Home Blog Page 62

Air Products’ state-of-the-art Dissolved Acetylene Facility in Midvaal – a successful sustainability model

Air Products unveiled a Dissolved Acetylene (DA) Facility in Midvaal two years ago. The design objectives of this project were clear: to centralise the manufacturing of acetylene at a single dedicated high volume production facility, but more importantly, to design it in such a way that it was aligned to the latest global trends in processes technology, health, safety and environmental management, ultimately supporting the organisation’s sustainability model.

Guided by Air Products’ global engineering standards as well as years of management and operational experience, the in-house Air Products project team designed and constructed the facility to incorporate the latest technology for the safe production of high quality acetylene gas in a manner that is not harmful to the environment. Two years later, the success of this facility is evident in the combination of production excellence and more importantly, sustainable practices.

Powered by solar energy

Air Products formed a relationship with a wholly black-owned and controlled energy company, Jeka Energy, a subsidiary of Jeka Resources. The relationship with Jeka Energy forms part of the company’s Enterprise Development Programme and Jeka completed the first solar PV (Photovoltaic) roof-mounted power plant at the Kempton Park Facility in 2019.

Jeka Energy CEO, Thembani Jeffrey Marhanele comments: “Since the inception of the relationship with Air Products, we have felt like a valued partner and not only one of many suppliers. The collaboration of technical knowledge between the two parties has truly strengthened and capacitated our team. With the Kempton Park facility installation being roof-mounted, the ground-mounted Midvaal Facility solar PV system highlights our ability to design, install and commission tailor-made solar PV systems.”

The Midvaal Facility’s ground-mounted, automated solar system consists of 306 panels.

Through this solar plant, which generates daytime solar energy, the renewable energy displaces most of the grid energy Air Products would otherwise use. The power is being utilised by both the manufacturing plant and the administration building.

Based on the success and savings achieved at the Kempton Park Facility, a 100kW (peak) solar panel system was installed by Jeka Energy and commissioned at the Midvaal Facility in June 2019. Due to the availability of space at the facility and the health and safety advantages of maintaining a ground-mounted power plant, it was decided to place the panels on the ground. This approach also allowed the panels to be orientated independently of the buildings for optimal capture of solar radiation.

This system feeds green energy directly into the Midvaal Facility’s electrical system. It generates approximately 170 000 kWh per year and consists of 306 solar panels and two inverters. According to Anton Grobbelaar, DA Plant Manager, the site energy mix and utilisation is optimised according to the system performance and weather patterns. “This supports our focus as an organisation to protect the environment and use clean energy.”

The dam used for water harvesting.

Recycling and harvesting water

The facility was designed in such a way that the process water is a combination of recycled water, harvested rainwater and municipal water.

During the rainy season, rainwater is captured across the site by an extensive drainage network and is channelled to an on-site dam. The dam has a capacity of two million litres and provides water directly to the production process.

Through the use of this natural resource, there is a significant reduction in the consumption of municipal water, once again highlighting the company’s focus on sustainable production methods.

Creating opportunities with by-products

Grobbelaar explains that lime slurry is generated as a byproduct in the acetylene production process from the reaction of calcium carbide and water. The lime is separated from the residual process water and recovered for use in other industries and applications. Its applications include acting as a flocculating agent in water treatment, pH control, cement manufacture and as a soil stabilising agent in road construction. Air Products disposes the lime slurry in a responsible manner by ensuring it is supplied to downstream users who can add further value by using it in such applications, thereby avoiding the need for disposal.

Solid Waste Recycling

A comprehensive solid waste recycling project that is run at the facility ensures that solid wastes from maintenance and production activities are separated at source. Waste products such as metals, plastics and paper products are collected by certified recyclers on a regular basis. As with all Air Products facilities, employees are committed to recycling in both the production and administration areas.

Grobbelaar concludes by saying: “The main reasons for the centralisation of the acetylene plants were to improve the technology and processes, establish a secure supply and improve customer service. We have achieved this, but we are extremely thankful that this was also an opportunity for Air Products to lead the way in creating a state-of-the-art, sustainably sound, acetylene plant. We strive to be the leader, not only for our customers, but also for our own environment and the company’s sustainable performance.”

For more information on Air Products, visit www.airproducts.co.za

 

Today’s necessity for commercial and industrial battery storage solutions

Image: IMPower

Commercial and industrial battery storage solutions can revolutionise the way an organisation consumes energy. Business energy costs are an ever-increasing frustration and account for a large portion of its bottom line. Investing in the appropriate battery storage solution can save businesses a great deal of money, transforming their energy cost profile and ultimately its profit margin.

Batteries are effective in the following scenarios:
  1. Curtailment reduction/deferral: Storing excess generation for use when it is required.
  2. Arbitrage: Displacing “peak” energy consumption and therefore peak energy costs. This means substituting solar energy or even cheap “off peak” grid energy for “peak” grid energy, so one can benefit from the cheaper tariff. This is called energy arbitrage. For instance, charging the battery at R1 per kWh during off peak times and subsequently discharging this energy during peak times when energy rates would have been R2.50 per kWh. In this case, one is saving R1.5 per kWh for the energy required to recharge the battery.
  3. Backup: This ultimately means providing electricity when the grid is off. This is remarkably similar to mini or micro-grid solutions where the solar PV and battery system operate as a “stand-alone” energy supplier to the off taker. To save costs, these systems are typically only designed to provide power to essential loads such as emergency lighting, security, and servers.

Sizing a battery backup system:

The size of the solution is contingent on the number of appliances the business or facility requires during periods when no power is available from the grid.

When determining the energy usage of an entity’s appliances, it remains critical to differentiate essential load items such as lights, security systems, fridge, freezer, TVs and internet routers from heavy load items such as geysers, stoves, aircons, and pumps. By adding together all the essential load items the business requires to operate during a power outage, the peak power requirements can be determined. Based on these figures, the power rating of the battery storage system is identified and installed.

Battery sizing is a balancing act, with organisations requiring generous electrical reserves for power outages. To calculate the battery requirements, one first needs to ascertain how many kilowatt-hours (kWh) the facility requires to store. Battery manufacturers and distributors often have online calculators to assist solar installers and customers simplify the calculation process, but the standard calculation for power requirements is typically: Watts = Amps x Volts.

Associated costs

Tesla recently released the new residential Powerwall system. For R166 800, you can get 13.5kWh of stored energy, delivered at 7kW peak or 5kW continuous power, which is roughly in line with approved SSEG (small scale embedded generation) regulations for grid-tied residential solar PV and batteries.

13.5kWh can power a typical 2- or 3-bedroom house (drawing 5kW) for roughly 2 – 3 hours and Tesla have clearly sized this system as backup for load shedding. Bigger houses or longer outages may require a second or even third unit, depending on one’s energy needs.

According to the CSIR (1) (https://businesstech.co.za/news/energy/367714/south-africas-load-shedding-horror-show-in-3-graphs/), ESKOM had 530 hours of load shedding in 2019. Assuming they were all 2-hour slots, that resulted in 265 instances of load shedding for the year that the Powerwall needed to operate and supply one’s house with power. That consequently works out to approximately R630 per load shedding event or R315 per hour, which excludes the cost of charging the battery of approximately R20 for a full charge.

Powerwall is guaranteed for 10 years. Therefore, if ESKOM maintains the abovementioned level of load shedding (R630), including the cost of charging the battery (R20), over the decade, one would have paid R65 for both the device and the charging thereof, equating to R65 per load shedding event or R32.50 per hour to have electricity at their house during load shedding. At typical tariffs of R1.50 per kWh, that same 5kWh would have cost only R7.50 for the hour in 2020, and would escalate to approximately R20 in 2030, meaning that the energy from the battery is considerably more than the price that one is paying the municipality.

However, batteries are not priced to compete with grid-tied energy systems. One is paying for the convenience of having power available when the grid fails. With working from home becoming the new normal, there is an ever-increasing need for a consistent supply of electricity at home to run work equipment and a stable internet connection. When considering battery backups, one must also consider the opportunity cost of not being able to work during load shedding hours. A measured commercial decision takes into account the cost of reduced operational productivity and revenue generation capabilities when electricity is not available. The advantages of having this power available during outages ranges from comforts like making your coffee to running your entire business online.

The same principle applies commercially. However, in this instance, a comparison is drawn between the cost of the battery versus the loss revenue incurred if a battery is not utilised. Tesla has a commercial and industrial (C&I) product called the Powerpack. The smallest system will cost R12m for 1mWh (1000kWh) of stored energy, delivered at 250kW (for 4hours) or 500kW (for 2 hours) continuous power. This system capacity has been purpose made for use in offices or shopping centres. These businesses must consider the loss of revenue during each of these 265 load shedding events per year for the next 10 years. Using the same logic as above, the powerpack will cost approx. R2 300 per hour to provide power to a medium sized shopping mall, allowing business as usual, without the maintenance and fuel expenses of a typical backup diesel generator.

Battery storage requires a practical approach that reflects the individual business requirements of an entity. Any commercial or industrial entity must consider the loss of revenue during each of the above mentioned 265 load shedding events per year for the next 10 years. Businesses seeking to transform their energy cost profiles should look at investing in an appropriate battery storage solution that will significantly reduce business costs, and ultimately improve profit margins.

New investors and expansions happening in Mpumalanga mining sector

Image: Anglo American Plc
Sector highlights:
  • Afrimat is looking to expand into Mpumalanga.
  • New investor Menar has two coal mines in the province.

Afrimat is listed on the JSE in the “Construction and Building Materials” section, but the company has shown an appetite for acquiring mines in order to diversify. In May 2020 Afrimat made a bid for control of Unicorn Capital Partners (previously Sentula Mining) which controls the Nkomati anthracite mine in Mpumalanga.

The mine, which is in the south-eastern corner of the province, has proven resources of 8.7-million tons, and upwards of 400 jobs were created over the last two years. Local communities have a 16.1% stake in the relaunched mine and the Mpumalanga Economic Growth Agency (MEGA) holds 34%.

Expansions and new mines

The private investment and management company Menar, which is headquartered in Luxembourg, controls and manages two assets in Mpumalanga through Canyon Coal and Sitatunga Resources.

Extension projects are underway or planned at Phalanndwa colliery and De Wittekrans.

Other companies engaged in expansion of life-of-mine projects are Pan African Resources and Evander (Elikhulu tailings), Exxaro Resources (Leeuwpan) and South32, which is spending about R4.3-billion at Klipspruit.

Mpumalanga accounts for 83% of South Africa’s coal production and is the third-largest coal-exporting region in the world. Although renewable energy is catching on in South Africa, there is no prospect of Mpumalanga’s coal-fired power stations being mothballed soon. Mining’s contribution to provincial GDP is 25.9% and the sector employs 53 000 people.

Training and employment in the sector

Most of the province’s mining companies are involved in training. The Colliery Training College (CTC) in Emalahleni is owned by a consortium of companies: Exxaro, Glencore, Kanga Coal, South32 and Izimbiwa Coal. The centre offers a broad range of artisan training, including auto electrician, fitting and turning and millwrights. CTC has been recognised as a leader in artisan training by the National Skills Authority.

Coal giant Exxaro, which runs five mines in the province, has committed R3.8-billion to
its Belfast project, an investment that will create 1 160 jobs and have an impact on the GDP (over the life of the mine) of R39-billion.

After Exxaro Coal Mpumalanga’s transfer of its 50% stake in the Arnot coal mine to mineworkers at no cost, the workers received a further 5% “free-carry” because of the specifications of Mining Charter III. The mine thus becomes South Africa’s first majority worker-owned mine. Wescoal is the other shareholder and operator of the mine.

The opening in 2019 of Sasol’s Impumelelo Colliery south-west of Secunda was the final phase of an investment in new coal mines to replace three coal mines that had reached the end of their lives. Sasol produces 40-million tons of coal annually. Impumelelo, which will produce 8.5-million tons per year, cost R5.6-billion to build.

Anglo American has sold its thermal coal operations to Seriti, which is therefore the second-largest provider of thermal coal to Eskom, supplying almost a quarter of the utility’s annual coal requirements.

State coal company AEMFC (African Exploration Mining & Finance Corporation) runs a colliery at Vlakfontein near Ogies and is planning to develop other projects. South32 has four collieries and three processing plants in the province. The company has 4 860 full-time
employees and 4 400 contractors.

ArmCoal is a black-owned coal company that arose out of a deal between Xstrata Coal SA and African Rainbow Minerals Limited (51%).

Rich resources

Coal, platinum, gold and nickel are the province’s major mineral resources and all are still in demand. South Africa produces 75% of the world’s platinum, 80% of its manganese, 73% of its chrome and 45% of its vanadium.

Deposits of chromite, magnetite and vanadium are the basis of the ferro-alloy complex in Witbank-Middelburg (in the District Municipality of Nkangala) and Lydenburg (Mashishing).

Nkomati Mine was South Africa’s only pure-nickel operation before it was decided to place it on care and maintenance in preparation of closure. The underground mine was closed in 2015 and the open-pit operation will close in 2020.

Stillwater Sibanye is the new owner of the Burnstone gold mine near Balfour. Stonewall Resources runs the TGME Project, near the towns of Pilgrim’s Rest and Sabie. Stonewall has ambitious targets of going beyond production of 40 000 ounces from this and other historic mines in the area.

Having taken full control of its Barberton mines, Pan African improved its BEE position (Shanduka Gold is a 23.8% shareholder) and set about increasing its annual gold output to 100 000 ounces. Platinum is an important mineral for the modern economy. Two Rivers is a joint venture between Implats (46%) and African Rainbow Minerals.

Northam Platinum, which has assets on both limbs of the Bushveld Igneous Complex, has purchased the Everest mine from Aquarius Platinum. Everest is adjacent to Northam’s existing Booysendal mine.

Jubilee Platinum has sold its Smelting and Refining business in Middelburg to Siyanda Resources. Sylvania Platinum now has seven PGM recovery plants that extract chrome from tailings on both sides of the Bushveld Igneous Complex.

Lydenburg is home to the Lion ferrochrome smelter that is a joint venture between Glencore and Merafe Resources. Assmang, the joint venture between ARM Ferrous and the JSE-listed Assore, operates a chrome mine (Dwarsrivier) and a ferrochrome plant where chrome alloys are made.

The Manganese Metal Company (MMC) in Nelspruit is the largest producer of pure electrolytic manganese in the world. MMC is owned by Samancor (51%) and Bilston Investments owns the balance.

 

The Adventure Province: Yours to explore

Image: Eastern Cape Parks & Tourism Agency

In June 2010 the world came to the Eastern Cape. Greece, South Korea, Germany, Uruguay, the Netherlands and Brazil and several other soccer teams from all over the world descended on Port Elizabeth. What made it possible for Port Elizabeth to host eight matches during the 2010 FIFA World Cup was the building of the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium (pictured).

In the decade that has passed since then, rugby test matches and international rugby tournaments have been played there and the stadium and stadium precinct have become popular as sites for events, music concerts and product launches. Built on the site of the Prince Alfred Park, the 42 000-seater stadium is quite rare in being between two bodies of water, the North End Lake and the Indian Ocean. Prince Alfred Park was one of three large city parks built in the second half of the 19th century.

St George’s Park, in the centre of town, is famous for hosting South Africa’s first cricket test match in 1889. In 2017 the ground was again a boundary-breaker when South Africa hosted Zimbabwe for the first-ever day-night test match. The innovative lighting system deployed for the match will also allow for greater flexibility in lighting music concerts with lighting programmes that can be tuned to musicians’ needs.

The lighting at St George’s Park includes theatrics. Image: Maritz Electrical.

The FIFA World Cup created a surge in the number of foreign visitors to the country. The Eastern Cape hosted 260 000 foreign visitors in that year. However, studies show that the province is not attracting as many foreign tourists as rival provinces. This is somewhat offset by findings that when foreign tourists do visit the Eastern Cape, they tend to stay for longer than they do when visiting most other provinces. An SA Tourism fact sheet in 2018 gave a figure of 16 nights as an average stay.

Image: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium

With regard to domestic tourism, the Eastern Cape’s 12.1% share of the pie is fairly close to the leader (17.2%) and it’s easy to see why. Unmatched beaches, the pristine Wild Coast and a wide variety of national parks and private game reserves make for a superb natural offering. Branding the province as the “Adventure Province” has helped in attracting bungy-jumpers, divers, abseilers and rock climbers.

The province’s growing events calendar is creating opportunities in the sector. Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown) hosts the National Arts Festival every year. It is an 11-day extravaganza of art, music, film, lectures, craft fairs and workshops. More than 200 000 people attend the event to watch 2 000 performances in 90 venues. A study five years ago found the economic impact of the festival to be R349.9-million.

Hobie Beach in Port Elizabeth is the main venue of the Standard Bank IRONMAN African Championship. Enthusiastic crowds line the route and the event boosts the local economy. The 2018 winner, Great Britain’s Lucy Charles-Barclay, defended her title in 2019 and earned a cheque for $30 000. Other popular events in Port Elizabeth include the Herald Cycle Tour and the Ocean Racing Series (a world championship).

Hotels, lodges and casinos

A new luxury hotel is being built in St Francis Bay. The 60-room St Francis Links Hotel by Mantis overlooks the dam on the golf course’s final hole and has views of the Indian Ocean and Kouga Mountains. The existing clubhouse of the St Francis Links Estate will provide facilities such as reception, restaurants and conferencing. St Francis Links is a regular award winner as a wedding venue and for its Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course.

The interior of the Eastern Cape is home to several high-end private game reserves such as Mount Camdeboo, Kariega Game Reserve and Shamwari, which recently announced a R370-million refurbishment programme.

Some luxury game lodges are located within national parks, such as the Gorah Elephant Camp, which is run by Hunter Hotels and forms part of the Addo Elephant National Park. Luxury brands sometimes create a chain for their customers, so visitors might stay at the boutique Summerstand Hotel in Port Elizabeth, No5 By Mantis, on their way to another Mantis property, the Oceana Beach and Wildlife Reserve.

South Africa’s large branded hotel groups have a strong presence in the Eastern Cape but there are also regionally focussed groups together with independent hotels and resorts such as East London’s Blue Lagoon Hotel and Conference Centre, located in a prime spot at the mouth of the Nahoon River.

Kat Leisure Group’s offering extends from the Kennaway Hotelon East London’s beachfront to the Queens Casino and Hotel in Queenstown and properties in the mountainous interior of Katberg and Hogsback.

Premier Hotels has two hotels in East London, the Mpanga Private Game Reserve and it manages the East London International Convention Centre. The Radisson Blu in Port Elizabeth offers five-star luxury overlooking Pollock Beach.

Tsogo Sun has five Eastern Cape properties. In East London the four-star Southern Sun Hemingways is next to the Hemingways Casino complex and the city has one Garden Court, as does Mthatha. Port Elizabeth has a Garden Court and a SUN1, both near Humewood Beach.

The Courtyard Hotel, City Lodge Hotel and Road Lodge are close to one another on Port Elizabeth’s beachfront and allow the group to cater to three distinct markets with a total of 442 rooms. East London has a Road Lodge.

Sun International runs the Wild Coast Sun and the five-star Boardwalk Casino and Entertainment World in Port Elizabeth, which includes conference and events facilities.

The Eastern Cape: Yours to explore

The Eastern Cape uniquely caters to the whims of sun worshippers looking to bask in the regular sunshine, adventure-seekers looking for a thrill, nature-lovers looking to discover numerous wildlife, birdlife and plant species, as well as a solace for those looking to shut out the hassles of everyday life.

Everyone is able to find something that suits their needs here, from rugged beauty, a pristine coastline, premier surfing, to virgin bush and subtropical forests that exist as though untouched by time. This province is truly every explorer’s dream.

Rich heritage and culture

The Eastern Cape offers a unique cultural and heritage experience and is home to authentic Xhosa culture. It is the birth and the burial place of Nobel award-winning father of the nation, Nelson Mandela, and boasts the world-class Mandela Museum in Mthatha.

The Eastern Cape is positioned as the Adventure Province and offers a wide range of adventure activities, ranging from mild to wild. The province is also home to the highest commercial bungy jump in the world, the Bloukrans Bridge. It is Africa’s biggest bridge and stands proudly 216 m above the Bloukrans River.

The Eastern Cape has over 800 km of pristine coastline and is home to numerous Blue Flag beaches. The province is popular with international surfers and watersport enthusiasts and offers some of the best surfing spots in the world. The Wild Coast is a rustic, rugged and untouched stretch of coastline boasting amazing hiking trails, village experiences, cliffs and waterfalls.

The Eastern Cape is home to the Big 7 which comprises rhino, leopard, lion, buffalo, elephant, southern right whale and great white shark. The Eastern Cape offers you four national parks: Mount Camdeboo, Zebra National Park, Garden Route National Park and Addo Elephant National Park. The province is also home to various world-class private nature reserves offering unique beach and bush experiences.

The Eastern Cape is home to the Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve. The nature reserve has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The Baviaanskloof is just under 200 km in length and is bounded by two mountain ranges.

Access

  • 3 airports (Port Elizabeth, East London, Mthatha)
  • 2 ports (Port Elizabeth and East London)
  • Road access – national roads (N2 and N6)

Explore the Eastern Cape! Visit the Eastern Cape Parks & Tourism Agency (ECPTA) for more information: www.visiteasterncape.co.za

 

Vinpro chairman receives prestigious Pon van Zyl trophy

The South African Young Wine Show awarded Anton Smuts, chairman of the wine industry body Vinpro, the prestigious Pon van Zyl trophy for his valuable contribution to the Robertson Wine Valley.

Anton received this accolade during the show’s regional awards ceremony at De Wetshof Estate earlier this week. “There are many people who have done a lot for the valley and its producers, but Anton has dedicated his career towards growing the industry,” said Johann de Wet of De Wetshof during the ceremony.

Apart from being a successful farmer in his own right, Anton has been involved in promoting the interests of wine producers and the community at large ever since he was a young man. He was lauded for his great passion for the Robertson region and its people, the fact that he always advocated for better prices at farm gate, his involvement in marketing the region and for setting high standards as an exemplary diplomat.

Anton has been Vinpro’s board member for the Robertson region since 2004, and was elected as chairman in 2016. He is also the chairman of Bonnievale Cellar, serves on the boards of Winetech and BBK and was part of the Robertson Wine Valley management team. He has also been honoured as an outstanding wine grape farmer.

“There are not many leaders in our industry who are held in such high esteem by their peers as Anton,” said Johann. “We thank him and his team at Vinpro for the crucial role they’ve played as industry advocates, in what has been one of the most challenging years in our industry’s history.”

The South African Young Wine Show, dating back to 1833, gives winemakers the opportunity to showcase the best wines of the current vintage. The eight participating wine regions are Robertson, Worcester/Breedekloof, Stellenbosch, Paarl, Oranje-Vaal, Olifants River, Swartland and Little Karoo.

The Robertson region awards the Pon van Zyl trophy to someone who, according to the committee that comprises of all of the previous winners, have made a positive contribution to the Robertson Wine Valley’s wine industry. Pon van Zyl served as Robertson Winery’s first winemaker and took Robertson from its humble beginnings to where it is today. The inaugural Pon van Zyl trophy was handed to Danie de Wet in 1987. Since then numerous esteemed wine industry role players have been awarded this trophy for their outstanding service to the Robertson region.

Africa Travel Week draws focus on the African Diaspora Traveller

  • Africa Travel Week highlights market segment of African Diaspora travellers predicted to be the first to rebound as restrictions ease.
  • To foster industry connection, recovery and inclusivity, EQUAL Africa will run alongside World Travel Market (WTM Africa), from 07-09 April 2021 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC).

Cape Town, 30 September 2020 – “We are all things. We enjoy cultural activities; we are luxury travellers; we are adventure travellers; we have accessibility needs; we are members of the LGBTQ+ community; we are baby boomers; we are millennials; and the list goes on and on.” So says Naledi K. Khabo, CEO of Africa Tourism Association and moderator of Africa Travel Week’s (ATW) recent virtual masterclass entitled The African Diaspora Traveller.

With African Diaspora travellers predicted to be one of the first to rebound as travel restrictions ease, ATW is hard at work creating opportunities for the travel and tourism industry to authentically connect to this diverse, yet often-overlooked, market segment.

“Often singularly focussed on Black travellers within the US market, the African Diaspora encompasses people from all over the world, with diverse backgrounds, and a vast spectrum of preferences and interests,” says Martin Hiller, Content & Creative Director: Travel, Tourism & Creative Industries.

“Using our global network, we secured a panel of five leading experts to discuss practical ways to make African travel experiences more inclusive for the African Diaspora.”

The virtual masterclass discussion highlighted channels through which operators and marketers can connect to the African Diaspora traveller which has largely been captivated by the world of social media.

“From the discussion we learnt that platforms like Instagram, Facebook and even Twitter, are easier to find images and content that reflects what Black travellers want to see, but there is differentiation across these platforms as well. Instagram and its cohort of influencers trend younger, while Facebook and its group magnetism attract an older crowd,” adds Hiller.

On the masterclass panel was Paula Franklin, Co-founder of Franklin Bailey, who explained that travel content should address the fact that not everyone shares the same travel experience.

“Whether they’re male or female, able-bodied or differently-abled, extrovert or introvert, and indeed, Black or any other race – you are going to experience a destination differently,” she explained.

“Throw some colour into your marketing material. Advertise in a few Black-owned media companies. Pay a few Black influencers. It doesn’t actually need to take a lot of effort, just a more considered approach,” she says.

Also on the panel was Mimi Mmabatho Selemela, Curator and Director at MM CONNECT and designer of the Johannesburg Experience for Travel Noire, who affirmed that working with Black-owned businesses throughout the value chain also matters to some clients and being intentional with travel spend can make a big difference in the long run.

While supporting Black-owned businesses is one way that the African Diaspora can travel with intentionality, she affirmed that it really comes down to delivering on that fundamental aspect of travel – connection.

To foster that message and to encourage diversity within the industry, African Travel Week is gearing up with plans for EQUAL Africa set to run alongside sister show, World Travel Market Africa (WTM Africa), from 07-09 April 2021 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC).

“EQUAL Africa 2021 will form an important meeting point for global buyers and African travel product exhibitors,” explains Hiller.

“It’s an opportunity to learn about the multitude of niche market sectors as well as furthering important conversations about inclusive and accessible travel into Africa as our industry recovers,” he concludes.

For more information on EQUAL Africa and Africa Travel Week’s Meetings & Masterclasses visit: https://atwconnect.com/

 

A post Covid-19 world – the implications for management and leadership development (Part 1)

At the end of January 2020, I was on my way to Sweden to speak at a conference. We were aware of the novel Coronavirus outbreak in China, but it seemed contained and far enough away that we didn’t have to be concerned.  On our way over, we spent time in airport lounges, had coffee and croissants for breakfast at Charles de Gaulle and wiled away our time watching people come and go. Very few wore masks. Everything was “normal”.

Two weeks later, on our way back to South Africa, things were different. There were known cases in parts of Europe, we were more aware, but not yet concerned enough to consider wearing masks. We stocked up on extra hand sanitizer and flew back home without much change in behavior. About six weeks later the world was in lockdown.

I think it is safe to say that for most of us this has been a completely novel situation. It is not a so-called Black Swan, Nassim Taleb’s (1) famous metaphor for a low-probability, high-impact event. It was certainly high-impact, but not low-probability. The World Health Organisation (WHO) tracked 1,483 epidemics in 172 countries between 2011-2018 and there has been significant epidemics every two to four years. In September 2019, the WHO put out a press release stating: “World at Risk from Deadly Pandemics” (2). They predicted “an outbreak equivalent to the 1918 influenza pandemic could kill an estimated 50 [million] to 80 million people… wiping out nearly five percent of the global economy.”

In the 2020 World Economic Forum’s Global Risk Report (3), infectious diseases were cited as one of the leading risks. Covid-19 was not an unknown unknown, the only thing unknown about this pandemic were its exact timing, shape and impact.

Why then did we find ourselves entirely unprepared?

Since the end of the second world war, the world has experienced a period of unusual stability. Humans have never been comfortable with uncertainty, but previous generations who lived through the two world wars, the 1918 influenza pandemic and the great depression, understood uncertainty and instability as a normal part of life. Most of the people alive today have not had that same experience. As Diego Espinosa says: “We have outsourced our relationship with uncertainty to certainty merchants.”

Over the last few decades, a dominant narrative emerged that equates “normal” to stability, predictability and certainty. We acknowledge instability and uncertainty but see them as temporary states that we must endure until we can return to “normal”. That language permeates our news feeds right now: what is the “new normal”?  what is the “next normal”? The question on everyone’s minds is “when can we go back to some form of normalcy” and what they mean is: When will things settle back into some form of stability, predictability and certainty?

What most of us (and I include myself in this statement) are struggling with, is accepting that the stability of the past few decades was abnormal and that the uncertainty we face right now is normal. This pandemic will not be our last, and the impact of climate change is an even bigger unknown. We need to reacquaint ourselves with uncertainty, and even befriend it.

I have been working in the field of applied complexity for nearly two decades. For most of that time, my message was seen as “interesting”, something to create some disruption and stretch people’s minds at corporate events. Decision-makers realized that the world is complex and sometimes uncertain, but their reality, although fast-paced and disruptive, was still pretty “normal” so they saw uncertainty as something they could choose to engage with, in a world with many certainties. The year 2020 has given us all a masterclass in uncertainty, complexity and non-linearity.

It has become abundantly clear just how entangled and complex our world is. Viruses (whether biological, digital or idea viruses) spread through our interconnected world at lightning speed. Our extreme focus on efficiency over the last few decades have led to over-optimized systems, whose brittleness was exposed virtually overnight.

For example, whereas in the past most organizations had some redundancy in their supply chains, now many companies found themselves reliant on single suppliers half a world away and suddenly inaccessible. Cities had less than a week’s food supply, pharmaceutical companies couldn’t access key ingredients to manufacture medication. Our striving for ever more profit and ever more efficiency has led to a near total loss of resilience.

Even if we were able to restore the ways and systems of the pre-Covid “normal”, it leaves us in a state of paradox. The very systems we depend on for our survival, the food production systems, economic systems, energy systems and transport systems we are so desperately trying to restore, are the same systems that brought us where we are. They are toxic, leading to the mass destruction of natural habitats that bring us into closer contact with wild animals, leading to greater potential for pandemics; pumping tons of pollution into the atmosphere, acidifying oceans, raising global temperatures. We are in a double bind, we are damned if we save these old systems, and damned if we don’t.

Whereas in the past we dealt with known and even unknown unknowns, we now find ourselves in the space of unknowable unknowns. We can no longer afford to be subject to old narratives and old meanings. We are in completely uncharted territory. In the words of Abraham Lincoln: “we need to think anew and act anew”.

In Part 2, we will explore the implications of this for leaders and decision-makers through the lens of the Cynefin™ sense-making framework.

The UFS Business School recognises the challenges posed to management and leadership by the times we live in. This has led to the design of our Future Fitness approach to management and leadership development.

The Core Idea – Future Fit Management & Leadership

  • Our Value Proposition will enable decision-makers and leaders to become complexity- and future-fit.
  • Focusing on meta-skills that will ensure adaptive capacity, and the ability to respond to increasing turbulence.
  • With exponential change, technical skills and best practices have short-lived and limited value. Our programmes will aim to fundamentally shift how participants see and make sense of their contexts and equip them with meta-skills such as curiosity, learning agility, sense-making and adaptive intelligence.

Our view on Future Fit Management & Leadership

Being a Future Fit Manager or Leader will require the development of the following fitness areas:

Digital Fitness – For managers and leaders, the key to digital readiness lies in creating awareness and stimulating interest in and preference for the digital way.

People Fitness – Self-development and appreciation lies at the heart of appreciating the value and potential that lies in diversity.

Customer Fitness – Mindsets for growth and agility is required to keep the customer at the centre of all innovation and design processes as we adapt to an ever-changing environment.

Strategic Fitness – Doing the right things and doing them right.

Functional Fitness – Developing the required technical, managerial skills.

Complexity Fitness – The ability to take on a Complexity view on all the Fitness Areas discussed above. Complexity and sense-making as “new language”, enables decision-makers and senior leaders to ensure adaptive capacity, and the ability to respond to increasing turbulence.

Please visit the UFS Business School website for online programmes available, or contact Ansie Barnard: Barnardam@ufs.ac.za

Strategic Partnering

As one of South Africa’s thought leaders in the applied complexity, Sonja Blignaut has teamed up with the UFS Business School for purposes of developing a range of short learning programmes in applied complexity and to facilitate the development of a Complexity View on a Future Fit Management and Leadership Development value proposition.

Sonja is a thinking partner for leaders, change-makers (individuals and teams) who need to lead in uncertainty; enable strategic agility and create future-fit organisations. She co-creates and delivers fit-for-context interventions to enable responsive and adaptive organisations.

Sonja also looks after the global Cognitive Edge network and is the South African partner for Prof Dave Snowden’s company Cognitive Edge for over a decade (Wales, USA, Singapore, UK, Netherlands, Brazil). She teaches locally and internationally on Complexity, Cynefin™ and enabling adaptive organisations. Sonja is certified in various individual and systemic coaching methods and a sought-after speaker, with experience at various conferences locally and internationally, including TEDx.

Sources:

1. Black Swan. Taleb, N. 2007
2. GPMB Press Realease 18 September 2019
3. WEF – The Global Risks Report 2020
4. A leader’s framework for decision making. Snowden & Boone, 2007, Harvard Business Review
5. The Practice of Adaptive Leadership: Tools and Tactics for Changing Your Organisation and the World. Heifetz, R., Grashow, A., & Linsky, M., 2009.

The attraction of Guernsey for private wealth

Lighthouse in St. Peter Port Harbour, Guernsey.

Guernsey may be a small jurisdiction – 25 square miles in size, 63 000 people living in the island – but it is one which is perfectly formed for private wealth.

Guernsey operates under a constitutional arrangement with our near neighbours the UK. It dates back some 800 years in history to the reign of King John and the Magna Carta, which gives us the authority and autonomy to create and enforce our own laws. So we can innovate, and do so quickly.

This means that the island’s government, called the States of Guernsey, and industry, can work together to introduce appropriate laws which can ensure that we keep our excellent reputation, and develop a platform for our wealth management industry to best meet the needs of a sophisticated and discerning client base.

We have been an international finance centre now since the 1960s, founded on private wealth, initially with offshore banking, moving to more bespoke structuring.

Guernsey is home to a mature banking sector with substantial presence, comprised of international private and retail banks.

One of the initial drivers was tax. Guernsey offers a tax neutral regime, with a zero rate of tax for corporate entities, and no Capital Gains Tax or Inheritance Tax.

But private wealth structures in the island today are about much more than tax, and have become increasingly sophisticated to meet the demands of today’s high net worth individuals.

Trusts have been established in Guernsey for more than 150 years. The trust is, in origin, an English law concept, so that is quite unusual when you consider that much of Guernsey customary law is derived from French Norman Law.

Much more recently we introduced the Guernsey Foundation, another tool for high net worth individuals to use, either alongside or instead of trusts. This move was made particularly for those jurisdictions with a civil law background, such as the Middle East. Many Guernsey foundations are used for philanthropy.

Who uses Guernsey private wealth structures? It is almost easier to list who does not. In the Middle East Guernsey trusts and foundations enable foreign settlors to pass assets down the generations without having to contend with forced-heirship regimes.

The South African market typically chooses Guernsey to protect assets from uncertainty and volatility at home. But now South African family structures and succession planning needs have evolved, families today are more globally mobile, and asset protection is not necessarily the only driver.

We have a number of traditional markets, such as the UK and many countries in Western Europe. With economic stability an increasing concern for policymakers, who have placed many of our competitors on blacklists, Europeans are particularly drawn to our whitelisted status for economic substance.

Increased complexity, costs and regulatory demands mean clients are looking for a holistic solution for managing the financial and other affairs of wealthy families across a range of services and multiple jurisdictions. This, coupled with the generational shift taking place with the transfer of wealth to the next generation, means that attitudes, expectations and preferences are changing.

The substance and reputation of the jurisdiction in which their private wealth is being managed is increasingly of concern, particularly in light of potential data breaches and reputational damage to high profile individuals or families.

Guernsey has become a centre of excellence for family offices. Local providers have seen clients streamlining and consolidating their structures into a single jurisdiction to simplify the complex, and choosing Guernsey.

Guernsey has for several years had a very strong relationship with South Africa. Many South Africans live and work on the island and there are several well-respected South African firms that have established themselves in Guernsey. In recent years those relationships have strengthened across all sectors of financial services.

We are innovative, forward-thinking, and most definitely not resting on our laurels as we seek to meet the ever-changing needs of high and ultra-high net worth clients and their families.

Musina Makhado SEZ (MMSEZ) SOC launches a new corporate identity

The Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone (MMSEZ) SOC unveiled its new corporate identity at a function on the 17th September 2020. The launch of the new corporate identity takes place at a critical point in the history of the country, where business and government are searching for sustainable economic recovery initiatives from the aftermath of the debilitating Covid-19 lockdown.

Special Economic Zones (SEZ) have in the recent past emerged as strategic platform to spur industrialisation, job creation, technology transfer and economic growth in various countries across the globe.

“The MMSEZ has positioned itself as a platform to revitalise the Limpopo economy through industrialisation. Our focus is to generate the much-needed base-load electricity, establish a metallurgical complex, develop a manufacturing hub, enhance agro-processing and to develop a regional logistics centre. The close proximity of the Beit Bridge border post and abundance of mineral and agricultural resources gives the MMSEZ a competitive advantage”, said Lehlogonolo Masoga, MMSEZ Chief Executive Officer.

The occasion was also attended by the MEC of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism Thabo Mokone and the VhaVenda King Toni Mphephu Ramabulana.

In his address to the gathering, Mokone said: “We are pleased that finally the province has established a capable and agile entity seized with a mandate to implement the MMSEZ. Our ambition is not just to build an industrial park but rather to use the SEZ as a catalyst to unlock a plethora of other economic opportunities, including the potential of realising a new Smart City in our province.”

The MEC further indicated that the SEZ will prioritise entrepreneurial and SMMEs development and empowerment. During their respective addresses at the launch, both Sello Mahlo of the Limpopo United Business Forum and Albert Jeleni of the Vhembe Chamber of Commerce and Industry expressed their appreciation for the commitment displayed by the Limpopo Government and said they were eager for project to reach the implementation milestone. For Mahlo, the project also spells the real prospect of creating black industrialists.

As the MMSEZ development is expected to accelerate industrial diversification of the province and the Vhembe district, Ramabulana has committed to working closely with the government to ensure that the development of the SEZ is a success.

The Council for Geoscience launches the Karoo Deep Drilling research project

From left to right: the KDD project leader Mr Ngqondi Nxokwana, CGS Executive Manager: Corporate Services Dr Jonty Tshipa, CGS CEO Mr Mosa Mabuza, CGS Chairman: Dr Humphrey Mathe, PASA CEO: Dr Phindile Masangane, VP PetroSA: Mr Bongani Sayidini,

The Council for Geoscience (CGS) is proud to officially launch phase two of the Karoo Deep Drilling and Geo-environmental Baseline Project (KDD) in Beaufort West, Western Cape. The KDD is a geoscientific research project in the Karoo Basin by the CGS to conduct investigations aimed at developing a geo-environmental baseline model.

The research’s special focus is aimed at assessing the potential environmental impacts that could be brought about by shale gas development in the Karoo.

This launch comes at the back of very successful consultations with the communities in Beaufort West and extensive research conducted by the CGS during phase one. Speaking at the launch, CEO of CGS Mr Mosa Mabuza noted with gratitude the progress and consensus reached through these consultations, “I am proud to announce that today, the government through the CGS and the Karoo Deep Drilling Project enjoy generous support and cooperation from the leadership of the Central Karoo District and the Beaufort West Local municipalities, the local political leadership and the community at large. That is what makes this momentous launch something that we all can be proud of and look forward to it yielding the positive and beneficial outcomes for all.”

The KDD – announced in 2016 and mandated by the Department of Minerals Resources and Energy (DMRE) with the aim to provide scientific evidence to inform policy development and regulatory framework on shale gas exploration and extraction – is seen as a possible game changer for the Karoo region and the South African economy.

This outlook is based on the projected potential to explore and extract shale gas, and also provide an opportunity for the country to begin exploring the production of its own fuel. The United States Energy Information Administration estimates that South Africa has the eighth-largest shale gas reserves in the world at 485-trillion cubic feet.

Akin to the Chinese proverb, ‘We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children,’ – the CGS recognises shale gas as a possible game changer for the Karoo region, in particular to benefit the residents of Beaufort West and the South African economy. In this regard, the CGS with the support of all stakeholders is proceeding with phase two.

Preparing the drill rig for launch. The drill rig, operated by Major Drilling, that will be used for the drilling of ultra-deep (3,5 km) borehole.

Through this research project, the CGS will establish a geo-environmental baseline, put in place environmental monitoring mechanisms and support the state with the formulation and implementation of evidence based regulatory framework for shale gas development in South Africa. The activities in phase two are expected to last for the next 10-12 months, including the drilling of an ultra-deep borehole down to 3 500 m.

Although the announcement was met with some resistance from a number of communities and non-governmental organisations in the Karoo, significant research and extensive consultations with these community representatives have led to the progress of this project which has already proven beneficial in the early stages. The drilling of the deep borehole commences today and the Beaufort West Local Municipality, on behalf of its community has given the project a thumbs up.

The Beaufort West Local Municipality Mayor, Councillor Noël Constable said, “We have taken the time and effort to engage with all affected sectors of our community, and we are comfortable in the assurances by the CGS that this project provides promise and potential for shale gas development in the Karoo region. The most important factor for us is the safety and preservation of land as well as the upliftment of our communities in Beaufort West.”

The initial drilling stages of the project have already proven beneficial to the community. During the KDD Project’s first stage of the drilling phase – five 169 m deep shallow observation wells – in November 2017, two of them have the capacity to yield significant amounts of good groundwater of up to 33 million litres a month. This discovery coincided with the unprecedented drought conditions in the Western Cape area, particularly Beaufort West, which led to a decision to donate the two boreholes to the municipality to alleviate this humanitarian crisis. The official hand-over of the boreholes took place on 13 February 2018, and to date the municipality has pumped and distributed 397 million litres to the people of Beaufort West. The municipality continues to pump sustainably from the two boreholes.

“This initiative will continue throughout the project lifecycle so that the people of Beaufort West feel part of the project. As such, feedback sessions will be conducted on a regular basis to keep the stakeholders abreast of all developments,” concluded Mr Mabuza.

Find more information about the project:
https://www.geoscience.org.za/index.php/projects-footer/754-the-karoo-deep-drilling-project

1...616263...78Page 62 of 78
Facebook Instagram Linkedin Twitter
© 2023 | Website powered by TurboWP |