New association aims to be the official custodian of the cleaning industry

By: Clive Damonze - CEO and founder of CASA

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a wide-ranging health and socioeconomic impact on all parts of society, and health-security will continue to be a predominant factor during the pandemic and beyond. With this in mind, it is imperative to realise that cleaning as we knew it has changed completely. Now the emphasis will be on cleaning for health as the new normal and the professional cleaning sector will be at the forefront in combatting disease and pandemics that spread with the speed and scale of COVID-19.

This changing landscape has therefore, necessitated the need for a fresh approach to the way a cleaning industry association should meet and address current and future challenges, as the health of this country depends on an industry body’s competencies.

Considering my experiences in the cleaning industry, the impact of the pandemic on the workplace created the need for an innovative, visionary, progressive and continuously evolving industry association to shape the future of the professional cleaning industry in South Africa. In order to address the above adequately, the Cleaning Association of South Africa (CASA) was established and will be formally launched on 1 December 2021 as a non-profit organisation.

• CASA aims to be a unifying and regulatory body for employers in the cleaning industry, as well as chemical and equipment suppliers and inhouse cleaning departments, in the public, private and parastatal sectors.

• CASA will collaborate with global cleaning associations, media publications and various other stakeholders to form official alliances and partnerships.

• CASA aims to be the official custodian of the South African cleaning industry, engaging with government, corporate South Africa and labour organisations.

• The focus of CASA also aims to bring standardisation to the business cleaning sector, by integrating into the circular economy, especially focusing on sustainability.

Real membership benefits will, for instance, include representation at government level, advocating the benefits of outsourcing/professional cleaning practices, and providing suppliers to the industry with a platform to address their various issues. Chairpersons of every portfolio committee will constitute the National Executive Committee (NEC). The elected chairperson and his/her committee of subject experts will address members’ issues of common interest.

Education and training of member companies, as the employer and its employees, has become vitally important, and CASA intends to promote and facilitate skills development through the Professional Body for Environmental Health of South Africa (PBEHSA) and the Services Sector Education and Training Authority (SSETA) as well as through qualified training providers.

Our motivation and mission is to:

• Become a stronger voice in the business community with regards to legislation on behalf of the industry at government and corporate levels;

• Promote awareness of the cleaning industry;

• Promote the delivery of professional service standards amongst our members;

• Promote compliance and ethical practices in all business activities amongst our members;

• Establish alliances with all global cleaning associations and source international support;

• Promote and entrench the association as an international brand;

• Create an improved position as a lead employer in partnership with PBEHSA;

• Embark on an emphasised education and training programme with the support of the PBEHSA and Services SETA to develop a framework for skills development;

• Create an effective communication policy and ensure more participation and co-operation with association members;

• Enhance web development with more information flow, also using social media platforms e.g. Instagram, Twitter and Facebook;

• Increase resources/manpower for greater national support; and

• Establish chamber portfolios, headed up by cleaning industry subject matter experts, to offer beneficial compensation to members, such as: International benchmarking, Industry research and development, Policy-making, Marketing, Advocacy, Training and skills development, Suppliers of chemicals and equipment, Transformation, and Environment and sustainability, etc.

Our guiding principles will be based on:

• The Decent Work policy;

• The National Development Plan 2030; and

• CASA Clean-Connect (CASA commits to assist South Africa to find meaningful solutions to the unemployment problem).

As a new association, we want to be recognised as more than just a cleaning association. CASA means a home for all, where cleaning is an opportunity.

The time for the cleaning industry to shine brighter than before is imminent and I cherish this opportunity to work together with industry colleagues as we face the challenges ahead, to bring about change and to develop and prepare the industry for excellence in a new era.

Join the Cleaning Association of South Africa (CASA) now to be part of shaping the future in the cleaning sector.

For more information, visit our website:www.casa-za.com or contact us on+27 21 930 0011. Email: admin@casa-za.com or secretariat@casa-za.com