Hammarsdale-based radial truck tyre recycler, Mathe Group, has processed its millionth radial truck tyre, bringing the total amount of rubber crumb produced for re-use in key industrial and construction applications to around 38 500 tons, according to CEO Dr Mehran Zarrebini.
Based on an infill of 100 tons of rubber crumb per full size artificial football field, this equates to 385 full size football fields or 700 full size hockey fields ( based on 55 tons needed to create the elastic layer underneath artificial grass). The amount of rubber crumb produced would have provided the asphalt and seal needed to pave at least 8000 km of roads. Dr Zarrebini, a British investor who initially acquired iconic KwaZulu-Natal based carpet manufacturer, Van Dyck, discovered Mathe Group as a small operation with just 20 employees operating in New Germany in 2016. He was looking for rubber crumb to manufacture acoustic underlays and acoustic cradles for flooring in high rise buildings – products that he has since improved and continues to export.
Dr Mehran Zarrebini, CEO of Mathe Group is pictured at the factory in Hammarsdale. In the foreground is the steel that has been removed from the tyres and in the rear are used tyres waiting to be recycled.
Having acquired a 49% shareholding in Mathe Group, he relocated the company to its present site in Hammarsdale, significantly boosting production through ongoing re-investment in plant over the past eight years.
Mathe Group currently recycles approximately 700 radial truck tyres per day to produce 30 tons of rubber crumb. 70% of each 55kg truck tyre becomes rubber crumb and 30% is waste steel which is exported via the port of Durban.
Through its own research and development or through working with key partners, Mathe Group’s repertoire of products has grown to include non-slip paving and flooring for agricultural use, ballistics products and gym mats, rubber pavers and the infill for sports fields. Various sizes of rubber crumb are also key ingredients in bitumen for road resurfacing, non-slip paints, moulding of parts for the automotive industry, the retreading of tyres and the production of brake linings.
Dr Zarrebini says that a number of challenges have stood in the way of Mathe Group not achieving its important millionth tyre milestone far sooner. These include the Covid-19 pandemic which shut down the plant for 18 months, loadshedding, water shortages and ongoing legal battles and delayed implementation of the Industry Waste Tyre Management Plan (IWTMP).
Mathe Group is currently awaiting the renewal and expansion of its tyre quota from the Waste Bureau. This will enable this highly successful business to significantly expand output and continue to develop new products. 
At present, 50% of a tranche of new equipment needed to replace existing plant will arrive in South Africa at the beginning of the New Year with the remainder ready to be shipped during the second quarter of 2025. Dr Zarrebini says ongoing replacement of equipment that comes into contact with abrasive hard rubber and steel is essential. In addition, he says that Mathe Group is finalising external funding for additional upgrades to the existing line which enable the company to diversify. “For the phase two investment, we designed the equipment to have the flexibility to process radial steel truck tyres as well as a variety of other tyres. Although nylon truck tyres are few and far between now because trucking companies prefer to use radial steel tyres that are of a higher quality and retreadable, this gives us the security of more variant tyre supply,” he says. Waiting in the wings – and dependant on the delivery of more tyres for recycling – is a phase three investment. Mathe Group has already been granted a waste management license for the installation of a completely new line to complement its existing one. Dr Zarrebini says that although Mathe Group’s growth from 2016 to 2019 was steep, this levelled off with the advent of load shedding, high energy costs and the factory closure during the pandemic. With a more stable business environment and energy supply, output during 2024 has again increased as the factory is able to operate 24/7. With the upcoming investment, he is optimistic that Mathe Group will reach its two millionth tyre milestone rapidly.
