The privatization process in South Africa

will generate a steady stream of business opportunities over the next several years, estimated by financial experts to be in the region of 100 to 150 billion South African Rands
(US$ 12 to 20 billion).

Only recently has the South African Government taken an inventory of its business and property assets and decided on a divestiture process.

Business acquisition opportunities will arise on a regular basis in the following sectors:

• Agribusiness, agriculture and fisheries

• Hotels, restaurants, resorts and tourism

• Mining and minerals extraction

• Forestry, logging and wood products

• Electricity generation and power reticulation

• Manufacturing

• Transportation: road and rail

• Telecommunications and information technology

• Financial services

• Water, waste water and waste management

Transactions will take the form of

• Complete sale

• Partial sale

• Concession

• Public-Private Partnership (PPP)

 

Who We Are

The Privatization Group International LLC (PGi) is an international firm specializing in the structuring, financing and facilitation of privatization programs and projects in the Republic of South Africa. PGi is an US-based corporation that has registered a South African company, pursuant to the South African Companies Act. PGi has attracted local South Africa strategic partners to seek out, structure and finance privatization transactions in South Africa, including full or partial divestitures of state-owned enterprises, public private partnerships and concessions.

The principals of PGi are Jeffrey L. Jackson and Alan S. Bowser. Each brings to the company a unique combination of experience in the international enterprise development area.

Before assuming his present position in PGI, Jeffrey Jackson was Corporate Finance Advisor at Deloitte & Touche, where he specialized in privatization projects. Prior to joining Deloitte & Touche in 1997, he spent six years in the region, based in Swaziland. From 1991-1994, he served as the Director of the Public Enterprises Unit in the Ministry of Finance, where he advised senior Government officials on parastatal reform and monitoring, privatization and restructuring. From 1994-1997, Mr. Jackson performed a number of consultancy services in Swaziland, Zimbabwe and South Africa. During this period, he developed and introduced new financial products including the first unit investment trust in Swaziland, a loan guarantee scheme for parastatals and a secured debenture listed on the Swaziland Stock Exchange.

"Mr. Jackson assisted us to develop our vision into a coherent business plan, and ultimately to become the preferred bidder to acquire the business of Atlantis Diesel Remanufacturing from the Industrial Development Corporation."
Edward Mokhoanatse, Motswedi Investments

Mr. Jackson's overseas experience includes extensive work in southern Africa, as well as the Caribbean where he worked in the areas of privatization, enterprise development and investment promotion. Mr. Jackson holds degrees from Columbia University and Johns Hopkins University (SAIS). Additional studies were undertaken at Oxford University.

"Mr. Jackson assisted Phambili Services with two proposals, each of which resulted in the firm being short-listed. More importantly, however, he has advised us on banking and financial matters and even introduced our local bank to a new and more cost-effective product."
Vincent Charnley, Phambili Services

Alan Bowser, an attorney in private practice, is former United States Deputy
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Basic Industries. In this capacity, he had senior responsibility for promotion of exports of U.S. companies in the "basic" American industries, including energy and power, iron and steel, wood and paper, chemicals, industrial machinery, motor vehicles, and other important economic sectors.

He has extensive professional experience as an economist and international policy analyst in the public and private sectors, as well as extensive experience in privatization, industry restructuring, overseas market development, and regulatory and legal reform.

Working with the US private sector, Mr. Bowser has provided essential support for U.S. power generation projects in China, India, Mexico, and Brazil; international mass transit projects in Southeast Asia; and agribusiness projects in Russia and Kazakhstan.

Mr. Bowser has served as a senior consultant to the World Bank Group, and as an international economist in the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Executive Office of the President. He is a former Director of the Petroleum Finance Company, Ltd., in Washington, D.C. Mr. Bowser holds degrees from Princeton University, the Johns Hopkins University (SAIS), and the Georgetown University Law Center.

Other PGi directors include:

Ndung'u Gathinji

Mr. Ndung'u Gathinji is currently the Chief Executive Officer, Eastern Central and Southern African Federation of Accountants (ECSAFA). He holds a law degree from the University of Nairobi. Mr. Gathinji is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). He has worked in both public practice and industry and retired as a partner in Ernst & Young. Mr. Gathinji is a past Chairman of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK). He has held several positions in the international accounting profession, including membership and vice presidency of the council of IFAC. He is the founding Chairman of the Eastern, Central and Southern African Federation of Accountants (ECSAFA) and a former Vice Chairman, Ernst & Young Africa Group, and a former Chairman of Ernst & Young East Africa. He is currently the Hon. Secretary of the African Stock Exchanges Association and a member of the Board of IFAC. Mr. Gathinji is also currently a member of the Standards Advisory Council of the International Accounting Standards Committee Foundation and an Observer member of the United Nations Working Group of Experts on International Standards of Accounting and Reporting in Geneva (UNCTAD/ISAR). He also sits on the Board of the Nairobi Stock Exchange, where he is currently the Vice-Chairman. Mr. Ndung'u recently qualified as Corporate Governance Certified Trainer with the Commonwealth Association of Corporate Governance. Mr. Gathinji is resident in Nairobi, Kenya.

Don Ogilvie

Don Ogilvie manages Ogilvie Management Consulting, a United States-based "virtual firm" in built on strategic alliances with subject experts. Over the last twenty five years, he has worked closely with clients on complex challenges requiring comprehensive, integrated solutions. Mr. Ogilvie brings to his clients extensive strategy, operational and organizational consulting experience, helping clients "make results happen" -- translating executive vision into actionable strategies, and working with the client's organization to build the new capabilities (skills, processes, practices and systems) required to successfully execute those strategies.

During the past several years, Mr. Ogilvie has worked extensively with clients across several industries, including healthcare, consumer goods manufacturing and retailing, financial services, automotive, food processing and distribution, information services, consumer electronics and telecommunications. The work has included all aspects of strategy - corporate, business unit, product-market and functional - as well as assignments focused on improving executional effectiveness within and across key functional areas. From early 2001 through late 2002, he took a leave of absence from the firm to serve AXA Financial as Senior Vice President for its Growth Initiatives Group.

Mr. Ogilvie has successfully services clients in the U.S., Canada, Europe, East Africa and the Caribbean. During his seven years with McKinsey & Company, Inc., he worked with a similar cross-section of clients and also helped launch McKinsey's media and communications industry practice. An alumni of Solomon Brothers, he also directed Yale University's economic development office for five years in the early 1970's.

Don received his Masters degree in Public and Private Management from Yale's School of Management, where he has held an appointment as distinguished lecturer in general management. He is a 1968 graduate of Yale College.

Jacob Weinstein

Mr. Jacob Weinstein is currently Deputy Director of the Harvard University Program on International Financial Systems (PIFS). He was the Tokyo-based, managing director of The Bridgeford Group, the mergers and acquisitions advisory firm of The Industrial Bank of Japan. Prior to that position, he was an investment banker with PaineWebber. As an attorney, J practiced law with Willkie Farr & Gallagher. Before joining PIFS in 2002, Jacob was a capital markets and corporate governance advisor in emerging markets throughout the world.

Contact Details:

USA: Alan Bowser
Tel: 301-608-3932
email: asblaw@aol.com

South Africa: Jeffrey Jackson
Tel: 27-83-391-4474
email: jeffjac@global.co.za