AfriSam is cementing its presence in the key province of KwaZulu-Natal with the commissioning of new readymix plants at Pietermaritzburg and Umlaas Road. “The plants were commissioned in late 2013 and were in response to increased demand in the Durban/Pietermaritzburg corridor development, as well as to give AfriSam a readymix presence in areas where we already had quarries established,” Pieter Uys, sales manager at AfriSam in Durban, says. “As we use AfriSam cement in readymix production in KZN, it also gave us an opportunity to pull through additional volumes of cement,” Uys adds. The construction materials group currently operates seven readymix plants and six quarries in Durban, the Natal Midlands and Northern KZN. It also operates a fleet of 50 readymix trucks and two sophisticated boom pump vehicles. “KZN is a strategically important market for a construction materials company, hence the plan to expand the footprint of AfriSam in the province.”

AfriSam focuses on a range of market segments in KZN, from building (residential and non-residential), to civil, retail, national and local government, municipalities, asphalters, readymix, concrete product manufacturers and cash customers. “Although we had a presence in terms of cement at retailers for many years, we started marketing cement to other market segments through our KZN sales team from 2012,” Uys explains. In KZN, AfriSam has already supplied product to flagship projects such as the Galleria Shopping Centre in Amanzimtoti, the widening of the harbour mouth at the Port of Durban and the Spring Grove dam on the Mooi River at Rosetta. Major growth opportunities at present include the dug-out port that Transnet proposes to construct on the site of the old Durban International Airport at Isipingo.

Another major opportunity for AfriSam to bolster its presence in the province is the 20-year, multi-billion rand Cornubia mixed-use development in Umhlanga, the eThekwini Municipality’s first Cabinet Lekgotla priority project. “Additional provincial flagship projects at present include development plans at Richards Bay Harbour, the Durban to Pietermaritzburg Corridor Development and mass housing throughout the province,” Uys says.

Looking at particular initiatives launched by AfriSam in KZN, Uys says it offers various services to its customers, “including mix optimisation using our high performing cement as well as providing on-site training on aggregate and concrete sampling and concrete cube making procedures.” Uys adds: “All our operations comply with environmental regulations and are audited by external parties on a periodic basis. We also use AfriSam’s C-Tech cement to produce our concrete mixes, which assists in reducing the carbon footprint of our concrete products.”

The KZN Provincial Development Plan aims to make the province the ‘gateway to Africa and the world’ by 2030. It is a major contributor to the South African economy, behind Gauteng but ahead of the Western Cape. Of the nine provinces, KZN has created the most jobs, with 128 000 employment opportunities generated from October 2012 to December 2013. The 2014/15 Medium Term Revenue and Expenditure Framework for KZN has earmarked R32 billion for infrastructure projects in the province. This represents a significant injection of funds into the economy and will act as a major stimulus to growth and development.

“Major provincial projects such as these not only require large quantities of concrete, but will also prompt the development of ancillary infrastructure to support these projects, which in turn will generate additional demand. Our strategy in KZN is not only to grow in order to meet this increased demand, but also to ensure we are able to offer our customers a total solution for their specific requirements,” Uys concludes.