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Yesterday, amidst the atmosphere of the Proudly South African Buy Local Summit, the prestigious Furniture Design Awards Ceremony took centre stage, showcasing the ingenuity and creativity within South Africa’s furniture industry. The event, held at the Sandton Convention Centre, served not only as a celebration of design excellence but also as a platform for fostering collaboration and innovation in the sector.

The highlight of the event was a keynote address delivered by the Acting Deputy Director-General of Sectors at the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic), Dr Anneline Chetty, where she emphasised the critical role of the furniture industry in driving economic growth and job creation in South Africa. Addressing the audience, she underscored the importance of collaboration between social partners and government to address challenges such as sluggish domestic growth, constrained demand, and high unemployment.

“Incubating critical skills and empowering entrepreneurs to establish Small, Medium, and Micro-sized Enterprises (SMMEs) in the furniture sector is essential for revitalising the industry. SMMEs, which currently account for 35% of the GDP, are the backbone of job creation in our economy,” she stated.

Referencing the Furniture Masterplan, she outlined the government’s commitment to rebuilding the furniture industry, aiming to return it to its pre-1994 stature. The masterplan, she explained, seeks to enhance the sector’s competitiveness both locally and globally, with a focus on increasing localisation and fostering innovation.

“As we embark on this journey, it is crucial to recognise the opportunities presented by initiatives such as the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). By strengthening our furniture industry, we position South Africa to dominate the African market and maximise the benefits of regional trade agreements,” she said.

The Furniture Design Awards serve as a testament to the industry’s potential, showcasing groundbreaking designs that embody South Africa’s rich cultural heritage and innovative spirit. From contemporary pieces to traditional craftsmanship, the awards celebrate diversity and excellence in furniture design.

The event concluded with a call to action for all stakeholders to rally behind the implementation of the Furniture Masterplan, working collaboratively to unlock the industry’s full potential and creating a sustainable future for generations to come.

The Acting Deputy Director-General of Sectors at the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic), Dr Anneline Chetty delivering a keynote address during the Furniture Design Awards Ceremony in Johannesburg.

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The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) is proud to announce the hosting of the  Annual Furniture Design Competition Awards ceremony, that will take place at the Sandton Convention Centre today.

The Furniture Design Competition fosters innovation and excellence in South African furniture design and propels careers of young designers. The competition aims to create a platform for the development of new, competitive furniture products. It targets design students registered at South African institutions.

This year’s Furniture Design Competition centres around the theme “Celebrating the Outdoors”, encouraging contestants to consider ergonomics, functionality, affordability, and sustainability in their design creations.

The Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Ms Nomalungelo Gina says this year’s ceremony will mark a decade of recognising and nurturing design talent within the South African furniture sector, and that the awards have played a pivotal role in fostering innovation and excellence in furniture design.

“We are confident and are looking forward to witnessing designs that will not only be aesthetically pleasing but also commercially viable, contributing to the growth of the industry and the expansion of our export market. This competition not only propels the careers of young designers, but also serves as a launchpad for the development of new products that contribute to the competitiveness of the South African furniture industry,” she says.

Gina adds that the South African Furniture Industry remains an important sector in the economy and is considered to have a huge potential to create jobs and to contribute to increasing exports and the development of Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises.

“The design competition is aimed at contributing to the development of the design skills in the furniture sector and it is used as a creative instrument to promote product differentiation and new development. This competition also aligns with the recently developed Furniture Industry Masterplan, which outlines a strategic roadmap for the growth and development of the industry,” she says.

The ceremony will showcase the work of  five design students registered in South African academic institutions and  local emerging or established furniture manufacturing companies. Each finalist responded to the competition’s challenges, focusing on designs that prioritise local materials, repurposed elements, and promote a sustainable approach to outdoor furniture. The event will culminate in the announcement of the category winners, marking a significant milestone in their design journeys.

Members of the media are invited to attend the Furniture Design Competition Awards

Date: Monday, 25 March 2024
Time: 13:00
Venue: Sandton International Convention Centre

RSVPs should be forwarded to Charles Mnisi via telephone on 012 394 1721/ 082 520 3475 or e-mail: Cmnisi@thedtic.gov.za

Enquiries:
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More than R261 billion has been committed for procurement by both the private and public sector from 239 black industrialists over the next five years at the Second Black Industrialists and Exporters Conference held in Sandton yesterday.

In a pledge ceremony presided over by President Ramaphosa, South Africa’s corporate sector confirmed its commitment to supporting black economic empowerment, industrialization, and job creation by pledging to procure goods and services across various sectors and value chains of the country’s economy.

The pledge ceremony formed the closing of the Second Black Industrialist and Exporter Conference, which coincided with the 20^th anniversary of the enactment of the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act, and formed part of a series of events which will mark 30 years since the first democratic elections.

Procurement commitments covered several sectors in the economy, including:

• Agro-processing, Agriculture and Forestry;
• Auto and Rail;
• Electrotechnicals;
• Metal Fabrication and Industrial equipment;
• Glass, Plastics, White goods and Marine;
• Clothing, Footwear and Govt Procurement;
• Retail;
• Pharmaceuticals, and Medical devices;
• Infrastructure; and
• Information Technology and financial services

The largest commitment came in the retail sector where R80.8 billion was pledged from four retail procurement companies, as well as from the government for the procurement of uniforms and badges.

Leading corporates in the agro-processing, agriculture, and forestry industries pledged R27.6 billion towards procurement from various Black industrialists, including Rainbow Chicken, Astral, and Country Bird Holding.

Other major procurement commitments included:

• The auto industry, represented by the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa and National Association of Automotive Component and Allied Manufacturers, which made a joint pledge worth R23.7 billion;
• The electro-technical sector which pledged R20.6 billion;
• the metal fabrication and industrial equipment sector which pledged a total of R20 billion, with companies such as Conlog, Euro Alloys, Unica Iron and Steel, and Caterpillar among the contributors;
• The glass, plastics, household goods, and marine sector which pledged R3.7 billion
• Infrastructure sector which pledged R52.5 billion from two procurement companies;
• The Pharmaceutical and medical devices sector committed R6.3 billion from five procurement companies; and
• the information technology and financial sector which pledged R14.4 billion from three companies.

Notably R11.6 billion was committed by 18 black industrialists for procurement of goods and services from 55 other black industrialists marking an important junction in the programme, where black-owned businesses are themselves driving procurement in the economy.

Reflecting on this, President Ramaphosa remarked “This is very significant, for we are now creating an eco-system that does not only rely on orders and procurement from larger established companies. We are now at the point where black industrialists can be the capital that can fund and support growth in the next generation.”

Minister of Trade, Industry, and Competition, Mr. Ebrahim Patel, commended the companies for their commitments, stating that the support by the country’s major corporations to the Black Industrialists will enable them to contribute significantly to the prosperity of many firms, create employment opportunities, produce world-class products, and contribute to the country’s Gross Domestic Product.

“The link between private and public sector support for an inclusive economy is strengthened by the standing commitments and undertakings of leading corporates in our economy to procure goods and services from Black Industrialists,” said Minister Patel.

The Second Black Industrialist and Exporter Conference, organized by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) in partnership with the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and the National Empowerment Fund (NEF), was held some 8 years after Cabinet adopted the Black Industrialist programme in 2016 with an initial goal of supporting 100 black-owned and managed businesses.

Since then 1 714 black-owned and managed businesses have been supported through the dtic family, including direct grant support from the dtic and industrial funding from the IDC and NEF. In the last 5 years alone, R24 billion in funding support has been provided to black industrialists through the work of the dtic family.

The conference was addressed by President Cyril Ramaphosa and was attended by more than 1,350 delegates representing more than 1,000 black-owned firms across various sectors, highlighting the breadth and depth of black entrepreneurship in the country.

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The winners of the second Black Industrialists Awards were announced at an awards ceremony held at the Sandton International Convention Centre last night. The awards are aimed at recognising the contribution of Black Industrialists towards driving economic growth, social transformation and in advancing inclusive entrepreneurship in the South African economy. The awards ceremony was held under the theme Black Industrialists-Catalysing Economic Growth and Jobs.  The awards were presented by President Cyril Ramaphosa.  .

Bokone Gas, the Pretoria-based company which was described as the first proudly South African Black woman-owned gas production company with a plant producing medical and industrial gases, romped home with the Black Woman Award.

The Executive Director of the company, Ms Yvonne Rakhuduwe said she was honoured and humbled for being selected the winner of the award.

“I am excited and proud of this award. I am optimistic that it will help us to be impeccable in what we do. This is the result of putting more effort in product quality. Our aim is to establish a solid base in Gauteng, followed by expansion in other provinces. We have started a business proposal with companies in Zambia, Lesotho and Namibia and the feedback is great. We think we will be exporting soon,” added Rakhuduwe.

Pavati Plastics Southern Africa were crowned joint winners with Pele Green for the Sustainability Award. The award recognises firms who make a contribution to the sustainability and climate change agenda in terms of low carbon production, renewable energy generation and/or development of clean technology solutions in the waste, water, green transport, sustainable agriculture or energy sectors.

The Director of Pavati Plastics Southern Africa, Ms Ntombenhle Nhleko said she was pleasantly surprised but humbled by the win. She described the award as a demonstration of hard work.

“Our 44 employees who are youth will be excited that their work has been recognised at this level. We are confident we won this award because of the product development in the background and investment in new technology ahead of its time. Our investment in new manufacturing technology, which is funded by the Industrial Development Corporation and the dtic Black Industrialist Scheme, has afforded the company the opportunity to diversify its product offerings in the market as a result of the expansion project to implement two major manufacturing units,” said Nhleko.

She added that they would be boasting about the award, which she said it would give them confidence to be assertive in what they are doing.

“This award is a truly a motivation and present a challenge for us to go and look for more work. It is going to present a challenge on corporates that have been supporting us to open more doors us and for the dtic and the IDC to advocate for us as sustainability champions,” added Nhleko.

The Executive Director the Pretoria-based company Bokone Gas, Ms Yvonne Rakhuduwe flanked by Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities and President Cyril Ramaphosa at the second Black Industrialists Awards ceremony at the Sandton International Convention Centre.

The winners in various categories are:

Innovation award
Snode Technologies
QP Drones

Black Woman Award
Bokone Gas

Youth Award
Sky tents

Manufacturing Award
Mohalefi Engineering

Exporters Award
Baynes Transformers
Dynamic Fluid Control

Sustainability Award
Pele Green
Pavati plastics

Job Creation Award
Dunlop belting

Ministerial Award
Blue economy – Sandock Austral Shipyards

Green Economy Award
Art Solar

Legacy Award
Dr Anna Mokgokong

Enquiries:
Bongani Lukhele – Director: Media Relations
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Defy Appliances today unveiled a new range of climate-friendly fridges and freezers that can be used by households and small businesses and that do not require electricity from the national grid. The products are capable of operating entirely on solar energy, marking a substantial step in promoting eco-friendly alternatives in the appliance industry and runs off a small solar panel system that can be installed and a battery that retains power for up to 3 days. The fridges and freezers will be available in MAKRO and other stores shortly later this month.

Defy Appliances is owned by a Turkish holding company since 2011 and has factories in eThekwini and Ladysmith, in KZN.

Welcoming the initiative today, the Minister of Trade, Industry, and Competition, Mr. Ebrahim Patel noted that the Defy Solar Off-Grid products were co-developed by South African technical experts and their Turkish counterrparts and could be suitable for use by shops in rural areas without electricity, by urban households seeking to reduce their carbon footprint or by communities affected by electricity outages.

“Climate change necessitates a comprehensive transformation of the technologies utilized both at home and within the industry. South Africa is actively ensuring the production of future technologies and meeting the demand for lower-emission consumer products. This opens a platform for green industrialisation by South Africa,” he said

“The company employs 2 500 workers in South Africa and has 40 people locally focussed on R&D. The products now being developed are geared to developing country markets and there is a great potential to export to other parts of the African continent. Defy already exports to more than 35 other countries, using its South African base,” he says.

“I encourage more firms to innovate and invest in R&D to simulatneously tackle the climate crisis and create jobs in the process,” Minister Patel stated.

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Issued by: The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic)

South Africa’s Black Industrialists will take centre stage on Wednesday, 20 March 2024 at a conference, exhibition and awards ceremony that will be hosted by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) at the Sandton Convention Centre.

Addressing the media in Pretoria today, the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Mr Ebrahim Patel said that more than 1 200 delegates will attend the second Black Industrialists and Exporters Conference, which will be held under the theme: Black Industrialists – Catalysing Economic Growth and Jobs.

The conference, which is set to take place on the eve of the 20th anniversary of the implementation of the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act (B-BBEE Act) will shine the spotlight on the achievements, successes, opportunities and strides made by the Black Industrialists Programme since its inception in 2016. The high level panel discussions will focus on the role of private sector procurement, new value chains, access to financing for emerging black business and how existing systems militate against emerging black business.

According to Minister Ebrahim Patel:  “Over the last 13 years the dtic-group approved significant levels of funding to a large number of firms. In 2023, the dtic, however, shifted its performance indicators to focus on the impact of its work measured by turnover and number of jobs sustained by black industrialists, reinforcing the State’s commitment to promoting emerging enterprises in achieving inclusive industrialisation, while creating more job opportunities. Our strategy aims to ensure that we secure greater representivity across the economy, all the while generating greater prosperity and employment.”

The conference will also discuss initiatives to further strengthen economic transformation in support of greater diversity in ownership in the economy. Challenges faced by industrialists and exporters such as access to funding, markets, technology and infrastructure for their businesses to grow will also be addressed at the conference.

This years’ conference will feature 53 large companies or procurers making pledges to buy from the growing class of black industrialists.

It will also comprise a market place showcasing about 200 black industrialists representing more than R10 billion in turnover in an array of sectors, including aerospace and defence, agro-processing, food and beverage automotive, capital equipment and machinery and healthcare and pharmaceuticals.

The conference will culminate with an awards ceremony aimed at recognising the contribution of Black Industrialists towards driving economic growth, social transformation and in advancing inclusive entrepreneurship in the South African economy. More than 200 entries have been received and ten awards will be announced at the conference.

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Bongani Lukhele – Director: Media Relations
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Email: BLukhele@thedtic.gov.za or Mediarelations@thedtic.gov.za
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The Deputy Minister for Trade, Industry and Competition, Ms Nomalungelo Gina, will join the National Consumer Commission (NCC) in commemorating the World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD) at the University of the Free State on Friday, 15 March 2024.

The theme for this year’s WCRD, “Safe Products, Safe Consumers: Fostering Accountability and Compliance,” sheds light on the critical issue of product safety within the South African consumer market. It emphasises the imperative for suppliers to adhere to the regulations enforced by various consumer protection bodies in the country.

Preceding the WCRD celebrations, a series of consumer education and business compliance initiatives are already underway, led by various regulators in the consumer space under the umbrella of the Consumer Protection Forum (CPF). These efforts are geared towards empowering consumers about their rights and ensuring compliance among suppliers.

As part of these activities, the University of the Free State will also host a symposium tomorrow, focusing on food safety and the roles of relevant stakeholders in guaranteeing that consumers purchase and consume goods meeting the required safety standards.

During the WCRD celebrations on 15 March 2024, Deputy Minister Gina will deliver a keynote address, highlighting the significance of consumer rights and the government’s commitment to ensuring consumer safety.

Reflecting on the upcoming event, Deputy Minister Gina states, “World Consumer Rights Day serves as a crucial reminder of the responsibilities we hold as custodians of consumer interests. It is imperative that we continue to foster accountability and compliance among suppliers to safeguard the well-being of consumers. This year’s theme underscores the importance of ensuring that products entering the market meet the highest safety standards, thereby instilling confidence among consumers”.

She further adds: “Through collaborative efforts with stakeholders and rigorous enforcement of consumer protection regulations, we can create an environment where consumers can make informed choices and trust in the safety and quality of the products they purchase. I look forward to engaging with fellow advocates and stakeholders during the celebrations as we reaffirm our commitment to protecting consumer rights.”

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The Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Mr Ebrahim Patel and a high-level delegation completed a four-day working visit to Shanghai, Nanjing and Beijing to meet with government officials, investors and a number of Chinese electric vehicles and battery manufacturers.

Minister Patel was hosted by his counterpart, Mr Wang Wentao, the Chinese Minister of Commerce, in a bilateral meeting and working dinner during the visit. The discussion reviewed trade relations, considered steps taken to implement agreements signed during President Xi Jinping’s state visit in August 2023, identified new opportunities to strengthen economic ties and discussed a possible Memorandum of Understanding on the automotive industry.

During his visit, Minister Patel held bilateral meetings with 8 Chinese companies, met six SA companies operating in China, and undertook two factory site visits.

The SA delegation met with six potential Chinese investors in the electric vehicle value chain: four are vehicle manufacturers, namely the Shanghai Automotive Industrial Corporation (SAIC), BYD Auto Manufacturers (the world’s largest electric vehicle producer), Foton Group and Beijing Automotive Industrial Group (BAIC).

Meetings were held with two battery producers: CATL – the world’s largest battery producer and Gotion Hi-Tech International, who have a partnership with Volkswagen.

“The investors we met were very interested in the market particularly with commencement of trade by South Africa under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (the AfCFTA). I found them knowledgeable about local market conditions and keen to explore investment partnerships. This builds on positive sentiment we found in September last year in New York among American investors too,” Minister Patel said today.

China is the world’s leading producer of electric vehicles (EVs) and batteries. The visit provided Minister Patel with an opportunity to present the South African automotive value proposition and government policy support to companies looking to invest into the South African automotive industry, particularly in EV manufacturing. The SA automotive industry is supported by stable long-term policies such as the South African Automotive Master Plan  (SAAM) 2035 and a government support package for capital investment, and vehicle and component production.

The South African government released the Electric Vehicle White Paper in December last year. The paper outlines the country’s approach to supporting the transition to zero-emission vehicle production for the export and domestic market.

As part of the support for the transition, the government has improved the automotive industry incentive package for electric vehicle production in South Africa. This includes increased investment support through a recently-announced tax measure.

The support from government ensures South Africa can compete in attracting vital investment into the industry that will facilitate the transition of this well-established sector to new energy vehicles. Access to export markets makes South Africa a more attractive investment destination.

Minister Patel also met investors in the steel and energy sectors and discussed their plans for the SA market.

The Minister was accompanied by senior staff of the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and the dtic.

China is currently South Africa’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade estimated at $34 billion (R556 billion) in 2022.

Enquiries:
Bongani Lukhele – Director: Media Relations
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Issued by: The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic)