Acting Limpopo Premier (on the time of the visit) Jerry Ndou in partnership with the CEO of Anglo American Chris Griffith and Africa Pipe officially opened the Africa Pipe Industry North factory worth R 1 Million, on Tuesday, in Mokopane.
The factory that manufactures bulk pipes seeks to improve the economy of Mokopane through employing locals in the Mokopane area.
The pipes which are manufactured in the factory, distribute, water, oil and gas.
CEO of Anglo America Chris Griffith says the project has already employed 76 locals from the Mokopane area and the number will increase when there is a high demand for bulk pipes in the province, “We urge the Limpopo government to place more orders from this plant for us to increase the number of employees in the factory,” says Griffith during the official opening.
Adding that the pipes that workers were manufacturing during the visit were an order from the Vhembe District Municipality, “We want more orders to be placed from this plant so that we can empower the locals through jobs,” he adds.
Griffith says they are committed to supporting transformation in South Africa through making a positive, sustainable contribution, not only in a business imperative, but to the development of the community through infrastructure development, support education, provision of health facilities in the areas they operate in, and in particular Mokopane.
Ndou expressed his excitement, “this project will definitely change the lives of the people, particularly those in the Mogalakwena area.”
“We want to come back after five years and find the project grown in the number of people employed here.”
Ndou says the government should do more partnerships with the private sector to create more jobs for social economic transformation. “If we pull together, we can make a difference in the lives of the people of Limpopo,” he concludes.
