While there are challenges in the manufacturing sector, its sub-sectors are showing steady growth, said Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies.
Speaking at the Austrian Business Chamber in Sandton yesterday, Davies explained that the Industrial Policy Action Plan (Ipap) had provided impetus for South Africa’s industrialisation objectives.
“Our ability to be significant manufacturers is highlighted in the example, amongst others, of a BMW plant in South Africa being named the best manufacturer of certain automotive models in the world. In a similar vein, the Hisense television manufacturing plant in the Western Cape is, after China, the second best performing manufacturing plant of its kind in the World,” he noted.
Davies said that the manufacturing industry, when faced with adversity, had to be proactive and develop a solution to mitigate challenges.
“We changed our incentive schemes and many companies took them up. We brought in retailers like Foschini who created 6000 jobs in a sector that was said to be doomed,” he added.
Source: SAnews.gov.za
