John da Silva (Snr.) is the founding member of Silva Group Holdings to which the first subsidiary, Cosira International (SA) was added.  With a vision in 1970 of one day owning his own fabrication facility, John da Silva (Snr.) achieved this  dream some 24 years later, after he successfully procured the site of Cosine Engineering, the only engineering firm where John da Silva (Snr.) had ever worked prior, where he was responsible for operations in a single fabrication facility.

Cosira International (SA), a family business born of humble beginnings and natural entrepreneurial flair commenced trading in 1988 with 3 employees.  Today, John da Silva (Snr.) stands proud of his philosophy in that ‘Leadership is an action, it is not a position’, having been actively involved in creating one of the largest privately owned steel fabricators and erectors in Southern Africa to date with some 1500 personnel on board. 

John da Silva (Snr.) retains his position as both Chairman of Silva Group Holdings and Cosira International (SA), having instilled the values of leadership, integrity and equality in his children, the successors of Silva Group Holdings who have each successfully worked their way through the ranks of the various subsidiaries to join their visionary father on the board of Silva Group Holdings.