Manufacture of Glass and Glass Products in South Africa 2020

Manufacture of Glass and Glass Products

The manufacture of glass and glass products has been affected by the decline in economic activity of the construction, automotive, food and beverage manufacturing industries and by coronavirus. The industry was brought to a standstill during level 5 and 4 of the national lockdown. South Africa is the world’s 7th and 12th largest producer of wine and beer, respectively, and the wine and beer industries account for a large portion of the demand for glass containers.

Alcohol ban

The ban on liquor during lockdown has had major adverse effects on bottle manufacturers Consol and Isanti. Both companies expressed concerns around the alcohol ban’s threat to their continued operations, which could lead to South Africa becoming a net importer of glass packaging. Consol has suspended the construction of a R1.5bn glass manufacturing plant in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng indefinitely. The alcohol ban put suppliers of raw materials and thousands of glass recycling collectors at risk.

Innovation

The focus for building and automotive glass products is innovation that optimises safety, energy efficiency, UV-resistance, insulation, and aesthetics. Innovations include energy-efficient and low-emissivity glass and solar glass, which is applied as a coating to glass windows to generate solar power.

Windscreen technology plays a role in night vision and smart windscreens.

Report Coverage

This report focuses on the manufacture of glass and glass products. It includes comprehensive information on the state and size of the sector, corporate actions and developments and technological and environmental trends. There are profiles of 23 companies including Isanti Glass, which bought Nampak Glass, South Africa’s second largest manufacturer of glass packaging, for an estimated R1.5bn and other dominant players including Consol and PG Group. Other profiled companies include Cape Composite and W Tech Manufacturing, which make fibreglass products, safety glass companies such as C and C Safety Glass and FGW Safety Glass (Furman Glass) and glassblowers such as Listco (Glass Tech).