There is enormous potential for southern African manufacturers to increase their market-share both locally and internationally and the driving force behind this opportunity is the South African Capital Equipment Export Council (SACEEC).
According to SACEEC CEO Eric Bruggeman, part of the Council’s mandate is to organise outward selling and inward buying missions: “We identified a need to showcase the offerings of the SADC region’s local manufacturers in an interactive manner. The result is the inaugural Local Southern African Manufacturing Expo (LME) being held at the Expo Centre, Nasrec from 21 to 23 May 2019.”
“Endorsed by the premier of Gauteng, David Makhura, we believe that the event will enable exhibitors to meet with top decision makers from the inward buying missions already committed to the expo,” says Charlene Hefer, portfolio director for Specialised Exhibitions Montgomery. “As Industry 4.0 continues to transform the way that manufacturers do business, LME 2019 will provide them with an opportunity to grow their customer base, with a knock-on potential for fostering job creation.”
“It is critical for the sustainability of local manufacturing operations that they aggressively pursue opportunities to increase their market share,” adds Bruggeman. “Not only is this relevant to their increased permeation of the overseas market, but also, they need to capture market share that is currently being monopolised by importers. Recent statistics indicate that South Africa currently imports products to the value of a staggering $83,2 billion. If we were able to shift this demand to the local manufacturing sector, we could realistically create 1 329 million jobs.”
Held during Africa Week, LME 2019 will give manufacturers from South Africa and other SADC regions a chance to display their capabilities and capacities to a captive audience and create a forum for exhibitors to network with their peers.
“We are excited by the prospect that local manufacturing operations will evolve and expand through interaction with the inward buying mission representatives,” concludes Hefer, “added to this are the benefits derived through the support of SACEEC, together with AREI (Association of Representatives for the Electronics Industry) and the DTI (Department of Trade & Industry). We urge local manufacturing companies throughout southern Africa to capitalise on the unique opportunities of exhibiting at LME 2019.”
For more information contact Natasha Heiberg, Specialised Exhibitions Montgomery, +27 10 003 3083, [email protected], www.localmanufacturingexpo.co.za
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