Publication: Construction World
Author: Unspecified
Photograph: Unspecified
Building the company around its customers is what has allowed construction materials leader AfriSam to stand the test of time, with the market—and broader society—benefiting in ways that are often invisible to them.
Products like cement, for instance, are often commoditised in the eyes of both large and small customers, to the extent that buyers often consider only the ‘price on the bag.’ This is why AfriSam has made a concerted effort to add value that customers might not even be aware of, according to Richard Tomes, AfriSam Sales and Marketing Executive.
“AfriSam has leveraged our 90 years in this sector by structuring ourselves around the whole customer experience,” says Tomes. “Today, this includes using the latest technology to streamline a customer’s journey with us—from enquiries and quotes, through order placement and technical advice, to payments and delivery tracking.”
This is facilitated through AfriSam’s e-experience platform, ClickToGo, allowing customers real-time access to their accounts, where they can manage orders and deliveries with ease. He emphasises, though, that digital tools can never replace the company’s personal connection with customers.
“Technology can be efficient and useful, but computers do not understand the complexity of our real-life human working environment,” he stresses. “Customers often need a person to talk to, who will understand what needs to be done in any situation.”
For this reason, AfriSam has a fully manned contact centre of trained and experienced people—who can be reached quickly. Importantly, says Tomes, these individuals work from a centralised office rather than from home, to ensure high levels of responsiveness and supervision. This attention to detail derives from understanding what different customers want.
“We invest considerable time and energy in finding out what works for our customers, and what doesn’t,” he explains. “In addition to our daily working engagements with customers, we also conduct a formal, independent Voice of Customer survey twice a year. This helps us keep our finger firmly on the pulse of our markets and their preferences.”
AfriSam also keeps a close eye on industry trends, one of which has been the shift towards cement sales from third-party retailers. He points out that cement sales were traditionally split roughly 50:50 between contractors and concrete product manufacturers on the one hand, and retailers on the other. Since 2020, however, this has moved closer to 60–70% of sales from retailers, and projections suggest that this trend may continue.
“This change is not academic, having important implications for how we serve our customers responsibly,” he says. “An aspect to remember about retail sales is that this suggests a DIY buyer or small builder—and not everyone in these segments is an expert in the selection and use of cement and concrete.”
This raises issues of affordability, risk, safety, and value for money. While guidance and information can be printed on cement bags, there are high levels of illiteracy in South Africa which need to be considered.
“We take note of these factors when deciding how best to serve these categories of customer,” he explains. “Without a certain level of expertise, there can be considerable risk to buying a cement that is not fit for structural elements of construction, for example.”
AfriSam’s premium All Purpose Cement, widely available in retail outlets, is therefore designed to meet the requirements of many applications—including structural concrete. In this way, AfriSam ensures that even customers who are new to concrete can achieve a long-lasting, safe, and cost-effective result.
“In South Africa, we regularly see the tragic consequences of people eating unsafe food from spaza shops,” says Tomes. “There are also cities in Africa where buildings regularly collapse due to the use of poor building materials and practices. It shows that informed decision-making is as important in relation to cement as it is with food.”
People to know that reputable companies like AfriSam, with its 90-year heritage, give them the guarantee of quality, safety, and long-lasting structures, he says.
A further service the company provides to the retail cement segment is by sharing its knowledge through training. It upskills the floor staff at retailers with insights on cement selection and usage so that customers can be guided in making the most appropriate and responsible selection of products when it comes to construction and renovation of safe and long-lasting houses and structures.
“Our philosophy of quality products and service extends to all our market segments, and has a particular relevance to large civil engineering and building projects often funded from the public purse,” says Tomes. “Customers need the peace of mind that comes with guaranteed technical excellence so that roads, bridges, and other structures do not cost taxpayers or investors more in maintenance and repair.”
He highlights that AfriSam’s long-established reputation for quality has been built on almost a century of continuous research, development, testing, and innovation—which are now embodied in the company’s trusted brand. This is further reinforced by adherence to global ISO standards and the local requirements of the SA Bureau of Standards and the SA National Accreditation System.
“Adding to the confidence that we can give customers in their journey with us are our offerings across the range of construction materials they need,” he says. “This is not just about the convenience of sourcing from a single reliable supplier, but we also bring high-value expertise about how these materials interact with each other for the best results.”
Many contractors may have limited in-house knowledge about matching the most suitable aggregate with different cement types, for instance. AfriSam’s Centre for Product Excellence is home to some of the brightest minds in this sector, and they provide detailed testing, concrete mix designs, and other technical input. Tomes notes that many customers do business with AfriSam because they can rely on this depth of expertise—to answer even the most complex questions related to construction materials in their project.
“It is difficult to put a value on this aspect of our service, but most of the market is well aware of the risks in construction, and our customers often come to us to help mitigate those risks,” he says.
An important part of AfriSam’s technical contribution to customers is the way it supports industry bodies and educational institutions to raise skill levels and best practice—for the good of the broader economy. Students are sponsored to become part of the next generation of civil engineers and technologists to underpin economic growth.
“This role is also a vital part of our DNA, and expresses our commitment to technical advancement for the broader economy and country,” says Tomes. “A reason that customers do business with us is because they recognise the importance of nation-building through technical expertise and production capacity.” He emphasises that in a country with such high unemployment, the company promotes inclusive development that will build livelihoods and opportunities for the future. With this in mind, it has recently sponsored 40 candidates in the Youth Employment Service (YES) programme, in addition to its established in-house and external development schemes.
“We embrace the challenge of building our local economy, which will result in much-needed job creation,” he says. “As a Level 2 BBBEE contributor, we continue to invest in local development that we trust will transform lives and livelihoods.”
As a local cement producer, this means shouldering costs and responsibilities that do not apply to importers, he concludes. While cement producers find solutions with government to ensure a level playing field for international trade, AfriSam continues to invest in transformative initiatives that empower communities and reduce impacts on the environment.
“This is all part of our value proposition to customers,” says Tomes. “It starts with listening to their needs but goes much further—to help them achieve their dreams.”