With its sights set on reviving, developing and sustaining the South African electronics industry, a new association has been born. EDMASA (Electronics Developers and Manufacturers Association of South Africa) is a non-profit, Section 21 company registered with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission.
These goals will be achieved by coordinating the activities of its members, government and the private sector in order to strengthen the industry’s cooperation on promoting local economic opportunities, transformation, skills development and innovation and to facilitate trade initiatives through the country’s entrenched capacity to design, develop and manufacture electronic goods.
EDMASA’s main objectives are best summarised by the following points:
• Lobbying for support and sustainability of the electronics design, development and manufacturing sector in South Africa.
• Assessment, research and analysis of the industry to establish the industry’s overall capability and capacity.
• Drawing up an industry development strategy and facilitating funding initiatives to support the local electronics manufacturing sector.
• Promotion of market regulation proposals and submissions on legal acts for the long-term interests of the sector and companies.
• Promotion and advancement of the knowledge and skills development for the industry to grow competencies and exposure to economic opportunities.
• Promoting local and international friendships, alliances and business opportunities at all levels.
• Evaluating and monitoring of activities in the electronics market that are detrimental to the local industry and
promoting compliance.
• Promoting health and safety issues within the industry.
• Improving local competitiveness through collaboration with suppliers, complementary businesses and other parties with interests in electronics manufacturing and development.
Steering the ship
The association was formed around the core member companies APA Enterprises, Bambolunye Enterprises, CZ Electronics, Designer Cables, Leema Industries, Microtronix, Phahama Systems Development, Production Logix, Resego Technologies, Tau di a Rora Technologies and TVV Electronics.
The six committee members tasked with putting EDMASA’s objectives into practice are: Hosia Matlou (chairperson), Malesela Kekana (deputy chairperson), Shaun Rampersad (secretary), Abe Kgomongwe (deputy secretary), Shilpa Mehta (treasurer) and Tau Ndleleni (national convener).
Discussing the imminent launch of the association with Hosia Matlou and Malesela Kekana leaves no doubt that it has set ambitious targets for itself, with the clear intent of dreaming big while staying rooted in the real-world challenges that come with manufacturing electronics in South Africa. “One of our areas of focus is Industry 4.0 and establishing the local industry on the world stage,” Kekana elaborates. “The industry is ready and willing and has the core skills and competencies required, to make the Industry 4.0 ecosystem a significant driver of our economy and contributor to the country’s GDP.”
Eyes on the prize
But that’s only one market where EDMASA aims to propel the industry forward – the association’s essence lies in assessing the big picture, analysing where there are obstacles to progress and engaging at all levels with relevant stakeholders, as Matlou explains: “Effectively, the remit we have given ourselves as an association is to advocate for local manufacturing, as opposed to industry bodies of the past that were mostly or wholly focused on the electronic component distribution side of things. We fully acknowledge and appreciate the vital role our local component distributors play in not only the supply chain, but in the value they add to the electronics industry as a whole. Experience has taught me, however, that meaningful change cannot happen without the support of government and without doubt the necessary engagement has been inhibited by not having an industry body that lobbies on behalf of the companies that actually make electronic products.”
‘Engagement’ is a word that came up often when speaking with the pair, which is hugely encouraging given that, in this author’s humble opinion (and based on more than a few private conversations) the industry has become more and more insular as we have sadly seen one South African electronics manufacturer after another fall by the wayside over the last umpteen years.
Kekana summed up with some key points on what EDMASA represents and where its focus lies: “We want South Africa to participate in Industry 4.0 in the true sense of the revolution that it is. We will strive for recognition of the local electronics industry in terms of the value it represents, not the number of participants. We will push for change at the very top through regulatory measures, but never lose sight of the need to be competitive in the electronics market.”
Dataweek will provide ongoing coverage on EDMASA, beginning with its official launch, in the months to come.
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