Company History

Duferco was established in 1979 with founder Bruno Bolfo seeing an opportunity in emerging markets steel production for a reliable and informed steel trading company to play a role in the growth of exports to previously unexplored markets. In subsequent years Duferco has grown into a multinational steel and steel-related products trading company with over 8 million tonnes of steel products and in excess of 7 million tons of raw materials being shipped worldwide.

In addition, the company has steel production assets and steel distribution and processing assets across 36 countries. Duferco has its headquarters office in Lugano, Switzerland from where the group’s focus remains firmly on the key segments of the steel business chain.

Duferco established Duferco Steel Processing (DSP) as a joint venture between Duferco SA of Switzerland and the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa Limited with the primary objective being to support the South African Government’s vision by adding value to Hot Rolled Coil from the Saldanha Steel project for the export market. The unique location, 130 km from Cape Town on the West Coast, is 5 km from Saldanha Harbor, which is the deepest natural port in South Africa. The erection of the DSP production facility, which started commissioning at the end of 1998, was a turnkey project by Voest Alpine, the Austrian industrial group. DSP was proud to see the first shipment of its manufactured products sail from Saldanha Bay in August 1999 destined for the UK closely followed by a shipment to the USA and since then has built a solid reputation as a reliable and high-quality manufacturer with an established client base and a high percentage of repeat customers.

At DSP, our mission statement is simple; PRIME, ON TIME, EVERY TIME!

Our drive for continuous improvement has led to a successful certification for ISO 9001:2015; a testament to the work ethic of all our employees and their focus to ensure customer satisfaction is paramount. DSP produces a range of steel products consisting of hot rolled, pickled and oiled, galvanised, and cold rolled products, with a capacity of more than 600,000 tonnes per annum. All equipment is the latest state-of-the-art technology, and DSP is confident that its products will meet and surpass the requirements of its clientele.