ESI Africa on load-shedding: knowledge is power!
ESI Africa premium media partner at African Utility Week & POWERGEN Africa
"Whether you want to call it load-shedding, a blackout, load-shifting or load sharing, remember that this affects everyone. We are in this together so join your neighbourhood Whatsapp or Facebook group to stay informed.” So says Nicolette Pombo-van Zyl, editor ESI Africa, a leading energy industry journal.
Off the grid
“It is not really viable at this stage for the average suburban household to go completely off the grid to avoid the effects of load-shedding” says Mrs Pombo-van Zyl, adding “but, it is possible to develop a back-up plan for when the grid goes down. The ideal option is solar PV but this requires an investment, which will eventually pay off in the long run. One could just invest in a solar water heater system or take the route of rooftop solar with a battery storage unit.”
“Back-up generators are also an option, especially for businesses although they can be noisy and cumbersome to set up and prove dangerous for people not familiar with this type of equipment. Another off-grid option is to change to gas for cooking and lighting.” She continues: “some people may think that they are experiencing load-shedding when in actual fact their main has tripped. Invest in battery-operated torches and lighting and regularly check the batteries. Ensure that your mobile phones are charged. Also be more vigilant when driving as a lot of traffic lights are affected.”
ESI Africa at African Utility Week
The potential of renewable energy sources such as solar, storage solutions and mini-grid generation projects are some of the exciting focus areas at African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa taking place from 14-16 May in Cape Town. The South African Minister of Energy, Honourable Jeff Radebe, is heading up a stellar line up of expert speakers and will once again deliver the opening ministerial address on 14 May. The 19th edition of this flagship conference and exhibition is expected to attract more than 10 000 energy and water professionals this year.
ESI Africa is the longstanding host publication of the event and also has an onsite studio on the expo floor to interview dozens of experts for its online portal. Says ESI Africa’s editor Nicolette Pombo-van Zyl: “this annual event is marked in my diary as a ‘must-attend’ to meet with industry stalwarts and the up-and-coming young leaders. I’m keenly looking forward to three intense days of on-point conversations around what’s happening in the industry, what to expect in the coming year, and the solutions driving development. Also, as a moderator for one of the conference sessions, I’m excited by the prospect of debating risks and opportunities in a way that could very well deliver a primed solution to the attending delegates who have travelled from far and wide.”
She continues: “it’s going to be another superb year for the ESI Africa team as our bumper issue of the journal is being distributed in the delegate bags and VIP areas. As the official host publication, ESI Africa is the only media house with an onsite studio where on-camera interviews will be conducted over the three days of African Utility Week & POWERGEN Africa. Another activity is our sought-after roving camera team who will be visiting expo booths that have pre-booked an interview with us.”
The ESI Africa television studio is strategically positioned on the exhibition floor for easy access, says Nicolette: “this is where our team of editors will conduct professional on-camera interviews with conference speakers, VIP guests, and profiled attendees to reap their industry knowledge for our readers’ benefit.
“You can also rely on the editorial team to keep you posted on what’s happening as they will be reporting live from the conference sessions using the ESI Africa social media channels and website. We’re interested in connecting with as many people as possible, so look out for the team at the networking sessions, awards gala, and knowledge hubs.”
African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa is the flagship energy event organised by Spintelligent, a multi-award-winning Cape Town-based exhibition and conference producer across the continent in the energy, infrastructure, mining and agriculture sectors. Other well-known events by Spintelligent include Future Energy East Africa, Future Energy Nigeria, the Utility CEO Forums, Agritech Expo Zambia, Nigeria Mining Week and DRC Mining Week. Spintelligent is part of the UK-based Clarion Events Group and African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa forms part of Clarion Energy, which runs over 40 events that cover the oil, gas, power and energy sectors, making it one of Clarion Events’ largest portfolios.
Dates for African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa:
Conference and expo: 14-16 May 2019
Site visits: 17 May 2019
Location: CTICC, Cape Town, South Africa
Website: http://www.african-utility-week.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AfricaUtilities #AUW2019
Linkedin: African Utility Week
Contact:
Senior communications manager: Annemarie Roodbol
Telephone: +27 21 700 3558
Mobile: +27 82 562 7844
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
World Water Day on 22 March: “Leaving no one behind”
Water a key focus at African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa in Cape Town in May
A Cape Town bottling plant has managed to reduce its waste water by over 60%, saving more than 90 million litres of municipal water since January 2017.
The Epping-based The Beverage Company produces over 1.5 million bottles of carbonated soft drinks per week and uses on average 30 000 litres of water per hour. According to the plant manager David Putterill, last year’s looming Day Zero for water supply in Cape Town had less impact on the business “due to the various actions we took in advance of the crisis. In mid-2016 we started various projects to save water and these are on-going. In the last year we have sustained our water saving so that even though the water restrictions have been partially lifted, we keep the same focus on saving water.”
World Water Day, a UN initiative, is celebrated on 22 March every year and focuses on the importance of water and this year’s theme is ‘Leaving no one behind’, adapting the central promise of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development that as sustainable development progresses, everyone must benefit.
Water conference in May
Water also remains one of the key topics and discussion points at the annual African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa in Cape Town, where from 14-16 May, the conference will bring together experts from public and private sectors to support municipalities as they become more responsive and efficient in their water practices.
Part of this knowledge exchange are the technical site visits taking place on 17 May, including at The Beverage Company bottling plant. “Delegates will see the bottling plant and the water saving projects that were implemented that helped us reduce our waste water and saving million of litres of municipal water” says The Beverage Company’s David Putterill. “They will also see our alternative water supply project that we have initiated to reduce our dependence on the municipal water supply by installing our own boreholes and reverse osmosis plant.”
He adds: “it has been fascinating to see what can be achieved when a team applies their mind to a particular goal. It has also been a huge learning curve for all concerned, learning about water treatment, alternative water sources, geohydrology and many other topics.”
See David Putterill’s full interview here and click here for a video of The Beverage Company facilities and their exciting water savings initiatives.
More water experts and speakers at African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa include:
- “The greatest challenge facing global water security is global transformation. The world is changing as we look on and this is happening at a very fast pace and impacting heavily on available natural resources, including fresh water.”
- Paul Yillia, Guest Research Scholar (Water Programme), International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Austria, winner of 2018 African Utility Week Industry Award for Outstanding Contribution Award for Water and chairperson of African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa’s water conference.
- “We have made a real and profound difference intercepting Day Zero, by helping the City of Cape Town fast track the use of intelligent water infrastructure“
- Shannon Vermaak, marketing manager for Utility Systems, platinum sponsors at the upcoming African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa. Click here for the full interview.
- “Utilities and municipalities need to operate more as a business. As the sector transforms, they can either be a hurdle or a catalyst for the private sector and the country as a whole”
- Dhasi Naidoo, Chief Strategy Officer, Ontec, South Africa and speaker in the water conference.
- “Climate change impacts are imminent; however, most key institutions are not fully prepared to deal with such impacts”
- Sicelo N. Mashwama, Environment, Health & Safety Manager at Swaziland Water Services Corporation and Advisory Board member of African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa.Click here for the full interview.
- “Cape Town is a good example that Africa has started to face the effects of climate change by investigating alternative water resources and minimizing the loss of non-revenue water and general water use.”
- Jan Kürstein, Hydrogeologist and Senior Consultant Water and Natural Resources at Rambøll in Denmark, even advisory board member and speaker. Click here for the full interview.
Session topics at African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa’s water conference include:
- Tackling the escalating drought threat: Embarking on climate change resilience
- Managing water conservation resources in light of the on-going drought
- Water technology innovation platform in Africa
- Demonstrating, applying and commercialising the required technology
- Water metering and monitoring
- Water treatment advancements
- Water sector funding and incentives
- Meeting municipal demand
The 19th edition of this flagship conference and exhibition is expected to attract more than 10 000 water and energy professionals this year.
International pavilions
Apart from the official U.S. country pavilion at African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa showcasing specialised technology and services for the utility, metering, renewable and water industries, country pavilions from Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, India and Poland have also already confirmed their presence at the 3-day event in May.
Industry support
A multi-award-winning conference and exhibition, African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa has already secured the support from industry stalwarts including Conlog, Dromex, Landis+Gyr, Sumitomo and Utility Systems as platinum sponsors and Aberdare, ADC Energy, Sulzer and Toshiba as gold sponsors.
African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa is the flagship energy event organised by Spintelligent, a multi-award-winning Cape Town-based exhibition and conference producer across the continent in the energy, infrastructure, mining and agriculture sectors. Other well-known events by Spintelligent include Future Energy East Africa, Future Energy Nigeria, the Utility CEO Forums, Agritech Expo Zambia, Nigeria Mining Week and DRC Mining Week. Spintelligent is part of the UK-based Clarion Events Group and African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa form part of Clarion Energy, which runs over 40 events that cover the oil, gas, power and energy sectors, making it one of Clarion Events’ largest portfolios.
Dates for African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa:
Conference and expo: 14-16 May 2019
Site visits: 17 May 2019
Location: CTICC, Cape Town, South Africa
Website: http://www.african-utility-week.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AfricaUtilities #AUW2019
Linkedin: African Utility Week
Contact:
Senior communications manager: Annemarie Roodbol
Telephone: +27 21 700 3558
Mobile: +27 82 562 7844
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Protecting The Environment Is Considered Essential By Bidvest Laundry Group
Bidvest Laundry Is Committed To Protecting The Environment
The world we find ourselves in requires us to be more conscious of our impact on the environment. At Bidvest Laundry, we are committed to reducing our carbon footprint by making responsible business choices. Since 2010 we have been adopting practices to reduce the use of energy in our day-to-day responsibilities, at the same time as reducing water usage. We have adapted our laundry services equipment and our practices to ensure that we abide by environmental mandates that are now thankfully being enforced by our government.
Solar Energy
Using solar energy, we have been able to reduce our electricity usage by significant amounts. We still rely on electrical energy, but the use of solar power has allowed us to reduce our consumption, while also reducing the costs invoiced to our customers. We have installed solar panels that are monitored by computer to ensure they are operating effectively. This allows us to take full advantage of over 2,500 hours of sunlight that South Africa is blessed with every year.
Water Recycling
We’ve fitted our commercial washing machines with a second drain valve, which has a highly beneficial impact on the use of water. The design of the valve is the perfect mechanism that recycles the water after its initial use into a third valve to use again before being discarded. This use of recycled water reduces our consumption without affecting the end product.
Technological Adjustments
Making use of state of the art equipment allows us to ensure that we only use what we need with every wash. If a washer isn’t full, the calibrations will determine how much detergent to use for that volume of washing, as well as the amount of water. The running time of the washer is also adjusted to ensure that we only use the exact amount of energy required to complete the minimal load of washing.
Reduce Costs
One of the most beneficial biproducts of reducing our carbon footprint and practicing environmental friendly business is that we can reduce our laundry service costs. This in turn has a positive impact for our clients, who are the reason for everything we do.
TapOff: informing, motivating, and gamifying water saving
Released by AUX Studio in January, TapOff is a free mobile app that not only provides Capetonians with real-time updates on the city’s water consumption, but inspires them to make positive changes that will have a lasting impact.
While Cape Town’s ongoing drought will certainly break at some point – and with it, the current watercrisis – it’s equally certain that the amount of water available will decrease over the long term. This means residents must permanently change their water-saving behaviour.
“Information alone doesn’t drive behavioural change,” says Trevor Swart of AUX. “The key is to summarise and frame it in a way that’s meaningful for the individual.” Besides displaying the city’s overall consumption for the week, TapOff enables residents to log their own water usage and compare it with the maximum amount prescribed by city authorities. In this way, individuals see how their efforts can make areal difference to a community-wide issue.
The app goes even further to encourage participation, gamifying water-saving with suburb leaderboards where residents can display their consumption figures. “The response has been great so far,” says Trevor, “with growing numbers of users posting their water usage to neighbourhood leaderboards on a monthly basis.”
AUX has also produced a public API that delivers Cape Town’s latest water statistics. This has opened up opportunities to drive awareness beyond the mobile app. “In partnership with Tractor Outdoor, we’ve created digital billboards to make a clear emotional connection with the viewer about Cape Town’s overall water consumption, putting the city’s progress quite literally front and centre. It’s also a friendly reminder to keep up water-saving efforts – whether you’ve downloaded TapOff or not.”
TapOff has featured in both the Play Store and the App Store as a top app in the Free Education category. AUX is currently looking for more partners and sponsors so that they can offer real rewards to water savers and engage hundreds of thousands of residents.
Download the TapOff app at http://www.tapoff.co.za
Contact AUX Studio at www.aux.co.za
TapOff has been featured on the following websites:
MEMEBURN: https://memeburn.com/2018/01/tapoff-cape-town-water-app/
FINANCIAL MAIL: https://www.businesslive.co.za/fm/fm-fox/gimme/2018-03-01-gimme-every-single-drop/
WHAT’S ON IN CT: https://www.whatsonincapetown.com/post/waterwise-initiatives-capetonians/
ORIGINAL PRESS RELEASE:
Gamification app summarizes the latest water crisis stats for Cape Town
Last year in March AUX conceptualized and built the TapOff app – an experiment to inspire people of Cape Town to save water. They wanted to make it easy for residents to have access to the latest and most important information, but also to promote the idea of per-person-per-day usage by household. At the time this information wasn't readily available. They also wanted to test a simple gamification idea to see if it would inspire people to take action and share ideas.
“At the time (March 2017) we felt like the drought and cape town water crisis was a great real-world problem to tackle. It seemed like a rewarding and worthy problem to tackle with real social impact.”
Client work got in the way during the course of 2017 and the project was put on ice. Then, in November 2017, the studio decided it was still a worthwhile project and completed the first version. We officially trickled the link to social media on the 27th January. Since then the app has been featured on Memeburn.com and has also been highlighted in both the Google PlayStore and the AppStore as a top app in the Free Education category last week.
At the moment, only residents with CoCT billls can calculate their per-person-per-day usage using the app calculator, and then post that result to their suburb leaderboard. Some people have rightly pointed out that this excludes residents without a water bill. The developers provided the following response to users in the app store:
“You've raised a great point here which we need to consider. We decided to release the product before it contained all the possible features we could build, otherwise we might never have launched at all, and we didn’t want that. We realise there are things that we have not conquered but we will get there as we gather feedback like this, learn and adapt. Plans to capture water usage in a different way are already underway.”
So far, the response has been great, and there are already hundreds of users who have posted their water use to the Cape Town leaderboard. Last week an update was released so that users per-person-per-day calculation is more visible and people can also navigate to their suburb. All users are created anonymously using a unique and creative naming system.
AUX is a product design studio based in Cape Town. They work with established businesses and start-ups providing naming, identity design, ux design and rapid-prototyping.
Link to the TAPOFF app http://www.tapoff.co.za
A billboard alone created unprecedented waiting list of home buyers
The announcement of a residential property development through a billboard in Florida has already resulted in a waiting list of over 2,000 interested home buyers, declared Greg Singleton – Metro Development Group’s President– in front of thousands of developers in attendance at a Conference in Dallas, Texas, in October 2016.
Multinational Water Innovation company Crystal Lagoons, has established an office in Cape Town and looks forward to announcing a project in South Africa soon. Look out for a billboard advertising a Crystal Lagoon, which will undoubtedly have a similar effect on demand for units in local developments.
Singleton spoke about the four residential projects in Tampa, Florida his company is developing, each featuring a 7 to 10 acre Crystal Lagoon. “We put the signs up on I-75, and that’s all the advertisement we’ve done, and we already have 2,000 names on a waitlist, without really trying, “ said Greg Singleton. “It’s been incredible the response.”
Photos of Crystal Lagoons’ actual projects and key messages such as “Epic Splash” and “Water This Way” were just enough to raise the interest of Tampa’s population.
Alastair Sinclair, the Regional Director for Crystal Lagoons in Africa, says: “The option to include a beach lifestyle even at inland locations, is a major drawcard for residential developers and those in the hospitality industry. So much so that only a billboard is needed to secure buyers.”
Geberit Celebrates World Toilet Day
Innovations in the toilet-space are largely led by the innovation and technology driven sanitary leader, Geberit.
Did you know that they have sold more than 60 million concealed cisterns worldwide? The ‘disappearance’ of the pipes behind the wall sparked a paradigm change within the bathroom, where function and design intertwine. The concealed cistern provides more space in the bathroom as the cistern is no longer in the way, leaving the walls to be used in more creative and functional ways. They can save you up to 200mm of space in the bathroom and using wall-hung toilets creates an elegant and spacious feeling and they are hygienic as you can clean underneath and right around them – adding an innovative Geberit Rimfree® toilet is even more hygienic and far easier to clean. The Geberit concealed cisterns are available in several options, equipped with Geberit technology which has proven itself for decades, and with adjustable water-saving functions and dual flush or stop-and-go flush. The fact that Geberit concealed cisterns have been in use for over half a century, demonstrates that Geberit's brand promise of "Know-How Installed" is clearly working.
Even today, plumbers are constantly bumping into Geberit concealed cisterns from the early years that are still in daily use. Geberit still has replacement parts for first-generation cisterns and guarantees spare part availability for up to 25 years. The Geberit concealed cisterns are designed with ease of installation. Style is a big consideration in a bathroom, and using a concealed cistern which is hidden from view, makes the choice of actuator plate that much more important as their visual appearance sets the design tone. The variety and technological advancement of flush plates available today has opened up new design possibilities too. Choose a Geberit dual flush option for your toilet to save water – there is even a touchless version. They are functional, save water and more hygienic. Bring a sense of well-being and freshness into the bathroom with a Geberit DuoFresh system, with an integrated odour extraction unit. The system works effortlessly by removing foul air directly from the toilet bowl, purifies and then releases it back out again as fresh air. Another option from Geberit, and ideal for renovations is the Geberit floor-mounted Monolith sanitary module. The Monolith's sleek glass panel saves space compared to bulky traditional cisterns, making even small spaces feel open and expansive.
Additionally, it offers eco-friendly dual flush technology, which allows users to choose between a standard or low-volume flush, saving the average family thousands of litres of water each year. Geberit offers complete bathroom solutions where everything works together in perfect harmony.
He who builds responsibly, builds sustainably. That is why Geberit has always devoted itself to comprehensively sustainable products that meet the highest standards, thus providing innovative system solutions for sustainable building.The globally operating Geberit Group is a European leader in the field of sanitary products. Geberit operates as an integrated group with a very strong local presence in most European countries, providing unique added value when it comes to sanitary technology and bathroom ceramics. To find out more:→ www.geberit.co.za → This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. → 0861 FLUSH 1
National Water Week and World Water Day: the importance of managing our resources
“The African water industry is changing”
The increasing demand for water on the African continent is forcing water utilities to expand and improve their treatment and distribution capacities. African Utility Week event director Evan Schiff says the upcoming National Water Week (17-23 March) and International Water Day (22 March) “are important days to make us aware of the challenges, remind us that every drop counts and that water is a finite resource.”
“The African water industry is changing” Evan Schiff adds. “In recent years, Africa’s economic growth rates have averaged around 5.2% per annum, making the continent one of the fastest growing regions in the world. Coupled with high population growth, urbanisation and changing lifestyles, the demand for natural resources especially water continues to increase rapidly on the continent with no signs that both growth and demand will slow down any time soon. This highlights an urgent need for water utilities to broaden and expand their infrastructure. At the same time, water as a sector is difficult to manage because conflicting industries are vying for the slice of this liquid pie.”
He continues: “innovation is on the increase and there is an ever growing awareness of the opportunities provided by sharing experiences and new smart water technologies. Once again at the 15th African Utility Week, taking place in Cape Town from 12-14 May, the water conference track offers an exciting spectrum of speakers on the state of the water industry today with both local and global experts sharing their success stories and valuable lessons. The event expo boasts Africa’s largest showcase of technology and service providers in water treatment, leak detection, metering and monitoring and control. It provides an opportunity to invest in knowledge and secure solutions to improve cost reduction strategies, sustainable business models, water management, treatment, supply and infrastructure. Importantly it will aim to find the answers to securing the future of water resources for Africa.”
Water experts and technology
Peter Flower, Director: Water and Sanitation, City of Cape Town, is one of the headline speakers and will address the water delegates on the “Continuous improvement in water management: The Cape Town perspective”. Says Mr Flower: “the City’s water department has been able to very successfully manage its demand growth over the last 15 years, through the co-operation of the residents of Cape Town and the successful implementation of the City’s Water Conservation and Demand Management Strategy. An indication of the success of these efforts is that, to date, the City has never exceeded the water demands experienced in 2000. This is remarkable when you consider there was significant population growth during this period. This has also enabled the city to defer the high capital expenditure on water resources and infrastructure development to a later time-frame”.
More conference highlights include:
“The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality has adopted a 10-year Water Demand Management Strategy, comprising of programmes to effectively address, separately, technical and non-technical water losses”
The evolution of water metering technology and the selection process
- Dorothy Batenegi Mabuza, Divisional Head: Water Revenue Management Water & Sanitation Department, Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality
“By 2030, the water industry will provide continuous quality water supply services to 100% of the existing urban and peri-urban residents of the inhabited areas”
Panel discussion: Securing the future of water resources
- Engineer Harry Sikoma, Western Consulting, Zambia
“By adopting appropriate strategies and technologies, it is possible for utilities to serve and make money in the poor segments of society”
Delegated management model: An answer to water service provision challenges in informal settlements
- Engineer David Onyango, Managing Director of the Kisumu Water and Sewerage Company Limited, Kenya.
“Currently in South Africa we have a water loss of around 38%, but we believe it is possible to reduce the loss by up to 20%”
Smart water systems – Using the network
- Klaus Gruebl, Sensus country manager in South Africa
"There is quite a lot of impressive work going on in trying to operationalize the nexus perspective on the continent"
North-South development cooperation: Best practices across borders
- Paul T. Yillia, consultant at Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)
“SeeSaw is working in Angola’s second city, Huambo, to help the government and water utility gain a better understanding of the service level that customers experience”
The pros and cons of prepaid versus mobile-enabled postpaid approaches for African water utilities
- David Schaub-Jones, Co-Founder, SeeSaw
The 15th African Utility Week and Clean Power Africa is expected to again attract more than 5000 attendees and features 250 exhibitors, 190 speakers, eight conferences, free technical workshops on the expo floor, three high-profile plenary sessions and the coveted industry awards gala dinner. During the African Utility Week Industry Awards, the African Water Utility of the Year, will also be announced.
DNV-GL has already confirmed its exclusive diamond sponsorship of the event while Accenture, Building Energy, MarelliMotori, Rubbytad and Edison Power Group are the platinum sponsors.
African Utility Week and Clean Power Africa are organised by Spintelligent, leading Cape Town-based trade exhibition and conference organiser, and the African office of Clarion Events Ltd, based in the UK.
African Utility Week and Clean Power Africa dates and location:
Exhibition & Conference: 12-14 May 2015
Industry awards: 13 May 2015
Site Visits: 15 May 2015
Location: CTICC, Cape Town
Website: www.african-utility-week.com
Contact:
Communications manager: Annemarie Roodbol
Telephone: +27 21 700 3558
Mobile: +27 82 562 7844
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Notes for Editor
Spintelligent (Pty) Ltd is an African media business, specialising in Exhibitions, Conferences and Publishing. Head-quartered in Cape Town with a team of 90 experienced professionals, Spintelligent is a dynamic and recognised organiser across multiple industry sectors and geographies. A specialist organiser with the ability to deliver key growth projects in the early emerging markets of the African continent.
Spintelligent is the African partner office of Clarion Events Ltd, the UK based organiser operating in 36 countries worldwide with 9 subsidiary offices delivering over 500 exhibitions and conferences annually.
Spintelligent delivers projects in African growth industry sectors; Power & Utilities; Energy; Mining; Education & Careers; Agriculture; Infrastructure; Military & Defence. Spintelligent delivers projects in the emerging African markets; South Africa; Nigeria; Ghana; Kenya; Tanzania; DRC; Angola; Mozambique; Zambia.
Spintelligent is recognised for its print and electronic publications, with market-leading brands including Metering International, ESI Africa and Mining Review Africa. Its regular global events and exhibitions, as well as its critical business intelligence and integrated marketing services make it a leader in its field. The company’s highly skilled resources in management, marketing, research and production allow for unique products bridging the developed and developing markets.
Website: www.spintelligent.com
www.african-utility-week.com/Pages/Detail/17718
Practical lessons and success story of City of Cape Town’s unique backyarder project to be showcased at African Utility Week in Cape Town in May
“The community really enjoyed the whole process and supported us”
“It has changed my life a lot, it is seriously much better. I am more independent now with my own electricity,” says 35-year-old Monier Larry who lives in the backyard of a council house in Albecore Street in Factreton, a northern suburb of Cape Town. His dwelling is one of hundreds that has been provided with electricity, water, sanitation and waste services by the City of Cape Town.
Due to the wide spread occurrence of informal dwellings in the backyards of houses in formal townships, the mayor of Cape Town, Patricia de Lille, saw the need to improve the circumstances of the many so-called backyarders living on council property. In October 2011, the City Council gave the green light to continue with three pilot sites, namely Factreton, Hanover Park and Langa. The latter was later withdrawn due to consumer resistance. 13.6% of the national population lives in informal housing including backyards.
According to Hein Boshoff, Head: Electricity Distribution Area North at the City of Cape Town, a total of 188 backyarder dwellings in Factreton have so far been provided with electricity while 984 dwellings in Hanover Park have been connected. He adds: ”the two pilot backyarder projects, each with their own challenges, proved to be successful and Council is continuing with this approach in areas where the community is willing to accept these improvements. The Electricity department will be attending to two other areas for backyarder supply: Parkwood and Bonteheuwel.”
“Much easier since I have my own box now” Monier Larry, who looks after his two-year-old daughter Isis, says he has been a backyarder for more than 20 years. He now has a light and an electricity box in his shack and the council installed a sink with tap and a toilet in the backyard. He explains: “we used to get electricity from the house inside and it used to be a bit of a problem. Sometimes it would trip or they would complain that we use too much electricity or you did not know how much electricity you were using. It is much easier since I have my own box now.”
Next door, 31-year-old Teresa Gordam agrees. She shares a backyard dwelling with her boyfriend and young cousin. “When I moved in here they were busy installing the new services. It is so much more convenient for us to have our own toilet, tap and electricity connection in the back because the people in the main house would not allow me inside to use the toilet and water.”
Community engagement The infrastructure that had to be put in place includes the removal of the midblock supply to the street front in Factreton. The City of Cape Town’s Hein Boshoff explains that “a new design was also necessary to account for the increased demand in supplying up to three Backyarder dwellings per council rental unit with electricity. This resulted in the strengthening of the backbone of the network and substations. New street lighting was also installed.”
All Backyarder projects are funded through the Urban Settlement Development Grant (USDG).
Part of the success of the backyarder programme has been the community engagement aspect and according to Hein Boshoff “the community really enjoyed the whole process and supported us in this whole venture to uplift the social environment for them.” He says the initiative changed the lives of the backyarders with regards to “safety around their homes as there is no more dangerous wiring from the main dwelling, social upliftment - the EPWP Expanded Public Works Programme allowed for work opportunities, improved living conditions – alleviating poverty through subsidised electricity connections - and no more exploitation by the main occupants.”
African Utility Week
Hein Boshoff will discuss this successful project as a featured speaker during the Transmission & Distribution and Smart Grids session of the upcoming African Utility Week conference and expo at the CTICC in Cape Town from 12-14 May. During a technical site visit on 15 May, conference delegates will also have the opportunity to visit the Factreton site to see the improved infrastructure for themselves and meet some of the backyarders. Last year, the City of Cape Town was named top municipality at the African Utility Week Awards.
Gathering thousands of energy professionals
For the past 14 years, the African Utility Week and Clean Power Africa conference and exhibition has helped to reduce the energy consumption of commercial and industrial large power users and has assisted in African utilities providing electricity and water to all of Africa. The event brings together thousands of utility professionals from across the globe to learn, share knowledge and debate the key topics that will secure the future development of Africa’s power industry. These include energy efficiency, improved service delivery, renewable energy and collaboration across the continent and investment in new power projects. South Africa’s state utility Eskom has been a key partner for many years.
DNV-GL has already confirmed its exclusive diamond sponsorship of the event while Accenture, Building Energy, Edison Power Group, MarelliMotori and Rubbytad are the platinum sponsors.
African Utility Week and Clean Power Africa is organised by Spintelligent, leading Cape Town-based trade exhibition and conference organiser, and the African office of Clarion Events Ltd, based in the UK.
African Utility Week and Clean Power Africa dates and location:
Exhibition & Conference: 12-14 May 2015
Industry awards: 13 May 2015
Site Visits: 15 May 2015 Location: CTICC, Cape Town
Website: www.african-utility-week.com
Contact:
Communications manager: Annemarie Roodbol
Telephone: +27 21 700 3558
Mobile: +27 82 562 7844
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Notes for Editor
Spintelligent (Pty) Ltd is an African media business, specialising in Exhibitions, Conferences and Publishing. Head-quartered in Cape Town with a team of 90 experienced professionals, Spintelligent is a dynamic and recognised organiser across multiple industry sectors and geographies.
A specialist organiser with the ability to deliver key growth projects in the early emerging markets of the African continent. Spintelligent is the African partner office of Clarion Events Ltd, the UK based organiser operating in 36 countries worldwide with 9 subsidiary offices delivering over 500 exhibitions and conferences annually.
Spintelligent delivers projects in African growth industry sectors; Power & Utilities; Energy; Mining; Education & Careers; Agriculture; Infrastructure; Military & Defence. Spintelligent delivers projects in the emerging African markets; South Africa; Nigeria; Ghana; Kenya; Tanzania; DRC; Angola; Mozambique; Zambia.
Spintelligent is recognised for its print and electronic publications, with market-leading brands including Metering International, ESI Africa and Mining Review Africa.
Its regular global events and exhibitions, as well as its critical business intelligence and integrated marketing services make it a leader in its field. The company’s highly skilled resources in management, marketing, research and production allow for unique products bridging the developed and developing markets.
Website: www.spintelligent.com
www.african-utility-week.com/pages/detail/17625
Africa’s top utility projects and power professionals honoured at African Utility Week in May
Cape Town utility event to gather more than 5000 power professionals
Africa’s leading utility, energy and water professionals and projects are to be honoured again at the annual African Utility Week and Clean Power Africa that is taking place in Cape Town from 12-14 May this year.
Designed to celebrate the African triumphs and successes of the industry throughout 2014, the industry will be able to nominate candidates for ten award categories in the African Utility Week Industry Awards on 13 May, ranging from Utility Executive to Clean Energy Project of the Year and the new category of Outstanding Woman in Power/Water. The esteemed panel of judges that will decide on the winners includes Brian Dames, former Eskom CEO, Musara Beta, Chief Market Analyst, Southern African Power Pool (SAPP), Zimbabwe and Peter Mtonda, Director of Distribution & Customer Services, ESCOM, Malawi.
Awards create excitement in industry
“It is gratifying to see how much excitement these awards have created in the industry” says African Utility Week event director Evan Schiff. He adds: “last year the sold-out, inaugural African Utility Week Industry Awards were the hot ticket of the event and a huge success. Needless to say, there is a lot of interest again from the utility sector to enter for the awards and to attend.”
Last year’s awards evening was attended by some 500 leading executives from across the power, water, renewable energy, finance and investment spheres, and was declared a long overdue addition to what is the largest utility gathering of its kind on the continent. African Utility Week and Clean Power Africa is attended by more than 5000 power and water professionals from more than 30 African countries and 70 worldwide.
“We remain an event for the industry and by the industry”, says Evan Schiff, “and invite all power professionals on the continent again to send us their nominations and we look forward to sharing their triumphs with their peers. Together we will honour those companies and executives who have been responsible for pioneering new frontiers, pushing boundaries, for inspiring others and for achieving growth for Africa.”
The African Utility Week Industry Awards categories:
• Lifetime Achievement Award
• African Utility Executive of the Year
• African Power Utility of the Year
• African Water Utility of the Year
• Municipality of the Year
• Energy/Water Efficiency Project of the Year
• Clean Energy Project of the Year
• Collaboration of the Year Award
• Outstanding Woman in Power/Water
• African Community Project of the Year
Sponsorship opportunities
So far the leading industry technology and services providers Lucy Switchgear and Accenture have confirmed as award category sponsors, while Zest is hosting the champagne reception at the awards. To enter an individual or company for the awards, please go to http://www.african-utility-week.com/awards To book a seat or table at the awards, click here.
The winners of last year’s African Utility Week Industry Awards were:
- Municipality of the Year: City of Cape Town
- Lifetime achievement: Dr Steve Lennon, Group Executive: Sustainability at Eskom
- Community project: Itron, South Africa African Collaboration: Southern African Power Pool (SAPP)
- Energy/Water Efficiency: City Power Solar Water Geyser Project in Johannesburg
- Clean Energy Project: The Makeni Project in Sierra Leone
- African Power Utility: Genesis Electricity Limited, Nigeria
- African Utility Executive: Cyprian Chitundu, Managing Director, ZESCO, Zambia
- African Water Utility: National Water and Sewerage Corporation, Uganda
Gathering thousands of energy professionals
For the past 14 years, the African Utility Week and Clean Power Africa conference and exhibition has helped to reduce the energy consumption of commercial and industrial large power users and has assisted in African utilities providing electricity and water to all of Africa. The event brings together thousands of utility professionals from across the globe to learn, share knowledge and debate the key topics that will secure the future development of Africa’s power industry. These include energy efficiency, improved service delivery, renewable energy and collaboration across the continent and investment in new power projects.
South Africa’s state utility Eskom has been a key partner for many years. DNV-GL has already confirmed its exclusive diamond sponsorship of the event while Accenture, Building Energy, MarelliMotori and Rubbytad are the platinum sponsors.
African Utility Week and Clean Power Africa are organised by Spintelligent, leading Cape Town-based trade exhibition and conference organiser, and the African office of Clarion Events Ltd, based in the UK.
African Utility Week and Clean Power Africa dates and location:
Exhibition & Conference: 12-14 May 2015
Industry awards: 13 May 2015
Site Visits: 15 May 2015
Location: CTICC, Cape Town
Website: www.african-utility-week.com
Contact:
Communications manager: Annemarie Roodbol
Telephone : +27 21 700 3558
Mobile: +27 82 562 7844
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Notes for Editor
Spintelligent (Pty) Ltd is an African media business, specialising in Exhibitions, Conferences and Publishing. Head-quartered in Cape Town with a team of 90 experienced professionals, Spintelligent is a dynamic and recognised organiser across multiple industry sectors and geographies. A specialist organiser with the ability to deliver key growth projects in the early emerging markets of the African continent. Spintelligent is the African partner office of Clarion Events Ltd, the UK based organiser operating in 36 countries worldwide with 9 subsidiary offices delivering over 500 exhibitions and conferences annually.
Spintelligent delivers projects in African growth industry sectors; Power & Utilities; Energy; Mining; Education & Careers; Agriculture; Infrastructure; Military & Defence.
Spintelligent delivers projects in the emerging African markets; South Africa; Nigeria; Ghana; Kenya; Tanzania; DRC; Angola; Mozambique; Zambia.
Spintelligent is recognised for its print and electronic publications, with market-leading brands including Metering International, ESI Africa and Mining Review Africa. Its regular global events and exhibitions, as well as its critical business intelligence and integrated marketing services make it a leader in its field. The company’s highly skilled resources in management, marketing, research and production allow for unique products bridging the developed and developing markets.
Website: http://www.african-utility-week.com/pages/detail/16059
Website: www.spintelligent.com
