Construction World February 2017

MARKETPLACE

SIZEABLE STEP towards industry transformation The Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (SEIFSA) has welcomed the launch of RSC Avelo (Avelo) as a big step towards industry transformation. Avelo is a black-woman- youth-owned and managed reinforcing steel (rebar) manufacturer. The company is a QSE and is set to produce at least 12 000 tons of steel per year.

Kyster has made her presence felt in the industry by winning the Most Transformed Company Award in the 2015 SEIFSA Awards for Excellence and by being invited to be one of the speakers at the inaugural Southern African Metals and Engineering Indaba in 2015. Avelo currently employs 25 full-time employees, and contracts up to 50 employees on site through four SMMEs which form part of their Enterprise Development initiatives. Avelo is set to introduce night shifts sometime in the new year in line with anticipated demand, said Komape RSC Avelo Operations Director. Thirty-three-year-old Mayleen Kyster, MD of Avelo, said, “It has been a tough journey, and it is pleasing to see the progress made by the company. In just a year, we have moved swiftly from an EME to a QSE. “RSC is a multinational with 15 businesses across the African continent as well as business in Mauritius. They are shareholders in Avelo with a minority stake in the organisation. The rest of the shares are held by black men, women and youth, with an impressive 58% shareholding held by women. RSC involvement is to provide working capital to the extent that it is needed and this contributes positively to the group’s Enterprise Development initiatives. “RSC Avelo was nominated as one of four Black Industrialist at the 4 th annual SA Premier Business Awards 2016, an awards function which is a collaboration between Proudly SA, Brand South Africa and the department of trade and industry. We appreciate the nomination and acknowledgement as contributors to transforming the manufacturing landscape. We look forward to creating new relationships and further building current relationships to sustain production and create much needed employment, especially given the current depressing economic landscape,” Kyster said. 

“It is encouraging to see young black women such as Mayleen Kyster, MD of RCS Avelo, doing such great work in the industry, especially given the challenges in the manufacturing, engineering and metals industry. “It is refreshing to see new players with a more transformative agenda entering the industry,” said Kaizer Nyatsumba, CEO of Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa, (SEIFSA), speaking at the official launch event held at Avelo’s manufacturing facility in Roodeport. “Kyster together with partners Dorothy Mokgadi and Nkholo Komape’s entrepreneurial spirit has seen them leaving comfortable jobs in the sector to take on the risk of raising capital to venture into the brave world of business ownership, doing so in an industry that is not known for transformation and less renowned for its friendliness or ability to accommodate women, and for this we are pleased,” said Nyatsumba. He highlighted that, within a relatively short space of time,

Mayleen Kyster, MD of RCS Avelo.

About RCS Avelo RCS Avelo is a steel

manufacturer which specialises in the supply of reinforcing steel (rebar), mesh including mining mesh, fencing, brick force, cover blocks as well as structural steel. Avelo also distributes mining roof bolts and other fabricated and manufactured steel.

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CONSTRUCTION WORLD FEBRUARY 2017