In 1995, when South African Polypropylene Yarns (SAPY) began spinning multifilament polypropylene yarn in a modest Hammarsdale plant, the local yarn market was a fortress dominated by South African Nylon Spinners (SANS), a division of AECI.
Polyester and nylon reigned supreme. Polypropylene yarn was the outsider – cheaper, unfamiliar and dismissed by the incumbents as an unlikely challenger.
But SAPY had something different: persistence, a long view and the ability to see opportunity in gaps others ignored.
‘SAPY began operations in 1995 as a joint venture between Ninian and Lester and PFE International,’ recalls managing director Dr Majid Zarrebini, who relocated from the UK to South Africa the following year to lead the business. ‘We were a small start-up with a spinning and twisting operation. At the time, SANS dominated the market. But we brought the idea of polypropylene yarn as a replacement for many of their products, at significantly lower prices. It wasn’t direct competition, but we carved out our niche by replacing what others couldn’t supply competitively.’
Their official opening in November 1995 carried a touch of aristocratic glamour: Prince Michael of Kent officiated the ribbon cutting. But behind the pomp, SAPY faced a bruising market. ‘It was extremely hard initially,’ Majid admits. ‘Our turning point only came in 2000. It took five years before we really saw traction.’
The masterbatch breakthrough
What changed SAPY’s trajectory wasn’t just yarn – it was colour. In the early days, the company relied on external suppliers for masterbatch, the concentrated pigments that give plastics their colours and functional properties. But the supply chain was fragile, the colours often inconsistent and delays exasperating.
‘Customers would order green yarn and we’d have to wait three or four weeks for the masterbatch to arrive,’ says Dayalan Moodley, SAPY’s colour manager, who joined in 2001. ‘That meant a three-week delay before we could supply yarn. So we decided to start making our own, on a small scale, just to meet internal requirements.’
The move proved transformative. ‘With our own masterbatch production, we cut lead times from weeks down to 24 hours,’ Dayalan explains. ‘We could make 15kg of masterbatch one day, and the customer would have 500kg of yarn the next.’ Word spread quickly, especially among Raffia bag producers. Soon, SAPY wasn’t just supplying yarn – they were was supplying masterbatch too.
Majid remembers the initial scepticism. ‘It was said: you’re a yarn manufacturer –what do you know about making masterbatch?” But what they didn’t realise is that as both manufacturers and end users of masterbatch, we understood it better than most. Even today, we’re probably one of the single biggest consumers of masterbatch in the country.’
By the mid-2000s, masterbatch had grown from an internal hedge against supply chain risk into a formidable new business line.
The years after 2010 marked SAPY’s physical and strategic transformation. Considerable investment – backed in part by the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) – enabled a massive expansion in Hammarsdale. New yarn factories, warehouses, administration offices and, crucially, an expanded masterbatch facility were built.
‘We retooled the entire business from scratch,’ Majid says. ‘From 2010 onwards, we scaled considerably. We now have 23 twin-screw extruders for masterbatch production. We went for multiple, large machines be the most efficient. More lines meant we could separate colours, minimise contamination and improve waste efficiency.’
The company also secured ISO 9001 quality certification in 2012 and ISO 22000 food safety certification in 2018. According to marketing manager Tracy Campbell, these weren’t just checkboxes, but doors to new markets.
‘Accreditations opened doors with major players in plastic food packaging,’ Tracy notes. ‘It wasn’t just about compliance, it streamlined plant efficiencies and became a valuable marketing tool. Customers saw that we weren’t just competitive – we were credible.’
When Tracy joined SAPY in 2013, she was tasked with building a new sales team. ‘We’re selling confidence at the end of the day,’ she reflects. ‘We have to believe in our products so customers can too. That technical product knowledge coupled with our perseverance has opened many doors. Additionally, a critical advantage is SAPY’s flexibility. We can turn things around quickly, no matter the scale, because of our vast colour library and extensive equipment.’
Strategic purchasing has further stabilised SAPY’s market position. ‘Dayalan manages our raw material purchasing on a very large scale,’ Majid explains. ‘That allows us to keep prices stable and hold good stock volumes. It’s a vital part of our strategy to encourage customers to source locally.’
At the heart of SAPY’s competitive edge lies its colour expertise. With Dayalan leading R&D, the company has been quick to anticipate regulatory and sustainability shifts.
‘We were the first in South Africa to market a PFAS-free processing aid,’ Tracy says proudly. ‘That’s crucial for customers exporting to the EU and wanting to stay ahead of regulations. We also have extensive experience with masterbatches containing post-consumer recycled (PCR) content. Our PCR masterbatches are SATAS-approved, particularly for use in regulated vest-type carrier bags. And because of how we formulate them, we can offer a relatively consistent outcome despite the varying nature of PCR, enabling our customers to meet brand colour requirements. That sets us apart.’
For Dayalan, his passion for masterbatch isn’t just technical – it’s deeply personal. ‘When I started the masterbatch manufacturing in 2001, it was a tiny in-house operation.
Today, masterbatch is significantly bigger than the yarn division. That growth has been phenomenal.’
Innovation in experience
Innovation at SAPY isn’t limited to products. In 2024, the company launched SAPY_X, a novel customer experience initiative that marries business with Majid’s passion for vertical aviation. A newly built, SACAA-registered helipad at Hammarsdale now welcomes customers flown in from Durban’s Virginia airport.
‘It’s about engagement and confidence building,’ Tracy explains. ‘We’ve completed more than 50 flights already and the feedback is incredible. Customers don’t just see our plant – they experience it from a bird’s eye view. The concept is also carried through to our website, where we visually share the scope of what we offer.’
Majid is characteristically understated, but there’s pride in his voice. ‘SAPY_X speaks to our innovation. Nobody’s done it before, and customers love it.’
Sustainability is a key driver of SAPY’s investments. In 2017, the company piloted a hybrid renewable energy system to understand the local solar radiation and kinetic energy profiles in the area. The experiment laid the groundwork for a far larger commitment: in 2025, SAPY inaugurated a 2MW solar installation, complete with more than 3 000 panels on a purpose-built structure.
‘We’re very pleased with the outcome,’ Majid says. ‘It took seven months to build. It’s massive and it futureproofs us in a volatile energy environment.’
The next 30 years
As SAPY celebrates its 30th anniversary, the narrative isn’t just about surviving three decades in a tough, saturated market. It’s about continually reinventing itself while keeping one principle constant: customer focus.
‘Customer orientation has remained at the core of our business for the past 30 years,’ Majid reflects. ‘That’s the essence of our business. It’s not marketing spin – it’s how we work, every day. Competitive pricing, high-quality product, flexibility and service.’
Thirty years on, SAPY has proved that an outsider can not only survive but define a market. From a small start-up battling an entrenched giant to being one of the country’s largest masterbatch players, the company has woven persistence, colour and customer focus into a story as vibrant as the yarns and masterbatches it produces.
30 years of gratitude
As SAPY marks three decades, we pause to honour the visionaries who built our foundation, the leaders who guided our growth and every staff member whose dedication has kept us flying. We remember with affection those no longer with us, whose legacy endures in all we’ve achieved.
To our trusted suppliers and loyal customers – thank you for your confidence, support and partnership.
This milestone is not ours alone. It belongs to everyone who has been part of our journey. Here’s to carrying the legacy forward, together.
