Tag: Afrika

  • Sika wants to grow in Africa

    Sika wants to grow in Africa

    Sika is positioning itself for further dynamic growth in Tanzania and the Republic of Ivory Coast. The company has moved into a new location in the East African economic center of Dar es Salaam. There, the Zug-based company now also produces mortar and tile adhesive in addition to concrete additives. This shortens the transport routes, according to a press release from the company.

    In the Republic of Ivory Coast in the west of the continent, Sika has doubled the size of its factory premises. With new areas for storage, offices and laboratories in Abidjan, Sika can double the production capacities for tile adhesive and repair mortar in the medium term and expand storage capacities. The neighboring countries of Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin, Mali and Sierra Leone will also be supplied from there.

    Sika is committed to “sustainable business activities in Africa” in the long term, Regional Manager EMEA, Ivo Schädler, is quoted as saying. “At both locations, we produce high-quality solutions that are used for large infrastructure projects.” As examples, he cites the metro project and the expansion of the seaport in Abidjan, the Standard Gauge Railway and the Julius Nyerere hydroelectric power station in Tanzania.

  • Sika opens a branch in Ghana

    Sika opens a branch in Ghana

    The Sika Group founds a new national company in the West African state of Ghana. This increases the number of branches of the Zug-based building materials group on the African continent to 18, according to a press release .

    So far, Sika has served its customers in Ghana from neighboring countries. In view of the expected economic growth of 4 percent this year as well as the announced government economic stimulus programs, it is now worthwhile for Sika to invest in its own national subsidiary. This allows the company to produce locally, offer direct technical support and contribute to the country's economic growth.

    “Due to the rapid increase in population in the cities and metropolitan regions of Ghana and other African countries, the demand for infrastructure projects is also growing rapidly. We therefore see great potential for Sika in the medium and long term ”, Ivo Schädler, regional manager for the economic area Europe, Middle East and Africa, is quoted in the media release.

  • 14Trees is building schools in Africa with 3D printing

    14Trees is building schools in Africa with 3D printing

    14Trees is using 3D printing on a large scale to build affordable residential and school buildings in Africa. Starting in Malawi, such buildings should be realized in record time in this way. The walls of the first school in Salima were printed in just 18 hours, according to a media release . In addition, the CO2 footprint is reduced by up to 70 percent through “optimized use of materials”.

    14Trees is a joint venture between the building materials group LafargeHolcim and the London-based impact investor CDC Group . "I am thrilled with the work our joint venture 14 Trees is doing," said Miljan Gutovic, Head of the Middle East and Africa region and member of the LafargeHolcim Executive Committee, quoted in the press release. "Starting in Malawi, we will use the technology throughout the region and already have projects in the pipeline for Kenya and Zimbabwe."

    Tenbite Ermias, Managing Director Africa of CDC, is convinced that “the broad application of the groundbreaking cutting-edge technology” of 14Trees enables “enormous development effects”. "This is a wonderful example of our investments in companies that contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals."

    As the message goes on to say, UNICEF estimates that Malawi is short of 36,000 classrooms. With conventional technology, this would take 70 years. According to 14Trees, this gap could be closed in ten years with 3D printing. In addition, the local projects would create qualified jobs.