The SAISC, as the custodian of quality in our region – which is one of only six similar industry bodies globally – will be launching a new SAISC quality certification programme to raise the bar of quality steel products, services and projects produced and delivered: not only by our members, but by all role-players in the South African region and steel value chain – and ultimately, across Africa. SAISC CEO Amanuel Gebremeskel tells us more:
There is a dire need for the establishment and development of an overarching quality regime in our industry: one that is internationally recognised and accredited, and which will meet the market’s increasing demands for both quality and excellent value for money. The SAISC is strongly strategically positioned as the custodian of quality across the steel value chain to lead in the formation of this proposed new quality regime.
However, this is a resource-intensive project, and we plan to collaborate with our sister Institutes such as the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) in the United States, the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction (CISC) and the Steel Construction Institute (SCI) in the United Kingdom, which all have experience in establishing similar quality regimes in their respective countries.
Steel standards development and harmonisation
We also need our local industry in South Africa to get involved and assist us as we get this initiative launched. This will include defining the steel quality standards that need to be developed – and then implementing and promoting these to public and private sector stakeholders across the region.
Our existing high quality steel industry standards form an excellent foundation on which to build, and from which to harmonise standards on the continent – without having to wait for the Pan-African public sector to impose these standards, as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) implementation rolls out.
Our plan once we have developed these steel quality industry standards, is to create a quality certification programme, developed in collaboration with industry and our sister organisations internationally. This will allow both member and ultimately non-member companies to obtain a SAISC quality certification.
The SAISC will evaluate the quality of a company’s products and services according to these standards – and will issue a quality assurance certification to those which successfully comply. We plan to roll out the programme over the next 24 months, with the pioneers or early adopters achieving certification by 2024.
South Africa’s steel industry is the most professionally and technologically advanced in Africa, and therefore very wellpositioned to develop a credible and viable system of definitive steel standards and certifications – and we believe now is the time for us to act, in the drive to raise the bar on quality.
As our valued SAISC members, we look forward to your participation and contribution in this vital initiative, which is one that not only our own members – but the entire steel value chain and industry as a whole – will benefit from in terms of consistently improving products, projects, service and infrastructure.
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