The Southern African Plastic Pipe Manufacturers’ Association - with the support of Rare Plastics, Sun Ace, Sizabantu Piping Systems, NSF International and Pipeflo - has concluded hosting its very successful PIPES XII Conference. This year’s event took place on the 27thand 28thof August at the Altron Conference Centre in Midrand and attracted more than 180 delegates, 11 local and 4 international presenters, 15 exhibitors and 9 sponsors who gathered to learn about best-practice designs and applications, share ideas and discuss the latest innovations in so far as plastic pipe manufacturing and installations are concerned.  “This year’s event not only provided a platform for our own experts to present, but also drew international participation from as far afield as Germany, Austria and the Middle East. Delegates who attended represented a wide range of different ages, background and industries to include students and academics, engineers, industry representatives, local government, parastatals, pipe fittings and extrusion equipment manufacturers,  raw material suppliers and consultants,” reported Jan Venter, Chief Executive Officer of SAPPMA. 

Setting the stage: Good news for SA

Economist and scenario analyst Dr Roelof Botha, delivered an optimistic, witty and honest opening keynote address entitled: “Economic recovery beckons if the NDP is implemented” in which he unpacked the challenges and obstacles to growth, but also the exciting opportunities that await South Africa over the next 12 to 18 months.  Whilst poor economic leadership over the last 10 years has left South Africa reeling and resulted in GDP losses of at least R2.5 trillion, R653 billion foregone in tax revenue of cost each South African an average of R48 thousand, Dr Botha said that it was not all doom and gloom.  He shared good news of real growth reported in retail sales, mineral sales, short term insurance premiums, household and disposable income.  “Every problem we have (in South Africa today) can be solved with the right policies and right skills,” Dr Botha said, highlighting the need for more infrastructure and better governance “We are starting to see various green shoots as the positive effect of President Ramaphosa’s leadership. If this continues we can be confident of the future.  We have never been in a better position to grow the economy at significantly higher rates than ever before!” 

The role of plastic in pipes

The theme of the 2019 PIPES XII Conference was, “Not all plastics are alike” and presenters were encouraged to present their ideas around this theme.  “It is almost impossible to imagine our modern life without use of plastics.  This versatile material has become deeply embedded in our everyday lifestyle. Although the use of plastic packaging has come under harsh criticism by environmentalists and the public alike over the past year, it is important to recognise that not all plastic is bad for the environment. It is an extremely useful product that is used with great success in pipelines, appliances, cables, computers etc to reduce manufacturing costs, improve performance and reduce mankind’s impact on the environment,” Venter said during his opening speech.

Bigger markets and growing demand 

The other the presentations showed how research and development to improve the polymers and processing equipment are dynamic and ongoing throughout the world. This has resulted in the plastic pipe industry enjoying a dominant footprint in most countries. In South Africa, the market grew by 22 % over the past 7 years in order deliver the infrastructure needed support a growing population. Similarly, the development of new markets and applications were unpacked by the various presenters who focussed on outstanding properties of modern plastic pipes, such as flexibility, toughness, corrosion resistance, the growing demand for large diameter pipelines (with pressure pipe now up to 3m diameter), as well as various other exciting technological advancements and applications.   

Feedback from presenters and delegates

Feedback received from the delegates were very positive.  “This was my first attendance at a PIPES Conference and I thoroughly enjoyed the wide scope of presentations that were delivered. It was interesting to hear about the experiences from the end-users (engineers and consultants),” said Giel van Jaarsveld of SASOL, while Kudzai Jinjika of Proplastics said “the conference was exciting and informative. The excitement was maintained since the very beginning and the food and services were exquisite. I really wished it could be longer than two days!” “One of the best conferences I have attended, thank you!” said Japie Botha of Pro-Plan Consulting Engineers. International presenter Stefan Schiesser of Borealis said “This was a very open and fair conference with excellent possibilities for discussions in the breaks and at the end of the days,” while local presenter Onno Fortuin said “the interaction between industry, suppliers, engineers and planners are critical for the way forward”. 

Looking ahead

“Modern plastic pipe materials can be relied upon to provide cost effective pumping solutions, exceptional health standards and previously unheard of service lives.  For this reason, it is of great importance to host an annual industry-specific event where we can sharing the latest technical information about design, manufacture, maintenance, evaluation, testing procedures and standards. In an era where taking shortcuts and cutting corners have become the norm, SAPPMA plays an instrumental role in the development, advancement and maintenance of correct standards and performance of piping systems. Together with our members, we will continue to be the flagbearers for maintaining excellent standards and quality in a very important industry through the commissioning of reliable and knowledgeable consultants, pipe manufacturers and installers,” Venter concluded. For more information visit www.sappma.co.za

-- ENDS --

Note to the Editor: 

SAPPMA as launched in 2004 to represent the interests of the well-developed plastic pipe business in South Africa and surrounding countries. The purpose of this voluntary, self-regulating association (registered as a Section 21 Company in terms of the Companies Act of SA) is to create consumer confidence within the plastic pipe industry by promoting the production and use of high quality plastic pipes and pipes systems. Only plastic pipes that are manufactured by SAPPMA members and are able to demonstrate that they meet local and international quality standards, are allowed to display  the SAPPMA logo.

The world will change more in the next three years than in the past thirty. How do you survive? How do you thrive? Learn how to approach the future with confidence at Own The Future, the disruption strategy seminar taking place in Johannesburg on May 13th.

If you assume your world in 2022 will be like it is now, but with some cooler tech, you are wrong. Chaotic shifts in society, politics, climate, population movement, technology and consumer behavior are making yesterday’s strategies dangerously irrelevant. Whether you are a corporate business leader, a politician, a startup entrepreneur, an academic, a parent or an individual employee, you have to develop the skills needed for making good decisions in conditions of massive uncertainty.

Led by author, futurist, and strategy guru Godfrey Parkin, Own The Future helps you take control of the accelerating digital disruption in your world and your markets. It guides you through powerful approaches to rethinking your strategies and business models for the immediate future.

According to Parkin, “Mastering disruption is not about digital transformation, or even about technology. It is about seeing the big picture by integrating global and local trends, and assessing their impact on people’s priorities and behavior. You have to look for ways to improve your business model and customer experience, and be ready and willing to own them. You have to be where the ball is going to drop, instead of having to chase after it when it is already too late.”

Change requires that you let go of the past, and challenge wishful thinking about the future. The structured approaches used in the workshop make it easier to question established assumptions, become inspired, and to move forward with confidence.

“People today are more easily manipulated, and more ready to try something new, than ever before,” says Parkin. “Privacy no longer exists. Technologies change exponentially, and customer behavior follows; most businesses and professions change much slower, so their hold on customer loyalty erodes quickly. The gaps between what people want and what is delivered become expanding worlds of risk. But in chaos is opportunity!”

Participants in Own the Future learn how to cut through the chaos to build focused strategies for success. They learn how to stay strategically competitive, and how to stay ahead of the game.Own The Future takes place in Johannesburg on 13th May, and places are limited. Contact Britefire at britefire.com or 021 794 7838 for details.

Gauteng businesses wanting to take control of the growing digital disruption in their markets will be headed for “Own The Future” on Aril 8th. Led by digital strategy veteran Godfrey Parkin, Own The Future is a strategy workshop where participants will rethink their business models in the light of emerging scenarios for the immediate future.

According to Parkin, “In the past few years we have seen unprecedented numbers of established businesses suddenly going under. Most of them have no idea what happened. At the same time, new businesses or industries have come from nowhere to total domination almost overnight. Mastering disruption is not about digital transformation, or even about technology. It is about reading the trends in customer behaviour, seeing the emergent opportunities for improving customer experience, and being ready and willing to own them. Your business has to be where the ball is going to drop, instead of chasing after it when it is already too late.”

The workshop apparently can be a little uncomfortable, as change does not come without letting go of the past, or challenging wishful thinking about the future. The structured approaches used in the workshop make it easier to question established assumptions, become inspired and to move forward with confidence.

“People today are more easily manipulated, and more ready to try something new, than ever before,” says Parkin. “Privacy no longer exists. Technologies change exponentially, and customer behavior follows; most businesses change much slower, so their hold on customer loyalty erodes quickly. The gaps between what people want and what is delivered become expanding worlds of opportunity, or risk.”

Participants in the Own the Future workshop learn how to cut through the chaos of unpredictable change to build clearly focused strategies for success. They will gain a profound understanding of the most important digital and social trends, and will learn how to stay strategically competitive. They will also discover the tools and resources that can help them stay ahead of accelerating disruption.

Britefire, the producers of the workshop, assert that every industry and sector will change more in the next three years than in the past thirty. The conjunction of coming social, political, educational and technological changes creates an immediate future which has to be confronted realistically, with strategy and conviction. “You cannot succeed over the coming three years with the business models and customer experiences that sustained you till now. Own The Future will put you back in control of disruption, so it works for you rather than against you.”

Intriguing workshop topics include:

• World on the brink: societal and digital revolutions
• Innovation, disruption, hype and reality 
• Methodologies for business model disruption 
• Identifying your opportunities to differentiate 
• Optimising the radical: from fragile to agile 
• Creating and implementing your disruption strategy

The workshop is being held in the Sandton area on 8th April, and places are limited. Contact Britefire for details.

• Every commercial sector will change more in the next three years than in the past thirty. Digital disruption is undermining the viability of the business models of established companies at an accelerating pace, leading to worldwide closure of brands, companies, and even entire industries.
• With the help of the Own the Future workshop, South African leadership teams are now identifying disruptive opportunities for their business models and brands, and crafting strategies to thrive in the expanding chaos.

Cape Town – South African companies are urgently rethinking how they do business in the digital era.  Digital marketing has produced a growing wave of startup companies who are challenging the overhead-heavy dominance of major established businesses. But, more radical than this, some of these startups are actually disrupting the established way in which whole industries do business. The best known are Uber, Airbnb and Netflix. These have fundamentally changed the very nature of global transportation, hotel accommodation and television as well as a range of related industries.

According to digital transformation expert Godfrey Parkin “Today, every industry has its radical innovators. Their impact is fundamental and unforgiving. To survive disruption and remain relevant, companies often have to rethink their business model and restructure their organisation – not once, but continuously. Company culture usually gets in the way, so getting all your team members and on the same page is absolutely vital to success.”

The CEO of Britefire has launched an initiative to help South African boards and management teams understand disruption, and learn how to actively exploit it. Named “Own the Future”, the one-day workshop demystifies digital, and clarifies scenarios for the immediate future of business. It provides methodologies for identifying disruptive opportunities in your business model, and for creating strategies to exploit them.

Built on work Britefire has done over recent years in a number of South African companies, Own the Future is a high-impact actionable experience which engages top team members across all the disciplines in a company. 

Parkin believes that many South African companies are currently at a point known as the edge of chaos, where the pace of innovation in the competitive environment accelerates upwards just as the company's ability to change plateaus. He says "To survive in this world, you have to be supremely agile. To thrive, you have to be the one creating the chaos.” 

The opportunities for success are tremendous, but without an explicit management commitment to continuous change, businesses are endangered. Own the Future provides business leadership teams with the frameworks, tools and inspiration to identify opportunities, and to manage change with confidence.

Britefire is a future-focused business strategy and digital marketing company based in Cape Town and operating worldwide.

For more information visit britefire.com or phone 021 794 7838.

Contact details
Godfrey Parkin, CEO, and workshop facilitator: 021 794 7838   This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

The Ex Animo Address returns in 2016  

On the evening of Monday the 22nd August 2016, the second annual Ex Animo Address will be held at Joostenberg Bistro in Stellenbosch.  

The aim of the evening is to provide an environment for key wine-industry personnel to talk uninterrupted on a subject that they are passionate about regarding the future of the South African wine industry. The audience is given time to ask questions of each speaker following their presentation. The event is run by David and Jeannette Clarke of Ex Animo Wine Company. David will host the evening.  

All profits from ticket sales are donated to charitable or not-for-profit causes of the speakers' choice. Last year the inaugural Ex Animo Address raised R8500 and the Clarkes are hoping to increase that number substantially in 2016 with the support of the wine industry.  

With ever-increasing competitive local and international markets, both SAWIS and VinPro giving emphasis to volume production, and WOSA mandated to solely focus on exports, it seemed to Ex Animo Wine Company co-founder David Clarke that there was a lack of open and organised discussion within South Africa regarding the making and marketing of high quality, terroir-driven wines.  

“The Ex Animo Address gives attendees the opportunity to listen to, and interact with leaders in the wine industry – to discuss key ideas and issues that affect us all [in the industry]. It also gives speakers an opportunity to fully express and share their experience and knowledge from their journey in wine with a vision to the future,” explains Mr. Clarke.  

This will be the second Ex Animo Address held. The 2015 speakers were: Chris Alheit (Alheit Vineyards), Neil Grant (Burrata, Bocca, Open Door, South African Sommeliers Association) and David Cope (Publik).  

The entry fee includes a delicious bowl of warming vegetable soup made by Joostenberg. Drinks are available to purchase on the night.

Details:

When - Monday 22nd August

Arrival at 18h00 for soup.

Where - Joostenberg Bistro R304 Muldersvlei, Stellenbosch, 7607

Price - R200 per person  

The Speakers 2016 (in alphabetical order):  

Rosa Kruger The current Vineyard Manager for Capensis, Mullineux & Leeu, Rupert & Rothschild, Twee Jong Gesellen and Reyneke. A former lawyer, she has been practicing viticulture since 1996, Rosa has worked at Uva Mira, Cape Point Vineyards, L'Ormarins and has also had a lot to do with the rise of close friend Eben Sadie. Based in the Swartland, fanatical about vineyards, especially those with old vines, she is the driving force behind the Old Vineyard Project.

Subject: "Viticulture in South Africa: the past, the present and the future"

Charity: I am old (www.iamold.co.za)

David Clarke on Rosa Kruger: “In my opinion Rosa is the most celebrated viticulturalist currently working in South Africa. In my 17 years in the industry, I have never met a person more passionate about vineyards”  

Adam Mason The winemaker for Mulderbosch Vineyards in the Polkadraai since 2012 and has overseen a move towards a more commercial style. Adam also produces wine under his own labels Marvelous, Yardstick and Raised by Wolves. Adam has travelled widely, gaining experience in Spain and France after graduating from Stellenbosch University in 1997. He was the winemaker for Klein Constantia from 2003-2011.

Subject: “Climate change, urbanisation and profitablity in Stellenbosch”

Charity: Animal Welfare Society Stellenbosch

David Clarke on Adam Mason “Adam has a unique perspective on the industry being a key player in both commercial (Mulderbosch) and boutique (Yardstick etc.) production. One of the most erudite and considered winemakers currently operating in South Africa.”  

JP Rossouw Jean-Pierre Rossouw is Publisher of Platter's SA Wine Guide and Rossouw's Restaurants. He's been a food and wine writer for over two decades, contributing to local and international titles, including writing the weekly Cape Times wine column for over 10 years. His wine book, Tasting the Cape, was published by Penguin Book in 2010.

Subject: “Why do you make wine? Selling Wine in Darwin's World”

Charity: Pebbles Project

David Clarke on JP Rossouw: “JP’s expertise and influence in the domestic dining scene has set him apart for years, and now as publisher for the most important wine guide in the country, Platter’s South African Wine Guide, he is set to have a lasting impact on the wines of this nation also.”  

About Ex Animo Wine Co.   Ex Animo Wine Company was founded in Cape Town by Australian husband and South African wife David and Jeannette Clarke in 2014 with a view to represent small, quality-focused producers in the trade. Both are certified sommeliers with the Court of Master Sommeliers and have extensive experience in wine retail and restaurants in the UK, Australia and South Africa.  

To purchase tickets, please visit www.quicket.co.za/events/12640-ex-animo-address-2016-at-joostenberg/#/ Or search “Ex Animo” at www.quicket.co.za  

David Clarke can be contacted on 081 011 8505 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information.