SAPEMA – A 65 Year Story
SAPEMA, originally called the “Personal Protective Equipment Manufacturer’s Association” was founded in 1961 by 6 major manufacturers and distributors of personal protective equipment. Its main objectives were to create an association that could represent its members and lobby on their behalf with the government and the South African Bureau of Standards; to promote its members as suppliers of quality products and services; and to educate users in the correct application of PPE.
The Safety First Association acknowledged the contribution that SAPEMA’s formation could make within the industry by thanking them “for their understanding the need for accident prevention. With their knowledge and tuition, they will reduce the number of accidents. We hope that this will herald a brighter future not only for industry, but for all workers and their dependents who have always feared the dire consequences of unexpected happenings”.
The year of SAPEMA’s founding in 1961 was one of the most significant periods in the history of South with the withdrawal from the Commonwealth on 31 May, the birth of the Republic of South Africa and the rand becoming the official monetary unit. The change of currency didn’t cause much confusion as you just doubled the pound to reach the rand equivalent. In other words, a dust coat that cost £1/4/6 (or 28 shillings and 6 pence) was now quoted at R2.85.
1961 -2026
SAPEMA was centralised in Johannesburg where the skyline changed with the erection of iconic buildings such as the Carlton Centre, Standard bank, Trust Bank and Associated Newspapers, necessitating the increased use of PPE.
Industry and mining operations showed unprecedented expansion and the economy boomed. Unfortunately, this boom period brought with it more frequent incidences of accidents. Employers and government both realised the need to become pro-active by training the workforce rather than to suffer the costly and damaging consequences of disabling injuries and loss of life. The effective and important role of PPE also started to take its place in industry and with it the knowledge that the members of SAPEMA could offer.
SAPEMA members have continued to play a leading role together with other safety associations in assisting industry and mining with preventative measures such as the correct use and application of PPE, and most importantly the correct training of the workforce in all aspects of safe working practices and conditions.
Over the years, new legislation came into effect to enforce a safe and healthy work environment with consequences for employers who violated the law.
Over the years, SAPEMA continued to grow and entrench itself as a professional association. In 1982 its name changed to “The Southern African Protective Equipment Manufacturer’s Association” to cover the broader region in which it operated, by this time the membership had increased to seventeen. In 2003, with the return of international trade and investment, its name changed to the “Southern African Protective Equipment Marketing Association”, to represent companies distributing quality imported products and not only local manufacturers.
