The 5th annual Manufacturing Indaba will cover a range of topics pertinent to Africa’s manufacturing industry. These topics will be conveyed through comprehensive panel discussions led by industry experts, investors, policy makers and government representatives.
The following topics will be meticulously unpacked and discussed by leaders who have proven to be experts in each domain:
Manufacturing the future – Be part of the 4th Industrial Revolution.
Africa: Investment-led trade and regional economic industrial integration. Where and what are the big investment opportunities in the region. How to encourage exporters to put down deeper roots into their markets.
- Understanding what Africa needs? Lessons from African manufacturers.
- Building Industrial financing and incentives ecosystem.
- How beneficial is the Chinese/Japanese – Africa partnership and how can African manufacturers benefit from these relationships?
- Skills for the future.
- Future of production and Cyber Physical Systems.
- Smart Future Business Strategies and Engineering Innovation.
- Global value chains and future maintenance services.
- The growth and transformation of the mining sector and the value addition for manufacturers.
- Building the value chain for the agro-processing sector and how this impacts manufacturers.
- The impact of the 4th Industrial Revolution in the automotive sector and the downstream application for suppliers to the OEMs.
- Industrial development in the energy sector.
The abovementioned topics will give rise to multiple ground-breaking discussions, some of which will involve:
the theme of this year’s conference, represented under the banner of the 4th Industrial Revolution, also known as Industry 4.0. Emerging manufacturing technologies are expected to challenge the status quo and transform the industry as we know it. An entire day has been dedicated to discussing this subject, emphasising the opportunities and challenges associated with the adoption of this digital transformation within the African manufacturing sector. Industry leaders will impart their expert knowledge on how to proactively manage this technological evolution to stay ahead of the curve.
addressing and appeasing heightened concerns of industry players related to their job-security and career paths in the event of adopting advanced manufacturing methodolgies. Industry gurus will delve into how embracing innovation can favourably impact job creation through developing new career alternatives and economic diversification opportunities.
Informative dialogues led by industry experts who will unpack how the government and private sector intends to collaboratively revise policies regarding the core training of employees by both up-skilling and re-skilling the Sub-Sahara African workforce to fully exploit impending technological advancements.
Communicating the various financing and manufacturing opportunities available to prospective entrants to assist them in kick-starting potential projects. Furthermore, forums will explore how these incipient manufacturing entrepreneurs can boost their business performance by employing strategies that have been tried and tested by industry frontrunners.
In-depth symposiums focusing on the incentives available to emerging manufacturing business owners who demonstrate a significant contribution to job creation, business development and global competitiveness in the industry, along with what requirements candidates must meet to qualify for such incentives.
The demographic reformation of industrial asset ownership, industrial inclusion and racially equitable enterprise control. These endeavours aim to restore the scarce presence of marginalised communities in South Africa’s manufacturing sector, whilst simultaneously increasing black and female industrialist participation to ensure an equal, competitive and successful economic climate.
The multitude of opportunities for African businesses and manufacturers presented by several influential countries in Africa that have recently achieved political stability. This has resulted in gaining the trust and confidence of local and foreign investors, enticing them to investigate the benefits that Africa has to offer from an investment perspective.
These, and many more enlightening forums to be held at the Manufacturing Indaba 2018 intend to empower all stakeholders vested in Africa’s manufacturing industry. These discussions will unearth a plethora of insights and opportunities for industry players, ultimately leading the way for a more prosperous and progressive manufacturing industry and economy as a whole.