Build Magazine August 2015

Build Magazine 25 Inside the Industry tunities for international construction firms due to the availability of financing for larger and complex cross-border infrastructure projects. Efforts by the East African Community (EAC) to facilitate regional growth through integration has also led to increasing demand for expertise in the field which international firms can provide. Over the past decade, Spencon has worked with a number of international firms to implement these cross-border projects, due to our local knowledge and flexibility across borders. While countries within the EAC still differ substan- tially in their level of infrastructure development, great strides have been made in recent years to improve the services available to the region’s grow- ing consumer base. Kenya, for example has begun to implement a significant roadworks programme financed by the African Development Bank, China, Brazil and Japan. The programme was aimed at critically improving its traffic congestion in Nairobi and its suburbs, whilst connecting Kenya with its neighbouring countries. During the programme, we worked with a number of international firms to deliver the project on time and on budget. As Africa is projected to overtake the likes of India in terms of the population of its middle class, solving its power and energy crisis has also opened up an array of opportunities for international firms. Both the public and private sector are placing sig- nificant focus in power generation infrastructure to support a thriving business environment and further economic growth within the continent. Hence, there has been significant contracts awarded over the past few years to foreign construction and engineer- ing firms. Given our experience within this industry over the past 35 years, East Africa is showing exceptionally promising economic growth numbers and, coupled with the collaborative opportunities within the EAC, the time for international firms to get involved is now.