JOHANNESBURG - Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) on Wednesday opened a new speciality pipe manufacturing plant, Africa Pipe Industries North, in Mokopane, Limpopo.
The plant is a joint venture with Africa Pipe Industries (API) and is an empowerment initiative that is earmarked to create 76 direct jobs at peak operational capacity in the Mokopane community.
The plant consists of an ultra-modern pipe mill that manufactures a variety of technically-advanced steel piping for the distribution of water, oil and gas, and will supply customers in Limpopo and sub-Saharan Africa.
Amplats will be a customer of the plant, thereby ensuring a stable order book and stable community employment.
Premier of Limpopo Chupu Mathabatha and Amplats chief executive, Chris Griffith, presided over the official opening of the plant.
Mathabatha said: "This initiative is one of the best, especially because it will create jobs in a volatile economy. We applaud Anglo American Platinum on this endeavour and believe that the same initiatives are going to follow suit wherever they operate."
The plant was commissioned in October 2017 and will be API’s first facility in Limpopo Province. API will operate the plant and have been responsible for the technical know-how on the plant design, building construction, and equipment installation.
Chris Griffith, CEO of Anglo American Platinum said: “(This) is an excellent local enterprise development project, introducing a new industry to the area that will create new skills and employment in the community and it is part of our commitment to enabling sustainable mine community development.”