Glass container manufacturer Consol, which is being unbundled from industrial giant AVI, will be making its reappearance on the JSE Securities Exchange on February 28 after an absence of 7 years. With a total turnover of around Rands 2.1BN, Consol is South Africa's largest glassmaker, claiming a substantial 75% share of the local glass container market. This far outweighs its closest competitor, Nampak, which has about a 20% market share. The group also has a plastics division which contributed around Rands 220M to total turnover for the year to end June.04. The local alcoholic beverages industry, including Distell and SAB Miller, are among Consol's largest clients. With wine exports under pressure from the strong rand, smaller wine players have sometimes voiced concern over Consul's pricing power given the almost duopolistic nature of the glass market.
