From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, this is the Real Economy Report.

Automation and robotics provider Yaskawa Motoman opened its doors for a demo day at its Modderfontein offices in Johannesburg. Nomvelo Buthelezi finds out more about the trends within the automation and robotics industry.

Nomvelo Buthelezi:
Yaskawa Motoman sales director Kurt Rosenberg tells us the importance of holding a demo day.

Yaskawa Motoman Sales Director Kurt Rosenberg

Nomvelo Buthelezi:
He goes on to say that the future of automation and robotics in South Africa is looking good.

Kurt Rosenberg

Nomvelo Buthelezi:
Rosenberg highlights the fact that South African automation and robotics companies need to be more willing to open their doors to students to allow them to experience what the industry has to offer.

Kurt Rosenberg

Shannon de Ryhove:
Other news making headlines this week: Eskom eyes African hydropower and transmission prospects; and Blade Nzimande again warns on the dangers of share-focused BEE and tenderpreneurs.

South African electricity utility Eskom has finalised a draft African strategy, which could result it in taking equity as well as operational positions in generation and transmission projects in the rest of the continent, with its primary focus being opportunities in Southern Africa.

Eskom CEO Brian Dames

The pursuance of black economic empowerment in the context of an “untransformed economy” ran the risk of creating a class of “compradors”, or black capitalists who owned shares in companies they could not run and who supported the maintenance of “semi-colonial” economic structures, says South African Communist Party general-secretary Blade Nzimande.

South African Communist Party general-secretary Blade Nzimande

That’s Creamer Media’s Real Economy Report. Join us again next week for more news and insight into South Africa’s real economy.

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