Cape Concrete was established in 1932 by R.A.M Louw as a supplier of cement, sand and stone as well as a limited range of precast products. Over the e
Cape Concrete was established in 1932 by R.A.M Louw as a supplier of cement, sand and stone as well as a limited range of precast products. Over the ensuing years the company expanded its precast concrete range such that today it is the leading supplier of superior precast concrete products to the construction, civil engineering and building industries, its product range is believed to be the largest of its kind under one roof in the Western Cape. Over close on half a century one name stood out, Cape Concrete Works Technical Director and doyen of the precast concrete industry, John Watson.
Born and raised in Bloemfontein, John matriculated at St Andrew’s School after which he graduated with a BSc degree in applied maths and physics from the University of the Free State in 1973. His first brush with the construction industry occurred when he spent two vacations in 1969/70 as a student during the construction of the state-of-the-art Carlton Centre in Johannesburg, then the tallest concrete structure in Africa.
On graduating John joined the civil engineering construction company, Murray and Stewart, and worked on some major infrastructural projects: Sishen-Saldanha railway bridges; Cape Town’s Foreshore freeway flyovers; Eastern Caprivi military bases and the Wemmershoek Dam/Paarl water-main pipeline. When he joined the Cape Concrete Group in 1979 John was appointed factory manager of African Spun Concrete, an infrastructure precast concrete products manufacturer and one of three precast concrete plants owned by the company.
John was appointed as technical director in 1988, a role he skillfully deployed to ensure that Cape Concrete kept pace with new precast concrete manufacturing technologies. Cape Concrete invested in automated pipe, manhole and paving slab machines, prestressing beds and the expansion into the building and housing industry.
John was deeply involved in innovative applications of precast concrete such as the production of nuclear waste containers, one-piece garages, precast concrete toilets for low-cost housing and concrete tanks for wine fermentation.
In 2009 John and Darty Louw, Cape Concrete’s 3rd generation owner, led a project to supply stadium seating for the Green Point World Cup soccer stadium. As a JV arrangement, this was the company’s single largest project at the time and included large infrastructure investments for Cape Concrete.
John was also party to Cape Concrete’s decision in 2018 to buy an 80-tonne gantry crane which enabled the company to manufacture some of South Africa’s largest prestressed beams to date, such as the 36m long, 65 tonne beams used for the construction of the bridge over the Berg River at Val De Vie Estate in Paarl.
The company’s determination to secure a windfarm project was rewarded in 2024 when Cape Concrete, as an 50% partner of a JV arrangement, was awarded a contract to supply keystones (precast concrete segments) for 59 wind-farm towers in Oyster Bay. It required a totally new factory to be built from scratch and input from the whole Cape Concrete team ensured the project’s resounding success.
John’s precast concrete expertise and vast experience garnered huge respect among his colleagues and the industry at large. His open and honest approach and his ability to communicate and liaise with clients was always a major factor in Cape Concrete’s success over the years.
A gentleman to his fingertips, John treated every person with whom he associated with the utmost respect. He had a sincere willingness to listen and brought a calm clarity and thoughtful perspective to every task.
Through his exceptional leadership, technical expertise and business acumen John has made an invaluable contribution to Cape Concrete and after 46 years, a lifetime of employment, John retired in July 2025. The entire Cape Concrete team joins in this tribute to a true legend for his dedication and unfaltering commitment, we wish him many happy and fulfilling years ahead in a well-earned retirement.
