Tag: production

South Africa’s manufacturing sector is moving quickly to adopt AI-powered digital automation tools. These tools enhance efficiency, product precision and workforce optimisation. I explore the economy’s journey to automated factories as we host our first annual ‘Technology in Manufacturing Conference’ in Cape Town, in partnership with Zebra Technologies.

When Jean-Baptiste Say published his Treatise on Political Economy in 1803, he was not trying to be provocative. He was trying to be clear. In doing so, he ended up stating something both obvious and easy to forget: real economic activity begins with production, not consumption.

South Africa relies on a single machine to produce driving license cards, which is downright ludicrous. In November 2021, an electrical fault caused the machine to break down. Repairs took two months, increasing the license backlog by over a million.

ISO 14001, an internationally recognised Environmental Management System (EMS), provides businesses with a structured framework to manage environmental impact. It helps organisations pursue sustainability and operational excellence effectively.

Following a challenging 2023, South Africa’s manufacturing sector must prioritise digital transformation, cost reduction and reskilling to drive growth. South Africa boasts a well-developed manufacturing sector. In 2023, the sector in its entirety provided more than 1.6 million jobs and accounted for 13.0% of South Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP).

In modern mining the advent of wireless vibration monitoring is ushering in a new era of asset management and fault prevention. Over the past two years, advancements in sensor technology have significantly enhanced the capabilities of remote monitoring, driving the rise of autonomous mining and drilling operations.

Any business relying on machinery and equipment for its operations is exposed to the probability of significant financial losses due to a breakdown of a key piece of machinery that isn’t quickly or easily replaced or repaired.

On Monday, 21 October, the first papers in this year’s National Senior Certificate, or Matric, exams will be written. As always, exam security is a major concern. It is reassuring that specialist service providers have been entrusted with the secure printing, storing and transporting of exam papers.

South Africa’s consumer continued to breathe a sigh of relief as headline inflation steadied to 5.2% y/y in May 2024 according to Statistics South Africa. Food inflation however decelerated further to 4.3% y/y in May 2024 from 4.4% in April 2024 underpinned by declines in bread and cereals, milk, eggs and cheese, oils and fats, and sugar, sweets, and desserts prices. Drilling deeper into the data shows a continued stickiness on the upside for coffee products.

Every aspect of our everyday lives involves the use of plastic in one form or another. From electronics to water bottles and cars to children’s toys, there seems to be an insatiable demand for products crafted from fossil fuel-based material. This results in immense environmental strain as landfills spill over into the natural environments and oceans, leaving traces of plastic in our soil and water sources.