BASF starts production of acrylic dispersions in Durban, South Africa
- Strengthening BASF’s presence in South Africa
- Supporting the growing regional coating and construction industry
Durban, South Africa – September 3, 2012 – BASF has opened its first production plant for dispersions in South Africa located at Umbogintwini Industrial Complex in Durban. With this new production facility BASF will serve its customers in the fast growing South African and Sub-Saharan African coatings and construction industry with acrylic dispersions based on state-of-the-art technologies.
South Africa is the largest market for dispersions in Sub-Saharan Africa. “With this new facility, we are well positioned to support our customers’ growth in South Africa and its neighboring countries providing BASF’s high quality, premium service and reliable supply” says Mr. Jacques Delmoitiez, President, responsible for BASF’s business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
With its portfolio of specialties, BASF helps customers move towards more environmentally friendly technologies such as reduced Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC). This investment reflects BASF’s focus on participating in the strong growth markets in emerging Africa. “South Africa as an emerging market is very attractive for us. By investing into local production of our high-tech acrylic dispersions we can serve our customers in Sub Saharan Africa even more effectively and flexibly”, says Christoph Hansen, Senior Vice President Dispersions for Adhesives and Construction Europe.
The BASF Group in South Africa supplies the local industries with a wide variety of products and solutions. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, coatings, dispersions, agricultural products to mining and construction chemicals and emission catalysts. The investment into the production plant for dispersions is part of BASF’s commitment to strengthen its presence in Africa and exploit the vast range of opportunities.
About BASF’s Dispersions and Pigments Division
BASF is the leading global supplier of raw materials for the coating and paint industry. The division Dispersions & Pigments combines all BASF offerings towards this industry. The portfolio encompasses pigments, resins, dispersions and a broad range of additives like light stabilizers and photo initiators. Further end-use industries include construction materials, adhesives, printing and packaging. Our portfolio is focused on environmentally friendly systems, such as low-VOC water-based coatings. More details to be found on the Internet: http://www.dispersions-pigments.basf.com
About BASF in Africa
The BASF Group has been active in Africa for about 90 years. The company has been exporting colorants and intermediates to Kenya from its headquarters in Ludwigshafen, Germany since the end of the 1920s. Today, the BASF Group has more than 1,000 employees in Africa (excluding the oil and gas business). In North Africa, the company is represented in Egypt, Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. Key industries are construction, textiles, agriculture, automotive and the health care and plastics sectors. The BASF Group company Wintershall has been producing oil onshore in Libya since 1958, and it is also involved in an offshore oilfield.
BASF has been doing business in South Africa for over 45 years. Headquartered in Midrand, Johannesburg, the BASF Group in South Africa consists of six companies with major locations in Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town, including a world-class automotive emission catalysts production site in Port Elizabeth. BASF products are used for industrial applications in various sectors e.g. paper, packaging, detergents, cosmetics, construction, mining, agriculture and automotive.. Besides emission catalysts, BASF has production facilities for construction chemicals, coil coatings and polyurethane plastics.
Regional sales hubs for Eastern Africa, BASF East Africa Ltd in Kenya, and Western Africa, BASF West Africa Ltd. in Nigeria have been established in 2011, respectively 2012. BASF has additional Sub-Saharan representative offices in Mali, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia and Zambia. For further information please refer to the following website: http://www.basf.co.za
About BASF
BASF is the world’s leading chemical company: The Chemical Company. Its portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. We combine economic success, social responsibility and environmental protection. Through science and innovation we enable our customers in almost all industries to meet the current and future needs of society. Our products and system solutions contribute to conserving resources, ensuring healthy food and nutrition and helping to improve the quality of life. We have summed up this contribution in our corporate purpose: We create chemistry for a sustainable future. BASF posted sales of about €73.5 billion in 2011 and had more than 111,000 employees as of the end of the year. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA) and Zurich (AN). Further information on BASF is available on the Internet at http://www.basf.com
P-12-389