Isuzu Motors South Africa partners with Datacentrix to implement IBM Envizi, boosting ESG data accuracy and speed. (Image source: Datacentrix)

Isuzu Motors South Africa has become the first organisation in the country to implement the IBM Envizi ESG Suite, a compliance-ready platform designed to manage corporate and supply chain sustainability data

Partnering with long-term technology collaborator Datacentrix, the company has enhanced its sustainability reporting capabilities and improved the speed and accuracy of decision-making.

“At Isuzu Motors South Africa, sustainability is more than a corporate objective, it is the foundation upon which we build our future,”commented Celestin Ndhlovu, executive vice-president for Corporate Services at Isuzu Motors South Africa. “Our approach recognises that true sustainability encompasses not only environmental stewardship and economic growth, but also critical social dimensions of respect for human rights, diversity, equity and inclusion.”

A wholly owned subsidiary of Isuzu Motors Limited, the company is the first manufacturing and distribution operation outside Japan in which Isuzu holds full ownership.

Tackling decentralised reporting

Isuzu Motors South Africa’s sustainability team faced challenges in preparing detailed environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reports for both the local board and its parent company in Japan. These reports include information on waste management, water and energy consumption, social programmes, and corporate governance practices.

Previously, this process was manual and time-consuming. “The data was decentralised, and the process was tedious, with extended turnaround times,” explained Loren Meyer, department executive: Information Technology at Isuzu Motors South Africa.

According to Trish Dicks, senior account manager, Digital Business Solutions at Datacentrix, an automated solution was essential.

“Isuzu Motors South Africa needed an automated, centralised solution that could ingest data from ERP and other systems, provide real-time dashboards and help reduce human error. IBM Envizi was selected as the best suited reporting framework available, with built-in templates to meet global requirements.”

Transitioning to intelligent sustainability insights

After evaluating multiple systems, Isuzu Motors South Africa selected Envizi for its flexibility and analytical capabilities. “We were particularly impressed by the customisable reporting for global and regional standards, the strong governance tools and seamless integrations with upstream systems such as SAP,” stated Meyer. “The added value of advanced analytics and machine learning, together with comprehensive coverage across carbon, fuel, water, waste, energy, safety and human capital statistics, made this the right choice for us.”

Recognised by research firm Verdantix as a global market leader in ESG performance management, IBM Envizi reinforced the company’s confidence in the platform. The project began in January 2025 and went live on 27 June 2025, with Isuzu Motors South Africa loading 14 years of historical sustainability data to establish a baseline for future analysis.

Improved accuracy and efficiency

Although still in its early stages, the benefits are already visible. “Through this tool, Isuzu Motors South Africa is using the data analytics functionality to identify trends, particularly within various operations to detect anomalies,” noted Meyer.

“Retrieval time and data integrity assessments are also integrated as a normal part of doing business. Over time, the centralised database will give us powerful analytics that help determine the sustainable growth of our business.”

By automating data management, the new system enables sustainability teams to focus less on manual data entry and more on analysing metrics to support faster, evidence-based decisions.

Future ambitions and trusted partnerships

Looking ahead, the company plans to expand its use of the platform by integrating telemetry systems for utilities and carbon emissions and exploring AI-driven predictive analytics for deeper insights. “While the intervention is still in its early days, we are confident that it will become part of our way of working and be fully utilised to deliver the outcomes we require,” remarked Meyer.

Isuzu Motors South Africa has been working with Datacentrix since 2015, having previously collaborated on an automated invoice management solution. “Datacentrix is an Isuzu Motors South Africa strategic partner known for its outstanding performance and reliability,” Meyer concluded. “Our partner consistently provides high-quality solutions, communicates proactively, and understands our business needs, thus contributing to our success.”

Kaishan Group partners with KenGen to develop a 165 MW geothermal plant powering Kenya’s green ammonia production. (Image source: Kaishan Group)

Kaishan Group has entered into a landmark partnership with Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) to advance the country’s renewable energy capacity through a 165 MW geothermal power project

The agreement marks a major step toward Kenya’s ambition to lead Africa in clean energy and green industrial production.

On October 27, a Steam Supply Agreement was signed at the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kenya by Tang Yan, managing director of Kaishan Group Co., Ltd., and Eng. Peter Njenga, general manager and CEO of KenGen. The signing ceremony was witnessed by Opiyo Wandayi, EGH, minister of energy of the Republic of Kenya.

Under the terms of the agreement, KenGen will utilise its existing geothermal wells to supply steam sufficient to produce 165.4 MW of electricity to Kaishan Terra Green Ammonia Limited (Kenya), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kaishan. The company will build a geothermal power plant to generate electricity that will be used to produce 100,000 tons per year of green ammonia and green fertiliser.

The US$800mn project will yield 200,000 tons of green ammonia, 180,000 tons of urea, and 300,000 tons of calcium ammonium nitrate annually, all produced using green ammonia as the raw material. Once operational, the facility is expected to generate annual revenue of US$220–250mn, according to company announcements.

“This is another significant milestone for our group in its transformation and upgrading process, following the successful construction of the SMGP geothermal power plant (annual revenue of US$120–150mn),” Kaishan Group stated. “The global energy transition has entered a green energy era centered on hydrogen. Previously, our group identified ‘a globally important participant in the development and operation of green hydrogen and ammonia’ as one of our three major visions. It is anticipated that once the Kenya green ammonia project is completed and put into operation, our group will also become a leading force in the development and operation of green hydrogen and ammonia.”

The company highlighted that while many projects rely on solar and wind energy to produce hydrogen and green ammonia, few have been successfully launched due to the intermittent nature of solar and wind power and the high cost of energy storage. In contrast, geothermal energy provides stable, continuous baseload electricity, eliminating the need for storage facilities.

Kaishan noted, “Once the technology for producing green ammonia through the combination of geothermal power with wind and solar power is validated, Kaishan's innovative technology will open another important channel for global hydrogen energy development and is expected to pave a bright future for Kaishan Group's transformation into a great new energy company.”

Before the signing ceremony, Minister J. Opiyo Wandayi met with representatives from both Kaishan Group and KenGen to discuss the project’s strategic significance for Kenya’s renewable energy and industrial sectors.

Riders are rapidly shifting from internal combustion motorcycles to Spiro’s more affordable and accessible battery-swapping ecosystem and motorcycles. (Image source: Spiro)

Spiro, Africa’s leader in two-wheel transportation and battery swapping, has announced a landmark US$100mn investment round, the largest in the continent’s two-wheel electric mobility sector to date

The round includes US$75mn from The Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA), the development impact investment arm of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank). This investment reinforces Spiro’s mission to make mobility more affordable and accessible while transforming Africa’s clean energy and urban transport sectors.

“Africa is at an inflection point in personal mobility. Riders are rapidly shifting from internal combustion motorcycles to Spiro’s more affordable and accessible battery-swapping ecosystem and motorcycles. For the first time, riders are embracing sustainable transportation because it performs better, costs less to operate, and offers greater profitability than traditional gas-powered vehicles,” said Kaushik Burman, CEO of Spiro.

“This landmark US$100mn investment underscores our shared vision to build a pan-African battery-swapping infrastructure that empowers riders with reliable, sustainable energy and mobility across the continent."

Spiro plans to use the funding to expand its industry-leading battery-swapping infrastructure in both existing and new markets while enhancing its technology platform. The company aims to surpass 100,000 deployed vehicles by the end of 2025, solidifying its leadership in Africa and placing it among the world’s foremost battery-swapping providers.

“We are delighted to partner with Spiro on this transformative initiative. Our investment reflects Afreximbank’s strong commitment to building a competitive and sustainable mobility sector in Africa,” said professor Benedict Oramah, president of Afreximbank, and chairman of the boards of directors of Afreximbank and FEDA.

“Together, we are laying the groundwork for a new era of intra-African trade and industrialisation by stimulating local vehicle manufacturing, strengthening regional integration, and enhancing trade flows. At the same time, we are focused on creating skilled employment opportunities and reducing the continent’s reliance on imported second-hand vehicles.”

Spiro aims to revolutionise Africa’s transport ecosystem through advanced battery-swapping technology and accessible electric motorcycles. With a strong commitment to “made in Africa, by Africans for Africa and the world,” Spiro operates the continent’s largest and fastest-growing battery-swapping network across Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Nigeria, Benin, and Togo, with pilot programs in Tanzania and Cameroon. Before this round, Spiro had secured over US$180mn from Equitane and Société Générale.

“We are proud to welcome FEDA as a strategic investor as we accelerate the growth of Spiro’s mission to transform mobility, energy storage, and distribution across Africa,” said Gagan Gupta, Founder of Spiro. “Spiro’s rapid expansion into new markets reflects the continent’s strong appetite for clean, affordable, and efficient transportation. As we expand our battery-swapping infrastructure and integrate renewable energy sources into our energy mix, we are positioned to unlock substantial upside in Spiro’s energy distribution.”

“Spiro’s success to date is a clear demonstration of the strength and scalability of its business model,” said Marlene Ngoyi, CEO of FEDA. “The company’s rapid growth and strong market adoption underscore the significant demand for affordable, sustainable mobility solutions across Africa. With its integrated approach, Spiro has built a platform that is both commercially viable and socially impactful.”