FOUNDED 1980 SA: R14.00 (Incl. VAT) JUNE 2015 Barloworld to assemble Engineering for clean South African wines Cat Generators in SA water across Africa off to Peru After a successful meeting A Tanzanian chemical with a Peruvian business- engineer has won the first woman, SA wine makers The generators are Africa Prize for Engineering are expecting to be sending supplied in kit form and Innovation with his specialised hundreds of tons of wine to assembled from scratch. 5 water-filtration system. 18 this lucravative market. 22 CAPE INDUSTRIAL SHOWCASE SPECIAL EDITION | 1 - 3 JULY 2015 | CTICC (See P15) The irrepressible Mr Wiese niture retailing operations are also mov- ing rapidly into eastern European markets – including Poland. Watching Wiese – in conjunction with the highly-rated teams at Brait and Steinhoff – working his deal-making magic in inter- Coastline near Hermanus. national economies will be fascinating to watch. The financial muscle on Steinhoff’s and Brait’s balance sheets do allow con- siderable leeway for corporate action, and CBN suspects the next year or two could be For sale: busy ones for both companies. On the other hand, Wiese also has plenty Largest approved on his plate at his other ‘smaller’ investment interests. He is also the major shareholder development on in Cape Town-based industrial supplies con- glomerate Invicta, which recently gained a Hermanus coastline foothold in the Far East with the acquisition of specialist engineering supplies and ser- outh Africa’s serious property devel- vices business Kian Ann. There is persistent opers are gearing up to bid for one of talk of the well capitalised Invicta chasing Sthe largest pieces of approved devel- down more offshore opportunities. opment land to have ever been made avail- Retail tycoon and irrepressible investor Christo Wiese Wiese is the chairman of mining con- able for sale along the exclusive Hermanus t’s difficult to comprehend that such International. This saw Wiese gain more glomerate Pallighurst Resources, which Coast Line in the Western Cape. Compris- bold global investment strategies can be shares in Steinhoff, a company in which he holds interests in platinum, precious stones, ing of 46.026 ha (460,260m2) this prime de- Iconcocted from an office tucked away already held a significant minority interest base metals and luxury goods (via Faberge.) velopment opportunity offers a total of 244 in a factory precinct at the bottom end of after swopping in his PSG shareholding When the commodity cycle – especially in plots, of which 51 are on the water’s edge. unfashionable Parow East, but believe some years ago. platinum – spins up again then Wiese (who This is according to Aubrey Miller, CEO it. Fashion retailer Pep’s headquarters in The Steinhoff deal also involved buying a has endured mixed fortunes in mining) of sealedbid.co.za, an online property sales Stellenberg Road in Parow East is where large shareholding in Pepkor from special- might be keen for Pallinghurst to play a key platform that has been entrusted to bring retail tycoon and irrepressible investor ist investment company Brait, where (yes, role in consolidating some of the smaller this rare development opportunity to the Christo Wiese probably plots most of his you guessed it) Wiese is also a major share- resources interests. market. Miller says that there is an undis- investment decisions. And the man – who holder. Brait took payment for its shares While Shoprite is well known for its closed reserve price on the approved devel- is clearly not a retiring seventy something in Pepkor in Steinhoff shares and in cold strong African presence, there seems to be opment land, and bidders have until 14h00 – appears to be on a roll … again. cash. With Wiese clearly a major influence moves afoot by Wiese to also position his on 14 July 2015 to submit a bid. He notes Wiese originally built his fortune on low at Brait, it should perhaps be no surprise offshore property company Tradehold to that this is the first time an approved de- cost fashion store Pep, before branching that the substantial cash pile is not burning capture new growth opportunities in the velopment opportunity of this size, in this out into other successful retail ventures like a hole in the company’s pocket. African retail real estate place. area, with such a unique position, has been supermarket chain Shoprite (which swal- In recent months Brait has struck two key Wiese is also – on a relatively small scale released to the market. lowed Checkers and OK Bazaars along the deals – snapping controlling stakes in inter- – involved as an anchor shareholder in new- “Vacant land of this size on a sought af- way.) In recent years Wiese has broadened national gym group Virgin Active and spe- ly constituted investment company Stellar ter coastline with all the necessary develop- his investment outlook considerably – tak- cialist UK retailer First Look. Both business- Capital, which recently took an influential ment approvals in place is extremely rare ing in, at various times, marine diamonds, es appeal to Wiese’s key investment criteria stake in struggling Cape Town-based asset and very sought after. Properties in the gold mining, platinum mining, property, of being strongly cash generative with great manager Cadiz and holds control of retreat Hermanus area in particular offer an inher- industrial supplies, technology and liquor profit potential and having respected man- –based electronics manufacturer Tellumat. ent capital appreciation, and as such we are (being once ranked as one of the biggest agement teams that are dominating vibrant There have been suggestions that Wiese is expecting a rush of interest from not only shareholders in KWV.) trading niches. The collective value of these using Stellar as a training vehicle to groom local and national developers, but also for- Certainly he has enough investment lau- deals is worth around R28bn, and certainly his children – two of whom serve on the eign investors and developers. rels to rest on. But last year the restless Wi- elevates Wiese onto the world stage as a big company’s board – in the ways of the in- “Property values along the Hermanus ese – who purportedly is worth over R60bn league investors. vestment world. But that’s not to say Stellar seaboard have continued to climb over the – signalled his next big move by shuffling What is interesting is that First Look won’t throw up some inspirational activity recent years, notwithstanding challeng- three of his key investments. This entailed has strong growth prospects in France, in the years ahead. In fact, CBN would not ing economic conditions. A 4,000m2 sea- Wiese moving his major stake in unlisted Germany, Poland and especially China bet against Stellar turning into a vibrant front plot in Hermanus sold for approxi- fashion retailing hub Pepkor – which owns (cited as a priority market.) Although little investment vehicle that is willing to the Pep and Ackermans chain – into fur- trading in a completely different market take to the less travelled roads in seeking Continued on P9 niture aligned conglomerate Steinhoff segment Pepkor’s Pep and Steinhoff’s fur- out attractive deals. 2 CBN June 2015 IN THIS ISSUE Bowler thirsts for new business PLASTIC packag- gineering their own de- 15 Cape Industrial Showcase ing specialist Bowler mise with irresponsible 21 Gas in Industry Metcalf, based in Ep- pricing policies. ping, is reinventing it- “Gaps are opening 22 Food, Beverage, Wine & self now that it can no up…the market is look- longer be able to sip ing very interesting.” Dairy from lucrative supply Sass stressed that dur- pool agreement with ing the tough trading 28 Motoring former soft drink bot- period for plastics pack- 31 Sustainability in Industry tling subsidiary Quality aging companies Bowl- Beverages (QB.) er had grown its skills 32 Logistics & Supply Chain As previously re- base as well as trained ported in CBN, Bowler in new technologies Management opted to exchange its and methods. 36 Renewable Energy 100% holding in QB for He said the compa- a 43% stake in newly nies so-called Pipeline 38 Transport & Heavy Lifting merged SoftBev, a 1 on new projects was R1.2bn a year soft drink secured, while Pipeline 43 Business Outsourcing bottling operations with 2 was 70% secured. The Operations & Management operations in the West- be a profit outflow for tingency plans to con- and rather quickly too. company has Pipeline ern Cape, Gauteng and the company. tinue supplying blown Officially, the new 3 targeting the 2017 fi- 44 Commercial Fishing Industry KwaZulu-Natal. Basically Bowler will bottles beyond that date focus targets rapidly nancial year. “It is our While the deal al- lose the bottle blow- if SoftBev’s facilities growing middle to high hope that we will weath- 46 Pumps & Valves lows Bowler to focus on ing contract, which will are not up and running income group needs er the ‘conspiracy of its core competencies now be undertaken in- as scheduled. by committing the re- circumstances’… there 48 On the Contrary in packaging – as well house at SoftBev. The The loss of the bottle sources to new tech- are signs of a pricing 48 Papa Doc as retain exposure to company, though, does blowing agreement nologies and solutions clawback and we think some of the potential keep the pre-forms sup- comes at a time when relevant to the local we have gone through upside in the soft drinks ply contract with the old Bowler is also wean- packaging market. the dip and things will businesses – there will QB operations. ing itself off one of its At a recent presen- get better.” According to a cir- mainstay, multi-nation- tation during a general Sass notes that entre- cular to shareholders al packaging clients meeting of sharehold- preneurial ventures pro- Bowler stands to lose al- after pricing dropped ers, Bowler CEO Frie- ducing food, beverage most R25m in operating to levels that were del Sass stated there and household items profits from giving up no longer viable.