Africa

One of South Africa’s foremost research institutes is still going strong after 76 years—and has plenty of innovations on the horizon too, as Alan Swaby learns.

For an organisation dedicated to scientific and industrial change, Mintek has seen its fair share of structural, political and commercial changes over the years.

An architect of Africa’s improved infrastructure, Civicon puts its success down to its entrepreneurial spirit, as Andrew Pelis finds out.

Through the eyes of David Horsey, Eastern Africa represents a proven world of opportunity through a series of emerging countries that kick the term ‘Third World’ firmly to the road side. And the chances are that the road side in question may have been built by the company that David, and his brother Horace founded back in 1975.

Two years after acquiring its first mineral properties in Mali, Toronto-based Avion Gold Corporation has gone some way towards its goal of producing half a million ounces of gold a year. COO Andrew Bradfield talks to Gay Sutton about progress so far.

KZN’s Grid Group believes in using today’s ideas to solve today’s challenges in construction—and it is already working out tomorrow’s solutions as well, as Ruari McCallion discovers.

Sometimes, taking the next step in a company’s growth means giving up total independence, as Alan Swaby learns.

South Africa has a history of engineering contractors growing to the point where they implode and disappear. Over the years, most of the world’s biggest contractors have been attracted by the vast amount of work generated by the country’s mining industry; but you’d hardly know that now. Compare today’s crop of contractors with those of 30 years ago and only a few remain.

Zimbabwean ferrochrome producer Zimasco is emerging strongly from the economic downturn. CEO Sydwell Jena talks to Gay Sutton about turning a challenging situation into an operational advantage, and about the company’s plans for growth.

South Africa-based consulting port and coastal engineers Prestedge Retief Dresner Wijnberg is finding success all over the world, with its projects designed and built to withstand the toughest challenges that nature can throw at them, as Julia Smith discovers.

E.H. Hassim Builders World is one of a number of Indian owned businesses that has successfully steered its way through South Africa’s turbulent history for over     100 years.
Alan Swaby talks to business development director Hassim I. Dockrat to find out more.

Golden Star Resources has made its name by succeeding where others have failed.     COO Scott Barr talks to Gay Sutton about developing gold mines and sustainable job creation in Ghana.

Russia has signed a deal to provide South African nuclear power stations with uranium until at least 2017.

The contract, signed in Moscow following talks between Russia’s president Dmitry Medvedev and South Africa’s president Jacob Zuma, comes into effect next year.

The deal involves South Africa’s state-owned power utility Eskom and Tenex, a unit of Russia’s nuclear company Rosatom. Tenex will provide South Africa’s only nuclear plant, Koeberg, which is operated by Eskom, with uranium supplies for 10 years.