Some of the more recent infrastructure is designed in a contemporary look

Hard hats were the order of the day, which was fortunate for some of the more senior guys as it was chilly

The plant is extensive, and directions were clear and welcome

The guests, split into smaller groups for the tour, were sometimes dwarfed by the plant

The huge 10MW solar installation was also inspected

The best shot of the Safripol plant in Sasolburg was arguably this night view (photographing of the components of the plant were not permitted)

Safripol’s Sasolburg plant anchors Africa’s polymer future with R650m investment

A TRIP to Sasolburg is a journey into the heartland of South African industry. At the centre of what is known as the ‘Vaal Triangle’, with the other corners being Vanderbijlpark and Vereeniging, polymers producer Safripol recently invited a group of key customers to visit its plant in the town.

Although it was a blustery and chilly day, the Safripol management, production and sales team were in fine form. Welcomed by Safripol CEO Nico van Niekerk and operations executive Eddie Kotzee, the group of about 70 first received the obligatory safety drill before being split up into smaller groups for the site tour. And there was a lot to see. Most of the tour followed the exterior of the large site (more for safety reasons than anything else), but the groups were permitted into the control centre and packaging warehouse.

Guests from the HDPE and PP converting sectors from across SA and southern Africa were there, it being the first such tour post-Covid 19, with the majority being chauffeured down by bus from the Safripol head office in Bryanston, where we had gathered at the neat coffee shop at the adjacent PadelNation venue.

Some history
For those who may not know, the town of Sasolburg was established as ‘recently’ as 1954, mainly to provide housing for workers involved in the construction and operation of the first Sasol plant to refine oil from coal, hence the origin of the name. The main reason for the project at the time was to establish local supply of fuels and key materials in the face of trade embargoes faced by the country at the time.

The industrial zone at Sasolburg has expanded extensively since. Safripol was established there in 1969 as a venture between Hoechst of Germany and Sentrachem of SA, with Hoechst providing the technology. HDPE production commenced in 1972, with a 47,000 tons per annum plant being commissioned. Production of polypropylene got off the ground two years later. The current Spheripol Technology PP plant was commissioned only later in 1996 and started early operations in 1997.

Safripol has developed an admirable performance record since and has become one of the key players in the complex, tucked in between the Omnia fertilizer plant and Natref refinery. The fact that the giant Lethabo power station lies nearby is fortuitous too, as these industrial scale plants depend totally on uninterrupted power supply.

With over 50 years of proven performance, Safripol continues to evolve as a resilient and future-oriented contributor to Africa’s industrial development.

The visionaries of the 1960s and 70s laid the foundation for what is today a future-ready, strategically modernised facility. Today the various plants in the complex continue to supply a range of vital materials, with Safripol’s contribution being the supply of HDPE and PP (it also supplies PET from its plant in Jacobs, Durban).

Safripol is part of the JSE-listed KAP Holdings group, alongside well-known brands such as PG Bison (wood-based paneling), Unitrans (trucking and logistics), Feltex (automotive fabrics and components), Restonic (bedding/furniture) and Optix (driver behaviour management and fleet optimisation).

Safrene™ and Safron™
While the polymerisation plants were originally commissioned over 50 years ago, their current condition reflects extensive reinvestment, modernisation, and operational excellence. Safripol has decisively countered this perception with a proactive investment strategy, enabling the company to be a key player in the polyolefins sector in Southern Africa and competitive in the HD and PP markets across Africa and even internationally.

Investments totalling an estimated R650 million have been made in the facility over the past five years. Reinvestment has been vital to ensure continued reliable operation. Achievements over the past five years include commissioning of the HDPE Line 11, installation of two additional 80-ton reactors, full digitalisation of the control room, and construction of a 15MW solar PV plant. An additional large Cooperion ZSK twin-screw extruder has also recently been commissioned, with extrusion output now running at a substantial 46 tons an hour.

These strategic investments have elevated the site’s output, resilience, and sustainability profile—aligning with global benchmarks for performance.

Safripol currently produces an estimated 160,000 tpa of its Safrene™ HDPE and about 120,000 tpa of its Safron™ PP. The site achieves first-quartile global uptime and safety performance, with minimal production interruptions and workplace incidents—an impressive feat amid increasing infrastructure constraints. This success is largely a result of the commitment of the KAP group’s Safripol production operations team, whose expertise, discipline and innovation continue to drive reliable, world-class manufacturing.

With many of the guests, senior managers of businesses in the HD and PP converting sectors, being competitors in the marketplace, rivalries had to be set aside for the day. The visit concluded at Pont de Val wine estate, where a spirit of collaboration and shared purpose reinforced Safripol’s positioning as a trusted and strategic partner to industry.