Herman Lombard, Managing Director of MiTek South Africa, joins us to explore the state of South Africa’s construction market. How is he helping his customers achieve more?
As MD of MiTek’s operations here in South Africa, it’s my pleasure to share our perspective on 2023 and beyond. Happily, there’s lots to be positive about.
A key aim of ours is to upgrade all our customers to the latest version of PAMIR design sofware this year, giving them more functionality. The new roof cover calculator alone is going to save them many hours per day. Finer details like new 0.5mm Ultra-Span web options and added truss configurations will open up more possibilities.
Thriving in uncertain times
Of course, it’s not all plain sailing ahead. Some of the challenges we’re seeing our customers face will be familiar to many of you. High interest rates and subdued economies are biting everywhere.
Other hurdles are uniquely South African. Not many people outside of South Africa understand about the energy crisis here, ongoing in some form since 2007. Rolling blackouts, known as loadshedding, make a big dent in businesses. People can’t work without power, and generators are expensive to run.
We’re proud to stand by our customers throughout these times. Fierce competition, especially in the Gauteng province, means they need to take an aggressive stance on pricing. Using our software, they can give their customers a full, clear cost breakdown with the right design codes. That ensures a fair, like-for-like comparison.
Raising the service standard
It’s hard to overstate the positive impact digital solutions are making. PAMIR is helping people wise up to the benefits of Posi-Joist, with our helpdesk making sure users get maximum value from the software. We’re also getting strong positive feedback around the ability to send full 3D design previews to clients and construction crews.
The design team in Vietnam are also on hand to help with complex work. We have a customer using them right now. But it’s not only all digital, remote stuff. Our engineers are also busy carrying out in person site inspections. Not every roof in South Africa is capable of taking a solar panel, for example. We’re giving a thorough service, leaving nothing to chance, and winning more business.
Like our colleagues in MiTek around the world, we place absolute value in the relationships we build. Sometimes that means the best thing we can offer is advice. Helping our customers’ customers stay on top of things like latest design and loading codes goes a long way towards streamlining operations.
Looking to the future after many years of surprises, I remain optimistic. We have a great team, a leading set of products, best software and the support of our colleagues around the world.
Together, we look forward to helping the South African construction industry achieve their ambitions.
