Wild
On….South
Africa
!
Petro Ward, Plastics Federation,
South Africa
Paul Nugent, International Rotomolding
Consultant
(Published in Rotation Magazine, July
2003)
(In this article, Petro Ward and Paul
Nugent combine to provide a review of the recent ARMSA conference held in
Johannesburg
,
South Africa
…with a broader look at what
South Africa
itself has to offer.)
We’ve now been in
South Africa
three times in two years. Not a bad record for a country half way around the
world from our home but Orla and I now have a fascination for the place. What
may you ask draws us back? Not just an energetic rotomolding group but also
friendly people and an amazing list of sights to see. I’m fortunate to see a
lot of rotomolding activity worldwide and
South Africa
ranks among the most interesting in terms of the creativity in equipment and
products. Execution of molding has improved over the last two years and there
has been more interest from European suppliers seeking to work with this
emerging market.
We began our trip again in
Cape Town
, once described by Francis Drake as ‘the fairest cape in all the world’
(although at that stage in his career he had not yet been to
Northern Ireland
so we’ll forgive him on that score). Rotomolding is alive and well in the
Cape
with a number of molders involved in the tank markets but some venturing beyond
into custom and general proprietary moldings. Peter van der Post’s company,
Ivy Blue, is focused on developing new product lines and I have enjoyed the
chance to work with his people now on each of my visits.
On from
Cape Town
and we made our way to ‘Jo’burg’ as the locals refer to it and joined up
with the enthusiastic ARMSA group. As Petro describes in her review, the
conference attracted a broad group from all over
Africa
with all their local challenges, from the super-inflation of
Zimbabwe
to limited access to resources in
Mozambique
and
Ghana
. The event was enjoyable, not just because of the location (a real-life lion
park with a wide range of game) but also because of the open-minded approach of
the group. They may not have access to the same resources as European or North
American molders but they are willing to introduce technologies and ideas from
other industries. No fear, no bad habits = interesting possibilities!
Another point worth noting was the level of interest that the association has
managed to generate in its student design competition. There were some 58
entries and the trend looks as though there may be even more next year. This is
outstanding promotion for the process and should be noted by all other
associations worldwide. The future of our industry lies more in the hands of
those who have not yet heard of it than those who work within our normal strata
– well done ARMSA and the local suppliers Sasol and Affirm Marketing who
actively support the program.
Africa
is undoubtedly a developing market and some of the products are not yet as
polished as their northern colleagues but that is not stopping the group from
taking advantage of attractive exchange rates to tackle European and US markets.
You may see ‘Made In South Africa’ sooner and more often than you think!
Delegates Held In Rapture
By ARMSA President Gary Lategan
A Nugent trip would not be complete
without some sort of adventure and whilst Orla and I did not brave the early
morning lion hunt at the conference, we did enjoy a series of game drives in the
Sabi Sands game reserve which borders on the
Kruger
Park
for three days afterwards. The game is so rich there that we were able to see
the ‘Big Five’ (lion, leopard, rhino, water buffalo and elephant) on a
single night drive! We even followed a leopard through the African bush under
spotlight at night as it tracked its prey and we crept behind a group of rhino
on foot through the bush only to be disturbed by a bull elephant out for a walk!
Ask Orla next time you see her about walking in the jungle!
It is a little known fact outside of
Africa
that more people are killed by hippos than by all other animals combined. They
are much more agile than their lumbering torso would indicate, so when you see a
sign like this pay attention! We were traveling through the St. Lucia wetlands
which border on Mozambique in the east of the country when we came across this.
It is a World Heritage site and full of hippos and crocodiles. Jokes about
whether or not the sign is referring to Orla should be handled with extreme
caution…..
On our way back past Durban, I spent some
time with the staff at Kaymac Rotomoulders. Working as they do with automotive
applications, they are a demanding and inquisitive bunch! An organized and
up-to-date molder, their operation would not be out of place in Europe or North
America.
Captain Cook made it to Cape Town only
three times in his lifetime – we intend to make it there many more and echo
Petro’s sentiments when she encourages everyone to consider a trip to the next
ARMSA event. You are guaranteed a warm welcome and memories to last a lifetime.
See you for the next Wild On adventure!
How
Often do You See This in
Belfast
or
Pennsylvania
?
