Projects Magazine

Aligning with Industry 4.0 is no longer optional for the mining industry. Companies are urged to embrace digitalisation and automation for the critical goal to enhance sustainability, productivity and profitability. thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions South Africa, a market leading engineering company, unveiled its latest technology and digital solutions at an exclusive press conference on 07 February 2019 in Cape Town, during the coveted Mining Indaba 2019. “thyssenkrupp has been a trusted supplier of premium quality products and services to the Sub-Sahara African mining industry for decades,” states Philipp Nellessen, CEO of thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions Sub Sahara Africa. “In order to keep up with the evolving market, we have placed Industry 4.0 at the crux of operations which will in turn be to the ultimate benefit of our customers.” The company’s Minerals Processing division which concentrates on comminution also boasts one of the largest crushing and grinding technology po...

Isiolo County has secured an investor to complete the construction of an abattoir that stalled due to poor workmanship and inadequate funds. Governor Mohamed Kuti said his administration had engaged an investor “with a market network and expertise” who will partner with the county to complete and operationalise the abattoir in the next eight months. Dr Kuti said the slaughterhouse will open up the livestock market, export meat and boost the region’s economy. The livestock sector accounts for about 80 per cent of Isiolo’s economy. The slaughterhouse was built under the Vision 2030 programme and handed over to the county government in 2014. It is among four major slaughter house projects under the programme including others in Garissa, Wajir and West Pokot. They were earmarked for construction by the national government to support development in targeted livestock production areas. Dr Kuti said the investor won the tender through a competitive bidding exercise. The governor spoke whil...

ENGIE has started operations of Kathu, a 100 MW Concentrated Solar Plant and one of South Africa’s largest renewable energy projects. Kathu is the first Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) development for ENGIE. ENGIE is pleased to announce that commercial operation was achieved on 30 January 2019 for the 100 MW Kathu Solar Park in South Africa. This state of the art plant is a greenfield Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) project with parabolic trough technology and equipped with a molten salt storage system that allows for 4.5 hours of thermal energy storage to provide reliable electricity in the absence of solar radiation and during peak demand. The Kathu site covers approximately 4.5 km², with 384,000 mirrors. Kathu is the first CSP development for ENGIE. The solar park was awarded under Round 3.5 of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Program (REIPPP), a competitive tender process that was launched to facilitate private sector investment in renewable ener...

Sandton Central, as South Africa’s cosmopolitan centre of commerce and culture, will introduce several groundbreaking urban management innovations in the coming months – all cutting-edge ways to optimise the quality of life in today’s demanding world. More mixed-use development, flexible people-friendly and eco-friendly co-working spaces and the safety of CCTV cameras are among the growing trends that can be seen in Africa’s financial capital. Sandton Central Management District (SCMD) City Improvement ManagerElaine Jack, says, “Sandton Central is constantly evolving, growing, improving and innovating for those who live, work, invest, shop, stay and play here.” More mixed-use and residential developments Sandton Centralhas built a reputation as the country’s vibrant businesses hub at the forefront of office and working trends, which are now more integrated with other property uses than ever before. “Mixed-use development is on the rise in Sandton Central. This pleasing trend enc...

7th February, Nairobi:Britam Tower has received the Emporis Skyscraper Award, becoming the only skyscraper in Africa to feature among the top ten buildings in the world, in the Award’s nine-year history. The Emporis Skyscraper Award is the world’s most renowned prize for high-rise architecture. Winners are chosen by a jury of architecture experts from all over the world, while the nominated buildings are judged based on their achievements in functions and aesthetics. The Iconic Tower, developed by Britam Properties Limited, is currently the tallest building in East and Central Africa, rising from Nairobi’s skyline at 200 meters, and is Britam’s flagship project for its property strategy. Located in the upmarket Upperhill area, the 31-storey skyscraper offers panoramic and breathtaking views of the capital and surrounding areas, like the Nairobi National Park. On clear days, both Mount Kenya and Mount Kilimanjaro can be seen from thetop of this cutting edge building. Commenting on ...

The festive season is generally accepted as a time spent with family, friends and loved ones partaking in meals, activities and exchanging gifts. However, for many disadvantaged children the holiday season brings little happiness or sense of unity. Recognising the plight of these children, Atlas Copco- Home of Industrial Ideas, decided to brighten up disadvantaged children’s’ festive season by donating Santa Shoeboxes to AMCARE Alberton. AMCARE was founded by the Alberton Methodist Church in 2002. The non-profit organisation (NPO) which originally began to provide relief for those living with HIV/Aids in the New Redruth area, has steadily grown to provide additional services. AMCARE aims to educate, inform and care for people so that they can empower themselves, by offering support and relief effort services which are divided into four programmes; Victim Empowerment Programme, HIV/Aids Programme, Elderly Care Programme and a Skills Development Programme. The organisation strives to b...

Third Eye Management and Associates has announced a partnership with Sprinter Real Estate investment Limited, to build 300 houses in Kiambu County. The project Dubbed Fanisi Tigoni View consists of two-and three-bed-room units will be constructed in Ndenderu. Mr. Mbugua, Sprinter’s Chief Executive said they will construct the housing units which will be two and three bedroom units in Ndenderu dubbed Fanisi Tigoni View. “We are excited to be part of the vehicle of improving the housing sector in Kenya. The first project ‘The Fanisi Tigoni View’ is a fantastic project, with the first phase being launched on Saturday with about 90 units on a one acre piece of land,” said Mbugua, Sprinter’s Chief Executive. The Fanisi Tigoni View The Fanisi Tigoni View will be a mixed use development that will sit on 8 acres prime land next to the western Bypass interchange. Additionally, the firm plans to build over 700 units this year targeting the middle income with their prices ranging between US $50...

At Bauma 2019, international construction equipment manufacturer Wacker Neuson Group will be taking visitors on an electrifying tour of its vast product portfolio. The zero emission range will be one of the main attractions at the Wacker Neuson and Kramer stand. “Bauma is and always has been the most important platform for us to engage in depth with current and prospective customers in a professional setting, inspire them with our products and showcase our impressive machines in action,” explains Martin Lehner, CEO of the Wacker Neuson Group. “Every three years, the entire international construction equipment industry comes together in Munich – it is the place to be. All I can say at this stage is that visitors to our stand can look forward to the usual impressive and captivating experience. Even for me personally, Bauma is the highlight of the year.” New, larger site This year, the Wacker Neuson Group will be located at a new stand – FN.915 – with an impressive 6,000 square me...

The safe, reliable operation of tunnel boring equipment relies on the integrity of critical bearings and seals Once construction starts, there’s no going back. A tunnel boring machine (TBM) is not equipped with a reverse gear, so it is imperative that the machine is able to complete its job without suffering any significant mechanical failure on route. Where problems do occur, accessing the machine for repair can be a complex, costly and time-consuming project, especially with the main slewing bearing installed inside the TBM’s gear box. The main slewing bearing is the heart of the machine and in case of failure, it cannot be replaced easily, potentially causing months of delays and cost overruns that could easily add up to millions of dollars. For design engineers, the challenge of delivering high levels of reliability and availability are compounded by the extremely tough working conditions associated with tunnelling works. TBMs combine several highly undesirable operating cond...

Kenya Railways has asked the High Court to compel the National Lands Commission (NLC) to disclose all monies paid for land compensation under the Standard Gauge Railway project (SGR). In a judicial review application filed before Lady Justice Pauline Nyamweya Kenya Railways Corporation is seeking to know unpaid amount as well and the challenges the commission is facing in making payments. Through lawyer Peter Munge of MMC Africa Law, Kenya Railways argues that the matter is of national importance and any delays in settling compensations would affect a big number of people. The push for disclosure comes amid talk of scandal in compensations, where the value of land was inflated. NLC senior officials have been charged with manipulating compensation figures and illegally paying millions of shillings to individuals presenting dubious documents during construction of Phase One of the Sh327 billion Standard Gauge Railway line. While the government had projected to spend Sh3.8 billion on land...

Emira Property Fund today reported a3.1% year-on-year increase in distributions for itshalf-year ended 31 December 2018, improving its distribution growth, delivering on its market guidance, and continuing its upward dividend growth trajectory. Its consistent set of interim results deliver on Emira’s market guidance. The performance is driven by progress from its stated strategies ofoptimising portfolio metrics, and improving the defensiveness of its income streams by rebalancing its portfolio of assets out of offices, recycling underperforming capital into yield-accretive investment in the USA and diversifying intoresidential property locally. Geoff Jennett, CEO of Emira Property Fund, notesthat the diversified REIT’s international and residential strategies, which are well progressed, are helping Emira to counter the effects of challenging local conditions and an uncertain political economy that is impeding growth. Jennett comments: “Shifting a fund is easier said than done, but ...

The technologically innovative Sven Wingquist Test Center has been awarded the highly-regarded design prize, in the ‘industrial’ category. SKF is proud to have won a Design Award for its Sven Wingquist Test Center at The International Architecture Awards, a competition that recognises outstanding architectural achievements from across the globe. With over 1,000 entries from across 31 countries, the awards are globally recognised as a high accolade for any company. The awards took place in Athens, Greece and the judges complemented SKF on the uniqueness of the design of the test center, its effect on the users and visitors of the building, as well as the extraordinary correlation between the purpose of the center and its representation in the architectural implementation. The pioneering facility, based in Schweinfurt, Germany is used by SKF for large-scale bearing testing. It was designed by architects Tchoban Voss based in Hamburg. Frank Focke, Associate Partner at the company...

Construction equipment and compact machines specialist, Wacker Neuson South Africa, considers its dealer network integral to upholding customer service excellence. “Our dealers are our primary route to market and are perfectly positioned to deliver our comprehensive product and service portfolio to the customer’s door step quickly and efficiently,” notes Dennis Vietze, Managing Director of Wacker Neuson Sub-Saharan Africa. “By supplying superior quality, reliable equipment and reducing lead times, we assist our customers in maximising their uptime for optimised productivity and profitability.” In line with this dealer-centric approach, the past few months have seen the roll out of a number of new dealerships both in South Africa as well as cross-border. While previously Dealer Summits were organised at corporate level, Wacker Neuson South Africa took the initiative to implement the first Summit of its kind in the Sub-Sahara African region. On 24 and 25 January 2019, thirteen deal...

In this digital age, the simple use of a computer is a function which most people take for granted. However, for many disadvantaged schools in underprivileged communities the cost of purchasing a computer or a printer is an expense which they simply cannot afford. Recognising this challenge, thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions South Africa generously donated 24 printers to six schools in Tembisa and Soweto. “We wanted to do something good and this is part of the company’s ‘giving back to the community’ initiative,” states Kgothatso Ntsie, Marketing & Communications Manager at thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions South Africa. “As the printers, initially bought by us, were no longer needed and are all in good working order, we decided to donate them to primary and secondary schools in Johannesburg townships.” The initiative, which started over a year ago, saw thyssenkrupp conduct research in order to identify those disadvantaged schools that would benefit most from using the units; s...

East Africa construction industry The total number of projects in East Africa has risen by a substantial 96% between 2017 and 2018 with an equally substantial increase of 167% in the total US dollar value of projects, a new report has shown. The Africa Construction Trends (2018) by consultancy firm Deloitte, reveals that East Africa has a total of 139 projects at a combined value of US$87.1bn. The region accounts for 28.8% of projects on the continent and 18.5% in terms of US dollar value. This is mostly the result of high-value new projects in the region – such as the Konza Technology Park, and the Bagamoyo Mega Port – both of which are outlined in the top 10 projects below. According to the report, Kenya has the largest number of projects in East Africa with 41 projects at a value of US$38.2m, followed by Ethiopia with 38 projects at a value of US$19.1m. The total value of projects in Kenya is double the value of projects in Ethiopia. Road and rail networks under construction ...

Le’mac Towers: current tallest building Kenya has disclosed it's plans to construct 2,720 high-rise apartment units in Nairobi’s Ngara estate in a development project that will gift the Kenyan capital its tallest homes beating 22-storey Le’mac Towers, Nairobi’s residential tower. The project is in alignment with the government’s affordable housing agenda. Chinese billionaire Zeyun Yang said, “This iconic project is bound to change the Nairobi skyline as it will be the first project of its magnitude in East and Central Africa; that will give its residence access to the beautiful panoramic views of Nairobi.” The River Estate project The high-rise residential project dubbed the “River Estate” will be constructed by Edermann Properties owned by Chinese billionaire Zeyun Yang. It will comprise of eight apartment blocks each 34 floors high, with 340 homes per block. The development will have a capacity to house 2720 families, creating local demand for other amenities. It will consi...

Lagos, 29th January 2019 - According to Paul Cotterell, Sales Director of Casas do Barlavento, the growth trend of real estate investment in 2017 remained in 2018. In fact, the real estate market broke records: "the volume of sales prices achieved has been smashed, with a positive response from all nations buying in the Algarve .” Foreign Real Estate Investment In the Algarve, Casas do Barlavento found that buyer markets are becoming more diversified, many looking for incentive programs such as Non-Habitual Resident scheme (NHR), with Swedes at 22.2% and French at 12.2%. The British market is a constant with 24.4%, even in Brexit's uncertain environment: " I’m so interested to see what 2019 is going to bring, especially with the uncertainty of Brexit and the amount of people wanting to get away from the UK," says Paul Cotterell. Housing Prices Overvaluation According to the rating agency Moody's, Portugal is one of the countries where property prices...

The construction of Kipchoge Keino stadium in Kapsabet is in its final stages and is expected to commissioned in June this year. The county executive committee member in charge of sports, Patrick Sang announced that the laying of the tartan track will start in early February. Sang, a silver medalist in 3,000m steeplechase in the 1992 Seoul, South Korea Olympics, said Nandi county government was determined in ensuring that the modernisation programme was completed on time. He spoke after touring the ultra-modern stadium on Wednesday alongside Mondo Sports and flooring manager Cristian Burrial. Nandi County has hired the services of the spanish company to lay the tartan track. Sang said the final touches of the second face phase of the construction programme must be thorough to meet international standards. Nandi CEC in charge of sports Patrick Sang and Mondo Sports and flooring manager Cristian Burrial at Kipchoge KeinoStadium in Kapsabet He was accompanied by sports CO. M.Sigot and h...

The Atterbury Theatre has undergone a major revamp after almost eight successful years and 2,450 performances, productions and features enjoyed by some 731,630 people. The new Atterbury Theatre opened on Friday, 1 February, with a sold-out launch celebration featuring Karen Zoid and her band, complete with sparkling wine and surprises. Atterbury Theatre is an investment of the Atterbury Trust, which was set up 25-years ago when Atterbury Property was founded in 1994 and includes culture as one its focus areas. “The upgrade builds upon the continuous innovation and improvement that has become synonymous with the theatre,” says Zahn Hulme, Executive Trustee of Atterbury Trust, which is responsible for the upgrade of the popular Atterbury Theatre. The upgrade has given the theatre’s interior a vibrant new colour palette and a brand-new carpet, designed specifically for the theatre. Its 400 chairs have been reupholstered and are covered in three new colours. The new theatre seating a...

Strong December retail trade was recorded by the Flanagan & Gerard Property Development & Investment portfolio of shopping centres, with its top performing mall growing turnover by 18%. Flanagan & Gerard’s data signals that Black Friday has brought the start of the festive season earlier, spreading shopping across November and December. Electronics and appliances were favourite buys with Black Friday shoppers in November and, as a result, sales in these categories underperformed in December. Over the two monthsfinal months of 2018, total turnover in the Flanagan & Gerard portfolio of shopping centres was five 5% higher like-for-like than in 2017. It reports that retail categories that outperformed in December include groceries, liquor sales and children’s wear. With South Africans seeking to relax and socialise over the holiday, restaurants fared well. Entertainment, being movies and games, however, showed less growth than expected. Paul Gerard, Managing Director o...

Four property industry experts share their insight into thriving in the property investment arena Building a war chest for business and growing a strong personal balance sheet to build a legacy of generational wealth is a challenge that all entrepreneurs and business people face. Investing in property is an effective way of achieving this, but where do you start? Entrepreneurship To The Point, the entrepreneurship network hosted monthly by Property Point, the Growthpoint Properties initiative, shared insight from four industry experts to equip entrepreneurs with the ability to own equity, whether in bricks and mortar or listed property shares. George Muchanya, Head of Corporate Finance at Growthpoint Properties, has 27 years of experience in the property industry spanning engineering, management, and consulting. The questions that I am most often askedare‘should I be invested in property at all?’ and if so, ‘should I invest in ‘bricks-and-mortar’ property or listed property shar...