dahabshiil eCash’ while continuing to upgrade its existingpayment systems. Remittances conducted through its network areknown to clear in a matter of minutes – regardless of which part of theworld they are being sent from, or to. In addition, its Web-based facilityand SMS notifications enable customers to track their money transfers inan easy, convenient manner.

Like Dahabshiil, many companies are integrating finance andtechnology in exciting new ways that bode well for the Somali economy.And nowhere is this more evident than in the telecom industry.

Riding the telecommunications waveThe telecommunications revolution in Somalia is a story of survival andsuccess despite the odds of political instability, crumbling infrastructure,and civil war. Today, Somalia’s telecom industry is one of the best in theworld. Calls are cheap, lines are crystal-clear, and services are provided toalmost every nook and corner in the country.

Over thirty private telecom companies operate in the country,

compared to just one, two decades ago. Many of these companies offerthe latest 3G technology in voice and data services, as well as wirelessInternet connections.

In August this year, Telesom Company, Somaliland’s largest nationaltelecommunications operator, unveiled a 3G mobile network servicewith facilities for video and audio streaming, video chat and high-speedInternet access. Two years ago, the company had launched a mobilebanking service – ‘ZAAD’, followed by a solar-powered mobile phonesystem. Many of these kinds of facilities are still not available in Africa’smore advanced countries. And it isn’t just the private telecomcompanies who are making it happen.

In April 2011, the Somaliland government passed the historicTelecommunications Act which introduces a new regulatory body andframework for the telecommunications industry, while also encouragingcompetition, enhancing security, expanding networks and loweringprices. Also on the cards is the installation of a fibre optic marine cablewhich will offer much greater bandwidth, and open up many newexciting opportunities for enhancing communication.

Making the best of this telecom revolution are entrepreneurs likeAbdirashid. In 2008, he acquired a major stake for Dahabshiil in SomTel, aleading Somali telecom and mobile internet firm. SomTel launched its3G services in July, thus paving the way for a full-scale launch ofDahabshiil’s mobile banking services across the country. ‘E-Dahab’ willenable Somalis in remote locations to have better access to finance andbanking facilities. The service will also help sustain isolated localeconomies, and build on the success of eCash by reducing thetransaction costs of handling large bundles of paper money.

Developments like these mean many things for Somalia - greaterinvestment opportunities, more financial inclusion, larger numbers ofjobs and increased private sector growth. With the governmentstabilising, it will only be a matter of time before Somalia becomes afertile region for major foreign investments.

It’s already happening in the manufacturing industry. Coca -Cola Co.has reportedly invested $10mn in setting up a bottling plant inSomaliland. The factory is expected to open by the end of September,(2)and represents the second license issued by Coca-Cola in Somalia.

Unleashing the shackles of the pastFor decades, Somalia has been perceived as one of the poorest andmost violent nations in the world. Much of what we see and know aboutthe country is limited to the famine that is sweeping across itslandscape. No doubt such stories are extremely important – we cannotand must not forget them. But what’s also important is that Somalia isnot defeated and hopeless. Somalia is healing and hopeful. It is acountry that is gradually letting go of the shackles of the past, andcoming into its own.

“Somalis just want to have a normal life - to educate their children andenjoy better services –like anyone anywhere else in the world,” saysAbdirashid. As for Somalia’s businesses, he believes that there are many challenges, but that stability and good governance will come intime. “What we need are greater investments and economicindependence.”

Both are gradually occurring as telecom and technology becomesmore advanced, political stability improves, and entrepreneurshipgrows. A brave new Somalia is emerging. And the world is watching. ■

Notes:1 Somalia’s Missing Million: The Somali Diaspora And Its Role InDevelopment - A report for UNDP by Hassan Sheikh and Sally Healy -March 20092 Coca-Cola Invests $10 Million in Somaliland Bottling Plant – SarahMcGregor, Bloomberg, May 31, 2011

RemittancesBUSINESS


TECHNOLOGYGhana

21African Review of Business and Technology - November 2011

T he Government of Ghana and the Ministry of Education is committed to the rapid deployment and utilisation of information and communications technology (ICT) throughout

all levels of education as a means to transform the education systemand improve the quality of life for all citizens in Ghana. Thegovernment believes that through the deployment of ICT ineducation, the culture and practice of traditional memory-basedlearning will be transformed to an improved education system thatwill stimulate the level of critical thinking and creativity required tomeet the challenges of the 21st century.

Replace obsolete PCs and expand education accessCritical challenges the Ministry of Education has faced in meeting its ICTgoals, include underdeveloped physical and institutional infrastructure,lack of electricity and power usage, limited Internet access, lack of fundingfor building new capacities, and limited technical and maintenancesupport. A survey of the Senior High Schools discovered that while mostschools had computer labs, they were inadequate and had obsolete andpoorly functioning systems. Often there wasn’t any Internet access andavailability to educational software was limited at best. Systems were old,sometimes refurbished, and far beyond their useful life. School staff andstudents struggled just to get these systems working, let alone conductan actual lesson.

Based on this research, the Ministry determined that the first phase ofdeployments countrywide should focus on improving reliable computer

access. Historically, there had been one computer available for every 42students. The Ministry set a new goal to double the number of computers.

The Ministry also wanted to address the historical inequities of ICTaccess as there were some situations where as many as 500 students“shared” access to a single computer.

From vision to realityThe Ministry of Education assessed traditional thin clients and

arranged demos by different manufacturers but found that thesesolutions were complex, requiring third party hardware componentsand additional investment for technical support, adding to the overall

Low-cost computingfor educationGhana’s Ministry of Education has deployed and is now running 800 virtualdesktops for schools in Ghana

NComputing is a favorablesolution for us and successfully addresses

the concerns of the developing worldwho are struggling to receive adequate

funds for the costly deployment ofcomputers in schools”

Emmanuel Kingsley Dadebo Coordinator ICT Education Programmes


GhanaTECHNOLOGY


Blue Ocean Group (BOG) has partnered with leading global brands such as LG Electronics to ensure technological innovations in developed countries reach the Nigerian market too.

Blue Ocean Group is the only Nigerian Company in the field of specialty services that provides full-version solutions across all segments: water treatment, sewage treatment, solid waste management, alternate energy solution, hospital facility services, security and surveillance solutions etc.

At the various technical seminars organized by the company in different parts of the country, new products such as The LG Multi V III Commercial AC, Network Monitors, Closed Circuit Cameras, Solar Panels and Security Surveillance Cameras were introduced to the Nigerian market.

The new LG Network Monitor, a revolutionary product that makes PC-sharing so convenient enables the connection of a single PC to up to 31 fully functioning terminals just by adding extra monitors and input devices. Its Ethernet support allows connec-tion unbound by distance. With its easy setup and hassle-free maintenance, it is the perfect cost-saving computing for anyone who values productivity and efficiency in today’s business environment.

The LG Multi V III Commercial AC has proven to have three unique benefits which the consumer stands to enjoy: higher energy efficiency, bigger capacity, and longer piping design. The unit’s

increased energy efficiency which receives a boost by LG’s unique inverter compressor V-Scroll and HiPORTM (High Pressure Oil Return) technology, delivers a COP level (coefficient of perfor-mance) of 4.6, one of the highest in the industry and achieves a reduced oil circulation from the conventional 2.5 to 0.35.

The LG Security Cameras come with powerful x37 optical zoom with pan and tilt capabilities for all surveillance functions. The LG Solar Panels have also been proven to provide clean and reliable energy solutions like solar power.

Blue Ocean Group is also one of the leading water solution providers in Nigeria. It offers Packaged Type Sewage Treatment Plants which are simple to install and come with Plug & Play concept in capacity ranging from 10 - 100 m3/day. Water Treatment plants which are skid-mounted plants include all product range like Media Filters, Activated Carbon Filters, Iron Removal Filters, Softening Plants, RO Plant and Ultra Filtration UV Treatment, which makes Blue Ocean a one-stop shop for all consumer water needs.

Anupam Ghosal, Managing Director of Blue Ocean, said, “Organisations have started realizing that today’s consumer wants the very best and that is what we offer. Blue Ocean would continue to ensure that customer demands are met through products and services provided by the firm as Blue Ocean believes “life is better when it’s green”.

Head Office: 23 Ladipo Oluwole Street, off Adeniyi Jones, Ikeja, Lagos.

E-mail: [email protected], Phone: +234 802 992 6333, 01-8400810

cost. The NComputing X-series stood out as the most cost effective,with the highest user density per dollar compared to any PC or thinclient technology on the market.

For their initial deployment, the Ministry of Education turned toIPMC, a leading IT vendor in Ghana, to purchase 800 X-series virtualdesktops and 80 host PCs, creating a ratio of 10 additional users to justone host computer.

The results have been profound as educators and students havediscovered new ways to teach, share information and do research. TheNComputing solution works because today’s PCs are so powerful thatthe vast majority of users only need and use a small fraction ofdesktop computing capacity. NComputing taps this unused capacityfrom a single PC or server so that it can be simultaneously shared bymany users. Each user’s monitor, keyboard, and mouse are connectedto a small and highly reliable NComputing access device, which is thenconnected to the shared computer. The access device itself has noCPU, memory, or moving parts so it’s rugged, reliable, and easy todeploy and maintain, using only 1-5 watts of electricity per hour. Thelow electricity usage is critical because as mentioned previously,electricity in Africa can be expensive and often unreliable. Above all,the Ministry’s approval for the use of the NComputing solution is alsobased on the more affordable unit cost as compared to othercompeting solutions.

Into the futureThe successful deployment of NComputing virtual desktops at theSenior High School level has given the Ministry of Education theconfidence to devise an implementation plan that will capture the

different levels of educational structures in Ghana. By 2016, theMinistry of Education has plans to extend NComputing virtualdesktops to over 14,000 Primary Schools (Ages 4-10), 8,000 JuniorHigh Schools (Ages 11-13), and an additional 450 Senior HighSchools. The effective use of ICT will help the youth of Ghana todevelop the knowledge and talents needed to succeed in anincreasingly competitive and digital job market. It will also provideGhanaian students and teachers an opportunity to exchange ideasand share experiences with their counterparts all over the world. ■


PRINTING


pb aquasolarSolar powered deep well hand pump. This unique system closes the gap bet-ween conventional hand pumps and solardriven sub-mersible motor pumps.

In many countries deep well hand pumps are the main source for the daily water supply for the village people.

pb aquasolar is a solar po-wered drive system for new and already installed hand pumps.

Well established pump tech-nology has been blended with maintenancefree pho-tovoltaic components to form this novel pump concept.

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T he costly and time-consuming method of printing educational material can be significantly-improved by utilising digital printing on demand (PoD) technology, according to leading document

management and printing expert Océ South Africa. Océ South Africa national product manager for wide format printing

systems Jaco Smit points out that traditional study textbooks areuneconomical to print using the industry-standard method of off-setprinting, if only a limited number of copies are required. “To cover thepreparatory cost of the offset process, such as prepress, plate making andmake-ready on the printing press, an output of a few hundred bookswould result in either a high cost per book or an overall loss,” he explains.

Smit points out that this problem is compounded by the fact that theproduction costs are paid in advance, and cannot be fully-recouped untilthe last copy has been sold. What’s more, the costs of storing the books ina warehouse add further financial pressures. “The development of digitalprinting and specialised offset litho equipment designed for short runs,are an answer to this problem. Now, it is possible to print very short runs oreven a single copy at a realistic and competitive price. Océ is an importantplayer in the book market, with production machines that fit every need,”he continues.

The demand for digital technologySmit believes that PoD is a logical evolution of the widespread use ofcomputers and the development of digital printers. “Instead of storingbooks as physical items in warehouses, they can be printed at the momentthat someone requires them. PoD is; therefore, a technology, and not atype of publishing business.”

PoD uses digital technology including printers, and can produce onebook - printed and bound - within a matter of minutes, notes Smit. “PoDeliminates two large expenses involved in book publishing, namely;warehousing and the financial risks of printing a large quantity of books,”he explains. “The traditional supply chain of books is wasteful, with around30 per cent of books being returned to the publisher. With PoD, a copy of abook is created after the order is received, therefore slashing wastage.”

Smit does; however, note that the PoD model does not work for everytype of book. “Paperbacks from the best-sellers list are obviouslypurchased by a large amount of people. The preparatory costs of thetraditional business model are only a fraction of the total cost, resulting inan overall price that is too low for short-run and PoD equipment.”

For niche markets such as educational printing; however, PoD offersgreat opportunities. “In the business of academic textbooks, a title wouldbe discontinued if the sales dropped below a certain level. Thanks to PoD,hundreds of thousands of titles have been brought back into production,”says Smit.

He notes that print service providers within Higher Education inparticular can benefit from PoD. “Universities and colleges can save timein searching and photocopying materials required for their courses usingPoD, and only need pay for what is necessary for the courses.”

In the traditional print model, material is printed and subsequently sold.With PoD, this is the other way around, as the book is sold before it isprinted, says Smit. “This has a major impact not only on production,storage and waste, but on the complete process. It means that before thewords are printed on paper, the exact audience of the material is alreadyknown.”

He points out that this offers extreme levels of flexibility, where tailor-made content can, for example, be produced in a book that looks exactlylike any book - with an attractive cover, solid bindings and an ISBNnumber. “Using PoD, universities have a powerful tool to diversifythemselves in course offering, in attracting new students and inpositioning the core values of the institution.” ■

Jaco Smit, Océ South Africa National Product Manager for Wide FormatPrinting Systems

The digital printingrevolution in educationOcé South Africa identifies digital printing as a vital tool in improving theoverall efficiency of creating educational material


CommerceTECHNOLOGY


Many South African companies arestarting to come to grips with therealities of online and the

opportunities it has to offer. The challengeis understanding the value that it candeliver for their businesses and how theycan capitalise on the opportunitiesavailable.

Delivering valueThe greatest challenge is putting in placethe right online strategy, that will delivervalue and enhance your business. It’s allabout the most fundamental of principles:reaching out to your customers andconvincing them to buy goods and servicesfrom your organisation.

This doesn’t apply only to the buyingdecisions they make in the online world,but also to the decisions they make whenthey are buying through traditional offlinechannels. Consumers today live in aninterconnected media world where theirexperiences online shape their behaviour inoffline channels such as physical stores andvice versa.

Consider the buying cycle of manyconsumers in the mid to upper LSMsegments. An accountant who lives inJohannesburg’s northern suburbs mightdecide that his five-year old BMW needs tobe replaced.

Embracing the InternetOne of the first things he’ll do is startresearching options on the Internet to seewhat is available, what the prices are andwhich dealers offer the best deals. He’llreview brands, prices and features for allthe makes within his price range. Online hehas the advantage of side by sidecomparisons and reviews, includingcustomer reviews.

Armed with the information from acouple of hours spent on the Internet, hemay start visiting car dealers to do testdrives and get quotes. Any motor dealerthat doesn’t have a strong presence on the

Internet runs the risk of losing out on aprospect who might be interested indriving away one of the vehicles on itsshowroom floor.

Developing an online strategyThe goal of your online strategy, therefore, is tomatch consumers with information from yourcompany that they may be interested in toincrease their awareness of your offerings andto drive their purchase intentions. The tools thatyou can use to achieve these goals arenumerous,they range from email marketing,social media and banner advertisementsthrough to search engine optimisation andsearch advertising.

What makes these tools different fromoffline marketing and advertising channelsis that they offer you a high level ofmeasurability. You have the ability to seehow many people are interacting with yourmessage, which in turn helps you to

understand whether your campaigns aredriving sales for your business. You canattribute a return on investment to eachchannel and understand which channelsdeliver the best value and where they fit into the broader value chain.

You can gather data that helps you tobetter segment your market so that you cantarget the right message to the rightconsumers. For example, you canunderstand which advertisingenvironments generate the best responsesfor your organisation. Over time, you canimprove and optimise your online strategyto better meet your business goals.

Digital strategy isn’t something thatexists as an add-on to your businessstrategy. It goes right to the heart ofconverting customers – the very goals ofevery successful commercial enterprise. ■

Richard Mullins, director at Acceleration

Working in theonline economyThe motivation for adoption of a digital strategy is simple – it is all aboutdoing better business


TECHNOLOGYSenegal


Mathematics underpins science,technology and modern society –from cell phones to computers and

satellites. Early in September 2011, theGovernment of Senegal led by His ExcellencyPresident Abdoulaye Wade and internationalpartners opened a pan-African centre ofexcellence for Africa’s brightest math andscience graduates in Mbour, 80 km south ofDakar.

AIMS-Senegal is the second centre in theAfrican Institute for Mathematical Sciences(AIMS) network, joining AIMS-South Africa,which has operated in Cape Town since 2003.The plan to expand AIMS across Africa is knownas the AIMS-Next Einstein Initiative (AIMS-NEI).The goal is to rapidly and cost-effectivelyexpand Africa’s scientific and technological

capacity by providing advanced training toexceptional African students and enablingthem to work effectively for the peacefulprosperity of the continent.

The next EinsteinAIMS-NEI grew out of a wish first expressed byAIMS founder Professor Neil Turok, now Directorof Canada’s Perimeter Institute for TheoreticalPhysics, that “the next Einstein be African”.

That wish has evolved into a plan to create apan-African network of 15 AIMS centres overthe next decade. AIMS-NEI is supportedthrough public and private funding, including a$20 million investment from the Government ofCanada, provided through the InternationalDevelopment Research Centre (IDRC). TheGovernment of France is also a major partner in

AIMS-Senegal, providing land for the currentand future AIMS-Senegal facilities through theInstitut de recherche pour le développement(IRD).

The first AIMS centre, in Cape Town, SouthAfrica, has graduated 360 students from 32African countries to date, of whom one-third arewomen. AIMS has become globally recognisedas a centre of excellence for postgraduateeducation and research. ■

www.aims-senegal.sn

Maths and science starsto shine at new centre

S04 ATR NOV 2011 technology_Layout 1 24/10/2011 18:02

AccountancyTECHNOLOGY

26

Counting on the future


Four things accountants must do to keep up with ongoing technologicaldevelopments in financial practices

L uca Pacioli, an Italian mathematician and Franciscan friar, is widely known as the Father of Accounting for

publishing 36 chapters on the double-entry accounting method used byVenetian merchants during the ItalianRenaissance. His book, Summa deArithmetica, Geometria, Proportioni etProportionalita (which translates,“Everything about Arithmetic, Geometryand Proportion”), was written as atextbook for students in Northern Italy atthe end of the 15th century. Pacioli’sdocumentation of double-entryaccounting and ledgers taughtentrepreneurs of the day how to conductbusiness using timely and accuratefinancial information, and it establishedthe fundamentals of accounting stillpracticed today.

Pacioli’s fundamentals were only feasiblethanks to the written numeral system andthe abacus developed before that. Andsince then, the industry has seen furtherand more ground-breaking developmentsincluding the introduction of thetypewriter, then computers, and later theInternet. With each of these milestones,technology not only impacted howaccountants handle financial informationbut also how they interact with theirclients.

Working with the futureWith the changing technologicallandscape, what must accountants do tostay competitive in the future, and howwill technology change the future role ofthe accountant?

● Increase Value-Added Services to RetainClients – Compliance work is gettingmore and more standardized andstreamlined due to technologicaladvances. If you can shift time andresources from these commoditizedservices, focus more on becoming an

indispensible advisor. Here are some tipson how to become a trusted businessadvisor to clients. It is no lightcommitment and might require aparadigm shift by some, but balancingcompliance work and helping clientsmake strategic decisions to protect andgrow their business is the role of theaccountant for the foreseeable future.One challenge the accounting field facestoday is coming to grips with theincredible amount of financial detailtheir clients are both receiving andgenerating. The new frontier foraccounting/tax related informationservices is filtering, assembling,prioritizing, and then presenting themost vital data in a format that is readilyusable by the management team.

● Differentiate Your Firm – It is normalnow for the buying process to beginonline with a search engine. What makesyour firm different from the firms listedahead of you in search results or fromthe firms down the street? Dosomething to stand out when speakingwith prospects, and prospects willspread the word. For the initial meeting,familiarize yourself with their industrybeforehand, provide something more totake home than your marketingbrochure (maybe a one page documentwith a few areas of focus and strengths),and follow-up with a handwritten thankyou note.Many firms have embraced theopportunity to utilize technology todifferentiate their overall services tocurrent clients. Typically, a firm'sresponsibilities command that it is itsclients' most trusted business advisors,and with the abundance of technologysolutions available it is critical to use theright applications to help maintain thatstatus…relying on a multitude ofadditional platforms for the dual

purposes of adding efficiency andeffectiveness to required procedureswhile simultaneously providing value-added service to clients.

● Build an Online Presence – If prospectiveclients start their buying process online,it is important for your firm to at least beamong search engine results. That isdifficult, though, if your firm does notmaintain a Website. To attract newclients, you have to meet prospectswhere they are – online.

● Be Conscious of Your Clients’ Time (orLack Thereof ) – Business owners arebusy running their business, so beconscious of their time and make thingseasy for them. Technology can help: (a)Make file transmission less of a hassle bygiving clients the ability to connect withyou online through a client portal. (b)Provide detailed information on yourservices through your Web site, soprospects and clients can easily findwhat they are looking for. (c) Stay intouch with them proactively andregularly; consider sending out anelectronic client newsletter or otherregular electronic correspondence.

Ultimately, when evaluating how to move forward with technology in yourfirm, it is vital to understand your market,clients, and the strengths that make yourfirm unique. Given how far technology inthe accounting industry has come sincethe time of Pacioli, it is no longer anoption just to provide timely and accuratefinancial information. Exploit newtechnologies in your client interactions,and you’ll find that your firm is betterprepared to gain and retain valuableclients. ■

Dustin Lubertazzi, Senior Consultant,Sageworks, Inc


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ICTTECHNOLOGY


S himmering new call centres, the rapid explosion of mobile phones and Internet connections today mark the landscape of many African cities - where improved Information and Communication Technology

(or ICT) infrastructure is helping connect urban dwellers to global networks. Though the continent is rapidly urbanising - 3.5 per cent of Sub Saharan

Africa’s one billion people move into cities each year - and localgovernments have trouble providing essential public services to thegrowing numbers of people, many municipalities are taking advantage ofthe rise of ICT to improve the lives of their residents.

“By linking citizens and municipalities, ICT can serve as an effective toolfor strengthening urban governance, which is the key to addressing thechallenge of urban development,” said Junaid Ahmad, the World Bank’sSector Manager for Africa Urban and Water.

Using ICTs for social accountability and governanceThe guidebook, Good Urban Governance through ICT: Issues, Analysis, andStrategies, focuses on areas like social accountability and how technologycan encourage citizen-centred governance.

Technology helps well-informed citizens collaborate, exchange ideas andparticipate in real-time with their elected officials, according to Relhan.Voters can have their voices heard and officials can incorporate thisfeedback in their decisions.

For instance, through mobile phones and the Internet, a Facebook pageor post, a Tweet or a YouTube video, a citizen now has the power toparticipate at his fingertips to improve outcomes and trap corruption.Examples include tracingexpenditures to see if there issufficient spending by region orsector; tracking procurement resultsto see if vendors seem to be gettingtoo much business or charging toomuch; and on-the-ground picturesto show whether projects wereactually completed.

In Kenya, an e-Governmentservice in six towns includes anInternet-based tool that allows citizens to anonymously report instances ofcorruption. The service is part of the country’s Electronic Graft Management(EGM) project. A survey conducted in two municipalities as part of theproject showed that:

● 80 per cent of respondents felt that computerisation had improvedfinancial transparency

● 82 per cent of respondents felt municipal financial management hadbecome more effective

● 80 per cent of respondents felt e-Government services improvedaccountability, as they could now track business permit licenses andmonitor all payments handled by city councillors. ■

Developingtechnology


TECHNOLOGYSocial Networks


W hen building (and maintaining) a social media strategy for your organisation, it’s easy to become overwhelmed as you consider all the different networks and platforms on which you can

establish a presence, connect with your audience and share content.In addition to the ‘Big Three’ - Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn - a plethora of

other sites and networks abound. How do you pick which to use? Or do youjust give up and go with D. All of the above.

Pick the audience, not the network It’s easy to take a look at all the discussion groups, networks and platformsout there - and then panic when thinking about the sort of resourcemaintaining presences on all those sites would require. However, thingsbecome much more manageable when you think about where youraudience is - and act accordingly. So, if you’re focusing on teens, you can crossLinkedIn and Twitter off your list, and double down on Facebook andYouTube. Do you have a B2B focus? LinkedIn and Twitter will be key but don’tdiscount YouTube (think of it as a very search engine friendly videorepository) and Facebook.

What are your team’s strengths? Sustaining social media efforts - especially at the outset, when you’re stilltrying to build the sort of success that will enable you to sell programsinternally - isn’t easy. And giving people tasks and responsibilities for whichthey’re well suited is crucial to your program’s ongoing success. Don’t expecta non-writer to be a great blogger.

Be realistic about what your organisation can supportThe time, energy and effort required to support social presences isconsiderable. In addition to producing content (blog posts, images, videos,etc.), your team will also spend time finding and sharing interesting thingswith their audiences on the social presences they manage. And they’ll needto plan on spending some time listening to and interacting with theaudiences, too. Rather than spreading your team too thin, and developingsocial presences that aren’t alive and connected, limit the number ofpresences to a manageable quantity. This is truly a quality over quantityjudgment call. ■

Sarah Skerik, PR Newswire’s vice president of social media

Selecting a social network

The social sweet spot:the intersection of youraudience, content andteam's strengths


Lightning ProtectionPOWER


There has been interest in lightningactivity and lightning protection forcenturies. The intrigue in this subject

has persisted, in part, because of thespectacle of the lightning strike and thelack of understanding of the phenomenon,relative to other branches ofelectromechanical science. The electricalengineer remains interested, of course,because of the need to protect facilities -especially, electronic equipment, which isvulnerable to secondary effects oflightning strikes.

Lightning strikes result from strongelectric fields, which cause the formationof low-current electrical breakdown eventscalled streamers. These develop intohigher-current leaders, which can projecttoward the earth, intensifying electricfields at ground level, generating upward-going discharges from well-exposedobjects. These discharges connect to theapproaching leaders and provide a path toground for the lightning. Uponconnection, currents of several tens ofthousand amperes flow between groundand the cloud source fo the thunder. Thehigh current generated, when passingthrough an unprotected building, cangenerate sufficient heat to start fires.

The rate of current increase in alightning discharge often exceeds 1,010amperes per second - translating intolarge voltage differences across the partsof the current path which have highresistances and/or inductances.Differences between the current carrier andany surrounding objects can exceed severalhundred thousand volts, causing “sideflashes” to objects nearby, which can result ininjury or death to people, and damage toequipment.

In locations where there is roof-mountedelectrical and communications equipment -including photovoltaic, communications andcontrol systems - there are not insigificantchallenges involved in designing aneffective lightning protection system.

Protecting homes and businessesTo protect homes and businesses againstpower surges and lightning strikes, thereare a number of considerations. Amongstthe most important is the installation of alightning protection system. A lightningprotection system offers structuralprotection by facilitating a path forlightning to travel. Lightning protectionsystems consist of three basic parts, whichtogether provide a low impedance metalpath:

● Strike termination devices on the roofand other elevated locations.

● Ground terminals.

● A conductor system connecting thestrike termination devices and theground terminals.

When a building is equipped with such asystem, the power of the lightning strike isdirected safely away from the structure tothe ground, averting damage. Typically,the system will include a lightning rod orair terminals at the top of the building,and wires to carry the current down to

grounding rods at the building’s base. Thelightning protection system needs to besecurely anchored to the roof; otherwise, itmay whip around in a storm and damagethe building. And it is important to use surgeprotectors. Electronic equipment isvulnerable to lightning, so surge arrestorsshould be installed on electrical servicepanels. Installations should include surgearrestors for the main electric panel, and forany incoming phone, cable, and satellitelines. Surge arrestors protect structures fromdamaging electrical surges that can runalong power transmission lines, by filteringand dissipating them, so preventingelectrical fires and protecting computersappliances and electrical systems. It shouldbe borne in mnd that power strips offer little protection from electrical powersurges.

Lightning preferentially strikes well-exposed, tall, conducting objects that areconnected to the ground. The need for strike receptors to protect such structures is undisputed. The primary question in thedesign of a lightning protection system isthe placement of the strike terminationdevices to achieve a sufficiently lowprobability of a strike bypassing them. ■

Observations on the requirement and effectiveness of traditional lightningprotection systems

Action againstelectrical strikes

S05 ATR NOV 2011 power_Layout 1 24/10/2011 18:15

GasPOWER


Specialist in the design, supply andmanufacture of energy solutions,Guascor’s power gensets are

delivering low methane number flared gasproduction for a continuous powergeneration capacity of 1.5 MWe in theEgyptian Western Desert. This lowmethane number producer (#46.1) usesGuascor Power technology based on lowcompression ratio engines - the SFGLD480series - to maximise natural energyresources for power generation usingthree gensets at a remote location. Thisapplication offers a direct example ofGuascor Power’s industrial capabilities, incollaboration with Agiba Petroleum Co, tomake the most of local resources.

Generating gas in Egypt’s desertsThe Raml gas well project is sited inEgypt´s western desert fields, which hasmore than 110 oil-producing wells. Ramlitself is the location for 30 of these wells.

The average production of gas fields is57,000 BBL/day over five differentlocations. Historically, the main drawbackof operation in the western desert fieldssuch as Zarif, Faras and Raml – the scopeof Guascor’s operations - was the presenceof a high gas-to-oil ratio (GOR), a factorthat led to poor exploitation of resources.Now, after sorting out this problem, gasand oil is efficiently separated - and,hence, has been viable for Guascor Powergeneration at Raml, feeding flared gas toGuascor’s engines satisfactorily by January2011.

Maximum quality, minimum costThe sourcing of raw gas from the welloutlet requires a preliminary treatmentbased on an effective cleaning anddegassing technology, to guaranteefulfillment to engine specifications. TheGuascor Power project development,based in the company’s best-in-classexperience of power technology, hasenabled maximisation of the quality of

gas, and increasing methane yields tomake power generation more effective ata minimal total cost of operation.

The Guascor Power genset technologyportfolio is capable of working in roughenvironmental conditions - supporting thegeneration of cheaper and cleanerelectricity for the company’s customers inremote areas, or where the raw material is.In this case, in Egypt’s western desert, theneat power production stands at 1.5 MWe(2.18 MWm).

The benefits of the project were asubstantial cost saving of 2 MM€/yr, anincrease in the reliability and availability ofpower generation and supply, an increasein oil production, the minimisation ofmaintenance force and repair costs - and,which is more important, a 50 per centreduction in emissions and a 60 per centreduction in the flared gas vented toatmosphere. ■

www.guascor.com

Making the mostof methane fieldsWork is well underway at the Raml gas well project, located in Egypt´swestern desert fields


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WAMPEXPOWER


Eight new mines have started production in the last three years, withanother 13 mine projects planned for the region. Ghana alone hasnine major mines and 600 smaller mining operations, all looking for

international partners to scale up production.“Local mining companies lack the capital and expertise for this level of

operation, so we welcome companies with expertise in Africa’s resourcessector to become involved in this development opportunity,” says MosesAsaga, Chairman of Ghana’s Parliamentary Select Committee of Minesand Energy.

Playing a prominent role in facilitating these kinds of developments forthe last 17 years, the biennial West African Mining and Power industryExhibition (WAMPEX), and its associated conference WAMPOC will attractinternational exhibitors, visitors and delegates to Accra from 6 to 8 June2012.

“The combined annual gold output of Ghana, Mali, Guinea, BurkinaFaso, Mauritania and Ivory Coast has increased by 65% in five years, toroughly 6.7 million ounces,” says John Thomson, Managing Director ofExhibition Management Services, co-organiser of the exhibition. “Thesecountries will produce 8.5 million ounces a year by 2013. But to do thisthey will need international partners.”

The event is endorsed by the Ghanaian Ministries of Energy; Lands andNatural Resources; theGhana Chamber ofMines; The MineralsCommission of Ghanaand the Volta RiverAuthority.

The 2012 Expo andConference will seeregular participants inthe form of mininghouses Anglogold

Ashanti, Newmont, Goldfields and Golden Star Resources taking part.Previous exhibitors West Africa Pumping Services, Golder Associates,Sykes Group and Sakr Power, buoyed by the success of their 2010involvement, have doubled their exhibition space bookings.

Major investments fuel growthA recent $3bn loan accord between Ghana and the China DevelopmentBank for the development of Ghana’s energy industry was quicklyfollowed by a $10.4bn concessionary loan agreement with the Export-Import Bank of China for the development of rail, road, and energyinfrastructure. “The funding is in place and the business opportunities arenow ‘real’,” continues Thomson.

Why power and mining? “Mining is the largest consumer of power in the West African region, and

more power will be needed as mining activity increases,” says Thomson.“The inclusion of a power component in the WAMPEX expo is the perfectmedium to address this critical sector.”

Ghana relies on water in the Volta River to feed the hydroelectricturbines below the Volta Dam, which supplies almost all the country’selectricity. Occasionally droughts disrupt water flow causing power cuts,reducing mining output.

In fact, the unpredictability of power supply in many African countriesis one of the main hindrances to economic growth and socialdevelopment. Many countries have unreliable, aging equipment withNigeria a prime example, operating at one-third of its installed capacity.

“Demand for power in West Africa is growing rapidly, and to meet this,new installations are required on a regular basis,” continues Thomson.“Some countries are upgrading hydroelectric facilities and increasing damcapacity to address this. Another viable medium-term strategy is powersharing with neighbouring countries through regional grids. Renewableenergy such as solar, wind, and geothermal power are a growingalternative energy source.

“But the ultimate long-term solution remains, however, the installationof new facilities. The WAMPEX exhibition and conference presentsstakeholders with a focused products and services showcase, along with aversatile and effective platform for networking and matchmaking. This is atrade event vital to the region and not to be missed.”

Conference focus on sustainable resourcesThe WAMPOC 2012 Conference provides a platform for discussing anddebating the state of the mining and power industries in the West Africasub-region. Industry leaders will present papers on current trends in theindustry – from policy matters through to exploration, financing, riskmanagement and integration. The theme for the 2012 WAMPOCConference is: “Deepening partnerships for the sustainable developmentof Africa’s mineral and energy resources”. ■

www.exhibitionsafrica.com

West African mining andpower opportunitiesWest Africa is one of the fastest growing mining regions in the world, andalso a growing consumer – and generator – of electric power

WAMPEX is held at the AccraInternational Conference Centre

The WAMPEX exhibition and conferencepresents stakeholders with a focusedproducts and services showcase


Oil and GasPOWER


TunisiaTel. +216 71 965 [email protected]

United KingdomTel. +44 (0)151 546 [email protected]

www.clarke-energy.com

AlgeriaTel. +213 2169 [email protected]

NigeriaTel. +234 (0)181567 [email protected]

Gas to energy solutions,CHP specialists

Clarke Energy, a growing presence in West andNorth Africa, has installed and commissionedover 2,500MW of GE Energy’s Jenbacher gasengines worldwide over the last 16 years.

Clarke Energy has unrivalled knowledge andexperience in natural gas and specialist gasapplications ranging from 300kW to 50MWpower plants.

Contact us to discuss your gas to energyrequirements for power generation, combinedheat and power or trigeneration projects fromnatural or process gas.

Scan this QR code with your smart phone

Oilways Logistics & Energy Ltd is a whollyNigerian firm, duly accredited with allrelevant authorities in Nigeria and

working towards being registered with all Oiland Gas Majors - having obtained itsDepartment of Petroleum Resources Permit.The company specialises in petroleum producttrading and marine logistics support services.The company aims to be the best in PetroleumProduct trading and in the provision of MarineSupport Services in Nigeria and West Africa.Oilways Logistics & Energy Ltd is on a mission toserve not only Nigeria but also all relevant stakeholders in the region.

A vision for dependable tradeOilways Logistics & Energy Ltd aims to be aleading trusted and dependable world classorganisation - with a culture of integrity,excellent service delivery in its sphere ofoperations, which encompasses trading,international procurement and logistics supportservice providers to the energy cum maritime

sector of Nigeria - and to offer excellentservices to clients via best business practice,as well as upholding its status as aresponsible corporate citizen. The companyaims to excel

● Petroleum Product Trading.● Ship chandelling.● Offshore supplies of Bunker and Fresh Water.● Providing logistic and support services.● Handle in/out clearance at vessels to/from

port.● Manufacturers representatives/international

procurement.● Play agency roles to all key players in the

shipping cum maritime industry.● Spill and Rig cleaning (Onshore/Offshore).● Diving and Offshore Inspection Services.

Franklyn P. Godwin, Chief Operating Officer atOilways Logistics & Energy Ltd, says, “We arestrategic partners to importers of PetroleumProducts, Security agencies, such as Nigerian

Navy, Nigerian Customs and Marine Police, andothers, who facilitate our in and out clearance ofvessels and lots of other sundry services.

“While we also partner firms who are intochemical production, both foreign and local, weare open to partnering with marine equipmentowners all over the world who would becometechnical partners to us in the area of providingvessels of various sizes, anchor handlingequipment, self-propelled barges, and otherinfrastructure.”

“These we are pursuing in line with the latestNigerian Government Policy on its LocalContent Drive." ■

For more, information, contact:Franklyn P. GodwinnChief Operating Officer,Oilways Logistics & Energy Ltd.20 Unity Road, Off Toyin Street,Ikeja, Lagos.01-7740411, 08037092348.www.oilwaysltd.com

A partner for oil and gas


POWERRenewables


Karl van Eck

Reducing carbon footprint and improving energy efficiency hasbecome an important issue for businesses in light of ever increasingenergy costs and a growing awareness of environmental issues

surrounding fossil fuels. However, in the pursuit of the goal of greaterefficiency and improved sustainability, creating green buildings is simplya step along the path towards the ultimate goal - net-zero energybuildings (ZEB).

A ZEB is a residential or commercial building that consumes anet total of zero energy from non-renewable sources, includingutility electricity, natural gas and oil, all of which are createdusing fossil fuels and which are now considered to beunsustainable in the long term. These buildings have such a highlevel of energy efficiency that they can rely for the most part onrenewable energy generated onsite and will only use non-renewable sources to supplement this during times of highdemand. During times of lower demand any excess energycreated can be exported back onto the utility grid, therebyoffsetting any energy usage from this source. Non-renewableenergy usage is thereby cancelled out, or offset, by excessrenewable energy, and the net energy consumption of thebuilding can therefore be considered to be zero.

Exporting excess renewable energy created back onto the gridis the ideal scenario for businesses wishing to develop ZEB.However within the current South African context this is noteasily achievable and renewable energy technologies themselvesmay not yet have the financial payback periods that buildingowners require. For this reason the ZEB is not yet a reality in thecountry, however as technology improves and Eskom continueinvestigating smart metering this scenario is likely to change, and

so the goal of creating ZEBs should be the end goal of anysustainability and energy efficiency programme.

On the journey towards creating ZEBs improving efficiency is the firststep, as every bit of energy saved contributes towards lower energydemand and lower investment in renewable technologies. Energy savedis energy that does not have to be produced, and this applies to anybuilding, not only ZEBs.

Taking steps to more efficient environmentsTo achieve maximum building efficiency there are four stages that can befollowed. The first of these is load reduction, which involves reducingevery energy consuming load to the minimum and eliminatingunnecessary loads. This can be done in any building no matter howold, but in the case of new buildings it involves starting with a design

An improvingcarbon footprintWhy net-zero energy buildings across the continent are a worthwhile -and viable - sustainability goal

440 - Africa Utility Ad.ai 1 9/15/11 12:48 PM

South Africa is well-suitedto the use of solar energy


RenewablesPOWER


that includes only the energy services that are necessary. The secondstage is systems efficiency. This step is designed to enablebuildings to meet the remaining required loads as effectively aspossible, by optimising the efficiency of the system as a whole inaddition to individual components and ensuring that componentssuch as pumps, motors, fans and insulation are optimally specifiedfor the facility.

In order to achieve these first two stages an energy audit of currentenergy usage can be conducted to highlight areas where immediateand future improvements can be made. An energy auditencompasses all areas where energy is being consumed in a buildingor operation, such as light fixtures, the entire HVAC environmentincluding air handlers, boilers, chillers, controls, air conditioners, heatpumps and so on, load controls, insulation and glazing, compressedair, backup power and many more areas. A thorough energy audit willnot only show areas that can be improved with the upgrading oftechnology, but also through improved configuration of existingtechnology, helping to improve the overall energy system rather thanfocusing on individual components.

The third stage in the journey towards creating ZEBs is theimplementation of regenerative systems, which use waste energy foruseful purposes, such as Heat Recovery Systems which use excess energyfrom air conditioners to heat water for bathroom and kitchen use. Thefourth and final stage is to implement renewable systems, which generatepower on-site using sources such as solar and wind power.

South Africa in particular is well suited to the use of solar energy as arenewable source, since a building's size and shape significantly affect thebuilding's ability to generate enough solar power to meet a ZEB goal.

Buildings of more than three storeys may have difficulty producingenough solar energy due to the relatively low ratio of roof footprintcompared to the load density of the building. However since a largenumber of commercial buildings in South Africa generally consist of oneor two storeys and are spread out, they create a large roof area that isperfect for photo-voltaic solar energy systems, making them idealcandidates for this renewable energy source.

While not yet a viable option in South Africa, net-zero energycommercial buildings do exist today. In some cases they have beenshown to be cost-effective when compared to traditionallyconstructed buildings, and in others, building owners have investedin ZEBs to demonstrate their commitment to renewable energy, theclimate, and other nonmonetary values. The proof of conceptprovided by these buildings, combined with the increasing efficiencyand lower costs of renewable energy technologies, should lead to thegrowing adoption of ZEB techniques and technologies within thecommercial building marketplace. More experience with zero energybuildings will also lead to an awareness of best practices that willdrive the cost lower and reduce the perception of risk associated withthe concept.

Net-zero and near-zero commercial buildings offer exciting andrewarding opportunities for economic development and new jobs,and the advancement of climate and energy security goals. Theaspiration for the creation of ZEBs offers a clear and inspiring goal forbuilding owners, and a significant way to improve building energysustainability and to reduce their environmental impact. ■

Karl van Eck, Regional General Manager Africa at Johnson Controls


POWERZambia


ZESCO, the Zambian public energy firm,has introduced SMS Power, a two-waycommunication facility between the

company as a service provider and itscustomers through Short Messaging System(SMS) using the cellular phone. SMS Power is anefficient, cost-effective, user-friendly andconvenient communication tool - a service thatis available to all communications serviceproviders; namely Airtel, Zamtel and MTN.

Through the facility, ZESCO initiates SMSbroadcasts to registered customers to avail thefollowing information: load shedding andplanned shutdowns; personalised monthlybilling advice; outstanding balances; faultoccurrences on the power system network, andresolution plans and times for peace of mind;information on new products and services;responses to customer-initiated inquiriesregarding balances; and handling requests forshort versions of their statements, which areavailable at any time.

New ways to pay for powerZESCO is also operating Malaiti 24/7, amethod of buying electricity prepaid unitsusing a cellphone.’Malaiti’ is vernacular for‘electricity’. Malaiti 24/7 is a proactivemeasure responding to the growing numberof customers using prepaid meters and aquest to give customers a wide range ofvending options.

“This service rides on the Extended VendingGateway (EVG), a technology that presentsvarious other vending options such as Point ofSale, Website and ATM.

The benefits of this service include: it is cost-effective, no transport costs to a vending pointto buy units; it is secure, there is no risk of thecustomer losing his/her money on the way tobuying electricity units; it is convenient andallows the customer to buy electricity unitsanywhere – at work, at home, etc.; the servicecan be accessed from an already existingplatform (the cellphone); it is a mobile service

that is accessible throughout the day; it offersthe customer using prepaid meters evengreater control of electricity usage as it givesthem unlimited access to electricity on a 24-hour basis, suiting each and every lifestyle; andit rules out the painstaking and time-consuming exercise of queuing to buy prepaidunits. ■

Nawa Mutumweno

Power on the buttonWith cellphone

connectivity to theAirtel network, the cost

of the messagingtransaction to buy units

is at no cost to theZESCO customer, withno maintenance costs.”


RenewablesPOWER


Access to energy is a pivotal elementin furthering economic and socialdevelopment, but the problem is

that, increasingly, states and state-ownedutilities are incapable of supplyingsufficient energy to all its citizens. Indeveloping countries, there is a massiveenergy market that remains unserved.

Across the world, two billion people donot have access to electricity or otherforms of modern energy. Three billionpeople do not make use of modern energyoptions to cook their daily meals, but usetraditional biomass to cook with. Thesepeople clearly need modern energysolutions for their homes, their businesses,their schools, their health centers, etc., andthat is where E+Co comes in.

An untapped customer baseIn Africa, E+Co has three regional offices –in Tanzania, Ghana and South Africa – andhave invested in a range of differentenergy enterprises such as LPG companiesin Ghana and Mali; solar-power enterprisesin Ghana and Tanzania; a women-ownedbusiness that dries fruit and vegetableswith solar power in Uganda; and Toyolathat manufactures and distributes efficientcook-stoves in Ghana and this won theprestigious US$64,000 Ashden Award forSustainable Energy.

“To a significant extent,” says E+Co’sdirector Paul Van Aalst, “whereas in othersectors, such as telecoms, the rural markethas been discovered – the energy sector itis still largely untouched.

“This implies a gigantic untapped clientbase just waiting for energy provision andhere there is a role for the private sector toplay. Obviously, to do that properly,supplying clean energy is very important.”So E+Co continues to push the boundariesof the energy enterprise investment space,both by adding new elements to its own

business model, and by promoting thesector through partnerships andknowledge sharing.

Van Aalst now leads the development ofE+Co’s investment instruments andpartnerships in Europe, Asia, Africa andLatin America. Over the last 15 years, hehas been involved in developinginvestment vehicles and in advisory workwith international corporations, publicorganisations and international financialinstitutions in the field of sustainableinvesting.

The aim, Van Aalst says, is that by 2020,E+Co will reach 80m-100m additionalpeople with access to cleaner energy.E+Co contends that surpassing thisthreshold will change ‘business as usual’ inenergy supply in emerging markets in anunalterable way and pave the way formore mainstream players to pick up themarket.

As a development finance expert, VanAalst is motivated by the E+Co investmentstrategy – to invest in start-up and provide growth capital in small andgrowing energy businesses. Small andgrowing businesses fall in the “missingmiddle”– the space between microfinanceand traditional commercial lending.

The business model works, according toVan Aalst, in the following way. “We startwith capital investment. So if you are anenterprise with a plan, I assess you first.If I don’t think you can run a company,we don’t go any further. If I think you can,

but say, for example, you have never seen a computer programme to domodeling, that doesn’t say that we can’tinvest in you or your company or your plan.

“Obviously for a start up company, or fora first time entrepreneur in a technologythat has never been applied before in your

Making energythrough enterpriseThe only way to eliminate poverty is to stimulate economic growth,and that requires access to energy - that is the rationale behind E+Co,a company funding clean energy companies and projects

Paul van Aalst, director at E+Co


country, it’s a different set of challengesthan if you’re a seasoned entrepreneur in amature market place with technology thatis easy to assess.

“So the skill to finding successfulinvestment starts with how we assess theentrepreneur. And depending on wherethey are, meaning geographically, dictateshow we can move on. So that’s numberone. Then there is a whole range ofconditions such as whether it issustainable or clean energy, like LPG andthe rest. And it has to be a scaleablebusiness model once you spend as muchtime as we do. If we invest $50,000, there’sno way you can return the costs unless thecompany grows at the end of the day. Andit has to meet the energy needs in aspecific country.”

Employing a belt and braces approachto investment decisions, E+Co”sinvestments are all analysed and approvedby an independent investment committeecomprised of experts in the areas of

finance, international development andclean energy technology.

Africa’s unique challengesAfrica does present a unique set ofcircumstances for E+Co to manage,according to Van Aalst. As is the case inmost, if not all, developing countries, Africafocused energy businesses can play apivotal role in economic growth, but theyare often hampered from being unable toaccess the finance they need to set up,sustain or grow their operations. That iswhere E+Co comes in. Its strategy is toinvest the capital needed by clean energybusinesses as well as the business supportneeded to mitigate the risk of default.

Van Aalst is, however, quick to point outthat Africa carries no greater investmentrisk than any other developing region. “It’snot that Africa is lagging behind oranything, that is not our perspective. Whatwe see from analysing our portfolio, acrossthe almost 300 investments that we have

made, is that the actual risk of aninvestment in Africa is no higher ordifferent from that of investments we havemade in Asia or in Latin America.

“What is different is the time spenton a deal – in finding it, in growing it,

in managing it, is much more intensive.Another thing that emerged is that forthose enterprises to provide energyservices, they needed both capital andcapacity building. And that’s our formula,to provide both services and capital toenergy entrepreneurs for them to have the ability to bring energy services to end users, whether those are consumers,industrial enterprises, hospitals, clinics orschools.” Reassuringly, E+Co covers a large portion of enterprise developmentservices costs in Africa through contractrevenues and grants rather than throughthe proceeds of its investments.

Measuring the impactTo calculate the return on investment, E+Comeasures its clean energy investmentsacross 34 social, environmental andfinancial indicators but it is access toenergy, and the actual benefits that theenergy use is opening up, that is E+Co’s keycriteria. “The technology needs to be clean,”Van Aalst explains, “and there is a whole listof other conditions like no child labor, nocorruption, and the obvious World Bankrelated contract conditions as the DFIs arekey investors.

“But job creation, for example, is not akey element but might be part of our trade-off. If we’re considering two otherwiseequally attractive deals, as we have limitedresources, the one that creates more jobsmight be more relevant to us, but it is notsomething we’re looking for from theoutset.”

There is little doubt that E+Co’s activitieshave been catalytic in stimulating cleanenergy markets across Africa and the rest ofthe developing world. In Africa it works inGhana, Mali, Senegal, South Africa,Tanzania, , and Uganda.

Thus far, E+Co has made nearly 300investments in Africa, Asia and LatinAmerica, that serve more than 6m people.E+Co expects that the deal size in Africa willincrease substantially since it sees growingopportunities for its traditional portfolio(solar, LPG, cookstoves) and an emergingmarket for project financing in smallhydropower and grid connected biogas.This will lead to a significant increase of thenumber of people benefiting from access toenergy and a further proof of the importantrole for the private sector in sustainableenergy supply in Africa. ■

42

Africa-focused energy businesses canplay a pivotal role in economic growth


RenewablesPOWER


43

EQUIPMENT

Power

Wärtsilä’s dual-fuel engines recently exceeded three millionrunning hours in both land-based and marine applications.

This milestone represents a dual-fuel technology track record thatcannot be matched by any other engine manufacturer.Wärtsilä, which specialises in complete lifecycle power solutions forthe marine and energy markets, is the recognised frontrunner indual-fuel engine technology. The Wärtsilä DF engine series is

increasingly the power solution choice for utilities and energycompanies, as well as for all segments of the marine industry,worldwide. With the engines having passed 3 million hours ofreliable and efficient operation, the effectiveness of this technologyis proven. Today, the total number of Wärtsilä DF engines deliveredto both marine and land-based applications is 470.Dual-fuel engine technology provides the flexibility to switchbetween the use of natural gas and heavy fuel oil (HFO), light fueloil (LFO) and various other liquid fuels. This flexibility in fuel choiceoffers numerous tangible benefits, both economic andenvironmental. With oil prices fluctuating and environmentalregulations becoming increasingly stringent, the operator has thefreedom to select the most cost-effective and readily available fuel,whilst also having the ability to utilize natural gas in order tocomply with emission limitations.

Wärtsilä engines run over three million hours

The Wärtsilä 34DF engine


S06 ATR NOV 2011 stonemaker_Layout 1 24/10/2011 18:20

ConcreteCONSTRUCTION


You might think that concrete, theworld's largest industry, one thatproduces some 20,000mn tonnes of

product every year and has been around forat least a couple of millennia, would haveseen and developed just about everythingimaginable. But when Gary Troke, anindustrial designer and inventor fromCanada, started thinking of ways to completea personal project, he hit upon arevolutionary new concept, one that mayvery well change the way housing andinfrastructure is built in Africa and beyond.

The costs driving researchIt started in 2002 when Troke wanted toenhance a property he had just developedwith pave stones, retaining walls and otherconcrete products.

“When I was told that some items were notcommercially available, and what I could getwould cost over a quarter of a million dollars,I was astonished,” says Troke, 65. “I knew thatbasic concrete is made from portlandcement, sand and water and that thisformula employed by the Romans some2,000 years ago hadn't changed much since.”

So why the high cost?With a little research he discovered thatmaterials typically make up only about 10per cent of a product's price. The greatestexpense lies in the high capital costs ofconstructing and operating a concreteprocessing mill and then the transportationof finished products to the job site. So Troke,with a keen sense of the practical, andexperience with such diverse undertakingssuch as uncluttering choked waterways inAfrica, textile processes in Egypt anddesigning commercial display systems forNorth America, got down to the business ofdeveloping what has come to be known asStonemaker.

Innovation and ingredients for industryBegun as a means to produce 8 inch squareconcrete stones in high volume, it has overthe course of nine years been continuouslydeveloped and refined to the point where itis now a portable, completely self-containedconcrete factory. Stonemaker has two main

features that could have a significant impacton build projects throughout Africa; itsability to manufacture practically anyconcrete product, from stamping out pavestones and bricks and pouring foundationsand curbs to pressing hollow blocks andeven roof tiles; the second point isportability. The factories are trailer-mountedand towable, so they can be brought directlyto the work site behind a truck or deliveredby barge.

“What really defines Stonemaker is not

only its ability to go anywhere you can take atruck, but the range of products it producesonce it's there,” says Troke. “The only thingsyou need to bring to a job site is cementpowder and diesel fuel to run the powerplant. The other requirements are normallyalready on site.”

Concrete is produced by combining threebase ingredients; aggregate (sand and/orstone), cement powder (commonly referredto as portland) and water, which acts as acatalyst between the aggregate and portlandand allows them to bind together, providinghardened products.

Within the industry there are two basicvariants of concrete used; wet or ready mix,which is used for pouring foundations,support columns, or anywhere that concreteneeds to flow into cavities or be pumped.The other is known as dry mix, used formanufacturing blocks, bricks, stones, pavers,etc. Dry mix, as the name suggests, utilizeslittle water and when formed in acompression chamber, produces a verydurable product at a quickened cure rate. Toswitch from production of one to the other,

you adjust the amount of portland, waterand possibly the aggregate size. Until now,each production type was distinct andnormally produced at separate facilities.“We've brought them together and allow theuser to change from one production type tothe other in seconds by simply adjusting theingredient inputs via factory control panel.Ultimately, what we wanted to offer was thecapacity to produce differing sizes of solidblocks or bricks with the dry mix, be able toswitch over to pouring for a foundation withwet mix or over to hollow blockmanufacturing, all with minimal disruption in

Building prosperityHow a Canadian invention could steer a new development boomacross the continent

G. R. Troke, Inventor/Builder, Stonemaker


46

the production cycle. It was a tremendouschallenge, but these are the needs onpractically any build site, you have to have allthe capabilities or you're just a nicheproduct,” says Troke.

The concept has won not only criticalacclaim, but recognition for innovation.

“When we had the attorneys conduct aglobal search of its patentability, we wereamazed with the results,” says Troke. Thesearch conducted in 2009 by Canada's toppatent agents, Gowling, Henderson andLafleur, revealed that not only did theyhave 57 claims to originality, but that theywould receive a concept patent in all 141countries that are members of the WorldIntellectual Property Organization.

“A concept patent is the holy grail ofpatents, and one of extremely high value,”adds Troke.

Either of the two current factoryconfigurations; one of which is highervolume and more computerized,manufactures products as structurallysound as those from established mills.“Ingredient and mix consistency areessential where building standards are tobe maintained,” says Troke.

“Preparing concrete is like preparing anyrecipe,” he says. “If you don't use the rightamount of ingredients and if they aren'tmixed properly, you are not going to getthe best results.”

To ensure standards can be met andmaintained, Stonemakers include a testmechanism on each factory so productscan be tested before being applied.

“Currently it can take a week or more tosend samples out and get results back,remote locations can offer even moreprotracted result time and this invariablyadds to job costs,” says Troke.

The company signed off on field testing several months ago and is nowbeginning the domestication phase of thepatents within WIPO member states. Thisallows commercial application to getunderway in North America and abroad.Although the company has just

commenced marketing/sales, word isbeginning to spread.

“We've held preliminary discussions aboutemergency relief assistance, militaryapplication and a whole host of needs. Weview developing nations, and Africa inparticular, as a very important element in ouroverall corporate strategy. Our plans are tobegin licensing agreements and jointventure partnerships across Africa beginninglater this year, ” says Troke.

“Not only do we see thousands of factoriesbeing applied commercially, but we'll bepartnering with governments and NGOs tohelp facilitate Low Cost Housing Units(LCHUs) and infrastructure builds where itwasn't feasible before.”

Stonemaker at the centre of productionAccording to United Nations estimates, thereare currently more than one billion peopleworldwide with either inadequate housing orno housing at all. Additionally, the UN callsfor the construction of some 21mn LCHUsevery year for the foreseeable future.

“In the developed world, we seeStonemaker's factories as being used forsomewhat different purposes thandeveloping nations, but there are manysimilarities. Lowering build costs is a majorconcern anywhere,” says Troke. “Not only dowe reduce product costs by some 85 percent, but Stonemaker factories are used as ameans to customize projects and allowtailoring builds to customer demand. Thesame thing applies in developing nations.Individualizing projects will play an everincreasing role and allow the factories tomove to production of higher value productsover time.”

While visiting Stonemaker's worldheadquarters, Mr Steve Fitzgibboncommented that “Stonemaker will be agame changer throughout the developingworld”. Mr Fitzgibbon is a director of BAMInternational and is currently involved inthe reconstruction of Haiti anddevelopment in Ghana.

Initially, the company will build

Stonemaker factories at its production centrein Perth, Canada and ship via container totheir final destinations. Research anddevelopment and operational training willinitially take place in Canada as well.Eventually, the company would like to seemanufacturing and more technicalresponsibilities take place in Africa.

“We view ourselves as a technology andlicensing organization and want the factorieslocally made wherever practical. Our plansare completely in sync with the UN's call formore manufacturing across Africa,” saysTroke. “We've spent three years doingdevelopmental work on Stonemaker in Egyptand indeed, some of the components aresourced there. Africa provides greatopportunities from all standpoints.”

Though the concept was originally intendedfor American and European markets, Troke saysthe more they studied it, the more they realizedthe possibilities for application in thedeveloping world. There are numerous factors,he states.

“In most cases there is limited or no access tobuilding supply centres and even if there was,holding the massive amounts of inventory thata portable factory is capable of producingwould render the products cost prohibitiveoutside most urban settings. We aim to makeprocurement and transportation a lesssignificant factor in build projects and bring thecosts down by an average of 70 per cent in thedeveloping world.” Additionally, Troke saysStonemaker's low capital cost makes financingfeasible and not requiring site impact orenvironmental assessments makes the paperwork much easier.

“Though we recognize challenges still needto be overcome, the technology is now bothaffordable and available. By working with localpartners, we intend to play a major role indeveloping Africa's housing and infrastructure,”Troke says. “It is a concept that's time has comeand one that's worth building on.” ■

Starr Marks - Stonemaker, Inc.

For more information visitwww.stonemaker.com


ConcreteCONSTRUCTION

The DM-185 stabilized for production

The DM-150 building a Luxury home


A ima Lijadu is a self-employedqualified Architect. She has runArchimage Design Consultants

since 1999. Archimage is an architecturalfirm specialising in commercial projectsfor corporates. Aima generously sharedher view of the fundamentals andprospects of the Nigerian constructionindustry with African Review of Businessand Technology.

A benchmark for growthThe Nigerian construction market isamong the largest construction markets inAfrica and has seen really impressivegrowth over the last decade particularly inthe last few years. The Abuja phenomenonis a good benchmark, which we can use todepict the opportunity. Abuja, the capitalcity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, hasseen rapid development. There is so muchenergy being pumped into the FederalCapital territory that you will find newdevelopments every six months you visitAbuja. People are constantly moving to

Abuja looking to settle, and soemployment and housing are key focusareas. The pulse of Abuja has led to somany new interesting patterns of lifeevolving. As we speak, the project towiden the expressway from the airport tothe main city is in top gear. This projecthas come about in a bid to cope with themuch increased flow of traffic into Abuja.The government is proactively meetingthis demand by creating this massivelinked, multiple lane expressway. There is astrong political will behind Abuja. The factthat all the government offices moved toAbuja, thus making Abuja the politicalcapital of the country means that Abujawould develop speedily. The month thatthe final move occurred, traffic in Lagoswas visibly lighter. On the flip side thissudden influx of Government workerscreated an enormous demand for housingwhich in turn triggered hastydevelopment. Some of which weresubstandard, however today standards aregradually improving.

The Nigerian construction industry hasbeen developed along certain lines. Theformal, vis-à-vis informal constructioncompanies. The former are the organisedoutfits like Julius Berger, a medium-sizedGerman company which grew its bottomline tremendously by penetrating theNigerian market. The latter companies arethe local builders; freelance masons akadirect labor etc. Another noticeable line isthe alignment of foreign and localconstruction companies. In recent yearswe have seen an upsurge of extremelywell run construction companies byindigenous Nigerian contractors whosestandards are at par with the foreignconstruction firms. We can consider localconstruction companies like Brickhouse,Interkel and Kaiser Construction which arerun by Nigerians. The Brickhouse team arevery focused on delivering high standardsand they pay due attention to detail.Working with them on projects, you getfrom them a strong sense of a “can do”attitude. To achieve high standards in

NigeriaFEATURE

48

Better quality,enhanced skills

A spotlight on the fundamentals underpinning recent growth in Nigeria’sconstruction industry

The Nigerian government is urged to encourage and explore innovative ways of building



construction, requires a clear vision, aneffective and efficient leadership to beable to surmount the problems in theNigerian environment. Brickhouse is a twoman partnership who is very disciplinedand supportive of each other. All thebenefits of synergy are clearly enjoyed bythe partnership.

Interkel is also a construction companywhich has grown in leaps and bounds witha very adaptable approach to servicing it’sclients.

The need for standardsThe quality of available infrastructure isvaried. This vagary in the standard ofdelivered projects is a general problem. Itis quite common to hear those who havehad houses built comment that theexperience was so torturous that they willnot do it again. Some say if there is a nexttime, they would rather buy from adeveloper, a ready built home. It requires ahigh level of determination to executeprojects to a high standard in Nigeria.There needs to be enabling environmentsto help the construction industry inNigeria reach the level where it should beat this time.

The lack of infrastructure in terms of thenon-availability of good roads, a non-existentrail network to serve the country hashampered investments. Aima remembers thebright lights bigger city syndrome from hergeography studies in the UK. Migrants moveinto cities like Lagos attracted by thepromising work prospects, but sadly all toooften, end up living in squalid andsubstandard accommodation owned byunscrupulous landlords. This has led to someLagos residents building their ownimprovised accommodation in areas like theOniru strip along the Lekki axis. Homesconstructed from sticks as the frame workwith thick plastic as the protection from theelements. The mind can only boggle at whatthese residents went through during therecent unprecedented rainfall a few monthsago. With better infrastructure andinvestments in transport, people would movefrom their homes to their places of work withease and their local areas will be moredeveloped.

In France, the system of development issuch as each area has the basic amenities inplace ie hospitals, schools, recreations, shops,etc. There is much scope in Nigeria to makeeach area self-sufficient to a certain degree.

There should be investments in each area sothat you don’t have that flight from rural areasto cities that has become all too common.

Looking aheadThe future is very bright for the Nigerianconstruction sector. Nigeria has a hugepopulation so the case for a growing demandis strong. It is a question of positioning andhaving the right political will. Governmentinvesting in infrastructure for transportationis a key necessity for this sector. As the sayinggoes, build and they will come. Once thegovernment builds roads and rail networks,development will follow. It is a natural spur.We have seen this work with the everexpanding Federal Capital Abuja.

It is a commonly-held view that theNigerian government needs to play a key rolein adopting the right policies, providingbetter transportation and designing a masterplan for development which dovetails withthe construction industry. This master planwould include a plan for urbanisation andrural development. Achieving all of this wouldresult in a higher quality of life for allNigerians. ■

Omowunmi Awomolo

NigeriaFEATURE


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Electrical, Control and Instrumentation(EC&I) construction in the undergroundmining environment faces a number of

challenges unique to those who seek theopportunity to take power and its control andmonitoring equipment to the rock face. To copeeffectively with the multiple risks and hazards ofEC&I construction underground, Wade Walker isreframing the way it assembles specialist skillsand knowledge for every aspect of deliveringprojects in that environment, to become thepreferred partner in the underground miningindustry. Flexibility is maintained to fall in linewith client practice, without compromising onWade Walker’s own values, principles andstandards.”

The importance of planningSmooth and seamless constructionunderground can only be ensured by carefully

planning to deliver material and equipment intime, without handling damage.

“Because we have a thorough grasp of shaftand slinging size constraints and schedules, we

are able to prepare cable and switchgear foroptimum safety when slinging and handlingonto underground stations. Materialprocurement and underground transfers areplanned well in advance, with equipment allcorrectly labelled for the right destination andsince we develop a relationship of trust andunderstanding with shaft operating personnel,we are able to work closely with them, withouterrors arising from miscommunication.”

Expertise gained in the mining industrythroughout Africa is brought to bear on eachspecific project, implementing global bestpractices and best practice business systemstools. With sister companies in Murray & Robertsbreaking over a million tons of rock per month,Wade Walker has instant access to a wealth ofrelated expertise. ■

www.wadewalker.co.za

An underground teamA typical example of electrical,control and instrumentation(EC&I) construction work inunderground mining

CONSTRUCTION

S07 ATR NOV 2011 construction_Layout 1 24/10/2011 18:22

ZambiaCONSTRUCTION


Zambia’s new roadsT he Development Bank of Southern

Africa (DBSA) released $71mn recently to Zambia’s National Road Fund Agency

(NRFA) to finance the upgrading of five majorroads in the country. The amount was part ofthe $262mn DBSA has loaned the Agency forworks on five priority roads: Chipata–Lundazi,Kalulushi–Lufwanyama, Kabompo–Chavuma,Mumbwa–Landless Corner, and Senanga–Sesheke. Three of these form part of theTrans-African Highways route running fromCape Town to the DRC’s Katanga Province

Roads to economic growthThrough the development of roadinfrastructure in Zambia, areas of higheconomic potential normally out of reach,would become accessible and attractpotential investors in agriculture, mining,tourism in addition to unlocking otheropportunities for industrial developments.

These road projects, under the DBSA loanagreement, link up parts of Eastern, Western,

North-Western and Southern Zambia to thewestern side of the North – South Corridor,thus opening up more economic trade withAngola, Botswana, DRC, Malawi, South Africa,Namibia and Zimbabwe.

In Western Province, the road project underconstruction was the 221km Senanga–Sesheke road, with a contract sum ofZMK780bn (about US$157mn).

“This road project forms a vital link inrespect of shortening the distance betweenLubambashi and Walvis Bay via Solwezi,

Mongu and Katima Mulilo. In North – WesternProvince, the road project is the 239 kmKabompo–Chavuma road at an estimatedcost of ZMK 290bn,[US$58.5mn]” , he pointedout.

In Central Province, the selected roadproject was the 115- km stretch of theMumbwa–Landless Corner which was beingupgraded to paved road at a cost of ZMK180bn (US$36.3mn).

On the Copperbelt, the road project to bepaved was the 60 km of the Kalulushi –Lufwanyama road (yet to be contracted) at anestimated cost of ZMK 130bn while in EasternProvince, it was the upgrading of theremaining 91km of the Chipata – Lundazi roadand 15km of selected urban roads in Lundaziat a cost of ZMK 97bn (US$19.5mn).

Zambia was a key transit country in theNorth - South Corridor, as it sits in betweenborders of eight countries in the region. ■

Nawa Mutumweno

Zambian roads are important economic links


CONSTRUCTIONKenya


T oday, the most accepted view in the real sector to overcome the current global economic crisis, is to increase export channels by doing export business with countries, particularly those with

relatively lower foreign trade deficits - countries such as Kenya, the hostnation for a Building MaterialsExhibition taking placebetween 2 and 5 December2011 in Nairobi.

Last year’s inaugural editionof Kenya Building Materialsfeatured 50 exhibitors on a netarea of 1,500 sqm and hosted3.,200 visitors - mainly fromKenya, Uganda and Tanzania.Exhibitors hailed from manysectors, including: construction;architecture and engineeringconsulting services; electricity;electrical and mechanicalsystems; decoration andinteriors; integrated building

systems; water technology andenvironment; air conditioning

and refrigeration; glass, wood and metal, marble; stone and machinery;bathrooms and ceramics; and landscape and gardening.

A centre for investment in constructionAs the finance, communications and transportation centre of a regionwith 430mn consumers, Kenya is significant in geo-strategic terms, and isregarded as a natural attraction center for investors. In this context, manyinternational companies have selected Kenya as their regional centre forEast Africa - and, hence there is a robust private sector consisting of alarge number of foreign investors.

Improving the condition of slum areas, building houses suitable for lowand middle income segments of the population and the production ofconstruction materials are the fields with the strong investmentopportunities. Constructing new rural and secondary roads andimproving existing ones serving the country's major agricultural andindustrial areas is of equal importance in terms of employment anddevelopment onjectives.

A good example of the benfits of investment in the region is seenin the construction of the Mombasa-Malaba-Busia highway, the socalled “North Corridor”. With its great potential and the right businessclimate, this project has made Kenya an even more attractivebusiness hub for the region and has strengthened the nation’sposition within COMESA. ■

Investors build in Kenya

The health of Kenya’s construction sector issignificant in geo-strategic as well as economicterms


Roads


Highways for heavy vehicles

CONSTRUCTION

Cement acts as stabiliser for road projects in the South Africanprovince of Mpumalanga

A friSam’s CEM 11 32.5BL cement hasbeen specified for two contractsbeing undertaken by Stefanutti

Stocks Roads and Earthworks on the busyN2 highway in Mpumalanga.

The cement produced by AfriSam’sUlco plant in the Northern Cape best metthe required C3 specifications in testsconducted at the on-site Civilablaboratory in terms of unconfinedcompressive strength (UCS), indirecttensile strength (ITS) and wet/drydurability (WDD).

The initial consumption of cement (ICC)tests were undertaken using samplesprovided by various cement suppliers atmix ratios between one per cent and sixper cent with G5 aggregate supplied byRietspruit Crushers, the stone supplierwhich is providing aggregate for bothcontracts. The laboratory recommendedthe use of CEM 11 32.5BL at a 2.5 per centcement ratio.

“The tests indicated that the strength ofthe subbase layer with the alternativecements was too high for the amount ofcement used, resulting in the layer beingtoo rigid and therefore susceptible to

cracking. Although the competitivecement was cheaper, it did not perform torequirements,” says Richard Harrison,director of Stefanutti Stocks Roads andEarthworks.

Challenging contractsThe first of the two contracts comprises ofthe rehabilitation of an 81- km stretch ofthe N2 highway from Piet Retief toCamden which is described as being in afair to poor condition. Project completiondate is October this year, 25 months afterthe contractors moved on site.

The second contract comprises thereconstruction of a 19 km stretch of roadbetween Ermelo and Camden. Thecontract was awarded in August 2010 andis scheduled for completion in May 2012.The contractors are working on half-roadwidths, with traffic control on bothcontracts to allow vehicles to continueusing the N2 during construction.

Harrison comments, “Both contractshave proved challenging because of the

high volume of heavy trucks that use theroute, including vehicles carrying coal tothe Camden power station. Abnormal loadvehicles transporting heavy mechanicaland electrical equipment from the ports ofRichards Bay and Durban also use theroute because of the absence of obstaclessuch as overhead bridges.”

Much of the heavy equipment isdestined for installation at power stations.Eskom is contributing to the cost of theroad works, which were contracted by theSouth African National Roads Agency(SANRAL).

In terms of the second contract on the19-km stretch of the N2, the existing roadlayers are being milled off and stockpiledfor reuse as selected layers. The two subbase layers of 150mm each are beingreworked as one 300mm layer to the C3sub base standard using CEM 11 as thestabiliser. Thereafter, a 150mm GI base isbeing laid followed by a 50mmcontinuously graded asphalt surfacing.

The contract includes the provision of

The StefStocks recycling machine on the N2highway contract in Mpumalanga.

AfriSam CEM II being spread by handon the N2 highway contract inMpumalanga.


both east bound and west bound climbing lanes on steep slopesalong the route as well as the widening of the road to three lanesat various points.

“The rehabilitation of the 81 km stretch of the N2 between PietRetief and Camden carries a high volume of heavy truckstransporting timber and coal trucks using the route between theDriefontein Mine and the Panbult rail station. New mines closer toErmelo are also using the road for the transportation of coal,”Harrison states.

Recycling machines capable of scarifying the existing two subbase layers to a depth of 300mm are being used in therehabilitation project. Water is added automatically at therequired moisture content of six per cent to the recycled materialby the recycling machine.

Road rehabilitation

Harrison also mentions that they had to keep track oftemperatures, particularly during this contract because of thewater being added to the mix. No stabilisation shall be done withfalling air temperatures when the air temperature falls below 70C,or during rising air temperatures, when the air temperature isbelow 30C.

The contractors undertake rehabilitation of the road in worklots of an average 600 metre with continuous testing beingundertaken to ensure that each subbase layer meets the requiredspecifications. Civilab has set up laboratories on both project sitesto undertake testing.

“We are pleased that AfriSam’s cement is recognised as being ofsuch a high quality and with the oversight of the laboratories bythe project consulting engineers, Stewart Scott International andStefanutti Stocks, we believe that these two projects will meet thehigh standards set by SANRAL.” ■

Roads


CONSTRUCTION

In its drive to become a one-stop shop,particularly in the field of road construction

and rehabilitation, Bell Equipment isincreasing its Bomag product offering toinclude the Bomag MPH 125 SoilStabiliser/Asphalt Recycler as well as theBomag BF 600 Paver/Finisher.Bell Equipment’s Product MarketingManager: Bomag, Sathie Chetty said, “Thesemachines have been part of the Bomagstable for some time and were developed incooperation with contractors around theworld to allow Bomag’s engineers to developthe highest power, reliability and efficiency inthese machines. The Government is making ahuge drive to rehabilitate existing roads andbuild new ones so we saw this as an idealopportunity to introduce these machineslocally. Many of our South African roads are indesperate need of rehabilitation and soilstabilisation and we believe these machinesare well suited for this work.” The Bomag MPH 125 has been recentlydemonstrated and generated keen interestin the Tongaat and Verulam areas ofKwaZulu-Natal pulverising old, damagedroad surfaces and using foam bitumentechnology for soil stabilisation for MillingTechniks.“The MPH 125 can cut through the asphaltlayer and sub base to a depth of 550mm as arecycler. This material can then be reused toconstruct a new base course by addingcement and/or foam bitumen or a bitumenemulsion,” said Chetty. The ECOMODE machine managementsystem, simultaneously makes intelligent useof power while reducing fuel consumptionand environmental pollution.

One-stop-shop forconstruction


56

EQUIPMENT

Construction

Stag Jointing Compound has been a household name in the plumbing industry fordecades. An easy to apply paste, it is ideal for application by brush to thoroughlycleaned metal surfaces where threaded or flanged connections have to be sealed. It is

distributed nationally by D&D Industrial through its re-sellers and its 5 sales outlets aroundthe country.

Sealing of threaded water pipe connections are just one of the applications that STAG canhandle. It has a wide field of applications on all types of flanged or screwed metal joints suchas on petrol and diesel engines, gearboxes, oil immersed switches and transformers and onsteam and oil pipe lines. It is resistant to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and battery acid. Ithas high electrical insulation properties and withstands pressure of up to 70 bar.

It has been used successfully on joints in contact with oil at 300 degrees Celsius. It is particularly suitable for connections to instruments in an airline where the use of tape

could result in pieces of the tape braking off and affecting the instruments. In addition to the standard 500g container, STAG is now available in 400g tins with an

applicator brush built into the lid. The smaller tin and the built in applicator makes it ideal forusage of small quantities at a time – there is no need to find a brush and having to clean itafterwards, and the tin remains tightly sealed as well so there is less waste.

www.dowson.co.za

D&D introduces a better way to use STAG

Light Bomag tandem rollers in the under 1.8 tonnes class and actually the 5th generation of the BW 80 series is a continuation of the mostsuccessful series of rollers in the world. A total of sixmodels are now available with operating weightsof 1.5 tonnes – 1.7 tonnes, featuring a new designand powerful and proven KUBOTA engines. Theresult is a series created by customers for customers:users and hirers were involved at an early stage inthe development process to ensure that the newmodels offer everything today's customers want. The new Bomag “5” series rollers are designed fornew construction and repairs on medium and small jobs. They feature outstandingmanoeuvrability and “all-round visibility unequalledin this class" - original comments from a user whodrove a machine early on. In particular, the deep-set engine bonnet and set-back frame guaranteeexcellent visibility to the front and the bottom rimof the drum - without the driver having to shift his sitting position. Despite their compactdimensions, all models offer good operator spaceand leg room.

www.bomag.com


Tandems under 1.8 tonnes

New BW 100 ADM-5 tandem roller

The new -5 generation of Bomag light tandems

The smart drive steering wheel and new dashboard

STAG hasbeen distributed in South

Africa by Dowson &Dobson Industrial for

decades. It is widely usedin the plumbing industry

for sealing of threadedjoints in pipe work for

water and for steam. It isalso suitable for sealing of

flanged connections onpetrol and diesel engines,

gear boxes and oilimmersed switches and

transformers.”

S08 ATR NOV 2011 mining _Layout 1 24/10/2011 18:24

MININGZimbabwe


T he mining industry in Zimbabwe has been going through very interesting developments in recent years. The potential for profit is unparalled globally, with forecasted production growth rates of 44

per cent for 2011. Mining companies have made huge investments intotheir operations in the past 18 months.

The developments continue, with legislative amendments to thecountry’s Mining and Minerals Act, Indigenisation Regulations for themining sector , the establishment of a Sovereign Fund and the drafting ofa beneficiation policy. Such initiatives are but a few issues that have madethe Zimbabwe Mining Indaba an invaluable forum for the global metalsand mining and exploration industry to interact and cultivate long-termpartnerships with mining stakeholders and investors.

The prospects of development, and the possible returns on investmentThe Zimbabwe Mining Indaba provided a platform for exploration ofmining and related opportunities in Zimbabwe and keeping abreast ofthe latest trends and developments in the country’s mining sector. Itprovided an opportunity for project owners to showcase their projects,and to ensure that their projects were on the radar of global investors. Theevent also allowed delegates to widen their network in this growingindustry, with comprehensive business matchmaking sessions and

networking opportunities with global mining stakeholders and investors.Delegates were kept informed of innovative technological solutions thatcould greatly enhance mining operations and safety. Held in Harare inSeptember 2011, organised by South African firm Utho Capital inassociation with the Zimbabwean Ministry of Mines and MiningDevelopment and the Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe, highlightedseveral key issues affecting operations in the country and in across the

Southern and East African region - including beneficiation, technology,health and safety,environmental issues, infrastructure, financing, small-scale operations and networking - with opportunities to meet potentialpartners and to identify financiers.

Prime Minister Tsvangirai addressed the Indaba two years ago with thepromise of a conducive policy environment by mid 2010, that could seeZimbabwe's mineral sector attracting up to $16bn in exploration andmine development investment between 2011 and 2018, allied to theprospect of an increase in the nation’s GDP amounting to $3bn perannum. That possibility not only remains but is a stronger and more viableprospect than before. ■

Wallace Mawire

Rebuilding a nationwith mineral wealthEconomic resurgence based on renewed investment prospects formining operations in Zimbabwe formed the backdrop to a recentindaba held in Harare


58

EQUIPMENT

Mining

The new DA40 articulated dump truck (ADT) from Doosan Infracore

Construction Equipment offers increasedengine power and torque, higher payloads,lower fuel consumption, enhanced operatorcomfort and faster travel speeds. Incorporating over 40 years of expertise inthe ADT market and using qualitycomponents from world-class suppliers suchas Scania, ZF, NAF, Parker and Rexroth, thenew Doosan ADTs are optimised for extremeoff-road performance. The exceptionallyflexible and agile undercarriage, which isdesigned to ensure that all 6 wheels are inpermanent contact with the ground, meansthat Doosan trucks can operate on veryrough and soft terrain on construction sitessuch as road projects and mass excavation,hauling as well as in mining and quarryingapplications. The new articulated dump truckscomplement Doosan’s wide range ofexcavators and wheel loaders, allowingDoosan to offer a one-stop solution forequipment to excavate, load and transportall types of materials. All Doosan ADT andheavy equipment products are supported by flexible financing packages from Doosan Financial solutions, offering ‘tailor-made’ solutions for purchasing Doosanproducts.

Doosan truck offersmore performance Handheld spectrometer offers

speed, accuracy, and ease of use

Spectro Analytical Instruments, a supplier ofanalytical instruments for optical emission andXRF spectrometry, has introduced the SpectroxSORT handheld energy dispersive X-rayfluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometer. The newinstrument comes in a smaller, lightweight

package that offers better analyticalperformance, and incorporates many exclusivenew features. The new xSORT is designed for high-throughput elemental testing andspectrochemical analysis of a wide range ofmetals and other materials in the field. Itsspeed, accuracy and ease of use has set newbenchmarks for handheld spectrometricperformance. Spectro xSORT is ideal forapplications, including positive materialidentification (PMI) and environmentalscreening, recycling of alloys, precious metals,and aluminum, plus mining and compliancescreening.

www.spectro.com/xsort

Caterpillar’s Command for Dozing remote controlsystem for Cat D10T and D11T Track-Type Tractorsenables remote, line-of-sight operation using aportable console - allowing the equipment operatorto stay out of hazardous areas, such as underhighwalls, near slides or pushing to undergroundfeeders in stockpiles. The system enables miningand bulk materials handling operations to worksafely, productively and economically in a broadrange of applications.Command for Dozing differs from aftermarket add-on systems, because it is fully integrated with theCaterpillar designed components, systems andelectronic control modules (ECM) used on the D10Tand D11T. Integration reduces complexity and costand enables the system to deliver higherperformance, better reliability, longer life andenhanced safety. The system also allows usingautocarry and auto blade assist for highproductivity.

www.cat.com/miningtechnologyThe DA40 articulated dump truck

With Spectro xSORT, operators don’t need to switchmethods between metals or use complicated flushesor vacuum systems


Dozing remote controlsystem enhances operator safety

Caterpillar’s Command for Dozing is an integratedremote control system for Cat D10T and D11T track-type tractors


SPONSOR


Apollo Infratech


We sent Gandhi. Africa returned us the Mahatma.

The team at India’s fastest growing concrete equipmentmanufacturer, Apollo Infratech

Investing and doing business with Africa hasalways been mutually beneficial and the tiesgo beyond just Mahatma Gandhi. Indians -

especially, we, the Gujaratis - have had trade tieswith Africa for centuries including Kenya,Uganda, Zanzibar, South Africa and many more.However, 21st century realities are different.There is a new sense of urgency: as populationsgrow, the need for better infrastructurebecomes even greater. Africa needs entire newlogistics networks linking airports, railways and

warehouses - and new dams and electricitygrids to power them. Meanwhile, Africa’sgrowing cities need better water supplies andsanitation. The World Bank points out that evenrelatively prosperous African cities, such asLagos and Nairobi need improvements.

That’s why India’s fastest growing concreteequipment manufacturer Apollo Infratech is allset to launch its series of machines that willaddress local requirements. Its state-of-the-artmanufacturing facility is situated at a sprawlingsite of 42,000 sq m near the industrial hub ofAhmedabad, India. Apollo Infratech is equippedwith the most modern and sophisticated factoryset-up and design development facilities toproduce high-quality concrete constructionequipment.

Results are evident from the fact that Apolloproduct range has added one new productevery quarter. Be it Concrete Batching Plants,

Transit Mixers, Concrete Pumps, pavers orrelated concrete equipment. The products arecost-effective, user-friendly and easy tomaintain. Now, with a growing distribution anddealership network across India and abroad, allApollo products are backed by strong after-salesservices. In a nutshell, Africa is growing, theinfrastructure companies are growing, andbackbone companies like ours are going to playa major role in it. ■

Mitul Patel, MD at Apollo Infratech Pvt. Ltd., India


60

SOLUTIONS

Logistics

Iveco has launched the latest evolution ofits proven light commercial vehicle range

– already a popular choice with professionaltransport operators around the world.In its latest form, New Daily retains its corequalities of strength, reliability, efficiencyand versatility, whilst adding new highefficiency engines which offer more power,combined with refinements botheconomically and ecologically.Taking pride of place in the range will beFPT Industrial’s new 3.0 litre Euro 5 dieselengine, which will introduce a class leadingpower output of 205 hp and a massive 470Nm of torque. Key to providing high powerand torque with low emissions and fuelconsumption is the adoption of twinturbochargers – one compact turbo toprovide rapid throttle response from a verylow engine speed and a larger unit todeliver the engine’s maximum performance.For New Daily models falling into the heavyduty category and all natural gas versions,the EEV (Enhanced Environmentally friendlyVehicle) certification remains, ensuringthese models meet the most stringentEuropean exhaust emission standardavailable.

For lighter models, the FPT Industrial 2.3 litreengine benefits from an increase in enginetorque to 320 Nm and a new Multijet IImulti-event fuel injection system thatoptimises the combustion process, bringingnoteworthy benefits in terms of lowerengine noise, fuel consumption and tail-pipe emissions.

www.iveco.com

Iveco delivers aninternational Daily Tracking system for

rail freight shippingLimco Logistics has been serving the freight industry for more than two decades and resolved tohandle all import/export needs related to small as well as large scale business operations. Railfreight is the best option, which is the least expensive mode of transportation. Rail Freight usesmultiple modes of shipping from origin to destination. In rail transportation, the company incorporatesthe use of special containers or trailers, which allow commodities to be moved directly from onemode of transportation to another. Rail freight is the most economical way to ship large and heavyfreight.Limco Logistics is one of the leading rail freight forwarder companies in the world that providesrail freight services from and to any point within the United States including Russia, Africa, Europe,& Canada. The company has no restrictions on size, location or destination. Limco is dedicated todeliver your cargo with a sophisticated tracking system to any point in Central Asia or Russia. Thetracking system allows you to identify current location, direction and tracking speed of shipments. Limco Logistics arranges all the necessary procedures and prepares the export documents concernedfor your shipment needs. According to client’s request, the company provides containers andarranges shipment in time. Limco Logistics has been in the rail frieght business for more than 2decades and has a perfect service network and strong ability to solve the problems that may occurduring documentation or shipment process. Equipped with their own containers, Limco Logisticshas excellent and professional staff with rich international logistics services experience. All theseensure the safe, efficient and perfect rail transportation service.

www.limcologistics.com

Virtual businesses are small operations that use technology to employ people to work from home -meaning most human contact within the company is conducted remotely. Using a network of over500 contractors across the globe, virtual business B2X Care Solutions co-ordinates and manages theremote repair of over 25mn items every year for consumer electronics, telecommunication and ITmanufacturers. The key factor in B2X’s ability to remain virtual is its investment in developing a powerful,flexible and efficient cloud-based platform to run the logistics ofproviding after-sales services for its clients. While ‘virtual business’was the big enterprise buzzword ten years ago, the technologyto effectively support and enable scalable virtual companiessimply didn’t exist. “Cloud computing is now robust and efficient enough toproperly and securely support our operations,” said B2X CEOKarim Barkawi. “We’ve been fortunate to launch at a time whenbuilding scalable virtual organisations was a genuine possibility.For our older competitors, the option simply wasn’t there.“The biggest advantage is the cost-saving benefits our clientsrealise. We typically deliver 20-30 per cent savings on our clients’warranty costs because we minimise our own overheads, andkeep our operations super-lean and efficient.”

www.b2xcare.com

B2X’s ability toremain virtual is its

investment indeveloping a

powerful, flexibleand efficient cloud-

based platform torun the logistics of

providing after-sales services for its

clients”

Iveco’s new Daily retains its core qualities of strength,reliability, efficiency and versatility


How the Cloud makes business


Three compact monochrome Xerox laserprinters from Bytes Document Solutions,authorised Xerox distributor to 27 sub-Saharancountries, bring affordable productivity andperformance to network printing. The XeroxPhaser 3155, 3160B, and 3160N black-and-white laser printers produce 24 pages perminute and offer quality output, reliable operations and a deep feature setfor printing in small businesses, home offices and personal use. “These three new Phaser printers provide a range of options for high-performance, all-purpose printing at entry-level prices,” says Ernest Leong,product manager of office printing business at Bytes Document Solutions.All three models provide best-in-class monthly duty cycles - 12,000 printsfor the Phaser 3155, and 15 000 for the two Phaser 3160 models - to meetthe daily printing needs of busy work teams. Yet, each is also physicallysuited to serve as a personal or shared printer, with low noise levels and acompact footprint to fit easily on a desktop. To meet a wide range of printingneeds, the three models offer choices in their connectivity, image resolutionsand controllers.

www.bytesdocumentsolutions.co.za

62

EQUIPMENT/CLASSIFIED


Affordable quality printersCompany ........................................................................PageAggreko Middle East Ltd ....................................................................37AKSA Jenerator Sanayi A.S. ................................................................43AMDS Courier Services ........................................................................21Apollo Infratech Pvt. Ltd ......................................................................29Arik Air Limited........................................................................................15Blue Ocean Technical Services Ltd ..................................................22Champagne Laurent Perrier..................................................................2Ciber Equipamentos Rodoviários Ltda...........................................45Clarke Energy Ltd....................................................................................36Claude Lyons Ltd ....................................................................................39Cosben s.r.l. ..............................................................................................52CWC Associates Ltd (NIC 2012) ........................................................41Datacard Limited ....................................................................................28Eaton Industries (France) SAS ............................................................64Eko Hotel & Suites ..................................................................................61ERL Marketing International ..............................................................63First Forever Co Ltd ................................................................................51Gedore Tools SA ......................................................................................57GWE Pumpenboese GmbH ................................................................23IIR Exhibitions (Africa Electricity 2011) ..........................................13Industrial Machinery Export srl ........................................................62Informa Telecoms & Media (AfricaCom 2011) ............................27Interpower International Ltd..............................................................16JCB Power Products ..............................................................................31Jessop & Associates (Pty) Ltd ............................................................17John Holt PLC ..........................................................................................35K-Net Ltd. ..................................................................................................25Komatsu ....................................................................................................47Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. ....................................................................9Metalgalante-Carmix ............................................................................50Nigeria Gas & Steel Ltd ........................................................................55Oilways Logistics & Energy Ltd..........................................................20Palacina Residence & Suites ..............................................................59Powerlink Machine (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. ........................................38Remco Ruimtebouw BV ......................................................................53SDMO Industries ....................................................................................33Shandong Shantui Construction Machinery ..............................11SOILMEC SpA ..........................................................................................49Stonemaker Management, Inc. ........................................................19Volvo Construction Equipment Int.....................................................5Volvo Penta International ......................................................................7

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PARTS DISTRIBUTORS, CONTRACTORS !!Are you looking for reliable sources of used

equipment and any related spare parts?Contact us, we will be glad to assist and

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DELIVER

TECHNOLOGIES

"ERL Marketing is the international marketing arm of the ERL Group of companies. The company is

headquartered in Sharjah, UAE with representative offices in Hong Kong, Thailand, India, and

Germany. The ERL group is a leading manufacturer of products for the power sector. These include

IEC 61850 based Substation Automation, Numerical Protection, Zigbee-based Automated Metering

Solutions, Medium Voltage Switchgear and Turnkey Substations."

WORLD-CLASS

COMMITTED TO

ERLwww.erlmint.com

PROTECTION CONTROL METERING AUTOMATION SWITCHGEAR PROJECTS

ERL Marketing International FZEHead Quarters: ERL Marketing International FZE, No. 1K – 08/02, Hamriyah Free Zone, PO Box 50669, Sharjah, UAE. Ph: +971 6526 3398, Fax: +971 6526 3392.Global Marketing Offices: Canada, Brazil, Germany, South Africa, Kenya, India, UAE, Hong Kong, Thailand.For sales enquiry and dealership, please contact +971 506326340; [email protected]

Visit us at ERL Stall No. B20

15th November, 2011 - 17th November, 2011

Africa Electricity Exhibition

Gallagher Convention Centre, Johannesburg


Power distribution Power quality Control and automationPower monitoring

and managementServices

In 2011, Eaton celebrates its 100th anniversary and a heritage of innovation and expertise that has positioned the company to answer some of the world’s toughest power management challenges.

Eaton Electrical – [email protected] | www.eaton.com/electrical

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