By SHAMAOMA MUSONDA –
A SOUTH Africa-based construction company Supreme Aluminium will this year set up a US$12-million plant in Zambia and employ at least 1,000 local people and offer affordable houses.
Supreme Group of Companies chief executive officer Iqbal Shaik said in Lusaka yesterday that his firm offers aluminium structures ranging from houses to hospitals and barracks adding it was time Zambia followed the world by switching to aluminium strictures.
He said aluminium structures were becoming the world’s in-thing and that Zambia needed to be up to date with the world trends.
The structures by Supreme Aluminium were approved by renowned certifying bodies like South Africa Bureau of Stands (SABS).
“We want to offer Zambian citizens this affordable housing initiative so many locals can get their own houses.  We shall be setting up a plant in Zambia which will be making panels, cutting them also customising them.
“The plant will have an initial investment of $12 million and up to 1, 000 workers but this can escalate to $17 million and 3 000 workers depending on the response of the market,” he said.
Mr Shaik said his company wanted to start with Lusaka as the first place to establish a plant and if works required them outside Lusaka, they would continue building small plants to meet the various needs in those areas.
He said the company would also engage in technology transfer by establishing a school at which local people would be trained to construct such houses so that they could later go out and work on their own.
A survey revealed that Zambia has a housing deficit of almost one million units and this company is more than ready to help reduce that deficit.
He said the aluminium houses were fitted by a treated wood panel in between which was tested with durability just as much as the conventional brick houses.
“There can also be no worry about fire because these structures have been tested against fire and it passed. These are world-class designs and we are ready to meet any specification for a house no matter how big or small,” he said.
Already Supreme Aluminium has held public discussions in Zambia and have partnered with a local firm, Concept Advertising to help penetrate the Zambian market.
The company also provides aircons, aluminium windows and doors for households as well as various hospital accessories like bed-head units for Intensive Care Units, curtail rails, wheel chairs and specialist best and chairs.
“Hospitals and clinics, we have anti-bacteria paints and that is where the world is going. We already have a footprint in Zambia, we put up all Petroda filling stations structure,” he said.