Expertise

Vela VKE has been the Transaction Advisor and Technical Advisor in the development of various contracts, institutions and PPP’s in South Africa and Africa. During this time the company has participated in various specialized consulting teams implementing management solutions, technical auditing, Water Utility set up and public private partnerships for major projects.

Vela VKE participates in projects which employ alternative project delivery models and the firm also provides assistance to developers of turnkey, design-build, design-build-operate-transfer and public-private partnership projects.

Vela VKE’s experienced consultants from a variety of disciplines e.g. engineering, MBA and management, water, legal and procurement have participated and completed major PPP projects and completed substantial support and projects involving institutional support and development.

Vela VKE has been at the forefront of the development of Management Information Systems, particularly in the field of asset managment over the past 30 years. During this time Vela VKE has led the development of computerized systems ranging from Road Management Systems, through Plant Management Systems to Maintenance Management Systems. Vela VKE has also built up considerable experience in the use and deployment of Geographical Information

Detailed Capabilities :

Public Private Partnerships

• Procurement (Department of Foreign Affairs and Department of Land Affairs New Head Offices,  Department of Health: Laundries and Hospitals: Commercialisation) 
• Assessing and addressing the technical risks involved in large infrastructure projects
• Developing feasibility studies and executing value for money assessments
• Independent certification (SADC head office)
• Independant Engineer (Maputo corridor)

Transaction and Institutional Adviser Services

• Developing the eco-tourism toolkit for the National Treasury
• Developing the strategic plan for commercialization for all of the DWAF dams
• Resource management plans  (Roodeplaat, Buffelspoort)
• Procurement document preparation (Johannesburg Water)
• Independent performance auditing  (Johannesburg Water for 7 years)
• Water and Sanitation Utility formation (Johannesburg Water as part of the Halcrow team for the City of Johannesburg Metro)
• International management contract procurement.
• Development of alternative delivery mechanisms including FIDIC contracts for water and sanitation services. (DWAF)

Management Systems

• Asset Management Systems (eThekwini)
• Road Management Systems (Limpopo, North West, Eastern Cape)
• Maintenance Management Systems (Gauteng, Free State, Eastern Cape)
• Traffic Counting and Reporting Systems (Eastern Cape, Limpopo, North West, Western Cape, kWaZulu Natal)
• Accident Reporting Systems (Gauteng)
• Sign Management Systems (Dubai, Limpopo) 
• Wayleave Management Systems (Gauteng)
• GIS (Gauteng, North West, Limpopo, Free State, eThekwini)

Project Development and Management

Vela VKE has been responsible for the management of :

• Industrial and commercial building projects
• Multi-disciplinary infrastructure provision and maintenance programmes and projects
• Toll road as well as general civil engineering projects
• Public-private partnership projects

David Gertzen (Pr Eng, MSc (Eng) is the Johannesburg Office Head of Vela VKE.  He has more than 21 years of engineering and institutional advisor experience in a variety of projects, particularly Public Private Partnerships, and currently heads up the Management Services Section in the Development Division.  Dave is a member of the Vela VKE EXCO and Board.  He is married to Margie and they have three children who keep life busy.  He walks, mountain bikes and plays the occasional round of golf.  He is also involved in the leadership of a local Christian church.

Email : gertzend@velavke.co.za

Arthur Taute is a Director of Vela VKE and is also the Managing Director of VKE International.  He has 34 years of experience in a variety of disciplines including transportation, roads, railway and airport projects, information management systems, private finance initiatives and public and private partnerships.

His experience ranges from carrying out feasibility studies and economic and financial evaluations through to project management and organisational management.  He often acts as the overall co-ordinator and specialist advisor on projects and also provides specialist input to many clients in order to refine project options and strategies.

He is the author of numerous publications and has been involved delivering papers and lecturing at several courses and conferences on topics ranging from pavement rehabilitation through to the development of engineering skills and urban sustainability.  All of these papers being aimed at the overall improvement of engineering in South Africa and Africa and the development of its peoples.

Arthur serves on the FIDIC sustainability committee and has read several papers on sustainability issues at FIDIC and other consulting engineering conferences.  Arthur is also actively involved in trying to improve broad-based sustainability in South Africa, being involved in developments related to non-motorised transport, public transport and alternative energy.  He is familiar with all aspects of the UN Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and related carbon credits.  He maintains close liaison with Vela VKE’s affiliated firm in Angola, Engeang, which carries out extensive hydro electric work in Angola and has considerable wind energy expertise.

Email :  tautea@velavke.co.za

Barend Christiaan Viljoen obtained his Hons. B. Eng (Cum Laude) degree in 1979 at the University of Stellenbosch.  Chris has since accumulated 28 years of experience in a variety of engineering disciplines.  In particular he has several years of design, supervision and project management experience on railway, tunnelling and water projects.  He is presently working on the Lesotho Highlands Water Project Further Phases Study and the Mokolo Crocodile West Water Augmentation Project.  Recent projects include the Prevention of Water Ingress into the Gold Mines of the Witwatersrand, the upgrading of the Ash River and the Nuwejaarspruit river upgrading projects.  He started his career with the then South African Transport Services on the Coal Line project in 1981 and in 1988 joined the Lesotho Highlands Water Project Phase 1 design team where he later became the Chief Design Engineer for the Delivery Tunnel North portion of the project.

Chris is presently head of the Vela VKE Structures division and is a member of EXCO. He has been a registered professional engineer since 1985 and represents Vela VKE at the South African Association on Tunnelling (SANCOT), the South African National Committee on Large Dams (SANCOLD) and is a member of the structures, railways and harbours and geotechnical divisions of SAICE.

When not at work Chris enjoys travelling, hiking, Koi fish keeping and gardening with his family.

Email :  viljoenc@velavke.co.za