DURBAN - ALL plans are in place for a state-of-the-art chemical and cleaning detergent production facility at KwaMashu Motor Park, Durban.
In 2016, KwaZulu-Natal’s Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (EDTEA) partnered with Mangosuthu University of Technology and trained 191 small businesses.
These small businesses were trained to manufacture cleaning detergents, with the majority coming from the Inanda, Ntuzuma and KwaMashu area.
Ithala was appointed as an implementing agency for the facility, with the SA Bureau of Standards (SABS) as the technical adviser to ensure the facility met industry standards requirements.
Ithala’s reputation manager, Sithandiwe Dimba, said this project came at a crucial time, when the country was trying to rebuild the economy after the effects of Covid-19.
“The fact that this project is in a township is very remarkable. There is development. “Locals are going to be employed, and there is going to be skills development,” Dimba said.
The department’s enterprise development directorate, under the instruction of then MEC Sihle Zikalala, conducted an analysis of the challenges faced by SMMEs in the detergents manufacturing industry.
The key finding was that a detergent-shared production facility be established to address challenges faced by SMMEs in KwaZulu-Natal at KwaMashu Motor Park.
It was discovered that barriers to entry into the market were too high for SMMEs and co-operatives because of the dominance of big industry players like Unilever, Colgate and Palmolive.
These barriers included the non-availability of certified and accredited production and manufacturing facilities.
It was also found that produced and manufactured detergents were not tested and could not be sold in a formal market. High costs associated with regulatory and compliance requirement standards for SMMEs and co-operatives were also a barrier to entry.
The various stakeholders involved in the project include SABS, Technology Innovation Agency, eThekwini Municipality and Ithala.
Plans were approved by SABS, Ethekwini Municipality and other relevant stakeholders. At this facility, there will be full production, demonstration, training and mentorship facilities.
“We have allowed for demonstration, training and production – batch manufacturing and semi-automated where possible (filling and labelling),” Dimba said.
According to a progress report produced by Ithala, all equipment came with a two-year warranty and maintenance plan.
For detergent manufacture, there was one 1 000-litre mixer, capable of producing three batches or 3 000 litres per day; the rest would allow for decanting, filling and packaging as well as cleaning.
Daily News