With facilities in South Africa, and having worked in around 15 countries across the continent, JTC Building Systems emerges as one of the leaders in the structural steel industry. Toit Oosthuizen, Managing Director, tells us more about the company’s recent successes and its hopes for the future.
CONSTRUCTION YOU CAN COUNT ON
The construction and engineering industry in South Africa has faced serious challenges of late, from load shedding in the form of national planned power outages, to potential extortion and corruption from so-called ‘construction mafias’.
As a result, local and foreign investment in the industry remains scarce.
Despite myriad factors that threaten to undermine it, JTC Building Systems (JTC) remains positive about the year ahead and insists that 2024 will see ample market opportunities within the sector.
“I firmly believe that there will always remain a place in the industry for companies that think outside the box and are willing to go the extra mile for their clients,” opens Toit Oosthuizen, Managing Director of JTC.
As specialists in the design, supply, and installation of pre-engineered buildings (PEBs) and associated steel structures throughout Africa, the steel industry is also of great importance to JTC.
Notably, South Africa’s steel sector has faced its own unique challenges recently, epitomised by the proposal from Arcelor Mittal South Africa (AMSA) to cease operations at its Newcastle and Vereeniging steel plants.
“The decision will lead to around 3,500 direct job losses, in addition to downstream job cuts,” reveals Oosthuizen.
AMSA’s decision is anticipated to diminish stability and positivity within South Africa’s steel sector. However, JTC continues to remain positive.
“It is my opinion that there is a silver lining around the dark cloud that hovers over the construction industry in South Africa. We at JTC are positive about 2024,” he reflects.
A TEAM EFFORT
JTC is a group of companies comprising JTC Africa, JTC South Africa, and JTC Zambia, the latter of which has seen tremendous growth in the past 18 months.
“80 percent of our business occurs outside of South Africa and, as such, we have a better understanding of the logistical challenges around working in Africa than most other steel fabricators in the country,” Oosthuizen informs us.
In 2023, the company exported more than 150 trucks and containers into Africa, including to some of the most remote areas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
JTC also boasts an industry-leading turnaround time for 3D Tekla models, from quoting to issuing, and from client review to approval.
Ultimately, the company strives to offer a true one-stop shop for the continent’s structural steel industry needs.
“Clients can deal with a single point of contact from engineering and design right through to execution on site. We therefore focus on giving our clients’ ideas structure, literally and figuratively,” Oosthuizen enthuses.
JTC’s clientele varies from privately-owned companies to some of the globe’s largest publicly listed corporations. Its staff base comprises 50 permanent and contract employees, a significant proportion of whom can be considered industry experts.
“We have a lean, mean team, with every member playing a crucial role,” he comments.
Typically, JTC’s expert staff members work hand in hand with structural engineers and architects that have been appointed by clients. JTC’s collaboration with professional teams ensures improvements and solutions throughout.
“Because of the depth of understanding that our engineers and structural detailers possess, JTC is able to offer advice on the structural fabrication processes, buildability, and value engineering of a project. Our staff understand how to bring theory and real life together in synergy,” Oosthuizen excites.
To ensure the continued professional development of its staff, JTC provides support for further training and short courses, whilst younger employees are mentored by professionals in the relevant field. Furthermore, factory staff undergo training in which additional skills are taught.
“Our staff are our most valuable asset. Without their dedication and hard work, JTC would not exist,” he states.
“I firmly believe that there will always remain a place in the industry for companies that think outside the box and are willing to go the extra mile for their clients”
Toit Oosthuizen, Managing Director, JTC Building Systems
PROJECTS AND PROPOSALS
Over the years, JTC has demonstrated its comprehensive understanding of the construction and engineering industry in executing a range of successful projects, spanning South Africa and the continent.
The Zambian Breweries expansion project in Lusaka, for example, saw JTC participate in the design, supply, and installation of over 1,000 tonnes (t) of PEB structures, including 200 t of lattice-type pipe bridges.
Having redesigned the structure to introduce a new loading canopy and full product warehouse, the expansion led to the client gaining 10,000 square metres (sqm) of additional warehouse space without any internal columns.
“This project demonstrated our ability to offer value engineering solutions to our clients. In addition, it highlighted how we plan and transport construction materials promptly and understand the complexity of execution within a live plant environment,” Oosthuizen outlines.
In South Africa, JTC has completed work on a flagship data centre project in Cape Town that has seen the company supply and install around 150 t of structural steel inside an existing concrete framed structure.
“The successful completion of this data centre confirms our ability to execute brownfield structural steel projects within very confined parameters and safety requirements,” he divulges.
JTC’s Project Nelson activities were vast, such as the supply and installation of 10,000 sqm of roof sheeting and 8,000 sqm of insulated wall façade panels.
These panels were imported from Dubai in around 40 shipping containers, which involved extensive logistical planning and freight coordination.
“At peak construction, we had over 50 staff, made up of subcontractors and direct employees, working on the project to ensure its timely delivery,” Oosthuizen says.
Project Nelson has cemented JTC’s reputation as a leader within the insulated panel façade industry and confirmed its ability to take on large projects within a tight timeframe.
“Proper planning ensured continuity on site, and the successful completion of the project reinforces our ability to scale our teams to the correct and required sizes,” he asserts.
FORWARD THINKING
As JTC looks forward to a year filled with prosperity, it anticipates new and exciting projects across Africa.
“In Zambia, we’ve just started a few projects and have more in the pipeline for the year ahead. We believe Zambia will remain prosperous for us in 2024 and beyond,” Oosthuizen declares.
Elsewhere, the company anticipates the opening of a new shopping centre complex in Mauritius, which is due to commence in February 2024.
“We’ve successfully completed a number of structural steel projects on the island over the past few years, and we look forward to commencing this project,” he excites.
In addition, a data centre project in Midrand, South Africa will see JTC supply structural steel for all the internal walls and ceilings.
Although JTC has an extremely successful track record of executing small, medium, and large construction projects, the company still faces considerable reticence from some engineers, architects, and contractors.
“Because we’re a relatively new and young company, especially when compared to some of our more experienced competitors within the market, our ability to take on certain projects gets questioned.”
Thus, JTC’s goal for the future is to continue to complete its upcoming developments to a high standard and consistently exceed client expectations to enhance its reputation for excellence within the industry.
“We will invest further in additional new plants and equipment to ensure we can continue to deliver projects on time and increase our capacity,” Oosthuizen concludes.
