SETTLEMENTS INFRASTRUCTURE Facing affordability challenges · housing backlog in the province,”...

being planned. There are 8 000 subsidised RDP units, 1 500 rental stock and 2 500 bonded units.

Ulrike Rwida, Director of Housing & Infrastructure: Project Support Urban Developments & Infrastructure, says that there will be public consultation at the end of March 2012 to discuss tax incentives for the industry. She is keen to engage with developers and contractors, so that they can “tell us what we have to do to make it work for them.”

SETTLEMENTS

INFRASTRUCTURE

03 – 12

Government’s land acquisition unit, the Housing Development Agency (HDA), is tasked with delivering well

located land for the Department of Human Settlements. CEO, Taffy Adler told delegates at the housing summit, “Government is com-mitted to upgrading 400 000 units by 2014, which is the end of the current term in office.

He says that the HDA is currently iden-tifying state owned land but communal and privately owned land is not within their sights. The State owns 700 000 properties around the country – although we may not get an inventory.

Tokyo Sexwale often makes a point that informal settlements are formed where there are job opportunities, and this is most certainly the best place for them.

“Coming from an NGO background, this is my first exposure to government and I have learned all about bureaucratic logic. Developers can acquire land from govern-ment or from a state owned enterprise, but it’s almost easier if it is government

subsidised RDP units. MDV Developments are rolling out the first of the affordable bonded units in Klarinet.

At the recent launch, Minister of Human Settlements, Tokyo Sexwale, said that the provision of medium to high density

housing projects is one of the key solutions for housing delivery in urban areas.

“For us to make a difference in the lives of people who fall within the GAP market - those who earn too much to qualify for free govern-ment subsidy but also earn too little to apply

Facing affordability challengesAffordable housing developers, industry stake holders, govern-ment’s land acquisition agency, municipalities and financial sector investors attended the 2nd annual Affordable Housing South Africa 2012 summit, which took place at Gallagher Estate in Midrand, on February 28 and 29 2012.

Dzivhuluwani says that the Municipality will roll out Spring Valley Affordable development and the integrated mixed use project will yield 2 700 fully bonded units, and 1 300 rental opportunities. The region has a population of 535 217 people and housing has to meet the increased demand. At Uthingo Park, the inte-grated development will provide 1 000 bonded units, 3 000 rental opportunities as well as 1 000 government RDP units. Dzivhuluwani is keen on public/private partnerships and at Emsagweni there are 12 500 integrated units

Social housing precinctThe social housing project at Southernwood Square in East London, will provide 249 rental opportunities. Located in the CBD, the 9-storey building is close to all amenities.

about this development. You must also high-light the positives and must tell us about the good things that are happening here as well".

He also encouraged tenants to pay rent for their units. "Things don't come for free and people must keep paying rent. Government has a responsibility to provide human settle-ments as much as tenants have a responsibil-ity to pay rent.”

for housing finance from banks - we need to have more of these rental housing projects.”

The development is spearheaded by the Department of Human Settlements and is managed by a social housing provider under the Social Housing Regulatory Authority. “Our mandate is to approve spaces with dignity where people can feel safe and thrive. We are afforded this function through an annual capi-tal grant which we receive from the Minister of Human Settlements,” said SHRA chairperson Zhora Ibrahim.

The project was partially funded by the Na-tional Housing Finance Corporation and CEO, Samson Moraba added, “Affordability is key in these establishments, and ours is to ensure that we fund the best possible projects that will allow people to live in areas where they can be productive.”

Southernwood Square consists of 57 bach-elor, 78 one bedroom and 114 two bedroom apartments. The project will provide housing for householders earning between R2 500 to R7 500 per month. During construction of the project, 140 jobs were created and 90 of these were from the local community.

During the launch, some residents dem-onstrated their dissatisfaction on structural defects of some units. Sexwale addressed this group and explained that they had a right to voice their dissatisfaction.

"Clients must be satisfied and that is why we are here, to listen and find out how they feel

owned rather than a parastatal, as the latter’s mandate is to make a profit.”

But the fact is land procla-mation, valuations, EIA’s, land disposal, transfer and planning can take up to ten years to com-plete before the developer can start building. “The HDA often act as the agent and would approach Public Works, the City Council and the Province and, as a service, assist in the release of land into the market for development.”

In the last two years, the Agency has worked with 530 state owned properties, 14 416ha – which equates to 800 000 units.

Mashila Dzivhuluwani, Head of Housing for eMalahleni Local Municipality in the Witbank coal belt, discussed a number of exciting in-tegrated human settlements, which include Absa Devco’s R3,5 billion project in Klarinet. This project will yield 11 969 housing oppor-tunities, a mix of 2 322 rental units, 3 948 fully bonded houses and 5 699 government

MARCH 20122 HOUSING IN SOUTHERN AFRICA

Zuma’s plans for housing

President Zuma’s State of the Nation Address has offered some housing relief for entry level home owners and end user finance. Housing in Southern Africa spoke to Nedbank Corporate Property Finance Head of Affordable Housing, Manie Annandale about the housing market.

housing

There are two key provisions that will impact dramatically on the housing sector. The first is the new provision

of a housing subsidy up to R87 000 the amount increased after the President’s speech, which will assist income earn-ers of between R3 501 and R15 000, to obtain finance from an accredited bank.

The second is the National Housing Finance Corporation, who will be rolling out government’s R1 billion Mortgage Default Insurance scheme, to enable the banks to lend to buyers in the R3 501 to R15 000 income level.

The mortgage default insurance pilot will be launched in April 2012

and managed by the National Housing Finance Corporation.

Annandale says, “We welcome the State of the Nation Address and the in-crease in the Finance Linked Individual Subsidy Programme (FLISP) for the gap market, but the biggest challenge is still affordability for the end user. We try to ensure that we fund affordable housing. But it is still difficult to get stock in the R400 000 range. Annandale says the R87 000 subsidy is for the lowest income range, the previous FLISP was on a slid-ing scale, with the higher income earner qualifying for a smaller amount.

Annandale says that with the volatility in so many big markets, investors remain cautious. “This doesn’t only apply to housing. It was recently mentioned that corporates are sitting on cash - this is a symptom as they want to invest, but don’t want to do it because of the uncertainty.”

To counter inflationary pressure in

“The consumer wants the larg-est house at the lowest price R350 000 – R500 000 across the board.”

“ ...the days of most of the costs being funded by the banks are over.”

South Africa, we will continue to look at interest rates as the most effective weapon to counter it. This is not the ideal, but it has proved to be the most effective weapon against inflation. Reserve Bank Governor, Gill Marcus has suggested that perhaps it’s time to change tack on monetary policy - it is time to look at other aspects of the economy.

The banks anticipate that the unsus-tainable low interest rate levels will gradu-ally increase from prime at 9% to 11% by the end of 2013.

Annandale added that some of the key developers are Cosmopolitan Projects in Gauteng, Safrich in Soshanguve and New Age Properties in Cape Town.

He cites, “Nedbank is funding Phase Three of the New Age Properties housing project in Mitchells Plain and delivering units under R400 000. At Safrich’s Sos-hanguve development, the integrated settlement offers a variety of units from entry level to larger houses within the 1 200ha site.”

Annandale says, “The consumer wants the largest house at the lowest price R350 000 – R500 000 across the board. Cosmopolitan’s projects in Clayville and

Olifantsfontein are strategically located. The developments are close to major metros and amenities, and because of demand in the area, the investment is protected. Free standing units win hands down over higher density options - the end user still prefers free standing when they buy. It is different when they rent as they don’t mind high density when rent-ing. Even semi detached is selling well at Cosmopolitan’s Protea Glen project.”

He says, “We are trying to find the most effective way of offering sustainable green elements in our developments, this inevi-tably creates an additional expense. We are conducting investigations with Cos-mopolitan Projects and looking at solar products that have been tried and tested.”

“The biggest challenge is, I think, the tightening of credit criteria, which not only applies to end user funding but also developer funding.” Annandale points out that the days of most of the costs being funded by the banks are over.

“The North West Provincial Government has made steady progress towards addressing

housing backlog in the province,” says the Province’s Premier, Thandi Modise.

Addressing members of the Provin-cial Legislature and 3 500 guests at the North West University’s Great Hall, in Mahikeng, Modise said the province had reduced the housing backlog from 249 000 in 2010, to 207 000 in 2011.

“We are on our way to improving and providing essential services to residents,” said Modise.

North West reduces backlog

Access to housing is a government prior-ity to ensure that everyone has the right to have adequate housing, as stipulated in the country’s constitution.

The Premier announced that the provincial government would commence with the rental stock programme this year, which aims to provide secure, af-fordable rental stock for lower income earners. The programme targets house-holders earning between R800 and R3 500 per month, who cannot be ac-commodated in the formal private rental and social housing market.

MARCH 2012 3HOUSING IN SOUTHERN AFRICA

HOUSING 4 Affordable housing report

6 Nedbank’s City of Saints’ project

8 Vel’ekhaya for informal housing sector

BRICKS & PAVING 10 Urban visionaries

ROOFING, CEILINGS & INSULATION 11 Sustainable design solutions

ENERGY 12 Green PVC rating

13 Philips/Eskom R41million LED deal

INDUSTRY BUZZ, EVENTS & PRODUCTS 19 Smart Cities conference

20 AfriSam SAAI Awards

what’s inside

Carol Dalglish • Editor

To advertise, contact Brenda Grossmann on 011 622 4770 or email [email protected]

March Contents2012

Average circulation(Fourth Quarter 2011)

3797

Disclaimer : Crown Publications cannot be heldresponsible for any errors or omissions whatsoever

PUBLISHERJenny Warwick

EditorCarol Dalglish

AdvertisingBrenda Grossmann

LayoutLesley Testa

Published monthly by:Crown Publications ccP.O. Box 140 Bedfordview 2008Tel: (011) 622 4770 Fax: (011) 615 6108email:[email protected]

Printed by:Tandym Print

This comes in the wake of extremely low sales in January 2011, and that one of the major cement

manufacturers, PPC, delayed the price increase till February 2012. Historically the month before price increases record higher sales volumes.

Swaziland/Mpumalanga R17 billion infrastructure rail link planned between Lothair, in Mpumalanga and Sidvokodvo in Swaziland, will provide an export coal route. The146km rail node will cost up to R17bn and is due for completion by 2016.

The R150 million tender for con-struction of the new head office for Gov-ernment Communications and Informa-tion System, GCIS, has been awarded. Construction is due to start shortly and the project is due for completion March

2013. The R175 million tender for the construction of the new chemistry build-ing at the University of the Western Cape has been awarded. Construction began in January and will be complete in July 2014.

Refurbishment of the Mental Health Facility in Kimberly, Northern Cape has been awarded and construction began in January. The R400 million project will take two years to complete.

First National Bank in Tygerberg,

In the pipeline ...The Cement and Concrete Insti-tute announced that the total domestic cement sales for South Africa increased by 22%, in Janu-ary 2012. This is the first time that there has been a growth in January since 2007 when domes-tic sales also grew by 22%

Western Cape has awarded the R200 million tender for construc-tion of new offices.

A new shopping mall in Harare will provide 45 000m² retail space. The project will cost R100 million and is due for completion in 16 months.

The R250 million construction of the Cedar Special School, in KwaZulu-Natal has been cancelled.

Last year, the Minister of Human Settlements, Tokyo Sexwale, was asked by Housing in Southern Af-

rica as to who is counting, verifying and auditing the government RDP houses, as there appeared to be 600 000 units missing between government’s adver-tised figure and the number of houses erected, as per the balance sheet.

Sexwale immediately took action and requested an audit in order to discover the shortfall, or to establish what had fallen through the account-ing cracks.

Now, it would be wonderful if the Department of Public Works would follow suit, and fulfill their responsibili-ties, as outlined in the Public Finance Management Act.

Dr Dion George, representative on the Standing Committee on Public Ac-counts, says he is pushing for criminal proceedings against individuals, in the Department of Public Works, who have grossly mismanaged public funds. He says that key findings in the Auditor General’s report on the financial man-agement states that the Department has no idea what properties they own, or any idea of their immovable assets. Simply put they have absolutely no clue whatsoever! There is no adequate system in place for identifying and recognising all irregular expenditure. There is R16,5 million in irregular expenditure, made in contravention

of supply chain management require-ments. The lack of audit evidence for expenditure transactions with an esti-mated value of R154,6 million; and an understatement of R20 million in lease expenditure’.

He points out that recommenda-tions made by SCOPA in 2010, in terms of the improvement of financial con-trols, appear to have been completely ignored by the Department. Many aspects of non-compliance appear to have deteriorated further.

‘A slap on the wrist and further rec-ommendations will not suffice. Some-one has to go to jail; public finance law demands it,’ said George.

Let us hope that Public Works takes a leaf out of Minister Sexwale’s book and sorts out the challenges immediately.

Our April issue features cement and concrete, energy efficiency and green building, paints coatings and sealants.

13

10

6


housing

The 10 month long research was commissioned by International Housing Solutions, a global private

equity investor, which has financed proj-ects with a combined total value of more than R7,8 billion.

The research team had two objectives: to determine the indirect benefits derived from living in integrated affordable hous-ing developments, and the job creation impact of such developments.

“The research breaks new ground, as l itt le has been under taken to measure the indirect economic as well as social benefits that the supply of af-fordable housing creates in South Africa,” says Viruly.

The report was released at the end of February and is particularly significant, coming as it does after a number of developments, which indicate that the country’s approach to the housing back-log is set to move from a singular focus on the provision of free RDP housing, to the development of affordable housing. This will allow South African families an opportunity to start on, and move up the housing ladder.

“The study found that it takes between 1 200 and 1 500 man-hours to build a 40m² house.”International Housing Solutions, Manag-ing Partner, Soula Proxenos says, “The concept of RDP housing has been a revo-lutionary programme and is not offered anywhere else in the world.” “However, after some 3 million homes have been ‘given away’, it appears this policy has served its purpose and something more sustainable is likely to take its place. The country is moving towards other forms of subsidy that will aid poorer households, and allow them to join the formal housing ladder in the affordable housing sector,” says Proxenos.

She highlights that Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan announced R83,5 bil-lion in housing subsidies in his budget speech and the Mayor of Cape Town, Patricia de Lille, and Planning Minister

Affordable housing reportThe ‘Affordable housing: Creating jobs, growth and sustainable com-munities – Study’, was conducted by a team under University of Cape Town associate professor Francois Viruly, to audit the social and eco-nomic impact of affordable hous-ing developments.

Trevor Manuel, have collectively given a clear indication of how the country’s housing crisis may be addressed, by the development of affordable housing in coming years and decades.

Since the launch of its first fund, the SA Workforce Housing Fund, IHS has invested in the development of more than 27 000 affordable housing units countrywide.

Viruly and his team conducted hun-dreds of interviews among tenants and developers of these projects.

The study found that it takes between 1 200 and 1 500 man-hours to build a 40m² house, with the average being ap-proximately 1 289 hours. This comprises 541 hours of skilled and 748,8 hours of unskilled work. This again translates to 2,45 people employed continuously to complete a typical house in 13 weeks.

Taking into account direct and indirect employment opportunities, it is expected that IHS’s investments over the life of the first fund will create 100 000 jobs. An estimated 5 000 jobs will be cre-ated per annum in perpetuity, through the maintenance and management of housing units, the payment of rates and taxes, and the expenditure on goods and services by households directly related to the housing units. Almost 50 000 jobs will be created once-off for the construction of the invested units. This means that, over the life of the first fund, a total of 100 000 years of employ-ment will be created.

Regarding the social impact of proj-

ects, which are all designed to ensure healthy, integrated communities rather than just to provide dwellings, Viruly notes that residents surveyed reported “an improvement in the quality of life for children, health and housing”.

Viruly says that more than 50% of households have also seen an improve-ment in access to education and em-ployment from the property that they presently occupy.

“The developments provide numerous indirect bene-fits, which include improve-ment to accessibility and employment and leisure and social amenities.”“Developers and users agree that the units have had a positive impact on the neighbourhood safety and security. The overall conclusion is that the de-velopments surveyed provide benefits that go well beyond the mere provision of housing, but also plays an important role in creating sustainable human settle-ments. The developments provide numer-ous indirect benefits, which include im-provement to accessibility, employment,

Rob Wesselo and Soula Proxenos from IHS with Professor Francois Viruly.

leisure and social amenities.”Proxenos says IHS had seen that their

projects were having a notable positive impact on communities and job creation, but needed independent research to confirm anecdotal evidence.

“We are delighted that we are now able to objectively measure the positive contribution our investments have made to the South African landscape. We are very happy to have it confirmed that the development of affordable housing has the potential to address some of the very serious challenges facing our country.”

Gloria Mamba of the DBSA, which was one of the first institutions to invest in IHS’s first fund, says the bank is very sat-isfied that its decision to throw its weight behind the equity funder, was making a tangible difference to the lives of South Africans on so many levels.

“We have been privileged to be able to make this contribution to the South African landscape, and look forward to working with them in the future. Afford-able housing is an important sector for the DBSA and its prominence will grow following the government subsidy support announced by the president. Working with IHS has offered us strong risk adjusted returns and, as can be seen from the results of the study, is improving the living conditions of South Africans while provid-ing much-needed employment.”


ments, is project-managing the upgrad-ing and rectifying poorly built government houses. The Agency is currently involved in a massive upgrading and rectification programme in five wards in Soweto-on-Sea and Veeplaas, and Phase One of the project and upgrading of 2 500 houses. This includes interior plastering, installing water tanks, fitting gutters and electrical conduits, ceilings, and fitting meranti wooden window and door frames.

housing

Based on the Agency’s success with the Zanemvula project, the metro is hoping that they can as-

sist with the St Albans and Grogro Hous-ing projects as well.

“In a recent Department of Human Settlements report, ‘Entities Oversight Visit’, the Department acknowledged that the HDA is making a positive contribution on the lives of South Africans. I can’t think of a more positive note on which to start the year than these affirmations that our hard work is starting to bear fruit,” says HDA’s CEO, Taffy Adler.

He says, “Our third quarter report has been submitted to the Department, as well as our five-year strategic plan and annual performance plan. I am looking forward to an active and constructive year of delivery and achievement.”

The Agency has been extremely busy with state land assembly processes, identifying state land, undertaking fea-sibility studies, commissioning valua-tions, preparing development plans and meeting state departments. So far this financial year, a total of 25 662ha has been identified.

Almost 1 623 ha of well-located state and state-owned land has been identified, in order to compile a third register of prioritised state land for human settlements. In addition to this, 113 pre-acquisition feasibility stud-ies have been conducted in KwaZulu-Na-tal, Mpumalanga, North West, Gauteng and Limpopo.

At N2 gateway, the Agency has been resolving difficulties and reviving the building process at Boystown. The latter has been the subject of disagreements, between the community and the contrac-tor. This has been a top priority for the HDA in recent months.

Many of the challenges have been resolved and the appointment of a new community liaison officer is helping to facilitate better working relationships.

The N2 Gateway joint venture between national government, the Western Cape, City of Cape Town and the HDA aims to deliver 13 477 housing units. This in-cludes various housing opportunities in-cluding rental, bonded, peoples housing process, and temporary relocation areas

close to the N2 freeway in Cape Town.In the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro,

Zanemvula mega housing project has been divided into four phases, Chatty, Joe Slovo West, Soweto-on-Sea and Veeplaas. First is the construction of 13 327 new houses in Chatty Extensions 3, 4, 5, 12, 13 and 15, Joe Slovo West and Kwadwesi Extension. This will be followed by an informal settlement upgrade of approximately 1 565 houses. The third

Settlements’ rising star

partnership reflects our ability to pro-vide financial solutions that anticipate and fulfill the requirement for growth and expansion for our long-standing clients.” He adds that this approach has ensured that Nedbank Corporate Property Finance has maintained its leading position in commercial property finance in South Africa.

The unique feature of Graham-stown’s beautifully preserved architecture makes it one of

the best-preserved Victorian colonial towns in the world.

It is also the City of Saints, a dio-cese of the Anglican Church in South Africa and home to many religious faiths, whose church spires and build-ings of worship define the skyline.

The town is probably best known as a centre of arts and culture, the host of the popular annual National Arts Festival, and home to some of the country’s finest institutions of learning.

Nedbank Corporate Property Fi-nance, Cape Regional Executive, Richard Thomas says, “Given all these unique features, it is no surprise that there has been a significant demand for residential property in Graham-stown, and we were presented with

this opportunity from our long-standing client, Thornbird Trade and Invest 55.

The Grahamstown residential man-agement group is run by Russ and Amanda Broom who manage a number of sectional title residential developments.

Thornbird Trade and Invest 55 has successfully completed a number of sectional title residential including Kingsview Estate, Somerset Corner, Sum-mer Place, Aquitaine Way and Briar Rose, as well as Kings Gardens, which features 64 freehold townhouses.

The company recently completed Lind-isfarne, a three-storey apartment block developed with parking below the first level, situated on the corner of St Aidens Avenue and Kings Close, just 600m from St Andrews College.

This superbly located block of flats features 10 units on each floor, each with two bedrooms and two en-suite bathrooms. All 30 units have

Nedbank’s City of Saints’ projectGrahamstown has seen a peak in demand for residential property and Nedbank Corporate Property Finance has funded Thornbird Trade and Invest 55’s, Lindisfarne, a three-storey apartment block a kilometre from Rhodes University.

already been sold out as a result of the excellent location.

So far the bank has provided funding of R40 million to Thornbird develop-ments. “This is the third Thornbird Trade and Invest 55 development financed by Nedbank and another development is already in the pipeline,” says Thomas.

“This ongoing, mutually-beneficial

The Housing Development Agency, formed to fast track housing delivery and land acquisition is assisting the Nelson Mandela Metro with problems in the various human settlements.

programme sees the rectification of approximately 7 500 houses in Soweto-on-Sea, and lastly the erection of 323 rental houses.

The project will deliver approximately 22 700 housing units. At Chatty 1 347 are almost complete.

So far, the developer has handed over 1 059 houses on the fully serviced site.

The HDA, on behalf of the Eastern Cape Department of Human Settle-


housing

Housing in Southern Africa spoke to him about the company’s ex-pansion plans and new products.

Harris says that the company is currently in discussions with major building retail-ers to distribute the Vel’ekhaya product nationally. The product could offer a fast track alternative for those who fail to qualify for a government subsidised RDP house.

Harris says that the building industry is continually evolving and technology is the driving force. “Traditional building methods are no longer the only answer. Forward thinking architects, developers and builders are all moving toward in-novative, alternative, fast-track, energy-efficient method of construction.”

In the company’s five year old lifespan it has already become a major stake-holder in the alternative building systems sector. Building on the recent success of the Modula system at the All African Games Athlete’s Village in Mozambique, Vela Steel has already developed show houses in Zambia, in preparation of housing projects that will be rolled out in 2012, and 1 600 houses in Angola.

In South Africa, the Modula products have been used to complete several schools and a number of contractors will be using the products in Depart-ment of Education and Public Works tender contracts. “In dealing with the schools,” says Harris, “The Department of Education has realised the benefit of alternative technologies and the speed of construction, and also that the product has been tried, tested and taken the

hard knocks. The modular structurally insulated building panels for constructing houses, schools and clinics, are robust and simple to erect. He points out that the flat pack Modula units have found great success across the border, as well as in the mining sector, as the high quality durable project can be delivered and easily erected in remote areas. The mining sector is a focal area, from our point of view. “We have a solution to meet that demand.”

Harris says that ongoing research and development and continuous tweak-ing and improving the systems have contributed to the company’s success. “Our system is thermally efficient from a green perspective.”

From the U-Truss perspective, supply-ing lightweight steel roof trusses in the RDP sector and the affordable housing market, is a sector that we are targeting. But there are problems with payment cycles - It’s a stop start industry. Although Vela is targeting this market sector, the company is in the meantime supplying roof trusses to retailers in other African countries.

The S-Track, lightweight steel frame walling systems for commercial, retail and residential applications is geared for large scale projects such as shopping centres or high-rise market. We want to grow the penetration in the dry wall market. Harris is visiting Angola to get a better understanding of the projects and services that the affordable housing sector market requires. Light steel frame building offers a quick turn around time for the rental market rather than tradi-tional brick and mortar units.

He added, “The need for high quality, durable yet affordable alternative build-ing systems in Africa was identified, which led to the formation of Vela SBS in 2006. Vela SBS introduces the most advanced alternative building systems across all sectors of the building industry.

The company uses powerful intuitive software and state-of-the-art machinery to design and fabricate the systems.

Vel’ekhaya for informal housingVela Steel recently introduced the Vel’ekhaya affordable, alternative building system for the informal housing sector. The well insulated, thermally efficient, moveable unit is aimed at shack dwellers, says CEO, Brent Harris.

“A new pilot project from Enbaya gives consumers the power to purchase electricity and wa-

ter vouchers from retail outlets, online, or mobi site,” says Karen Wheller from Enbaya Prepaid Meters.

If the pilot project proves successful the company’s consumer Z-card could be rolled out to all the prepaid meter customers.

Wheeler says that consumers are provided with all of the information required to SMS for tokens, receive the meter balance, log-in via the website to the vending system, find out how to credit the me-ter account through a bank, credit card, or retail outlet.”

The compact Enbaya Prepaid Meter card is easy to use and unlike other systems there are no manuals to read be-fore implementing the system, according to Wheller.

The ultimate aim of the project is to

make the purchase of prepaid water and electricity vouchers effortless for consumers, especially when a customer needs to buy for the first time.

“The Z-card ensures that we can help our customers avoid these frustrations through to the call centre,” says Wheller.

For more product information visit www.pocketmediasolutions.com.

Pre paid meters

Duro Press ings has acqui red a 50,1% stake in Vela Steel. Future plans include double the company’s capacity and growth in the Modula and Vel’ekhaya systems.

In year one, the company was finding its feet, in year two and three it benefitted from all the research and development, in year four, doubled in productivity with the new offering of the Modula system and again in year five, with Vel’ekhaya.

Harris says, “It’s been due to the roll out of new products. There are some

competitors on the modular side but they are unable to compete on volume. We are first to market, and we have the largest capacity of engineers and critical mass behind us with Duro Pressings compared to other competitors trying to break into this market.”

His enthusiasm and dedication will no doubt be inspiring. Angola and China are next on the cards, as he attends the prefab fair to look into materials and manufacturing innovations.


bricks & paving

From the Nelson Mandela Metro-politan University, regional winner, Mofulatsi Rampou’s design of a

train station in the Port Elizabeth Central Business District took first prize.

The project highlighted the relevance of the city’s transport infrastructure within the urban precinct and how the station’s location and architecture could be used to advance the social and eco-nomic sustainability of the city.

Mofulatsi Rampou says, “The position of the current train station is some dis-tance from the City’s other transit nodes such as the BRT, minibus and taxi area. My thesis has created a comprehensive building, which caters for the needs and welfare of commuters.

The train station is sited centrally and this could stimulate a vibrant 24 hour economic hub.

Thesis students from universities and qualifying Institutes of Technology throughout South Africa are invited to submit entries for one of seven regional competitions.

Each regional winner receives a prize of R7 000 and entry to the national finals, on March 7th 2012, at Wanderers Club in Johannesburg. Students in the regional finals, in second and third place, receive R5 000 and R3 000 respectively. The project that displays the best use of clay masonry receives R3 000.

Dustin Morris took second place and Elke Le Roux third spot in the Port Eliza-beth regionals.

Morris’ created ‘A City Opera House for Port Elizabeth’ using an existing beach-front natural park environment for the Opera House site. This will connect the rejuvenated inner city with the beachfront

and the future Port Elizabeth waterfront development.

The use of clay brick is extensively used for its acoustic insulation proper-ties. The brick also creates a mass that thermally regulates the building and makes the building more sustainable.

Le Roux designed a mohair exchange to consolidate Port Elizabeth’s massive mohair industry. ‘The Consolidation of the Mohair Industry into a Single Ex-change’ is a central point for farmers, brokers, buyers, entrepreneurs and young designers to introduce, market and sell raw mohair. It addresses the need to create awareness of the brand, process and product, in an integrated commercial exhibition and processing space.

“Over the past 25 years, the archi-tectural profession has changed signifi-cantly. While creating sustainable archi-tecture has always been a fundamental aspect of design, aesthetics, functionality and the environmental issues are now emerging as more equal partners at the design concept stage,” says Christie van Niekerk from Corobrik Western Cape. “It was fitting that ‘The Most Innovative Final

Year Landscape Architecture Project’ was from Cape Town, as Corobrik clay pavers have enjoyed such wide expression in the beautification of the city.”

Student, Anucel Steyn’s ‘Sepulchre Landscape’ was designed as a public space, much like a square, a park or a conservation area that is multifunctional.

Urban visionariesThe 25th Corobrik Architectural Student of the Year Awards recognises young visionaries who integrate energy efficient and sustainability mechanisms into their designs.

Mofulatsi Rampou’s model design of the central business district train station, in Port Elizabeth.

In contrast, existing cemeteries are often monofunctional with limited possibilities for future diversification of use. Steyn says, “A sepulchre landscape should be a place that engages the soul and embraces the spirit of the living, encour-aging reflection and respect. Instead, cemeteries are usually places that reflect stagnation, separation and isolation rather than positioning death and mor-tality as an integral part of everyday life. Cemeteries are exiled to the outskirts of a city, divorced from the lives of the living and perceived as dead landscapes that don’t appeal to the senses of the visitor, create a meaningful experience or even provide a comfortable environment.”

Historically, cemeteries were used as parks and were synonymous with churches and the main roads of villages. “I investigated how a space can better relate to a ‘living’ landscape than to a ‘dead’ one. I explored abstract concepts such as memory, death, love, mourn-ing and healing through poetry and a visual translation where emotion that resulted from a personal loss is trans-formed into design.”

Steyn's winning entry ‘Sepulchre Landscape’ takes an integrated, experi-ential approach to rethinking burial and burial grounds.

Steyn’s design makes extensive use of de Hoop red piazza pavers, which both enhanced and contrasted with other materials such as re-use of brick, metal, corten, exposed aggregate pavers and concrete.

In the pursuit of creating sustainable cities, the value of landscape architects in creating urban environments appreci-ated by people is now undisputed. It was in recognition of the importance and value landscape architects have made towards more sustainable cities in South Africa, that Corobrik extended its awards programme for final year architecture to landscape architecture students.

Ancunel Steyn offers a Sepulchre Landscape, which rethinks burial grounds into a ‘living’ landscape.


roofing, ceilings & insulation

“Gyproc has made a commit-ment to their customers and stakeholders to exceed

expectations through innovation, and have announced that they will be in-troducing twelve new products into the market during 2012.

These product in t roduct ions form part of Gyproc’s vision to move to become more focused on identifying and meeting the needs of customers.This focus is in line with a drive to do things differently in 2012, encouraging customers to expect more from Gyproc.

“Customers have become acutely aware of value,” says Lockhart-Barker. “We acknowledge that times have changed, economic strains are caus-ing customers to consider alternatives and it is this shift which has resulted in Gyproc’s revised approach.

Every Gyproc component not only comes with a performance warranty, but all Gyproc proprietary systems ben-efit from SpecSure, a 10-year warranty unique to Saint-Gobain effective from specification to installation, guarantee-ing performance and recourse in the event of a product fault or defect. This offers customers peace of mind and reiterates the reputable image of the company and the superior quality of their product range.

SpecSure is provided with every Gy-proc proprietary system designed and installed in accordance with supplied specifications. SpecSure protects the integrity of drywall and ceiling systems, offering access to technical support and assuring reliable performance war-ranted for 10 years.

All Gyproc systems are devel-oped using only the highest quality components, which are specifically designed to work together giving cus-tomers the confidence that they will meet the most rigorous of building requirements. The company has four local manufacturing facilities and fully complies to and holds both the ISO 9002 and ISO 14001 quality and environmental system certificates.

“We want to give customers a choice of products within the same product cat-egory. We are confident that by offering a choice of good, better, best alterna-tives from the same manufacturer - we will go a long way in retaining customers who choose to purchase a premium product, or a more affordable option, ac-cording to their needs and budget, with the added benefit of every product car-rying a warranty,” says Lockhart-Barker.

He added that by meeting the cost, performance and visual requirements for the internal lining of a broad range of developments within various sectors including; education, affordable hous-ing, residential, retail and commercial, the products are known and trusted because of their exacting performance standards. All products have been tried, tested and are backed by over 80 years of experience and industry knowledge.

For more information go to www.gyproc.co.za

Backed up innovationSaint Gobain’s Gyproc division is retaining its competitive edge through constant research and development, says Gyproc’s Gen-eral Manager of Marketing, Evan Lockhart-Barker.


a more environmentally-friendly product, as it imparts greater ductility to the pipe; thereby, resulting in lower hydraulic fric-tion and lower pumping costs, as a result of a larger internal diameter.

O-PVC: introduced ‘oriented’ PVC, or Gemini Biax, to the local market in 2003. This product has the thinnest wall thick-nesses in the range. This is due to the pipe molecules being orientated in two directions to provide substantial strength and toughness, which also makes it the most energy-efficient piping material.

Snyman highlights the fact that PVC piping products have numerous advan-tages, “Firstly, the energy consumed in the manufacture of a PVC pipe is con-siderably lower compared to a number of traditional materials, which require high heat and energy during the manufactur-ing process. What’s more, PVC consists of more than 50% salt, which is available in abundance and is not as taxing on the environment as are other materials.”

He concludes that DPI Plastics can achieve measurable growth in the sale of PVC products in the short-term future, “While keeping a green eye trained on all our long term futures.”

energy

The Council will remove the MAT-7 PVC minimisation clause from its green star tool rating system.

Environmentally-conscious building contractors in South Africa can now enjoy the full benefits of PVC piping products, says DPI Plastics product manager for pressure pipe systems, Renier Snyman.

The Council initially introduced the clause in 2007 to minimise the use of PVC products in buildings, due to envi-ronmental concerns with regard to the formulation, manufacturing process and end-of-life disposal of PVC products. Following negotiations with the South African Vinyl’s Association, the Council agreed to adopt recommendations to remove the MAT-7 PVC minimisation credit in its green star tool rating system, provided that PVC manufacturers adhere to best practice conditions.

Industry leader, DPI Plastics, a manu-facturer of water reticulation, drainage and pipe-fitting systems in South Africa has welcomed the decision. “The MAT-7 minimisation clause impacted negatively on DPI Plastics’ sales, as contractors and architects would have been avoiding the use of PVC pipes, in order to obtain a four or five star green rating for their building. In the past, projects that used PVC were penalised and this significantly affected the Council’s rating as industry became increasingly environmentally conscious.”

Wilkinson added, “In late 2011, the Council completed a comprehensive credit review process for the Mat-7 PVC minimisation credit, which is one out of 69 total credits in the green star SA green building rating system. The Council’s Technical Steering Committee resolved to withdraw the credit after considering the result of the credit review, which involved stakeholders and PVC Expert Reference Panel surrounding the treatment of PVC in green building rating tools.”

Snyman points out that the removal of clause now means that the use of PVC products has a neutral impact on the green star rating of a building in South Africa. The neutral rating does; however, only apply to PVC manufacturers that meet best practice based on the manu-facture and recycling of the product.

“As a founding member of the South African Plastic Pipe Manufacturers Association, established to create absolute quality, trust and integrity throughout the value chain of the indus-try, DPI Plastics is committed to these best practice methods.”

Due to its light weight, high strength, low reactivity, and corrosion resistance,

SESSA Chairman, Henning Holm says that the position was cre-ated at the end of 2011, after a

review of the year’s achievements high-lighted a need for a more convention-ally structured organisation. Treasurer, Theo Covary was offered the role and takes it up as a temporary assignment. Among his first tasks as acting CEO will be determining members’ commitment to the organisation, assigning value to the Society’s role in the industry, and mapping out a way forward that takes cognisance of the office’s mandate and budgets.

GBCSA’s PVC rating

The Green Building Council of South Africa has announced that the use of PVC products in environmentally-friendly projects will no longer be penalised, says the Council’s CEO, Brian Wilkinson.

Snyman notes that PVC is the best-suited material for piping. “PVC has become the most popular piping product in South Af-rica, due to its unique properties. What’s more, PVC pipes are almost entirely leak-proof when joined together, making it one of the most reliable piping products in the industry too.” Snyman admits that the biggest challenge facing DPI Plastics is to inform and educate the industry of the benefits of the removal of the MAT-7 minimisation clause.

“The most effective method of high-lighting the benefits of using PVC prod-ucts in green star projects will be through word-of-mouth and product displays, in particular to non-residential building projects that are focused on obtaining green star status. We will be marketing a wide range of PVC products to green star projects during the course of 2012.”

These include U-PVC: ‘Unplasticised’ or ‘rigid’ PVC used in the building indus-try as a low-maintenance material for more than 50 years. U-PVC has strong resistance against most chemicals, and oxidation from water.

M-PVC was introduced to the local market in the early 80s. ‘Modified’ PVC is

Brian Wilkinson

CEO for SESSAThe Sustainable Energy Society of Southern Africa has appointed a CEO to streamline the society’s day-to-day operations and activities.

“The repressed economy and market uncertainty has made trading conditions difficult for many of our members.”

SESSA acknowledges this and with the appointment of Theo Covary as acting-CEO, the organisation is sending out a strong message about how seriously it takes its duty to its members.

Covary has been briefed to act as the catalyst for a renewed focus on activities that directly benefit our members, says SESSA Chairman, Henning Holm.

“A GIBS MBA graduate whose disserta-tion title ‘Renewable Energy - Benefits of Converting Urban Households to Solar

Water Heating’, Covary has direct ap-plication to his role within the Society. He is currently a director of Unlimited Energy, a research and strategy based consultancy which focuses on energy efficiency and the resulting impacts and benefits for business.

“Over the years, Covary has worked on numerous sustainable and renew-able energy projects partnering with companies and organisation such as the Industrial Development Corporation, the International Energy Agency, UNDP/GEF Standards and Labelling programme in Kenya, Eskom, Clean Technology Fund

and the City of Johannesburg. “We have every confidence his busi-

ness plan will rapidly advance SESSA,” said Holm. For further information email [email protected]


energy

The collective electricity savings potential is estimated at 58GWh per year, and would save up to

60 000 tons of CO2, says Etzinger.Almost 200 000 Philips MasterLED

lamps are being distributed through Karebo Systems at discounted prices throughout South Africa to profes-sional users of lighting such as hotels, banks, offices and retail outlets. These businesses and their staff will ben-efit from maintenance savings, great quality light and an enhanced sense of well-being.

The project aims to replace 50W Halogen bulbs with 7W & 10W LED lamps, which provide the same amount of light, and last significantly longer. Based on calculations of 40-43W less power consumption, each lamp has the potential to annually save 280KWh of electricity equal to R200. In fact every four lamps installed will save the equivalent of three trees in terms of CO2 absorption. And the changeover involves just a simple switch of a bulb.

Etzinger say, “Just like most other countries, both developed and de-veloping, South Africa is facing an energy-constrained future and it is in Eskom’s interest to encourage electric-ity consumers to reduce consumption where possible. Although we are invest-ing in new power stations to generate enough electricity to meet medium to long term demand, improved efficiency is the most practical solution to ensur-ing our electricity supply will be secure in the short-term”.

“Eskom is committed to using tried-and-tested technology, such as LEDs, in line with our energy efficiency drive and a low carbon future. As an added benefit, a reduction in electricity consumption brings commercial and industrial consumers’ savings on their cost of doing business, reduces their impact on the environment and en-sures that the country is not confronted with a situation in which demand exceeds supply”.

Ronald de Jong, Executive Vice President and Chief Market Leader, Philips, says, “The world needs relevant innovations to respond to today’s global changes and secure a bright future. We are very pleased to partner with Eskom and Karebo Systems on this initiative. We share many of the same values, including reducing our impact on the environment and using innovation to drive our sustainability initiatives. Encouraging a shift to LED lighting solutions underscores our commitment to sustainability and cor-porate responsibility in growth markets like South Africa.”

Karebo Systems have been tasked to organise distribution throughout South Africa and ensure that the en-visaged savings are achieved. “The key is to ensure that these energy saving lamps end up in the intended sockets,” says Ravi Govender, Direc-tor, Karebo Systems. Govender says that LED technology is a relatively new technology and Eskom must be applauded for supporting this initiative by assisting in removing the initial cost barriers to entry into the market for technologies of this nature.The rollout of these lamps is also a wonderful job creation opportunity in South Africa. It is a definite win-win for all parties involved, especially the end user.”

Energy savings dealGlobal lighting group, Philips and the national energy supplier Eskom have concluded a R41 million contract in the largest energy saving LED deal in Africa to date, says Andrew Etzinger, Senior General Manager for Integrated Demand Management at Eskom.


Time saving pipe replacement

infrastructure

This view is backed up by his cli-ent, Shaheem Kader, Projects Coordinator from the Pineland De-

velopment Company.Sylvester goes on to explain that

he has experienced significant time- savings by being able to plumb the Marley Equator pipe from one point to the next, without the need for couplers or any special adaptors.

The average daily purchase of water from Umgeni Water decreased by 50 912 kl from the 2009/10 finan-

cial year daily average. “We improved water loss by 4,3% during 2010/2011 and the long term goal is 25% by 2020.

To realise this long term goal, the municipality has replaced old infrastruc-ture such as faulty water meters, and reduced the water pressure, which is a major cause of leaks and burst detection. Macleod commissioned 230 pressure reduction valves and seven innovative i20 pressure controllers. The latter device optimises the control of water pressure, by utilising Global System for Mobile (GSM) Communication signal. The i2O controller is constantly updated with

pressure information from a critical point in the zone. The system ensures that water pressures are kept at an optimum level at all times.

“Actively managing the water pressure translates into an ongoing reduction of water loss through leaks and burst pipes. Preliminary investigations have indicated that a reduction of 40% in pipe bursts is possible. In the Durban CBD, this ad-vanced controller was utilised to lower the minimum night flow from 599m3/hr to 352m3/hr, which equates to almost 6 Ml/day,” says Macleod.

The commissioning of i20 controllers on the Berea Ridge area has normalised pressures and allowed for booster pump systems on two reservoirs along the

Steady decrease in water usage eThekwini Water and Sanitation has made significant strides in containing water demand and aims to reduce water loss by 25% within the next eight years, says Neil Macleod of EWS.

Technician Samantha Zungu inspects bulk consumer meters

Technicians Ndumiso Mkize and Njabulo Mthembu

Ridge - St Thomas and Cato Manor - to be decommissioned in March 2011. Macleod said that the impact of com-missioning new Pressure Management Zones on the Berea Ridge should result in a further reduction in demand of ap-proximately 6,0 Ml/day.

As part of EWS’s Advanced Pres-sure Management strategy, 110 new pressure reducing valves will be de-signed, 100 new PRV’s commissioned and 30 advanced pressure control de-vices will be installed and commissioned during 2012.

Macleod said detecting and repair-ing leaks had played a significant role in containing water losses throughout 2010/11 and during the first half of the 2011/2012 financial years. A key factor has been EWS’s use of Category B plumb-ers in informal and formal areas on a ‘find and fix’ approach.

This proved extremely successful with a dramatic increase in the number of leaks repaired at a far lower cost. This activity will be continued with targets set at 4000 km of leak detection surveys and the repair of 20 000 leaks for 2012.

Billing improvements have also been high on the EWS agenda with some important new measures introduced during 2011.

The municipality has replaced non-

residential water meters older than 10 years and residential water meters that are older than 20 years.

The EWS has identified 820 illegal connections and they are being dealt with through the municipal courts and amnesty programme.

The installation of meters in informal areas remains a priority. Almost 400 informal meters equipped with pressure reducing valves and time-control will be installed.

“The target for the year has again been set at 10 000 connections, which are to be installed and registered at all new housing developments.

Macleod said that, during 2012, EWS would also replace and commission three Custody Transfer Point check meters at Custody Transfer Points to monitor the supply of water from Umgeni Water to EWS using the latest and most advanced metering technology.

“The management of the Bulk Sales Agreement will be further improved through planned meter calibration/veri-fication tests at a total of 20 sites.

“Check meters that have been in-stalled to date have yielded encouraging results and we anticipate that the daily volume of water purchases will be re-duced due to more accurate metering,” says Macleod.

With Marley Equator’s intelligent push-fit system, all you need to fit the Marley Equator is a pipe cutter. In fact, with this state-of-the-art PE-X plumbing system, no pipe benders, flux, solder or naked flames are re-quired at all, says plumbing business owner Patrick Sylvester.

“In addition, the system is easy to work with, and it offers great value to the plumbing industry because of its excep-tional durability,” says Sylvester.

Kader says, “Prior to using the Marley Equator system, we were experiencing on-site theft and took the decision to use a different system Marley Equator was an obvious choice.”

He added, “We were impressed with the added value and quality performance that the system offers. The Marley Equa-tor can only be disassembled using a special key, and now theft and tampering are unlikely occurrences.”

Sylvester says, “As a housing construction developer, Marley’s on site technical assistance is of key importance

to our team. The ease of installation and time-saving features of Marley’s PE-X Equator system make it a modern, af-fordable alternative to traditional copper systems.

Marley makes sure that both the plumber and developer are kept up-to-date with any changes to the sys-tem by providing on-site support and back up services.

As the preferred manufacturer to our plumbing contractor, Marley is always willing to assist.”

He says that the SABS approved Mar-ley Equator range is ideal for specifiers as it is less labour intensive, requires less maintenance, and needs no special tools for installation.


industry buzz, events & products

This will provide support for the Coun-cil’s efforts towards changing the built environment in South Africa.

According to the Council’s CEO, Brian Wilkinson, the new partnership is based on a shared ethos and strategies. “Both the GBCSA and Eskom are working to-wards finding ways to minimise energy consumption in order to create a sustain-able future for South Africa.”

“We are thrilled by Eskom’s com-mitment to the local green building movement and look forward to an on-going relationship which will see us sharing thought leadership and industry experience.”

Andrew Etzinger, Eskom Senior Gen-eral Manager Integrated Demand Man-agement, says, “Our sponsorship is part of our commitment to promoting energy efficiency across the country, and in the commercial sector in particular. The commercial sector uses ten percent of the country’s electricity and represents a significant savings opportunity given that historically, most buildings were not designed with energy efficiency in mind.”

As an independent, non-profit organi-sation, the GBCSA is reliant, to a large extent, on funds raised through sponsor-

MDS Architecture has developed a modern innovative structure. Martin Rodrigues says, “Light,

space and energy flow all interplay in the design of Nicolway to create a fresh, stylish shopping experience.”

Harnessing South Africa’s natural resources and natural light is used to maximum effect at the shopping precinct. A 4m wide glass strip, which runs 90m in length, connects it to the outdoors.

“In addition to being aesthetically pleasing, the use of natural light is environmentally progressive and cost-effective for the ongoing operation of the mall,” says Patrick Flanagan of Flanangan & Gerard.

The centre has been designed so that the lower level will enjoy abundant natural light through five cleverly posi-tioned voids, which link the levels by fashioning airy double-volume atriums

Eskom sponsor GBCSAThe Green Building Council of South Africa, the country’s official green building authority, has se-cured Eskom Integrated Demand Management’s R500 000 plati-num membership.

ship and membership to facilitate green building awareness and education. Wilkinson says that the Council and Eskom have collaborated on several initiatives to date.

Eskom has contributed signifi-cant sponsorship and technical input towards the develop-ment of the Energy and Water Benchmarking tool, which is currently being developed by the GBCSA.

“We are also focusing on knowledge sharing and training of profes-sionals within the prop-erty industry that can help take green building forward.”

SAPOA tackles sector risks

The country’s foremost commercial property gathering is sponsored by Nedbank Corporate Property

Finance. The SAPOA Convention will take place on 30th and 31st of May 2012, at the Durban International Convention Centre.

“The convention provides an excep-tional opportunity for the commercial property sector to get together with a variety of stakeholders, including all levels of government,” says SAPOA CEO, Neil Gopal.

The Convention theme, ‘Today and Tomorrow’, is particularly resonant in a global economy at risk of double-dip re-cession and some key structural changes to the operating environment for the industry in South Africa.The key note speakers for 2012 include

The who’s who of the commercial and property sector are diarising the 44th annual SA Property Owners Association International Convention and Property Exhibition.

leading political commentator and futur-ist Daniel Silke, who will touch on the positive trends and possible pitfalls for business under President Zuma, as well as respected economist JP Landman. South Africa’s fearless Public Protec-tor, Advocate Thulisile Madonsela, will present the keynote address. Another feature of the Convention is the highly-anticipated announcement of the an-nual SAPOA Property Journalism Awards and the SAPOA Innovative Excellence Awards, which showcases exceptional property development across a number of sectors.

“As the presenting sponsor, we are looking forward to facilitating a platform that will stimulate debate and a shar-ing of knowledge aimed at sustaining the commercial and industrial property sector both in good and challenging

economic times,” says Frank Berkeley, Managing Executive of Nedbank

Corporate Property Finance.For more information about the programme and speak-

ers, as well as registra-tion details, please visit

www.sapoa.co.za.

Home decor at NicolwayThe R500 million Nicolway shopping precinct in Bryanston, is due to open in April 2012. Developed by The Rodrigues Group and Flanagan & Gerard Property Development and Investment, the centre’s design and architectural focus incorporates the latest retail architectural principles as well as environmentally responsible practices.

that channel natural light throughout the entire mall.

The atriums also create a discern-ible connection between the two levels, generous parking facilities is available to shoppers on both levels.

A focal point of the centre’s interior is the home-decor zone in the heart of the lower-level. It has been designed so that shoppers instinctively know they are en-tering a unique, stylish shopping node.

The home-decor zone features tow-ering 4m high shop fronts with signage set behind glass.

The chic 23 000m² Nicolway on Wil-liam Nicol Drive has been designed to maximise its superb situation and create a trend-setting experience. It will feature 90 retailers with a unique tenant mix in-cluding national food retailers including a Woolworths 3 200m² concept store, a 3 600m² Checkers and a 2 500m² Food Lovers Market.

OSH EXPO Africa, Occupational Safety and Health, will take place at Gallagher Convention Centre,

in Midrand, 19th to 21st June, 2012. The event attracted 2 188 health and safety professionals last year and the upcoming OSH EXPO is an opportunity

OSH EXPO Africa 2012to meet leading suppliers from Africa and around the world in the private sector, government, construction, mining and automotive industries.

There will be networking opportuni-ties as well as presentations on how to increase efficiency, reduce risks and

cut back on costs. The topics include: Health and Safety; Tools and Resources; Occupational Health Services; Safety Signs and Posters; Noise Prevention; Fall Arrest / Working at Height Equipment; Training; Software; Lifting and Handling Equipment; as well as Health and Safety

Consultancies. Once again, OSH EXPO Af-rica 2012 will be hosted alongside IFSEC South Africa, Africa's premier security event, as well as FACILITIES SHOW Africa.

Visitors will all have free entrance to all three events. For further information and registration visit www.oshexpoafrica.com



Registration is open for the IPD Property Investment Confer-ence 2012, which takes place

at the Westin Grand Hotel in Cape Town, on the 18th and 19th of July.

This event has established itself as the conference for property invest-ment professionals, and promotes South African commercial property against other asset classes, both locally and globally. Each year the South Africa's industry leaders de-bate key issues in the investment sector.

For further information contact Sally or Sue on 011 280 6633 or email [email protected]

Robertson says, “The persistent recovery in activity has slowed retrenchments within the industry

and employment has declined to its slow-est pace in two years.”

In its latest worldwide construction review, international credit insurer Coface says there is a glaring shortage of affordable housing in South Africa, the Middle East and Brazil in the ma-jor urban areas.

In South Africa, the post-apartheid boom in residential construction ended with the advent of the financial crisis but there was a brief surge in 2010, in anticipation of the World Cup, before declining again in 2011.

Banks are reluctant to grant credit to households with debt above 70% of their available income.

Social housing construction is well below the needs of the many lower income households. Although government is committed to investing heavily in the country's infrastructure with long term projects, a few of the larger projects are now coming to an end. The largest contributors to government’s capital infrastructure expenditure over the recent past have been Eskom and Transnet.

The new multi-product pipeline from Durban to Heidelberg, which boosted construction work over the past few years, was put into use at the beginning of this year. Similarly, expenditure on Eskom’s new power stations has largely shifted away from construction work towards the pur-chase and installation of machinery and equipment.

Margins are being squeezed in order to be more competitive and attract more business, making it a challenge for construction companies to turn a profit.

The civil construction confidence index increased from 21 in the third quarter of 2011 to 26 in the fourth quarter. A reading of 26 indicates that three quarters of respondents remained dissatisfied with prevailing business conditions

Coface's mission is to facilitate global business-to-business trade by offering its 130 000 customers four business lines to fully or partly outsource trade relationship manage-ment and to finance and protect their receivables: credit insurance, factor-ing, ratings and business information

Property conference

Construction industry recoveryThe end of 2011 saw the construction industry record its biggest improvement in activity in the past 18 months, says Warrick Robertson, a risk analyst from Coface South Africa Services.

and receivables management. Thanks to the worldwide local service delivered by 6 600 staff in 67 countries, over 45% of the world's 500 largest corporate groups are already customers of Coface.



The APC product specialist says that not many people understand the differences between a UPS

and inverter. Brandt says that a UPS is fairly

simple in its working, yet provides something essential to any business - uninterrupted power, as well as light-ning and power surge protection. The inverter is similar in its purpose yet offers slightly different functionality. Both have been around for decades and not only assist with the increas-ing power shortage, but also provide a short-term solution. Manufacturers have even started enabling these de-vices to assist in providing a long-term solution where carbon footprints and energy conservation are concerned.

He says that this means a UPS contains an inverter, yet distinguishes itself with additional features such as lighting and power surge protection through automated voltage regulation (AVR). It provides a limited autonomy

to enable state full shutdowns with IT equipment such as servers, which en-sures information and software is not corrupted which can happen with a sud-den power outage.

An Inverter is comparatively inex-pensive, basic equipment, which is entrenched in the electronic industry and used to keep production going for up to 12 hours after a power outage. It does this by converting the output DC power from its battery source, into an AC current.

UPSs and inverters have co-existed for decades in their separate markets, but as we are moving to an ever-increasing technologically advanced environment where automated, or smart homes are new buzz words, so the lines between the UPS and Inverter have blurred. A home user would benefit from an Inverter that can not only run the geyser and everything else connected electronically, while the power is out, but also do it in an environmentally friendly manner. A gen-

“The three key challenges include the age of the in-frastructure, environmental

conditions and mechanical failure. There is also the theft of vital com-ponents, or vehicle collisions, when street poles are struck and this can weaken, corrode or dislodge the un-derpinnings,” says van Zyl.

He says that regular maintenance is more cost effective than unscheduled and inconvenient breakdowns, which can cost someone their life.

“It’s clear that there is not enough awareness of the size of the challenge when it comes to structural integrity and electrical fitness of lighting, tele-coms masts and towers. There’s a big gap in the market for this service.”

Infrastructure projects continue to gain momentum in a number of sectors, and that is good news for the economy, says van Zyl, “However, it is clear to us that many organisations do not know the condition of their exist-ing infrastructure and that it can pose a safety risk. Many of these private companies and state owned enter-prises have been minutely engaged in the final point of delivery that they have neglected to budget for ongoing maintenance.”

As a manufacturer and supplier of monopole type steel masts for lighting, and masts and towers for the commu-nications industry, van Zyl says, “The first step is to understand the state of existing infrastructure, deal with the

critical items and then put in place the scheduled maintenance plan.”

“For many organisations this will mean allocating the necessary bud-get and ensuring that it is included in future plans.”

He says that a thorough structural integrity check should include corro-sion and weld condition checks; check-ing for missing members, loose nuts and bolts; checking the mechanical working components and mast climb-ing facilities; and auditing the founda-tion footing and anchor bolt condition using ultrasonic testing.

A complete electrical operational check, which includes all electrical switchgear components, may well form part of the basic assessment.

“Organisations should ensure they use skilled professionals that are will-ing to issue a certificate of structural integrity upon refurbishment. Lastly, a full service record should be kept, by the organisation itself or its service provider.

Regular maintenance of infrastruc-ture will improve occupational health and safety regulations.

Similarly, maintenance of telecom-munications infrastructure is increas-ingly important to meet service level agreements with state owned enter-prises such as the national energy sup-plier, transport, ports, roads, harbours, railways, and municipalities.

For information, visit: www.jasco.co.za/Carrier-Infrastructure.aspx

Maintaining street lightingLack of maintenance of street lights and monopole steel masts for lightning poses a danger, says Francois van Zyl, Divisional Managing Director of Jasco Carrier Infrastructure, a leading lighting structure and site building solutions group.

Preparing for power interruptionsMany companies invest in power solutions, such as UPSs but as busi-nesses and homes need backup power sources, the inverter is coming to the fore, says Robert Brandt of Drive Control Corporation.

At the fair products range from LED technology, via photovoltaic and electro-mobility, to intelligent elec-

tricity usages with smart metering and smart grids.

Lighting manufacturer, Osram, inter-viewed Klaus-Gunter Vennemann, CEO of the Business Unit General Lighting, regarding trends in the lighting industry.

Vennemann says that the LED will advance rapidly in the next five years, particularly in terms of increased energy efficiency.

“Light management systems are a big issue in this connection, but I still think they are too complex industry-wide. Us-ing practical software, we must enable the average person to take advantage of digitisation.”

He says that LEDs are the gamechang-ers of the lighting industry. In the next few years, LEDs will grow tremendously in importance along the entire value chain, from the components and luminaires, to the light management systems. “To this end, we have been strategically posi-tioning ourselves along the entire value chain for some time now, not least by acquiring specialists like Siteco, Traxon and Encelium.”

He says that Osram was primarily a lamp manufacturer until now. By acquiring Siteco, Osram took a big step in entering the luminaire market.

The OLED (organic LED) is a tech-nology that is very good for producing diffused light. “We opened our first pro-duction facility in Regensburg in summer last year, and we continue to develop OLEDs there.”

Another impressive achievement was the new efficiency record set in June 2011. It is 40% higher than all peak values ever measured before. “Our first commercial OLED applications, at the TÜV SÜD testing and inspection organisa-tion and the Allianz Arena, in Munich, are leading the way in this area. Introduced in 2009, our Orbeos is the first mass-produced panel designers can work with. We are working on combining light control with a relatively simple remote control device.” Specific profiles can be stored in the remote, enabling users to switch on the lighting atmosphere they want at any given moment.

On street lights he says,”The number of lighting units will increase significantly around the globe as a result of explosive urbanisation. However, light also is used for advertising and communication. For this reason, we will have to consider effective control more than ever in the future. For example, do all the streets in town really need to be fully illuminated at 3am? Everyone knows that we have to manage energy more intelligently in the future, and light is a critical factor. Take a look at overall power consumption and you’ll see that light makes up 20%. As a manufacturer offering complete lighting systems, we are among the leaders in acknowledging this development. Today, three out of four of our products already are classified as energy-efficient based on very strict criteria.”

LED trendsLight+Building is the world’s biggest trade fair for lighting and building-services technology and presents solutions that cut the energy consump-tion of a building at the same time as increasing the level of comfort.

Klaus-Gunter Vennemann.

erator serves the purpose of extended run time in the home and office, but the accompanying noise and carbon-loaded fuel consumption will not suffice in our green day and age.

For example, the AEC ST2X home inverter has an average lifespan of three to five years and would be connected to your home electrical system. It can automatically charge its batteries, using a combination of Eskom power and solar energy. It would also have a line auto failover switch, which allows for a line interactive switch from Eskom to battery power in case of an outage. As a result the switch is so incredibly fast, that no data will be lost or damage caused in the nanosecond of downtime.

The cost of such a unit depends on how long you want to run your home or office, as well as how large or small the required load is. That means you can have anything between 800 and 1300 watts of energy, generated from up to 24 100ah batteries, running your home or office in an environmentally friendly manner during power outages, as well as protecting your equipment from fluctua-tions in power.

Businesses and home users can take advantage of both the UPS

and inverter in an effort to ensure pro-ductivity, save money and harness the distinct benefits of lightning and surge protection, whilst enjoying the added benefit of an additional power source that can keep equipment running for up to eight hours.

As they say, knowledge is power. For further information contact Drive Control Corporation on 011 201 8927, or email: [email protected]



These numbers acutely affect South Africa, as the influx of people into the cities impact on service deliv-

ery, and results in informal settlements with little access to sanitation and clean water, says ‘Smart Cities Confer-ence and Expo’ host, Topco Media’s Chairman, Richard Fletcher.

"We need to see this as a challenge and not a problem. We need to plan

The designer will be constant-

ly pushing the boundary to

produce a fabulous and func-

tional kitchen. Caesarstone lauds local design-

ers, and is looking for six designs that

show off the very best of South African

kitchen functionality and hospital-

ity. The designs must have a distinct

South African flavour, while including

global trends. These kitchens must be

engineered to perform and function

beautifully, both inside and outside.

The judges are looking for the

WOW factor, a statement kitchen

that would fit in comfortably anywhere

in the world.The six finalists will be showcased

on ‘Expresso Morning Show’ on SABC 3

Caesarstone, the leading manu-facturer of fine quartz surfaces, shared some of the top 2012

market trends, “By putting a little thought into what look you are trying to achieve, you are able to make a change that is likely to remain fresh for years to come,” says King.

The trends include ‘Greening the kitch-en’. There is strong focus on preserving the environment and reducing the carbon footprint; using eco-friendly products and appliances; energy-efficient refrigerators and oven materials that are well-known to be environmentally responsible, such as Caesarstone’s quartz surfaces, will be a popular choice for kitchen surfaces and splashbacks.

Although the desire for a beautiful de-sign is stronger than ever, the durability of materials utilised is an essential require-ment. Materials selected will first and foremost need to be easy-to-maintain, hygienic and stain and scratch-resistant. The focus is shifting more and more to function over form.

There will be greater experimentation with colour although monochromatic co-lour tones will remain popular, but these will incorporate exciting new elements in the form of textures and patterns within the colour itself.

Homeowners will become more adventur-ous in terms of bright and bold colours, with splashes of sunny yellows, dark reds and teal being seen in many kitchens. “While it is unlikely that entire kitchens will be one bold colour palette, bright accents on dishtowels and feature walls will be seen,” says King.

“Neutrals and natural grey tones will become more saturated and rich.”

At the top end of the market, kitchens are beginning to be viewed as iconic and representative of taste. What this means is that the emphasis is being placed on quality, not quantity, in terms of textures, designs, and the incorporation of a co-lour palette that will not date. “How this relates to kitchen countertops is that homeowners are now seeking highly durable, premium surface materials and placing them strategically for maximum impact,” Says King.

The decorative materials predicted to be strong for 2012 include natural finishes like wood and stone, but these are complimented by modern elements such as glass, shiny metallic, crystal and stainless steel, with special attention to lighting.

“Minor adjustments in the form of colour accents or a new coat of paint may be all that is required,” says King.

Kitchen trends

Unlike fashion, kitchen décor trends tend to have more lasting power due to the fact that redecorating or renovating a kitchen requires more time, effort and expense, says Trevor King, Marketing Director for Caesarstone South Africa.

Smart cities conference An estimated nine billion or 80% of the world’s population will live in urban areas by 2050.

Kitchen Design 2012 entriesInnovative supplier and manufacturer of fine quartz surfaces,

Caesarstone are inviting next generation kitchen designers to enter

the Caesarstone Kitchen Design 2012 competition.

TV, and each designer will be given the

opportunity to explain their designs and

communicate their design philosophy.

The winner will receive R50 000 and

the runner up R5 000. The judges will

select the top six finalists, which will

be posted onto Caesarstone website.

The Expresso Morning Show website

will include information about the seg-

ments for the duration of the competi-

tion. Caesarstone will photograph all

six completed kitchens.The panel of judges includes Aidan

Bennetts of Aidan Bennetts Interior De-

sign, Darren Bester of ‘It Is Design’ and

Elloise Rudman of Sharson Projects.

The closing date for entries is 31

July 2012. For further information visit

www.caesarstonedesign.co.za

ahead on how to deal with so many people moving into the cities.”

He says that the private sector holds the solutions to the dilemma, “It's no longer business as usual, it's time we come together to do something,"

The global concept of a smart city ranks the following development char-acteristics: the economy, environment, mobility, people, living, and governance.

A city can be defined as smart when it invests in human and social capital, modern ICT communication, infrastructure, transport nodes, and sustainable economic development

and offers a high quality of life.'Keynote conference speaker, Council-

lor Subesh Pillay, the MMC: Economic Development & Planning, for the City of Tshwane says, "It is imperative that we rethink the conventions about how we have historically planned our cities.”

Pillay says that the cities of the future need to be more resilient, environmen-tally sustainable and offer economic op-portunities and growth. To achieve these goals, industry stakeholders and decision makers will come together in Durban on June 6th to 8th to discuss technologies and strategies around the creation of smart

cities in South Africa. Presentations will include food sustainability, ICT re-sources and solutions, transport nodes, water, health and safety, environmental sustainability, energy, finance, risk analysis and insurance, sports and education, inner city buildings, waste management, recycling, and public administration.

"South Africa has an abundance of natural resources such as wind and solar. The country has an eager labour force willing to work.”

For further Information Email: [email protected]

AfriSam-SAIA Award entriesindustry buzz, events & products


SETTLEMENTS

INFRASTRUCTURE

online ... • research• upcoming conferences• latest news

REA

D

Go to our blog: www.crown.co.za or www.crown.co.za/housing_in_southern_africa.htm

For features and advertising rates go to:www.crown.co.za//resources/docs/ Housing-in-Southern-Africa/Rates/HISA2012rates.pdf

The Institute’s President, Fanuel Motsepe says, “Many people view design and sustainablity as sepa-

rate issues, either tackling aesthetics, or technical solutions. However, they can

and should be mutually reinforcing. It is not just about the design of a building but how it functions and whether it meets the social, cultural, economic and environ-mental needs of the people.”

Stephan Olivier, CEO of AfriSam says, “The increased use of concrete as the building material of choice has necessitated the drive to implement and encourage the production of more technologically advanced composite cements.” Concrete is the second most used product on the planet, after water. This building material has established a reputation as the foundation of economic development and is in high demand by society for use in various infrastructural developments such as houses, schools, roads, dams and infrastructure.

As a result of ongoing use of innova-tive technologies, AfriSam has reduced the CO2 content per ton of cement by more than 34% over the last 20 years. The building materials’ producer has reached a number of environmental milestones in this period. This includes developing a range of products with the lowest carbon footprints in the industry.

The production of cement, an ingredi-ent of concrete, involves the emission of CO2, which adds to the global concern regarding climate change and its implica-tions for the future. “This is the reason why AfriSam is leading the way in produc-ing advanced composite cements with a low carbon footprint and partnering with initiatives like the AfriSam-SAIA Award for Sustainable Architecture,” says Olivier.

He added, “Architects create designs which set the tone for future trends, mak-ing them an influential authority in shap-ing the future of design and consumer choices. It was therefore a natural fit to

The Competition Commission has no objections to the SA Paint Manu-facturing Association Risk Man-

agement Pledge system, says Deryck Spence, Executive Director of SAPMA.

Spence says the Competition Commis-sion was approached by SAPMA to obtain full clarification of the Commission’s stance on the SAPMA system, which calls for SAPMA members to pledge produc-tion and other forms of assistance to fellow members should they encounter disastrous manufacturing disruptions, such as fires or similar setbacks.

“It’s a voluntary pledge with strong mutual benefits for Association members and it helps keep insurance rates down.”

He says the Competition Commis-sion’s detailed reply states that it has

SAPMA not anti- competitive

Deryck Spence

no objection to the SAPMA Risk Manage-ment Pledge as long as members strictly adhere to legal requirements regarding information sharing, toll manufacturing, and competitive collaboration, and as long as the system does not detract from marketing opportunities, nor is anti-competitive.

The updated, second edition of the acclaimed book, ‘Fundamentals of Concrete’ is available from the

Cement & Concrete Institute.First published in 1998, the refer-

ence edition was aimed at students of engineering, building management, quantity surveying, architecture and other practitioners who require a work-ing knowledge of the subject.

The new version contains full colour illustrations and has been extensively updated and expanded. The reference book now covers concrete sustainabil-ity, concrete’s constituent materials, the properties of fresh and hardened concrete, mix design and proportion-ing, quality control and statistics, formwork, reinforcement, manufacture and handling of concrete, sand-cement

Second edition

mixes, appearance of concrete and special concretes.

For more information and orders contact 011 315 0300 or email [email protected]

Entries are invited for the 2012 SADC Media Awards and Water Media Awards, coordinated by

the Government Communication & In-formation System. The awards serve as part of ensuring a link between formal government structures, civil society, academia, labour and the media.

First established in 1996 the awards acknowledge contributions in the infor-mation, culture and sport categories for media practitioners across print, photojournalism, television and radio.

The competition also consists of the Water Media Awards, which are aimed at recognising stories that promote In-

2012 SADC Media Awards entries

tegrated Water Resource Management in the SADC region.

The competition is administered by the National Adjudicating Committee, which is responsible for adjudicating in member states for submission to the Regional Adjudication Committee.

The Committee is represented by media practitioners, journalists of different media houses as well as government officials.

Journalists who wish to enter the competition can access more informa-tion about the competition, including completion rules, from the GCIS website at www.gcis.gov.za

The giant cement and aggregate manufacturer, AfriSam and the South African Institute of Architects biennial award for sustainable architecture competition closes on March 16th 2012.

partner with the South African Institute of Architects, as we support green, sustainable and restorative design. We decided to recognise those architects who are actively making a difference to the environment.”

The adjudication panel chaired by Motsepe includes academic Daniel Iru-rah; architects Rodney Choromanski and Eric Noir; businesswoman and National President of South African Women in Construction, Dr Thandi Ndlovu and Mike McDonald from AfriSam.

Entries for the AfriSam-SAIA Award for Sustainable Architecture close on March 16th 2012. For further information down-load entry forms at www.4tmrw.co.za

The qualifying projects will form part of an exhibition to be held in September 2012, in Cape Town.

2009/2010 Winner: Dalton Private Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal.

SETTLEMENTS INFRASTRUCTURE Facing affordability challenges · housing backlog in the province,”...

Documents

Transcript of SETTLEMENTS INFRASTRUCTURE Facing affordability challenges · housing backlog in the province,”...