Under the theme ‘SAIW: The Backbone of the Welding Industry’ the SAIW’s 2024 awards highlighted the industry’s essential contributions and SAIW’s commitment to sustainability through accessible, quality training.
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SAIW 2024 awards winners; from left: Len Jordaan, Calvin Carrol, Mandla Makhubela, Armand Pierre Rosenthal, Joseph Zinyana (SAIW President), John Tarboton (SAIW Executive Director), Sunithi Barends, Ian Mc Leod (Eriger MD), Emily Van Der Schyff and Dawie Olivier.
The Southern African Institute of Welding (SAIW) hosted its 2024 Awards Gala in Fourways, Johannesburg, celebrating excellence in welding, fabrication and non-destructive testing (NDT) under the theme, ‘SAIW: The Backbone of the Welding Industry’. The event underscored SAIW’s role in upholding industry standards, advancing technical training, and promoting innovation across South Africa.
In his opening remarks, SAIW President Joseph Zinyana said that the night was a celebration of the remarkable skill and dedication within our industry. “These awards honour those who not only meet but exceed the standards that make our industry resilient and forward-looking,” he said.
After acknowledging past presidents and Gold sponsors, ESAB and Afrox, and extending a welcome to SAIW members, dedicated staff and to all visitors and their partners, the SAIW President said that the SAIW has provided technical training for the past 76 years, and has produced welding technicians, inspectors and NDT inspectors of exceptional quality, many of whom are in leadership positions within the welding industry. “The skills developed here are highly sought after, transforming our students into world-class managers and leaders. We all understand the challenges of the rigorous training provided by SAIW, which stands out compared to other institutions offering similar programmes,” he said.
“At our 2024 AGM in May, I committed to reviewing SAIW’s systems and processes, focusing on the cost and efficiency of our training,” he continued, before reporting that the SAIW recognises that its course fees may be unaffordable for many in South Africa. “So I am pleased to announce that, after a thorough cost review led by our Executive Director, we have planned a fee reduction for 2025 to make our courses more accessible to the broader South African community,” he announced.
Regarding operational efficiency, he said that members had raised concerns at the AGM about delays in exam result processing. “We also received feedback about high failure rates in exams conducted at our Institute. In response, we initiated a comprehensive review with our Executive Director, John Tarboton, and developed a recovery plan. I’m pleased to report that we have cleared the examination backlog,” he said
In response to the additional shortcomings, a restructuring and realignment programme was also authorised by the SAIW board, a process that is expected to be completed by year-end. “This process is crucial for the Institute’s sustainability and future viability,” he added.
On construction and welding industry challenges in South Africa, he said that there are few capital projects underway, so South Africa is experiencing an outflow of expertise to international markets. “Petrochemical and nuclear professionals are also increasingly seeking opportunities abroad, which is affecting our industry’s technical knowledge base,” he pointed out.
Looking ahead, Joseph Zinyana is anticipating a potential nuclear new-build programme. In preparation, SAIW is collaborating with NECSA to develop advanced NDT, Inspection and welding engineering skills tailored to the nuclear sector, which demands the highest levels of safety, quality, and competence. “Our partnership with NECSA aligns with South Africa’s focus on clean energy, as nuclear energy can provide efficient and stable electrical power without GHG emissions. We believe this is exactly what our country needs in the current energy landscape,” he added.
“SAIW remains committed to supporting any government initiatives that create employment opportunities for our youth and provides them with practical skills up to and including engineering expertise. As we move forward, let us focus on what we can contribute to our country and our communities. We all share a responsibility to help shape a better future, and we are dedicated to making SAIW the institution of choice for technical training,” he concluded.
Executive Director, John Tarboton followed the SAIW President onto the podium. Highlighting the theme for the evening: ‘SAIW – The Backbone of the Welding Industry,’ he said this theme recognises the essential role that the SAIW plays in supporting, advancing and upholding standards the welding field. “We want to be both for the industry and by the industry, shaping our training to reflect the real-world needs and the insights of our stakeholders. Achieving this requires the collaboration and dedication of everyone involved – from our employees to our members, stakeholders, volunteers and partners,” he began.
“I am proud to share our Purpose Statement,” he continued: “The SAIW is dedicated to implementing standards and training in welding fabrication and related technologies to ensure the reliability and integrity of welded equipment for the safety of personnel and plant,” he quoted, adding: “This purpose captures the heart of our mission and the responsibility we hold to industry and society.”
As a non-profit organisation, SAIW also recognises its wider purpose, Tarboton continued, a mission that goes beyond profit to make a positive impact on individuals, industry and society. “With this purpose in mind, we are committed to making our training more accessible by reducing costs for students and industry partners, while upholding our high standards. This approach is essential to ensure the long-term sustainability of SAIW and to keep our value proposition relevant to both individuals and the industry,” he said.
Announcing the changes being made as a result of the independent investigation, he said the SAIW has decided to seek a General Manager to oversee operational management, freeing up the Executive Director to focus more fully on strategic priorities. The position has been advertised, and the aim is to have someone in place by January 2025. Additionally, SAIW is seeking a qualified Human Resources Manager – a role that will now be a focused, dedicated position with formal mechanisms for supporting employees and addressing their needs.
“Across the organisation, we are undertaking a review of the experience, competency, and qualifications of our individual employees to restructure roles that better align with the needs of our students and SAIW members. Where possible, we will redeploy lecturers to areas where their expertise can have the greatest impact, and we will bring in qualified individuals to fill any gaps.
“We hope that this restructuring will help ensure that all staff are more comfortable and successful in their day-to-day roles at SAIW,” said Tarboton, before turning attention to the core focus of the night; recognising exceptional achievements and contributions within the welding and NDT fields.
The 2024 awards and winners
A new award has been introduced from 2024 to celebrate the skill, dedication and expertise of welders from across South Africa. This award will be based on the annual SAIW ATB Welder Challenge, a competition that welcomes entrants from across the SAIW’s Approved Training Bodies (ATBs), Tarboton announced.
The Best Welder in the 2024 SAIW Welder Challenge, which recognises excellence in the demanding craft of welding, was Mandla Makhubela, a welder from Bazil Technologies. “The competition was intense, but my training and focus helped me succeed,” said Makhubela, adding that winning the competition has provided a stepping stone into far more opportunities in the welding industry.
This was followed by the awards for inspection and NDT, celebrating the best Level 1 and Level 2 students on SAIW Inspection courses and the best student on an SAIW NDT course. The winners were:
- The best student in a Fabrication and Welding Inspector Level 1 course for 2024 was Len Jordaan, acknowledged for his precision and passion.
- The Best Level 2 Student for 2024 on an SAIW Fabrication and Welding Inspector course was Calvin Carrol. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Carrol exemplifies the value of lifelong learning for career progression.
- And the SAIW President’s Award for the Best NDT Student in 2024 went to Sunithi Barends, who was cited for her commitment to safety and expertise in NDT, while significantly advanced industry standards.
Next to be presented was the award for outstanding performance on one of the SAIW’s International IWS, IWP or IWT Welding Coordinator courses. This award went to Armand Pierre Rosenthal, renowned for his innovation in the mining sector.
Rosenthal was also the recipient of the Phil Santilhano Memorial Award for the best student on any SAIW Inspector or Coordinator courses.
The two ISO 3834-related awards followed for the Best Welding Coordinator from one of the SAIW’s ISO 3834-certified companies, and the award for the Best ISO 3834-Certified Company. To date, the SAIW ISO 3834 Company Certification Programme has certified 322 South African fabrication companies to this International welding quality standard, so these two awards showcase the highest standards of quality and compliance in South Africa’s fabrication industry.
The Best ISO 3834 Welding Coordinator for 2024 award went to Emily Van Der Schyff, the ISO 3834 welding coordinator for Eriger, a custom-manufacturer of high quality boiler components for the power generation, petrochemical, mining, sugar, paper and chemical industries of South Africa.
Eriger was also chosen to be this year’s recipient of The Best IIW Manufacturing Certification Scheme ISO 3834 Company Award for 2024: reaffirming the company’s commitment to surpassing industry standards, according to MD, Ian McCleod, who received the award on behalf of his company.
The final award for the night was the SAIW Gold Medal Award, the Institutes highest honour, which recognises an individual for their outstanding contribution to the SAIW and the welding industry. This year, that honour went to SAIW stalwart, Dawie Olivier, who is known for his mentorship and commitment to skills development.
“Through the collective efforts of our members, employees, stakeholders and partners, our Institute has become a beacon of quality and integrity in the welding community. Together, we have built an organisation that serves as the backbone of the industry, and with your continued support, I am confident we will achieve even greater success in the future,” concluded John Tarboton.
