Brick manufacturers are upbeat on prospects for 2015 following an increase in government infrastructural spending.

Corobrik managing director Dirk Meyer says that added to infrastructural spending there has been a 15% increase in sales due to a modest recovery in the residential market.

In the first three months of the current financial year, the group has sold more bricks into dwellings than in the past few years.

“While growth is slow, it is steady and we are confident there is sufficient building activity in the market for Corobrik to successfully gain an improved shareholding in the walling and paving arenas.

“A key to 2015 will be growing organically as the group implements internal capital projects aimed at competing for more market share,” he says.

Meyer’s comments come as the industry recovers from some of the worst years experienced; particularly after the 2010 World Cup Soccer tournament once the infrastructure demanded for that event had been completed.

Significant pick up in the Western Cape

While experiencing a slow resurgence in residential and building activity, the Western Cape has picked up significantly.

Meyer says several projects that had been suspended, were back on track and developer activity in this area, which had halted following the economic slump and a resultant glut of residential stock, was also showing recovery.

“Many of those properties were built as second homes or as speculative ventures and, when this money dried up, the stock had to be slowly absorbed into the market.

The uptick in residential demand has seen this supply accommodated and now developers that survived the slump are robustly building units,” he says.

Despite the economic downturn, Meyer says the group has secured market share in the past few years on the strength of the Corobrik brand, experience and expertise on products, quality and services.

A national distribution network has also worked in their favour as it meant architects, specifiers and developers could work with a single client.