“South Africa Inc. is at a critical juncture in our development as a country”
African Utility Week and Clean Power Africa have joined forces with the South African Institute of Electrical Engineers (SAIEE) to host two days of free, practical, CPD-accredited technical workshops on the event’s expo floor for all electrical engineers, technicians and contractors working in the power and water industry. 

The award winning 14th African Utility Week and Clean Power Africa conference and expo is taking place at the CTICC in Cape Town from 13-14 May 2014. It is attended by more than 5000 power and water professionals from more than 30 African countries and 70 worldwide, at what is the largest utility gathering of its kind on the continent. Discussions, workshops, exhibits and site visits will focus on the industry disciplines of metering, clean power, water, large power users, investment and finance, transmission & distribution, smart grids and generation.

The SAIEE has grown to a membership of over 6000 professionals engaged in the full range of electrical engineering and related activities including academic research, manufacturing, electronics, telecommunications, measurement and control, mining, and power infra-structural services.
Is this the future that we want for ourselves? Andre Hoffmann, SAIEE Senior Vice President says: “South Africa Inc. is at a critical juncture in our development as a country, having achieved much in political emancipation since 1994. However, we remain critically poised on a fine balance that may tip us economically and send us spiraling towards a more unpleasant future.” He continues: “the vision of a South Africa that has degenerated into a chaotic state of civil strife precipitated by degrading service delivery infrastructure should be frightening enough to jolt us out of our complacency. Is this the future that we want for ourselves, our children and grandchildren?”

According to SAIEE’s Andre Hoffmann: “South Africa is not an island. It exists in a globally competitive environment and its infrastructure that supports the economy cannot be left to degenerate without affecting our medium and long term sustainability as a country.”  He explains: “there is little point in refining and perfecting our specialised disciplines if ‘Rome’ is burning. Let’s fix the problem, let’s set a course for a future that we all actually want to live in and then we can go back to business as usual.”

Relevant programme for industry
African Utility Week’s partnership with the SAIEE is part of a wider strategy to involve professional industry organisations in the conference and technical training workshops to remain a relevant event for and by the industry. Andre Hoffmann:  “Technology does not exist in isolation of society, it is developed and implemented to benefit society and it continues to evolve at a rapid pace. Delegates to the African Utility Week need to use the opportunity to build and strengthen their professional networks and appreciation of the new developments in the various technologies available to them.”

He adds: “furthermore I believe that a concerted effort needs to be made in lobbying with government and policy makers to reinforce the role of the trained and competent professional engineer or technologist in capacitating government utilities to run effectively and sustainably over the expected economic life-cycle of the investment.”