SAIW News: SAIW 2.0 Transformation
driving up quality standards. The Weldex system provides a compre- hensive digital solution, from preparation before an audit to a paperless auditing process that can be conducted via a tablet or laptop. “This reduces complexity, im- proves the company experience and makes ISO 3834 certification more affordable and accessible,” she assures. The National Personnel Certification databases of accredited persons, which the SAIW manages on behalf of the SAQCC for Competent persons (CP), Inspectors of Pressurised Equipment (IPE), NDT person- nel and IIW-accredited welding technolo- gists and welding engineers, are also being digitised and modernised to make them easy to access and automatically updated. Training and Technical success. Since July, Lekoane reports, the number of students enrolled in SAIW Welding Co- ordination, Welding Inspection, Practical Welding, NDT, Competent Persons, and all of ASME, AWS, and other training courses has increased again. “We have recently developed an Intro- duction to Laser Welding training course, which focuses on the fundamentals of laser technology, laser safety, suitable applica- tions, and hands-on practical laser welding. Laser welding is particularly well-suited to thin-sheet welding, making it ideal for those entering or already involved in the automotive industry. The course has now been added to the prospectus and is avail- able from 2026. On the technical side, she says the SAIW Materials Testing Laboratory is ready and available to assist clients and suppliers with approvals, welding procedures and any other testing work. “In addition, consul- tants are on hand to add value to projects and businesses through productivity and quality improvement, problem solving, de- velopment work and investigation services. Build national capacity in advanced NDT methods. Non-destructive testing (NDT) is crucial for ensuring the safety of critical components and systems in nuclear facilities, as well as for enhancing the quality of industrial products and ensuring the safe operation of equipment and plants, including metallic and concrete structures and constructions. South Africa is embarking on expanding its nuclear programme, which will see the construction of a multipurpose research reactor and 2 500 MW of nuclear generation capacity, which will require critical skills development, such as advanced NDT
Ray Turner, a global specialist in the ToFD NDT method, presents an ‘expert’ training course to the SAIW team of specialists: Front from left: Lesego Mocumi, Ray Turner, Mark Digby. Back row: Mark du Plessis and Jan Cowan.
The SAIW Materials Testing Laboratory Team – comprising Kegomoditswe Dire, Metallurgical Technician; Rumani Mawela, Metallurgical Laboratory Assistant; and Walter Mahlangu, Laboratory Assistant – is ready and available to assist clients and suppliers with approvals, welding procedures, and any other testing work.
examination team: Mark Digby, Jan Cowan, Clayton Calvert, and experienced NDT technicians Mark du Plessis and Lesego Mocumi. The PAUT training is scheduled for early next year,” she adds. With this growing capability, the SAIW intends to offer these advanced NDT courses independently in the near future,” she tells African Fusion . “We continue to strive to help the weld- ing, fabrication and engineering industries better meet the challenges they currently face, and we are now receiving a great deal of positive feedback from our students and the public regarding the excellent progress we are making. We are inviting anyone wishing to make suggestions or comments to go to our new website, where we now have a communication channel for input on any aspect of the SAIW’s service delivery or developmental progress,” Confidence Lekoane concludes. https://www.saiw.co.za
techniques, to ensure the programme can be safely and successfully implemented. “In view of South Africa’s relatively limited NDT capabilities, advanced NDT methods, including Phased Array Ultra- sonic Testing (PAUT) and Time of Flight Dif- fraction (ToFD), are becoming increasingly important in industry as they improve the probability of flaw detection and dramati- cally increase the reliability of inspection results. To address this national skills gap, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is providing support to build the capacity required for these advanced meth- ods,” explains SAIW Technical and Training Manager, Confidence Lekoane. “ As part of this support, the SAIW, through its cooperation with NECSA and the IAEA, is receiving specialised train-the-trainer pro- grammes to enhance internal capability. The overseas expert for ToFD, Ray Turner, has already completed the first phase of training with the SAIW NDT training and
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November-December 2025
AFRICAN FUSION
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