CAPE TOWN, October 3 (ANA) - Mbusi Women Plant Hire and Construction in Mpumalanga has been awarded product certification by the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS), after several years of developing suitable products and regular product testing.
Their SABS certificate is a testament that its products have been tested and certified to comply with SANS 1215, concrete masonry units and SANS 1058, concrete paving blocks.
“Having our products tested and certified by SABS will now open many doors for us, especially in being awarded tenders. The journey has been long and strenuous as we started brick-making from scratch and had to invest in the plant, the machines and in testing various mixes for stock bricks and pavers to ensure that they met the standards,” said Ethel Shongwe, founder and managing director of Mbusi Women Plant Hire and Construction.
“Part of SABS certification includes a quality management system to ensure that all our bricks are manufactured to standard and not just a test sample. SABS helped us through this journey since day one and we are looking forward to a bright future for us and for Mpumalanga as we now move forward and start the creation of more jobs and contribute towards our economy.”
Mbusi Women Plant Hire and Construction is one of 29 small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in Mpumalanga that has benefited from the in-depth development from the SABS SMME department, the organisation said.
This two-year investment is a result of a partnership with the Mpumalanga provincial department of economic development and tourism (DEDT) and the Mpumalanga Economic Growth Agency (MEGA). which conceptualised and funded the programme to sustainably develop SMMEs to contribute toward job creation and economic development.
“SMMEs, especially those that are starting out, often lack the relevant resources to adequately invest in management systems such as quality management, which requires product testing and certification, if they want to be serious participants in local economic opportunities,” said Garth Strachan, acting SABS chief executive.
The programme will conclude by the end of the year, with an SABS product certification indicating that products have been tested both to specifications contained in the relevant SANS and in terms of quality manufacturing processes, so that every batch of products is of the same quality as that of the samples tested.
- African News Agency (ANA)
