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B E V C A N
“We have built a plant in Angola, which has been operating for more than three years and as of last year has a second production line installed. The newly acquired Bevcan Nigeria also plays an equal part in our success. As there will be a lot of focus getting this business up and running, there are exciting times ahead,” Smuts highlights.
Competitive drive
Although continued growth across Africa will undoubtedly give Nampak Bevcan a distinct competitive advantage over manufacturing alternatives, the company has several other strengths to call upon. “We have proved in South Africa, where we do not always have ideal conditions to operate, that we manage to work with what is available,” explains Smuts. “Despite our successes, we have huge respect for the other global can makers, and we know that we will have to be at our best in order to defend our position.” This resolute and determined attitude has put Nampak Bevcan in good stead for its Angolan operation as Smuts explains: “We operate in a place where there is very little infrastructure. We generate our own electricity and tanker in all of the water we require. But we are used to operating in areas where it is tough and you can’t always rely
on external service providers other facilities or suppliers. This is critical to our competitive nature and we intend to drive this further to make sure we become even more successful in these areas.” Despite the operational difficulties in Africa, Smuts believes that Nampak Bevcan has managed to position itself in line with some of the industry’s biggest beverage can manufacturers. “In South Africa we are more competitive in our pricing than Europe and many other developed countries in the world. “What makes us different is our strong relationships with customers, good service and a competitive offering. Our adventurous nature and an aggressive cost reduction attitude are also strong characteristics,” he reveals.
NOVELIS
N
ovelis is the world’s premier producer of rolled aluminium and the global leader in aluminium recycling. Our unique combination of advanced technology, superior expertise and global footprint allows us to reliably meet the needs of our customers wherever they operate. • Novelis is the largest single producer of aluminium rolled products with an estimated 14% of the world’s supply. • We focus our expertise on the most demanding segments of the rolled aluminium market – can, automotive, consumer electronics and architecture – which uniquely positions Novelis as the partner of choice for new product innovation. • In response to the growing demand for rolled aluminium in our premium markets, Novelis has invested more than $1.7 billion in global expansions in the past three years.
Positioned in line with the industry’s biggest can manufacturers
• As the leading low-carbon aluminium maker, we offer our customers the ability to make products with a smaller environmental footprint. Our objective to reach 80% recycled metal input across our products by the year 2020 is a key component of our strategy. Based in Dubai, Novelis MEA Ltd delivers premium material solutions and technical services to our customers in the Middle East, Africa and India.
T +971 (4) 3760 700 F +971 (4) 3760 701 E helio.lima@novelis.com
www.novelis.com
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