As a consequence of the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Local Southern African Manufacturing Expo (LME), scheduled for May 2021, will be rescheduled to 12 – 14 October 2021.

In the address to the nation on Saturday, 15 August 2020, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that South Africa would move to lockdown level 2 from Monday, 17 August 2020. The decision, he said, was in light of the steadily declining number of COVID-19 infections. This is positive news for the country and for the local manufacturing industry. In order to give the industry time to recover and allowing for this positive move, moving LME to the fourth quarter of 2021 will enhance participation at the exhibition.

“In consultation with the local manufacturing industry and our partners, we are confident that postponing the Local Southern African Manufacturing Expo will ensure a successful and safe delivery of the event. We look forward to coming together for LME in October 2021, stronger than ever and ensuring an excellent experience and ROI for our entire manufacturing community,” said Charlene Hefer, Event Director, Specialised Exhibitions, a division of the Montgomery Group.

The South African Capital Equipment Export Council, the conceptual partner, fully backs the decision. “We expressly welcome that Specialised Exhibitions was courageous enough to take this step, which is entirely in the interest of the local manufacturing industry,” says Eric Bruggeman, Chairman of the SACEEC board.

During this period, we will be gathering extensive insight from the local manufacturing community, together with our partner SACEEC, to upgrade our content platform, the free-to-attend seminars. This platform brings together various communities for perspective and discussion on issues affecting the manufacturing industry, challenges and ensuring future sustainability. This three-day live event will be upgraded into a virtual experience that will kick off with a powerful keynote address and provide timely content and education sessions. 

Additionally, the Local Southern African Manufacturing Expo together with its partner, The South African Capital Equipment Export Council (SACEEC), will once again host the Exporter of the Year Awards.

“While we believe in the power of face-to-face events and what they deliver, our focus is on evolving our offerings to what our customers need now and in the future and how we can deliver the experience to best meet those needs. After speaking to our customers and working on a variety of opportunities to meet the needs of the manufacturing industry, we are pleased to provide value to this community,” said Hefer.

The Local Southern African Manufacturing Expo will once again offer peer-to-peer networking, vendor product and service demonstrations and matchmaking assistance between decision-makers and sellers.

The LME team will continue to be in touch with all attendees, exhibitors, and sponsors to answer any questions. There will be further communication to these groups over the coming days and weeks to facilitate a smooth transition.