26 LOCAL MANUFACTURER
Plumbing Africa | Rory Macnamara
5 . What fundamentally is the advantage of local manufacture to the company , the country , and the economy ? Just in time supply , order the quantities you need ( not having to fill containers ), manufacturers are easily available to discuss any potential issues , raw material changes , etc .
Rear of plant 2 , manufacture and assembly .
A stronger local manufacturing industry will certainly drive employment that of course benefits the country . One does not need to be an expert to understand that should government stimulate local manufacturing ; the export possibilities far outweigh the benefits of importing comparable products and technologies .
6 . Does the Government provide support to local manufacturers in the way of incentives and if so , what form ? They do ; however , it has become extremely difficult to partake in these incentive schemes . Government has tried to protect local manufacturing and unless this is policed and controlled , the requirement for local content is useless . Access to commodity raw materials at more affordable prices is the key to stimulate the local plastic converters segment .
7 . If not , what should they be doing to encourage local manufacture ? Financial aid for growth , cheaper commodity raw materials , export incentives , stable power supply , fair bargaining ( labour ) and not complete lawlessness when what are supposed to be negotiations take place .
Plumbing Africa | Rory Macnamara
Plant room 1 .
8 . Are your staff in the factory trained in specific tasks or can they multi-task ? Most can multitask however there are certainly specifically trained individuals and job specifications on more technical jobs .
9 . If there are speciality skills required , do you encourage upskilling / training ? We do and it is very encouraging to see these employees develop over the years PA
www . plumbingafrica . co . za @ plumbingonline @ plumbingonline @ PlumbingAfricaOnline November 2022 Volume 28 I Number 9