AfriSam anchor sponsor for Fulton Awards

AfriSam is the anchor sponsor for the 2019 biennial Fulton Awards, hosted by NPO the Concrete Society of Southern Africa (CSSA).

The event recognises the possibilities that concrete structures create for society and, therefore, honours excellence and innovation in the design and use of concrete. “The type of projects revered at the event speak to what AfriSam is all about – creating concrete possibilities,” says AfriSam sales and marketing executive Richard Tomes.

He cites the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa at the V&A Waterfront, in Cape Town, which opened in September 2017, of which AfriSam was a proud supplier, as an example of what concrete can make possible and the innovation that can be achieved using concrete

AfriSam works closely with industry bodies and tertiary education institutions to fund research and initiatives aimed at advancing excellence in concrete. Tomes emphasises that the company’s work is always about partnerships, “as none of us can create these concrete possibilities on our own”.

“AfriSam works with architects to helping them push boundaries in terms of what can be done with concrete.” 

The AfriSam-South African Institute of Architecture (SAIA) Award for Sustainable Architecture and Innovation, a prestigious biennial award founded by AfriSam and SAIA, recognises the importance of ‘green’ building and acknowledges the contributions made by forward-thinking industry players towards bringing sustainableinnovation to human living environments.

Tomes explains that, for a business like AfriSam to be sustainable, the entire industry needs to be sustainable and it is, therefore, important for the company to be involved in the industry by establishing partnerships and working with NPOs The Concrete Institute, the CSSA, SAIA and the South African Institution of Civil Engineering.

Meanwhile, he asserts that Africa is in dire need of infrastructure investment. “We have seen massive urbanisation and our infrastructure cannot cope. AfriSam must play a role in working with the various industry bodies and associations to address the developmental challenges facing our continent.”

Infrastructure plays an important role in creating opportunities in society. Concrete structures, such as bridges, create possibilities because these connect communities, enabling integration and opening doors to opportunities, such as employment, Tomes says, adding that this is the role industry needs to play – connecting communities with the opportunities that exist.