SBS Water Systems (Pty) Ltd was established in 1998 as a fully South African owned company for the purpose of providing water storage solutions in Southern Africa. Now widely accepted as the leader in the manufacture and supply of Prefabricated Zincalume Steel Panel Tanks and Reservoirs, SBS Water Systems has become the engineer’s choice due to a number of distinguishing characteristics:

Expertise Starting its success as an integral member of a group of companies experienced in the building material manufacture, contracting, logistics and administration of projects in the Reconstruction and Development Program (RDP), SBS Water Systems soon found its niche in the manufacture, supply and installation of Prefabricated Zincalume Steel Panel Tanks and Reservoirs. Appointment of qualified personnel and continued training has resulted in expertise that is well suited for a multitude of markets.

Servicing Multiple Markets and Industries SBS Water Systems’ primary clients were municipalities in the rural areas of Kwa-Zulu Natal and the Eastern Cape where poor access, budget constraints and a shortage of skills were, and continue to be, a major obstacle. The continued success in the municipal arena, that has now spread country wide, has assisted in making SBS Water Systems a household name in water storage for a multitude of industries and applications and has lead to the supply and installation of millions of litres of water storage structures and over 500 Prefabricated Zincalume Steel Panel Tanks and Reservoirs in Southern Africa.

Municipal Community Water Supply Schemes This sector has great potential and during the life of SBS has represented the ‘bread and butter’ of our installations and sales. Due to the strict BEE and other procurement criteria, together with political influences, this sector is one that has gone through constant growth. Alignment with several of the controlling bodies, membership of IMESA, WISA and SAICE and advertising through their direct publications has increased awareness of our product by key role players. Recent years have seen SBS Water Systems exhibiting at the annual conferences of these bodies which allows for networking with industry leaders and there is an expectation of constant growth in this sector.

Mining An increased drive into the mining sector has seen an ever increasing acceptance of SBS Water Systems with our biggest projects being in this sector. The quick installation times, quality assurance and safety characteristics of SBS Prefabricated Zincalume Steel Panel Tanks and Reservoirs have made them a favourite among mining consultants and clients alike. The future of this industry is encouraging and will provide SBS with a healthy percentage of its sales.

Fire Protection Industry This industry is primarily driven by the insurance requirements of property and asset management organisations where Prefabricated Zincalume Steel Panel Tanks and Reservoirs are used as part of fire protection systems. These fire systems are governed by the rules set out by the Automatic Sprinkler Inspection Bureau (ASIB), an independent, internationally recognised, controlling and approving body. SBS is fortunate to be the only listed supplier of prefabricated reservoirs recognised by ASIB.

Food and Beverage Industry and other Commercial Applications Industry awareness of poor and or interrupted municipal water supply has necessitated the search for affordable emergency water storage. Manufacturing plants that require an uninterrupted supply of water, such as bakeries; tea, coffee and tobacco processing; canning and bottling facilities and beverage producers are choosing to install water tanks as emergency measures. This has resulted in an exponential increase of sales into this sector and has necessitated further exploration into rainwater capture and on-site purification systems.

Rainwater Harvesting; Water Purification; Desalination & Wastewater Treatment Water costs have been cut for many of our customers through the use of our products in these fields. We foresee a tremendous growth in this market as a result of the increased cost of water and we are ready to accept the challenge through proven partnerships with water purification experts and contractors that require quick turnaround and a long lasting solution.

Export SBS Water Systems has successfully taken on projects from South Africa into Angola, Botswana, Equatorial Guinea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Swaziland and Zambia. The SBS Prefabricated Zincalume Steel Panel Tanks and Reservoirs lend themself to easy transport in a palletised knock-down format and in most cases the installation is undertaken by qualified SBS installation teams. Smaller Prefabricated Zincalume Steel Panel Tanks and Reservoirs have however lent themselves to be packaged in DIY form for self installation. Our shipping and logistics partners have contributed immensely to the export success, sometimes under difficult conditions.

Competent, Committed & Dedicated Staff The greatest contributing factor to SBS Water Systems’ success is the people within the company.  Currently 30 permanent staff members are employed under the daily leadership of the original shareholders, two of whom are also directors. A low staff turnover has meant that some staff members have been working together with one another even before the start of SBS Water Systems, over a decade ago, and remain a vital part of the success story.

The company is headed by Mr Delayne Gray, the Managing Director, and has a dedicated and efficient staff contingent with the following department heads:

• Marketing / Key Accounts Director – Mr Mava Gwagwa
• Technical & Production – Mr Chris Leah
• Project Management – Mr Paul van der Merwe
• Installations & Training – Mr Patrick Hlongwana
• Human Resources – Mrs Charmaine Israel
• Finance & Administration / Financial Director – Mr Heiner Freese

In addition to its own industry specific representatives, SBS Water Systems has distributors throughout South Africa as well as sales people in the neighbouring states.

Empowerment SBS Water Systems is proud to be a level 3 BBBEE contributor and has empowered not only its own employees, but also sub-contractors and industry partners that have ensured excellent quality and timely delivery of water storage structures that are cost effective, environmentally friendly and aesthetically pleasing.

Quality Products and Excellent Service SBS Water Systems’ unmatched quality and service stems from a longstanding relationship with many statutory bodies, engineers, consultants and customers in the construction, water and fire industry. These have also been the best advocates in the market place and have ensured that repeat customers form the majority of our clientele.

Zincalume Prefabricated Tanks and Reservoirs SBS Water Systems is fortunate to be the first supplier of Prefabricated Zincalume Steel Panel Tanks and Reservoirs in Southern Africa and has been at the coalface of development to make them suitable for the harsh South African conditions and for export into Africa since its inception. The unconventional nature of Prefabricated Zincalume Steel Panel Tanks and Reservoirs and Reservoirs has made the penetration of many of SBS’s market segments difficult.  It has not only meant the introduction of a new product, but has also necessitated the changing of industry standards and the mindsets of engineers and consultants within these market segments to reject existing technology and methods, usually reinforced concrete tanks, in favour of technically advanced new technology. Those who have been bold and brave enough to make the change have been rewarded with cost effective water storage solutions that outlast any conventional construction technology in its field and takes a fraction of the time to build.

Polyethylene Tanks At the request and as a service to our customers, SBS Water Systems stocks and sells a good quality, cost effective range of Polyethylene Tanks up to 10,000 litres that is manufactured from high quality, virgin plastic to outlast any competition.

New Products Although it is the companies policy and experience that it is better to focus on fewer products than our competitors in order to keep better control, it has nevertheless kept its ears to the ground through both local and international associates so as to offer the best and most cost effective solution to most water storage requirements.

Stability, Sustainability and Peace of Mind SBS Water Systems has shown constant growth despite all the political and economic challenges that it has faced since its inception in 1998. A great number of resources including hundreds of man-hours and millions of Rand have been ploughed back into the business to ensure sustainable growth and work security for all SBS employees, quite often at the expense of the shareholders. The SBS team is confident that the future of prefabricated reservoirs for water storage is destined to grow and believe that they are safely and securely positioned to see a constant growth in sales and investment in the next five years.

The company is proud to have progressed from humble beginnings and realises that it is now time to go even further, to get even bigger and do even more!  This will involve looking back at our past achievements, learning from our past failures and successes, embracing the fragrance of a new era and being prepared to change with it and not to be changed by it.