Professional Profile – Lourens Kloppers

With a background in Chemical Engineering and hands-on experience across large-scale industrial projects, BCG Technical Director Lourens Kloppers is focused on raising technical standards and driving knowledge transfer in South Africa’s stainless steel sector. His leadership combines in-depth engineering insight with a commitment to education, quality and collaboration, ensuring world-class projects in an increasingly advanced and hygiene-focused global market…

Please provide some background on where you come from, your school and tertiary education and where you first started working?

I was born in Kleinzee on the West Coast and began my schooling there before attending Worcester Gymnasium as a boarder for high school. I then studied Chemical Engineering at Cape Peninsula University of Technology as a bursary student for six years. After completing my Master’s research, publishing peer-reviewed work and graduating with an MEng, I moved to Johannesburg. My first professional role was as a Systems Engineer in the filtration sector, and it was during this period that I was introduced to the team at BCG.

What are some of the key work experiences or projects that you have worked on that have challenged you but also helped to shape your skills, experience and career advancement

Early in my career, I had the opportunity to intern at a diamond research laboratory. As a student, I was surrounded by industry experts, professors and world-class equipment. I used that opportunity intentionally. I asked questions constantly, learned fearlessly, and absorbed everything I could. This mindset of curiosity and saying “yes” to new challenges accelerated my growth far quicker than most graduates.

In my first professional role, this translated into the ability to design and build novel industrial filtration systems that still operate successfully in the market today. This hands-on exposure to engineering design, problem solving, technical communication and customer engagement laid a strong foundation for the next stage of my career.

Joining BCG allowed me to apply this experience at scale, contributing to major projects across the food, beverage and related industries. A key highlight was contributing to the building of the world’s largest cidery, based in Springs. This project reinforced my passion for high-impact engineering and highlighted the value of collaboration.

What is your current position and how would you describe a typical day on the job?

I am the Technical Director at BCG Stainless Steel Services, where I oversee our projects and manufacturing teams. A typical day involves reviewing progress across active projects, engaging with customers and visiting sites to scope technical requirements, and providing engineering support. I also handle high-level technical queries, guide decision-making and ensure operational alignment across the business.

What would you say are the biggest i. work and ii. life lessons you have learnt thus far in your life?

In terms of work, you don’t need to know or be able to do everything yourself. What matters is knowing the right people who have strengths you don’t. Early in my career as a young engineer, I thought I needed to study further to fill the gaps in my knowledge, particularly in electrical equipment and instrumentation. But I quickly learnt that collaboration and leveraging the skills of others is far more powerful. By combining my strengths with the strengths of others, I achieved far more than I could have achieved alone.

The raise comes after the value is proven, not before. This applies to fitness, relationships, business and personal development. Showing up, consistently, before the reward arrives is what builds character, momentum and trust. The results are merely validation - not the fuel.

How do you hope to take your career to even greater heights - what are your plans for the future?

In the next stage of my career, I am focused on expanding my industry impact and leadership. I will soon be a certified European Hygienic  Engineering & Design Group (EHEDG) trainer, which will enable me to transfer hygienic engineering knowledge into the South African food and beverage sector. My goal is to develop the next generation of operators and engineers, elevate industry standards and contribute to improved food safety, reduced waste and greater manufacturing efficiency in our region. Ultimately, I want to continue playing a role in shaping an industry where South Africa competes globally on both quality and innovation.

In your opinion what are the biggest challenges the South African stainless steel industry currently faces and what are some of the innovative ways these can be overcome?

One of the biggest challenges South Africa’s stainless steel industry faces is inconsistent product quality and a lack of knowledge at end user level. This creates space for low cost, substandard material and poor installation practices to creep into the market, which erodes confidence in stainless steel as a long term engineering solution. Another major challenge is the inefficiency and inconsistency in government systems, which creates confusion and drives additional cost into the value chain.

To overcome this, we need to raise industry competency and transparency. Increased technical education, stronger industry standards, verified traceability of materials and accredited training (such as EHEDG) are key levers. By equipping the market with knowledge and making quality measurable, we can protect the industry, reduce waste for customers and build a sector that competes globally rather than just locally.

What do you consider the most exciting innovations happening in stainless steel right now and what sectors hold the greatest potential for the use of stainless steel in the future?

Two of the most exciting growth areas linked to stainless steel are the rise of alternative foods and the rapid expansion of cannabis extraction and processing. South Africa is starting to invest more meaningfully in plant based proteins, nutraceuticals, powders and specialised superfood manufacturing, and these products require hygienic, corrosion resistant processing lines. Similarly, since the decriminalisation of cannabis, the sector has grown substantially which increases the demand for high purity extraction facilities, solvent handling systems and specialised stainless steel equipment.

Looking ahead, I believe stainless steel will continue to show strong growth potential in sectors such as renewable energy, advanced food and  beverage processing, biotechnology and pharmaceutical manufacturing. These industries require high hygiene standards, chemical resistance and long asset life cycles, which are areas where stainless steel remains the material of choice.