Davies tackles manufacturing pain points at Indaba

Government is working to reduce red tape for industrial investors as manufacturing is critical to creating a sustainable new growth path.

That was the message from trade and industry minister, Dr Rob Davies - cited in several Twitter posts by the Manufacturing Indaba and the department of trade and industry (dti) - during his address at the Manufacturing Indaba in Johannesburg yesterday.

He reportedly said that port charges for imports were “very competitive” but added that the charges for exports were, by contrast, not competitive. “We need to address these challenges to move up the global trade value chain.”

Calling on all stakeholders to become involved in government’s industrialisation agenda, Davies reportedly pointed out that South Africa needed to find itself a different niche in a changing African market. “Our main and real opportunities lie on the African continent,” he said.

Davies also called for greater manufacturing diversity and for increased value-added production.  “Italy makes more from manufacturing and selling gold jewellery than SA makes from exporting the gold,” he commented.