Africa

ESB International (ESBI) has been awarded a contract by NamPower to provide technical advisory services for the development of the 800 MW Kudu combined cycle power plant at Oranjemund on the Namibia / South Africa border.

The power plant will use gas from the Kudu Gas field to produce electricity for Namibia and the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP). Increasing demand for electricity in Africa as economies in the region grow is continuing to put pressure on state utilities such as NamPower.

The chairman of the taskforce overseeing the creation of the Kigali Free Trade Zone (KFTZ) in Rwanda has said it will be launched in April this year.

Speaking to Business Times, Alex Ruzibukira, head of the Kigali Free Trade Zone initiative at the state-run Rwanda Development Board, said around 90 per cent of the work on the 250-hectare project has been completed.

With the necessary infrastructure now in place, investors will be able to commence construction of factories and warehouses.

Across Southern Africa the economic downturn has hampered efforts to build crucial infrastructure, resulting in power shortages across the region at a time when demand for power continues to escalate. Being no stranger to this scenario, Botswana is now turning to companies like Asenjo Energy to utilise its vast quantities of coal. Chief operating officer Malcolm Campbell talks to Andrew Pelis.

This South African-based specialist in aircraft seating made from composite materials is well-placed to take advantage of the international effort to reduce the weight of airliners.

AAT Composites is a specialist in the manufacture of high-tech, high-specification composite carbon and glass fibre seating components for the airline industry. The company was founded near Cape Town, South Africa, in 1983 as Aerodyne Technology, later becoming Aerodyne Aviation Technology.

Work is progressing well on South Africa’s Mossel Bay desalination plant project, according to a report by marine services provider SMIT Amandla Marine.

The Cape Town-based company submitted a tender to provide marine services on the project last September and subsequently won the contract.

John Adom, managing director of Balfos Ltd, talks to Jayne Alverca about the company’s diverse product and sales offering as a single supply source to some of West Africa’s leading mining and industrial operations.

Since 1995, when the company was incorporated in Ghana, Balfos Ltd has developed and enhanced its sales and service operations to become a single supply point for three of West Africa’s largest mining, industrial and construction countries (Ghana, Guinea and Côte D’Ivoire).

Lindsay Shankland, MD of Manitou, the market leader in rough terrain handling solutions, talks to Jayne Alverca about getting a handle on the heaviest loads in the most awkward places.

It sounds like a young boy’s dream come true: asingle Manitou telescopic handler can lift, dig, load, clean, scoop, tow and carry. But these are not toys for boys. Manitou’s name may be synonymous with versatility, but its range of rough terrain handling equipment is destined for the most demanding applications that industry has to offer.

2011 is a milestone year for Fire Control Systems. Not only is it the 25-year anniversary of the company’s launch, but it also marks the maturation of significant changes in company strategy and structure. Managing director Rodney Dodkins talks to Gay Sutton about migrating from a commercial organisation to a fully fledged corporate entity.

Mozambique has emerged from the hardships of civil war to become a fast-developing economic nation. That growth is hugely dependent on electricity; and this has put pressure on national supplier Electricidade de Moçambique to expand, as Carlos Yum, director of the Corporate Performance unit and Business Development, explains to Andrew Pelis.