A nine-day stay, over 22,000 kilometres by land and air, and numerous appointments at seven different locations in South Africa and Namibia: these are the measurable results of the trip taken by our managing directors, Helmut Fromm and Dr Heribert Speth. However, even more lasting than the figures are the many friendly encounters and valuable discussions with representatives of local educational establishments, institutes and companies. Here we briefly summarise the stops on the business trip. The Christiani location in Johannesburg, South Africa, is known among relevant institutions, universities and colleges as a renowned and reputable provider. With Christiani’s broad portfolio of technical training and further education in tow, existing networks were expanded and new partnerships initiated.

This enabled Christiani’s managing directors, together with Harald Fleischmann, head of Christiani’s Johannesburg office, to gain a more detailed picture of the company’s activities in South Africa at a number of educational institutions. The programme included talks with high-ranking representatives of Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), AHK Johannesburg (Talentsbridge IHK Berlin), East Cape Midlands TVET College and Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth.

Finally, the Quality Council for Trades & Occupations (QCTO) was involved in a pilot project for competence-based assessments. This South African public institution is responsible for quality assurance in the field of vocational qualifications and education programmes. We are delighted to be able to provide conceptual support in the preparation of a possible pilot project.
Two further visits are worth mentioning here, as they impressively demonstrated how important the issue of education and training is for the country’s economic recovery:

The Automotive Industry Development Centre (AIDC) is affiliated with the Gauteng Provincial Department of Economic Development. Its aim is to strengthen the global competitiveness of the local automotive industry. To this end, the AIDC specialises in further education, business development and support programmes for start-ups and founders. The tour of the Trade Test Centre and the newly renovated training centre in Pretoria, where our HV Trainer training stand and the SSC automation system will be used to train staff in future, was very interesting.

SAR Electronic is one of our local partner companies. The German automation and environmental technology company has a branch in Pretoria. SAR Electronic develops both software and hardware, installs advanced industrial process control systems and conducts training seminars for technical personnel, including for us.

In Namibia, we are supporting the Berlin Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK Berlin) in planning an ambitious project: a training centre based on German standards is to be built in Windhoek. A meeting with the President of the IHK Berlin took place in Swakopmund to discuss possible cooperation with Christiani. We are staying on the ball and will report as soon as there is progress. Furthermore, an exchange with GIZ took place in Windhoek. The main focus was on which topics and programmes should be prioritised in Namibia in the near future.

It was worth it, according to all those involved. The trip was an important step towards further improving Christiani’s positioning as a partner for modern vocational training in southern Africa. The discussions revealed great interest and demand for practical learning systems, modern technology, professional advice and joint projects for the further development of training.