We have kept our promise of
Innovation, Quality and Service
for more than
65 years
A NEW COMPANY, A NEW NAME, BUT THE SAME RELIABLE PRODUCTS WHICH ARE SUPPORTED BY THE SAME EXPERIENCED TECHNICAL TEAM.
COLOSSAL is a proudly black woman owned and managed precast concrete manufacturing company formed by a group of partners with many years of experience in the manufacturing and industrial sectors with a unified belief in the future of South Africa.
With effect from 1 June 2021, COLOSSAL is the new owner of the Brakpan and De Aar precast concrete factories formerly operated by Aveng Infraset.The transaction included all the relevant plant and equipment, key staff, IP and licenses which relate to the wide range of precast railway products, poles and masts, pipes and culverts, enclosures and related specialised product range. We export a large quantity of products annually. Please enquire from our sales team how we can help you with pricing and logistics for your project needs.
With a new leadership, and an enhanced sales and technical team, it is our promise that all products will continue to be manufactured with the same care and quality as the factories have done the past.
COMPANY HISTORY
IN THE CONTEXT OF SOUTH AFRICAN DEMOCRACY
-
1959 Brakpan factory opened to carry out first SAR sleeper contract.
-
1970 Henwood Road factory in New Germany opened to manufacture sleepers.
-
1970 Paving products first made at the Brakpan factory.
-
1973 Saldanha Precast formed to carry out Sishen Saldanha sleeper contract from Saldanha in JV with Durabon.
-
1977 Virginia factory opened to supply mine sleepers to the Freestate Goldfields.
-
1979 Grinaker Precast’s first long-line sleeper facility built in Brakpan factory.
-
1979 Government recognizes black labour unions
-
1980 Effingham factory opened to manufacture paving.
-
1981 Vryheid factory built to supply sleepers to the Richards Bay coal line in JV with Durabon.
-
1982 Rossway factory built to manufacture Structura face quality masonry.
-
1983 DeAar factory opened to manufacture sleepers.
-
1984 Durabon acquired when Grinaker Construction purchased the Dura Group.
-
1988 Candac purchased from Murray and Roberts.
-
1989 Concrete Systems International acquired.
-
1989 (July) President Botha , ANC leader Nelson Mandela meet for first talks in person
-
1989 (September) White, Coloureds, Indians vote in Parliamentary elections.
-
1989 (October) Walter Sisulu and other activists released after 25 years in prison
-
1990 Nelson Mandela released on 11 February after 27 years in prison
-
1991 The railway and mining products are split away from Grinaker Precast to form the new company, Grinaker Duraset.
-
1993 Brikor Precast acquired.
-
1994 First democratic National Elections held April 26-29
-
2001 Grinaker Precast becomes part of Infraset.
-
1979 Vaal Triangle Concrete Pipes (Pty) Ltd founded in old Continental Sleeper factory in Wadeville.
-
1979 Government recognizes black labour unions
-
1984 Vaal Triangle Concrete Pipes changes its name to Fraser Fyfe.
-
1984 Fraser Fyfe diversifies into concrete bricks and blocks in the Transvaal and the Cape. By the end of 1988, all brick and block factories are sold off.
-
1985 Rockpipe in Westonaria is purchased.
-
1986 Fraser Fyfe purchases the Vianini Group of companies. Fraser Fyfe operates factories at Kuilsriver, Pietermaritzburg, Carletonville, Balfour, Westonaria and a second factory in Wadeville. The balance of the Vianini factories are sold off to Rocla.
-
1989 Fraser Fyfe acquires the manhole business of Calamite (Pty) Ltd.
-
1989 (July) President Botha , ANC leader Nelson Mandela meet for first talks in person
-
1989 (September) White, Coloureds, Indians vote in Parliamentary elections.
-
1989 (October) Walter Sisulu and other activists released after 25 years in prison
-
1990 Nelson Mandela released on 11 February after 27 years in prison
-
1993 Sizeze Pipes in Swaziland is purchased.
-
1993 A community based factory to manufacture precast toilets is set up at Vlakfontien on the East Rand.
-
1994 First democratic National Elections held April 26-29
-
1994 Fraser Fyfe diversifies into concrete sleepers at its Carletonville factory.
-
1994 A new sewer pipe factory is established at Olifantsfontein in the Midrand area.
-
1995 Goodhope Concrete in Pietermaritzburg is purchased.
-
1997 Fraser Fyfe purchases 41% of Zambia Concrete near Kafue in Zambia.
-
1999 Fraser Fyfe acquires 100% of Zambia Concrete.
-
2000 Grinaker purchases Fraser Fyfe from the Fraser Alexander Group and incorporates it into Grinaker Duraset as Grinaker-Fyfe.
FRASER FYFE
-
1991 The railway and mining products are split away from Grinaker Precast to form the new company, Grinaker Duraset.
-
1991 Durapak is developed and patented.
-
1991 The first pilot Durapak plant is built in Virginia, OFS.
-
1991 Duraset manufactures the first prestressed poles at Brakpan.
-
1993 The first full size Durapak plant in the Transvaal is commissioned at the old Candac factory in Westonaria.
-
1993 Gert Brits is awarded the Grinaker Holdings Engineering Award.
-
1993 Duraset acquires 50% of Kwena Concrete in Gaborone, Botswana. (The Botswana Development Corporation retains the other 50%)
-
1994 First democratic National Elections held April 26-29
-
1996 Second Durapak plant opened at Westonaria
-
1996 Duraset assists Grinaker Construction with the setting up and running of a concrete sleeper factory in Malaysia.
-
1997 The first Duratank is built for the Magalies Water Board.
-
1998 Duraset supplies and commissions a sleeper plant for Murray and Roberts at Biet Bridge, Zimbabwe.
-
1998 Durasafe is launched.
-
1999 Third Durapak plant opened at Westonaria
-
1999 Development of low profile, signal and block-joint sleepers for Spoornet.
-
2000 Fraser Fyfe is purchased and incorporated into Duraset to form Grinaker-Fyfe.
-
2001 Infraset is formed with the amalgamation of Grinaker Precast, Grinaker-Fyfe and the prestress products division of Grinaker Duraset.
-
2001 Fort Concrete, Zimbabwe is acquired from Rennie-Grinaker.
-
2002 Pipe manufacturing opened at Infraset Zambia.
-
2002 Infraset is awarded a contract to supply precast products to Grinaker-LTA in Angola.
-
2002 A new manhole production facility is opened at Rossway.
-
2003 Infraset enters a JV with Grinaker Construction to operate a sleeper factory in Tsumeb, Namibia.
-
2003 A new culvert production facility is built at Infraset Swazi (Pty) Ltd
-
2003 Empowa-Grinaker is formed and 50% of the DeAar factory is sold to Empowa.
-
2004 Infraset’s Railway Division develops concrete sleepers for 1:7 double slip turnouts.
-
2004 The first MASA paving production machine is purchased and installed in Rossway.
-
2004 Infraset develops the Universal Sleeper and the Infrabolt system.
-
2005 A new culvert production facility is built in Brakpan.
-
2005 A new culvert production facility is built in Pietermaritzburg.
-
2005 ECHO production lines are installed in Kwena and Effingham factories.
-
2007 Infraset diversifies into roof tile manufacture and a new facility is built at the Rossway factory.
-
2007 The Infraset logo is changed.
-
2008 Infraset diversifies into construction chemicals and signs a distribution/manufacturing licence agreement with Mapei of Italy.
-
Development of the 1:12 60E 1 Tangential Concrete Turnout Sleeper.
-
INFRASET supplied the first low vibration track (LVT) blocks for use in the tunnels on the Gautrain passenger line between Johannesburg and Pretoria.
-
2008 INFRASET establish a Factory in Tsumeb Namibia and supply 650 000 sleepers toTransnamib.
-
2013 INFRASET exports 200 000 sleepers to Nacala Mozambique for the Vale coal export line
-
2013 INFRASET establish a sleeper factory in Tete Mozambique and supplied 250 000 sleepers for the Senna and Nacala projects.
-
2020: COLOSSAL Consortium, led by Gwen Mahuma and Randvest Capital, is formed to acquire the INFRASET Brakpan and De Aar factories for their rail, telecom, civils and specialised precast concrete capabilities.
-
2021: COLOSSAL purchases the Brakpan and De Aar factories. All jobs are retained and COLOSSAL takes over key staff, all IP, Licenses and core assets.
COLOSSAL TEAM
Welcome to the future with our unified approach and focused customer experience
Gwen Mahuma
Chief Executive Officer
Gwen obtained a Bcom (Management and Economics), Bcom Honours (Management) from Uniwest, as well as an Executive Development Program Certificate from Wits Business School. From 1996 she held various corporate positions until 2004 when she acquired a stake in a Mining Roofbolt manufacturing business; DSI Mandirk Strata Support (Pty)Ltd. Post this initial investment, she invested in various opportunities, such as scrap metal recycling and later bought into the largest privately owned ready mix business in SA, 3Q Mahuma Concrete (Pty)Ltd, which was later acquired by PPC. Through her investment holding company, Mahuma Investment Holdings, Gwen is a majority owner in Remkor Manufacturing, a manufacturer of complex custom made sheet metal products as well as a founder shareholder in BBD Steel, one of the largest women owned steel merchants in SA.
In 2018 Gwen was named a co-winner together with her partner, in the Leading Women Owned Business category at the Premier Business Awards in 2018 (sponsored by the Department of Trade and Industry). Gwen sits as an independent Board member of several companies.
Gwen is a dynamic, proactive entrepreneur who is passionate in her belief that the South African manufacturing sector is critical for job creation and growth in South Africa.
CK Klagsbrun
Executive Director
CK obtained his BProc (UNISA) degree and since 1999 he has held various corporate advisory and company Board positions in business. He was the co-founder of the Randvest Capital Group of companies and lead the group in various acquisitions across healthcare, financial services, Information technology, property, transport and the renewable energy sectors.
CK oversaw the Colossal acquisition process and has continued to play a key role in the growth and development of the company by driving various strategic initiatives, including sales, business development, corporate and commercial strategy, and mergers and acquisitions.
CK is an Executive Director overseeing sales, business development and operational processes and procedures.
Mmapitso Kiewiet
Director & Chief Operating Officer
Mmapitso obtained a BCom Marketing Management degree (University of Johannesburg), Honours in Marketing Management (UNISA), and a Certificate in Entrepreneurship from Stellenbosch Graduate Institute. Her leadership skills can be traced back to her youth where she was Head Girl at Pretoria High School for Girls. She started her career as a graduate trainee at Nedbank Ltd, then moved into market research on the agency side (TNS Research Surveys) and FMCG industry (Unilever) when she relocated to Durban to take up a consumer & market insights role for their food & refreshments division. After relocating back to Gauteng, she held various independent roles as a market research analyst; as well as a role in marketing, communications and strategy management for a key player in the railway sector.
Mmapitso is a Director and the chief Operating Officer of Colossal.
Waheed Arai
Chief Financial Officer
Waheed is a South African qualified Chartered Accountant. He has occupied various CFO and CEO in companies across a number of industries, including:
-
±15 years in FMCG (Food processing/manufacturing, primary agriculture production)
-
±5 years combined in Financial Services (Mobile & transactional, banking, corporate finance & M&A)
-
±3 years Railway, Infrastructure and Building manufacturing
-
±2 years e-Commerce, IT and digital transformation
A notable past role was leading a vertically integrated agri-food business based in the UAE, with an underlying investment and infrastructure portfolio of US$500m, and during his time he saw revenues growing from US$65m to US$250m across multiple geographies in West Africa, Eastern Europe, SADC and GCC;
During his career, Waheed has also been involved in various corporate finance transactions, IPO’s on JSE & LSE, structured finance deals, and a variety of transaction advisory and M&A projects.
Waheed is the Financial Director of Colossal and works closely with the executive and the various business units with the financial team reporting into him.
Roshini Gopal
Finance Executive
Roshini has studied towards a BCom Accounting degree and obtained the Aveng Leadership accreditation for management. Her financial career has spanned over 35 years with the Aveng Group. Her extensive knowledge and experience focuses on providing management accounting, budgeting, financial reporting and her strong understanding of the finance and accounting and implementation and operational execution disciplines within the ERP business and support systems is a significant addition to the capability of the team.
Roshini will play a critical role in financial reporting, training and change management under Colossal and be a key member of the operational team.
Chris Marinaki
Operations Executive
Chris Marinaki started his career with the greater Benoni municipality as an electrician and moved to Eskom in his later years working to facilitate the construction & maintenance of various electricity supply networks at the SOE.
Chris is a qualified electrician who has been part of the Infraset team dating back to 2007 where he was tasked with the responsibility of overseeing the De Aar factory while based in the Northern Cape, and the Brakpan factory in Gauteng. Chris has continued to grow his knowledge and skills in the precast concrete industry to become a sort after operations executive with a wealth of knowledge not just technically but on the management side too as the bridge between operations, sales and finance.
Chris continues to lead the manufacturing operations through production planning, management of resources (both people and materials), and provide guidance and training to key personal at both our Brakpan and De Aar factories.
Mothemane Makhura
Sales Executive
Mothemane obtained a B Tech in Geotechnical Engineering from University of Pretoria, as well as a City & Guilds Level 4 Award in Cement and Concrete Technology. In 2003 he started his career in the ready-mix industry and held sales positions in South Africa and Rwanda. He has subsequently became an industry recognised sales specialist for various rail and construction products working with a variety clients across the public and private sectors where he provides technical product knowledge and support.
Mothamane will continue in his senior sales role in Colossal and is a key member of the executive team.