A standing ovation for local innovation! Plastics industry frontrunners Polyoak Packaging and Zerocrete were honoured with top accolades at the Cape Chamber’s Industry Innovation Awards, held in grand style at Cape Town’s historic City Hall on 10th June 2025.
The glittering event celebrated visionary businesses whose innovations are reshaping the economy and driving real-world impact.
The awards were designed to spotlight breakthrough ideas that fuel economic growth, generate jobs, and strengthen public services—while offering guests a dazzling night of inspiration and entertainment. From innovative technologies to bold sustainability efforts, the evening reminded everyone that business growth is not just good—it’s essential for a thriving society.
Zerocrete, led by Johan Coetzee, stole the spotlight with its revolutionary low-carbon concrete. By cleverly incorporating non-recyclable plastic and fabric waste, Zerocrete’s eco-smart solution not only diverts tons of waste from landfills but also tackles South Africa’s housing crisis—all while creating jobs. With an impressive 80% lower carbon footprint, this material is already earning future carbon credits.
Polyoak Packaging, based locally in Diepriver, wowed the judges with a world-first multilayer polypropylene (PP) bucket which incorporates a virgin plastic inner and outer layer, rim, and lid for secure sealing and to prevent leakage, while the middle layer utilizes recycled PP. This approach allows them to use recycled plastic while retaining the essential technical functionality of the container. This innovation proves that recycling and quality can go hand in hand, delivering environmental benefits without compromising performance.
Together, these two trailblazers are redefining what’s possible in the plastics and construction industries—leading the way to a more sustainable, inclusive, and prosperous South Africa.
Polyoak’s Plastic Setter Trade Test Centre, which opened its doors in Diepriver on 1st June 2022, was also nominated in the category of ‘Tertiary Education Best Aligned to Market Needs’. It is South Africa’s first Trade Test Centre, accredited to assess machine setters working in the plastic manufacturing industry.
The Trade Test Centre is situated on the premises of rigid plastic packaging manufacturer, Polyoak Packaging, who developed the curriculum for the Plastics Manufacturing Machine Setter Qualification with a focus on action-based learning to ensure its employee apprentices are fully equipped to step into qualified roles as Plastics Machine Setters.
Polyoak’s in-house training division, Polyoak Business School has been working closely with merSETA for accreditation of Polyoak’s programmes and certifying its learners since 2008. (MerSETA is the Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Sector Education and Training Authority established to promote skills development in terms of the South African Skills Development Act.)
Eight Polyoak apprentices started the theoretical component of this qualification in 2017. At the time, no Test Centres were able to conduct the trade test, so Polyoak embarked on the journey to get its own on-site Technical Centre accredited as an official Trade Test Centre for this specific qualification.
Polyoak is now working with the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) to verify learning and ensure correct assessment and moderation of the qualification.
Apprentices who have completed the theoretical and practical components can undertake their trade test to officially qualify as the first accredited Plastics Manufacturing Machine Setters in South Africa. The programme proudly graduated South Africa’s first female Plastic Manufacturing Setter in 2021.
The fact that this qualification is now a recognized professional trade, will inspire future generations to become highly skilled Plastic Manufacturing Setters, empowered to make a valuable contribution to South Africa’s manufacturing industry.
This is a clear testament to the entire plastic manufacturing industry that women can also participate and indeed succeed in this specialist technical field, traditionally dominated by men. Overall, there is a critical shortage of skilled plastic manufacturing setters in South Africa. This represents lost job opportunities and upward social mobility. The shortage is also an impediment to the growth and competitiveness of our local plastics industry.
The fact that this qualification, made possible by the Trade Test Centre, funded and managed by Polyoak Business School, is now a recognized professional trade, will inspire future generations to become highly skilled Plastic Manufacturing Setters, empowered to make a valuable contribution to South Africa’s manufacturing industry.
“The opening of the first Plastics Manufacturing Machine Setter Occupational Qualification Trade Test Centre in South Africa was a significant achievement for Polyoak and the entire plastics sector. Polyoak has been involved in skills development from the start and has never shied away from a challenge. Therefore, today they have a thriving Business School and can now add the abovementioned trade test centre to their baskets of offerings,” said Bronwin Abrahams, Client Relations Manager for MerSETA.
Polyoak Packaging’s Managing Director, Karl Lambrecht concludes: “Investing in our people is a core value at Polyoak, along with helping to uplift the communities in which we operate. We are immensely proud of our expertise in plastic manufacturing, and we are honoured to be able to make this Trade Test Centre available for future Plastics Manufacturing Machine Setters to get officially certified. This will help to build much needed technical skills to support inclusive economic growth for South Africa. We are hoping that this qualification will also help to attract people to this field where they can build a career as a qualified artisan.”
Find out more, visit Polyoak Packaging’s website: https://polyoakpackaging.co.za/
