SAIF AGM: Announcement of SAIF Board members for 2021/2022

The SAIF held the first online AGM on 31 August 2021 with 26 members attending.

Highlights tabled from the meeting.

Collaborations with new foundries in neighbouring countries will be explored early in 2022 to support growth in the industry on the African continent.

Though the effects of COVID-19 on business operations in South Africa, the SAIF continued its efforts to support industry through engagement with various stakeholders and were able to maintain certain of the regular activities throughout the year with only minor interruptions or adjustments to the annual programme.

105 industry workers completed the SAIF short courses presented in Gauteng during 2020.

The Board of Directors are investigating various options to finalise the process of accreditation for the SAIF Foundry Technology Programme.

The SAIF Board of Directors are directing all efforts to improving the working relationship between the Gauteng Foundry Training Centre situated at Ekurhuleni East College in Kwa Thema Springs and the institute to facilitate access and collaboration for member of industry.
The Annual Golf Day held in November 2020 hosted 108 players and 11 sponsors of watering holes, T-boxes and special prizes.
The Department of Employment and Labor issued a mandate to the Non-Destructive Testing industry to form a professional body under the SAQCC NDT registration.

A board has been formed on which we as the SAIF have a seat to ensure that the foundry industry is represented as the NDT industry develops criteria and implements the methodology of regulating the industry through professional status of NDT Technicians suitable to meet the needs of the National Skills Development Strategy and end-user requirements as well as NDT service providers and training service providers.

SAIF in partnership with South African Tourism and NCPC & NFTN have started conversations to embark on a new venture to host the 2024 WFO Conference.
The Institute has approached the WFO and have entered negotiations with representatives of the NFTN (National Foundry Technology Network) to transfer the WFO membership from NFTN to SAIF.

Congratulations to the following members who were elected to the SAIF Board of Directors for 2021 / 2022

Glen Dikgale – President
Janley Kotze – Vice President
Enno Krueger – Treasurer
Nigel Pardoe – Member
Kosongo (Didier) Nyembwe – Member
Clive Jones – Member

Members are invited to submit their details to volunteer as members of the SAIF Working Groups Management Team. Contact Marina at the SAIF office on 011 559-6455 or mbiljon@uj.ac.za for more information.
Members will offer support to the office and the SAIF Board of Directors attending to various projects and events. Some of these activities include:
Social events and fund raising: Annual Awards Dinner, Golf Day, Technical Presentation Evenings.
Training: Accreditation of SAIF Short Courses, development and upgrading of learning material, introduction to new courses, sourcing of facilitators, further development to present online training and expanding to industry workers outside Gauteng region, interaction and engagement with GFTC at Ekurhuleni East College.
Stakeholder Engagement: representation and engagement, input on behalf of SAIF members and SAIF Board of Directors to various bodies.
Membership and Technical Support: engagement and representation on behalf of SAIF members as well as members of other professional bodies.
Exhibitions and Conferences: some of which may include both national as well as international events such as BRICS, GIFA, RAPDASA, WFO Congress & Technical Forum, Metal Casting Conference, colloquiums.

Condolences: Notice of Deaths

It is with great sadness that we have to advise of the recent passing of the following SAIF members as well as other individuals in the foundry industry. On behalf of the Board of Directors, the SAIF office and all our members, we extend our deepest condolences to the families, friends and colleagues for the loss of their loved ones. We extend our heartfelt sympathy during this time of sorrow. May their souls rest in peace.

Mr Bertie Ogle
Mr Fred Venter
Mr Freek Viljoen
Mr Graham Hartley
Mr Grant Ramsden
Mr Harvey Dunn
Mr Tubby Boynton-Lee

Important dates and upcoming events

SAIF Foundry Technology Training Programme – Quarter 3
9 October – 11 December, 2021
Reading Country Club, Fore Street, Alberante, Alberton

Casting Design & Methods
Moulding & Moulding Sands
Supervisory Management

Contact Marina at SAIF office on 011 559-6455 or email mbiljon@uj.ac.za for more information about the Foundry Technology Training Programme.

RAPDASA Conference

The Rapid Product Development Association of South Africa is hosting their 22^nd International Conference from 3 – 5 November, 2021 at the CSIR International Convention Centre in Pretoria.

RAPDASA will be joined by the 14^th Robotics and Mechatronics (RobMech) and the 32^nd Pattern Recognition Association of South Africa (PRASA) conferences. The conference theme is “Digital Manufacturing Industrialising Africa”. For further information please contact Mrs Rynette Coetzer at info@rapdasa.org.

10th Annual BRICS Foundry Forum & Metal Expo 2021

9 November – 12 November, 2021
Moscow Russia

The title theme for this year’s conference is “Opportunities for Creating and Implementing Joint Programmes and Projects in the Field of S&T Cooperation, Research and Education.”

It is assumed that the SAIF will represent South Africa provided that international travel from South Africa is permitted under current COVID-19 restrictions. Members who are interested to represent the institute can submit their requests accompanied by a proposal of the technical paper/industry presentation they will present on behalf of SAIF and South Africa. Any individual approved to represent the institute must agree to the various prescribed conditions and accepts that all related costs will be for their own account.

SAIF Annual Golf Day

Thursday, 11 November, 2021
Reading Country Club, Fore Street, Alberante, Alberton

Under the current COVID-19 regulations all activities related to our Golf Day will be available with only a few restrictions and limitations.

32 fourballs
No limit to number of persons to a golf cart
18 sponsored watering holes (manned)
18 T-Box sponsorships (unmanned)
Fourball fees include halfway house meal
100 Persons permitted to the bar area (inside)
250 Persons permitted to the bar area (outside)

All visitors must have their temperature taken on entry, and must sanitise their hands at all entrances to the premises as well as entering through any indoor building around the club.
Masks must be worn in all public areas at all times, except while playing on the course.
A social distance of at least 1.5 to 2 meters must be maintained at all times.
Changing rooms/showers will be available for all players, however no toiletries and linen will be provided.
NO DINNER will be served as a safety measure to ensure social distancing protocols are adhered to.

Any persons showing flu like symptoms relating to COVID-19 or anyone who has been in contact with a person with COVID-19, 14 days prior to the event should not attend the event. Persons who have tested positive for COVID-19, 14 days prior to the event must not attend the event unless he/she has been cleared by a medical practitioner and tested negative prior to the event. The SAIF will make every effort to ensure the safety of our staff, players and guests. It must however be taken into consideration that individuals have a responsibility towards themselves and those around them to maintain good hygiene practices.

For more information on leisure activities, corporate golf days and fundraising events (golf), please visit the South African Golfers Association on www.golfrsa.co.za

COSTS:
Fourball R 2,500
Sponsored Watering Hole R 1,500 (manned)
Sponsored T-Box R 1,000 (unmanned)

Please submit your bookings to the SAIF offices at mbiljon@uj.ac.za as soon as possible to secure your fourball and/or sponsorship.

Please be advised that bookings for the SAIF Annual Golf Day is exclusive to paid-up members. Kindly contact the office to arrange settlement of outstanding accounts with the institute.

Please contact Marina on 011 559-6455 should you require any additional information in this regard.

NUMSA Strike

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) has called on its members to strike from 5 October following failed salary negotiations with steel and engineering industry employers. NUMSA has demanded an initial eight percent rise to salaries and an additional two percent over the following two years. The current national march is ongoing.

NUMSA are demanding on behalf of its members, a salary increase of 8% for one year (2021) and an adjustment of consumer inflation plus 2% for the following two years. This works out to a salary increases of just over 6%, as the SA Reserve Bank expects inflation to average 4.2% and 4.5% in 2022 and 2023 respectively.

The Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of SA (Seifsa), with which metal unions have been negotiating, has offered a three-year agreement of a 4.4% increase for 2021, and inflation plus 0.5% for 2022, and CPI + 1% for the third year.

The steel and engineering sector is key to our economy, representing nearly 2% of the country’s economic output and around 190,000 direct jobs. It is also important to export, a key driver of the recent recovery in economic activity and record trade surpluses as the country’s mines feed red-hot global commodity demand.