As part of its rebranding, multi-disciplinary consulting engineering and built environment firm Zimile is in the process of developing two new business units – Innovation and Energy – that are central to the company’s transformation.

Zimile founder and CEO Shawn Gama discusses the company’s new brand identity and its strategic push into innovation and energy in an exclusive interview with Mining Weekly & Engineering News publisher Martin Creamer.

A South African engineering solutions provider known for its purpose-driven infrastructure projects, Zimile has unveiled a bold new brand identity that signals a strategic realignment to meet the evolving demands of clients.

“We wanted to get to a point where we are ready to welcome the world and meet it at the pace it is moving by embracing innovation, being technology-savvy and staying ahead of the curve,” explains Gama.

This thinking inspired the company’s new tagline: “Unbounded Engineering”. The phrase encapsulates Zimile’s refusal to be limited by traditional industry boundaries or constrained approaches.

“Engineering has no limits. It is open, wide and full of possibility. We wanted a tagline that communicates that people can come to us with any engineering problem, knowing that we will apply an open-minded, innovative approach to find a solution,” Gama emphasises.

Innovation and Energy

By developing two new business units – Innovation and Energy – Zimile aims to future-proof the organisation and strengthen its position in a competitive market.

The innovation department will monitor emerging technologies and global market trends to inform all other business divisions. This unit will be tasked with ensuring that Zimile’s projects incorporate the latest solutions, processes and tools – enabling the company to meet and exceed customer expectations in terms of quality and delivery timelines.

“The innovation department will ensure our solutions are not just relevant, but leading – matching the pace at which clients expect to be served in today’s market,” says Gama.

The inclusion of the energy department responds to one of the most pressing global and continental challenges: sustainable power generation, with energy scarcity and climate change having emerged as critical issues for governments, businesses and communities across Africa, he adds.

“We wanted to bring in a department that addresses the climate change challenge head-on. Our designs will prioritise renewable energy use and green engineering principles.”

Driving Digital Transformation

Zimile sees the innovation department as the driving force behind a major digital transformation push. The goal is to make every process trackable, efficient and collaborative, regardless of geographic location.

“With the right technology, I could be in South Africa and seamlessly collaborate with someone in another country on the same project. Digitalisation removes barriers and improves the way we deliver solutions.”

While Zimile’s transformation signals a forward-looking, technology-driven approach, the company remains committed to the delivery of essential services to uplift underserved communities.

Zimile is active in transport and water infrastructure, with a special focus on ensuring rural areas receive the same quality of engineering as urban centres.

“People deserve infrastructure that truly improves their lives, no matter where they live,” states Gama.

The company’s growth strategy includes expanding beyond South Africa’s borders, with initial focus on countries such as Lesotho, Eswatini and Zambia. These regions face acute infrastructure and energy challenges – and for Zimile, that means opportunity, notes Gama.

“Our approach is to first understand our space as Africans, then expand with that insight. We want to go into Africa fully aware of the challenges, so that our solutions are not only technically sound but contextually relevant.”

The energy unit is expected to play a key role in these expansion efforts, with its focus on renewable and sustainable projects that can help bridge the power gap in many African countries. Zimile is actively recruiting a business unit head to steer the energy unit once it has been launched.  

For Gama, Zimile’s transformation is ultimately about adopting a mindset of possibility to deliver projects that result in positive change.