How two savvy sisters teamed up with an insurer to make fireproof bricks out of car bumpers

By Marvin Tshezi, Head of Claims Procurement and ESD at Hollard

The United Nations estimates that every day, the equivalent of 2 000 garbage trucks full of plastic waste are dumped into the world’s waterways. But South Africa’s Bumpers to Bricks initiative, driven by two sisters in hard hats with a passion for sustainability, is intent on making a dent in those shocking numbers – proving that a touch of inventiveness goes a long way in beating plastic pollution.

Siblings Keletso and Kedibone Tsiloane head up Ramtsilo Manufacturing and Construction, a 100% black women-owned construction business that is fast gaining a reputation as “the home of the plastic brick”.

They provide a sustainable solution that combats the scourge of plastic pollution by creating strong, durable, fire-retardant building bricks out of recycled plastic, using minimal water.

Theirs is a wonderful story that demonstrates how creative shared-value initiatives that benefit all partners – and are kind to the environment – are a no-brainer for the private sector and civil society organisations alike. There are only winners here.

Hollard is always looking for ways to reduce inefficiencies in our value chain and help us meet our environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals as a responsible corporate citizen. In particular, because motor vehicle claims make up a large portion of our business, we are constantly running the numbers to find ways to make the process environmentally friendly and less wasteful.

Recently, our claims procurement team embarked on a search for a recycling partner. The goal was to ensure the sustainability of our value chain and provide our contracted panel beaters with a solution for disposing of plastic waste. Specifically, we were looking for an eco-friendly way to dispose of used plastic bumpers – or, even better, a method to repurpose them into something useful.

Our search led us to Ramtsilo and the enterprising Tsiloane sisters. These go-getting young entrepreneurs were already making eco-bricks, and had the construction industry credentials, the drive and the smarts to move from being a promising start-up to a thriving going concern. They just needed help with gaining a foothold in the market, and with scaling and professionalising their operations.

We were immediately excited about the potential such a partnership could hold – benefiting us as an insurer, Ramtsilo as a business, our value chain partners and customers, and, ultimately, the planet. So, we embarked on the new project with gusto, arranging for the quality testing of the new plastic bricks and negotiating agreements with major industry players to give Ramtsilo a solid foothold in the market.

Through the Bumpers to Bricks initiative, they are recycling plastic waste from some of our autobody repair shop partners into sturdy bricks, which they will sell as a primary supplier to significant retail market players – providing the much-needed market access so many emerging businesses struggle to secure.

Furthermore, as the project rolls out, Hollard is giving Ramtsilo a R2-million enterprise and supplier development grant for equipment, helping the sisters access financing and trade credit, and negotiating preferred payment terms with a cement supplier. Plus, 15 young people will be placed with the firm as part of the Youth Employment Service (YES) programme – a private sector-led job-creation initiative with government backing.

Vitally, Ramtsilo is being offered mentorship and business support every step of the way. This empowers emerging businesses to overcome barriers that might otherwise seem insurmountable, helping them grow and become sustainable in the process.

Collectively, these interventions will enable Ramtsilo to scale up production to a targeted one million bricks per month. This will not only help the Tsiloane sisters ramp up their fledgling business to the next level, but will also create job opportunities in the manufacturing sector for young people. This recycling initiative also provides a much-needed boost for black women-owned businesses in the construction sector.

What was once a headache – plastic bumpers languishing in landfills and polluting the environment – has now transformed into an uplifting story of empowerment.

We believe that corporates should roll up their sleeves and get into the trenches with their shared-value partners. I can honestly say it’s been as rewarding an experience for the Hollard team as it has been for Keletso and Kedibone Tsiloane – inspiring businesswomen who are truly leading by example by turning waste into a golden opportunity for growth and prosperity.

Doesn’t the adage say that the best way to eat an elephant is bite by bite? This recycling initiative is just that – baby steps that will mushroom into something bigger. We are delighted to be making a positive impact on the community as a purpose-driven insurer, and we cannot wait to see Bumpers to Bricks and Ramtsilo grow, evolve and flourish – breaking new ground for women in the construction industry while boosting the circular economy.