The Department of Trade and Industry (dti), along with the South African Furniture Initiative (Safi), has scheduled a series of workshops around the country to devise a masterplan to grow and protect the industry.
The workshops will identify blockages and constraints and set key actions for the short and medium term, says Nomalungelo Gina, deputy minister at the dti.
Gina says the furniture industry is a significant sector for South Africa and has the potential to create jobs, contribute to exports, and develop Small, Medium and Micro-sized Enterprises (SMMEs).
“The industry employs approximately 26 000 people and contributes about 1% to the manufacturing Gross Domestic Product and 1.1% to manufacturing employment,” says Gina.
The workshops will be held in the Western Cape, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and Gauteng from January 28 to February 6. - Zoë van Rooyen