An Agrément South Africa certified technology, Hydraform, is changing how the brick industry is manufacturing bricks, one interlocking block at a time. The technology is currently changing lives in Gombani, a small village outside Thohoyandou in Venda, as well as in Northern Uganda.

At Gombani village, Hydraform’s interlocking brick building technology was handed over to twelve women, one from each of the families who were trained in block making, by the Department of Public Works for a rural housing project a few years ago. The women in Gombani have since constructed their own houses utilising the Hydraform machine.

Hydraform’s technology comprises manufacturing interlocking building blocks on site, using local soil, water and a small amount of cement for stability. The blocks are constructed on site, reducing transportation costs and the end result is easily constructed, structurally sound homes for people worst affected by underdevelopment and poverty.

Recently, Agrément South Africa hosted State Minister for Northern Uganda, Grace Kwiyucwiny. The Minister came to know about this technology when she took office six months ago.

“Since taking up office, I have faced some challenges in ensuring that these machines are effectively utilised and are sustainable. For the product or the machine itself, I do not have any doubts as I have seen what it can do and I have a sense of appreciation,” she said. “But now that I am here, I appreciate this technology more than I had before based on the Gombani story.”

Minister Kwiyucwiny appreciates the fact that the technology does not adversely influence the environment and that it was taken up by her government on the strength of Agrément South Africa’s approval.

“Another lesson for me is the solid relationship between you [Agrément South Africa] and the National Home Builders Registration Council, which I think is essential for checks and balances,” she noted. “This is the framework that we try to emulate in Uganda to ensure that quality products are provided to the Ugandans.”

“Back home we had a period where houses were collapsing and we didn’t know the reason why they were collapsing but I think if we had an institution like Agrément South Africa then it would to control and ensure that there is quality provided.”

Hydraform was issued with a fit-for-purpose certificate 22 years ago by Agrément South Africa. Agrement SA awards contractors fit-for-purpose certificates for new, innovative technologies where there are no standards for in the industry.

Joe Odhiambo, CEO of Agrément South Africa, said that Hydraform was one of Agrément South Africa’s early certificates holders and it was now 22 years since the certificate was granted. The technology has been very successful the world over. Gombani was the first significant government backed expanded public works programme project where it was successfully implemented.

 Agrément South Africa, an agency of the Department of Public Works, hosted by the CSIR, is a technical authority in the construction sector and its most important task is to approve non-standardised products and building systems for which there were no national standards or codes of practice.