ONE TEAM - ONE GOAL !

LADUMA

They’re PRICELESS – page 7

Effluent improvement – page 3

NERSA licensed! – page 3

Quarter 4, 2014

Don’t neglect unsafe conditions

MESSAGE FROM THE MD

Peter Starling

2014 has seen our volumes continue to grow on the good base achieved the previous year with exports into Africa leading the markets. The international market now accounts for 60% of our sales volume and this trend is expected to continue into the future.

Overall performance has been better than originally expected, with the strong export sales and the continuing weakening rand compensating for the higher input costs primarily as a result of the poor local sugar crop – although these positive factors were not sufficient to improve performance further on the excellent growth of the previous year.

We had hoped that the good sugar crop of 2013 would be maintained, but poor rainfall most of the year did not support this and expectations for next season are also subdued.

2014 was largely a year of consolidation of the projects implemented in 2013 with operational focus being on continuous improvement rather than any major interventions.

2

Have a healthy breakfast

Supply chain costs and stock control have continued the trend of improvement started last year and the large amount of statistical information now available should enable us to achieve further optimisation in 2015.

In partnership with our sister company, Alcodis, we commenced with the sale of Omnicane’s Mauritian production during the year; this will increase in the future and we have set ourselves bold volume targets for 2015. The growth focus will remain on the African and international markets where, although competition is strong, there are much stronger growth prospects than in the domestic market which is suffering from South Africa’s poor economic performance.

As always, enjoy the festive season; if you are taking some time off, relax with your families and travel safely. Thank you for support and commitment during 2014, best wishes and happy holidays.

Guest Chef Khutso Mashete gave a demonstration to employees on World Diabetes Day, 14 November, before treating all to a healthy breakfast hamper. He explained that there was a high occurrence of diabetes in KwaZulu-Natal and he emphasised the importance of preparing a healthy breakfast for sustained energy. According to the Diabetes Society of South Africa, starting the day with a healthy breakfast can help prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes and effectively manage all types of diabetes.

Chef Khutso Mashete emphasised the importance of fresh fruit as part of our eating plans, and shared some clever ideas like home-made humus on low-GI bread, with basil pesto. Yum.

Work safe, play safe 3

On the coverFront cover: Father Christmas and a group of NCP Alcohols stalwarts lent a hand at a Christmas party for the little ones at the Benny and Betty Day Care Centre in nearby Newlands West.

Focus: effluent treatment

An early runis lotsa fun ...

The Projects team: from left, Arthur Ndaba and Lumeshni Govender, Process Technicians, and Stephen Kitching, Projects Manager, with the new actuated valves for the malt blending system.

The Projects Department had 31 registered projects on their hands in 2014, chief among which was effluent and storm water compliance.

In an attempt to reduce our sulphate levels to below 250 parts per million, the molasses and CMS pumps were fitted with mechanical seals in order to prevent leaks, the CMS tanks were bunded, and level-measuring devices were upgraded to prevent tank overflows.

Our effluent treatment process was improved by the installation of a pH mixing tank, the upgrading of an oil-skimming system and the installation of a R1,8 million clean-in-place 110 m3 buffer tank. The tank facilitates the capture of CIP waste streams which are then treated with lime to reduce the sulphates and the treated effluent is then slowly released into the municipality’s outlet.

Other projects included:• the installation of a new gantry

for the off-loading of alcohol; the new LAS spring-loaded safety stair is safer and sturdier and is a big improvement

• the installation of PLC-controlled valves for the new malt-blending project; this was in response to a business opportunity which arose to blend a malt additive with ethanol on site for a customer

• changing the piping configuration to accept and process Mauritian alcohol, all within a short time frame

• the old Potable 3 Column was converted to process recovered alcohol, resulting in a better recovery rate and an improved margin

• the scrapping of equipment which became redundant during the 2012 plant upgrade – copper columns in particular; R1,5 million was generated.

We’re NERSA-licensed now!NCP Alcohols is now compliant with the requirements for generating electricity, and has been granted an electricity generation licence by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) for the next 15 years, effective 1 September 2014.

The company’s application was handled over the past 18 months by IES Energy to ensure that all the requirements of the medium-term risk mitigation project had been met.

A happy Carl Freyer, NCPA Engineering Manager, after the announcement of the company’s 15-year NERSA licence.

With the sun coming up hours before work starts, there is plenty of time for a run in the morning. It’ll keep you healthier and, yes, give you more energy. Seen out running on nearby wRiverside Road recently were Faizee Bodha and Sarah Stott. Way to go, gals.

Report all NEAR MISSES4

NCP Alcohols observed World Aids Day on 1 December in an attempt to further educate staff, destigmatise the illness, and spread the KNOW YOUR STATUS message. The day was dedicated to raising awareness about the Aids pandemic caused by the spread of the HIV infection.

Activities during the day included:• a training workshop on HIV/Aids• free, voluntary and confidential counselling and blood

testing, to enable people to ‘update their status’• free T-shirts and condoms for all who did the blood tests• the signing of a pledge ‘to be the generation that will defeat

Aids’.

Helping destigmatise HIV/Aids

To assist their executive committee, NCPA has established a Training and Employment Equity Committee which will meet six times per year.

The content of the TEC meetings will be steered by the TEC team’s purpose and the Amended Employment Equity Act Jan

2014, the Skills Development Act and the BBBEE Codes of Good Practice.

The new Employment Equity Amendment Act of 2013, signed by the President in January, came into effect on 1 August 2014.

On the new committee are, from left, Lindelwa Zungu, Kelvin Timm, Siphokazi Majozi, Lorraine Mudaly, Mervin Kullen, Carl Freyer and Matthews Dubazane.

New Training and EE committee

Seen signing the AIDS pledge are Nikita Singh with Kimason Naidoo, centre, and Minal Debipersad.

Above, the facilitator helps two volunteers unravel themselves – it’s easy when you know how.

Allan Pillay was one who visited the clinic to update their status. Nurse Mavis Pillay from the municipality’s Newlands West Clinic was on hand to painlessly take a drop of blood.

STAY ALERT, don’t get hurt 5

This month, we would like to celebrate our craftsmen who employ steel, wires, physics and designs to craft the parts the company cannot do without.

From our Electricians to our Instrumentation Technicians and Mechanical Engineers, each person has dedicated countless hours toward learning and perfecting their specialised skills, often using little more than their bare hands.

With a rich history drawing back to medieval times, artisans have changed the face of science and manufacturing.

A timefor giving

THANK you, our artful artisansAnd, although today mass production has replaced many skilled craftsmen, we understand that machinery cannot always replace the high levels of quality produced by these exceptionally capable individuals.

Not only do they have the creative imagination to bring their raw, innovative ideas into reality, but their products always suit the factory’s unique requirements. Thanks for your hard work and contribution to ensure this company continues to grow from strength to strength.

Christmas came big time to the Benny and Betty

Day Care Centre in Newlands West, when a dedicated

group of NCP Alcohols staff handed out toys

to the little ‘uns.

Talk less and do your job safely6

Our verges will soon be vergilicious

Eager-to-get-fit employees recently took the initiative and applied, with the blessing of MD Peter Starling, to Athletics South Africa to register the NCP Alcohols Athletics Club. Getting fit and keeping fit takes a conscious effort, and the idea is that club members will support each other to exercise.

The club currently consists of 30 members and the club committee is Siphokazi Majozi as chairperson, Lucky Ntuli as vice chairperson, Lindelwa Zungu is the secretary and Sanele Mazibuko the road manager.

The club is not exclusive to employees and also extends to family members and contractors. New members are welcome.

Sarah Stott was recently tasked with improving the look of the verge on both sides of the main entrance to NCP Alcohols.

She brought in Umvubu, a gardening enterprise that NCP Alcohols sponsors, and sourced some shrubs, aloes, grasses and rocks.

In time, the freylinia and polygala shrubs will grow to the height of the boundary wall, adding appeal to the area.

Seen here with some of the tree aloes are, from left, Sarah Stott, LB Ngcobo, MT Mbele and Basil Vesi.

They really are a special group, our House-keepers, seen at left.

What they do in keeping the NCP Alcohols site pristine, is good and noble work as it enables Operations to get on with the business of production.

We salute them for their dedication and awesome attitude.

Hurray forour HOUSEKEEPERS

Beep beep, yes you, come join the club

On the Athletics Club committee are, from left, Lindelwa Zungu (Secretary), Siphokazi Majozi (Chairperson), Sanele Mazibuko (Road Manager) and Lucky Ntuli (Vice-Chairperson).

Put safety first 7

Meet the PRICELESS team

Prudence Gabela, Procurement Officer, “My main role is the processing

of our orders, and expediting and ensuring

the goods required are on site by the date they are

required.”

Les Applesamy, Stores Controller, “My main task is receiving and keeping inventory for the factory,”

and Wilson Madlala, Storeman,

“My main task is issuing inventory from stores.”

Vigna Naidoo, Funds Controller, “I am responsible

for Rand and Dollar payments to our suppliers.”

Rodgers Niranjan, Procurement Manager, “My main task is to ensure that all goods and services required by NCP Alcohols are procured in a

cost-effective manner.”

Alfred Ngema, Office Assistant, “I take the invoices

and goods received vouchers to the head

of department for signing, and capture the details in the AX

system.”

Mzo Jama, Creditors

Controller, “I make sure all our local

suppliers are paid, and I do recons of all our creditors.”

NCP Alcohols runs a tight-knit Procurement Department that prides itself on an efficient and speedy p-2-p (procure to pay) process. Please consider yourself introduced ....

Acting against abuse

Say NO to carelessness8

16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM CAMPAIGN ON NO VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND CHILDREN

Orange awareness .... Lorraine Mudaly, left, and Cheyenne Mandass actively supported the no-violence campaign.

Imagine if, for 16 days, there was no rape and no child abuse. The ‘16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children’ campaign challenges South Africans to declare a truce on violence against women and children – and, ultimately, to make it a permanent one.

NCP Alcohols supports the campaign which runs from 25 November to 10 December every year.

During the campaign, Cheyenne Mandass gave a talk to staff at a ‘Tune Me’ session, saying, “If we in our neighbourhoods, communities, schools,

workplaces and families, continue to turn a blind eye when faced with gender violence, we will be doing ourselves as a society a grave injustice. We need to break down those structures that support and perpetuate the silence around violence against women and children. By speaking out we also give hope to victims of violence that their lives can and should change for the better.

“Let us work together towards build-ing a society where, women and children will be free to walk the streets of our land with no fear of being attacked.”

A Christmas party for the NCP Alcohols family was held on site on 11 December,

as a ‘thank you’ to all who make the business a happy and productive place.

Happy Holidays