Durban Chemicals Cluster

07/08/2026

A session with Prof. Justin Barnes | Growing in an Era of Operational Uncertainty.

Join renowned industrial economist Prof. Justin Barnes, Executive Director of the Toyota Wessels Institute for Manufacturing Studies (TWIMS) and Director of African Industrialisation Services (AIS), for a practical webinar on building resilient, innovative, and competitive organisations.

Discover how businesses can move beyond managing disruption to identify the “golden nuggets” of growth created by shifting markets, digital transformation, and competitive pressure.

Drawing on decades of experience advising industry and government, Prof. Barnes will share practical perspectives on balancing operational resilience, innovation, and sustained competitiveness.

Explore how organisations can look beyond immediate operational demands, pursue emerging opportunities, and turn uncertainty into strategic advantage.

Register now: https://zurl.co/Q9oUO

05/08/2026

The Durban Chemicals Cluster Origin8 workshop brought SMEs from the chemical value chain together for two days of practical, hands-on learning, proudly supported by CHIETA.

Day 1 covered the fundamentals of business management, from the "Nine Cs of Business" framework and managing a product lifecycle. Some tips and hints around using AI tools like Claude and ChatGPT for everyday tasks such as document drafting and quotation support we shared.

Day 2 focused more deeply on cost structure, pricing dynamics, and product mix. The day's standout moment was a panel discussion that gave SMEs the chance to hear directly from lead firms NCS South Africa and Scott Bader, alongside SME panellists Zululand Filters and Trans Oil, who unpacked the buyer-supplier relationship from both sides, covering readiness, value propositions, and what it really takes to enter corporate supply chains.

A special thank you to our panellists, Gaylin Nonoh (NCS South Africa), Reniesa Manikkam (Scott Bader), Suren Gopi (Zululand Filters), and Noluthando Radebe (Trans Oil), for their honesty and insight.

The Chemical Industries Education & Training Authority

15/07/2026

The Durban Chemicals Cluster is looking ahead to its next phase of industry support and impact.

As we continue to strengthen collaboration across the chemicals sector, we are inviting DCC members and sector stakeholders to share ideas on future project opportunities, potential partnerships and areas where collective action could add value.

Please complete our short 3-question input survey here: https://zurl.co/7o84c

Your input will help inform how the DCC continues to support relevant, high-impact initiatives for the sector.

08/07/2026

The Durban Chemicals Cluster is looking ahead to its next phase of industry support and impact.

As we continue to strengthen collaboration across the chemicals sector, we are inviting DCC members and sector stakeholders to share ideas on future project opportunities, potential partnerships and areas where collective action could add value.

Please complete our short 3-question input survey here: https://zurl.co/OHJM1

Your input will help inform how the DCC continues to support relevant, high-impact initiatives for the sector.

02/07/2026

Building high-performance organisations where people and performance thrive!

In today's rapidly changing manufacturing environment, organisations that foster trust, engagement, collaboration and continuous learning are better positioned to improve performance, retain talent and adapt to change.

Join our upcoming Manufacturing Meetup webinar to gain insights and explore practical approaches to creating and sustaining workplace cultures where people feel supported, empowered and equipped to perform at their best.

Whether you're a business leader, HR professional, operations manager, supervisor or team leader, you'll benefit from the practical insights of:

Joudalle Govender, CEO of Argento Trading
Paul Vermaak, HR Director at HESTO Harnesses
Sarah Shuttleworth, Industrial Psychologist and Organisational Development Consultant at Shuttle Consulting

Don't miss this opportunity to learn and discover practical ideas you can apply within your own organisation.

Register now: https://zurl.co/2N2KR

22/06/2026

Cyber Resilience for Manufacturers: Protecting Operations in a Digital World!

Our June Shared Learning webinar unpacked the escalating business risk of cybercrime and disruptions for manufacturers

Cybercrime can no longer be viewed as an IT issue – It is an organisation wide risk that has the potential to disrupt areas from production to customer relationships. This is because as the global cybercrime economy continues to grow, manufacturers are becoming increasingly attractive targets. System outages, halted production, and supply chain delays can rapidly result in significant financial and reputational damage.

KPMG specialists Déan Friedman, Rupesh Vashist, and Sameer Vyadally, shared practical perspectives on the changing cyber threat landscape, investigations, legal considerations, and the importance of forensic readiness.

The message was clear – Manufacturers cannot focus solely on removing every possible risk. The priority is to be resilient and build the capability to prevent, respond to and recover from cyber incidents effectively.

22/05/2026

In mid-May, TWIMS hosted a breakfast seminar, supported by our Shared Learning Programme, unpacking a challenge many firms face:
Why do Lean tools and systems often fail to translate into lasting culture change and operational excellence?

The session featured a virtual keynote by globally recognised Lean thought leader and author, Dr Michael Ballé, who challenged firms to move beyond a “rules and roles” mindset and see Lean as a system of trust, learning, interaction and shared problem-solving.

A leadership panel, facilitated by Khavitha Singh, Head of Lean Management at TWIMS, further enriched the discussion with insights from:
• Nigel Ward, Executive Vice President, Toyota South Africa Motors
• Celestin Ndhlovu, Executive Vice President, Isuzu Motors South Africa
• Tremly Nogaya, Senior Manager, PepsiCo

Here are our key learnings from the session:

14/05/2026

Cybercrime is no longer an isolated IT issue, it is now a core business risk!

As firms adopt more digital tools, cloud systems and AI driven platforms, the risk of cyber threats continues to grow. Phishing, ransomware and system breaches are already affecting organisations, and resilience can no longer be an afterthought.

Join our upcoming webinar with KPMG South Africa experts Déan Friedman, Rupesh Vashist and Sameer Vyadally as they unpack:

• The latest cyber threats facing businesses
• Practical ways to reduce risk
• How to strengthen resilience and protect operational continuity

Secure your spot now to strengthen your defence against cybercrime here:
https://zurl.co/XxWjs

12/05/2026

🏆Recognising Frontline Leadership in Action!

Through our Team Leader Development Programme (TLDP), we continue to recognise problem solvers who are building practical capability where it matters most.

Congratulations to our TLDP Team Leader of the Month Wendy Dlomo from Vopak.

This recognition celebrates frontline leadership in action, the team leaders who see challenges first, support their teams daily, and help improve the way work gets done.

11/05/2026

📢 Applications are open! Are you a KZN chemicals SME looking to strengthen your business and unlock practical growth opportunities?

Apply now for the DCC CHIETA Origin8 2026 programme, designed to help chemicals SMEs build stronger business foundations, understand lead customer requirements, improve business management practices, and strengthen their marketing, social media and business planning skills.

Spaces are limited. Take the next step in growing your chemicals business: https://forms.zohopublic.com/bmanalysts/form/DCCCHIETAOrigin82026/formperma/we_5uerVMmgXsxRS5EuDMtjoQgmDTOS0s7k2x5oTOtw

The Chemical Industries Education & Training Authority

Thank you for applying to be a part of the Durban Chemicals Cluster Origin8 from 27-28 July 2026, sponsored by CHIETA. Spaces are limited. We will let you know as soon as possible about your application. Thank you.