Belgotex has been a leader in the local flooring industry for more than 38 years and has a healthy export market for high end residential, corporate and commercial flooring.

As a member of the multinational Belgotex International Group, with seven companies over four continents, the South African entity is proud to take Africa to the world. Belgotex’s global footprint is on the pulse of design, décor and lifestyle trends that enrich the brand experience that is delivered on home soil.

Belgotex is Africa’s leading carpet and artificial grass manufacturer. As a soft flooring specialist, the company designs, makes and distributes high-quality broadloom and modular carpets with custom solutions available to the commercial market. Their extensive product portfolio includes luxury and specialist vinyls and artificial grass.

The company’s continuous investment in technology has laid the foundation for manufacturing excellence and adapting to market trends has ensured that Belgotex remains competitive, locally and internationally. Belgotex takes great pride in their innovative approach to business, and in an age where the product is no longer a differentiator, they focus their investments and energy on their people, their brand, and their distribution channel.

The Green Journey
Operating from their 100 000m2 green factory, Belgotex is committed to sustainability on all levels. ‘We Tread Softly’ is one of their core values, and this is very evident in what they do.

Raw materials for several products are derived from post-industrial and post-consumer waste, and the needle-punch ranges are made with a blend of polypropylene and recycled eco-fibre. This considerably lowers the embodied energy associated with virgin raw material use.

A Carbon Footprint analysis was done in 2010 and, Belgotex developed their blueprint for carbon emission reductions, using integrated carbon management systems to reduce their carbon footprint significantly. Numerous energy optimisation initiatives have provided more sustainable energy sources, including the 17 million rand photovoltaic solar power plant that provides about 5% of the company’s annual energy requirement.

The rainwater harvesting initiative considerably reduced water consumption by using rainwater from the factory’s roofs in non-critical applications. The company’s move to 100% solution dyed yarn production has also resulted in significant water, chemical and energy savings. This has saved a precious resource, distanced Belgotex from old technology and offers clients a far superior ‘stain proof’ yarn system.

In alignment with the three Rs of waste management – reduce, reuse, and recycle – Belgotex seeks to reduce inputs, reuse materials and recycle waste from the company’s operations, effectively reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill.

The ongoing ‘Green Journey’ aligns with Belgotex’s value We Tread Softly, which speaks to the company’s commitment to operational sustainability practices.

Best Practice
The company adheres to international best-practice principles and frameworks such as the ISO Quality and Environmental ISO 9001 (Quality management system), ISO 14001 (Environmental management system), ISO 14064/7 (Greenhouse gas emissions reporting), ISO 14040/4/6 (Life cycle assessment), ISO 14024/5 (Environmental labelling), GRI-GR4 Guidelines, 12 Principles, and the GreenTag and GreenStar 6 Star certifications.

Belgotex Foundation
The company has a history of establishing, supporting, and implementing programmes that uplift communities and organisations. The Belgotex Foundation, established in 2015, was initially dedicated to early childhood development. The Foundation success fully transformed numerous projects with their wide range of products but has concluded that the role of the Foundation was far greater than ECD revamps and upgrades.

Edward Colle, Belgotex’s CEO and co-founder of the Belgotex Foundation said, “Belgotex believes wholeheartedly in a ‘hand-up’ rather than a ‘hand-out’ approach, and we are proud to be associated with initiatives that support the efforts of communities and individuals to improve their socio-economic circumstances.”

“If we look around, we cannot be proud of the current situation in society. It may be more evident in this beautiful country we live in, but the same social decay and lack of inclusive growth is evident globally.

This is not part of our purpose, and if we don’t address the situation, we will leave our children a very challenging set of cards. On a fundamental level, if we cannot look after our planet and the society that occupies it, we will have a very dysfunctional set of circumstances which will put immense pressure on business, as the environment will not be conducive to any form of growth. The sooner we address and deal with these issues the better it will be in the long run.”

The Belgotex Academy was launched in 1999 and provides flooring installation training, technical sales training and estimating training across the various product categories offered by Belgotex. In addition, the company offers youth and employee development through internship and learnership programmes, various training and awareness programmes and employee wellness campaigns.