WINDHOEK – A top official of the National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) in South Africa recently held intense discussions with a Namibian construction company, Trans Atlantic Enterprises, to enhance its chances of formally operating and competing in the housing construction industry in the neighbouring country.
Dr Jeffery Mahachi, executive director of Technical and IT in the NHBRC in Johannesburg, held fruitful discussions with Heinrich Schroeder, founder of Trans Atlantic Enterprises, and James Arm, Kavango Block Brick marketing manager in the capital.
“Discussions were held to streamline and finalise acceptance of our company’s innovative Kavango Block Brick construction system to fit in with the South African National Building Regulations,” said Heinrich Schroeder.
The NHBRC, which provides a 5-year warranty against housing structural defects, is a South African legislative statutory body with a mandate to regulate the home building industry and to protect the housing consumer.
“To us NHBRC approval will open many doors in the building industry as financial institutions would gladly finance housing construction projects using the Kavango Block Brick system. This in effect will mean that our building system will comply with the stringent quality control and proven accepted building standards specified by the National Building Regulations,” said James Arm.
It is a regulation in South Africa that all homebuilders are NHBRC registered prior to delivering domestic housing.
“The Kavango Block Brick has received major interest and recognition from South African communities over the past few years. Our company is currently finalising an application for NHBRC approval in order to deliver housing in South Africa. We are confident that final approval will be issued in the near future, considered to be a milestone for our Namibian company. This will allow us to compete across our border in South Africa. It is my opinion that the time is set for a Namibian company to export its technology to SADC, making a significant contribution towards addressing the housing backlog in the SADC Region,” said Schroeder.
According to Arm, Kavango Block Brick has achieved a major milestone during the past six months, the completion of a Kavango Block Brick house near Cape Town for public viewing.
“Further projects the company will be involved with include the ABSA/NHBRC International Housing Innovation and Sustainable Energy Efficiency competition to take place in the Western Cape, and participation in this year’s Southern African Housing Foundation Innovative show village in Swakopmund in July,” said Arm.
New Era - Windhoek, Namibia
Frederick Philander
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