INTRODUCTION
EAGERLY ANTICIPATING 2021
After a year that will undoubtedly go down in the history books because of a little virus that spread across the globe causing various disruptions from how businesses operate to workplace building health to an affected supply chain , no one has been left un-touched . Countries around the world opted for various levels of lockdown , with South Africa having the earliest and most stringent lockdown according to various international reports , and on the back of an already stressed economy on top of that .
The reality of this year is that it has pushed each and every one of us to a new levels in our lives and businesses , and I personally doubt that anyone living today has experienced anything similar to what has happened in 2020 , and the subsequent effects – making it truly unprecedented , and there is further no one to turn to for advice . It has all of the major sectors in an economy baffled , and even our prize economists struggle to predict what the future holds .
Now , it is always easy to find the negatives in any situation , and no doubt consuming media in any format this year you would have read words like ‘ failed ’, ‘ devastating ’, ‘ recession ’, ‘ losses ’, ‘ corruption ’, and ‘ restructuring ’ – all of which are of course serious and you may have experienced some , or all of these in your own business . But , there are also positive words that you don ’ t hear enough such as ‘ innovation ’, ‘ success ’, ‘ growth ’, ‘ opportunity ’, ‘ global competitiveness ’, and ‘ persistence ’.
As I have mentioned before , in comments I have written over the years , and have experienced in many industries , one thing remains constant and that is those who translate challenges into an opportunity , or who change market dynamics into innovation are the ones who persist and have positive
outcomes in their business and lives . South Africans continue to prove to be amongst the best problem-solvers in the world and therefore will continue to find a way , now and decades into the future .
Many things in the HVACR industry have changed this year , strengths have been identified as well as weaknesses – and through these , new opportunities have arisen that can be taken forward . Air quality has been identified as a major element for commercial spaces and therefore designs in future will need to address and cater to increased demand of the users towards more ‘ healthy ’ buildings . Our growing cold chain has also identified various needs to cater to a changing consumer environment , as well as the growing demand for our produce in international markets . Greening the industry has also been a major topic and plays into the theme we chose this year for the cover design – which essentially speaks for itself .
Local manufacturing has also seen an opportunity to be more globally competitive over this period , aided by the exchange rate of course and altered global supply network , where some companies have reported the ability to supply at a competitive rate to Chinese manufacturers , which significantly evens the international playing arena . This is also a positive story for South Africa as it is proven that local manufacturing is what drives economic growth and also aids in job creation , which is another critical element with current predictions that government debt will exceed 70 % of GDP within two years .
The imminent release of the Covid-19 vaccine should also allow for a more ‘ normal ’ operation of economies around the world , and should allow the dust to settle slightly . The delivery of the vaccine and its required parameters has already questioned the
readiness and suitability of the existing cold chain , but only time will tell what opportunities arise in this as well as identifying areas we need to work on in rolling it out . The vaccine distribution and ‘ new normal ’ will also trigger the first real opportunity to take a snapshot of industries and businesses as more accurate levels of stock distribution and holding can be established .
We eagerly anticipate the arrival of 2021 where we will continue to provide you with original content , projects , features , news and events – and as always I personally welcome your participation in either RACA Journal or Cold Link Africa – all you need to do is get in touch .
I would finally like to leave you with a quote that I believe is apt for ending off 2020 and that will hopefully provide some inspiration for 2021 …
“ If you can ’ t fly then run , if you can ’ t run then walk , if you can ’ t walk then crawl , but whatever you do , you have to keep moving forward .” – Martin Luther King , Jr .
Keep pushing on !
Greetings
Ben
benjamin @ interactmedia . co . za
www . hvacronline . co . za | www . coldlinkafrica . co . za HEVAC & R Directory 2021 3