At the end of May, Electricity + Control had the opportunity to join a tour of LH Marthinusen’s newly upgraded industrial fan manufacturing and services facility in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg. The expanded and upgraded facility was officially opened by Minister of Trade, Industry & Competition, Mpho Parks Tau, and Mervyn Naidoo, CEO of the ACTOM Group, which is the holding company of LH Marthinusen. Speaking at the event, Naidoo, a long-time champion of local manufacturing, noted three key points that are perhaps fundamental to rebuilding South Africa’s manufacturing sector and the country’s re-industrialisation. Firstly, the investment in renewing the facility has been made possible by what is in effect a public-private partnership, with support from the DTIC, Eskom, and ACTOM/LH Marthinusen. Secondly, he highlighted that the manufacturing industry is, after a long idling time, beginning to see an upturn in new demand for mechanical and electrical equipment as Operation Vulindlela gains traction and new build infrastructure projects are increasingly being realised – particularly in the energy and rail sectors. Thirdly, he emphasised the importance of skills training for industry, essential to opening up employment and growing South Africa’s economy. A walk through the new ACTOM Training Centre, adjacent to the industrial fans production halls, formed part of the site visit, Here, 120 apprentices from nearby local communities – many living in informal settlements – are currently in training. These factors together will contribute substantially to the country’s progress in re-industrialisation.

In this May issue of Electricity + Control we feature Control systems + automation, Drives, motors + switchgear, Sensors + switches, and Plant maintenance, test + measurement – all interrelated aspects in the demanding day-to-day operations of industry.

Looking at Control systems + automation, Leigh Darroll spoke to Paul Deppe and Thami Mzolo at FUCHS LUBRICANTS South Africa about the advanced automation systems the company has introduced in its expanded production facilities – and the benefits automation brings in optimising its performance and boosting output.

As 2025 gathers pace and we witness major shifts in the global order, the world economy and long-established supply chains, we also see significant advances in industrial technologies and energy systems.

In this April issue of Electricity + Control we look at various dimensions of the continuing evolution of Industry 4,0 and IIoT: the pressures on industry to move forward with digital transformation, the rise and rise of data volumes, the value of AI in industry, and its impact on energy demand.

Satyajit Dwivedi of SAS Analytics highlights how AI can transform energy and water utilities to unlock new levels of efficiency and transition to a smarter connected future. Acknowledging the challenges of adopting AI, he emphasises the importance of a structured approach, coordinated across departments, to establish a unified platform.

Although the country pulled through the sudden reversal to Stage 6 load shedding in the last week of February relatively quickly, questions around the stability of the grid and South Africa’s electricity generation capacity linger.  These were given further credence with the need for load shedding again on the first weekend of March. The initial trip (in February) took down five generating units at Majuba Power Station – 3 600 MW – alongside unplanned capacity losses at four units at Camden and one at Medupi.

As this new year opens, South Africa is gearing up to host the G20, which will see working group meetings and other discussions taking place throughout the year – with a focus on what the country has determined as the key themes: solidarity, equality and sustainable development. President Cyril Ramaphosa has pointed out that the G20, a leading forum for international economic cooperation, is being hosted on the African continent for the first time, marking a significant moment for South Africa, the African continent and the world.