Local maintenance services at international standards

Angola

Luc-Antoine M’Boua, general manager of Papyrus, talks to The Energy Year about the company’s performance in 2023 and advancements in its service offerings. Papyrus operates in the markets of industrial blasting, painting, maintenance, and site management, as well as scaffolding and construction, in Angola and West Africa.

What is your evaluation of the performance of Papyrus in 2023?
It was a good year, not easy, but a good one because we won several contracts. We renewed our running contracts: for sonamet/”>Sonamet our contract is for industrial blasting and painting (corrosive protection coating) works; and with Sonasurf we also did industrial blasting and painting on ships (silicone system application).
The uptick in activity has allowed us to increase the number of people that joined Papyrus. We now have more than 50 workers.
We also succeeded in being selected as PPG’s partner in Angola. PPG, as a global leader in the coating industry, has given its vote of confidence. This is absolutely crucial for us in terms of trust, confidence and support.
We also made important investments in manpower, equipment, compressors and scaffolding. We applied last year and are now ISO 9001 certified. For a local content company, it’s very important to reach this standard because we can show the market that we can grow and follow international standards as well as encourage others to follow this path. 2023 was definitely a good year regarding the evolution and growth of the company.

How have your offerings in terms of services been advancing?
What we offer to the market after many years of experience is quality of service based on methodology and alignment. For instance, with maintenance for customers such as TotalEnergies, we have to follow their rules and policies. This is a good exercise. We use our flexibility to adapt ourselves to our customers’ expectations and embrace their goals and objectives as our own.
With maintenance, we work according to standards and customer requirements. Our technicians have PPE for their tasks, the right tools for the job and the right mindset. They follow the HSE procedures by the book, which includes training, risk assessments and meetings. HSE is very important for Papyrus. We want to avoid all injury and harm. Moreover, we are improving our waste management follow up with local companies such as Angola Environmental Serviços and Vista Waste.
We do all these things, on the one hand, to ensure our customers have high-quality service results, while on the other hand, we do them to build trust and show the market that we and our teams are fully engaged. We can handle any job regardless of the specificities of where we’re working.
With industrial painting, it is the same: we work according to international standards and height requirements and ensure follow up and traceability on our projects through reporting and meetings. Up until now, our customers are very happy and this is why contracts are renewed.

How is the maintenance services market in Angola evolving?
Maintenance in Angola is growing a lot, and this market needs maintenance companies who follow international standards. When we talk about quality, there is still a market gap. There are only a few companies that can deliver it today.
If you don’t need quality and you are just looking for the lowest price, you can find it, but you will obviously get what you asked for: problems. If we talk about how I see the maintenance market, I think it is a large enough market to have many more companies involved in it.

What are Papyrus’ plans for establishing itself in Ivory Coast?
In 2024 we will start to provide the same maintenance and industrial painting services we provide here in Angola in Ivory Coast. It’s a different kind of market, but the needs are mostly the same. We believe that in 2024 we will have success there, although we’re still busy working on the opportunities.
However, I’m mainly focused on Angola for the time being. We started in Luanda and are now expanding geographically within the country, for example, into Lobito in the south and Soyo and Cabinda in the north. We are creating employment opportunities for locals, and this is also something we are proud of.

How strong are international companies’ appetites with respect to partnering with Angolan companies to enter the market?
The world is changing. Many things are different today. Angola and Africa are markets where international companies can achieve very good margins, but it’s not easy to establish a company here. You need to read and understand the market specificities, and it’s good to have trustable partners to assist you and get you on the right path.
However, when international companies see the prospect for development, it’s very interesting for sure. When you have a company in the United States or in Europe, it’s not easy to achieve significant annual growth. However, here in Angola, you can see 10, 15 or even 20% growth. When I look at the development of some companies, it’s incredible. To be honest, what we have achieved in 10 years in Angola would take me maybe 15 or 20 years in other markets.

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