34 / 44
30
Case Study: Africa
Zambia
While most Hydraform clients are NGOs or governments looking for affordable, quality
building solutions, some clients are commercial operations that use the technology to
get a competitive edge. One such is Yo Limba Block & Bricks Limited.
for commercial success
Blockyard
A
ccording to MD Alistair McGlashan, Yo Limba
presently makes and sells 6-inch and 8-inch blocks, lintels,
bricks and pavers – all of which are manufactured on
its Hydraform V3 Hydraulic Conventional Brick machines.
The firm is also seriously considering manufacturing other
products for which it has the capability on their Hydraform
machines with a simple change of moulds. The company
uses a mix of quarry dust, quarry stone, Lafarge Supaset
and Chryso Chemical additives to produce their range
of cement products. “All our products are tested and
certified on an ongoing basis by the Lafarge Test Lab in
Chilanga, Lusaka,” says Alistair.
Yo Limba has enjoyed significant success in supplying
construction projects where the key is being able to meet
the demand for large orders. Where previously this may
have put a strain on Yo Limba’s resources, now, thanks
to the acquisition of the newly launched Hydraform V4
model, this is no longer a problem.
According to McGlashan, the new machine has
reduced the need for labour, increased production
volumes and, consequently, improved the businesses
margins. Indeed, a single V4 hydraulic paving- and
blockmaking machine requires only two operators and
can produce up to 15 000 stock bricks in a single day.
One Yo Limba project that is presently still in progress is
Makeni Mall, the largest shopping mall in Zambia, where
Yo Limba has been contracted to produce three million
blocks.
Another project recently completed involved the
production of 100 000 blocks, which were used to
construct a new hospital and clinic. A similar-sized project
for a Lusaka businessman saw Yo Limba manufacturing
another 100 000 blocks. These were used to build a
storage unit complex.
A potentially massive project for the BBATA Consortium
also called for production of 100 000 blocks. These were
used to build 10 show units for an affordable housing
development that is expected to comprise around 1 000
houses when completed.
There have been many other major projects over the
years, and from Alistair’s perspective, each new one
provides another reference site he can use. Business is
good in Zambia, he says – very good.