The use of extenders in AfriSam’s composite cements has over the years resulted in a substantial reduction in its clinker factor without compromising the quality of products. Blast furnace slag, a by-product of the steel industry, remains central to the company’s efforts to substitute clinker in its products. 

Since 2008, the South African cement industry has seen a year-on-year reduction in emissions per ton of cement, largely driven by the increased focus on clinker substitution. According to the Association of Cementitious Material Producers (ACMP), clinker substitution rose from 12% in 1990 to 23% in 2000 and a substantial 41% in 2009. The industry is pressing for a 60% rise by 2030.

Over the years, AfriSam has accelerated its efforts to substitute clinker through the development of composite (extended) cements. In 2000, the company launched Project Green Cement to increase the use of extenders to promote more sustainable products. The use of extenders, says Hannes Meyer, executive cementitious at AfriSam, has resulted in a substantial 20% reduction in the company’s clinker factor since 1990.

Composite cements, he explains, contain not only clinker, but other cementitious materials such as pulverised fly ash (PFA) from coal-fired power stations and ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) from steel-making plants. 

GGBS has been used in the manufacture of cements since the second half of the 19^th century. Back then, the practice was to intergrind the blast furnace slag with clinker. However, in the 1950s, AfriSam’s slagment operation pioneered the use of separately ground slag for the construction industry. 

The use of this product has grown steadily in South Africa, with AfriSam among the frontrunners. The company’s slagment operation plays a crucial role in the production of its composite cements. Established in 1955, the plant was previously owned by three companies, before AfriSam acquired 100% shares in 2004. The raw material is sourced from steel producer, ArcelorMittal South Africa, which is strategically located some few metres away from the plant. 

Blast furnace slag has good cementitious properties, providing enhanced strength and durability. By evolving its chemical and mechanical activation methods, AfriSam has achieved a more reactive product allowing the company to progressively replace more and more clinker while retaining high cementitious quality and strength performance.

“Re-using waste products from other industries reduces the amount of limestone that we have to mine and clinker that we have to produce, thus reducing carbon emissions from those processes, as well as minimising waste to landfill,” says Meyer. “We are therefore constantly searching for new extenders and additives to further reduce our carbon footprint and our impact on the environment at large. The end result is less clinker produced per ton of each final product, resulting in less CO₂ generated from our operations.” 

In a creative collaboration that will undoubtedly change lives and an industry-first, construction materials leader AfriSam, with its advertising and brand agency, Promise Group, and leading architecture firm, BlackStudio, is inspiring modular, low cost homes that can grow as needed, foster lasting communities and create concrete opportunities.

AfriSam’s ‘Plan (a)’ campaign helps people to build their own homes from an architect-approved plan. The modular design allows for the home to be expanded as needs change and financial resources allow. As part of its ongoing branding efforts, AfriSam has for many years provided practical guidance for customers on how best to use its cement and other construction materials. This has included Top Tips on working with cement and concrete, as well as Handy Guides on various aspects of building projects. 

In the latest campaign, a carefully designed fit-for-purpose and architect-approved plan for a modular home is being published as a double page spread in popular community newspapers. The social significance of improved home design and quality is hard to over-estimate, according to architect Moremi Mowela, co-founder and architect at black-owned architectural practice BlackStudio – one of the collaboration partners in this initiative. He points out that many township areas are considered as transitory spaces by young people, and are still ‘dormitory towns’ serving the large cities. 

“This leads to many people leaving townships as soon as they have the means, creating a drain on skills and capital,” says Mowela. “This process can be reversed if those residential spaces can become aspirational, thereby playing a transformational role in shaping behaviour.”

He argues that building a professionally designed home – by using AfriSam’s flexible house plan – can be a crucial step in building attractive spaces. When people aspire to live and invest in these areas for the long term, he says, then thriving communities can be fostered. 

The campaign concept was the brainchild of the Promise Group creative advertising agency. Nic Kostouros, integrated creative director at Promise, owed the concept’s success to the way it addressed one of South Africa’s burning social needs, supported by AfriSam’s vision of building a positive African future. 

“Credible research points to the importance of decent housing as an anchor – both financial and psychological – for people’s progression as they seek a better life,” says Kostouros. “With the backlog in housing provision around the country, many people are taking the initiative to build their own homes.”

He highlights that many working people save diligently to initiate the building process, but that corners may be cut due to lack of knowledge or finances. By taking a broad view of what a first-time home builder needs to know, AfriSam’s ‘Plan (a)’ campaign helps to improve project outputs while not necessarily adding to the upfront costs. The plan allows a home to be built in modules, starting off small and extending as families grow.

“The architect’s plan adds value across a range of aspects from technical issues like foundation structures, to how the spatial design over time would accommodate changing family needs,” he says. “There is a lot that can go wrong in a home building project, so our campaign helps readers to avoid these pitfalls. The ability to build according to a plan maximises the long-term fulfilment they can get from their hard-earned investment.”

Bauba Maila, co-founder and architect at BlackStudio, notes that the company’s experience with township clients has shown that a modular design was common, and stands were often similar in their sizes and orientation to the street.

“Working from these common elements allowed us to create a house plan that would be relevant to most people’s conditions,” says Maila. “What we finally achieved was a plan that has been designed and vetted by an architect, and a procedure for people to apply these ideas; this was previously out of their reach.”

Group marketing manager at AfriSam, Ebeth van den Berg, adds that the sentiment behind the campaign was very much to ‘pay it forward’ for customers and the South African public. 

“We look forward to developing this concept toward creating a hub for this kind of information,” says van den Berg. “There is clearly a need for a highly credible platform where key segments of the housing market can be empowered with professional insights and tools.”

From a creative perspective, the double-page advertisement containing the plan has already been recognised by peers in the media industry, says Kostouros. After launching in July, ‘Plan (a)’ was judged Ad of the Month by the Creative Circle – adjudicated by some of the sector’s leading creative minds.

In addition, ‘Plan (a)’ scooped a coveted Gold Loerie at the recent 2022 Loerie Awards in the Print Category, as appreciation by the advertising and brand communication industry for this fresh and innovative campaign. 

A safer and less congested road on Section 13 of the South African National Roads Agency Limited (SANRAL)’s busy R63 route in the Eastern Cape is on the horizon as Rumdel Construction Cape continues apace with road, bridge and other work. 

Rumdel Construction Cape project manager Alistair De Lacy says the project is also having plenty of positive spin-off for local subcontractors, suppliers and workers. Two years into the project, the contractors have engaged over 70 small business – or targeted enterprises – and about 90 will benefit by the end of the project in October 2023. 

“To build their capacity while ensuring compliance with the required standards, Rumdel trains, mentors and supervises targeted enterprises at all stages of the project,” says De Lacy. “The contract has provided work for about 800 people, of which about 570 are local.”

Construction materials leader AfriSam is supplying the cement for all structural elements of the contract – for the most part with its High Strength 52.5N Cement. This is ensuring high quality results for the project’s three new bridges, two bridge widenings, 12 cast-in-situ box culverts and V-drains. 

About 4,100 m³ of durability concrete has been poured for the monolithic decks of three bridges, 2,600 m³ for the culverts and 7,000 m³ for side drains and channels. AfriSam is also supplying its specialist road stabilising Roadstab Cement, of which 1,300 tonnes are going into road by-passes and 4,500 tonnes for the main works.

On the over 2 km length of Campbell Street, the main road through Fort Beaufort, a 650 mm pavement with a 40 mm asphalt overlay has been constructed. Before the road could be completed, though, the street’s drainage, sewer and water networks were rehabilitated. This task included the complex marrying-up of new networks with the old systems.

On the 20,4 km rural route between Fort Beaufort and Alice, the road is being widened to 13,4 m – with considerable vertical and horizontal alignment for gentler curves and more gradual slopes. This requires fills of up to 15 m, leading to the project’s total fill volume being expected to reach 680,000 m³. 

“A key element of the project has been the early completion of 12 cast-in-situ box culverts along the route,” says De Lacy. “This allowed us to place fill material and let it settle for the required five-month duration before proceeding.”

Extensive bridge widening and construction is included in the contract. On either side of Fort Beaufort, two bridges have been widened – over the Kat and Brak rivers respectively. On the route to Alice, a new 65 m bridge is being constructed over the Mxelo River. Two road-over-rail bridges – the Kwatinidubu and Kwezana bridges – are being replaced. 

Having spent a very busy 40 year career in the construction business, AfriSam Construction Materials Executive Avi Bhoora is concerned by the negative attitude of many young people towards this field of work.

“I do worry about the number of young South Africans who seem to have taken a conscious decision not to enter an industry like ours,” says Bhoora. “There appears to be a strong preference for an ‘office job’ rather than the often difficult conditions of working on a construction site, for instance.”

Such attitudes make it difficult for companies like AfriSam to compete for the best talent among school leavers or college graduates, he says. It is therefore vital for the industry to change this view among potential new entrants, and to highlight the potential for meaningful and rewarding careers.

“It might not be obvious to many people how vital our work is to every citizen’s quality of life,” he says. “If we could better convey the importance of what we do, it could inspire more youth to consider the opportunities and get involved.”

This might need a concerted rebranding of the industry’s image, to emphasise the many avenues that are open to new entrants. His concern is that construction related careers have become a ‘blind spot’ to many young people, blocking any possibility of exploring these options.

“I have spent my whole life in construction, and as I approach retirement, I am inclined to reflect on how the sector is going to renew itself – so that it can continue delivering into the future,” he says. 

An important starting point is for the public to appreciate more clearly that every city, road, bridge, dam, school, hospital or other engineered structure comes from the work of skilled contractors and their supply chain. 

“Materials like aggregate must be extracted from the earth to make the concrete for this infrastructure; it is difficult work, but essential for progress,” says Bhoora. “If the youth can be inspired by these messages, perhaps we can start changing the value they place on the occupations this field offers.”

Even as South Africa’s construction sector struggles through difficult cycles of low profitability and declining capacity, it needs responsible and sustainable companies to maintain momentum.

After almost nine decades in business, AfriSam’s legacy has been to demonstrate the value of good corporate citizenship, according to the company’s sales and marketing executive Richard Tomes. AfriSam began its journey as Anglovaal Portland Cement Company in 1934, with a cement plant in Roodepoort.

“The time since then has seen many changes and we are proud to have grown stronger, with our customers confirming that we are still their preferred choice,” says Tomes. “Even with the depressed state of the construction sector, our focus on quality and sustainability means that we can continue to serve the market to world class standards.”

Tomes argues that the extensive investment in cement plants, readymix facilities and quarries over the years laid the groundwork for AfriSam’s considerable contribution to the country’s infrastructure. As Anglo Alpha, it had become a fully vertically-integrated construction materials business in the 1990s through the strategic incorporation of aggregate producer Hippo Quarries and readymix company Pioneer Concrete. When the country re-entered the international community post-democracy, the company was acquired by the multinational Holcim group, further augmenting its access to world-class expertise and best practice.

“The learnings gained when part of the Holcim group were valuable in positioning AfriSam where it is today,” he says. “Our access to global research and the sharing of technical expertise further enhanced the expertise of many staff still with the business.”

He emphasises the large capital commitments which AfriSam has historically made in the country’s productive capacity. Often located in remote areas due to their need for limestone deposits, cement plants must be built for optimal longevity to justify the investment, he explains. These facilities – such as AfriSam’s Ulco and Dudfield plants – operate not just as production facilities but as integrated settlements. 

“We have been able to serve the nation’s requirement for vital cement supplies by maintaining entire village environments at these sites, including schools, houses, churches and other services,” says Tomes. “These facilities must be carefully managed and maintained for sustainability, and to make it attractive for our staff to live and work there.”

There is also an ongoing commitment to education and training, to ensure that all plant is professionally operated and systematically serviced while creating opportunities for future generations. 

Looking further ahead, AfriSam has taken a leading role in the sector to reduce carbon emissions. Aiming at producing carbon neutral products, the company has already made significant progress in offering the market a range of lower carbon cements. It is also considering renewable energy sources at some its plants, to reduce coal usage.

“We will continue to make a positive contribution in helping South Africa meet its commitments to the relevant global treaties and conventions on climate change,” he says.

Leading the market in reducing clinker content in its composite cements, AfriSam has been a trailblazer in cutting carbon emissions in one of the economy’s most energy-intensive sectors.

Hannes Meyer, executive cementitious at AfriSam, highlights that the energy consumed in producing ordinary Portland cement (OPC) can be 20 to 25% higher than a composite cement, of the same strength class, containing a cementitious extender. 

“This results from the added cost of producing a higher percentage clinker at high temperatures used per tonne of composite cement manufactured,” says Meyer. “Extenders like fly-ash or ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) can be blended into the mix, reducing the amount of clinker milling required per tonne of cement.”

This has more recently become a focus for other players in the market, even those who had previously not embraced the concept of composite cement, he notes. AfriSam has in the meantime become the benchmark for these cement innovations, along with a range of sustainability initiatives to monitor and reduce carbon emissions. 

“A vital aspect of our use of extenders has been our ability to activate these materials for greater reactivity,” he says. “Through evolving our chemical and mechanical activation methods, we achieve a more reactive product – allowing us to progressively replace more and more clinker while retaining high cementitious quality and strength performance.”

In another stream of the company’s research, it has taken strides in developing the reactivity of clinker itself. By changing the mineralogy of clinker, its reactivity can be improved. Meyer points out that cement blending companies have already recognised the high reactivity of AfriSam cement, with many of them preferring AfriSam’s products as they ‘go further’ in a blending application.

“We have also had great success in the use of grinding aids in our milling processes, collaborating closely with specialist firms to address our exacting requirements,” says Meyer. “These grinding aids are specific to the extenders we use, helping to improve reactivity and in some instances adding 10% to 15% early strength enhancement.”

The end result is that less clinker needs to be produced per tonne of final product, he emphasises, leading to less carbon dioxide being generated. The company has also become more efficient in the use of thermal and electrical energy in its processes. Whereas electricity used to be a minor cost in cement plants, it is now a major factor in cement manufacture. In this context, AfriSam has explored alternative fuels, which have become a major focus for many cement producers globally. 

“We have made progress with responsibly disposing of waste products in our energy generation strategies, and we hope that government will take the necessary steps to allow us to expand these initiatives,” he says. 

This includes the combustion of waste tyres and industrial carbon sludge, using high-efficiency multi-channel burners that reduce hazardous emissions. He says the employment of increasingly sophisticated process control technology is also part of the ‘AfriSam Way’ towards a sustainable planet. 

Keeping the goods flowing between the port of Durban and the powerhouse of Johannesburg has always been a basic pillar of South Africa’s economic life; current roadwork on this vital corridor is hoping to streamline traffic and boost trade.

Since April 2021, JSE-listed Raubex Construction has been active on a 4 km stretch from Dardanellas to Lynnfield Park. The project is a major overhaul of the road surface, with the addition of two – sometimes three – lanes in each direction. Bridges are also being widened and a completely new twin-spine, road-over-road bridge is going up over the R603 route.

According to Raubex contracts manager Abri Lubbe, the widening of the bridges at the Umlaas and Sunnyvale underpasses has been completed, as has an agricultural underpass. The work has included the construction of abutments, the application of precast beams, in-situ decks, balustrades and end-blocks.

“The twin-spine bridge at the Umlaas Road junction – which is a three-span structure – is underway,” says Lubbe. “Work began on this bridge in October 2021, and piling has been completed to allow for the foundations to begin; it is due for completion by the end of 2023.”

Roadwork on the southbound lanes is getting underway, says Thys Greeff, construction manager at Raubex, as the contraflow arrangement for traffic frees up this side of the highway for construction work.

“Excavation takes place to between 1000mm to 600mm, and this is filled with blasted material from AfriSam,” says Greeff. “The next level may comprise a 150 mm capping layer and a 300 mm G6 selected layer, followed by a 350 mm stabilised sub-base layer of crushed material.”

Roadstab – AfriSam’s specialised road stabilising cement – is being supplied in 50 kg bags to the Raubex subcontractor for adding to the sub-base layer. By the end of the contract, around 180,000 bags of RoadStab – or some 9,000 t – will be used.

The readymix supply will come from AfriSam’s nearby plant at Umlaas Road, says AfriSam regional sales manager Randal Chetty. More than 300,000 tonnes of construction material, including unselected fill, blasted G6 material and 20 mm aggregate have been supplied to date.

With the scale of the numerous upgrading projects on the N3 placing pressure on local suppliers, Chetty says AfriSam’s quarry at Pietermaritzburg will be able to provide back-up supply where necessary.

“Serving this project – alongside others in the area – demands meticulous planning to ensure that the required blue and brown material is always delivered,” says Chetty. “On the readymix side, for instance, we have already begun stockpiling the 20 mm aggregate and river sand, for when project demand is greatest.”

The new border post at Beitbridge, one of Zimbabwe’s first public-private partnerships, is making good progress toward completion by JSE-listed contractor Raubex, on behalf of its client Zimborders Consortium.

When completed, the facility will provide three new immigration facilities, each custom designed to speed up the flow of traffic, according to Raubex construction manager Herkie Sandenbergh. The first area, dedicated to freight trucks, has already been handed over, and processes approximately 500 trucks a day. Currently underway is the second phase which is focused on bus transport, which will be complete by May 2022. The third phase will be the facility for light traffic, and will be handed over in November this year. 

“Each stream will have its own terminal building where all customs and immigration documentation will be dealt with, thereby streamlining the processes by applying specific expertise in each area,” says Sandenbergh.

He adds that there is considerable related infrastructure around the town of Beitbridge that is also included in the scope of work. This includes an 11,5 million litre reservoir with associated pipelines, an oxidation dam for sewage treatment, a fire station, an animal quarantine facility and a new staff village for border post personnel.

As a key partner in the project, AfriSam has supplied some 7,000 tonnes of its High Strength R42.5 Cement from its Roodepoort plant near Johannesburg. The company will have delivered around 10,000 tonnes of bulk cement by the time work is completed – delivered in 34 tonne tankers. 

Adele Wentzel, AfriSam’s sales manager manufacturing for Gauteng, says the distance from site and the complexities of border crossings have been among the challenges to be overcome. 

“The AfriSam team has been working closely to ensure consistent quality and on-time delivery, while complying with the various customs requirements at the border,” says Wentzel. “Our close coordination – combined with daily interactions with site – have kept the project proceeding well.”

She notes that congestion at the border – which delayed trucks for up to a week – was a particular challenge in the early stages. 

“Our success to date has certainly built constructively on our long relationship with Raubex,” she says. 

Speaking at AfriSam’s recent National Budget Breakdown function, an annual event now in its fifth year, Dr Azar Jammine, director and chief economist of Econometrix, gave a thumbs up to the 2022 budget, saying it was “highly satisfactory with no harm”.

He cautioned, however, that servicing the national debt was becoming increasingly onerous and now accounted for 14 % of government expenditure. He also expressed the view that there was nothing in the budget “to make one believe sustainable growth will improve forthwith”.

Jammine congratulated Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana for making a commitment to increased spending on capital assets while, at the same time, attempting to curb the growth in the public sector wage bill. “We’re now seeing an attempt to slow down the compensation of employees as a percentage of the overall tax bill and to increase the amount of investment in capital assets,” he said.

Jammine was the main speaker at the event and reviewed both the global and local economy. Sharing the stage with him was Trevor Manuel, who served as South Africa’s Minister of Finance from 1996 to 2009, making him the longest serving finance minister in South Africa’s history. Manuel provided valuable and insightful commentary, based on his intimate knowledge and experience. He also fielded many questions from the floor and enlightened the audience with his unique insights into the South African economy. 

Manuel referred to the “ravages of state capture”, saying it was not just about corruption but also the destruction of institutional capacity. As an example, he noted that the SA Police Service (SAPS) would be underspending its budget in the 2021/22 fiscal year by around R20 billion, giving the lie to the often-heard claims that the SAPS was underfunded. 

He added that the situation was even more chaotic at provincial and municipal level. On the challenge of water supply, he asked how it was possible that one of the major metros in the country – Gqeberha – had failed to maintain its water infrastructure.

He also referred to “this horrible phenomenon called the construction mafia”, saying that it basically meant that the pricing of contracts could not be realistic and that projects could sometimes not commence, never mind being completed.

Reviewing the global economy, Jammine said it had grown by 5,9 % in 2021 with the IMF predicting that this figure would fall to 4,0 % in 2022 and 3,8 % in 2023. By contrast, South Africa had shown 4,6 % growth in 2021, well below the global average, with the IMF forecasting that this would drop to 1,9 % in 2022 and a paltry 1,4 % – the lowest of any major economy – in 2023. 

“Since 2009 South Africa’s growth trajectory has lagged that of the world economy,” he said. He added that while activity in the world economy was back to the levels seen before the onset of the COVID pandemic, this was not the case with South Africa, mainly due to structural factors that inhibited growth. 

These structural impediments included skills shortages, state capture and corruption, cadre deployment, the deterioration of SOEs, lack of infrastructural investment, over-regulation and non-payment for work, and labour market restrictions.

On the subject of debt, Jammine told his audience that government debt to GDP ratios worldwide were “quite terrifying” with US debt, for example, now amounting to between 120 – 130 % of GDP. He also noted that since 2020, the US Fed had injected as massive stimulus recovery package of around five trillion dollars into the economy – to counter the economic effects of COVID – and that other countries had followed suit. The result was sharp upward pressure on prices. 

“The genie is now out of the bottle in the form of a massive surge in inflation the likes of which we have not seen in 40 years in the world economy,” he observed. He added that South Africa’s inflation rate was below that of the US for the first time in 30 years. 

Referring specifically to South Africa’s budget, Jammine said SARS had collected R182 billion more in taxes than anticipated, with this economic windfall giving Minister Godongwana considerable leeway in formulating the budget. He pointed out that the windfall was largely due to increased payments by the mining industry as a result of mining companies having benefitted from the current surge in commodity prices. 

Turning to some of the specifics of the South African economy, Jammine said construction – AfriSam’s primary market – had been the weakest sector of the economy over the past decade and now accounted for just 2,5 % of GDP. This was due to gross capital formation in South Africa having declined, as a percentage of GDP, from 19 % around 2014 to the current 13 %.

Concluding his presentation on a positive note, Jammine said the construction industry could receive a big boost from an increase in infrastructural spending. He noted that 51 well-defined projects worth R340 billion had been identified in the 2020 Economic Recovery and Construction Plan and that the project pipeline has since been expanded to include an additional 55 projects worth R595 billion. 

This amounted to a grand total of R935 billion representing 126 % of total annual fixed investment. He said that if all – or even just some – of these projects were implemented it would be a game changer for the industry and a major boost to the economy, with growth increasing by as much as 2 % a year.

Leading construction materials company, AfriSam, is proud to announce that it has joined the Springbok family with a three-year partnership.  The company is also breaking new ground as the first in the construction industry and cement manufacturing sector to partner with the Springboks.

“We are delighted to welcome a new partner from a new sector of the South African economy into the Springbok family,” said Jurie Roux, CEO of SA Rugby.

“AfriSam is a long-established company whose products are literally part of the fabric of the country. Similarly, we aspire to make the Springboks part of the fabric of the nation as well.”

AfriSam has been a long-standing supporter of sports going back almost 30 years when it sponsored one of the oldest football clubs in our country –  Orlando Pirates. That sponsorship was done under our previous company name, Alpha Cement.  More recently AfriSam has also shown support for the Free State Cheetahs and the South African Football Association’s development programme, Ima Nathi.

“One behalf of the entire AfriSam team, I would like to express our excitement about joining the Springbok family.  As a proudly South African company, we are constantly striving to build and uplift our nation.  Forming a partnership with a team that has, over the years, demonstrated how rugby can unify and inspire an entire nation, came as a natural fit for us.  We wish our beloved national rugby team all the best and we look forward to “creating concrete possibilities” together.  Go Bokke!” said Richard Tomes, Sales & Marketing Executive of AfriSam.

“We’d like to thank AfriSam’s leadership and their entire workforce for their support for the Boks. It’s the support of proudly South African companies such as AfriSam, that provides the foundations on which we can build, in this case almost literally”, concludes Roux.