Dear OCCA KZN Members,

The beginning of a new year is a powerful occasion – It’s a time when we reflect on the experiences of the past and resolve on our dreams and hopes for the future. There is no doubt that the current pandemic is taking a toll on our lives. But all is not bad. It has dawned a new sense of appreciation for the simple things in life — that things have changed, some irreversibly, some for the better and some for the worse.

We’ve been immersed, for example, in real-world experiments in the powers of technological experiences, on-line shopping, banking, online and virtual learning, telemedicine, on-line worship and working from home etc.

 In times of social distancing and living within a bubble, keeping connected to the world outside is crucial. To this end, and in keeping with the objectives of OCCA, we have prioritized the re-vamping of the Website.

We request that you have the Website https://occasa.org.za/  saved as a’ favourite’ and that you and your staff visit it at least weekly. We will continue to try and make it as relevant to our members as possible. Please feel free to offer any suggestions for improvement.

Even during the lockdown, your committee has been working tirelessly to uphold the relevance of OCCA.

There is lots of good news:

• We have now concluded a License agreement with OCCA UK
• We may still register Professional Membership through the UK organization
• We will no longer be paying all our Membership Fees over to the UK but will pay a fixed License Fee which will be shared between the 3 Sections and the Division
• You, as a Southern African member, will receive Surface Coatings International (SCI) publication several times a year (by logging on and using your membership number as a password)
• You are also entitled to join weekly Webinars run by OCCA UK (these have turned out to be very popular during shutdown)
• We will soon be offering Webinars locally – candidate subjects are ‘Duplex Coatings – hazards and success stories’, ‘Prefinished Metals – the good, the bad and the ugly’. Please keep a look out for dates.
• We have decided to amend our name to ‘OCCA: Surface Coatings Association of Southern Africa’, in line with SCAA (Australia) and SCANZ (New Zealand). This will modernize our image and make our name more relevant to this day and age.
• Our association with SAPMA and SAPITI is as strong as ever. We, together, are associated with Daily Mail Group (DMG) who are planning CFA – ‘Coatings for Africa’ Exhibition and Conference for mid-2021. DMG have put R1 million into marketing this event which has become the biggest Coatings Expo in Southern Africa, held at the Sandton Convention Centre
• We have recently become a Reciprocal Member of Corrosion Institute of Southern Africa (CorrISA) – more later!
  
  
• We are in discussions with the new Executive Director of CorrISA, to facilitate Professional Memberships within our Industry

This year, I hope you embrace all that life has to offer, conquer your fears and reach new heights with renewed strength and vigour.

 
I Wish you a wonderful year ahead.

Jay Udith
Chairman OCCA KZN
jay@virenix.com