Columbus 'steels' a march in Africa

Some call it the metal of the future, others prefer to refer to its past – saying it is the one product that has changed the world in less than a century. Most, however, will agree it is everywhere. From the proverbial kitchen sink to the average wristwatch, stainless steel plays an integral role in the manufacturing chain. In South Africa the fastestgrowing metal in the world is synonymous with Columbus Stainless. Undoubtedly the cornerstone of the South African stainless steel industry, the Middelburg-based company is Africa’s only producer of stainless steel flat products. It is also setting the trend when it comes to the stainless steel industry and proving its worth in ground- breaking ventures while at the same time not sitting back when it comes to “firsts”. “We are very proud to say that Columbus Stainless shipped the first ‘Out of Africa’ stainless steel coils to the newly opened breakbulk port of Tanjung Langsat in Malaysia recently,” says shipping manager, Bronwen Walter. Far too often Africa is still considered to be less than capable than its counterparts in the developed world, but when one looks at the achievements of Columbus Stainless this is not true. With a modern, efficient stainless steel production facility that meets the changing demands of users in the domestic market and around the world, the company is on the cutting edge of the stainless steel market. “Whilst the Far East remains the single biggest market for stainless steel consumption in the world, much attention is being given to the growing African market,” says Walter. “At present some 25% of what we produce is sold into the rapidly growing South African and indeed sub-Saharan markets. Our exported products are channelled through a well-developed network of agents and group sales outlets operating in Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and the Far East. In addition, we trade directly to a number of end-user and some reroller customers,” she says. Being the sole producer of stainless steel in Africa the company has certain advantages. “With the volume of trade from China to Africa, we benefit from shipping opportunities and freight rates for repositioning of containers back to China as well as on transit times,” she says. “But we also have some serious challenges in Africa of which the biggest is possibly the fact that vessel opportunities to and from Africa are not as great as the rest of the world.” Not only do many ships bypass South Africa, the continent also lacks port and inland infrastructure. This results in logistics cost in Africa remaining high with transport costs alone adding to almost half of the final delivered cost. CAPTION The first cargo to arrive from Africa is loaded from a vessel at the Port of Tanjung Langsat in Malaysia.