SEIFSA incoming president calls for a bold industrial agenda
Mervyn Naidoo Group Chief Executive Officer, Actom (Pty) Ltd was elected President of the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (SEIFSA) at the organisation’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on Friday, 3 October 2025.
Mervyn Naidoo takes over the Presidency from Elias Monage, who has completed two terms and becomes SEIFSA’s automatic third Vice-President. Nonhlanhla Ngwena is the first Vice- President and Ernst Volschenk was elected as SEIFSA’s second Vice-President. Newly elected members to the SEIFSA board are: Johan Strydom, CEO Columbus Stainless, Hercu Aucamp, CEO Trident Steel and Mervyn Naidoo, Group CEO Actom (Pty) Ltd. Other Board members are Dynamic Fluid Control (Pty) Ltd Chief Executive Officer Tumi Tshelo, Frigoglass South Africa Human Resources Executive Ryan Haynes, Reinforcing Steel Contractors (Pty) Ltd Director Ernest Volschenk, Ceive Africa Group Chief Executive Officer Honey Mamabolo, Invincible Valves (Pty) Ltd Chief Executive Officer Pam du Plessis and Nonhlanhla Ngwenya, Managing Director at MphoNo Energies.
In his outgoing address Monage emphasized that, “SEIFSA would no longer be a bystander, but rather a respected and authoritative advocacy body, a voice that speaks firmly, consistently and with influence on all matters concerning the metals and engineering sector.” He continued by declaring that, “that nothing of significance should happen in this sector without SEIFSA being consulted, without SEIFSA being heard and without SEIFSA being at the table.”
Monage concluded his address by highlighting that the road ahead is not without its challenges. Globally, South Africa is living through a period of heightened geopolitical tension that affects trade and supply chains. Domestically, the metals and engineering sector continues to wrestle with issues of energy security, logistics inefficiencies, and municipal service delivery failures which, if left unchecked, can undermine national progress.
Naidoo, declared that under his presidency SEIFSA would strive to deepen its engagement with government, with business partners and with labour to ensure that infrastructure investment translates into the rebuilding of our industrial base. He said that, “SEIFSA will advocate for procurement models and investment strategies that favour localisation, skills development and long-term sustainability.”
Naidoo in closing his address stressed that, “Across the world, it is infrastructure – everything from transport systems to digital connectivity, to energy networks, to water and sanitation and the like – that enables economies to grow, industries to flourish and societies to thrive. In South Africa, the urgent need to rebuild, expand and modernise our infrastructure presents one of the greatest industrialisation opportunities of our generation.”
SEIFSA Chief Executive Officer Lucio Trentini in closing said, “we are confident that SEIFSA’s new leadership will continue with the excellent efforts of our outgoing board members, and the newly elected members will bring their own dynamism, experience and wisdom to the task.”
Trentini said, “this board has the appropriate mix of expertise, experience and skill to provide the necessary strategic direction and guidance to the SEIFSA Executive.”
