Mouldmaking and tooling event targets more African companies

The AfriMold, the trade fair for tooling, mouldmaking, design and application development will again take place in June, similar to last year’s edition. From 3 – 4 June, the event brings into the African continent a selection of technology, raw materials and support services aimed at the region’s potentially dynamic industries. Even though the show was smaller in 2013 as a result of the date adjustment, the organisers are hopeful that this year’s edition will be able to attract highly specialised professionals and businesses to bring more interaction into the exhibition floor and conference.

Afrimold 2014 venue is at Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. Sandton Convention Centre is Southern Africa’s leading and most prestigious, multi-purpose exhibition and convention centre. It is situated in northern Johannesburg, in the heart of Sandton's business, hotel and entertainment district.

In the previous edition, exhibitors reported that they had had a successful show, even in the current economic climate. On a very positive note, a number of international exhibitors are again exhibiting at the show this year as they see good potential in the South African manufacturing industry.

South Africa's tooling, mouldmaking and manufacturing sectors are now aggressively tackling skills challenges, and modernising and growing their operations, with a view to taking on global manufacturing giants. In particular, South Africa's manufacturing sector is experiencing a new spirit of revival, on the back of an aggressively modernising and growing tooling sector.

In his speech last year, Dirk van Dyk, CEO of the National Tooling Initiative Programme, and representative of the Tooling Association of South Africa (TASA), noted that statistics released by ISTMA (International Specialized Tooling and Machining Association at the recent World Tooling Conference in Toronto, Canada, indicate that up to 50% of any manufactured component's cost competiveness is governed by tooling. However, the local TDM sector only provides approximately 20% of the local manufacturing sector's tooling requirements. "The opportunity is there for the local TDM sector to increase this percentage significantly," he said.

There are more than 500 local tool, die and mould manufacturing companies involved in local support of the manufacturing value chain ranging from first to fourth tier suppliers. The local tooling sector is gearing up for growth, presenting a positive outlook for manufacturing, and with it – job creation. Skills development is a key component of the tooling and manufacturing industry's growth plans, says industry heads. He cited the TDM Powered Pilot project, which started in 2010 as part of the turnaround strategy for the distressed tooling industry, has entered its 4th year of piloting with 408 students on Level II and Level III of the Apprenticeship Programme at 12 FET institutions in the country.

Promising growth areas

The automotive sector is seen as a potentially promising growth area for local manufacturing and this industry is expected to continue to play prominent role at AfriMold. Even with the presence of many challenges, like high wages, lack of locally available raw materials, absence of certain logistics, and rising electricity cost, many opportunities lie ahead for the automotive industry in South Africa. Potential growth areas are in the design, precision engineering & machining, automotive component, tooling, tool making, production and application development sectors, areas that will continue to be promoted in this year’s AfriMold. The event, a partner of the highly successful EuroMold trade fair, is endorsed by major industry bodies, as well as by the Department of Trade and Industry.