Two employees, four decades and a factory’s worth of institutional knowledge
When a technical, family-run specialist like Duva Chemicals talks about institutional knowledge, it isn’t an abstract asset on a balance sheet, it’s the memory held in people’s hands, habits, and voices. Two employees, Factory Manager Lynne Leyds and Electropolishing Foreman Sam Masekela, who have worked at Duva Chemicals since the 1980s, were recently recognised at a staff awards function held at the company’s premises in Johannesburg’s industrial hub, Chloorkop, Kempton Park.
Lynne and Sam’s combined service spans more than eighty years and traces the company’s evolution from a compact unit in Wynberg, Johannesburg into an internationally active supplier of stainless-steel pickling, passivation and bespoke chemical plants. Together their stories reveal how craftsmanship, pragmatism and long term client relationships have kept Duva relevant in a demanding industry.
A legend in the making
Lynne arrived at Duva Chemicals in 1985 after leaving a job in fashion retail. She remembers the early days as “being thrown in at the deep end” a steep learning curve that involved long hours, hands-on problem solving and a strong work ethic.
What began as a production and customer-facing job subsequently expanded into operations management, reception, invoicing and mentoring. Lynne became the person clients called when they needed practical advice or a fast fix. She helped support innovations such as Duva’s pickling paste for targeted weld repairs, a game-changer for fabricators who need touch-ups rather than full-immersion treatments.
On site, Lynne starts each day with a “toolbox talk,” allocating tasks, checking mixtures and ensuring work meets Duva’s exacting standards. Fortunately, she’s as comfortable in the yard as at her desk, a rare combination that has made her both a production leader and a mentor.
Overall, she’s proudest of Duva’s teamwork and endurance. The business has weathered decades of industrial change, recessions and the Covid-19 pandemic, but she says the secret lies in loyalty and shared responsibility. “We have gone through thick and thin together, but we’ve stuck by it. For me, Duva isn’t just an employer. It’s my home.”
Decades of dedication
Sam Masekela’s connection to Duva began in 1983, when founder John van Duyn started the business. Sam laughs as he remembers his youth: “I was still very young, very naughty,” he says. But he learned quickly, working side by side with John. “Everything he did, he called me. Today I want you to do this with me.”
That on-the-job apprenticeship became a defining feature of Sam’s career. From rubber lining and detergent production in the early days to the company’s later move into acids and stainless steel treatment, Sam absorbed each process by doing it himself. He became Duva’s first electropolishing foreman and one of its most trusted field technicians.
His proudest moment came in the late 1980s when he was sent to Benin, West Africa, to oversee stainless-steel refurbishment at a brewery. “When I came back, the boss said he didn’t need to go check it he knew it was done right,” says Sam. That independence, earned through years of hands-on learning, is something he still encourages in younger staff.
Sam’s quiet leadership has shaped Duva’s reputation far beyond Johannesburg, though he now trains others rather than travelling, his influence runs through every electropolishing job that leaves the factory.
At 63, Sam plans to retire to Limpopo in the next few years, rejoining his wife and family. His advice to the next generation is simple: “Leave your problems at the gate. Focus on your work. The more you work, the less time you have to think about the negatives.”
A legacy of loyalty
Duva Chemicals’ technical footprint, from electropolishing and on-site pickling and passivation to automated plant design, is impressive. But its real strength lies in people like Lynne and Sam: employees who built careers by treating the business as their own.
They both stress training and attention to detail as non-negotiables. Their advice to younger colleagues can be summed up simply: show up, learn at the bench, respect safety procedures and treat each surface as a client’s reputation. In an industry that prizes finish and reliability, those are not soft values they are competitive advantages.
For more on Duva Chemicals products and services go to: www.duvachem.com