Taiwan-based machine tool manufacturer Fair Friend Group (FFG) has identified the South African mining industry as a potential market for the supply of its milling machines, in line with its strategy to enter more regions to become the number one machine tools manufacturer globally by 2022.

Although the group consists of 81 companies that have formed joint ventures (JVs) with companies in Europe, the US and Asia – with one such JV being listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange and two on the Taiwan stock exchange – FFG believes that there is still a need to expand the brand into Africa, where it remains underexplored.

FFG sales assistant manager Andy Hung notes that the mining industry in South Africa contributes significantly to the country’s gross domestic product.

Therefore, the supply of milling machines might contribute positively to the continuous operation that is required in the sector.

“Business in South Africa is not as big as we would [want] it to be, but we are beginning to see potential in the mining industry. This makes South Africa and the rest of Africa one of our focus regions for the future, as we believe that expansion is possible in that region,” he explains.

Hung adds that FFG aims to enter the African market the way it managed to enter the Chinese market in 1993, which resulted in a solid foundation for the company’s current overall production success.

The group has managed to establish 90 branches in China, owing to local demand and the export market that FFG factories cater to in the country. This also led to the FFG Institute of Electromechanics being established in China in 2008, where talents and skills are developed to service customers across all sectors more efficiently.

FFG currently has a staff complement of more than 4 000, with the JVs enabling the group to strengthen its technological and global marketing power.

“We have seen this model of forming JVs work for the group and we believe that using the same approach in Africa will result in a similar outcome,” notes Hung.

FFG’s milling machines range consists of its vertical machining centres, double-column vertical machining centres, five-axis vertical machining centres, horizontal machining centres, drilling and tapping centres, computer numerically controlled (CNC) horizontal boring and milling machines, and CNC bed-type universal milling machines.

Zandile Mavuso attended a media tour in Taiwan from June 29 to July 3 as a guest of the Taiwan External Trade Development Council