INDUSTRY NEWS : trends
School – the largest and oldest University in Ethiopia . The campus sits adjacent a brandnew public light rail system that runs on Ethiopia ’ s cheap electricity . Much Chinese steel has gone into that project but a lack of sufficient pedestrian crossings screams opportunity for African designers and contractors .
The reception at the talk was warm , and the participants who were mostly consulting architects and students appreciated the level of advancement of the South African industry . They were mostly surprised , but also inspired , to learn that it was the only such industry in the continent .
However it was clear that steel framed buildings are the furthest items from the minds of busy Architects in Addis .
I discussed three areas of construction that are relevant to that market . Mid-rise steel framed composite buildings , residential light steel framed buildings and light and heavy industrial buildings .
There was a great deal of interest in industrial buildings because Ethiopia is constructing large industrial parks in order to plug its large – relatively well trained and low wage – population into the global textile and basic industries supply chain .
There was also much interest in light steel framed buildings , and a few architects have already committed to train their employees in that construction method by sending them to SASFA courses in South Africa .
A common question revolved around what the South African steel industry could offer to the booming economic environment in Ethiopia . From the discussions it was clear that steel mills and fabricators on their own will not be able to participate in that dynamic environment using the typical fractured business model where design , fabrication and contracting are delivered separately .
Yet despite this general feeling large cement producers , like Nigeria ’ s Dangote , are doing spectacularly well by producing cement locally for the exploding concrete market .
It doesn ’ t appear like Ethiopian architects are looking for steel merchants , erectors or other specialized material and service providers . With the exception of cladding and roofing sheet suppliers that economy is not yet established enough to absorb the provisions of such specialized firms .
Ethiopian architects , like many of their contemporaries around the continent , are looking for models of affordable housing solutions . They are looking for turnkey solutions to high-rise , industrial building and high-end steel framed cladding systems .
This will require that companies in our industry make strategic partnerships with firms from inside and outside our industry to pitch comprehensive solutions . For instance this will probably require partnerships between South African fabricators and consulting architects and engineers .
A good model for how such solutions can be configured is found in the light steel frame industry under the guidance
of SASFA . There the steel industry continuously partners with a diverse set of industries and firms to deliver a solution . We have to strive to repeat that experience with the rest of our heavier industry on a continental scale .
By the end of the talk the AEA was satisfied enough with the event to want to organize a larger event in the future where they will also invite key clients . I was only too happy to oblige .
Amongst other urgent matters Ms Zuma at the African Union may very well attend to co-ordination of investments that are funded and run by governments . However it is well known that the greatest drivers of growth and employment will remain medium sized private firms and the projects that they work on .
Therefore we must continue to link our medium size firms with the designers and industries of our African neighbors going forward . The returns on such investment are too high to ignore .
OPPOSITE PAGE : Addis Ababa University Image source : http :// mapio . net / s / 69022384 /
ABOVE LEFT : Addis Ababa got its first light-rail network in 2015 to improve public transport in the city . Image source :: http :// www . theguardian . com / cities / 2015 / dec / 08 / best-city-improvements-2015-share-stories-good-news
ABOVE RIGHT : The streets of Addis Ababa . Image source :: https :// www . flickr . com / photos / helenap / 14429923903 /
Steel Construction Vol . 40 No . 2 2016 17