The South African Capital Equipment Export Council (SACEEC) will host its inaugural Local Manufacturing Expo next year, to showcase local manufacturing capabilities and bolster the country’s economic growth, SACEEC CEO Eric Bruggeman told attendees at a presentation during Electra Mining, on Monday.
The expo will be held from May 21 to 23 at the Nasrec Expo Centre, in Johannesburg.
It is being organised in conjunction with trade exhibition organiser Specialised Exhibitions Montgomery and has been endorsed by the Premier of Gauteng.
Bruggeman emphasised that SACEEC, as part of its mandate to assist capital equipment manufacturers to export globally, pursued the establishment of the expo to facilitate opportunities for local manufacturing companies amidst a bleak economic environment.
Citing statistics that depict a negative snapshot of the country – a lamentably high unemployment rate, a contraction in gross domestic product, and worrying poverty rates, to name a few – Bruggeman posited that the only way to employ people in the country is through local manufacturing or growing the agricultural sector.
However, for local manufacturers to make money, they need to take the initiative and pursue opportunities in global markets, as the State-owned entities and local municipalities are not spending money on capital equipment.
Therefore, SACEEC has created the expo as a platform for local manufacturers to showcase their products, build relationships with overseas buyers and facilitate exports.
SACEEC has confirmed delegations from 35 countries, who are “excited” to see what South Africa has to offer in terms of manufacturing.
SACEEC has already sold more than 50% of the stand space at the expo, enthused Bruggeman, with a number of large companies, such as Bell, already secured.
Showcasing at the expo is open to South African manufacturers that meet the local manufacturing quota of between 50% and 70%, depending on the industry.