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Materials & Equipment News

WBHO reveals record order book, finally closes door on Australia chapter

By: Irma Venter 17th March 2023 Wilson Bayly Holmes-Ovcon (WBHO) revealed a record order book as the company earlier this month reported its financial results for the six months ended December 31. At about R26.5-billion, the order book eclipses the number recorded at the end of June last year by 19%. →

Initiative sets out to improve tavern experience

By: Halima Frost 17th March 2023 Earlier this month, multinational brewing company Heineken South Africa spearheaded the launch of an initiative, Taverns of the Future, at The Spot 1818 in Phiri, Soweto. The Spot 1818 is one of the taverns to benefit from the initiative. →

A red carpet leading up to a newly revamped Tavern, The Spot 1818, in Soweto, as part of Heineken South Africa's Taverns of the Future initiative

RED CARPET TO THE FUTURE The Taverns of the Future initiative was officially launched earlier this month by Heineken South Africa and its partners

PPC reports tough conditions for full year

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 16th March 2023 JSE-listed PPC says the 12 months ending March 31 have been characterised by different market conditions in each of the markets in which PPC operates, being South Africa and Botswana, Zimbabwe and Rwanda. In South Africa and Botswana, the market has been affected by a decline in disposable income... →

Two furnace tech providers join forces

10th March 2023 Parts formation provider Norican’s Monitizer platform and furnace equipment supplier ABP’s Digital Services announced an agreement had been made in February to interface their products in an effort to advance foundry digitalisation. Monitizer and ABP Induction Systems will build links between... →

An ABP Induction services furnace in operation with man in PE near molten metal

FURNACE INTERFACING Norican and ABP Induction are joining forces to make furnaces more efficient

Circular use of cement and concrete can provide €110bn in value

By: Schalk Burger 9th March 2023 A circular economy in the concrete and cement industry could produce €110-billion in net value and avoid or mitigate two-billion tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions by 2050, driven by the capture, storage and use of CO₂ from cement and concrete production, the re-use of energy from waste... →

Msikaba bridge construction slated for completion by end of 2024

By: Irma Venter 3rd March 2023 Construction of the Msikaba cable-stayed bridge near Lusikisiki, in the Eastern Cape, should be complete in the last quarter of next year. Work on the project, which forms part of the N2 Wild Coast Toll Road roll-out, started in earnest in 2019. →

German construction hoist installed in Secunda

By: Tracy Hancock 3rd March 2023 Gauteng industrial equipment supplier SkyJacks has installed a GEDA construction hoist on a 100-m-high vessel at chemicals and energy company Sasol’s monomers plant in Secunda, Mpumalanga. “The GEDA 300Z was attached to the scaffolding erected by the contractor around the vessel and went up to a... →

A construction hoist on a working construction site.

JACKING UP DEMAND Demand for SkyJacks construction hoists mostly stems from the maintenance and retrofitting of buildings, as well as the industrial maintenance sector, amid tough construction market conditions

New crawler excavators maintain high quality

3rd March 2023 Construction equipment supplier HPE Africa’s line-up of earthmoving equipment now includes automotive manufacturer Hyundai’s HX220HD crawler excavators. These machines, which are manufactured in India as part of Hyundai’s global expansion programme, offer the same quality and performance as the... →

Image of Hyundai’s HX220HD crawler excavator 1

ROBUST PERFORMANCE HPE Africa’s customers note favourable features that include high-performance, comfortable operation and easy serviceability and maintenance

Skills study, awards show need for industry funding, support

By: Cameron Mackay 3rd March 2023 Industry body Mining Equipment Manufacturers of South Africa (Memsa) conducted and completed a survey and case study last year on Fourth Industrial Revolution- (4IR-) related skills needed in the local mining-equipment manufacturing industry. The study – funded by the Manufacturing, Engineering... →

Image of large capital equipment vehicle

SUPPORTING MODERNISATION If funds were available to support local manufacturers, and developers were allowed to experience a learning curve, funds could be channelled into innovative products

South Africa must prioritise decarbonisation, as $1.5bn of exports to EU are at risk

By: Schalk Burger 2nd March 2023 South Africa should prioritise its decarbonisation strategy, as it has a carbon intensity much higher than most countries, and $1.5-billion of exports to the European Union (EU) are at risk in the short term. That figure is likely to increase when more products are covered under the EU's Carbon... →

WBHO reveals record order book; finally closes door on Aus chapter

By: Irma Venter 1st March 2023 Wilson Bayly Holmes-Ovcon (WBHO) this week revealed a record order book as the company reported its financial results for the six months ended December 31. At around R26.5-billion, the order book eclipses the number recorded at the end of June last year by 19%. →

Wolfgang Neff

Cashbuild's interim results reflect tough trading conditions

By: Schalk Burger 1st March 2023 JSE-listed building materials and products retailer Cashbuild says its results for the six months ended December 25, 2022, reflect the current tough economic and trading environment. The company's revenue for the six-month period was 4% lower year-on-year at R5.6-billion. Revenue for the 309... →

IFC to invest $256m in Senegal's top cement manufacturer

By: Reuters 28th February 2023 The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank's investment arm, said on Monday it would invest €242-million ($256-million) in Senegal's largest integrated cement manufacturer, Sococim Industries, to boost low-carbon production. Sococim, a subsidiary of French cement maker Vicat,... →

Afrimat upbeat about bulk commodities business, as construction materials business lags

By: Schalk Burger 17th February 2023 JSE-listed aggregates and mining company Afrimat's executives on February 17 reported to shareholders that the company was performing well in difficult times and that there were several projects that have successfully come online during the past year. The company's diversification has helped it... →

Afrimat CEO Andries van Heerden

Barloworld reports strong revenue growth

By: Darren Parker 17th February 2023 JSE-listed Barloworld has reported “pleasing results” in its core businesses in the industrial equipment and consumer industries verticals during the four months ended January 31. In a voluntary trading update issued by the company on February 17, the company said it had, despite facing... →

Italtile attributes underwhelming results to manufacturing challenges

By: Darren Parker 13th February 2023 Tile company Italtile has delivered underwhelming results for the six months to December 31, 2022, with the group’s trading profit 8% lower year-on-year to R1.4-billion, while operating costs increased by 9% year-on-year. “I think most disappointing for us really was the performance by our... →

Msikaba bridge heads for completion by end-2024

By: Irma Venter 13th February 2023 Construction of the Msikaba cable-stayed bridge near Lusikisiki, in the Eastern Cape, should be complete in the last quarter of next year. Work on the project, which forms part of the N2 Wild Coast Toll Road rollout, started in earnest in 2019. →

A view from the South pylon across the Msikaba Gorge to the North pylon

Afrimat Nkomati Anthracite opens newly renovated, extended Steenbok Clinic

By: Donna Slater 8th February 2023 Completed in January, the newly renovated and extended Steenbok Clinic, in Steenbok, Mpumalanga, was recently opened to the public following a partnership to renew it by JSE-listed industrial minerals, bulk commodities and construction materials miner Afrimat, the Mpumalanga Health Department and... →

A portion of the newly renovated and extended Steenbok Clinic, in Steenbok, Mpumalanga.

PPC weighs sale of Zimbabwe unit

By: Bloomberg 7th February 2023 PPC, South Africa’s largest cement maker, is considering selling its Zimbabwe business for about $200-million, according to people with knowledge of the matter. A sale will help the company, founded in 1892, to focus on its South African operations, said the people, who asked not to be identified... →

Commission gives its approval for Trident Steel’s buyout of Aveng subsidiary

By: Darren Parker 3rd February 2023 The Competition Commission has approved the proposed transaction whereby steel maker Trident Steel subsidiary Trident Steel Africa (TSA) intends to acquire Aveng subsidiary Aveng Trident Steel (ATS), with conditions. The commission says it is of the view that the proposed transaction is unlikely... →

Coils and poles manufactured for client in Cameroon

By: Halima Frost 27th January 2023 Electric motor repair service provider Marthinusen & Coutts finalised the manufacture and delivery of four new replacement field coils and poles for a 25 MVA 36-pole generator at a hydroelectric power station in Cameroon. Finalised in September, the order, booked in June, for hydropower project... →

A man wearing PPE at the Marthinusen & Coutts manufacturing plant where they are manufacturing copper coils for many different industries

POLE POSITION Marthinusen & Coutts was tasked with the challenge of reverse engineering the poles and coils for a hydroelectric power station in Cameroon

AMSA warns of lower full-year earnings amid global, domestic headwinds

By: Darren Parker 24th January 2023 The JSE share price of steel producer ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) fell by nearly 22% on January 24, after it warned of lower profits for the financial year ended December 31, 2022. In a trading statement and business update, the steel producer said its earnings per share (EPS) for the... →

Cement producers expect difficult year, association says

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 24th January 2023 This year is likely to be a difficult year for the cement industry, World Cement Association (WCA) director Emir Adiguzel says. He notes that a number of issues, such as tighter monetary policies, increased sea freight rates and high fluctuations in the cost of energy may result in cement... →

Cutting coal mine methane offers steelmakers quick climate win

By: Bloomberg 23rd January 2023 Steel manufacturers should work with coal producers to curb methane leaks from mines to reduce the overall warming impact from making the alloy, according to a report from energy think tank Ember. Methane, a potent greenhouse gas with more than 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide during... →

PIC lifts stake in Afrimat to 15.48%

By: Donna Slater 21st December 2022 The Public Investment Corporation (PIC) has increased its shareholding in JSE-listed industrial minerals, bulk commodities and construction materials miner Afrimat to 15.48%. The Afrimat group supplies a range of products ranging from construction materials including aggregates, bricks, blocks,... →

Afrimat’s third-quarter Construction Index shows strong uptick

By: Irma Venter 13th December 2022 Construction sector activity moved strongly into positive territory in the third quarter of the year, with the latest Afrimat Construction Index (ACI) outperforming the overall economy. The latest gross domestic product (GDP) data released by Statistics South Africa pointed to a real growth rate... →

South African cement industry to approach Itac for general tariff protection

By: Terence Creamer 6th December 2022 Cement and Concrete South Africa (CCSA) is preparing an application for generalised tariff protection on imported cement, arguing that antidumping duties against exporters from specific countries are taking too long to secure and are failing to safeguard the industry from what it regards as... →

CCSA CEO Bryan Perrie

Construction sector ailing as govt’s infrastructure plan stalls – MBA North

By: Irma Venter 2nd December 2022 Following a harrowing two years for the construction sector, this year started with cautious optimism amid promises that a series of major infrastructure works would be fast-tracked, says Master Builders Association (MBA) North executive director Mohau Mphomela. “Also, the value of building plans... →

There are signs of life in the local construction sector – CIDB

By: Irma Venter 2nd December 2022 There are some green shoots in the South African construction industry, despite predictions that the sector is facing imminent collapse, says Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) CEO Bongani Dladla. “Next year will be a year of recovery, after the industry was hit by successive waves of... →

Concrete steps towards decarbonisation in construction needed

2nd December 2022 As a significant contributor to global carbon emissions, the construction industry is being compelled to adopt more sustainable practices, especially if it is to meet climate change mitigation targets by 2050, says software company RIB CCS VP Peter Damhuis. Processing of raw materials for... →

PETER DAMHUIS Construction companies' sustainability could be seriously impacted if they don’t pursue a decarbonisation agenda

Fourth-quarter building confidence index drops one point to 33

By: Schalk Burger 30th November 2022 Sentiment in the building construction sector, as measured by the financial services firm FNB and the Bureau for Economic Research (BER) Building Confidence Index, slipped to 33 in the fourth quarter, from 34 in the previous quarter. This means that the index has been broadly stable, at a... →

Invicta achieves strong interim results

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 28th November 2022 Investment holding and management company Invicta Holdings has reported a strong set of results for the six months ended September 30, with headline earnings a share up 43% year-on-year to 268c. CEO Steven Joffe comments that Invicta again produced a robust performance in light of prevailing... →

Kenneth Capes appointed SepHold CEO

By: Schalk Burger 25th November 2022 JSE-listed building and construction materials company Sephaku has appointed Kenneth Capes SepHold CEO, with effect from April 1, 2023. Capes is currently the CEO of wholly-owned subsidiary Métier Mixed Concrete and is a SepHold executive director. →

Cement, concrete industry commits to sustainability

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 25th November 2022 The entire South African cement and concrete industry is threatened by multiple challenges of economic decline, the crisis in the construction industry, cheap imports and environment-related issues, industry organisation Cement & Concrete South Africa (CCSA) says in a statement. It highlights a... →

Omnia sees further growth in targeted sectors, interim earnings up 30%

By: Donna Slater 22nd November 2022 JSE-listed diversified chemicals producer Omnia grew its interim earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation, excluding its Zimbabwean operations and impairments, by 30% year-on-year to R1.4-billion for the six months ended September 30. This resulted in the group’s adjusted... →

PPC ready to respond rapidly to any infrastructure-led uptick in cement demand

By: Terence Creamer 21st November 2022 Cement producer PPC says it is well positioned to benefit from any uptick in South African cement demand given that it has immediate capacity on standby that will require no additional capital expenditure to reintroduce. However, CEO Roland van Wijnen stresses that without a significant increase... →

PPC CEO Roland van Wijnen

Barloworld to separately list car rental subsidiary Zeda

By: Marleny Arnoldi 21st November 2022 Heavy-duty equipment multinational Barloworld says it will unbundle and separately list Zeda, the group’s integrated vehicle mobility solutions provider. Zeda trades under the Avis and Budget brands in South Africa, as well as ten other sub-Saharan African countries. →

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