Smart Development
One thing that the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us is the value of working and living smart.
From being able to conduct business remotely to staying connected with friends and family during lockdowns where face to face interaction is not always possible, this year has certainly heightened the need to make the most out of what we have.
Technology can be a key enabler in this regard, and this is where the focus of our cover story with Rubicon Group lies.
The South African company provides the platform to deliver sustainable technology to every business, home and community in Africa, a transition it drives through furthering the adoption of transformative technologies such as renewable energy sources, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, building automation, analytics, monitoring and much more
“When we talk about a smarter focus, we don’t mean if a building knows your coffee preference,” says CEO Rick Basson.
“It is more about the resilience of being able to operate in an uncertain environment, whether it’s a lack of security, lack of water or the energy supply – that’s where we focus in the private sector and our group has a massive role to play.
“In order to build this resilience you first need to make sure your resource usage is as low as possible and that’s where our energy analytics, intelligent lighting and building automation divisions play such a large role.”
Rubicon Group is one of several articles in this issue exploring the energy theme, with Virunga Power also providing an exclusive interview alongside our topical focus which looks at hydropower across the continent.
We also delve into economic activity in Ghana and Mauritius in our spotlight series, speaking with key associations about their vital work in stimulating activity in their respective economies.
Other sectors explored in this edition include healthcare and an interview with SA’s Bestmed Medical Scheme, finance and a conversation with Old Mutual Botswana, and education through an insightful chat with Addis Ababa University about its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Enjoy the read!
Tom Wadlow