Posted: July 24, 2025
The South African defence industry’s profitability and sustainability is reliant on ensuring sustainable exports. This was said by the Chairperson of the Board of Aerospace Maritime and Defence Export Council, Mr Nico Troostheide. Troostheide is one of the 13 businesspeople who are showcasing their proudly South African products and services at the International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) in Istanbul, Türkiye. The fair started on Tuesday, 22 July 2025 will end on Sunday 27 July 2025.
According to Troostheide, the South African defence industry’s profitability and sustainability remain heavily reliant on exports, which contribute over 60% of its revenues. He emphasised that the industry’s presence and visibility at global events such as the IDEF was essential to sustaining its profitability and long-term viability.
“The IDEF is significant to our industry, as it continues to attract a growing wealth of international decision-makers from the defence industry, alongside key representatives from governments, armed forces and the key military personnel. The fair offers an opportunity of meeting with the official delegations coming from all over the world, high level Turkish procurement authorities and representatives of participating companies,” said Troostheide.
He added that the fair was also offering an opportunity to reach current and potential partners as well as industry specialists. He highlighted the importance of using the event to grow business in the defence and security sectors while showcasing the industry’s technological advancements.
IDEF 2025 is a prestigious event showcasing the latest technological advancements and products in the defence industry. Bringing together leading figures in defence sector, IDEF serves as a platform for discovering future defence technologies and fostering strategic partnerships.
The participation of South African companies is facilitated by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) through its Export Marketing and Investment Assistance (EMIA) scheme, which funds the development of exporters, enabling them to explore new markets and attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into South Africa.
The Chairperson of the Board of Aerospace Maritime and Defence Export Council, Mr Nico Troostheide in the South African National Pavilion at the International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF) in Türkiye.
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Issued by: The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic)
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