General Electric Company : GE and AECI Create Alliance to Distribute Water Treatment Products in Africa

AECI (JSE: AFE), will distribute GE's water and chemical process technologies, monitoring solutions and water and process equipment systems in Africa. The distribution agreement will leverage GE's advanced technologies and ImproChem's extensive local expertise to create greater access to innovative water solutions in the African market. The distribution agreement will cover South Africa, Angola, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, Nigeria, Reunion, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

ImproChem provides integrated water, energy and air solutions to the chemical, refining, petrochemical, mining and food and beverage industries. The agreement will enable ImproChem to deliver GE's latest water technologies to its customers to improve efficiency, while reducing operating costs.

GE and ImproChem also have entered into a memorandum of understanding to explore further business opportunities to better serve customers throughout Africa.

"The signing of the distribution agreement for Africa will strengthen both GE and ImproChem's presence in the water and process chemicals and equipment systems market," said Louis du Toit, managing director, ImproChem. "Customers in the region can only benefit from the new water equipment and chemical technologies they now can access."

"GE is at work connecting people and ideas everywhere to create advanced technologies that power a cleaner, more productive world," said Ralph Hadley, GE region executive, CMS Europe & Africa-water and process technologies for GE Power & Water. "The African distribution agreement with ImproChem is another example of how we help our customers tackle challenges in new, innovative ways."

GE continues to offer a complete portfolio of solutions to customers in Africa, including advanced cooling chemistry, process chemistry, membrane chemicals and equipment systems to help customers protect their assets, optimize processes and improve efficiency. Together, both GE and ImproChem are committed to bringing technology, expertise and best practices to the African market.

About AECI

AECI is a specialty product and services group of 20 companies which provide value-adding solutions to customers through science, technology and industry knowledge. The focus is on serving the mining and manufacturing sectors. The company is domiciled in South Africa and is listed on the JSE Limited. At December 31, 2010, its market capitalization was ZAR9.8 billion.

The alliance with GE is in line with AECI's strategic intent to become the supplier of choice of specialty chemicals and services for customers in Africa and in other selected developing markets. The focus is on the water, oil, gas and energy sectors as well as on food and agriculture. For more information, visit www.aeci.co.za.

About GE

GE (NYSE: GE) is an advanced technology, services and finance company taking on the world's toughest challenges. Dedicated to innovation in energy, health, transportation and infrastructure, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs about 300,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.ge.com.

GE also serves the energy sector by providing technology and service solutions that are based on a commitment to quality and innovation. The company continues to invest in new technology solutions and grow through strategic acquisitions to strengthen its local presence and better serve customers around the world. The businesses that comprise GE Energy-GE Power & Water, GE Energy Management and GE Oil & Gas-work together with more than 100,000 global employees and 2010 revenues of $38 billion, to provide integrated product and service solutions in all areas of the energy industry including coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy; renewable resources such as water, wind, solar and biogas; as well as other alternative fuels andnew grid modernization technologies to meet 21st century energy needs.