PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa has lauded a new brick manufacturing plant in Driefontein, west of Johannesburg, as the fruits of the annual South African Investment Conference launched a few years ago.
Ramaphosa delivered the keynote address at the official opening of Corobrik’s Kwastina manufacturing factory on Wednesday.
He said the plant is proof that the pledges made by companies at investment conferences hold real economic benefits for the country.
“Here today, we are seeing the results of the R800 million investment pledged by Corobrik at the 2019 South Africa Investment Conference. This facility is indeed impressive. I am told it is the largest brickmaking project in the world outside of China. It joins Corobrik’s extensive operations in the country, which include 13 clay brick plants and 14 kilns,” said Ramaphosa.
The new project is also expected to reduce the company’s carbon footprint.
Kwastina is expected to generate at least 20% of its electricity needs from renewable resources.
“There are also plans to reduce natural gas consumption for the kilns by at least two-thirds,” added Ramaphosa.
“I am particularly pleased to hear about your efforts to reduce the company’s carbon footprint. I understand that Kwastina will generate 20 per cent of its electricity needs from renewable resources and there are plans to reduce natural gas consumption for the kilns by at least two-thirds.”
Ramaphosa said the contribution has edged government closer to its R1.2 trillion investment target over five years.
“Importantly, it has made a significant contribution to our efforts to extract greater value from our natural resources, by making its bricks from raw materials extracted from South African soil. This is an important part of government’s efforts to support localisation, supplier and enterprise development, as well as empowerment,” he said.
He said Corobrik was making a vital contribution – in a very literal sense – to rebuilding South Africa’s economy.
“We look forward to having continuous engagements with Corobrik and other companies in the manufacturing and infrastructure sectors to unlock further opportunities and economic value,” he said.
He said two years ago, Cabinet approved the Infrastructure Investment Plan, which is made up of 62 projects from all three spheres of government, state owned entities and the private sector.
Government’s public infrastructure expenditure programme will provide an impetus for growth in the sale of Corobrik products, added Ramaphosa.
“Corobrik continues to play a key role in government’s infrastructure initiatives through the construction of public institutions such as the Nelson Mandela University Faculty of Law, the uMkhumbane Cultural and Heritage Museum, the North West University Vaal Administration Building, the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital and the Sol Plaatje University,” he said.
“As we proceed with the implementation of our infrastructure plan, the demand for building materials will grow substantially.”
Ramaphosa hailed the local company for doing well despite the devastating and detrimental impact COVID-19 has had on the South African economy.
“We are an economy that was devastated by COVID-19. Much as we sought to manage COVID-19 and navigate our way around its dangerous paths, we still lost two million jobs. For an economy like ours which was precariously positioned over a number of years to lose two million jobs in just a twelve month period is quite a devastation,” he said.
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