Pipe merchants added as affiliate member category of SAPPMA

"We are an association made up of leading companies in the plastics piping business who are dedicated to the purpose of facilitating high standards of ethics, product quality and technical information in our industry. Including leading pipe dealers, such as Water Africa, Sizabantu Piping Systems and Astore Africa as members, allows us to take an important step towards covering and including the whole value chain in plastic pipe manufacturing and installation," Venter said.

"For us it was important to join SAPPMA because we want to see rigourous quality standards maintained across the industry," said Cindy Dixon, MD of Astore Africa, a supplier of thermoplastic pipe fittings, valves and pipeline accessories across southern Africa.

No longer a cheap alternative

This sentiment was echoed by Wayne Grace of Water Africa, who said that the company aligns itself with quality products. "We create the environment for all our customers to benefit from our on-time delivery service, technical support, advice and total piping solutions. All locally produced products are manufactured to the latest South African and International standards in conjunction with the ISO 9000 Management System and we therefore support SAPPMA's drive to ensure that only top-quality pipes enter the market, whilst benefitting from the technical advantages and developments that the association passes on to its members," Grace said.

"Plastic pipes are no longer considered to be a cheap alternative that could be made from inferior material or imported from questionable countries of origin, and Sizabantu Piping Systems wants to show its commitment to only selling top-quality plastic pipes that meet stringent industry standards," added the company's chairman, Don Coleman.

Concluded Venter: "Although the plastic pipe industry is relatively small, it is of extreme importance in the development and maintenance of the country's infrastructure. It is also one of the most demanding industries, as our products are required to last between 50 and 100 years. This is a role and responsibility that we as SAPPMA and our members take very seriously. We will continue to build on our successes of this past year and welcome new members who promote consistent top-quality products of all members and to act as a forum for the plastics pipe industry".

For more information, go to www.sappma.co.za.