Civil Engineering May 2021 | Vol 29 No 4

44 May 2021 Civil Engineering Corobrik celebrates new R800m Kwastina factory From humble beginnings in 1902, Corobrik is proud to launch a new frontier in the brick-manufacturing industry in Africa. After careful consideration of a suitable name, Kwastina (meaning ‘home of the brick’) will deliver its first products this month. Both kilns will be in full production by November, with an official launch of the R800 million facility on the cards for the end of the year. Honouring commitments made by Corobrik at the South African Investment Conference at Sandton in 2019, this is the first new investment made by the proudly South African company since 1984. “Our new factory in Driefontein is creating exciting possibilities for sustainability, efficiency and productivity,” comments Corobrik CEO Nick Booth. Kwastina represents a significant change in the level of technology being introduced by Corobrik. It is fully auto- mated, from mixing the raw materials to the end product. A major advantage is that it will easily be able to meet larger volume orders, especially for the major construction and infrastructure projects anticipated in the government’s R100 bil- lion Infrastructure Fund. Believed to be the most techno- logically advanced and environmentally friendly brick-manufacturing plant in Africa, it will slash brick manufacturing costs by 50%, making it much more cost- effective for end users, in addition to 70% less gas consumption. Kwastina will be capable of producing 100 million bricks a year.  Kwastina will cut brick manufacturing costs by 50% Knight Piésold celebrates 100 years From its humble beginnings in South Africa on 1 April 1921, Knight Piésold has established and expanded its local operations within Southern Africa, and grown into a truly international organisa- tion, with offices in Australia, North and South America, the United Kingdom and throughout the African continent. Speaking at the company’s recent centenary celebrations, Vishal Haripersad, regional Manager for Knight Pièsold in Southern Africa, noted, “Our business has accordingly evolved and transformed into the entity it is today. Transformation at Knight Piésold is about institutionalising the competencies and capabilities of our organisation and people; and expanding the breadth and efficiency of our business to create value for all our stakeholders. Transformation at Knight Piésold is to reinvent ourselves and to take on the new challenges that lie ahead. And to harness the tremendous opportunities on our continuous path of value creation.” Recognising the need to change its paradigm to define the path ahead for Knight Piésold as a company in the African context, the organisation has realigned its strategic objectives and repositioned itself as a key driver in the achievement of the objectives of national and local government. This ensures that Knight Piésold plays a key role in facilitating the expansion of national production and income as a prerequisite for job creation, improved living standards, and economic development. Haripersad notes that despite the company’s incredible success over the past 100 years, to remain successful and to continue to thrive for the next century, it is important to adapt and transform in line with the evolving landscape. “As we look to the future and determine how we position ourselves as a business to play a significant role in facilitating and developing this growth, we have come to realise that for our busi- ness to be as successful as possible within the environments in which we operate, we need to adapt and grow. With our strong belief in the capacity and capability of African excellence, we are focussed on ensuring that we continue to enhance the capacity of our business within Southern Africa, through the continued training and development of local talent. We will also continue to look to expand our operations as developmental needs arise, such that we can continue to play a role in the development of local talent,” concludes Haripersad.  Vishal Haripersad, regional Manager for Knight Pièsold in Southern Africa