professional profile
As a result, it becomes difficult to get all stakeholders aligned on the value of a specification change, and the original design material is often retained. The solution lies in creating better forums and neutral spaces where successful material choices and case studies can be openly discussed and understood, despite commercial sensitivities. Interestingly, some of the most exciting innovations often come from smaller fabricators and manufacturers whose focus is on delivering a working solution or product rather than executing against a predefined design. They sometimes have the flexibility to make bold decisions around switching to specialised stainless steel or aluminium grades that ultimately improve product performance. Taking a broader view, what do you see as the biggest challenges currently facing the South African stainless steel industry, and what practical or innovative solutions could help address them? Beyond the obvious demand challenges facing the industry, driven by both policy and global shocks, I believe one of the biggest issues is the training and development of artisans. I would not place blame on any single area. It has simply become increasingly difficult for specialised centres, private companies and public institutions to sustain these programmes independently. In my view, this presents a major opportunity for organisations such as Sassda to step in. There is potential to build a funding pool that could support artisan training schools for boilermakers, fitters, turners and related trades. This would not only benefit South Africa’s manufacturing sector but could also support contributing members through structured training initiatives if implemented correctly. Which developments or innovations in stainless steel are you most excited about at the moment, and which industries or sectors do you believe hold the greatest future potential for stainless steel applications? I find the work our customers do incredibly interesting and exciting. I am constantly impressed by what the industry is capable of producing. In terms of future sectors, I believe developments in pharmaceuticals, particularly those being accelerated through AI-assisted breakthroughs, will have significant downstream impacts on manufacturing capacity requirements. We are already seeing some of this within the GLP-1 inhibitor market. I am also hopeful that South Africa’s mining industry could benefit from a long-term revival linked to copper and platinum group metals demand associated with computing and electric vehicle markets.
freedom to try something new, combined with a decision- maker willing to shoulder the risk of moving away from tradition. In our local market, engineers and fabricators should ideally have more flexibility to change material designs in pursuit of longer design lives and improved performance. Unfortunately, many material decisions are still driven primarily by immediate cost, material accessibility and speed. In an uncertain world, it can be difficult to motivate for longer lifecycle considerations. For NDE and the broader distributor network, material availability and pricing remain important factors. When projects move into more specialised material choices, stock is often not readily available locally. However, customers and end-users are not always aware of how quickly we can source specialised grades internationally, and increasingly through dynamic local suppliers as well. “In our local market, engineers and fabricators should ideally have more flexibility to change material designs in pursuit of longer design lives and improved performance.” From your experience, how important are skills development and technical expertise to the successful application of stainless steel in key industrial projects? Are there any specific skills gaps or growth opportunities you believe the industry should be focusing on? Again, I do not necessarily believe this is purely a skills issue. In many cases, it is more of a structural challenge within the industry and the way turnkey projects are broken up and contracted out. There are often too many layers between contract initiators, design houses, fabricators and the distribution network that ultimately has to source and stock material. Material specification changes frequently require buy-in across this entire chain. For example, a particular steel grade may initially be specified for a chemical pipeline. Someone within the chain may realise that switching to stainless steel could significantly improve the operating lifecycle, but the material cost would be higher. That contractor may suggest the change to the engineering house, which then has to motivate it to the client. This can lead to a larger capital outlay requiring approval from investment committees and other decision-making structures. In many instances, maintenance contracts and teams are also separate from capital equipment teams, which adds another layer of complexity.
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Issue 2 – 2026
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