DOING MORE FOR OUR ASPHALT INDUSTRY

We have learned a lot about adapting to change in the past few years and this will serve us well as we plan for the future,” says John Onraet, operations manager, SAT. “We are aware, more than ever, of our responsibility as members of SAT to support sustainability and growth in our industry through uncertain times.”

In the past few months, SAT has seen the inauguration of a new president, Krishna Naidoo (Sanral), and election of its new vice-president, Joanne Muller (AECI Much Asphalt). Imraan Amien

(PHB/Ensync Engineers) remains the only standing regional chair following his acceptance of re-election in the Southern Region. The Central Region – representing Gauteng, the northern provinces, and neighbouring countries – has welcomed Tafadzwa Mafuma (AECI Much Asphalt) to the helm. Lee McNeil (Ten Civils) is the new chair of the Eastern Region, and Nik Berning (Liesen Bitumen) leads the Eastern Cape Region.

Herman Marais

Herman Marais, the fifth president of SAT, has served the society in several capacities for many years, culminating in five years as president. The incoming president, Krishna Naidoo, has paid tribute to Marais for building a solid foundation for SAT through “excellent service, support, leadership, guidance and inspiration”.

Marais has been praised for his consistency, his culture of always showing up, and his diligent and levelheaded steering of the ship. However, he was not afraid of change and played a major role in the success of the first two SATBinderrr conferences amid the pandemic. He also led a complete rebranding of SAT during his tenure, along with a continuous drive to rethink SAT’s priorities. This foresight has created a platform from which to launch various initiatives now being planned and actioned.

Krishna Naidoo and Joanne Muller are leading the drive to add more value for current and prospective SAT members, with significant focus on leveraging their collective expertise and experience.

Events

SAT has a busy diary planned for 2023. The Central and Eastern regions have already co-hosted a successful joint hybrid event around the basic principles of raw materials. In-person workshops were hosted in Gauteng and Durban, with online presence countrywide.

An event seeking solutions to challenges in the industry in collaboration with the international asphalt sector (including sub-Saharan Africa, France, Germany and Australia) has also drawn strong interest.

Regional and national events planned for the rest of 2023 include workshops on critical issues, site visits, short single-topic educational events, and networking sessions.

The hybrid model, tested at the 2022 SATBinderrr conference, is proving successful and inclusive.

SAT is also pleased to be playing a leading role in the CAPSA 23 conference planned for October with several members on the organising committee and expected to present papers.

Upskilling presenters

A review of SATBinderrr 2022 has resulted in some exciting new developments that will elevate future events. These include the acquisition of professional audio equipment to improve the overall experience for attendees across all SAT events, as well as access to a well-priced course to assist SAT members with presentation skills.

“We are excited about the new level of professionalism we hope to achieve through both of these developments,” says Onraet. “The presentation skills course will also add ongoing value for members in their jobs outside of SAT and we hope to attract funding from employers to assist this initiative.”

SAT is also engaging more closely with international asphalt associations in the interests of sharing best practice and collaborating globally on industry issues. This ‘International Series’ of industry events is planned as an ongoing focus area for SAT.

Student membership

Young, talented professionals are needed in the industry and SAT is focusing on attracting student members to help instill an interest in asphalt among young people entering technical careers. “We have several leading experts and academics on our national and regional committees who are assisting us in our campaign to get more student members on board,” says Onraet. He points out that access to many of the industry’s leading professionals and the large, growing body of published work through SAT is extremely valuable for student members.

Innovative ways to fund the annual fees for students are currently being discussed. “We know students are illequipped to pay the fees, so we need to assist them until they are employed.”

A new SAT-hosted competition for pavement/asphalt-related undergraduate projects countrywide will be launched this year to improve awareness of SAT among undergraduates and promote involvement in the industry at graduate level.

A little further down the road but equally exciting is the development of a dedicated SAT app. “We can’t reveal much about this yet,” says Onraet. “But it is just one part of our drive to stay relevant, to ensure our sustainability, and to add more value.”