A consortium (TFMC) comprising WS Atkins and Rebhold, a Johannesburg-listed investment holding company, has been awarded a £1.5bn contract by Telkom South Africa to deliver FM services to its entire South African property portfolio. The 10-year contract is WS Atkins largest ever.

Telkom’s portfolio comprises more than 8,000 properties, ranging from the headquarters buildings and the main international satellite earth station to regional properties, including its National Network Communications Centre.

Sizwe Nxasana

TFMC says it will be taking on some 1,400 Telkom staff, and will be providing a wide range of services, including maintenance of all premises, plant, infrastructure and equipment, together with other services such as cleaning, utility purchasing, real estate and lease management. The total annual value of these services is expected to be more than £150m.

Sizwe Nxasana, CEO of Telkom, commented: "The awarding of this contract is in line with our strategy of concentrating on our core business, in order to enhance operational efficiency and to guarantee excellent service delivery to our customers."

Michael Jeffries

Michael Jeffries, Chief Executive of WS Atkins, added: "WS Atkins is delighted to have won this prestigious contract, the largest of its type we have ever won. This contract is of strategic importance in the context of WS Atkins’ globalisation policy and provides a platform for further expansion in South Africa."

Further information on WS Atkins plc is available from the group’s website www.wsatkins.com.

Anna Lagerkvist