The Association of Steel Tube and Pipe Manufacturers (ASTPM) is the sponsor of the tubular category in the upcoming South African Steel Awards which will take place in October.

The steel awards are improving every year, owing to the dynamic and concerted effort by the marketing team of nonprofit organisation and event organiser the Southern African Institute of Steel Construction for every edition of the event, to which many industry stakeholders can attest, says ASTPM executive director Keitumetse Moumakoe.

“The introduction of the steel awards’ mobile application in 2018 enabled industry participants to view and vote for their favourite projects at the tip of their fingers, which was exciting.”

The tubular category showcases some of the best tubular structures that were completed in 2018.

“I look forward to the impressive projects that we get to judge over the period preceding the actual awards date. We pay attention to the creativity, ingenuity and innovation that our detailers, architects and steel construction fabricators display every year,” he comments.

Further, he states that, as the industry is currently under strain, the steel awards are a necessary and an enduring reminder for every participant to persist amid adversity, and celebrate the collective efforts and achievements of the industry.

The awards provide the industry with an opportunity to shine and recognise how much work people are putting in, as well as the innovation, creativity and capacity of the country’s world-class engineers, fabricators, architects and detailers, Moumakoe explains, adding that, through the awards, the industry can market all those competencies on a grand scale.

Meanwhile, in March, the Southern African-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry – as the representative of the wire and tube sector in South Africa – invited industry association the Steel Trade Export Association of South Africa (STEASA) and several other stakeholder companies that always exhibit at the Wire and Tube Conference in Dusseldorf, Germany, to a lunch meeting.

The aim was to discuss a proposal by the Wire and Tube Trade Fair organisers who are interested in organising a wire, cable and tube conference in Africa.

Feedback from attendees and the organisers was positive, as the inaugural African edition is scheduled to take place from November 11 to 13 this year at Emperors Palace, in Gauteng.

STEASA – of which Moumakoe is also a director – has officially partnered with the organisers of the Wire, Cable and Tube Conference as a media sponsor aimed at promoting the conference.

“Such an event on home soil would be a landmark event, bringing African and global wire, tube and cable players to South Africa. This would enable local manufacturers to showcase their capacities, engage on industry matters pertinent to Africa and arrange tours of their facilities,” notes Moumakoe.