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that export-driven growth represents the most realistic path forward. Africa, in particular, was identified as the most promising near-term opportunity. Urbanisation, infrastructure development and expanding food processing industries across the continent are creating demand for stainless steel in water and sanitation systems, mining equipment, food and beverage processing, architectural applications, and household goods. By coordinating export efforts, manufacturers could increase production volumes, achieve economies of scale and strengthen local value addition. Crucially, this would reduce reliance on a constrained domestic market. To support this shift, industry participants proposed establishing an Africa Stainless Export Working Group or a Department of Trade, Industry and Competition-funded Export Council, for which an application has already been submitted. The vision includes shared export intelligence, coordinated market development programmes and multi- firm export consortia targeting specific African markets. Leveraging Eastern Cape capability Another practical opportunity lies closer to home. The Eastern Cape automotive component sector possesses world-class fabrication capability, advanced tooling and a skilled workforce. With global automotive production patterns shifting, much of this infrastructure is underutilised. Stakeholders believe stainless steel manufacturers can partner with these firms to repurpose tooling and production systems for new product lines. This could enable the development of export-oriented products with higher engineering intensity while maintaining industrial capacity and employment in the region. Importantly, this alignment does not depend on policy reform. It can begin immediately through industry-to- industry collaboration. A call for coordinated investment Beyond exports and cross-sector alignment, the session
at the scale once expected. Promised infrastructure upgrades have not materialised in a way that meaningfully stimulates domestic steel demand. At the same time, import penetration continues to rise. More than 10 000 tonnes of finished stainless steel goods enter the country annually, much of it low-cost product from Asia. A significant portion of these imports, particularly in residential and light industrial applications, could be manufactured locally, stakeholders argue, if trade rules were more effectively enforced. The result is widespread underutilised capacity. In the Eastern Cape, high-precision automotive component manufacturers are operating well below potential as global automotive production shifts. These facilities possess advanced fabrication capability and skilled labour, yet much of that capacity remains idle. Stainless steel requires its own strategy The session also revisited the 2021 Steel Master Plan 1.0 published by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition. While that plan addressed the broader steel industry, it acknowledged that stainless steel manufacturing offers distinct characteristics and value propositions. The recommendation was that the stainless sector develop its own focused master plan. The 27 January stakeholder consultation marked the beginning of that process. Participants agreed that depressed local demand is the single biggest constraint on growth. Imports of finished goods directly erode market share and suppress margins. Industry representatives argued that tariffs, anti-dumping measures and local-content requirements remain necessary tools to restore competitiveness. Yet there was also a sober recognition that trade remedies alone will not unlock growth. Domestic demand is unlikely to expand meaningfully in the medium term. If the industry is to scale, it must look outward. Export growth as the primary lever The strongest consensus emerging from the session was
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Issue 1 – 2026
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