The African continent has become a key area of growth for the Chryso Southern Africa Group, says Luis Ferreira, Business Development Manager of Chryso Southern Africa. Ferreira says the major need for infrastructure in Africa has created vast potential business for the Group, which includes a.b.e. Construction Chemicals. The Chryso Southern Africa Group is one of 14 Chryso subsidiaries worldwide: Chryso Algeria is the newest.

Chryso Southern Africa products are currently being used on several major African infrastructural development projects, with the Zambian market being particularly active. Here mining, commercial, industrial and fuel industry projects being handled by companies such as First Quantum Minerals, Stocks Piling, Thor Developments, WBHO, Inyatsi Construction, and Belgravia Ltd, are all using Chryso/a.b.e.products. In Mocambique, the Nacala Rail Corridor project has led to major orders from the likes of Aveng Grinaker-LTA and Infraset, while the East Coast Procurement division of Stefanutti Stocks is using both Chryso and a.b.e. products for the building of a new Standard Bank building in Maputo. a.b.e. products were selected for the construction of the new Chamankulo water reservoirs also at Maputo.

“Chryso SA has for many years been a market leader in Southern Africa for concrete and cement admixtures and ancillary products, while a.b.e. has since as far back as the 1930s been a major supplier of high performance products to the building, civil engineering, maintenance, and manufacturing sectors as well as builders’ merchants and hardware stores. As a combined force, the two companies have an enormous advantage when entering the African market as we are virtually a one-stop shop for an unrivalled range of complementary products and systems,” he stated.

Ferreira has established an expanded distributor network across the African continent and Indian Ocean islands and launched a major awareness campaign aimed at professionals in the construction and building sectors, as well as at the retail level. The new distributor network promotes sales in all categories, seeking new markets for the Chryso Group’s products. There are now distributors for Chryso/a.b.e. operating in several African countries including Mozambique, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, Angola, and Ghana. “We are also planning to establish distribution outlets in Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and the southern part of the DRC in future,” Ferreira said.

Chryso France has a manufacturing facility in Reunion and a distributor in Mauritius. Last year, a significant upgrade was completed at the Mauritius manufacturing facilities of a.b.e. Construction Chemicals, and Chryso Group sales and distribution are being supported by the stronger a.b.e. operations on the island. The Chryso Group’s Indian Ocean island presence is being used as a springboard for the distribution of both Chryso and a.b.e. products from South Africa to neighbouring islands such as Madagascar and the Comores.  

In addition, Ferreira is ensuring that the Chryso Group’s products are prominently featured at all relevant trade shows and exhibitions in sub-Saharan Africa. The Chryso Southern Africa Group has also appointed an Exports Manager for the Group to augment Ferreira’s operations on behalf of both Chryso SA and a.b.e. Construction Chemicals. Trevor Enerson fills this post.