Our Approach

For decades, the developed world has been plagued with threats related to illegal exploitation of marine resources, borders, terrorism, narcotics, citizen safety and pollution. Their response has been to develop and deploy technologically advanced solutions aimed at enriching information sources for the purposes of decision making. Whilst this has had huge success in these territories, the consequences have been two-fold. Firstly, the threats historically facing these developed nations have moved and are now real challenges facing the developing nations of the world. Secondly, through necessity, the development of the technology solutions has been achieved independently of each other. As a consequence, current solutions are very expensive and discrete in their approach to problem resolution.

African Astronautics has the intention of building a South African company that brings together globally relevant technologies, skills, and partnerships to take innovative solutions to a rapidly emerging market in developing nations across such regions as Africa, Middle East, Latin America and Asia.

• As mentioned the environmental factors historically applicable to currently developed nations, are still wholly applicable to the rapidly developing nations of the world.
• These nations represent an emerging market for innovative and reliable solutions; however, very real constraints exist by way of available state-of-the-art technologies, resources, and export restrictions on legacy solutions as well as financing for the solutions. Thereby rendering historic approaches and/or solutions irrelevant.
• African Astronautics have both the market access and domain credibility to:
• Build a wide-reaching set of industry partnerships; and
• Approach the client base with more innovation and alternate buying models.
• By working with the client and through the partner network, African Astronautics will provide much needed solutions in design, development, integration and operational services. The latter will take the form as dictated to by the client needs. This process has been ongoing in South Africa and other countries for the past few months with great success.

Black Economic Empowerment

African Astronautics is an employee owned South African company with an express desire to make significant strides into the African market through its selected products, services and key global relationships. The principals of African Astronautics recognize that this is a unique attempt at a South African organization and therefore a phenomenal opportunity for meaningful Black Economic Empowerment designed from the outset.

It also recognized that the organization needs to be sustainable and globally competitive to make such empowerment viable. With this in mind the company has set itself a key objective of being certified by South African Department of Trade and Industry codes. The business is committed to a number of key milestones to be attained from the startup phase through the maturity of the company.

The Company

African Astronautics has met with representatives of the defence, civil and private sectors across South Africa and the Southern African Development Community to discuss their respective needs for airborne surveillance and security solutions.. The representative customer requirements are diverse and cut across a number of technological and jurisdictional domains, which include, among others, defense, law enforcement, exclusive economic zones and environmental. The following provides a list of issues identified by senior officials that pose the threats to national and regional security.

• Piracy and smuggling
• Illegal fishing
• Refugee immigration
• Organized crime
• Maritime safety
• Borderline security (land, air and sea)

African Astronautics will also provide turnkey solutions, which include diverse airborne platforms, integrated sensors, comprehensive training and supply chain logistics support to multiple government entities seeking to establish a national program. In addition, African Astronautics will provide training and life cycle support for all programs.

Management and Ownership

African Astronautics is a new company in the start-up phase of its development, the primary objective remains to attract executive talent that represent credibility in the local market as well as definite areas of immediate value to be added to the organization. It is noted and accepted that the executive team – and structures – will need to evolve as the organization develops. Therefore, the structure noted below must be seen as one being developed and populated in the short terms.

Management Staff Structure

Figure: African Astronautics Organizational Structure

The following is a description of the roles and expectations of the structure presented above.

• Board of Directors:

  Constituted in line with the articles of association as well as the shareholder’s agreements governing equity ownership in African Astronautics. In line with generally accepted governance, there will be both executive and non-executive directors. The board will bear ultimate responsibility in representing the best interest of shareholders and stakeholder’s alike.

• Managing Director:

  Will be a Previously Disadvantaged Individual with direct and relevant experience in building start-ups as well as the governance and expectations of operating as a corporate entity. The Managing Director retains ultimate accountability to the board and shareholders and will own the strategy for growth.

• Director of Sales and Marketing:

  Will have a solid understanding of the products and services that the company takes to market. They will have full oversight of all sales and marketing efforts of the company as well as direct control over new product and services development. They will also be custodian of the key Supplier and Customer relationships.

• Director of Finance:

  Will be a suitably qualified and experienced professional and will assume full accountability for MIS reporting, statutory reporting, funding (project and corporate) and shareholder reporting.

• Director of Program Management:

  Will oversee the day-to-day program activities associated with the management of projects. They will be responsible for overseeing the prime contract, subcontractors (vendors/suppliers), financials, schedule, etc.

• Legal Counsel and Secretarial:

  May be an outsourced function to begin with, but will retain full accountability for record keeping and contract design in all operations of the firm.

• Acquisitions and New Geographies:

  As new organizations are acquired, it may be required to retain their independent operating status. It will be the role of the combined executive team to ensure that synergies are extracted. Similarly, it may be prudent to design legally autonomous structures for new geographies – specifically in Africa.

Key Managers

African Astronautics has assembled an experienced team of officers to start the initial phase of the company. The team includes:

• Mr. Kamal Ramsingh, Managing Director
• Mr. Thomas Lewis, Director, Marketing and Sales
• Mr. Etienne Louw, Director, Program Management
• Mr. Johann Holdt, Founder

These individuals have more than 100 years of government, commercial and international business experience in the aerospace, security, geospatial and information technology market segments.