MARCH 2016www.endeavourmagazine.com

INSPIRED BY YOUR SUCCESS

SAFAL SteelWelcome To The Future

Determined to make a difference in the world of steel roofing, the Safal Group has made immense strides into what was a relatively static industry. Endeavour took a closer look at the innovative operation to find out where they’ve come from and how they plan to move into the future.

WRITTEN BY AMY TOCKNELL

WELCOME TO THE FUTURE

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SAFAL STEELWWW.SAFALSTEEL.CO.ZA

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SAFAL STEEL

Hardly a flash in the pan operation, the Safal Group has a legacy stretching back over 50 years and it has used that time well, garnering an incredible reputation for exemplar operations

within its core areas of interest, which are listed as,“4 coil coating operations produce metal-coated and pre-painted

steel coils, using a patented Aluminium-Zinc coating technology acknowledged worldwide for its performance and durability. 26 roll forming operations in 11 African countries produce roof sheeting under respected brand names, adding specialist accessory products that enhance the performance of the total roofing system. 6 further operations manufacture specialised steel structural products and construction components that complement the roofing and steel businesses.”

From small acorns grow mighty oak trees and while the Safal Group started out by simply supplying corrugated roofing material back in the 1940s, by 1962 it was opening a manufacturing plant in Mombasa. Little would anyone have guessed that by now, the Group would be manufacturing in 11 separate African countries and selling their diverse range of good throughout three continents. It seems almost hard to comprehend such growth, but with a comprehensive management team in place and a full compliment of incredible team members, the progress becomes a little more understandable.

Always looking to “make a world of difference”, as their strapline reveals, the Safal Group has made impressive investment into it’s human resources and now boasts an impressive 3,800 employees,

SAFAL STEEL

Known as Africa’s largest and most successful producer of steel roofing solutions, the Safal Group is really setting the standard, as well as innovating constantly. Not content with being the premier operation in the country, they are now the sole producer of Aluminium Zinc coated steel throughout the entire continent, but how did it become such a force to be reckoned with?

Beckers is a global industrial coatings company specialising in coil coatings.

Above and beyond words: we believe in action and commitment. Beckers GroupBecker Industrial Coatings (Pty) Ltd105 Houtkop Road, Duncanville, VereenigingOffice +27(0)16 428 4011info-za@beckers-group.comwww.beckers-group.com

SAFAL STEEL

each of which is fully supported by a compliment of training resources to fully develop their potential. It is suddenly crystal clear just how this operation has found the requisite levels of expertise and gutsiness to compete not just on a local level, but in the pan-African and global arena too.

Given the large-scale operation that the Safal Group is now, it’s particularly impressive to find out just how important their values and ethics are, not to mention how committed they are to undertaking community support initiatives. Speaking of those, the company reveals that,

“The Safal Group has a deep commitment to the communities within which the individual companies operate. The Safal Group has established health centres and technical institutes, built classrooms and recreational facilities, and funded wide reaching awareness programmes for HIV/AIDS and the prevention of diseases.”

While community outreach has become something of a trendy thing for large companies to become involved with, because it looks good ‘on paper’, there is no doubting the inherent sincerity with which the Safal Group participates. They have nothing prove, but everything to give and they make sure they do, to the people

and communities that really need support. Just imagine what a different world we would live in if all corporations acted with such grace and humility!

You’d be forgiven for assuming that an operation as community-focussed as this would have small dreams, but that would be a falsehood! The Group’s vision is to be “Africa’s premier provider of coated steel coils for roofing and building solutions” and we have no problem believing that this is an easily attainable goal, especially when you consider the values that underpin every facet of operation. It’s also a little bit of fun that they use their name to really drive them home,

S Stakeholder care with uncompromising integrityA Attitude of gratitude towards community and the environmentF Focus on creativity and innovationA Adaptability to the changing business environmentL Lively and dynamic work culture

How many other global operations can you name that have ethical values so deeply ingrained into their core that their name literally

SAFAL STEEL

stands for uncompromising dedication and professionalism? Add in that their sate of the art facilities make light work of supporting the environmentally-friendly processes that are important to the Safal Group and you are fast approaching the realms of this being a standalone example of how businesses should and can be run.

Looking into the future, there is no doubting that the Safal Group will continue to build on their already exemplar business model, while continually looking for new community outreach opportunities to take part in.

There will be no relinquishing the crown that they have ensured is firmly paced on top of the Group and Dhiru P Shah, one of the founders is clearly excited by what the future could hold, as he comments that,

“We will continue this journey by expanding our manufacturing into as many new countries in Africa as possible, whilst always providing the best service and quality to our customers and to the end users of our products.”

Dr Manu Chandaria, a fellow founder, also added,“Businesses can help build the future of Africa. By investing

with responsibility and insight, by partnering with communities and

investing in its people, sustaining each other and protecting the environment as the source of all our wealth; with these values, we firmly believe that success is inevitable. We strive to make ours such a business. This is our approach to sustainability”

By combining innovation, determination, ethics and a deep-seated sense of community, the Safal Group will continue to make great inroads into the business world, atop an unbreakable steed made from the finest quality steel. We can’t wait to watch the progress of this operation and hope to see its influence affecting other companies within the African continent. This is not just a leader in the steel market, after all, this is a business model that can and should be inspirational to every operation out there

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