The Moti Group has a literal out-of-the-box solution to improve public service delivery

Globally, 59-million children of primary school age are not attending school. Of these, more than half live in Sub-Saharan Africa. Of those 34-million children, another 45% will never enter school. 

This is according to the Unesco Institute for Statistics, which notes that poor infrastructure availability remains a significant barrier to improving the continent’s education outcomes. With that in mind, one somewhat surprising figure has turned his formidable financial expertise to solving Africa’s education and healthcare challenges, with a literal out-of-the-box solution for infrastructure delivery: shipping containers.  

This figure is Dondo Mogajane, the former director-general of the National Treasury and new CEO of the Moti Group, who joined the business in July last year. 

Now, as the leader of this private investment holdings company with diverse interests in Zimbabwe and SA, he is working closely with its executive director Mikaeel Moti to write a new chapter for both the group and Africa as a whole. 

“The reality is, given the many demands on government funds and resources, balancing social needs against economic sustainability is a huge challenge, which is why the basics of education and health care are so important. By prioritising education and health care, socioeconomic development, job creation and economic growth will naturally follow,” says Mogajane.

In response, the Moti Group has launched the African Hero project as a solution to service delivery that leapfrogs many of the barriers inhibiting the progress of infrastructure rollouts across the continent. It sees the company recycle shipping containers by reimagining them into fit-for-purpose, ready-made clinics and schools.

African Hero's clinics and schools come equipped with solar energy, backup generators, boreholes, water filtration systems, air-conditioning and even reinforced doors and windows and CCTV systems for security.

Affordable, durable, modular and portable, these reimagined containers can be deployed anywhere, overcoming the need for pre-existing infrastructure or roads. And, unlike traditional brick-and-mortar buildings, they can be delivered within the space of just three weeks. 

African Hero's schools offer a fully serviced computer sciences laboratory with built-in computers and internet, as well as a courtyard, tuck-shop, sports field and administrative spaces for principals and support staff. 

Likewise, its clinics offer built-in dispensaries, as well as modern medical diagnostic and treatment equipment such as electrocardiograms, dynamic monitors and rapid test kits. These facilities are integrated with cutting-edge technology to enable doctors to accurately diagnose and treat patients virtually using clinical information gathered by nurses, ensuring that all patients receive world-class health care. 

Discussions regarding the rollout of African Hero project with the Zimbabwean authorities are already at an advanced stage. The Moti Group will also be embarking on an investment roadshow with more potential partners in neighbouring countries including Lesotho, Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique and Swaziland, among others.

“Ultimately, we believe that collaboration and public-private partnerships are vital to realising Africa’s promise as a continent. As leaders from the public and private sector, we simply need to focus on getting the basics right in terms of service delivery to unlock our potential.”

This article was sponsored by the Moti Group.