CBA member visits

CBA president Hendrik van Dyk, and Executive Director Mariana Lamont each undertook road trips to different regions of South Africa to connect with our Members.

Hendrik Van Dyk - President

I had the good fortune to travel with my wife from Mpumalanga to the Eastern and Western Cape by road, and took the opportunity to visit 15 CBA member factories. I have scheduled another trip to the this region during May 2021, to catch up with those members I didn’t reach this time around.

I attended regional meetings in Port Elizabeth and Cape Town from 11 to 24 October 2020. I also attended the joint regional meetings for the northern provinces - Gauteng/KZN and Mpumalanga/Limpopo in early October.

My impression is that all regions have higher-than-expected sales after the lockdown, to the extent that clay brick stock levels came under pressure for the first time in decades.

I am sure we all pray that this higher demand will be sustained in the months ahead while our nation’s economy recovers. Visit our website to brush up on your clay brick benefits. Give your sales team all the facts to take advantage of a strong negotiating position!

During my one-on-one discussions I was reminded many times how the unique realities and experiences of each of our members influences what they need and want from the CBA.  Each brick factory faces different challenges - clay, the production process, labour, customers, business structure and history.  For some, just remaining financially viable is their most important focus. Others are already taking critical steps to improve their overall sustainability score, reduce waste and minimise carbon tax.

What is universally endorsed by EVERY member, is the huge value added by our Association’s long term investment in promoting clay brick as the best building material.

The past few months have made most of us pretty despondent. Our road trip (and avoiding the news) has opened my eyes to the quality of people, infrastructure and resources in our country. We are world class! But most importantly we are a nation of winners, especially when all looks lost. Just ask the All Black and England rugby teams!

Learn from coach Rassie: ’Let the main thing STAY the main thing’.  So let’s produce more, better quality bricks and sell them at prices that will allow our businesses to thrive!

Mariana Lamont - Executive Director

Mine Manager Koos Harris, Berta Croucamp, Adrie Nel, Lana Stemmet and Namhla Shushu welcomed executive director Mariana Lamont to Namakwa Kleistene. The factory visit was a delightful stop on Mariana’s extensive road trip around the region.

“Namakwa is a smooth running clamp operation under hands-on owner Lana Stemmet and her team,”  reports Mariana. “These hard-working ladies manage the entire process from production to final product.”

Mariana and Sustainability Desk Manager Yster Maduana visited Vhavenda Bricks in Thohoyandou, Limpopo and Nylstene in Modimolle.