On 24 March 2023, BEKA Schréder, a leading manufacturer of luminaires and glass-fibre-reinforced polyester (GRP) poles, hosted the king and queen of Belgium. Accompanying the royal couple were the country’s political, economic, and academic leadership, as well as Ministers-Presidents and representatives of the regions and communities of Belgium. The company was pleased to take them on a tour through their factory in Olifantsfontein, Gauteng.
Since 2002, BEKA Schréder have had a partnership with the Belgian company, Schréder – a multinational lighting company that is present in over 70 countries. In 2013, they became a wholly owned Schréder company. The Royal visit was led by King Philippe, and Queen Mathilde, who were accompanied by South African and Belgian dignitaries. From the company, they were joined by Schréder Global CEO, Mr Werner De Wolf, and Mrs Agnes Keutgen, a member of the Schréder family. BEKA Schréder’s Regional Director of South & Sub-Saharan Africa, Mr Daniel Kasper, and other local representatives from the business were present to welcome the Royal party and accompany them throughout the visit.
The King and Queen were taken through the factory where they were shown how their high-quality LED luminaires and GRP poles are manufactured. They spoke to employees working in the factories and learnt about the process of production for certain popular products.
In a conversation with the Belgian dignitaries, the company’s regional director, Daniel Kasper, and Schréder Global CEO, Werner De Wolf, described the company’s lighting technology as “building blocks for a smart city.”
During the factory walk-through, they explained how the company had been working to empower Africans and improve the firm’s BEE score card by providing skills and qualifications which enable access to future opportunities.
“We encourage training to create opportunities for mobility into vacancies and into higher positions,” explained Kasper.
During the tour the royals met Mary Modau, a previous employee of the firm, who has used the training she received from BEKA Schréder to establish her own road freight logistics business.
The first products the firm manufactured were corrosion-resistant glass-fibre-reinforced polyester poles and public lighting luminaires which continue to provide long-term solutions for hostile coastal and inland environments.
The company designs and manufactures an extensive range of high-quality LED luminaires for professional lighting applications. These products are made with consideration to security, aesthetic, pollution reduction and sustainable design, which has seen their projects reducing their clients’ energy consumption by between 70 and 75%.
In 1989, BEKA Schréder became South Africa’s first lighting company to be awarded ISO 9000 certification. This commitment to quality became the company’s hallmark and has enabled it to become Africa’s largest lighting manufacturer and market leader in exterior lighting.
The company participates in public, commercial and private projects which provide communities in South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa with state-of-the-art luminaire design and sustainable lighting technology.
BEKA Schréder’s products are exported into almost all African countries, as well as the Middle East, South East Asia, Europe, South America and Australia.
Click here for more information: https://za.schreder.com/en
