Wiaan Stemmet, Owner of Label Link (South Africa)
Samuel Van Heerden, Sales Consultant at Ipex Machinery
Claudia Fabbri, Sales Director at Prati

Trust and integrity – two words that unite Label Link and Prati, the company they chose for digital label finishing. The DIGI COMPACT, in a reel-to-reel configuration, has kept pace with the growing demand for digitally printed labels, allowing Label Link to triple production in just over a year. However, the collaboration reached its full potential thanks to the driving force of distributor Ipex Machinery, who skillfully translated the customer’s needs into reality, true teamwork.

«If you can’t be kind, don’t do it!»
A simple yet powerful message. This is the philosophy of Wiaan Stemmet, owner of Label Link. A short phrase that holds deep wisdom.
In this journey of kindness in South Africa, we begin with people and their approach to work, which often reflects something fundamental about human nature itself.

After completing his studies in electronic engineering, Stemmet deepened his expertise in software for the labeling industry. But it was at Label Link– a dynamic label printer located in the Okavango Industrial Business Park, Brackenfell, Cape Town – that he gained hands-on experience with various machine models.

“Founded in 2003 with narrow web UV flexo printing,” says Wiaan Stemmet, “Label Link has evolved to embrace digital printing as well. We currently have 52 staff working around the clock in 24-hour shifts and operate seven printing units, serving the FMCG market in fruit, spices, and food ingredients.
We are a family-run business that, after becoming part of a trust, committed not only to serving the industry with originality but also to growing the company through job creation. These efforts allowed us to produce high-quality labels and export them as well.
But beyond the product, what truly matters to us is fostering a positive environment for our people and their families.
Label Link doesn’t sell directly to end-users but to label resellers. We’re the only company in South Africa to operate this way. Some label producers even buy from us because they rely on our expertise, production capacity, and quick turnaround.”

In this journey of continuous growth, Ipex Machinery’s contribution has been pivotal.

“We shared our needs with them, and they translated  -literally and figuratively – what we were looking for. We all agreed that the right solution for digital finishing was the DIGI COMPACT!
We chose Prati because it’s a strong brand that believes in growing people and has a family-based legacy, something we strongly identify with.
We realized this from our very first meeting at Labelexpo Europe 2009, where we saw machines never seen before in South Africa. Even then, we were struck by Prati’s technology – it was new to us and truly impressive.
The trust has lasted many years, allowing us to manage everything smoothly.”

What needs did Prati meet?

“Quality, price, and speed. We needed a high-quality machine at a fair price and within a reasonable delivery time.
These three key aspects – Stemmet clarifies – also define how we work.
Both our budget and deadlines were respected. There was only one delivery delay, and that wasn’t Prati’s fault – it was due to unforeseen circumstances.
Installation was quick, and training was fast and effective.
The technicians provided excellent support. There were no issues during installation, and understanding how the machine works was easy thanks to its intuitive and user-friendly software. It’s also simple to clean and ensures quick maintenance – a result clearly achieved through careful design.

DIGI COMPACT Hand Over Certificate – Wiaan Stemmet (Label Link) & Samuel van Heerden (Ipex)

DIGI COMPACT installation

We’re satisfied with how well the DIGI COMPACT integrated into our operations. We didn’t have to adapt the machine to our needs – it was already tailored to meet them, especially for fast digital print finishing. Since going live in September 2023, we’ve even managed to triple our output and we haven’t even pushed the machine to its full capacity yet!”

 

DIGI COMPACT & Wiaan Stemmet

Did you face any challenges?

“Not really,” admits Stemmet. “But whenever we needed support, we felt reassured that it would arrive promptly with a solution that worked for both us and Prati. We never felt alone. Everything was handled as a team, and nothing could have been done differently. Even for upgrades, we discussed our needs with Ipex and got exactly what we were looking for.”

What challenges are you currently facing?

“The market is still largely dominated by flexo printing. But things are changing fast. There’s growing demand for shrink-sleeve label machines, with automatic register and easy setups.
We’re also seeing a demand for much faster equipment, and digital printing is gaining more and more traction.
We anticipated this trend and started moving in this direction a few years ago.”

What makes Prati stand out?

“The trust that we’ll get a quality product. I can’t compare Prati to other manufacturers. I can only compare Prati to Prati because it can only compete with itself when it comes to the quality of its products. We are proud of them – and you should be too.”

“The machine,” explains Claudia Fabbri, Prati’s Sales Director, “features a flexo unit, a full lamination unit, semi-rotary die-cutting, razor blades, and a single shaft.
We are proud to have a customer like Wiaan, who’s open to welcoming potential clients to see it in action. Our mission is to constantly improve, because we see ourselves as partners.
We’re glad we found the right machine combination and our distributor did a fantastic job supporting us with their experience and market knowledge.”

Prati, Label Link & Ipex team

The “Manufacturer-Distributor-Customer Sandwich”

“Being a distributor,” says Samuel Van Heerden, Sales Consultant at Ipex Machinery, “is like being the filling in a sandwich: there’s a top slice, a bottom slice, and we’re in the middle. When someone bites into that sandwich, the flavor comes from the distributor – because we bring together the tools the customer needs.”

Here’s an example:
“I could’ve recommended the Saturn Omnia to Wiaan – but it wouldn’t have been a good fit for their business.
From the start, we had full transparency with Label Link. Sometimes, that meant telling them ‘no, this isn’t the right solution.’
That level of trust and collaboration was essential for managing the deal with Wiaan. It was a great experience for us, and we’re proud to be between two such important ‘slices’ as Prati and Label Link.”

It was a pleasure to interview Wiaan and talk with him about his hobbies, dreams, and the pride of watching his children leave the nest to pursue their own paths.
I’m happy to conclude this journey of kindness with a reflection from Samuel Van Heerden, one that’s now part of PRATI’s philosophy cards, launched at drupa 2024 and updated for Labelexpo Europe 2025: “For every action there is an opposite and equal reaction. If we want to reap a harvest of joy, peace & love then it’s up to us to sow it.”

 

Concetta Daniela Binario
Communication Manager, PRATI