Cement & Concrete SA (CCSA) was officially launched in South Africa on 1 March 2021 in a move that is applauded by Sephaku Cement powered by Dangote Cement. The united entity, which is a guardian of our industry’s integrity and advancement, was formed through commitments from TCI, CSSA and ACMP to be part of a new and consolidated industry body.
The CCSA stands for and protects the interests of both concrete and cementitious materials companies in the country.
It was formulated, over a long period of time, through multiple independently facilitated sessions with inputs from both cement and concrete companies and brands. “Our main focus is secure sustainable value creation within and through these synergistic value chains,” said Pieter Fourie, Chief Executive of Sephaku Cement who currently serves as the Chairperson of Cement & Concrete SA.
According to the launch announcement of the inclusive industry body, Cement & Concrete SA indicated that its vision is to be the unified voice of the cement and concrete industry in South Africa, defending and promoting the industry, driving growth and delivering shared value. “The current portfolio of services of TCI will remain, enhanced by added value offerings from CSSA and ACMP, all based on a new and inclusive membership model which it will communicate in the coming months.”
The mandate of the CCSA hinges on objectives that include working with industry role players to develop the value propositions of cement and concrete, promoting the value creation story of the cement and concrete industry in the country, promotion of industry standards and audit compliance amongst members and industry role players, and growing industry skills and building capacity by developing and offering manuals, courses, seminars and training materials.
One of the ways in which the entity seeks to make a material difference to industry expansion is through its membership category known as Emerging Contractor, which has been created for BEE Level 1 companies in the concrete and cement industry with less than R5million in annual turnover. By connecting these micro-enterprises to and within the industry value chain, the CCSA aims to support new areas of industry growth and job creation.
The CCSA will also provide information, research, advisory and on-site technical consulting services to members, government, standards authorities and the public. It further seeks to support research as a means of increasing the ongoing relevance and efficacy of concrete.
The collaboration-centric organisation operates on a committee model which was explained by Fourie as follows: “It is committees that will guide the technical research and standards development that pivots the value proposition of the CCSA. Our first drive is to encourage members to join the new body and we have put together a comprehensive membership offering to address as many membership groups as possible,” concluded Fourie.
Sephaku Cement is one of the founding members of the process that translated into the assessment and ultimate creation of the CCSA.