The children of Mamelodi township now learn in a state-of-the-art school that was built using almost 20,000 tonnes of ArcelorMittal steel

ArcelorMittal South Africa officially handed over Meetse A Bophelo Primary School in Mamelodi Township, east of Pretoria, to the Department of Basic Education in November 2010.

“Meetse A Bophelo is the first community to benefit from the company’s programme to build 10 steel-structure schools across the country over the next six years”

Built from steel, the school took just 12 months to build instead of the two years required for a more conventional structure. A total of 19,990 tonnes of steel was used to build the site. Unemployed workers from the township were employed on the project, with between 60-80 on site each day.

The school can house 1,200 learners, covering areas of 3.367m2 and 1400m2 of walkways and covered seating areas.

The steel structure can be produced in kit form, allowing quick and easy assembly. Built with a budget of ZAR34.8m (excluding VAT), the Meetse A Bophelo prototype is also cost effective.

Meetse A Bophelo is the first community to benefit from the company’s programme to build 10 steel-structure schools across the country over the next six years. The next two such schools will be in the Eastern Cape, built in areas where unstable mud schools are the predominant building structure. One school will be built in each of the remaining seven provinces in South Africa.

Meetse A Bophelo facilities

• Classrooms for 1,200 learners
• Laboratory
• Nutrition centre with a kitchen and storeroom
• Workshop
• Media centre with computer room and library
• Administrative building:  meeting rooms, offices for the principal and two vice principals, staffroom, reception, kitchen, toilets
• Caretaker’s house (two bedrooms, kitchen/lounge, bathroom)
• Toilet and washroom facilities near the sports fields