market intelligence
will be able to compete globally in terms of price and quality. It has also been identified that the biggest potential export market would be the one closest to our country, Africa. South Africa has expertise in many areas that have lucrative market potential in Africa. Healthcare and medical equipment, water treatment and storage, agricultural and agri-processing equipment, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, mining, as well as general processing plant and equipment jump to mind when thinking of sectors that can stimulate local and export demand. Africa offers endless market potential, but it remains imperative that a strong and competitive industry be built on the back of intensive localisation. It is also foreseen that a strong and vibrant industry will stem the outflow of intellectual property, skills, and capacity from South Africa and offer opportunities to young professionals and entrepreneurs. 6. How has Sassda evolved against the backdrop of unprecedented local and global challenges that have faced, and continue to face, its members? There was an evolution in the way that Sassda does things even before the pandemic forced change on industry and the community. It remains critical for Sassda to be accessible to members, the industry, and our partners to create awareness and promote the use of stainless steel in South Africa. For example, we have made our products accessible by turning all the Sassda official training programmes into world-class products that can be accessed by anyone globally via our virtual classroom settings. Most of our member meetings have been accessible online since 2019. This intervention allowed Sassda
unparalleled access to industries and sectors we could not penetrate before. However, Sassda has also added new value in the way it intervenes on behalf of members when engaging with government. As an association our lobbying resulted in alleviating the industrial clampdown during COVID-19 by gaining permission to open up the stainless steel industry to a 50% level compared to the 30% allowed for other industries. Another example would be when Sassda made submissions to the dtic regarding the ban on the exportation of scrap metals in 2022. The submission and communication with government resulted in the removal of stainless steel from the metals included in the Bill. Sassda is constantly changing, and we try to keep ahead of the industry in terms of early adaption to circumstances to lead the way. Sassda is embarking on a drive to create more capacity within the association to be able to provide insight and services to members to facilitate change and in time adapt to new trends and potential markets. 7. What are some of the key projects/initiatives/ programmes that Sassda will continue to champion in 2023? Sassda cannot afford to be reactive to member and industry needs. The association has a strategic responsibility to lead and be the official and relevant mouthpiece of the local value chain. Sassda is currently in the process of upgrading all training manuals and presentations to reflect accurate and up-to-date information. This process is also important as new technology such as laser welding is becoming more popular in our industry and needs to be included in our training products. While we hope to keep on improving our products, services, and the delivery thereof, we will maintain our efforts to lobby the government on issues that impact our members and their future. It is important to mention that our lobbying process with government would never be negative. Our submissions contain statistics and data to support our view, but always remain flexible and open to alternatives towards a pragmatic solution. Sassda prefers to be a constructive partner towards a better South Africa. The current localisation drives active in the Steel Market Plan are reaching critical milestones and will continue to receive our undivided focus. Sassda has been involved in getting stainless steel written into the national standards for roofing, cladding, and road safety equipment such as road barriers. We are embarking on a mission to get 3CR12 included in any future specifications for Eskom transmission towers as well as rural emergency bridges that are currently under discussion.
Michel Basson Sassda Executive Director
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Issue 2 - 2023
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