Building a village – brick by brick

When local brick-making business, Shamila Trading Enterprises, focuses on quality, sustainable growth for the future and developing the local economy, an entire village grows.

The business, located in Rolle village, Thulamahashe district, Bushbuckridge, was awarded product certification earlier this month by the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) for its brick products.

The company began making bricks commercially in 2011, but realised that it needed to significantly develop the business and meet quality standards, if it was to get lucrative contracts. Thulamahashe was identified by provincial government as an area that required infrastructure, and that construction resources should be sourced from local communities. Shamila Trading Enterprises realised the potential and began to significantly invest in developing the business to meet the demand of development in the area.

“The path towards achieving product certification has not been easy. However the benefits have been rewarding and have set us apart from other brick-making companies. As a business owner, you just want to get on with the business of getting contracts to supply bricks, however, to really participate in economic opportunities, you need product certification.

“The SABS certificate provides assurance to our clients that our products meet quality standards and that the required management systems are in place. We intend to increase our production and we have already seen a significant increase in clients requiring our services,” said Shadow Nyathi, founder and CEO of Shamila Trading Enterprises.

Nyathi has grown his business in the last two years, from one employee making a few bricks for community use, to employing 56. The majority (41) of employees are residents of Rolle village. “Rolle village is where I grew up. The premises of my business is where my grandmother lived. Seeing Shamila flourish is a dream come true for me and my community.

“Job creation and the ability to learn skills and participate in the development opportunities in our neighbourhood provide tangible hope for my community for a brighter future,” said Nyathi.

Shamila Trading Enterprises is one of 29 small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in Mpumalanga identified and selected for business development as an initiative of the Mpumalanga provincial government, to enable and empower small businesses in the construction sector.

The programme was conceptualised and funded by the provincial Department of Economic Development and Tourism (DEDT) and the Mpumalanga Economic Growth Agency (MEGA). SABS was the implementation partner that worked with the SMMEs to develop quality management systems, processes and guide the way towards product certification.

“Partnerships with provincial governments and organisations like DEDT and MEGA are proving successful to developing a sustainable local supplier base for quality products. Without the significant development of SMMEs, they will continue to remain on the sidelines of economic opportunity. Such partnerships move beyond the development of SMMEs for development sake by creating real market participation opportunities, so that local businesses and the communities they serve begin to thrive,” said Garth Strachan, acting CEO of SABS.

Shamila Trading Enterprises makes approximately 100 000 stock bricks per day. The company has recently upgraded its offices, including the development of a dedicated laboratory that allows them to test every batch of bricks. In order to maintain SABS certification, the company will need to document the results of each batch test and is subject to random audits and independent testing of bricks by the SABS.