Having won a coveted award as the Best Global Project to Sign, Gautrain earned the respect of the international Public Private Partnership (PPP) industry at the tenth annual Public Private Finance Awards evening held on 29 April in London.
The Awards are the biggest event in the PPP industry, attended by over 1,400 people last year. The winners are picked by an independent panel of partnership experts to highlight the best deals and companies in the market. The competition is held by the Public Private Finance magazine, a respected publication about PPP projects in the United Kingdom and Europe.
As one of 22 category winners, judges recognised Gautrain’s expertise to overcome the unique engineering and socio-economic developmental requirements of this PPP project. Geological difficulties, the intricate topography of Gauteng and the unique socio-economic deliverables of Gautrain Project made it a deserving winner. Other PPP projects shortlisted in the Best Global Project to Sign category were Britannia Mine Water Treatment Plant and The Conference Centre Dublin.
“This award shows we can hold our own in the world,” says Jack van der Merwe, CEO of the Gautrain Management Agency and Gautrain Project Leader. “It is attributed to hard working South Africans like Metja Ledwaba from Ledwaba Mazwai that was responsible for the legal aspects of putting the Gautrain deal together. This was done in association with international legal consultants, Pinsent Masons,” says Van der Merwe.
Jerome Govender, CEO of the Bombela Concession Company which holds the 20 year Concession to design, build, part-finance, operate, and maintain Gautrain said “this confirms our belief that Gautrain is truly a world class South African project. Along with the Gauteng Provincial Government, Bombela’s sponsor companies, Murray & Roberts, Strategic Partners Group, Bouygues, and Bombardier have been integral in reaching signature of Financial Close last year.”
As a Gauteng Provincial Government initiative, Gautrain is recognised as the biggest PPP project in Africa. Gautrain’s private partners are structured under the Bombela Concession Company.
To view all the winning entries, go to http://www.awards.publicprivatefinance.com/
