Featured newsNews

Aurecon takes bold steps to transform into an African-focused business

11 February 2020

10 February 2020: Engineering, design, and advisory company Aurecon Africa has taken a bold step
to demerge from the global Aurecon brand to position itself as a business aimed
at the African market. In October 2019, Aurecon officially announced the
separation of the African business from the Aurecon Group, effective from 1
January 2020.

While being part
of a global engineering and advisory firm has helped the company achieve
immense successes and growth over the past decade, the landscape has changed,
requiring agile, locally-relevant, and Afrocentric solutions.

“Having all
decision-making and ownership in the hands of Africans will increase our
agility and capability to deliver appropriate and relevant offerings,” Aurecon
Africa Chief Executive Officer Gustav
Rohde comments. Prior to his new role, Rohde served as Aurecon’s global
Chief Operating Officer, and played a key role in preparing the company for a
digital rich-future.

The company is
undergoing many changes, including a total rebranding process, with a
completely new name in Zutari, which
reflects the company’s African heritage. The name was derived by combining two Swahili
words mzulia (invent) and nectari (nectar). Swahili is the most
spoken language on the continent.

The new name reflects
Afro-optimism and Pan-Africanism and appeals to a global audience. It balances
analytical and technical engineering with creativity and innovation to
demonstrate that the new company is about much more than traditional
engineering.

In positioning
the new company for success, Aurecon Africa recently achieved a Level 1 Broad-Based
Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) status. Three recent senior appointments,
with Rohde at the helm, will assist the new entity to nurture its skills,
supplier, and socio-economic development goals. “B-BBEE has always been a
strategic imperative for us, and therefore our Level 1 status is an important
affirmation,” Rohde adds.

Joseph Ndala has been appointed as a Director and Chief
Financial Officer for Africa. “The finance role
has evolved throughout industry, but engineers are pathfinders in delivering
sustainable infrastructure. We are faced with two issues in Africa: Maintaining
and upgrading current infrastructure, and at the same time encouraging new
build to stimulate economic growth.”

Imraan Mahomed has been appointed eThekwini Office Manager.
“Aurecon is currently repositioning the business for better focus on
performance and growth in Africa, which makes it an exciting time to join.” He
adds that the sector is in a major state of flux, and now is the ideal time for
the company to capitalise on these changes and provide clients with a new brand
for a new engineering industry.

“The advent of
digital technology and the gig economy could mean a shift towards commoditised
engineering design, greater use of modular solutions, and more low-cost,
highly-skilled design hubs. South Africa’s high quality of engineering and
lower costs compared to certain other parts of the world means that we can use
digital tools to sell our services almost anywhere,” Mahomed highlights.

Bulelwa Leni has been appointed East London Office
Manager. Leni joined Aurecon as a Technical Director in its Advisory Unit in
May 2018. She was voted National Young Technologist of the Year by the South
African Institution of Civil Engineering (SAICE). Leni has been pivotal in the
company’s digital transformation, creating a simplified and sustainable
approach to infrastructure delivery and maintenance.

“The diversity of
people and projects at Aurecon is exciting, challenging, and personally
fulfilling. I look forward to helping our clients conceptualise and implement
projects that will lead to a brighter future for Africans,” Leni stresses.

Dr. Lulu Gwagwa, Chairperson of Aurecon Africa, is
encouraged and excited to see the new direction in which the company is going.
“I am very proud to be part of this journey, and I look forward to steering the
new company towards success. No doubt we face serious challenges on the continent,
but being part of finding human-centric solutions is very rewarding.”

Rohde affirms: “We
have been operating on the continent for more than 85 years and have been
active outside of South Africa for the last 50 years. Africa is our home and is
where we want to grow our business. With many losing appetite to work on the
continent, this decision goes against the tide, but we believe the
opportunities in Africa are vast. Being an African-owned business shows our
commitment to the aspirations of our people and our continent.”

Ends

Notes to the Editor
To download hi-res images for this release, please visit http://media.ngage.co.za and click the
Aurecon link to view the company’s press office.

Aurecon Media
Contact

Rashree Maharaj

Marketing and Communications

Email: [email protected]

Cell: 083 324 2418

Web: https://www.aurecongroup.com/

Media
Contact

Renay Tandy

NGAGE Public Relations

Phone: (011) 867 7763

Fax: 086 512 3352

Cell: 082 562 5088