Company News

S.A. Firm Opens Kenya Office with Eye on Mega Projects

Zutari’s office in Nairobi will serve the East African region.

Updated on

July 7, 2023

South African engineering firm Zutari has opened a new office in Nairobi, Kenya, as it seeks increased participation in East Africa’s mega public projects.

The company, which has undertaken over 100,000 projects in 55 countries since 1932, is mainly eyeing lucrative deals with the Kenya National Highways Agency, the Kenya Urban Roads Authority, and the Kenya Rural Roads Authority.

Zutari is also targeting the installation of intelligent transport systems.

The company has registered with the Engineers Board of Kenya in civil and electrical engineering disciplines.

According to Teddy Daka, the CEO of Zutari, the firm has identified East Africa as one of its key growth areas, with a focus on its regional expansion initiatives centred around Kenya.

“East Africa has long been identified as a growth area for Zutari, with Kenya at the centre of our expansion initiatives into the region,” Mr. Daka said.

The company, which completed its first project in Kenya in 1995, has undertaken over 100 projects in the country, spanning full infrastructure lifecycle solutions across water, transport, energy, resources, and built-environment markets.

“Zutari is harnessing the power of water, transport, energy, resources, and built-environment infrastructure to create growth and prosperity in East Africa,” the company says.

Some of its high-profile projects locally include the Two Rivers Mall and the Kenya Water Security and Climate Resilience Project.

Zutari is also credited with providing building services for the internationally acclaimed Madinat Jumeirah Resort in Dubai, among other major projects.

The East African region is currently undergoing a transformative phase with a surge of mega-public projects across various sectors.

These projects encompass infrastructure, energy, transportation, and real estate, driven by the region’s economic growth and developmental needs.

The projects hold immense potential for regional growth and have attracted attention from local and international organizations such as Zutari.

In November 2019, for example, Designer Group announced the opening of a new office in Nairobi to handle Sh4.3 billion worth of projects in East Africa.

The Dublin-based engineering firm said its fully-owned Kenyan subsidiary would oversee ongoing projects valued at Sh1.46 billion as well as execution of new ones valued at Sh2.8 billion starting in 2020 in Kenya and Uganda.

Designer Group, which partners with local companies when bidding for engineer, procure, and construct (EPC) contract jobs, said the Nairobi office would assist several East African firms to undertake projects in utility, infrastructure, industrial, and sustainable energy.

In March 2016, the UK designer of Dubai’s Burj Al Arab hotel acquired Howard Humphreys East Africa in a move that was aimed at making Nairobi its African headquarters for property, energy, and infrastructure deals.

A year later, U.S. construction giant Bechtel opened its Africa office in Nairobi, from where it would launch bids for the continent’s mega infrastructure projects.