The Manufacture of Adhesives and Sealants

The South African adhesive and sealant manufacturing industry is a well-established and innovative sub-sector that generates annual revenue of more than R1bn. The industry, which is represented by the National Adhesive and Sealant Manufacturers’ Association (NASMA), produces a diverse spectrum of products that offer bonding and sealing solutions for a comprehensive range of applications across all sectors of the South African economy. While locally-manufactured adhesives and sealants are exported to many regional and international markets, a wide selection of imported products is also available.

Challenging Conditions

The country’s low-growth environment has taken its toll on local manufacturers, particularly on companies that supply industrial adhesives and sealants to the South African construction, automotive and general manufacturing sectors. Furthermore, in addition to the prolonged deceleration of domestic economic growth, the sector finds itself grappling with disruption in the form of new technologies that are entering the market at an unprecedented rate. Added to this is the increase in the volume of imported products which continues to undermine the success of South Africa’s adhesive and sealant manufacturing industry.

Report Coverage

The report on the manufacture of Adhesives and Sealants describes current conditions, trends and corporate actions as well as factors that influence the success of the South African sector. Profiles for 25 companies are provided, including for the top eight manufacturers that account for 75% of the country’s local production. During the course of 2017 one of the three main players, Henkel South Africa, acquired GCP Africa Proprietary Limited (GCP Africa) which owns and controls Darex South Africa, a manufacturer and supplier of sealants for metal cans and crown caps, aluminium and plastic closures, as well as coatings for food and beverage cans. Also profiled in the report are SMMEs, Anchor Technical Tape CC, the largest importer, converter and manufacturer of pressure-sensitive self-adhesive tapes, and Melton Adhesives (Pty) Ltd, a company that focuses on the manufacture of adhesives for the industrial market.