The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) has established the South African Metering Industry Association (Samia).

Since the designation of both residential electricity and water meters have created employment, and has benefited component manufacturing industries, the DTIC thought it well to establish the association.

The association will address industry challenges and provide assistance to local manufacturers within the electricity and water metering sectors with the aim of strengthening ties, building networks and fostering entrepreneurship.

Strengthening the compliance and participation of the metering sector in the economy will solve issues such as imported meters undercutting locally manufactured meters and the high amount of faulty, noncompliant meters causing faulty utility readings for consumers, which result in nonpayment to municipalities.

“This is an opportunity for the metering industry to collaborate and deal with challenges that have been facing the industry for decades.

“This association is a great platform to further strengthen compliance adherence by local manufacturers through engagement with our country’s regulatory bodies,” says Samia chairperson Edwin Sibiya.

The designation of residential water meters was approved at 40% local content threshold and 50% to 70% for residential electricity prepayment, post-paid and smart meters.

In establishing the association, the DTIC aims to prioritise the implementation of the local content threshold among municipalities and other public entities.

This will directly have a positive impact on the local metering industry.

The association aims to be a custodian and voice of the local metering industry by ensuring that challenges facing the industry are addressed, that local manufacturers take part in government programmes to boost employment and that regulatory bodies are supported in upholding the standards set for the metering industry.