South Africa Report

Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr: Serving the Legal Needs of Businesses in Africa

dominika@marcopolis.net (Dominika Bzduchova) — Tue, 30 Aug 2016 11:48:47 +0000

"Being one of the larger firms, one of the Big Five in South Africa, we obviously have depth of experience, expertise and specialisation within the firm so it is a big firm with a large number of lawyers."

South Africa’s Digital Infrastructure, Hybrid Cloud, Workspaces for Tomorrow and Cyber-Security

dominika@marcopolis.net (Dominika Bzduchova) — Tue, 30 Aug 2016 11:39:09 +0000

"Dimension Data started off as an infrastructure company and more than 30 years ago we were specifically specialists in the networking game."

South Africa’s First Dedicated Development in the Oil and Gas Services & Marine Repair Sector

dominika@marcopolis.net (Dominika Bzduchova) — Tue, 30 Aug 2016 11:28:35 +0000

South Africa’s first dedicated development in the oil and gas services & marine repair sector to support upstream exploration and production development.

A South African Revolution in Breast Imaging Technology

dominika@marcopolis.net (Dominika Bzduchova) — Tue, 30 Aug 2016 11:13:38 +0000

"I think the end game for CapeRay and for me would be that CapeRay continues to exist, perhaps as a research and development enterprise where we develop new products that we ultimately license off or that get incorporated into other businesses."

Mazars, a Global Audit, Accounting and Consulting Group

dominika@marcopolis.net (Dominika Bzduchova) — Tue, 30 Aug 2016 11:01:23 +0000

"One of the most important things we've done over the past year has been to strongly expand our presence in Germany, an important market and Europe's first economic power."

Promoting Exploration of Oil & Gas Resources and Their Development throughout Southern Africa

dominika@marcopolis.net (Dominika Bzduchova) — Tue, 30 Aug 2016 08:41:37 +0000

"Thanks to the information we have received from international oil companies as well as the reconnaissance operators through the data that have been acquired by means of seismic survey we have realised that there is potential that we might be able to have oil and gas in our offshore areas."

Airport Management Services and Logistics for Airports in South Africa and Globally (ACSA)

dominika@marcopolis.net (Dominika Bzduchova) — Tue, 30 Aug 2016 08:21:26 +0000

"We recently concluded a study which shows that there are 3,000 jobs created for every direct and indirect regularly scheduled long-haul service and that a 10% increase in passenger numbers results in 2% regional job creation."

Knife Capital, a Southern African Growth Equity Fund Manager Focused on Technology-Enabled Ventures

dominika@marcopolis.net (Dominika Bzduchova) — Tue, 30 Aug 2016 08:10:20 +0000

"What’s missing in South Africa is that we don’t have enough serial entrepreneurs, people who have done it two, three, four times. If you start a business the first time around, you need help."

GreenCape is Unlocking Investment Potential for Green Business in the Western Cape Economy

scherzando@marcopolis.net (Scherzando Blaise Karasu) — Thu, 12 May 2016 18:33:18 +0000

"The underlying focus that the provincial government has had on the green economy started in 2009-2010 with the establishment of GreenCape and to demonstrate this here are some of the high level figures of the successful renewable technology developers."

Talking to Garmin SA, a World Leader in Satellite Navigation and GPS

scherzando@marcopolis.net (Scherzando Blaise Karasu) — Thu, 12 May 2016 18:09:16 +0000

"Garmin has become a leader in a lot of fitness wearables, in the cycling market, in aviation and marine."

Synthetic Heart Valve Ushers in a Revolution in Heart Surgery - Strait Access Technologies

scherzando@marcopolis.net (Scherzando Blaise Karasu) — Thu, 12 May 2016 17:21:47 +0000

"We are expecting the first product, the balloon, to be ready for the first world in early 2017. Our first valves will be ready second half of 2017."

Entersekt, SA’s Fin-Tech Gem Making It Safe for Millions to Bank & Shop Online

scherzando@marcopolis.net (Scherzando Blaise Karasu) — Mon, 09 May 2016 18:20:39 +0000

"We have more opportunity than we can address at the moment and that is another reason to look for funding. We are growing 100 to 150% year on year in dollar terms, so it is interesting times."

Seartec South Africa - Boosting Growth through Diversity

scherzando@marcopolis.net (Scherzando Blaise Karasu) — Mon, 09 May 2016 18:00:15 +0000

"I think we’ve been given a phenomenal opportunity to take a company that in two years will be 50 years old and reengineer and reposition it."

Digiterra South Africa is Linking Strategy to Operations through Technology

scherzando@marcopolis.net (Scherzando Blaise Karasu) — Mon, 09 May 2016 17:42:28 +0000

"Digiterra is a services organisation; focusing on the business to IT continuum, with about 60% of our business generated from business consultancy and 40% from an IT base."

Silicone Cape: A Catalyst for Tech in the Western Cape

scherzando@marcopolis.net (Scherzando Blaise Karasu) — Mon, 09 May 2016 15:37:04 +0000

"I don’t think our vision is to replicate the original Silicone Valley. You could never do that. The key drive is to build the ecosystem."

South Africa, a Hub for Oil and Gas Services along Atlantic

Sun, 08 May 2016 14:57:57 +0000

"South Africa is extremely well positioned to do that. Geographically it’s on very strategic sea routes. It’s in the European time zones. We have strong air connections into the globes major oil and gas hubs," says Niall Kramer, CEO of SAOGA.

South Africa’s Oil and Gas Sector in 2016, Overview by SAOGA

Sun, 08 May 2016 14:52:46 +0000

"What we are looking at now in the short term is the LNG-to-power opportunity. That is going to be the next big opportunity for Southern Africa in terms of upstream oil and gas, especially in the Oil & Gas services sector where we operate," says Niall Kramer, CEO of SAOGA.

Forging the Growth of the Oil & Gas Industry in Sub-Saharan Africa – SAOGA

scherzando@marcopolis.net (Scherzando Blaise Karasu) — Sun, 08 May 2016 14:21:29 +0000

"What we are looking at now in the short term is the LNG-to-power opportunity."

Oil & Gas Sector in South Africa and Concerns about Water

Sat, 30 Apr 2016 16:06:01 +0000

"That is one of the big concerns around the entire oil and gas industry in South Africa. As the public has become more educated, they have become more concerned," says Dave van Der Spuy, Resource Evaluation Manager of Petroleum Agency SA.

Overview of Agricultural Sector in South Africa – by Grainco

Sat, 30 Apr 2016 14:18:43 +0000

"I believe that the opportunity for further growth in the agricultural sector in South Africa is very good. It is enhanced by a weakening currency for sure," says Ben Vermooten, CEO of Grainco.

Trade Investment Environment in Cape Town – Overview by Global Business Solutions

Sat, 30 Apr 2016 11:05:57 +0000

"There are huge opportunities in Cape Town. I think there are huge opportunities in South Africa. We just have to free up some issues," says Jonathan Goldberg, CEO of Global Business Solutions.

“We Need to Encourage the Development of Industry, Manufacturing and Mining in South Africa” – Invicta Holdings

Sat, 30 Apr 2016 10:08:04 +0000

"South Africa is not developing its manufacturing base, the mining base is also stagnating," explains Arnold Goldstone, Executive Deputy Chairman of Invicta Holdings.

South Africa, an Emerging Force in Global Film-Making - Commentary by Cape Town Film Studios

Fri, 29 Apr 2016 19:40:33 +0000

"The main challenge is how things are perceived. South Africa was regarded as a great location but not necessarily known for manufacturing and high-tech innovation in film," explains Nico Dekker, CEO of Cape Town Film Studios.

Industrial Development of the Western Cape

Tue, 26 Apr 2016 17:53:04 +0000

"We put a very strong emphasis on hi-tech, and indeed, that is precisely what our broadband rollout has been about. We want to enable ICTs, Information and Communication Technologies, as the bedrock of why services work so well in the Western Cape," explains Helen Zille, Premier of Western Cape.

What Reforms Does Cape Town Need to Attract Investments?

Tue, 26 Apr 2016 17:46:07 +0000

"We have to make it easier to invest, and that requires changes in national government policy. But we’re using every opportunity we can to make those changes locally, and we’ve created a much more conducive environment," says Helen Zille, Premier of Western Cape.

Public Confidence Is a Direct Outflow of Competent Government - Says Helen Zille

Tue, 26 Apr 2016 17:41:30 +0000

"Long-term confidence is the heart of an economy," says Helen Zille, Premier of Western Cape.

The Western Cape Province Is Number One in South Africa - Commentary of Premier Helen Zille

Tue, 26 Apr 2016 17:34:22 +0000

"The Western Cape is number one on every single indicator, including economic growth, and including employment. So we do rank number one, and it’s because we’ve put an enormous effort into building a capable state," says Helen Zille, Premier of Western Cape.

Africa's Best Prepared City for the Global Business Environment: Cape Town

Tue, 26 Apr 2016 14:43:01 +0000

"We’re also the best prepared city in Africa for the global business environment. That is because we’ve put an enormous amount of investment into preparing for the knowledge economy of the 21st century," says Helen Zille, Premier of Western Cape.

wiGroup South Africa: Building A Fintech Empire in Electronic Payments

scherzando@marcopolis.net (Scherzando Blaise Karasu) — Mon, 25 Apr 2016 11:25:16 +0000

"We are definitely expanding into Africa."

A Global Leader in Performance Improvement Consulting: BMGI South Africa

scherzando@marcopolis.net (Scherzando Blaise Karasu) — Wed, 20 Apr 2016 09:58:58 +0000

"We have done a lot of work in repositioning their business models and specifically with business model innovation. It is not about what product or service that you are selling, it is about how you position it and how you create the business model around it that gets it to market."

Global Business Solutions South Africa: Empowering Businesses to Achieve Their Objectives

scherzando@marcopolis.net (Scherzando Blaise Karasu) — Wed, 20 Apr 2016 09:02:51 +0000

"If you look at South Africa, many South African companies are sitting on piles of cash and they aren’t investing it. The question is why? You have to unlock their confidence in the country to invest that money."

A TV and Film Industry Boom for Cape Town - Cape Town Film Studios

scherzando@marcopolis.net (Scherzando Blaise Karasu) — Wed, 20 Apr 2016 08:44:53 +0000

Productions look to capture South African scenery, exchange rates and rebates.

South Africa As An Oil Services Hub? An Interview with Petroleum Agency SA

scherzando@marcopolis.net (Scherzando Blaise Karasu) — Wed, 06 Apr 2016 16:01:05 +0000

"South Africa is known in the industry as having very strong environmental safeguards and it expects a lot from its oil and gas operators."

Saldanha Bay, A Zone Dedicated to Serving The Oil & Gas Industry in South Africa

scherzando@marcopolis.net (Scherzando Blaise Karasu) — Tue, 05 Apr 2016 16:36:23 +0000

The largest and deepest natural port in the Southern Hemisphere.

Red Tape Reduction Program in Western Cape (South Africa)

Wed, 30 Mar 2016 18:54:17 +0000

"Perhaps I should say that it started off with a red tape reduction team, but their name has actually changed now and they are called the ease of doing business team," says Alan Winde, Minister of Economic Opportunities of Western Cape.

Wines of South Africa (WOSA) – Strategy

Tue, 29 Mar 2016 14:57:11 +0000

"Our strategy is to go into these markets and highlight these higher-tier wines, showing the unique styles and varietals we have to offer," says Siobhan Thompson, CEO of Wines of South Africa (WOSA).

Wines of South Africa: Exports of South African Higher-tier Wines

Tue, 29 Mar 2016 14:51:15 +0000

"Exports actually spiked in 2013 because South Africa had a lot of wine to offer the world at a time when it had low supplies due to various factors such as droughts and fires," explains Siobhan Thompson, CEO of Wines of South Africa (WOSA).

National Health Insurance Scheme in South Africa – Commentary by CapeRay

Sun, 27 Mar 2016 17:39:35 +0000

"I think the government’s biggest challenge is going to be funding it adequately. Do we have the tax base in this country to fund such a program?" asks Dr Kit Vaughan, CEO of CapeRay.

Medical Technology in South Africa: Competitive Advantages

Sun, 27 Mar 2016 17:34:49 +0000

"There are people with good ideas; here in the Western Cape we have four institutions of higher learning, each of which has an engineering faculty and two of them have medical faculties and so in the medical device space there is every opportunity for new products to be developed," says Dr Kit Vaughan, CEO of CapeRay.

Medical Equipment Manufacturing in South Africa

Sun, 27 Mar 2016 17:26:04 +0000

"I write a weekly blog about various activities in my field including more generally about medical devices and I have compared the Western Cape as a medical device destination with other areas in the world," says Dr Kit Vaughan, CEO of CapeRay.

PantoScanner: Technology for the Detection of Breast Cancer

Sun, 27 Mar 2016 17:13:30 +0000

"The revolutionary part is the ability to combine the two technologies. Traditional mammography relies on x-rays and that has been around for forty or fifty years, while ultrasound has also been around for forty or fifty years," explains Dr Kit Vaughan, CEO of CapeRay.

CapeRay – Mammography Devices Manufacturer from South Africa

Sun, 27 Mar 2016 17:04:46 +0000

"CapeRay is a spin out company from the University of Cape Town. It spun out 6 years ago. The focus of the company is the detection of breast cancer; we have developed imaging products that are specifically geared towards women who have dense breast tissue," says Dr Kit Vaughan, CEO of CapeRay.

“Declining Rand is Boosting Tourism in South Africa” – One & Only Cape Town

Tue, 22 Mar 2016 19:39:43 +0000

"Tourism is a brilliant business. Even with the declining Rand at the moment, it is actually boosting tourism," notes Richard Lyon, GM of One & Only, the most vibrant resort in the heart of the dynamic Cape Town.

Success of Start-up Incubators in Cape Town, Africa's Most Innovative City

Tue, 22 Mar 2016 18:03:52 +0000

"A big part of the reason why we are seen as a hotbed for innovation has been the success of start-up incubators. Start-up incubators are quite well supported in this region," says Ryan Ravens, CEO of Accelerate Cape Town.

Leaders in Managing the Agricultural Supply Chain in South Africa - BKB Grainco

scherzando@marcopolis.net (Scherzando Blaise Karasu) — Tue, 22 Mar 2016 16:56:11 +0000

"I believe that the opportunity for further growth in the agricultural sector in South Africa is very good."

Invicta Holdings’ Next Growth Phase is International Expansion

scherzando@marcopolis.net (Scherzando Blaise Karasu) — Tue, 22 Mar 2016 16:41:02 +0000

Readying itself for its next growth phase, with international expansion centre stage.

Grand Parade Investments: Promoting Social Development of Western Cape

scherzando@marcopolis.net (Scherzando Blaise Karasu) — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 20:08:06 +0000

A Western Cape-based, black owned and controlled holding company.

Wines of South Africa (WOSA): “Variety Is in Our Nature”

scherzando@marcopolis.net (Scherzando Blaise Karasu) — Tue, 15 Mar 2016 14:35:38 +0000

Building the global success of South African wine.

Minister of Economic Opportunities: What Makes Western Cape World-Class?

scherzando@marcopolis.net (Scherzando Blaise Karasu) — Tue, 15 Mar 2016 14:10:26 +0000

Competent government, prime locations, modern infrastructure, skilled workforce, low operational costs, an abundance of natural resources all with a highly competitive business environment.

Cutting-edge Medical Imaging Equipment for the Diagnosis of Breast Cancer - from CapeRay

scherzando@marcopolis.net (Scherzando Blaise Karasu) — Tue, 15 Mar 2016 13:36:09 +0000

A revolution in breast imaging. An innovative dual-modality imaging system that integrates full-field digital mammography and automated breast ultrasound in a single platform.

The Most Vibrant Resort in the Heart of the Dynamic Cape Town: One & Only

scherzando@marcopolis.net (Scherzando Blaise Karasu) — Tue, 15 Mar 2016 13:05:18 +0000

Crowned by Table Mountain in the heart of Africa’s “Mother City” Cape Town’s most vibrant and urbane resort.

Building a Capable State – Hellen Zille, Premier of Western Cape

scherzando@marcopolis.net (Scherzando Blaise Karasu) — Sat, 12 Mar 2016 18:41:58 +0000

"The single most crucial variable that creates a context for growth, development and investment, is the capable state, that is the purpose of our efforts, every day."

Accelerate Cape Town: Open for Growth, Open for Innovation

scherzando@marcopolis.net (Scherzando Blaise Karasu) — Fri, 11 Mar 2016 18:10:24 +0000

"Accelerate Cape Town’s vision is to continuously grow Cape Town as a ‘global African City of inspiration & innovation’. Together with our members, we want to continuously grow Cape Town as an economic hub and globally recognised business destination in Africa."