THE STATE OF THE
WELDING INDUSTRY IN
SOUTH AFRICA
Madeleine du Toit
University of Pretoria
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The year 2010 is synonymous in the public mind
with the 2010 FIFA World Cup hosted by South
Africa
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But 2010 was about more than soccer …
• 2010 was planned as the peak in a cycle of unprecedented
infrastructure spending in South Africa.
• To realize its plans to stimulate economic growth, reduce
unemployment and halve poverty by 2014, the South African
government put forward a set of economic proposals in 2006,
called the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative of South Africa
(ASGISA), underpinned by public investment in infrastructure.
• ASGISA was developed to increase the average economic growth
rate to 4.5% between 2006 and 2010, and to further accelerate
economic growth to an average of 6% for the period 2010 to 2014.
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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAMME
ESKOM NEW BUILD PROGRAMME
•
Construction is underway on the new Medupi power station. Medupi is a dry
cooled coal-fired plant using supercritical boiler technology, comprising six
units with 4 788 MW installed capacity. The boiler and turbine contracts for
Medupi represent the biggest commercial contracts in Eskom’s history.
•
Construction has started on the new Kusile plant. This power station will
consist of six units each rated at approximately 800 MW installed capacity
giving a total of 4 800 MW. As such it will be one of the largest coal-fired
power stations in the world, once completed, and the first power station in
South Africa to have FGD technology installed.
•
Ingula, a pumped-storage scheme near Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal, with a
planned capacity of 1 352 MW, is expected to be fully operational by the
middle of 2013.
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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAMME
TRANSNET
•
Expansion of the iron ore export channel from Sishen to Saldanha.
Source: www.transnet.co.za
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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAMME
TRANSNET
•
Expansion of the coal export channel by upgrading the coal link to Richards
Bay and expanding capacity of the Richards Bay harbour.
•
New container terminal and increased capacity at the car terminal in Durban.
•
Widening, deepening and upgrading of the Cape Town container terminal.
•
Refurbishment and renewal of general rolling stock.
•
Continued development of the Port of Ngqura (formerly Coega) with
provision for a full service container terminal.
•
Construction of a new 550 km 24 inch multi-purpose fuel pipeline between
Durban and Johannesburg.
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CHALLENGES
Technology issues
CHALLENGE: Increasing global competition.
 Consistent quality is the key to remaining competitive in local and global
markets.
•
•
•
•
•
Improved control
Lower defect levels
Improved energy efficiency
Improved integration of welding with other manufacturing processes
Lower welding costs and faster deposition rates
 Company certification schemes such as the SAIW Fabricator Certification
Scheme, based on ISO 3834.
 Technology Centres to facilitate knowledge transfer and support local
industry with the introduction and application of advanced welding
technologies, processes and materials.
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CHALLENGES
Skills shortage
CHALLENGE: Shortage of skills in the welding sector.
•
Despite efforts by government and the private sector in recent years, the
present state of South Africa’s skills pool is still depleted.
•
It is widely accepted that South Africa’s artisan shortage is a chronic
problem.
•
Merseta and SEIFSA report favourable growth and predict an upward
trend in the number of trained artisans in the metals industry. Most of
this growth is attributed to the Accelerated Artisan Training programme.
•
Structured workplace experience is still a major constraint.
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SKILLS CHALLENGES FACING THE SOUTH AFRICAN
WELDING INDUSTRY
•
Still difficult to attract suitable people to welding-related careers.
•
Skilled welders, supervisors, inspectors, non-destructive testing
technicians, welding technologists and welding engineers are in short
supply and skilled workers are imported for large capital expansion projects,
shutdowns and construction projects.
•
Skills levels are low and high levels of re-work are common.
•
Fast tracking/coaching of welders through construction code requirements
is a major contributing factor to high rejection rates.
3 Months
UNSKILLED
WORKFORCE
CODED WELDER
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SKILLS CHALLENGES FACING THE SOUTH AFRICAN
WELDING INDUSTRY
•
School leavers progressing through FET colleges and acquiring NQF level
qualifications have a credibility issue.
•
Shortage of high level engineering skills in the welding industry.
– Since 2006, when SAIW became the ANB of IIW in South Africa, 16 International
Welding Engineers (IWE’s) have been registered in this country.
– In the same period, Germany trained an average of 500 IWE’s per year.
•
Very little welding-related research is currently performed at South African
academic and research institutions.
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PROPOSED SOLUTIONS
 Targeting suitable young people by increasing the attractiveness of
welding as a vocation.
Actively promoting activities such
as the Young Welder of the Year
competition.
Promoting international training
schemes for welding personnel to
increase the status of prestige of
welding as a vocation and to
provide people with a clear career
paths.
The introduction of bursaries,
scholarships and learnerships to
attract quality students.
Source: www.saiw.co.za
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PROPOSED SOLUTIONS
 Introduction of a national training scheme for welders and welding
personnel, funded by government and the private sector. Such a scheme
will ensure that:
•
Learners are trained by knowledgeable trainers in suitable facilities, and
•
Learners are trained according to a credible programme that delivers the high
skills levels required by industry.
 Such a training scheme is already in place in South Africa !!
International Welding Practitioner
International Welding Specialist
International Welding Inspector
International Welding Technologist
International Welding Engineer
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PROPOSED SOLUTIONS
 Cooperative research programmes
should be encouraged between
government, industry and academia.
Two South African
Universities have sustained
welding research
programmes:
UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA
Department of Materials
Science and Metallurgical
Engineering
NELSON MANDELA
METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY
(NMMU)
Department of Mechanical
Engineering
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CONCLUDING REMARKS
•
Public and private infrastructure development and capital expansion
projects require skilled welding personnel.
•
An internationally recognised national training scheme for welding
personnel, industry and government funded cooperative welding
research programmes and the establishment of Technology Centres
are proposed to ensure that the local welding industry remains globally
competitive.
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