South African companies must learn to hunt in packs if they want to take on the world in the oil and gas race on the continent. That’s according to Paul Runge, managing director of Africa Project Access, who questions the advantage that South African companies hold other than that they may understand the African landscape a little better than their global competitors – and are slightly closer to the action. “We have never seen project f lows in Africa at the level we’re seeing them at present and the world’s big players are after the business. Collaboration is key for South African companies and therefore the best advice is that they must learn to hunt in packs.” Runge said while projects were taking off from east to west and from north to south, local business should be wary of complacency thinking that because they understand the African landscape they have an advantage. “If you go to the coal fields in Tete in Mozambique right now you would be forgiven for thinking you had walked into the United Nations as there are so many international players on the ground. And they are learning the ropes very fast. Globalisation means they are becoming experts on how to do business in Africa very quickly.”
