“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 CEO Gustav Rohde said. Prior to his new role, Rohde served as Aurecon’s global COO.
The engineering, design, and advisory company is said to be undergoing many changes, including a total rebranding process, with a completely new name in Zutari, reflecting the company’s African heritage. The name was derived by combining two Swahili words mzulia (invent) and nectari (nectar).
Three recent senior appointments, with Rohde at the helm, have also been made.
Joseph Ndala has been appointed as a director and CFO 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.
