The annual Manufacturing Indaba has its sights set on expansion and growing the current offering to manufacturers both from South Africa and from the SADC region. To support this growth strategy, the event has relocated to the Sandton Convention Centre, Sandton, to allow for added venue space to grow the exhibition and the various conference components of the event.

South Africa has developed an established, diversified manufacturing base that has shown its resilience and potential to compete in the global economy.  The manufacturing sector provides a locus for stimulating the growth of other activities, such as services, and achieving specific outcomes, such as employment creation and economic empowerment.

This platform of manufacturing presents an opportunity to significantly accelerate the country’s growth and development.  Underpinning manufacturing is the Department of Trade & Industry’s (the dti) Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP), which aims to achieve structural development and to increase competitiveness of South African manufacturing. * IPAP is discussed and featured extensively in the Manufacturing Indaba Conference.

Export growth and internationalisation of South African companies is supported by the Department of Trade and Industry via the South African Electrotechnical Export Council (SAEEC) and the newly formed Trade Invest Africa. 

The Trade Invest Africa Initiative aims to be the arm of the dti that coordinates and implements South Africa's economic strategy for Africa, premised on the Development Integration approach. The initiative will focus on advancing the priorities for Africa set out in the Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP) and the National Export Strategy, as well as the opportunities uncovered through continental trade negotiations. 

With the support of the SAEEC, the dti and Trade Invest Africa, the event will grow to be representative of the region.  With a focus on developing Intra-Africa trade relating to manufacturers in the SADC region and the South African manufacturers, the exhibition will host Country Pavilions showcasing manufacturers, county investment agencies and the respective government departments. 

This will provide the necessary business matchmaking to take place to foster Intra-Africa trade to support Africa’s growth trajectory of 5,5% as predicted by the International Monetary Fund.

Additional new offerings to the Manufacturing Indaba include:

• Aligned to the new venue, the Manufacturing Indaba will launch a new side event conference specifically related to Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things (IoT). 
• The launch of the Small Business Indaba Exhibition providing for Supplier and Enterprise Development showcases of Black Industrialists.
• Expansion of the Small Business Indaba Conference to include added focus on growing small manufacturers.

“The 5th Manufacturing Indaba continues to be the flagship manufacturing event for South African and for the first time, African manufacturers to participate in. 

Our aim is to develop and grow the event for the benefit of manufacturers, creating valuable thought leadership content and a successful business engagement platform at the exhibition to provide access to new markets for our manufacturers, stimulating growth and creating employment.”   Says Liz Hart, Managing Director of the Manufacturing Indaba.