What Tosas does

Tosas (Pty Ltd) is a South African manufacturer and supplier of bituminous products serving the roads industry across Southern Africa. Founded in 1972 as a joint venture between Sasol and Total to commercialise bitumen from their jointly owned Natref refinery, the company modifies penetration-grade bitumen into a broad portfolio of polymer modified bitumens (PMB), crumb rubber modified binders, and a full range of cationic, anionic, and polymer-modified emulsions used in road construction and maintenance. Its product set spans more than 30 SKUs across bitumen products (penetration grade, cutback, dust palliatives, Bitukote, Damseal Warrior, quick drying prime), modified bitumen products (polymer modified spray grade, crumb rubber technology, pothole patch cold mix, cracksealants, Arm R Shield, hydrocarbon modified, seasonal grade rubber, MMTS), and emulsions (cationic/anionic spray and stable grade, polymer modified cold applied, rejuvenators including EFR-60, chipseal, Catprime nano-modified, micro surfacing, Elasto-Tack, tack coats, and stabilisation emulsions).

The business operates what it describes as Africa's largest fleet of bitumen distributors — more than 40 binder distributors, 10 mobile rubber plants, 4 mobile PMB plants, mobile emulsion plants, a proprietary hauler fleet, and MEGA-capacity bitumen storage farms — distributing products in bulk or drums directly to construction and maintenance sites. Tosas runs 7 branch locations spanning South Africa (Germiston head office, Bloemfontein, Worcester, East London, Durban), Botswana (Gaborone) and Namibia (Tsumeb). Distribution is direct B2B with consultative technical selling; technical staff sit on industry specification committees and the company holds SABS certification and SABITA Category A membership, consuming more than 20,000 tons of penetration grade bitumen annually.

The company has been wholly owned by the Raubex Group of Companies since April 2013, following Sasol's 100% ownership from 2008. Its primary customers are road construction companies, road maintenance contractors, and government or municipal road authorities across Southern Africa. Revenue derives from hardware sale of bituminous products (unit pricing on bulk or drum supply), with multi-year contracts for large projects and pay-as-you-go for smaller volumes; pricing is non-public and quote-based.

Name

Tosas

Legal name

Tosas Pty Ltd

Website

https://tosas.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Tosas is a South African bituminous products manufacturer and supplier serving the roads industry across Southern Africa, producing polymer modified bitumens, crumb rubber modified binders, and emulsions delivered through Africa's largest distributor fleet to construction contractors and road authorities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Bituminous Products for Road Construction

NAICS

Asphalt Paving Mixture and Block Manufacturing (324121), Asphalt Shingle and Coating Materials Manufacturing (324122), Asphalt Paving, Roofing, and Saturated Materials Manufacturing (32412)

SIC

Asphalt Paving & Roofing Materials (2950), Miscellaneous Chemical Products (2890), Wholesale-Chemicals & Allied Products (5160)

akta.pro primary industry

Asphalt Mixing & Paving Materials (Hot/Warm/Cold Mix, RAP/RAS Blends) (EUALAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Polymer-Modified Asphalt (PMB) & Modified Binders (SBS/Crumb Rubber/Plastomers) (EUALAKAD), Asphalt Emulsions (Cationic/Anionic, CRS/SS, Specialty Emulsions) (EUALAKAB), Cutback Asphalt & Flux Oils (Rapid/Medium/Slow-Curing) (EUALAKAC), Industrial & Waterproofing Bitumen Products (Roofing, Membranes, Shingles, Sealants) (EUALAKAF)

Keywords

• Bitumen products
• Road construction materials
• Polymer modified bitumen
• Bitumen emulsions
• Crumb rubber technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Wadeville

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Bituminous Products Sales: Tosas generates revenue through the manufacture and sale of bituminous products including penetration grade bitumens, modified binders (polymer modified bitumen, crumb rubber modified), and emulsions. Products are supplied in bulk or drums to the roads industry across Southern Africa.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Tosas manufactures and supplies a comprehensive range of bituminous products, modified binders, and bitumen emulsions for the Southern African road construction and maintenance industry. The company specializes in modifying penetration grade bitumen into polymer modified bitumen (PMB), crumb rubber modified bitumen, and a full portfolio of cationic, anionic, and specialty emulsions. Products are delivered in bulk or drums via Africa's largest fleet of bitumen distributors and supplemented by 13 mobile rubber and PMB modification plants.

Product overview

Tosas is a bituminous products company offering a comprehensive portfolio of road construction and maintenance solutions across Southern Africa. The product portfolio consists of three main categories: Bitumen Products (Penetration Grade Bitumens, Cutback Bitumens, Dust Paliatives, Bitukote, Damseal Warrior, and Quick Drying Prime), Modified Bitumen Products (Polymer Modified Bitumens in spray grade and asphalt forms, New Crumb Rubber Technology, Pothole Patch Cold Mix Asphalt, Cracksealants, Arm R Shield, Hydrocarbon Modified Bitumen, MMTS, and seasonal grade rubber products), and Emulsion Products (Cationic spray grade and mix grade emulsions, polymer modified cold applied emulsions, rejuvenators including Invert Bitumen Emulsion Rejuvenator and Environmentally Friendly Rejuvenator EFR-60, Chipseal, Catprime nano modified products, Feltec, I.E.T.S, Ralumac, Ralupave, Ralurut, Elasto-Tack, Stabilisation Emulsion, and tack coat products). The company also maintains Primebraai as a brand/community initiative. Tosas serves the Southern African roads industry and operates equipment fleet services including more than 40 binder distributors, 10 mobile rubber plants, 4 mobile PMB plants, and mobile emulsion plants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Primebraai: A traditional road-building celebration event revived by Tosas, honoring the old tradition of braaiing (barbecuing) when the first bitumen product is sprayed onto a new road surface

Quantifiable outcome

• Maximum lifecycle benefits from using most appropriate and latest technologies

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• SasolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginal joint venture partner with Total (1972) and 100% shareholder until 2008. Now no longer a partner following acquisition by Raubex.
• TotalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginal joint venture partner with Sasol (1972). Now no longer a partner following subsequent ownership changes.
• Large Oil CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTosas entered into an agreement with a large oil company to research and prepare for when the South African industry transitions to a PG (Performance Grade) Grading system as used in the USA. This research benefits both Tosas and the roads industry as a whole.
• Southern African Bitumen Association (SABITA)coreOthersCategory A member of SABITA. SABITA is recognised as the centre of excellence for bituminous products through technological advancement and promotion of cost-effective and sustainable use. Tosas consumes more than 20,000 tons of penetration grade bitumen annually.
• SABS (South African Bureau of Standards)coreOthersTosas is SABS certified to ensure customers can always be assured of quality products. The SABS provides the platform for quality of services and products which is the key differentiator in a competitive environment.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Raubex Group: Tosas's parent company since 2013, a JSE-listed diversified construction and materials group operating across road construction, infrastructure, and materials supply. As the corporate parent, Raubex is both a captive customer and an internal benchmark for capital allocation.
• Sasol: Tosas's founding shareholder (until 2013) and a South African integrated chemicals and energy company with refinery operations that supply penetration-grade bitumen feedstock. Sasol is both a former parent and a key upstream input provider whose commercial decisions directly impact Tosas's cost structure.

Broad incumbents

• CRH plc: Global building materials group with significant asphalt and road construction operations across North America and Europe. CRH provides a publicly listed benchmark for capital-intensive, vertically integrated road materials companies of Tosas's profile at much larger scale.
• Colas: A global leader in road construction and bitumen products, with a dedicated Bitumen division that competes with Tosas in polymer-modified binders, emulsions, and road-building materials. Colas is a major incumbent that Tosas effectively matches in the Southern African niche but cannot match globally.
• Shell Bitumen: One of the world's largest bitumen producers and a historical partner of Nynas, selling penetration-grade and polymer-modified bitumens globally. Shell's vertical integration from refinery to road represents the upstream supply pressure Tosas must navigate.
• TotalEnergies: Tosas's original 1972 joint-venture partner and integrated oil major with bitumen operations across Africa and globally. TotalEnergies produces bitumen binders and could vertically integrate back into modified binders, presenting both a historical reference point and a re-entry threat for Tosas.

Regional players

• Boral: Australian construction materials and asphalt producer owned by Seven Group Holdings. Boral produces asphalt, bitumen products, and road-building materials comparable to Tosas's modified binder and paving mix portfolio, serving as a relevant international analog.
• SprayPave: Australia-based specialist in bitumen emulsions, sprayed sealing, and pavement preservation products, with a similar product portfolio to Tosas's emulsion range. SprayPave provides a regional benchmark for emulsion-focused bitumen specialists.
• AECI: South African specialty chemicals and explosives group with road construction and infrastructure-related products. AECI competes regionally in adjacent specialty chemical categories and represents a comparable South African industrial conglomerate peer.

Direct peers

• Nynas: A specialty bitumen producer (formerly part of Shell) that manufactures penetration-grade bitumens, polymer-modified binders, emulsions, and bitumen-based industrial products. Nynas is a close product-line analog to Tosas and competes in specialty modified binders globally.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/tosas1972
• LinkedInza.linkedin.com/company/tosas---binder-excellence

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tosas