Manufacturing Indaba Eastern Cape hosted a breakfast presentation on Monday, May 20th in East London and will host a second breakfast event on Tuesday, 21st May in Port Elizabeth, 2019, in order to update the private sector, government representatives and the media with the latest event information, new innovations and content relating to the 2019 programme. 

Manufacturing Indaba will take place over two days, 4th & 5Th October 2019 at the Boardwalk Conference Centre, Hotel & Spa Summerstrand, Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape providing a two-day opportunity for participants and visitors alike to attend the Conference, exhibit and visit the Exhibition.

MI Eastern Cape has a jam-packed conference programme which will include plenary sessions as well as debate sessions to unpack and encourage active participation at the event. 

Five manufacturing sub-sectors have a strong presence and potential for further development within the Nelson Mandela Bay area and these include the automotive, agro-processing, clothing and textile, chemical, metal and mineral industries.

The Nelson Mandela Bay automotive industry is home to some stellar manufacturers namely Volkswagen South Africa, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Volkswagen AG situated in Uitenhage, General Motor’s SA, a locally owned organization and Ford SA, another Port Elizabeth based Original Equipment Manufacturer.  Vehicle component dealers in this area have established themselves globally as reliable suppliers with currently the European Union as the largest export destination for local component exports.

Growth in the Province is in line with recent foreign investment expectations for South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa and Chinese President Xi Jinping hailed the opening of the BAIC auto manufacturing plant in the Coega industrial development zone as a milestone for the two countries' economies. It was stated that production at the Chinese automaker BAIC SA's vehicle plant in the Coega industrial development zone near Port Elizabeth is expected to start before the end of 2019.  

It has been assessed that the project is well on its way to exceeding the targeted 35% SMME participation and that the value of construction tenders allocated to SMMEs has been R44.1m. The company has already established a local suppliers procurement database with at least 100 listed companies. BAIC SA dealership network has established 20 fully operational dealerships around the country.  

Supporting the growth in investment and developing local manufacturers, the Manufacturing Indaba is a prestigious major networking platform for decision makers and professionals within the manufacturing sector.   To ensure business development, the Manufacturing Eastern Cape will once again be hosting the successful Business Matchmaking programme to facilitate deal-flow for participants.

At all MI events experts and exhibitors alike are able to showcase their expertise, enhance networking prospects with peers, stakeholders and industry suppliers whilst facilitating further trade and deal-making time. Accordingly, the Business Matchmaking programme will enable face-to-face meetings with high-profile attendees which will be convened on-site during the Manufacturing Indaba Eastern Cape event.

Industry stakeholders should not miss out and avail themselves of this, and many other outstanding business opportunities at this prestigious event.