By De Wet Joubert, Operations & Strategic Projects Director, RS South Africa

South Africa’s discrete manufacturing sector, which includes industries such as automotive, electronics, rail, and aerospace, faces mounting pressure from global competition, fragmented supply chains, and outdated infrastructure. In this complex environment, digitalisation is emerging not as a future consideration, but as a critical lever for survival, resilience, and growth.

By Rhys Evans, Managing Director at ALCO-Safe

In the 1990s, a major paper mill in KwaZulu-Natal faced a serious and persistent challenge, alcohol abuse among its employees. Workplace accidents were frequent and often severe. Internal safety audits at the time revealed that nearly 40% of workplace accidents were linked to alcohol consumption. Employees were arriving at work under the influence, and the risks to safety and productivity were growing impossible to ignore.

The introduction of SEW-EURODRIVE’s TrueDNA® package responds directly to challenges faced by industry when mixing components from multiple suppliers in a drive solution. Performance inconsistencies, compatibility issues and support gaps have often compromised efficiency and reliability.

AG Lubricants, a trusted provider of premium lubrication solutions, has received approval to locally blend a selected range of lubricants for a prominent automotive manufacturer. This milestone supports the move toward increased localisation, with the aim of boosting employment and contributing to the country’s economic development.

With the mining industry under increasing pressure to prioritise safety without compromising productivity, Booyco Electronics is pushing the boundaries of Proximity Detection System (PDS) and Collision Avoidance System (CAS) technology across both underground and surface operations.