New tastes spawn new construction SMEs
AS the rich carve out mountains to erect spell-binding mansions and, as modest new home owners construct their own castles in and around Harare, fledgling suppliers of construction equipment have been cheering them all the way.
The two seemingly distinct social classes share an appetite for trendy home designs and modifications.
And with new home designs such as suspended ceilings become more popular, new businesses have emerged. Not surprisingly, the demand for aluminium – quite a malleable material for designers – has been increasing.
In recent years, aluminium has become popular for finishing roofs and domes and for use in drains, wall panels and for general decorative purposes.
It is fast becoming an obsession for home owners.
And this is what makes Mr Josiah Matema (40) upbeat about the prospects of his business going forward.
Having spent 12 years in the aluminium business and subsequently forming his own – Vision Aluminium – Mr Matema has over the years honed the art of manufacturing sliding doors, windows, shop fronts, suspended ceilings mainly for banks, office partitioning, shower cubicles, man trap booths and steel fabrication. Though he gets some of his supplies from local companies, he sources others from neighbouring South Africa.
Heightened construction activity by both individuals and companies has become a boon for the Graniteside, Harare-based firm.
Being a relatively small business that obviously doesn’t have a significant marketing budget, Mr Matema depends on the quality of his workmanship to pull in more customers.
Due to supply dynamics and new tastes, the construction industry has seen a shift from steel to aluminium by construction companies.
For new homeowners, houses are no longer a convenient dwelling that only provides a room a roof over one’s head, but a fashion statement of sorts.
As a result, sliding doors, stained glass and aluminum products are now in vogue. Most importantly, aluminum is easy on the pocket as it is relatively cheap.
“People are now changing from steel to aluminium. Most of our customers want sliding doors, hinged doors and aluminium windows to make their structures appealing.
“Aluminium is also durable compared to steel and doesn’t require paint and putty and renovations. It is also bright and therefore gives a good image of the house, setting it apart from the rest,” said Mr Matema.
Apart from being used in construction of houses, aluminium is also applied in the construction of high-rise structures and bridges while window frames, panels, domed roofs and other wide-span constructions and ornaments are increasingly made with the metal.
Experts say the minimum design service life of aluminium buildings is 80 years and during this period, it can be used in any climatic conditions.
This January has been particularly busy for Mr Matema as compared to the same period last year.
However, the biggest drawback for most Zimbabwean SMEs is the failure to reinvest in modern equipment, and that has a bearing on the quality of the workmanship. State-of-the-art equipment tends to improve the quality of products and also contributes to the efficiency of the business. Vision Aluminium started with rudimentary tools but it has been steadily building its stock of equipment, with a view to continuously improve their operations.
Mr Matema said at the moment they have mitre saws that are used for cutting aluminium into sizes they require.
They also have a crambling machine that joins window corners, a router machine for smart drilling of key holes, drill machines, chisels, hammers, rubber mallets, grinding machines and a generator so that in cases of power outages, or when working in an area that does not have grid electricity, business goes on.
“We don’t have people who call us to go back and correct any work we would have undertaken, which shows that we are doing a great job. We are also getting bigger jobs because of the satisfactory work we are doing,” said Mr Matema.
This has also positively contributed to the company’s order book.
As is the case with many SMEs, the company is yet to formalise its operations roughly three years after its formation.
Apart from registering the company, Mr Matema is yet to get a tax clearance, which is a key requirement before being contracted by big companies.
This all works against the business and its aspirations to grow. The budding businessman is however keen to formalise his operations.
“The company is fully registered but we are yet to get a tax clearance. Zimra officials come here sometimes to educate us on the importance of formalisation and we are willing to go that route so that we get big tenders. We have already lost some big tenders because we don’t have tax clearance certificates,” added Mr Matema.
He is also working on insuring the business so that in the case of fire or some other act of God, he is able to salvage something.
With the pent up demand for properties, Mr Matema is optimistic that he will be able to grow his business, which country employments eight people.