About MTT

Metal and Tool Trade (Pty) Ltd, (MTT) was founded in 1985 as a partnership between the M.J.C.Niemann Group of companies (NIEMET), Europe’s leading stockist and dealer of semi-finished products in non- ferrous metals, and Volker Schütte.

Since then MTT has grown to be the leading importer of semi-finished products in aluminium, copper and other copper alloys into South Africa . The main office and warehouse is in Kempton Park, Johannesburg with branches in Cape Town and representation in KZN . MTT has a wide range of standard stock items as well as customer specific products in warehousing throughout South Africa , from where MTT can supply the manufacturing industry with all its requirements in terms of non- ferrous metal semi-finished products. Not only does MTT import and stock semi-finished products , but at our Service Center we are able to process a variety of aluminium products and supply it cut to length or to size , depending on a customer’s exact requirements.

MTT – Trusted Supplier

MTT is well positioned through it’s international shareholders to optimise the best prices and products from all producers in both Europe and Asia, specifically China where they have established offices and staff. On top of this MTT has direct access to Europe’s biggest stockholding in the form of stock at NIEMET in Germany, which consists of more than 10.000 tons of material and 12.000 stock items.

Subsequently MTT is able to supply South African customers with a wide range of products in both small quantities ex stock as well as in mill quantities, sourced from leading producers of non- ferrous metals throughout the world. All mills supplying MTT are ISO approved .

NIEMET (Germany) is one of the founding shareholders of MTT. NIEMET started doing business in SA 35 years ago. It all started quite by coincidence. NIEMET got involved in a large Marine project at a Durban shipyard. We supplied all sorts of ferrous and non-ferrous materials, tools, equipment and machinery.  The ship was built for the South African Navy and the project lasted almost three years. The success of the project led to other business in SA and we recognized a gap in the market. The material and equipment the navy needed was not available in SA and had to be imported.

We also discovered the SA customers were different from those in Europe and Asia. SA customers didn’t want to open letters of credit for payments or work with forwarding companies or clear imported goods through customs. They also avoided carrying the risk of foreign exchange variations. It was evident that to be successful we needed a local office and warehouse. And we needed to offer payment terms on goods sold in the local currency. Operating and selling from Germany would not allow NIEMET to build a sizable market share in SA.

So it was a lucky day for me as Managing Director of NIEMET Export CO., 30 years ago when a young man named Volker Schütte walked into my office in Bremen.  He had previously worked for a German company in Durban and wanted to return to SA. He said to me “I heard about you, I would like to live and do business in SA again – can we work together in South Africa?”.  As my family and I had lived in Cape Town for 11 years (1967 -1978), I could understand his desire. I told him if I was a young man like he was, with the knowledge about our products and markets, I would open a sales office in Johannesburg to service the local industry with semi-finished non-ferrous metals.

After a couple of days Volker Schütte made contact again and said “I like your idea, I will open a sales office in Johannesburg if NIEMET and you become my business partner”. That, in 1985, was the beginning of the most successful partnership between MTT and NIEMET. The partnership is 30 years old and will continue for years to come. NIEMET is present in most European countries and also in Asia. We sell more than 100.000 tons of semi-finished products in aluminium, copper and brass. We are proud to be part of MTT, right from its first day of operation in SA in 1985.

Jost.Hinrich W. König

Bremen / Germany