Mazal Die Casting celebrates 50 years of casting

Mazal Die Casting, a specialist producer of high-pressure zinc and aluminium die cast products celebrated 50 years of operation in 2024. Situated in Parow Industria, Cape Town, Mazal Die Casting began operations in 1974.

The company was started by an Englishman named Harry Hirst and was a family-owned company tracing its routes back to September 1964 when Hirst established an aluminium gravity casting foundry in 14th Avenue, Maitland.

In 1966 the company expanded its capabilities to zinc die casting and then in 1980 management took a decision to concentrate on aluminium high pressure die casting, manufacturing components for its own design drying appliances, gardening equipment, clothing accessories, the armaments industry, gutter brackets as well as custom die casting. Mazal Die Casting also has full toolroom and design facilities making use of CNC equipment.

Current owner John Bradbury. He purchased the company from Rohan Hirst, whose father started Mazal Die Casting 50 years ago

Rohan Hirst, son of the founder, joined the company in 1966 and his sister Elizabeth joined in 1996, having previously acted as the company’s agent in Gauteng for 10 years. Rohan’s wife Helen was also involved with the business and took care of the after the sales side of the business.

Today Mazal Die Casting is owned and operated by John Bradbury, a toolmaker by trade who did his apprenticeship in Birmingham in the United Kingdom before he took over fulltime operations of the company in 2016.

Bradbury ended up in South Africa in 1983 for the first time after reading an advert in the local Birmingham evening newspaper advertising a position for a toolmaker at Nissan South Africa. Single at the time he had nothing to lose and so applied for the position. After being interviewed and accepting the position, Bradbury spent 5 years in Pretoria with Nissan. He then went on to work for Praga Technical and also spent a few years working for the CSIR. Once he got married, Bradbury and his wife did some travelling before settling back in South Africa in 1993.

Aluminium electrical boxes are one of the many components and products the company casts

“I started here at Mazal Die Casting in 1994 for the first time,” says Bradbury. “Harry was still around at that stage but had started to take a bit of a back seat by then with Rohan on the factory floor. I left the company in 2002 to go and do something on my own and after a few years I ended up joining a plastic injection moulding company. Then in around 2009 Rohan contacted me because at the time the guy that was running his toolroom had decided to emigrate.”

“Rohan asked whether I would be interested in coming back to Mazal Die Casting – we had always gotten on well and I knew how the place worked and operated – and so I did. Then in 2016 he decided that it was time to sell – he was about 68 at the time – and he asked me if I was interested and I was, so here we are now.”

“It was a testing few years to start with. First, we had the drought to contend with and then Covid came along, and of course we had load shedding on top of that. We also had to move out of our old premises that we had been renting as the company that owned that building had decided to expand their own operations and needed the space for themselves.”

“So we found a new premises not far from that one and after a challenging move, we have settled in here.”

“We still sell rotary wash lines, tap connectors, spades, rakes, garden mist sprayers and have also been importing a range of loppers.”

Mazal Die Casting manufactures its own range of drying appliances

Another challenge the business has had to face and overcome is the onslaught of plastic products that have been produced to replace the more traditional zinc cast products. The main advantage of the plastic is that it is cheaper for the consumer, but the biggest disadvantage is that the lifespan is nowhere near that of a traditionally cast product

Another challenge the business has had to face and overcome though is the onslaught of plastic products that have been produced to replace the more traditional zinc cast products. The main advantage of the plastic is that it is cheaper for the consumer, but the biggest disadvantage is that the lifespan is nowhere near that of a traditionally cast product.

“This forced us to diversify our range of products as there simply wasn’t the need for the large numbers that we used to manufacture. So now we manufacture a range of electrical boxes, fan blades for large industrial fans that are used in mining operations along with other components for fans, storage system brackets and components for conveyor systems. 2023 was a very good year for us in that regard, but 2024 was a lot quieter.”

Mazal Die Casting typically cast around 50 tons of aluminium a year and approximately 25 tons of zinc a year and design and manufacture most of their moulds themselves.

Mazal Die Casting serves a diverse range of clients, both locally and internationally. With a skilled team that brings many years of experience together in the zinc and aluminium die casting industry, Mazal Die Casting is committed to delivering top-tier expertise, specialising in small to medium production runs, starting at 2 000 units, and focus on producing high-quality, customised castings.

The company has had to diversify and it now manufactures blades for the fan industry

In 1980 management took a decision to concentrate on aluminium high pressure die casting, manufacturing components for its own design drying appliances, gardening equipment, clothing accessories, the armaments industry, gutter brackets as well as custom die casting

In addition to providing tailored products for clients, Mazal Die Casting still manufacture and distribute a variety of gardening products. These are available to purchase to both the public and trade buyers. They will manufacture as many of the components for these products as they can but will also import certain components that they can’t manufacture or source locally. Many of these products can be found in all the major hardware store brand shops across the Western Cape.

They offer a full range of plastic and steel rakes and will do runs of 5 000 to 6 000 medals for sports events. “We are always looking at ways to expand our product range and manufacture more durable and reliable products here locally and we have a few plans we will be expanding on in 2025,” concludes Bradbury.

For further information email John Bradbury at info@diecasting.co.za or visit www.diecasting.co.za