Scarcely two years after merging a number of thriving precast manufacturing businesses under the Global Precast banner the group is becoming a major c
Scarcely two years after merging a number of thriving precast manufacturing businesses under the Global Precast banner the group is becoming a major contender for infrastructural projects throughout South Africa and the sub-Saharan African region.
While the operations have enjoyed unprecedented growth, the success of the operation was cemented at the outset of the merger with smart planning that allowed strategically placed companies within the group to service large areas of the sub-region through clever transport strategies and planned stockholdings. This combined with strategically positioned agents has given the company unmatched reach and competitive pricing in areas suppliers had previously thought were uneconomical to service.
According to Global Precast managing director Werner Viljoen, the group’s growth has been measured with expansion following demand and has also been paced through due financial diligence. This has allowed the five independently registered businesses consisting of Global Precast in Pretoria, Global Precast Central in Bloemfontein, Global Precast Coastal in Port Edward, Global Precast Namibia near Windhoek and the soon-to-be opened Global Precast Zambia operation in Ndola to grow at a sustainable pace.
The company currently maintains agents or sales representation across the North West, Northern Cape, Western Cape, Free State, Lesotho, Eswatini, Mozambique, Botswana and Zimbabwe supported by a sales force of approximately 40 to 50 representatives operating throughout the market.
“It is important to understand that these are individual companies with each business having its own structure and management with the same core principles and manufacturing systems. We manage our cash flow very carefully and we do not like debt so we rather grow steadily than expand too aggressively,” Werner says.
Alongside its manufacturing operations, the group also operates a plant hire and civil construction division supplying trucks and construction equipment to contractors for large-scale infrastructure contracts.
Werner explains that the Pretoria business which acts as the hub for the group was established in 2003 on a smallholding where sanitation and infrastructure products played a major role in accelerating the company’s early expansion. As demand increased, the business consolidated additional operations into the Global Precast structure creating a regional manufacturing network designed to improve logistics efficiencies and service delivery into infrastructure markets across Southern Africa.
Growing a strategically planned footprint
According to Global Precast sales and marketing director Willem Daniel van Dyk, regional manufacturing capacity has become increasingly important as infrastructure demand grows across Southern Africa. This is particularly important for the Bloemfontein operation which trades as Global Precast Central and was recently established to service the large Free State, Northern Cape, Lesotho regions and parts of the Western Cape. The facility underwent redevelopment and certification before restarting production earlier this year.
“We manufactured all the samples required by SANS and then CMACS came to conduct the audits and we passed everything first time and received all the certifications required for our concrete products including our range of pipes and manholes, as well as culverts. There is a lot of work in the Free State at the moment especially on roads and mining projects and the establishment of Global Precast Central allows us to supply that entire region efficiently.”
Willem Daniel says transport logistics remain one of the biggest challenges facing the precast industry particularly when moving heavy infrastructure products over long distances. “When one of the original companies in Namibia started several years ago we realised that there are ways to transport culverts from Pretoria to Windhoek economically and were even able to compete with local suppliers. In this way we managed to create fast and efficient methods to incorporate it into our business.
The lessons learned in Namibia have subsequently been expanded into the group’s transport capability through its own internal logistics division using a combination of its own transport supported by third party transporters. This has given the group much greater control over logistics and reduced pricing to end users.
However this level of management of transport as well as all other operations from manufacturing, procurement and quality requires tight control and is the reason the company’s management structure remains completely hands-on. “We know exactly what is happening inside these businesses every day.”
He adds that the next expansion is now underway in Zambia where Global Precast Zambia is being established in Ndola through a partnership structure with local stakeholders. With the establishment of this hub in the Copperbelt region the company will be able to supply mining and infrastructural products in Zambia as well as the southern areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“We have already secured the location, signed the lease agreements, opened the companies and bank accounts and started with earthworks while the equipment is being refurbished in South Africa for installation there. We are expecting to begin manufacturing towards the end of the year to allow stock building and certification processes to be completed before full-scale production. Once completed the Zambia operation will have the same technical capability as other group companies,” Willem Daniel says.
Sharing the same capabilities and standards across the group is an important differentiator in these instances as engineered infrastructure solutions require close adherence to specifications wherever the project takes place. It also allows technical support to contractors as well as supervising engineers and consultants. “If there are technical questions on site you need to be able to speak the same language as a large portion of our business today involves custom engineered products where we work with clients to solve specific infrastructure challenges.
Cross border operations
In Namibia, Global Precast Namibia has established a strong position within the country’s infrastructure market with an established and long-term customer base. Director Brendan Britten says the market is currently performing well and four months into the year the company has already achieved around 65% of last year’s total production tonnage. Similarly to the other operations, it manufactures rectangular portals, stormwater pipes and sanitation systems with the addition of agencies for guardrails, gabion baskets, geotextiles, geosynthetics and rockfall protection systems for the infrastructure and mining markets.
“Namibia is a smaller market and it makes sense to add additional product agencies and solutions to ensure the business remains stable when our construction and infrastructure or mining clients’ demand slows down.”
Brendan explains that despite the smaller size of the market competition is fierce and certification is a strong requirement in the Namibian infrastructure market. As with all Global Precast operations the Namibian company manufactures its products to SANS specifications and undergoes biannual audits while maintaining mandatory CMACS certification for its infrastructural products.
He says long distances and relatively fewer suppliers also requires detailed procurement and supply chain planning in order to be competitive. “In larger centres there may be multiple suppliers available immediately, but in Namibia planning is critical. We communicate with suppliers the same way we communicate with clients because good communication improves service levels throughout the chain.”
Brendan adds that the integration into the wider Global Precast group has strengthened the Namibian operation through improved access to operational equipment like moulds and welding technology and has brought new levels of technical expertise and support.
Serving coastal regions
A similarly beneficial operational advantage has transformed the Global Precast Coastal operation with the merger allowing the company to expand its operation from a focused sanitation supplier into a broader regional infrastructure manufacturer servicing projects across KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape and inland border regions.
Coastal director Scott Burmeister says since the operation was established in 2012 it has built a solid reputation supplying mainly rural municipal infrastructure projects with sanitation products, concrete pipes, manholes, culverts, lids and stormwater infrastructure products as demand increased across the region.
“It was tough in the beginning because everybody knew us as the toilet guys. We had to build credibility in the infrastructure market and establish ourselves product by product among municipalities, contractors and consulting engineers and those hard-earned customers have grown to trust us implicitly.”
The operation officially rebranded as Global Precast Coastal in April 2026 following investment and shareholder participation from the Pretoria operation and continues to service a growing market base extending from Gqeberha through the Eastern Cape and across KwaZulu-Natal as far north as Nongoma near the Mozambique border, while also supplying inland regions towards the Drakensberg and Lesotho border.
“We are still the same business, in the same location, with the same people. The difference now is that we have stronger branding with more support and access to a wider product range and strengthened technical advice if needed. If there are challenges on site we can send technical teams out quickly to investigate and assist,” he says.
People are the key
From a central point of view, Werner acknowledges that the shared goals and work ethic of all the operations as well as the company’s agent network are key aspects of the company’s success. Global Precast places a big emphasis on retaining its staff and developing people within the organisation. This is true throughout the group and many employees have remained with the business for years.
“People are our biggest success factor and that is why we look after our staff. We firmly believe that if your staff are committed then the business gets the best out of them and all aspects of the business can function properly.”
He points to one of the star sales staff in the team as a prime example. Philemon Mampshika joined the Pretoria operation at its formative stage as a general worker. During this time the business was operated on a limited budget manufacturing products by hand seeking new customers.
Philemon joined the business straight out of school when Global Precast was still a small startup operation. Starting in production he worked across mixing, moulding, quality control, deliveries, supervision and factory setup before eventually moving into sales where he lived by the company motto that in concrete you do it right the first time as there are no second chances.
Fortunately his ability to learn quickly and work diligently quickly led to him becoming an invaluable staff member and he was soon entrusted with important tasks that included assisting with the establishment of new operations as well as training local staff and identifying future leaders in different roles and regions. This background has also allowed him to become a key figure in driving sales with the ability to support and advise customers from a practical and technical perspective.
“I know our manufacturing and supply abilities and understand what customers need on site which allows me to advise our customers and give them honest solutions which I think is central to our company’s customer approach. Contractors appreciate honesty more than promises you can’t keep,” he says.
According to Philemon, the close working relationship between sales and production has helped him to build long-term customer trust across the infrastructure sectors and has led to him developing a deep love for serving customers in a sales capacity in what is widely regarded as a tough industry. It has also led to him leading the company’s sales efforts in sanitation and related sales and receiving numerous company awards for his efforts.
This love for the job has seen him receive numerous offers from competitors over the years but he says the company’s culture and long-term relationships have kept him committed to the business. “We started this company together and built this together. Global Precast is where I belong.”
This type of sentiment runs through the company and is a part of the culture that the entire team embraces while continuing to push hard and grow the business across Southern Africa. “This remains central to the team and we want to continue building the same trusted brand wherever we go,” Werner concludes.
