FITTING THOUGHT
1
Plumbing Africa not entirely
pumping after lockdown
By
Rory Macnamara
Plumbing Africa is back in print with an August issue. Like
everyone else, we took a knock during lockdown, went onlineonly
in May, and missed June and July to give our stretched
contract advertisers a breather.
Furthermore, unless industry players take a more
bullish stance of our industry by advertising, you may
find the magazine unusually slim. A magazine such
as ours, which provides a vital, valuable (and almost
the only) communication platform to the national
plumbing industry, depends not only on subscribers
but advertisers to pay the bills.
We are all cutting every unnecessary expense during the
pandemic. However, we appeal to the industry to recognise
the value of having a national voice and in building their
brand among the plumbing community. Until advertising
revenue returns to pre-pandemic levels we shall have to be
much more selective in the articles we publish, and even on
those cut their length to the core.
What has changed since we last published? While maintenance
plumbing was an essential service throughout, the
devastating pandemic lockdown totally closed down the
construction sector as well as manufacturers of plumbing
parts. It is likely that decision-makers in the short, and hopefully
longer-term, will entrust building projects only to plumbing
companies of repute. One of the short- and long-term impacts
of the lockdown is that more than ever, compliance to regulation
will decide who wins construction contracts.
At the time of writing, construction plumbers were anxious
that the economy might return to the dreaded lockdown
in certain locations. Even though demand for professional
plumbing services has already started to increase, there is
continued anxiety. Survivors will be those who have learned
through experience that a ‘lean and mean’ structure is essential
for survival in the volatile building industry – but also
continuing to promote and market themselves.
As the South African lockdown eases, most plumbers have
returned to work, but conversations with them suggests many
are concerned about a lack of work. Plumbing firms report
they do not have the usual number of enquiries coming in,
they are worried about the low level of scheduled jobs and are
generally still experiencing barriers to ‘business as usual’.
Other challenges cited after shortage of work are supplychain
issues with a lack of replacement parts; cancelled
work; and the availability of PPE to carry out work safely.
Encouragingly, most affected companies have been able to
access some form of government or other financial support
to help them get through this period, and as long as safety
guidelines are followed, they can now safely resume work.
However, the decrease in demand for servicing and installation
jobs as a result of lockdown is obviously a key concern,
and firms will be anxious for business revenues to pick up as
quickly as possible.
For the maintenance side of plumbing, many homeowners
will now be tightening their purse strings as they become
increasingly aware of the costs involved with heating water.
That said, there is a need for vital assets such as geysers
to last as long as possible and save on their electrical and
water utility bills. With many homeowners confined to their
properties for a month or more, they may have become increasingly
aware of domestic annoyances with leaks, blockages
and water supply not working as well as it once did.
With this shift comes an opportunity for plumbers to have
more insightful conversations with their customers about
what is causing any issues they may have and, ultimately,
what solutions they can offer to future-proof their system.
Despite the current climate, there are still opportunities for
plumbers to grow their business and prepare for the future,
and plumbers should re-engage now while these issues are
still front of mind. PA
Eamonn
Eamonn Ryan, Editor
[email protected]
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August 2020 Volume 26 I Number 06
www.plumbingafrica.co.za