FEATURES 23
Supahot
By
Tanya Olckers
Local manufacturer SUPAHOT can produce 20 000 geyser units each month . CEO Shaaz Moosa chats to Plumbing Africa .
“ Our mission is to bring the best water heating systems to the market , based on our core values of service , quality , longevity and customer engagement ,” says Shaaz Moosa , CEO and CFO of Supahot . The company manufactures electric geysers and solar geyser systems and has been doing so since 2018
“ Our goal is to be the go-to company for versatile geyser solutions ,” says Moosa . Six years ago , he took over the Franke range and rebranded it .
However , this transition didn ’ t come without challenges . The barrier to entry into the industry had been set high , with existing companies dealing with nationals and the insurance industry . Undaunted , the company decided to bring in top range manufacturing machinery and to employ highly skilled staff .
As one of just three manufacturers in South Africa , they took quality and localisation as the basis of their strategy for breaking into the market . To that end , they set out to create awareness of their products among customers and more importantly , plumbers .
SUPAHOT has taken their design back to basics , concentrating on durability and functionality and what is most efficient for both customer and plumber . They use a larger anode , which can extend the lifespan of a geyser . They have also kept the galvanised end cap , instead of opting for the more cost-effective plastic alternative . The metal cap retains heat , adding to energy efficiency and durability .
Quality of each geyser is inspected and closely scrutinised . Welding on these geysers is done by robotic welding machines – the same welding machines used by Toyota , Porsche , and BMW .
Images by © Plumbing Africa
The process begins .
The enamelling process is the next most important aspect of manufacturing . They use dry powder coating process with an electrostatic system , and the geyser ' s boiler is baked at 840 ° C to cure and bake the enamel .
“ Welding on these geysers is done by robotic welding machines – the same welding machines used by Toyota , Porsche , and BMW .”
Firing up the geyser .
September 2024 Volume 30 I Number 7 www . plumbingafrica . co . za