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PERSONALITY PROFILE
Work hard
and play hard
From the coast of KwaZulu-Natal is Barry Chapman of
PlumbingKZN, who shares some of his life and career with
Plumbing Africa.
By Benjamin Brits
Chapman was born in Vryheid, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN)
and he spent the first two years of his life in Jozini.
His parents then decided to move to Ballito and
that’s where life really began as Chapman recalls it.
“Life was awesome, there was a ton of open space,
sugar cane fields everywhere, opportunity to ride
our bicycles wherever we wanted, and of course, the
great big blue sea,” Chapman shares.
Chapman attended Glenwood High School in Durban,
and always knew he wanted to work with his hands. He
ended up working for two years in the bush where he did
some growing up and also used the time to make up his
mind about where he wanted to go with his life. “After
the two years in the bush, I came back home and started
an apprenticeship in plumbing, and the rest is history,
really,” said Chapman.
OUTSIDE OF WORK
Chapman is very much an outdoors man and is a
KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife Honorary Officer, where he
spends at least one weekend a month in the Imfolozi
Game Reserve. He is also a member of the Land Cruiser
Club of South Africa.
“Being involved with the outdoors and the club, keeps
us, as a family, busy adventuring around Southern Africa.
It is truly is a beautiful place to experience with my wife
Nicole and my three wonderful sons, Dale, Grayson and
Hudson, by my side. We also love the water. We are out
boating on the sea and dams, and have a lot of family
fun with lots and lots of camping,” he continues.
A CAREER IN PLUMBING
Chapman had always had an interest in sanitation and
how it all works. His favourite saying is, “A plumber
brings life into a house, and takes death out.” “As
plumbers we have such an important role in the world,”
states Chapman.
July 2019 Volume 25 I Number 5
Chapman began his career in the plumbing world with
one old dilapidated bakkie that was barely roadworthy,
but as life would have it, it was all up and up from there
onwards to where the company is today. Chapman is
proud to have 16 vehicles on the road, and a staff of
91 employees.
HELP AND SUPPORT YOU NEED
Getting more involved in the Institute of Plumbing
(IOPSA) has been a significant achievement for
Chapman, and admittedly this has helped him to grow
in leaps and bounds. The continuous education and
training that is offered and also knowing that there
is support whenever you need it has been a great
business building block in his opinion.
INSPIRATION FOR A DAY TO DAY
Chapman’s inspiration stems from the fact that he
always gets the opportunity to be able to help someone
in need. “I have always been a helper. Seeing the smile
on the face of anyone after you have cleared a blocked
sewer line is worth every effort – it’s an inner
satisfaction that you experience every time,”
says Chapman.
A LONG TERM CHANGE IN MINDSET
“If I had the opportunity to change something for the
industry it would be education. I would endeavour to
change the attitudes of all the tradesman plumbers who
have the mindset where they think that the day they are
qualified that they don’t need to learn anything more.
Also, one of my favourite comments that I often hear in
the industry is ‘I have been a plumber for 35 years – I
know everything.’ This is the biggest fall-down for the
industry because there is always something new, or a
better way to do things.
“IOPSA and the Plumbing Industry Registration Board
(PIRB) are really making inroads with education to
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