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The African Business Journal Oct 2011 - John Pinching
The African Business Journal Oct 2011 - John Pinching
The
Journal
IN THIS ISSUE
SECTION Title
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eDiTOrs note
HigH five everyOne, I dont know about you, dear reader, but there is something revitalising in the air at the moment. Aside from any sterile statistics that the news might tell you, there is definitely an almost imperceptible sense that markets, economies, trust and spending have been reinvigorated in the last few weeks. If youre feeling it too, then I sincerely hope that whatever it is, sticks around! This months tub-thumping edition contains not one, but two exclusive interviews with South Africa rugby legends. Hooker John Allanwho also played for Scotlandand tenacious winger, Thinus Delport share their views on the Rugby World Cup. Its an absolutely fascinating read, so kick back with your tablet (or laptop), crack open a can and enjoy. Weve also got a feature on South Africas greatest ever exportactor Sid
James, more entries from the canon of African-influenced pop music and a rundown of the African footballers currently playing in Englands Championship division. Our round up of the movers and shakers in the business world starts with an incredible story of triumph over adversity. TABJ discovers how Weatherly International which was hanging on to the precipice by its fingertipssomehow managed to find a foothold. Make sure you check out this amazing and inspirational story in the next few pages! There are also intriguing profiles from a plethora of industries including mining, property, healthcare, food, transport, cosmetics and many more. Thats all from me folks, John
TABJ Team
John Pinching | Editor | johnp@tabj.co.za Nuala Gallagher | Contributing Editor | nualag@irjonline.com Ben Watts | Staff Writer | benwatts@aubj.com.au Laura Hedges | Editorial Assistant | laurah@tabj.co.za Vladimir Lukic | Creative Director | vladimirl@georgemedia.ca Chris Moore | Sr. Advertising Designer | chrism@georgemedia.ca Margaret Oldham | Sr. Graphic Designer | margareto@georgemedia.ca Wincy Law | Sr. Graphic Designer | wincyl@georgemedia.ca Tanya George | Advertising Designer | tanyag@georgemedia.ca Marc Mauricio | IT/Production Support | marcm@georgemedia.ca Natalie Edney | Head of Sales | nataliee@tabj.co.za Khayyam Darr | Research Director | khayyamd@tabj.co.za Andrew Miskin | Research Director | andrewm@tabj.co.za Brett Haigh | Research Director | bretth@tabj.co.za Justin Lejuene | Research Director | justinl@irjonline.com Hugh Braithwaite | Research Director | hughbl@tabj.co.za Dee Nazer | Research Director | deen@tabj.co.za Michael Alexander-Jones | President | michaelaj@georgemedia.ca Linda Neal | Chief Executive Officer | lindan@georgemedia.ca Naveed Yusuf | Chief Information Officer | naveedy@georgemedia.ca Gemma Parkins | Executive Assistant | gemmap@tabj.co.za Heather MacPherson | General Accountant | heatherm@georgemedia.ca Simon Curran | Vice-President/Publisher | simonc@irjonline.com
South Africa Office GEoRGE MEDIA InC. 23 Wellington Road Parktown, 2193 Johannesburg
Table of cOnTenTs
ocTober 2011 | VoluMe 2 | ISSue 10
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cOver feATure neWs sPOrT
WeATHerly inTernATiOnAl Plc copper load of that Muse news coming out of africa TAlking POinTs Interview with John allan and Thinus Delport rAce TO THe PrOMiseD lAnD african footballers POPricA siD JAMes South africas greatest export MDM engineering close encounters kAlAgADi MAngAnese Wonder women M3 cArriers carry on at your convenience rOTrAn Transporting the abnormal Jvc freigHT The freight way
010 016 022 034 042 046 054 064 070 080 086
enTerTAinMenT
Mining
TrAnsPOrTATiOn
010
086
Table of cOnTenTs
ocTober 2011 | VoluMe 2 | ISSue 10
HeAlTHcAre resOurces
gOlD fielDs HeAlTH Fields of gold BesseMer The silo specialist Du Plessis sAnD Transporting the resource markets rAWsOns home, sweet home Bruce McWilliAMs inDusTries The pleasant proprietors DesTiny AfricA Date with destiny Brunel MAnufAcTuring Soap opera rOyAl sWAzilAnD sugAr cOrPOrATiOn Sugar rush
PrOPerTy
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CoPPer lo
oad of that
he last few years the mining industry has played host to a twisted game of survival of test or, in some cases, who dares wins. Fortunately, Weatherly International came hining in both categories, although they freely admit, it was tough back there
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it was vital that the company shored up its defences. Indeed, just when things were looking very ominous Weatherly was, at last, anointed with the stroke of luck that, for a business, can be the difference between life and death. The saviour came in the unlikely form of an innocuous smelter. The facility had not been considered particularly core to the business when suddenly a very interested buyer emerged. It was the deal that would galvanise the company and give it the vital financial impetus needed to continue trading. Webster explains: We survived because we found a buyer for a smelter that, quite honestly, had been a loss-making environmental liability. Remarkably, we found the one company in the world that actually needed ita precious metals operator in Bulgaria. We ended up selling it for $55 millionit had been on our books for five! Everyone was happy. Their share price dou-
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bled and we had the ability to get out of jail and drive the company forward, he added.
The company shut the mines down quickly and was able to refinance after the smelter jackpot. This bought enough time to keep the creditors at bay, but the balance book still took quite a hit. Shutting down is a very expensive exercise costing 8-10 million US dollars. Reopening commands a similar sum. The whole process is also very traumatic in terms of social upheaval in Namibia. Letting 600 people go has a massive domino effect. Its not like a gold minecopper mines have a huge infrastructure requiring
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manpower, rail travel and ports infrastructure, and all these industries take a big hit. said Webster.
top performance. Furthermore, copper prices are also rising steadily. The company is close to getting into the big league. Its not that far awaytheres loads of money around, people just need to start spending again. The next six months will be a defining period in which we reach our standard objectives. Its a relief but, truth be told, I dont need any more excitement in my life, joked Webster. Another asset the business is holding onto is a lead/zinc project which we has been fed into a new company called ChinaAfrica Resources. It is a unique joint venture which is being floated on the stock exchange at the time of writing. Well, after a tumultuous few years things are certainly looking up. In business, you occasionally get a mysterious dose of luck and it is difficult to explain exactly where the change of fortune came fromas Rod Webster put it, sometimes the planets just align. TAB WWW.WeATHerlyPlc.cOM
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NEWS IN REVIEW
Drug-MAkers DO BATTle WiTH DiABeTes Over the next five years, drug-makers Eli Lilly will spend a record-breaking US$30 million on a new program entitled Lilly NCD partnership, which aims to find more efficient and enhanced ways of fighting the growth of diabetes in developing nations. This decision follows a plea from the United Nations for a global fight against noncommunicable diseases. Consequently, Lilly is sponsoring a conference in Washington D.C. on Wednesday to discuss the prevention and treatment of such diseases. Spending on the Lilly NCD partnership will be concentrated in Brazil, India, Mexico and South Africa, after studies showed the rates of diabetes run from 4.5 per cent to 10.1 per cent of their
populations. In addition, each of the four nations will have program coordinators, funded by Lilly, and a small base of employees in Geneva to overview the program. All information gained during the programme will be published and made available globally, as Bart Petersonsenior vice president of corporate affairs and communications at Eli Lillybelieves what comes out of this will be actionable by other countries. The company will also work alongside hospitals, health centres and governments in the four countries, all of whom are intensely concerned with finding better and more effective ways of dealing with blood-sugar disorder. Further plans include the addition of cancer care to the program.
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of africa
gulf cOAsT cyBer clAsH The head of the Gulf Coast African American Chamber of Commerce has lashed out at officials in an extraordinary electronic rant. Via a strongly-worded email to numerous elected officials and business leaders, George Hawthorne accused Escambias County Commissioner, Grover Robinson IV, and various other tourism officialsincluding Dennis McKinnon Jr., chairman of the Escambia County Tourist Development Council (TDC)of holding private meetings regarding Escambias tourist bureau. In Hawthornes view, the meetings were set up to encourage a transferal of the bureau from the Pensacola Bay Area to the county, or have it set up as an independent agency. He also condemned the secretive correspondence for violating laws which state that this kind of public business ought to be discussed in public environments. Despite their recent merging of real estate businesses, Robinson & Associates with McKinnons Coldwell Banker United Realtors, Robinson denies any kind of inappropriate discussion with McKinnon, instead claiming that they have WOOlies MAMMOTH AfricAn ADvenTure Upmarket retailer Woolworths will open two stores in Tanzania and another in Ugandaproving it means business with its ambitious African expansion plan. The company has sets its sights on a big push into Africa after refining and improving its merchandise for customers in selected African countries. Woolworths has been trading on the continent for over a decade and currently has stores in ten countries, including Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Swaziland and Ghana. We are confident about the growth prospects of our investment in Uganda, Tanzania and across Africa. Consumer spending accounts for more than 60 per cent of the African GDP never discussed TDC issues outside of specific TDC meetings. In response to the email, Robinson accused him of being the bastion of ethics, and believes that Hawthorne is trying to get his hands on taxpayer money for tourism activities.
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NEWS IN REVIEW
and this will increase, in accordance, with upper and middle income groups, said Glenn Gilzean, group director for retail operations. Uganda and three in Tanzania. The company will open the new stores through a joint venture with businessman and former franchise partner, Ali Mufuruki of Tanzania. In total Woolworths will open 16 new stores in Africa during the current financial year, bringing the overall number of its stores, outside South Africa, to 60. suMMiT ATTrAcTs nOTABle crOWD Arrangements for the East African Business Summit 2011 have started with over 100 chief executive officers from top companies in the region expected to attend. The representatives will include CEOs from Tananiza, Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya. All are keen to grow their businesses through innovation and tap into emerging opportunities in the region. At a media briefing held in Dar es Salaam, a member of the steering committee of the summit, Jamal Hussein, said the business community saw the summit as a catalyst for corporate and governments efforts to make
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the East African Community an attractive and formidable economic trading block. The summit, which will be held on November 17 to 20 in Kenya, is the fifth since the first was held in 2002, and has been designed to respond to some of the current challenges affecting businesses. This year, the summit will build on our past successes, and explore ways to navigate the numerous emerging opportunities in Africa. In particular, we are hoping to understand how CEOs decision about strategies and operating models shape changes in the business landscape, said Hussein, who is also the managing director of Citibank Tanzania. Some of the key topics that will be covered during the session include; harnessing innovation in a growth economy, social media and managing talent for innovation and funding innovation. inDOnesiA TAPs uP AfricA During December Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu will lead a trade delegation to explore business opportunities in South Africa. Deputy Trade Minister Mahendra Siregar said that the visit to Angola, Mozambique and South Africa would be part of the governments efforts to diversify its export destinations. In the middle of the financial crisis in the U.S. and Europe, diversification of export markets, including the African countries, is a way to boost our exports. Indonesias exports to these countries are still very low and have many opportunities to grow, he enthused. According to ministry data, exports to African countries surged by 53 per cent to US$2.58 billion during the first half of this year, up from $1.68 billion over the same period last year. Exports to a number of African countries also showed an upward trend in the period ending on June 30. Indonesia exports a wide range of industrial products including food and beverages, garments, footwear, electronics, medical tools, rubbers ,tires, cars and automotive components. Mintardjo Halim, the executive for the Africa region at the Indonesia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), said that Indonesian products were well-suited to African market demands,
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NEWS IN REVIEW
and therefore, the country could potentially supply a bulk of products to the region in the future. Minister Hatta Rajasa will lead a trade delegation to West African countries including Ghana and Nigeria later this month. cAPe TOWn cOMeDy clAss The Entertainment Master Class (EMC), where industry professionals and experts share their knowledge of all things comical, is due to finish its third module in Cape Town. While several of the participants originate from Spain, Romania, Germany, Belgium, Norway and Malaysia, over half were South African, including guest speaker and creative director Roberta Durrant. Asivhanzhi Asi Mathaba, executive producer of Asi-B Films, said the EMC is a once in a lifetime chance to get unlimited access to people like Durrant. Humphrey Barclay and Paul McKenziethe respected creators of pioneering, early-nineties black sitcom, Desmondsconducted a captivating
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We have therefore written to Salga requesting an urgent meeting to discuss the matter, a Busa representative said. Busa highlighted the existing high burden on businesses, such as stealth tax developments and the significant escalation of water and electricity, which it said was placing severe upward pressure on the already high cost of doing business in South Africa. Additional taxes on the turnover of locally based business are likely to hit the survival of small businesses, and manufacturing concerns in particular, many of whom have much tighter margins than their turnover figures suggest, added Busa.
Five metropolitan areaseThekwini, Johannesburg, Nelson Mandela Bay, Ekurhuleni and Cape Townare reportedly spearheading the proposal that could raise up to R19 billion a year for the municipalities. The tax may take the form of a percentage of turnover, or of a combination of depreciation and employees remuneration. One of the key governments objectives in creating five million jobs in ten years is by expanding the small business base. SAs unemployment rate hit 26 per cent in the second quarter from 25 before, and recent projections are that 500,000 jobs could be lost this year as the economy slows. TAB
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PoINts
John Pinching chats exclusively to Springbok legends John allan and Thinus Delport about their lives in rugby and the 2011 World cup
talkINg
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JohN allaN
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JP: you ended up playing for both south Africa and scotland, how did that come about?
JA: It was during the isolation days and I was playing for the Sharks. I was picked for a Springbok team but the match was always off and on because of the political situation. At the time my father wanted me to go and play rugby in Scotlandit was his dream. I decided if I wanted to play international rugby I would have to go to Scotland. I thought it would take two years to get in the Scotland team for the Rugby World Cup in 1991, but when I arrived the existing hooker got injured, so I was fast-tracked into the Edinburgh Accies first team. My first game was against Hawick, where my hero Bill McLaren [the legendary commentator] is from, and I had the pleasure of meeting him and telling him all about South Africa, because he had never been. When we played the game it had been 25 years since the Accies had beaten Hawick, but all wanted to do was impress Bill! The selectors were there to watch the Hawicks hooker but, because we won
the game, I got a lot of accolades and the next thing I knew I had been picked for the Scotland squad.
JP: What gave you the most pleasure, pulling on the green jersey or the blue?
JA: When I was growing up in South Africa my father had a broad Glaswegian accent and I used to read Oor Wullie, so Im very Scottish by nature. South Africa taught me rugby so, in a sense, Im tornIm a man with two heartsmy outlook in life is South African, but my passion is from Scotland. My fathers dream was for me to play for Scotland and it was mine to represent South Africa, thats why they call me Bok Jock.
JP: south Africa has won the World cup twice, what could a third trophy do for the county?
JA: If the Boks won the Rugby World Cup again it would clearly show the amount of talent that we definitely have here, but I think theyve got their work cut out to retain the trophy. If they do it will lift the whole spirit of the country.
Im very Scottish by nature, but South Africa taught me rugby so, in a sense, Im tornIm a man with two hearts
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This year the Aussies and the Kiwis are playing more of an expansive game and South Africa have also played with greater flair. If those three stick to that style it could easily be the best competition ever
When won it after Mandela brought the whole nation together in 1995, and that helped to reinforce the unification process. In terms of the future, by sheer numbers, we should get people of colour coming throughcan you imagine in the future if we find those black pearlswed never lose a world cup! that I dont think the IRB pay enough attention to the less well known rugby playing countries. They seem to focus too much on the already established nations. Youve got countries with potential like Serbia and Croatia who produce big, tall chaps, and Hollandwhere Afrikaans originally hail from. I dont think they do enough for these nations to encourage them to keep playing, and yet, that is what the World Cup is supposed to do. Its the same in Africa with Zimbabwe, Zambia and Kenya. All the revenue generated is supposed to go to tier two and three countries but, in reality, I think the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
JP: Has the World cup helped to increase rugbys global appeal?
JA: We had the rugby world cup in South Africa and what its done for this country has been amazing. Everyone talks about the World Cupit creates awareness. To be a world champion is the aspiration of most sports people and when the whole world watches the tournament, it inspires the players and raises the profile of the sport. Since 87 more and more teams talk about building towards the World Cup, so it has definitely raised the popularity. My only concern is
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we [SARLA] are trying to do. To get the disadvantaged players to compete with the top tier schools in South Africa it takes money. Youve got to consider nutrition, high performance and conditioning. At the top its exactly the same. The likes of Holland, Croatia and Georgia need the finances in place to build their performance levels and compete on an even keel.
the last two years it has been more of a kicking game. This year, however, the Aussies and the Kiwis are playing more of an expansive game and South Africa have also played with greater flair. If those three stick to that style it could easily be the best competition ever. The skill levels and the physique of the top eight teams are unparalleled to any other World Cup.
JP: What did you think of clint eastwoods interpretation of south Africas great victory in 1995?
JA: I think he got it 70 per cent right. I was part of the Springboks team over that period and remember what went on. For example, in the build-up games against England, during the film, South Africa lose both games but, in actual fact, they lost one and won oneI know, because I played in them! Little things like that you pick up, but I think he got most of it right. Interestingly, the movie focuses as much on rugby as it does on the relationship between Mandela and the South African, white-dominated public.
JP: recently Australia and england have had their weapons, Quade cooper and chris Ashton, found out, how difficult is it to maintain form in modern international rugby?
JA: They say when you play your first international rugby year you get a freebee, if youre still shining in your third, then you are a bone fide international star. The likes of ODriscoll and Carter shine no matter what and thats why they are world class. Quade Cooper could still impress though, hes got a lot of talent.
JP: Do you think it is time for new zealand to leave a lasting legacy?
JA: If they dont win it this year they never will.
JP: There are several established players at this years tournamentcould this be the greatest ever?
JA: During most world cups teams go into their shells as they enter the play-off stage and in
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thINus delPort
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JP: Did you enjoy your spell in Japan and what was the standard like there?
TD: Its probably around Championship level. They are semi-professionalthe majority of guys worked for the company in the offices or factory, but we also had 10 professionals. We trained pretty much every day they couldnt use full days and it was tricky finding the balance between work and training.
you left Rokko Island to go onto mainland Japan, it was quite difficult to function, because no one could speak the language. I really enjoyed the first year because it was all new inputs and experiences. The second year was tough because all the novelties began to wear off.
JP: What was it like adapting to the lifestyle were there lots of hotel bars involved?
TD: Yes, in many ways it was like Lost In Translation. We were based on an artificial island and our accommodation was a block of flats geared towards westerners. There was a combination of foreign businessmen from Nestl, Asics and Proctor & Gamble, and other professional athletes like American Baseball players. We created quite a nice little self-contained society but, as soon as
Defeats inflicted on the All Blacks have sparked a lot of confidence in other teams. Suddenly the Kiwis dont seem so invincible. Australia are on an upward curvethe win in the last game was massive
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The emergence of Jonah Lomu broke the mould for your typical winger. If you look around now the mega-wingers are a dime-a-dozen
JP: Do you still think the kiwis will trouble the trophy engravers for the first time since 87?
TD: They havent got as tougher pool as some of the other teams, so will probably have an easier ride into the knock out stages. The French may well see the group match against their old World Cup rivals as a chance to change their own fortunes, and plot a different route into the semis or final, and that could harm New Zealands chances. It will be one of the few times the All Blacks go into the World Cup with some niggling doubts. and entertaining ploy but, boy, its effective. If you look at any of the World Cup finals and semifinals the majority were won with strong set-pieces and a tactical kicking game. We havent really seen a massively expansive final apart from Australia beating France in 99.
JP: could england surprise a few people again after their incredible run in 2007?
TD: They definitely can. What 2007 showed was that the tougher your pool, the more chance you have of going further in the competition. It was a really difficult group with a couple of close matches, both for South Africa and England. I wont linger on the group game that the Springboks played against England because they didnt have a recognised number 10! Tonga threatened both teams and in the quarter finals South Africa were tested against Fiji, while England were well prepared to take on the Aussies. The All Blacks on the other hand did not have a tough pool and
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in the week leading up to the quarter finals they had a smash training session to increase intensity and physicality and I think that showed in the game they played against France. They seemed physically and mentally drained because theyd had to simulate the harder conditions they didnt get from the group fixtures.
albeit a second string, but it proves that you cant approach these sides without taking them seriouslytheyre not a walkover anymore. Tonga and Fiji also have a lot to offerthey always raise their game on the big stage. A lot of the smaller teams squad are playing in professional leagues, like the Premiership in France. They now get exposed to a higher standard of competition and that shows when the World Cup comes around. Weve already seen how Italy and Argentina have improved through the years. I think the next big step is to provide more money to the Pacific Islanders who have shown that they can compete, but dont necessarily have the finances or infrastructure to sustain it. At the moment these countries only really get access to players during the World Cup.
JP: The Aussies are finding form at just the right time, how do you rate their chances?
TD: Australia have been out of the limelight for a few years, but theyve been experiencing a resurgence and have a very exciting player in Quade Cooper, combined with Will Genia at nine. As a team they bring a lot of excitement, especially in the backs with Kurtley Beale and Digby Ioanetheyre game breakers in the back line.
JP: How important has the World cup been in raising rugbys profile?
TD: Going professional in the mid-nineties was the best thing that ever could have happened to the sport. If that hadnt have happened we would have lost a generation of players to other sports. With technological advances everything has become more marketable, with the internet and Playstation being instrumental in increasing its popularity.
JP: Are the lower tier teams improving with each tournament?
TD: The tier two nations definitely are. Samoa are going to be a big threat for both South Africa and Wales. They turned over Australia,
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the face of rugby in the 90s. All the factors came together in that seminal year.
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ting paid for something I loved. Two years later I was playing for Transvaal alongside players from the 1995 team like Japie Mulder and Hendrik le Roux. They were my teammates and my idols and it was great to draw from their energy and confidence. The 1995 victory certainly drove me on to become a Springbok.
JP: and now some of your finest moments have been captured on youTube forever
TD: Yeah, and some of my less fine moments as well!
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sPOrT
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After failing to establish hi ing Dunfermline Athletic. Swedes short reign in charge
Cup, Bamba scored with his fir Bamba instantly became push for promotion.
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ester.
rst touch of the ball against the a fans favourite and will be
rs in a 2-2 drew.
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including Watford, Fulham, Charlton Athletic a On his debut for the club in February, he
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za has spent the majority of his career in the English league system having played for a number of clubs
and Blackpool. scored a curling free kick within 10 minutes of coming off the bench in a 32 defeat to Middlesbrough.
ry 2011 from French club AC Arles-Avignon before joining the club permanently in April.
n 15 appearances.
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and former Zimbabwean internatio The Nigerian striker has been the game in his native Nigeria.
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SECTION Title
Although hugely influential South African singer Miriam Makeba passed away after a co tapping, hip swinging anthems and, oddly, an inconspicuous block of flats in south west
successful and memorable records is the timeless Pata Pataa brilliantly addictive an
means touch touch. It peaked at 12 in the USs Billboard Hot 100in todays rather lacka
wou
iW
This catchy classic first appeared in Walt Disneys animated film version of Rudyard Kipling
and adults alike, and brought the peculiar, voice-bending singing technique of scat back in
finesse by lovable bear Baloo and a scene-stealing cartoon monkey called King Louis. The p
in the African jungle, causing mayhem, and cross-dressing for comic effect. A popular myth
The Monkey Songis a scathing and deeply sarcastic evolutionary satire on the hu
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86)
some vaguely acquainted half-wit enthusiastically introduces you by the wrong name. Its
he host of a party insisted on calling Paul Simon Al, the master songwriter had to commit
ican period and was a massive hit on his comeback record Graceland. The record is most
ular bass guitar solo from South Africas Bakithi Kumalo and promotional video, which
pair dance and sing their way through the Kings palace
enTerTAinMenT
siD JAMes
South africas greatest export
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For many people Sid James was the quintessential pie n mash cockney. In reality he did not set foot in the uK until he was 33. TabJs editor, John Pinching, thinks Sid is South africas finest commodity and this is why
WHeTHer yOu Are watching Hancocks Half Hour, the Carry On films or Bless This House, if you listen carefully to the legendary Sid James, youll find he isnt quite what you thought he was. Contrary to popular belief, the accent isnt the product of an upbringing in the East End of London. The man with the greatest laugh in the history of the human race was actually born and raised in South Africa.
on this extraordinary list may have been a fantasy on Sids parthe was a vociferous and largely unsuccessful gambler, whose addiction became so entrenched that, after arriving in England, his agent had to set aside a wife-proof allowance (now theres an idea). Gambling wasnt Sids only vice. He was an insatiable womaniser with an appetite for younger ladies. Even before he appeared on the silver screen a trail of broken hearts and, indeed, offspring, had been left behind in his native South Africa, including at least two wives! In his adopted country, although his profession was vastly different, his eye for the ladies always remained in sharp focus.
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On the radio version of Hancocks Half Hour Sid became the confident, brash and dodgy sidekick to Tony Hancocks self-doubting, world-weary hero. The listeners immediately warmed to Sid and he was arguably the shows biggest star, despite its title. Constantly getting Hancock into scrapes and schemes, Sid seduced the audience with his characters preposterous approach to life. An equally popular television series followed but, plagued with doubt, and realising that they were becoming a double actand Sid was getting most of the laughsHancock decided to reaffirm his position at the top of the bill by terminating Sids involvement in the last series. Sid was devastated but, by then, he had joined the double-entendre laden series that would eventually define him.
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Whether he was playing a Roman (Carry On Cleo), governor (Carry On Up the Khyber) or king (Carry On Henry), there was something that was irrefutably and absolutely Sid about his characters, and viewers all over the world adored it. Although in his 50s Sid was often seen as a lecherous, but always lovable, rogue. In several of his Carry On adventuresincluding Doctor, Camping and Dickhe is seen either pursuing, or successfully engaging in, tomfoolery with Barbara Windsor. In reality art was very much replicating life, as an infatuated Sidwho was 24 years older than Windsor made relentless attempts to steal his co-stars heart. During a spin-off stage production called Carry On London Windsor eventually gave in and the pair began an ominous affair. At the time both were married and Sid was the father of two children.
Blessed
When the Carry On series started to wind down, so did the relationship. Feeling inconsolable, following the inevitable break up, Sids health began to deteriorate. He did, however, create one last and highly memorable character in the situation comedy Bless this House. As with so many of his previous parts, the producers kept the name Sid but, in contrast
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to his previous roles, he was cast as a loving father and husband, constantly baffled by the conduct of his family. Again Sid was the starno matter what his fellow cast members did or said; the audience were magnetically drawn to that incredible face, corrugated hair and infectious voice. Although viewers watched in their millions Sid, quite literally, didnt have the heart to carry on. In May 1976, on the stage of the Sunderland Empire, during an adaptation of The Mating Season, he sat down and, unthinkably for Sid, failed to deliver his line. Without any fuss, he had made his way to the great bookmakers in the sky and, with that, show business had lost a unique, talented, charming and unforgettable performer. Thankfully Sid is still immortalisednot only through his wonderful catalogue of filmsbut on mugs, tee-shirts and coasters. For some, this gaudy merchandise is a reassuring hark-back to a more innocent, pre-internet age. Others see Sid as an ultra-cool reinforcement of their manhood. Whatever the reason may be, it is somewhat ironic that, in these days of image rights and mass consumerism, Sid would have cleaned up on the royalties. There is no doubt he would have greeted the enormous cheque with that unmistakable trademark cackle. TAB
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siD reference
Aside from the Carry Ons, Sid appeared in 100s of films. Here are a few of his memorable movies No Orchids for Miss Blandish (1948) Once a Jolly Swagman (1949) The Lavender Hill Mob (1951) Is Your Honeymoon Really Necessary? (1953) The Belles of St Trinians (1954) Trapeze (1956) Quatermass 2 (1957) The 39 Steps (1959) What a Carve Up! (1961) The Beauty Jungle (1964)
MDM enginee
close encounters
Mining
ering
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When youre working on the land it helps if you dont mind getting your hands dirty. MDM engineering work with a range of minerals, so its bond with the elements grows everyday
iT is One of the oldest professions in the world, but mining is still a constantly evolving industry which relies increasingly on cutting edge technology, while also tempting new, innovative companies into the arena. MDM Engineering is one of the new kids on the block and already its making a big impression.
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Set in stone
In the winter of 2006, George Bennett and business partner Mike Nunn launched MDM Engineering. Their prime objective was to create a finely tuned, combative and punctual business that adheres to exceptionally high standards. It was a good time to start a new venturethe economy was buoyant and the industry was ripe for new blood. In the few years that have passed since trading began, Bennett and Nunns vision has taken shape very nicely indeed. The company is primarily concerned with mine engineering, focusing on the design and construction of process plants for several different minerals. MDMs exclusive service incorporates the full process extraction of various minerals including gold, uranium, base metals, platinum group metals, ferro metals, industrial minerals, coal and diamonds. It is also involved from the vital preliminary economic assessment/scoping study stage, right through to the prefeasibility and bankable feasibility studies. The company also conducted detailed engineering and project management. Executive director George Bennett reveals the formula that makes the company a force to be reckoned with: MDM listens with care, designs with purpose and delivers beyond expectation. Our
technical team has 311 years worth of experience. It has built 54 plants, completed 63 bankable feasibility studies and worked in 32 countries. This combined pool of talent has always been essential to the companys meticulous ethos and is reflected in the rapid growth of the workforce. In just over half a decade MDMs employee numbers have risen from a humble 26 to a formidable workforce of 190. Many more will join the ranks as the companys influence continues to spread.
Solid as a rock
The experience built over the years has resulted in MDM developing a large database of projects, many being built in more remote locations across Africa. The company is capable of designing all the intricate infrastructure for the projects, including power generation plants and full plant operation. MDM has also become very familiar with the logistical challenges of moving heavy equipment through Africa from customs clearance through to the actual construction of temporary bridges and roads, for delivering the equipment to site. Over the last three years MDM has worked on many important projects based in South Africa. Additionally, during the last 18 months, it has successfully extended its ventures in the rest of Africa. Exciting projects are currently taking
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place in Ghana, Tanzania, DRC, Botswana and Zambia. MDM plans to continue its expansion throughout Africa, targeting the mining opportunities in various countries and across a wide range of commodities.
tion in Stilfontein, South Africa, conducting the full engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) implementation for a 650,000 tonne per month gold and 130,000 tonne per month uranium circuit. MDM also carried out the full EPC implementation for a 2.4 million tonnes per annum gold plant as well as the EPC for a 1.2 million tonnes per annum uranium plant in Randfontein, South Africa. Both projects were, again, carried out for First Uranium Corporation. Some of MDMs current projects and studies include the Gold Fields Tarkwa CIL Expansion gold project in Ghana, Kalahari
Mining magic
One of MDMs proudest achievements came during 2008/2009 when the company successfully commissioned the first combined uranium and gold process plant to be constructed in South Africa for over 30 years. Meanwhile, it also oversaw the initial mine waste solutions phase for First Uranium Corpora-
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P.O. Box 13106, Northmead, Benoni 1511, Gauteng, South Africa 153 Top Rd, Anderbolt, Boksburg, Gauteng, South Africa
Resources Kalagadi Manganese Umtu project in South Africa and a dense media separation plant for Camrose in the DRC. Other notable ventures are bankable feasibility studies for African Barricks Bulyanhulu gold project in Tanzania, Taung Golds Evander shaft in South Africa, Metorex Kinsenda copper project in the DRC and Africo Resources Kalukundi copper/cobalt project, also in the DRC. In addition the company has recently been awarded with the EPC for the Tharisa chromite and platinum expansion project in South Africa. MDM works closely with its supplier base on its various projects to ensure a streamlined and
efficient delivery to the client. Some of these partners include Try Line Steel Engineering, Outotec, Roymec Tecnologies, Site Fab, Southern African Merchants, Zest-Electrical, Weir Warman Africa, Kemix, Hawker Sideley and Pan Solutions. With so many incredibly adventurous assignments completed, continuing and starting in the near future its safe to say, when it comes to delivering an engineering master class MDM really have cracked it. TAB
Try Line ad 2
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Wo
kAl
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Mining
lAgADi MAngAnese
one South african mining company is taking exception to the rule that men should lead by example, by employing women to run its successful operation.
onder women
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kAlAHAri resOurces, A majority black-owned company in which women occupy the top positions, was founded in 2001 as the result of new mining legislation that gave historically disadvantaged individuals the opportunity to participate in the mainstream economy. The companys equity is held by nine companies, which brings together a range of women groups, entrepreneurs and beneficiaries. Its not about how much money we can make out of this project, says executive chairperson Daphne Mashile-Nkosi. It is about leaving a lasting legacy for good and for positive transformation. It is about forging new paths so that other women, in turn, can take our place and also make their mark on their mining industry in this country.
The company was established with the intention of gaining access to manganese resources in the Kalahari Manganese Basin, which was achieved back in 2005 when the company was granted a license to prospect for manganese on the farms of Gama, Olivepan and Umtu.
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exploration programme has identified an extra 102 million tons of mineral resources. ArcelorMittal has acquired a 50 per cent interest in the Kalahari project for US$432.5 million. In 2009 the company signed a deal with the global steel giant that created an operating company to execute a R4.3 billion project, which consists of an underground mine to produce three million tonnes per annum of mine ore, an ore preparation facility and sinter plant, and a smelter in the Industrial Development Zone at Coega. The Industrial Development Corporation came on-board by acquired 20 per cent of the company for R60 million following the completion of the manganese exploration work.
Today she presides over a multimillion dollar joint venture deal with arcelorMittal.
Mashile-Nkosi is also the chairperson of WDP Investment Holdings, the deputy chairperson of the WDB Trust, and a founding member, shareholder and director of Temeso Technologies. This dynamic businesswoman also serves on the boards of Eyesizwe Coal, Nuworld Logistics
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and Thari Mining, is a shareholder in Cellsaf and chairs the Mpumalanga Gaming Board. Her inability to take no for an answer and her passionate belief in womens rights, has helped
her get to where she is today, in a society traditionally dominated by men. Mashile-Nkosi has also worked as a community facilitator and loans officer for the
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years Ingxoxo: Women in Mining conference in Johannesburg, Mashile-Nkosi said: It is not too long ago that it would have been totally inconceivable for a black woman to play a significant role in the mining industry. These days, this industry is still primarily a male preserve.
Women still have a long journey ahead of them before they can be said to have reached true equality, women are slowly beginning to play more than a meaningful role in our countrys mining industry.
There are no guarantees that the future will be any easier than the past, she says. But weve learned many lessons over the past few years and were consequently well positioned to face any challenge or eventuality. No matter how dark the night, the day is yet to come. If you come across difficulty in your journey, take comfort in that those too will pass, she notes. With such a dynamic woman in charge, its perhaps no surprise that Kalahari Resources Womens Development Bank and she was detained by the former Apartheid Government for her role as an activist. In a speech delivered to delegates at last WWW.kAlAHAriresOurces.cO.zA finds itself in the position it is today. TAB
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TRANSPORTATION M3 carriers
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M3 carriers take on the jobs its clients dont wantand theres nothing it loves more! For over 17 years it has been driving, delivering and distributing throughout South africa and beyond.
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TRANSPORTATION M3 carriers
Scania. Destine
Trucks / Buses / Engines /
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Durban Dealer 23 Qashana Khuzwayo New Germany, Kwazulu Natal Tel: +27 31 705 9280 Fax: +27 31 705 8088
Richards Bay Dealer 7 Brass Link Rd, Alton Richards Bay Tel: +27 35 751 1603 Fax: +27 35 751 1592
ed to Lead.
Services
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TRANSPORTATION M3 carriers
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AUM CHEMICALS
MANUFACTURERS OF CLEANING CHEMICALS
We are a 100% BEE SMME company engaged in the manufacture of specialised cleaning chemicals for the automotive industry as well as other industrial and commercial enterprises. Our products include, engine cleaners, heavy duty engine degreasers, waterless hand cleaners, anti freeze, auto body wash and wax, workshop oor degreasers and perfumed liquid hand soap. We also manufacture specic cleaning products as requested by customers. We are totally committed to service excellence and constantly strive to exceed customer expectations. P.O. Box 918 54 Manor Drive KwaDukuza-Stanger, 4450 Stanger Manor, KwaDukuza-Stanger T 032 - 551 2858 | F 032 - 551 2858 C 083 661 5436 | sellanm@telkomsa.net
THe increAsingly DeMAnDing citizens of planet earth are living a constantly modernised existence in which memory clouds, smartphones and tablets have become king, and lives unfold in cyberspace. When it comes to the reality of actually storing or delivering a large physical item, however, there isnt a darn thing your iPad can do about it (with the possible exception of reminding you that you need to store or deliver a large item!). As long as a kitchen table, grand piano, consignment of bricks or priceless statue cant be downloaded to their destinations, M3 Carriers will continue to provide its tried and trusted
warehouse, haulage and distribution services. No wonder its slogan proudly guarantees, nothing too big, nor too small, M3 carries them all.
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TRANSPORTATION M3 carriers
among the most impressive haulage companies in the region. The company offer a total service that caters for each and every customer requirement. After a detailed consultation with the client it is the M3 Carriers policy to carry out every stage of the process with speed, precision and efficiency. While other companys only offer one service, M3 Carriers are proud to provide a complete operation, providing peace of mind and security to all its customers. Its specialised and highly experienced workforce has completed thousands of local and long haul operations. M3 Carriers is a company that loves the open road, which is just as well, its considerable fleet spends most of the time on it! Indeed, over the last 17 highly successful years the company has put well over a million kilometres on the clock. When most of us are asleep you can be sure several M3 Carriers will be going about their business on the tarmac. Its impressively vast squad of over 200 distance-crunching vehicles includes mechanical horses, tonners, axle trailers, sodium sulphate tankers, fork lifts, clamp trucks, refrigerated trailers and cane trailers. Managing Director Deva Moodier has overseen the companys steady rise and thinks that unwavering reliability has been pivotal to its success. We are passionate about providing an excellent, dedicated and versatile service which satisfies our customers requirements, he says. Our employees enjoy delivering a great service because we are passionate about providing a safe, secure and rewarding working environment.
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services. Its policywhich has now been fully implemented--is to select and empower previously disadvantaged individuals. Working for the company also allows them the opportunity to take control of their lives and pride in their work. The system really motivates people who have had a less privileged start to their lives. The company allows our devoted and faithful operators to take ownership of the vehicles and this
has been instrumental in the continued success of M3 Carriers, explains Deva. Outstanding service and staff progression has always been at the heart of what M3 Carriers does. In a business that requires so much dedication and driveits a case of moving with the times, literally. TAB WWW.M3cArrierscc.cO.zA
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TRANSPORTATION rotran
OPerATing A lArge flotilla of vehicles unique to South Africa, heavy transportation specialists Rotran is able to deal with specialised loads through a fleet that can carry abnormal loads. Within its large fleet, Rotran claims to be owner of the largest highway truck in the world. The truck is able to cater to 2.75 kilowatt/per tonne and possesses a huge 709 kilowatt engine built by international heavy equipment giants Caterpillar. In the past five years the company has invested significantly in new equipment. The new additions have increased the companys yearly load capacity from 9,000 tonnes to 24,000 tonnes. Working in South Africa provides the company
with a unique set of circumstances, as the countrys loading conditions differ to those in Europe. While in Europe trucks and trailers operate within an average spacing of 1.55 metres, in South Africa Rotran is forced to operate with as much spacing as possible of between 2-2.5 metres. This specialised equipment is not easy to come across, and Rotran has, for the past five years, worked very closely with Nicolas Industries, who have built all the new equipment purchased by the company since 2005.
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ARC SOUTH AFRICA Tel: + 27 11 979 0416 - 9 Fax: + 27 11 979 0430 / 2 Email: admin@arc.za.com Address: No 14. Villa Valencia Oce Park No 4. Anemoon Rd, Glen Marais Ext1 Kempton Park 1620 Johannesburg, South Africa
ARC ZIMBABWE Tel: + 263 4 481177 Fax: + 263 4 481591 Email: wgovinder@arczim.co.zw Address: No 2 Lee Road Greendale Harare Zimbabwe
group Eskom, for whom it transports transformers. Eskom, the largest producer of electricity in Africa, operates a number of notable power stations across the country, including nuclearfuelled facilities. Rotran, which was formed out of Eskoms need to transport transformers, has often been tasked by its parent company with transporting generators, thermal power stations and nuclear components. The company worked to successfully deliver of an Advanced SytholReactor for mining, energy, chemicals and synfuels company Sasol a task that involved delivering a load that was 21 metres long, nine meters high and nine meters wide.
The huge reactor formed part of the Secunda Growth Programme and has since proved essential to improving that areas economic prospects.
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TRANSPORTATION rotran
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expertise they joined the companys full-time operation, working alongside an older generation who will gradually pass the baton of knowledge on. The youngsters, despite having the fortune to join such an remarkable company, will not have it all their own way, with tough working conditions for some drivers who could be on the road for periods of up to eight weeks.
Larger loads
Rotrans yearly loads have continued to climb, from around 13,000 tonnes of cargo transported in 2007 to 15,000 tonnes in 2009. With its enlarged fleet the companys load capabilities have rocketed from its 2007 figures with the company transporting close to 24,000 tonnes in 2010. With an increased workforce mixing youthful vigour with invaluable experience, and continuous growing loads, Rotran is looking to a bright future with it specialist skills proving to play an essential role in its clients operations. TAB WWW.rOTrAn.cO.zA
Thanks to its 60 years experience, NICOLAS designs and produces the heavy duty transport solutions that will enable your company to fulfil all your abnormal transport jobs, either on road or on site. With NICOLAS tailor-made heavy duty lowbeds and user-friendly modular equipments, you will be able to achieve any transport in the fields of wind farms, electricity, oil and gas, shipyard, petrochemical & offshore construction projects.
Mr. Pierre Berret, Africa Sales Manager Mobile : ++ 33 6 86 40 33 88, pierre.berret@tii-sales.fr
www.nicolas.fr
Jvc freigH
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From managing logistics to evaluating route schedules, South africans JVc Freight is covering all the bases a customer could possibly demand.
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esTABlisHeD BAck in 1992, JVC Freight is a precursor in transportation brokerage, with solid credentials and dedicated employees who take pride in providing quality service standards. From its humble origins, the enterprise started operations with a miniscule client base and has since recorded substantial growth. The company puts its success down to the fact it is able to provide all transport needs under one umbrella in southern Africas ever more demanding logistics market.
As its client base continues to grow, JVC Freight has found itself at the forefront of the industry.
On a mission to please
JVC Freight says its mission is to innovate, develop, implement and manage logistics, transport and distribution solutions by understanding the business of its customers. The company aims to be as flexible and open as possible with its business partners, its customers and its suppliers.
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Throughout the structure of JVC Freight runs a set of business values that guides its activities and reflects the companys spirit. These range from the ability to conduct business in an ethical and moral manner, to ensuring compliance in regularity and legal issues. The firm aims to continually improve its performance while remaining committed to providing its customers with high levels of services. As well as bringing more than 16 years of experience to the table, JVC Freight provides a large array of services that demonstrate its commitment to quality, reliability and customer satisfaction. The services it has on offer cover the needs of customers who hail from a broad range of industries and seek the simple transportation of goods. JVC Freight ensures that its clients deal with just one logistics company for all their transport needs. The company has the resources to transport containers, and normal and abnormal break-bulk cargos, within South Africa and in the neighbouring states of Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, Zambia and Mozambique.
Service galore
JVC Freight has partnered with a network of professional transporters to ensure greater efficiencies, prompt on-time performance and
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competitive stable tariffs. It is also able to supply a vehicle tracking service that utilises the latest monitoring and satellite technology. Used to ensure the security and tracking of a vehicle, this technology enables the detection of a vehicles performance measurements, including the evaluation of route schedules, compliance to route plans, vehicle loading and offloading times, as well as vehicle times. Through daily upliftment and status reports, customers are able to confirm the date and time of upliftment, the estimated time of delivery and a customers reference number, as well as various important details to facilitate effective communication with regards to deliveries and the successful update of customer files. Each of its subcontractors vehicles is fitted with cell phones to enable communication between drivers, operations personnel and customers, and also enhance the accuracy of information relayed onto customers. JVC Freight has made itself available to customers on a 24-hour basis, with subcontractors provided with nightshift controllers who are responsible for monitoring, controlling and managing vehicles after hours, and are able to act on any problems that may arise. JVC Freight has access to a wide base of subcontractors conforming to predetermined quality standards, assisting during peak periods, providing additional equipment if required at short notice. The company has also teamed up with port authorities and shipping lines to secure updates on the status of travelling vessels to establish discharge dates.
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With a very broad range of services, association relationships and huge array of logistical tools at its disposal, JVC Freight is setting the agenda when it comes to operating a successful transportation brokerage and logistics company. TAB WWW.JvcfreigHT.cO.zA
HeAlTHcAre
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as its name suggests Gold Fields proudly provides a service that outshines its rivals and sees patients health as by far the most precious commodity.
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With this considered, having a modern, forwardthinking and supportive healthcare provider is not just very reassuring, but also a vital addition to our hectic lives. Gold Fields Health provides a private and bespoke service that sees every patient as a vitally important individual and an integral part of the community.
Dr. Know
Gold Fields Health is a private healthcare operation which was created out of a need to provide medical services to the employees of Gold Fields. Over the ensuing years it has evolved, from a pure mining hospital, to an impressive and modernised private facility. By serving not just the companys employees, but the whole community, it has also earned a reputation as one of the most professional, reliable and successful healthcare providers in the region. Allowing the wider population to access its facilities has transformed, saved and extended lives, bringing the local people closer THe WOrlD is changing at such speed that its almost impossible to keep up. Some things, however, are very clear; we are all getting older, some of us are even getting wiser and an increasingly large number of us will live much, much longer than previous generations. In fact, in the next decade there will be more centenarians per square mile than ever before! together and ensuring the company is able to welcome new patients into its care every day. Each and every member of staff at Gold Fields Health is passionate about helping patients to convalesce, improve, and ultimately, recover in a stable and positive setting. Situated in the heart of the community it serves the hospitalsSt. Helena and Leslie Williams offer world-class private
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facilities, both staffed by highly qualified and experienced personnel. Unlike other institutions Gold Fields highly trained nursing staff work in a bright and positive environment. This has proven to be essential in aiding patient recovery and increasing overall satisfaction. This personalised care and an empathetic atmosphere extends to doctors, who are given the freedom to practice good medicine, without inconvenience. The company prides itself on providing ideal medical facilities for its talented doctors and specialists. In addition, it supplies external practitioners with vital equipment and services for their
patients. These local links help provide a unique and highly regarded network of support which the entire community benefits from. Both the hospitals embrace technological advance in the industry and are equipped with state-of-the-art theatre and ward facilities, enabling them to administer ground-breaking research programmes, superior surgery and outstanding health care.
First aid
In the healthcare arena disease profiles are constantly changing and Gold Fields are always looking at innovative ways of combating
illnesses by providing increasingly impressive primary health care, curative services and a range of contracted specialists. Gold Fields Dr. Andy Ellis-Cole explains why a bespoke service is essential to the companys success: Our emphasis is not on curative services but on promotion and prevention with competencies in the curative aspect of the business, he said. The organisation provides region-specific services geared to the risks or disease profiles of certain regions. We are one of the few operations in the country that can provide such a tailored operation. The company is also substantial enough to evolve when changes occur, both medically and in the community, he added.
Making a difference
The recently implemented quality improvements programme has ensured that Gold Fields Health remains competitive and the preferred private provider of healthcare services in the region. Progress is something that has always been at the forefront of the Gold Fields ethos. To cater for future demand and being up to date with diagnostic and curative equipment is essential. As a company we are constantly moving forward and, of course, we like to keep our finger on the pulse, explains Dr. Ellis-Cole. The quality improvements, which have taken place over the last few years, are also matched by very favourable outcomes from the clinical management of all diseases. The progress in
treating illnesses has shown a dramatic improvement in annual comparisons and forecasts suggest that improvements are set to continue. Perhaps the most rewarding project for the hospitals has been the huge impact of the Gold Fields HIV/AIDS programmes. The programme is part of the prevention and promotion strategy which also embraces the companys philosophy of zero harm. The programme has helped to galvanise the lives of people affected by the illness by improving treatments, increasing quality of life and, above all, providing the community with empowering knowledge and information. In the final analysis all Gold Field Healths projects have an emphasis on helping the local community and in doing so providing cohesion, WWW.gOlDfielDs.cO.zA reassurance and optimism for thousands of people. Indeed, like so many of its patients, it keeps getting better. TAB
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BesseMer
The silo specialist
resOurces
With close to six decades of experience in designing, manufacturing and erecting steel silos, South african company bessemer is playing an important role in the development of agriculture across the region.
WiTH A PrinciPAl focus on constructing structural steelwork, steel bins and silos, Bessemer is demonstrating how a company should take the initiative within a specialised industry. Whether it is as the main contractor, a subcontractor or on turnkey basis, the company is offering its services in a variety of forms across South Africa and its neighbouring states. Bessemers roots date back to 1952 and, while it has been involved in a variety of industries, today it is primarily known for its steel silo structures. There has been a part of the company within the silo storage industry for more than 52 years now, says Bessemer executive chairman Fritz Hoogendyk. Originally founded by Hoogendyks father, today the company is supplying silos to a range of industries across southern Africa and has even ventured into the Asian market. Weve worked as far north as the Democratic Republic of the Congo and last year we completed a R26 million project in Pakistan in
conjunction with our partners out there, says Hoogendyk. We specialise in equipment that stores a loose product chiefly grain for the agriculture industry and weve been doing this since 1958 when we built our first silos. Bessemer silos are watertight and rodentsafe, and the company has been responsible for the design and erection of some of Africas largest steel silos. With a range of different silo models available, Bessemer is also able to offer customised structures. As well as being a leader in the design, manufacture and erection of steel silos, the company has the ability to undertake the design, manufacture, supply, erection and commissioning of mechanical handling equipment for the agricultural, chemical, mining, and food processing industries.
Hoogendyk says that the amount of employees on the companys books at any one time is dependent on its workload. At the moment we employ about 45 people, but at our peak weve employed between 140150 people, he reveals. We believe in giving our customers specialised service and attention, and therefore we dont take on more work than it is possible for us to do. Despite the drop in demand the company has experienced due to the economic downturn, it has continued to perform well. Were still very close to the turnover we budgeted for in these circumstances and therefore we cant complain too much, remarks Hoogendyk. We would like the demand to be a bit more like it was three to four years ago, but were currently doing pretty well especially if you compare our performance with some of the businesses we know of in some of the markets we work in.
Size matters
Bessemer is able to supply loose bulk single storage products ranging in size from five tonnes to 15,000 tonnes. We can do any size required, but often it will depend on the customers circumstances, says Hoogendyk. A lot of customers request silo departmentations, because they store different
grades of grain, and some would rather have five 5,000 tonne silos than just one huge silo. The largest silo weve ever constructed in one piece can accommodate 15,000 tonnes of grain, he adds.
Agriculture is really coming on in counties like Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, so were definitely looking at that situation, and in the future we hope to be as strong in these markets as we are in South Africa, he notes. A lot of South African milling companies are expanding into Africa, so naturally we want to be a part of that. As Bessemer works its way through a financial crisis that has affected most African industries, it also has one eye firmly on the future. Fuelled by its strong expertise and experience, as well as its evident drive to succeed, expect to see a growing number of the companys silos popping up across the continent. TAB
Moving forwards
With more than 60 years of history behind it, the company is now taking a careful approach to business as it looks to the future. Recently we have been consolidating and we will wait to see whether the economic situation stabilises in the countries in which we operate in, says Hoogendyk. Then well start looking at expanding our interests across the southern part of Africa, which is where we think our natural market lies.
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In order to be of value, resources and commodities need get from a to b. If you are looking for a partner in transportation with the experience and agility to handle heavy loads in a professional manner, then who better to call upon than logistics experts Du Plessis Sand.
Starting with juSt a single truck more than 30 years ago, Du Plessis Sand has grown into one of southern Africas leading suppliers of professional transport and logistics services. The company was started by my father in 1979 and back then we only used to transport building materials for the construction industry, says Du Plessis Sand managing director Andre Du Plessis. In 2000 the company began diversifying into markets outside construction and by doing so changed the core focus of the business to the transportation of commodities. Whether its coal, fertilizer, hazardous products,
steel shavings, chrome or glass the Du Plessis Sands team will be able to supply the professional transport service. At the turn of the millennium the construction market was in decline, notes Du Plessis. So we entered into the export commodities market and started to focus on the transportation side of these industries. Today, sand and stone probably accounts for less than five per cent of our turnover, he adds. According to Du Plessis the company operates 65 large rigs across the country. As we mainly cover commodities, we have to go to wherever the materials are mined, he says.
While were not too active in the Cape Province we do cross borders, but were focused on the inland market and running exports to the coastal areas.
get their learners licence and, at the end of the day, their heavy-drivers licence. Young drivers enter the academy for a period of three years and are taught by full-time experienced trainers and lecturers. They learn a whole load of practical theory, a little bit of mechanics, some health and safety and other things that make up the role of driver, remarks Du Plessis. Its not just about driving finish you paying the capital on them, he adds. Du Plessis Sand has an onsite workshop and employs close to 20 mechanics who maintain the hard-worked vehicles. We have the facilities to refurbish, sandblast or spray the vehicles, and it is set up so that we are totally self-reliant and minimise any thirdparty contact, says Du Plessis. Through its in-house maintenance facility the company is able to tend to any problems in a cost-effective and efficient manner. the vehicle it goes beyond that. As well as helping young people get ahead in life, Du Plessis Sand has partnered with Consol Glass to carry out a green initiative. We have partnered up with Consol to collect recyclable glass on a national basis, explains Du Plessis. We are identifying people within communities and setting them up with all the relevant equipment and training they need to collect local glass. We supply the logistics to get this glass from these people to Consol at no cost. With a strong educational system in place for its employees, an evident commitment to the environment and a successful business model in place, Du Plessis Sand is clearly taking the initiative within the logistics industry. TAB WWW.DuPlessissAnD.cO.zA
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r h
PrOPerTy
When you stick around an industry long enough you inevitably witness things that could be done better. after years of selling properties for other businesses rawson decided to take action on its knowledge of the market and make its own buildings. It proved to be the best decision the company ever made
trading way back in the late seventies and, for the next sixteen years it marketed properties for other developers but, while very successful, it found that the rewards were far from handsome. Determined to be more profitable and with a cornucopia of adventurous ideas the company decided to branch out into property development. Director Paul Henry explains: The company was created by the desire to do our own developments. When we were marketing agents for local developers, we were the ones taking all the financial risks in terms of advertising. Then, once we had sold the properties we were only rewarded with a very small commission at the end of the project. Rawson Developers has a uniquely vast frOM iTs eArly beginnings as marketing agents Rawson was in a perfect position to observe how the lifecycle of a property unfolded. From the design stage to the selling of a house, flat or office, the company was able to dissect the nuances of the industry, while developing a sixth sense for what customers want. Knowing that it could confidently take over the building operations, while stamping its class on an area that it knew and loved, was to prove a temptation it couldnt resist. knowledge and understanding of the Western Cape and, therefore most of its ventures are concentrated in the area. The company is fully registered with Master Builders Association (MBA) and utilises the broad talents and craftsmanship of its workforce to bring projects to fruition in record time. After establishing its presence on the property developing side it began to specialise in residential structures, focussing particularly on certain niche markets. Its visionary teamwhich now provides employment to a team of over 200 peoplehas handled developments, both big and small, across the Western Cape, including Kirstenhof,
Building trust
The residential division of the company began
Tokai, Durbanville, Parow, Rondebosch, Claremont, Mowbray, Maitland, Athlone, Brackenfell, West Beach, Parklands, Strand and Plumstead.
opments stretching over 13,000 square metres under our belts, including several lucrative contracts in the Cape Peninsula, says Henry. We like to develop as large an area as possible. Our distinctive styles and captivating urban layouts then give the whole region a Rawson character which has proved extremely popular, he adds.
Solid foundations
With several stunning projects completed Rawson has accumulated a very impressive portfolio and has emerged as one of the most respected, original and innovative property developers in South Africa. Our years of experience mean that we fully understand the need for on-time, on-budget projectsour approach to completion has always been meticulous. We have more than 80 devel-
Brick thinking
In South Africa Rawson is being exposed to the entire country through more than 130 residential franchises. This has been a great way to advertise and promote the quality of Rawsons constructions
to potential buyers. Some say that houses have their own voices, but in this case the buildings really are able to speak for themselves! The reputation, organisation and passion of Rawson Developers means that they were very well prepared to beat the recession and, although there have been tough obstacles to overcome, employment numbers during the economic downturn have actually risen and will continue to do so over the next few years. What is of paramount importance in todays market is that the developer or builder achieves the deserved sales targets within a reasonable periodthis is precisely what Raw-
son prides itself on achieving, noted Henry. Rawson currently have exciting plans for further expansion in the Western Cape, including some A-grade residential developments lined up for the next few years. It is also very interested in pursuing other opportunities throughout South Africa and overseas. With the building bricks firmly in placequite literallyfor a very rewarding and prosperous decade, no wonder Rawson are the most house proud company on the block. TAB
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PrOPerTy
AMs
easant proprietors
er is working hard to fight off the nsure that its tenants come first.
ty brokerage.
BMI has remained a highly-specialised family business since its inception more than three decades ago and under the leadership of Garry McWilliams, son of Bruce McWilliams, has retained its position of leadership within Port Elizabeths property market. In the early 1970s Bruce McWilliams was involved in the FMCG cash and carry business, before his company was bought by Metro Cash & Carry, explains BMI managing director Mark Bakker. With the capital he received from this sale he entered the property business. In the 1970s Bruce became one of the pioneers of sectional title in Port Elizabeth, he
notes. He would buy up blocks of flats, open up the sectional title register and sell them off individually. There are still quite a few sectional blocks of flats around, especially on our beach front, which he also developed and sold. Because of his interest in the cash and carry business, Bruce McWilliams entered the industrial property market, putting together a large industrial portfolio of building; a few of which the company still manages and maintains today. The market in Port Elizabeth is predominately industrial, says Bakker. The city is very driven by the motor industry, with Volkswagen
and General Motors big employees and industrial players within the cities markets. Another of the citys strong industries includes the FMCG industry and light engineering, both of which the company is able to facilitate through its portfolio. Alongside the property portfolio he built up during his successful career, Bruce McWilliams also snapped up the opportunity to secure KFC franchises for the Eastern Cape. That was a separate business, explains Bakker. He was a silent partner in the business and had a partner who ran that business for a number of years and who, upon
retirement, was bought out by Bruces sons. Today Daryl McWilliams heads up KFC for the Eastern Cape and his brother Gary McWilliams heads up the property side of the family business.
side of things, office space has also been affected. The industrial side has not been as drastically affected, but it is definitely feeling the pitch. Just a few years ago, however, landlords were still calling the shots due to the large demand, but its the tenants who are calling the shots. While the company has not changed its model during the recession, it has changed its expectations. A couple of years ago we were signing leases at R25,000 to R30,000 a square metre, but today tenants are offering R20,000 or R18,000 for the same space, Bakker notes. In the past you would have a couple of tenants looking at the same space and demand would drive up the price but now were all chasing the same tenant.
Tenant treatment
In order to stay relevant and ahead of its competitors, BMI has in place a maintenance division that ensures all of its tenants are looked after and that any problems that arise are addressed straight away. Gary McWilliams and I are very hands on when it comes to tenants, says Bakker. Whether its legal issues, maintenance issue, or the renewal of a lease agreement, well be there. We dont believe in having the attitude that
if a tenant is established within the building they wont be going anywhere and therefore we can drive up the rental. We make sure the tenants are happy and thats the most important thing in our business, he adds. As the company looks to the future, it is opting to ride out the economic storm first as it holds back on the development side. We are looking at consolidating, but were also looking at maintaining what we have and improving our current buildings, Bakker reveals. As some of our buildings are getting a bit older we will need to spend money on
upgrading, updating and adapting them to the needs of the market. As the company adapts to a market changing due to the pressure exerted by the financial markets, it is also ensuring that its tenants continue to come first. By doing so, BMI is riding out the economic storm by keeping its buildings occupied and its tenants satisfied with the service being provided by their landlords. TAB
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DesTin
Date with
ecOsPHere PrOJecT
h destiny
ny AfricA
The eastern end of Western cape is getting a unique multi-million dollar face lift that embraces aesthetics, the natural environment and, above all, the community
TAke A TriP into the ecosphere. It sounds like an elaborate episode from the early Star Trek series in which Kirk and Spock visit an ultra-modern civilisation where ecology plays as bigger role as the planets inhabitants. This concept, far from being a seed from the fertile imagination of a science fiction writer, is actually emerging through a ground-breaking project in South Africa.
close to the town of George. The picturesque setting, in the middle of the hugely popular Garden Route, lies at the eastern end of the Western Cape Province, spanning 200 kilometres of South Africas spectacular southern coast. The projectwhich is largely driven by the mining industryincorporated the forward-thinking Mice concept (meetings, incentives, conferences and expositions) to guide it through the all-important early stages. While this essential system formed the foundation for sustainable business tourism, the venture also needed to encourage a complete platform for living. Not just an enhanced professional experiencebut for every walk of life. With this considered the project leaders have moulded a cohesive structure that galvanises the lifestyle, economy and ecology of everyone that enters the area. This enviable
Paradise city
Approved in 2009, the Destiny Africa ecosphere project, is a US$3.7-billion (R28-billion) initiative that will be created on 437 hectares of land
agenda will herald South Africas biggest and most ambitious living space in its history. Managing director Fred Brown describes the utopian vision: Destiny Africa will play host to an entirely self-sufficient and thriving community. It will be a place of industry, invention, health and fun, where people can live fulfilling and prosperous lives, he said. The site consists of a number of different and engaging precincts. It also includes a megamall, state-of-the-art conference facilities, 3,200 rooms, science laboratories, residential components, a police station, two schools and even a university. Furthermore, the green impact of these combined assets cannot be underestimated, he added. The area, which used to be a rainforest, will be completely transformed and in about 15 years
the dream of Destiny Africa will become a reality with families, professionals and business people giving life to concept. A three by six metre model (see overleaf) currently resides in Singapore and acts as an inspiration to the people who will start work on Destiny Africa in 2012.
Lifetime achievement
The project will be known as a business resort and, as the name suggests, there is an emphasis on profession and personal fulfilment. The concept invites people to live their lives in a stunning and stimulating complex that they can be proud ofan extended home where they can play, live, sleep, eat, go to school and work in one very special place. Environmental benefits connected with such a multi-faceted community cannot be
underestimated. Imagine the amount of fuel that could be saved if literally thousands of people are walking to the supermarket, place of work, gym and school. The effect of this would be a significant reduction in individual and collective carbon footprints, a massive decrease in pollution and the vital saving of the earths natural resources. The population of Destiny Africa would also be noticeably healthier, less prone to respiratory problems and unlikely to drive as they become accustomed to using their feet as a preferred method of transport.
will add a touch of majestyin many ways it is a return to innocence. Capturing the best parts of both the past and the future will enable people to immerse themselves in a situation that is at once futuristic and traditional; sampling a modern lifestyle which takes its obligations to the planet very seriously. This sustainable paradise is also going to create over 50,000 job opportunities and thousands of permanent jobsa figure that will increase further as lucrative partnerships with other businesses are established. As the revolutionary project gradually emerges it will pave the way for a new collection of low maintenance, high-achieving communities. Indeed, this jewel in South Africas crown will be the subject of envious glances from all over the world as people are given the chance to change their lives and make a positive difference. After all, we all want to be masters of our own destiny. TAB
Brunel MAnufAcT
If feeling good and looking great are way a business and its customers, then brun sleepits customers have been returning
cOsMeTics
ys to gauge the relationship between nel Manufacturing need not lose any g to them happily for over 10 years.
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in THe MODern world there are mirrors, windows and ominous shiny surfaces everywhere. A single glance in almost any direction will be returned with your reflection. With this in mind it is wise to choose a cosmetics company that you trust implicitly; after all, when you see your own face looking back at you, its always nice to greet it with a smile!
combined their extensive expertise of manufacturing cosmetics, toiletries and supplementary health/pharmaceutical products, to form a new business enterprise. The company is one of a select few that provides a full service, from the first concept stage to the development and manufacture of the final product. It provides a wide variety of essential, desirable and very popular products including soap, cosmetics, body lotions, skin care, hair care, powders, creams, scrubs, gels, bath accessories, sun protection and health industry supplements.
Cleaning up
Brunel Manufacturing has been trading since 2001, when personal care product luminaries Syd Rogers, Dawie de Bruin and Louis Nel
During the last 10 years Brunel has been manufacturing a wide variety of branded products for a number of large retail groups based in South Africa. The company also enjoys fruitful relationships with several internationally recognised topend cosmetic brands. In addition, a substantial amount of work is carried out for Brunel Labaratoria; a company that services a major portion of locally-based pharmaceutical retailers. Managing director Syd Rogers says: Brunel prides itself on the care and attention awarded to each and every client, from the smallest cosmetic firm to the biggest multi-national company.
We are proud to have received acknowledgements for our exceptional workmanship and prompt delivery times over the last decade. Maintaining good relationships with all our existing clients and continually assisting them with the growth and development of their brands is paramount to our core philosophy, he adds.
Production line
Many Brunel products are distributed directly through a factory shop. This has proved very successful and is utilised by various trade merchants, many of whom travel from surrounding
southern African countries. The company is currently engaging in a strategic marketing plan that will incorporate an even greater distribution of its own in-house branded cosmetics. Our growth plan is for an expansion into more urban areas in South Africa through our factory shops and then to expand into adjoining SADC countries, explained Rogers. The company is also open to manufacturing products for overseas companies or, alternatively, supplying them with existing Brunel retail lines. To assist with this process, Brunel is carrying out a redesign of its website so that it will be
easier for business entrepreneurs to access the manufacturing facility and to find out more about the companys capabilities. As products, customer demands and the market evolve Brunel continually invests in the future. The cosmetics industry remains incredibly competitive and, in order to maintain a prominent position within the southern African market, it frequently adds the latest technological developments to its operations. This commitment to quality manufacturing is part of the businesss insistence on providing a service that exceeds customers expectations.
bers of staff and now the figure stands at over 100. We have a vastly experienced research team who have developed some amazing raw material technology, which has proved to regress or alter the effects of ageing. Over the years they have produced products which, fifteen years ago, simply could not have been imagined, reflects Rogers. We were recently tasked with developing a natural skin care range for a client. The products were launched earlier this year and have already shown very promising sales figures, he adds. Over the next few years further plans will unfold to incorporate in-house brands into other existing markets, increase the brands visibility and reinforce Brunels association with qualWe want to remain unrivalled in terms of the quality of our finished products, the prompt execution of our deliveries, our knowledge of the industry, the effectiveness of our overall support and, of course, the price, enthuses Rogers. ity and great value for money. In the short-term future the company will also aim to maintain its annual 15 per cent growth. Brunels zeal and ambition has seen the companys fortunes rise rapidly over a very short space of time. It has provided a demanding market with a range of essential, groundbreaking and, at times, life-transforming products. Proof, perhaps, that the cream really does rise to the top! TAB WWW.Brunel.cO.zA
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If a company creates one of the most widely used products in the world, the chances are it loves the sweet smell of success. The royal Swaziland Sugar corporation has been savouring that sensation for decades.
Are yOu HAving sugar with your tea? Id better not, theres a recession on Please return the teaspoon and its contents to the bowl. Fortunately the previous exchange is about as likely as the Namibian rugby team joyfully lifting the Webb Ellis World Cup trophy, while shouting to their New Zealand counterparts, I told you so!
product that is almost as essential to customers as the very air they breathejust sweeter! RSSC, located in the north-eastern Lowveld, is one of the largest and most respected companies in Swaziland. It employs over 3,500 people and produces two-thirds of the countrys sugar. Listed on the Swaziland Stock Exchange, RSSC is owned by several hundred shareholders, the majority shareholder being Tibiyo Taka Ngwane with 53.1 per cent, followed by Tsb Sugar International which has a 26.3 per cent stake. Other notable shareholders include the Swaziland Government, the Nigerian Government, Coca-Cola Export Corporation Limited and Booker Tate Limited.
its success. RSSC provides and manages housing and all related infrastructure for its employees and their dependants within the estates various towns and villages. This engenders security, while creating a thriving community, he said. The splendidly named Thembelisha Preparatory School provides children of employees with first class primary education, while the company is also a founder member and major stakeholder in Mananga Collegea very reputable private high school. There are also a further seven government-owned schools on the estates, also heavily supported by RSSC. A wide range of recreational facilities are provided through two RSSC owned country clubs, one on each estate, as well as through other facilities that are located in strategic areas on each estate. The company also provides sponsorship for cultural and sporting activities, including the RSSC Football Club. RSSC also provides healthcare at two sitebased clinics. These centres have an emphasis on primary healthcare and the prevention of diseases. Furthermore, a well established safety, health and environmental policy aims to provide ideal working conditions for staff.
from the Swazi Nation. It also manages 88 hectares from a third party, and a further 5,011 hectares on behalf of other third parties. Combined, the land delivers approximately two million tonnes of cane per season to RSSCs two sugar mills, located in Mhlume and Simunye. These two mills currently crush cane at an output of 700 tonnes per hour, producing approximately 450,000 tonnes of sugar per season. Wow, thatll keep even the deepest sugar bowls full for a while! RSSC also operates a sugar refinerywhich produces 170,000 tonnes of refined sugarand a 32 million-litre capacity ethanol plant. Last year the company revealed a E200.5 million after-tax profit, making it the most successful 12 months in the companys history. The figure represents an increase of 42.9 per cent on the previous years takings. This astonishing amount is a testament to the continued efforts of a passionate and knowledgeable workforce who take pride in every step of the companys operations. Sugar may not seem like the most sought after resource but, look a little closer, and youll find that, in tough times, sugar always provides just the grain of hope that people need. Thats exactly why RSSC can look forward to the future with a smile as sweet as their sugar. TAB WWW.rssc.cO.sz
Fields of gold
The company manages a whopping 15,607 hectares of irrigated sugar cane on two estates, leased
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