Leadership that keeps the line moving
Sibusiso Mthembu, Managing Director, leads the business from the Jacobs base with a clear focus on product quality, supply discipline and practical support for converters. He has built the company around packaging needs that change fast, from short runs for regional food brands to larger production schedules that must hold up through coastal humidity and heat. His role is hands-on: he works closely with the team on planning, customer priorities and the kind of service that keeps jobs on track.
Sibusiso’s approach is grounded in what print and packaging teams need on the floor, not just in the office. He keeps attention on fit for purpose ink systems, sensible turnaround times and good communication when a line is under pressure. That matters when a customer is balancing municipal water interruptions, load-shedding, or a change in substrate that needs a quick adjustment.
Technical support for real pressroom conditions
Shaun October, Technical Sales Manager, works closely with packaging converters to match the right ink behaviour to the job. He supports trials, production set-ups and troubleshooting when a coating, film or board is not giving the expected result. Shaun spends much of his time on practical questions such as drying speed, adhesion, rub resistance and how a colour will perform at press speed.
- Colour Matching for new and repeat work
- Threshold Tuning for temperature response
- Press Startup Support when a line needs fast checks
- Production Troubleshooting on live jobs
He is often the first call when a converter needs a quick answer before a run starts. His work helps reduce waste, avoid stoppages and keep output within specification, especially when customers are working to tight delivery windows across KZN, Gauteng or the Western Cape.
Production control and batch discipline
Lindokuhle Dlamini, Production Manager, oversees the day-to-day manufacture of thermochromic and security inks. He manages batch making, drawdown panels, retain samples and production records so each order can be tracked properly. That discipline is important for repeatability, particularly when a customer returns months later and needs the same result on a new print run.
His focus is on consistency from the first sample to full production. Lindokuhle works with the technical team on coating compatibility, adhesion tests and rub resistance checks, making sure the ink behaves well on the intended substrate. He also keeps an eye on storage and handling in Durban’s warm, humid conditions so products stay in good condition before dispatch.
Security inks built with careful detail
Pieter van Wyk, Security Ink Specialist, develops security pattern design and helps clients add authenticity checks to their packaging. He works on visible and hidden features that support product verification, using methods that suit cartons, labels and flexible packaging. His role is especially useful for brands that face copying or unauthorised rework in the market.
Pieter looks at how a security feature appears under normal light, UV verification and handling on the line. He keeps the practical side in mind, because a feature that is too delicate or hard to apply can slow production. His work helps customers add a layer of protection without making the pack difficult to print or convert.
- Security pattern design for packaging
- UV Verification Setups for field and factory checks
- Batch Retain Library support for traceability
- Compatibility checks with common coating systems
Colour lab work that keeps products on spec
Nomfundo Khumalo, Colour Lab Lead, manages the colour side of the business with a careful eye for match, stability and repeatability. She prepares drawdowns, tests shade response and supports trials where a customer needs a specific visual effect or a tighter match to an existing pack. Her work is central to making sure a thermochromic feature still looks right before and after application.
Nomfundo spends time checking how colours shift with heat, how they recover, and how they look under different lighting conditions. She works closely with production and technical sales, which helps cut down on rework and avoids surprises on press. In a market where packaging often needs to move between inland dryness and coastal moisture, that attention to detail makes a real difference.
Logistics and supply across South Africa
Jason Pillay, National Logistics Coordinator, keeps orders moving from Durban to packaging converters across the country. He manages collections, dispatch planning and delivery coordination for the Jacobs Supply, Durban South Supply, Pinetown Supply and Prospecton Supply areas, as well as Cape Town Supply, Gqeberha Supply, Johannesburg Supply and Pretoria Supply.
His job is to make sure product reaches the right site in the right condition, with enough visibility for customers planning production slots. Jason works around regional deadlines, road freight timing and the reality of factory schedules, where one late delivery can affect a full shift. He helps keep the flow steady from enquiry to dispatch, which is especially useful for converters with multiple plants or customers in more than one province.
A team built around practical support
Together, the ThermoInk team covers the full path from enquiry and sample work through to production support and delivery. Each person has a defined role, but the work overlaps in a useful way: technical advice informs production, production supports logistics, and colour work feeds into security and performance checks. That kind of coordination helps customers get straight answers and fewer delays.
The team is based in Jacobs, Durban and works with packaging converters nationwide. Whether the job calls for a trial batch, a security feature, or a quick production adjustment, the people behind ThermoInk keep the focus on what will work on the line and hold up in use.
- Local Durban base with nationwide supply
- Support for trials, testing and repeat orders
- Practical knowledge of packaging conditions in South Africa