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CONSTRUCTION WORLD
JUNE
2017
This offering will contribute towards transformation in the
construction industry and the development of Small, Medium
and Micro-sized Enterprise (SMME) contractors, which have been
recognised by government and business as crucial for industry
development, economic growth, job creation and poverty alleviation.
Hosted by AfriSam and Builders Warehouse, the Contractors
Corner aligned the expo with the recent commitment by government
and seven major contractors to support and promote enterprise
development and industry transformation in Africa's construction
marketplace. The initiative offered emerging SMME contractors
unprecedented opportunities to find out about new projects
opening for tender, learn about the latest available materials and
technologies, develop soft and hard skills as well as participate in
competitions and prize giveaways. It was held within the first-ever
African outdoor workshop auditorium and featured live-streaming
masterclasses along with hands-on product demos.
“The Contractors Corner was designed to boost the participation
of these contractors both at the event and in the country’s economy
by equipping them with knowledge and skills to enhance their daily
operations,” says Soren du Preez, programme director of Africa’s
mega construction and infrastructure show.
Victor Bouguenon, group marketing manager, AfriSam, added:
“AfriSam was proud to sponsor the new Contractors Corner at
this year's African Construction and Totally Concrete Expo. We
understand the growing importance of the small to medium
contractor, the challenges they face and the real possibilities they
can unlock for our industry and our country. As a leader in the
construction materials industry, we believe that we have an inherent
responsibility to support, uplift and promote emerging participants in
the building sector.”
Items covered in the Contractors Corner included Readymix
concrete masterclasses; Finance and building materials for
government projects and Best practices in key account management
and material supply.
President of Small Contractors Association of South Africa
(SCASA), Thobile Madikizela shares: “The African Construction and
Totally Concrete Expo’s all new Contractors Corner is an initiative
in alignment with the SCASA that aims to uplift and empower small
contractors in South Africa through training and capacity building.”
In addition to the sessions provided in the Contractors Corner,
interactive professional and commercial classes were offered on the
Expo floor at no charge. These CPD-accredited workshops comprised
a variety of expert presentations addressing subjects ranging from
high-performance waterproofing and Readymix troubleshooting to a
business case for builders’ rubble in construction.
As Africa's largest gathering of built environment professionals,
the Expo also provided ample chances for SMME and main
contractors, as well as others working across varied sectors of the
industry, to network.
With transformation being a crucial aspect of this year’s Expo, the
Women in Construction Awards were hosted at the event.
“We believe that enterprise development, gender empowerment
and transformation are key to unlocking the future potential of the
construction industry and ultimately closing Africa’s infrastructure
gap,” concluded Du Preez.
The inauguration of PPC’s Ethiopia operations, Habesha
Cement, marks the completion of the construction of the
factory and instalment of the technical and non-technical
systems. The ceremony, officiated by His Excellency, Ato
Hailemariam Desalegn, the Prime Minister of Federal
Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, was held at the plant in
Holeta, 50 km north-west of the capital, Addis Ababa.
The establishment of Habesha Cement Share Company is
the first of its kind in Ethiopia, established via a shareholding
scheme consisting of over 16 500 Ethiopian shareholders.
The 1,4 million tonne per annum cement plant was built
to address the demand for cement and assist the booming
construction and infrastructure activities in the country.
Habesha Cement’s inauguration now brings to three the
number of projects PPC has successfully completed outside
South Africa in the past year as part of its expansion strategy.
On 17 April, PPC Barnet DRC despatched its first truck load
of saleable cement from the plant near Kimpese in the Kongo
Central province in western DRC, 230 km south-west of the
capital Kinshasa. The 1 million tonnes per annum cement plant
was commissioned in February 2017.
"With the completion of the plants in the DRC and Ethiopia
we have achieved two significant milestones in our quest
to become a major player in the cement industry across
Africa," said Njombo Lekula, managing director, International
operations, PPC. “Both plants have been built using the latest
technologies, in line with international standards.”
With PPC celebrating its 125
th
birthday this year, this
longer term strategic approach is in line with the company’s
philosophy and commitment to quality. “Because quality
matters in all we do, we choose to focus on the bigger picture:
the ultimate vision of success. This challenges how we think
and act not only in terms of the products and materials we
manufacture and the projects we invest in, but also when it
comes to our approach to collaborating with the right partner,”
said Lekula.
"We are excited and enthusiastic about the
completion of these two new plants and as a brand, remain
committed to bringing innovative products and breakthrough
engineering expertise to the continent’s growing markets,”
concluded Lekula.
Big role of small contractors
The African Construction and Totally Concrete
Expo introduced a free, CPD-accredited training
programme at this year’s event which took place on
23 and 24 May 2017 at the Gallagher Convention
Centre in Johannesburg.
Major expansion milestones
As part of its expansion strategy, PPC recently
announced the inauguration of its Ethiopian
operation, Habesha Cement.