"MAINTAINING FOCUS" IS THE OVERALL THEME FOR THIS ANNUAL REPORT. BY CONCENTRATING ON SPECIFIC STRATEGIES, AECI WAS ABLE TO DELIVER A PROFITABLE PERFORMANCE IN A YEAR WHEN THE EFFECTS OF THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS HAD A SERIOUS IMPACT ON TRADING ACTIVITIES. A FURTHER RESULT OF MAINTAINING FOCUS THROUGH THE CRISIS IS THAT THE GROUP IS WELL PLACED TO GAIN MAXIMUM ADVANTAGE FROM ANY IMPROVEMENT IN SOUTHERN AFRICAN, AFRICAN AND INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS ENVIRONMENTS IN 2010 AND BEYOND.