Rising to the challenge Johan van der Westhuizen leads SAMCRA into a new era

The Southern African metal cladding and roofing industry faces both significant economic challenges and opportunities for growth. As the Southern African Metal Cladding and Roofing Association (SAMCRA) prepares for a new chapter, it welcomes a seasoned veteran as its new Director. Johan van der Westhuizen has stepped into the role, succeeding Dennis White and bringing with him a vision centred on technical integrity, collaborative leadership, and the elevating industry standards.

Johan’s professional journey is deeply rooted in the technical and structural foundations of South Africa’s infrastructure. Beginning his career in structural engineering at Dorbyl, he gained early experience working on power stations, a background he shares with his predecessor. This technical grounding transitioned into a nearly four-decade career in the sheeting industry, where he moved up through various leadership roles, from Technical Manager to Managing Director.

This breadth of experience spanning engineering, sales, and executive management, is exactly what he believes is required to lead SAMCRA today. His motivation for accepting the directorship is a desire to “plough back” his accumulated wisdom into the community he helped build as a founding member alongside Dennis White.

Honouring the foundation, embracing evolution

Johan acknowledges the significant technical foundations Dennis established, particularly in the writing of codes and standards that dovetail with the sheeting industry. Dennis was a pioneer who drafted the industry’s first standards in the late 1980s and worked tirelessly with the SABS to develop essential codes like SANS 10237. Preserving these activities is essential to Johan’s vision.

However, Johan also sees clear opportunities for evolution. His leadership philosophy is one of inclusivity and collective buy-in. “I’m a team member. My goal is to get input from the leaders of this industry, debate the ideas, and make a team decision to grow the association,” he explains. A successful leadership transition, in his view, involves taking what is good and building upon it with fresh perspectives.

Vision for the future

Johan’s vision for SAMCRA over the next three to five years is to raise the perception and prestige of the metal cladding industry. In a market that has become increasingly competitive and fractured by economic pressure, protecting the industry’s credibility is very important.

“We need to promote the compliant guys,” Johan insists. By making the professional players stand out, he aims to naturally expose those who are non-compliant, creating a powerful incentive for them to join and meet the association’s code of conduct. This self-regulation is the cornerstone of public trust, acting as a safeguard even when economic conditions tempt others to take chances.

At the heart of Johan’s mandate is the issue of quality assurance. Both he and Dennis identify the decline of standards due to market fragmentation as a major risk. The risks posed by substandard products are physical and severe. Johan speaks candidly about the dangers: “We work with a product that can break and people can fall through and get badly hurt”.

To combat this, SAMCRA will continue its deep involvement with SABS technical committees to ensure that specifications, certification, and traceability are lived realities for every member. Johan intends to focus heavily on developers and specifiers, the “unhappy users” who have been burned by poor quality, to demonstrate the professional value and safety guarantees that SAMCRA membership provides.

Navigating market pressures and new priorities

The current economic climate presents unique challenges. Johan sees a strategic shift in the market, with large-scale commercial builds slowing down and a greater focus moving toward the residential sector. He advises stakeholders to remain agile and adapt to these changing market trends.

One of Johan’s immediate priorities for his first year is creating synergy between SAMCRA and emerging industries, such as solar PV. As rooftop solar installations boom, he is focused on establishing standards to ensure these systems are compatible with high-quality roofing, protecting the integrity of both the roof and the technology.

A lasting legacy of integrity

Ultimately, Johan’s goal is to leave SAMCRA defined by its integrity, balancing human values with technical excellence to strengthen the industry for the next generation.

SAMCRA’s core purpose is to provide tangible value to its members; without a measurable impact on their professional lives, its existence is difficult to justify. A primary objective of his leadership is the creation of a level playing field that allows every participant the opportunity to thrive and blossom. By ensuring an industry where the contributions and status of all stakeholders are formally recognised, the association can foster a more harmonious and professional environment. To achieve this and elevate the overall perception of the industry, the organisation is going to prioritise forming stronger relationships with developers.

“SAMCRA needs to make a difference,” Johan concludes. “The association won’t have a role or an existence if it doesn’t make a difference in the life of their members”.