by Rick Esterhuizen

The going green and recycling hype is hitting us from all directions and grows stronger, but some still find it unattainable and impractical. Hypeb Investments Limited is a company that begs to differ. They made it affordable and useful for our fish farmers with their revolutionary PolySeal Dam product.

Hypeb Investments Limited is a fully owned Zambian Company operating from the Copperbelt in Kitwe. After serving the mining industry for more than twenty years, they are now also branching out to the agricultural market. Part of their management team has an agricultural background and it made sense to their family to become part of a farmer’s daily activities.

Zambia’s agricultural market is gearing up for commercial fish farming. One of the high-risk challenges is a long-term cost-effective dam lining solution to ensure that a farmer and his fish have peace of mind. The biggest challenges faced in waterproofing ponds are the potential external factors that could damage them. This includes fire, animals, UV-damage during the dry season and cracks that might lead to leaks.

PolySeal Dam is a combination of various elements. A chemical bonding takes place that forms a strong, pliable surface to ensure a non-cracking, waterproof lining with no effect on the fish living in the dam. It uses PolySeal (plastic polymer), 32.5 Portland cement powder, geotextile membrane, and the available ground materials to form a bonded lining covering a dam surface. The magic happens when the above elements form a UV resistant, fire-retardant, flexible bond between the lining and the surface it is applied to. The lining will not burn during bush fires, mice and rats will not eat through it, and once dry, it will not leave a taste in the water.

There is, however, still the possibility that the surface might get damaged, for example by large rocks falling onto the exposed surface. This can easily be repaired with low labour cost and without expensive equipment. PolySeal Dams are not size or shape dependent. A “seamless” lining can be applied to ensure a leak free dam. PolySeal Lining can also be used to repair existing concrete dams, watering troughs and irrigation canals.

Hypeb Investments Limited, as well as the original product manufacturer, will issue a ten-year warranty on the completed dam, plus an extended warranty for up to five years (terms and conditions apply). This gives the dam a minimum lifespan of fifteen years, versus other lining methods that need to be replaced after three to eight years. The overall cost of installation over the lifespan of the dam is approximately 50 to 70 percent of other methods of waterproofing fishponds, water storage dams and roof sealing.

Over and above the lifespan of the dams, the base material, PolySeal, is not only environmentally friendly, but is adding to the recycling chain as it is manufactured from PET-plastics that are normally not suitable for industrial plastic recycling.

During the past few years, Hypeb Investments Limited obtained and secured a number of high-quality distributorships and has identified a number of products that are also suitable for the agricultural market. During the past Agritech show they exhibited some of these products:

• CCTV and security solutions
• Two-way radio communication systems and solutions
• PortaTank™ and PortaDam™
• Chicken curtains
• The Downer Cow Jack
• PolyRoads
• PolySeal Dams
• Emergency PipeFix
• Hella agricultural work lights

Hypeb Investments Limited is in the process of entering into various trade and franchise agreements country-wide to ensure that you can buy their products at a store close to you.

Should you be interested in their products, or in stocking their range of products, contact them at hypebzambia@gmail.com.