News


SAIMC at the forefront of the Digital Industrial Revolution in South Africa

Technews Industry Guide: Industrial Internet of Things & Industry 4.0 News SAIMC

Marc van Pelt.
Marc van Pelt.

The Digital Industrial Revolution (DIR) – aka 4-IR or Industry 4.0 – will profoundly shape our efforts to promote industrial development. The scale, scope and complexity of this new technological revolution will bring experiences unknown to humankind in the form of cyber-physical systems (CPS), where computers, networks and physical processes are integrated. In particular, when compared to the previous industrial revolutions, the DIR is occurring at an exponential pace (IPAP 2018 -2021, the DTI).

What will the nature of automation be in the future? And how well is the South African manufacturing sector prepared to meet these new challenges? The SAIMC (Society for Automation, Instrumentation, Measurement and Control) is actively addressing these and other challenges through its involvement in the adoption and implementation of Industry 4.0 to the benefit of the South African economy.

The SAIMC was established in 1957 as a non-profit organisation to act as a catalyst between industry and education. Today, its mission is to provide guidance with regard to education, training and automation thought leadership that is appropriate to current and future industry requirements. It is also involved in the recognition of automation as the 10th engineering degree, to provide an avenue for students into Industry 4.0 or the IIoT.

The Digital Industrial Revolution or Industry 4.0 talks about the usage and impact in an industrial environment of the Internet of Things, Data and Services. Decentralised intelligence helps to create object networking and independent process management, with the interaction of the real and virtual worlds representing a crucial new aspect of the manufacturing and production process.

Industry 4.0 represents a paradigm shift from ‘centralised’ to ‘decentralised’ production, made possible by technological advances that constitute a reversal of conventional production process logic. Simply put, this means that industrial production machinery no longer simply ‘processes’ the product, but rather that the product communicates with the machinery to tell it exactly what to do. Industry 4.0 connects embedded production technologies and smart production processes to pave the way to a new technological age that will transform value chains and business models through the concepts of the ‘smart factory’.

The South African perspective

Many business leaders believe that South Africa holds the potential to re-establish a leading role in the global economic environment. Hence the South African Government launched an initiative to step into the digital revolution through its Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP). The DIR will enable a growth policy allowing the country to improve its competitiveness, resulting in an upswing of the economy. However, some serious challenges need to be dealt with to make effective use of this opportunity, namely:

• Infrastructure: a solid Internet and communications network.

• Education and training: a need to educate lecturers and students on how to skill and re-skill new and existing workforces.

• Market structures: understand and adopt the change in different market structures and the interaction between them (primary vs. tertiary).

The South African economy is unbalanced through the scarcity of companies in the SME sector. Big business cannot solve the country’s unemployment problem on its own. In the developed world, for example, the SME sector is responsible for a much higher portion of GDP, therefore providing a healthier economic platform. However, with the right strategic cooperation, South Africa could revitalise its manufacturing industry and SME sector through digitalisation and the application of Industry 4.0 or the IIoT.

As a country, we have the opportunity to become an early adopter on the African continent. We should use it to leapfrog our competitors through unique, locally developed, high-tech products and services. These market changes are happening fast and might be disruptive in some domains. However, they offer the opportunity to revitalise the way we do things. Manufacturers need to adjust their infrastructures and develop new ones, upskill their workers and reorganise their businesses. We need to attract the right digital talent/skills and (re)train and develop the existing workforce to understand and operate the new and smart technologies.

The Digital Industrial Revolution offers a huge opportunity for South African manufacturers to reinvent themselves and become more successful and competitive in local as well as global markets. The SAIMC is an active participant in this process of economic and technological transformation.

Marc van Pelt,

Manager Industry 4.0 Task Team





Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page

Further reading:

Reinstatement opportunity for ECSA registration
News
In 2023 the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) announced a special opportunity for engineers in South Africa to reinstate their registration status if it had been cancelled. This exclusive offer is available until the end of August 2024.

Read more...
Comtest calibration user group seminar
Comtest News
Comtest invites metrology and calibration professionals to a focused technical seminar series aimed at demystifying some of the most common hurdles in inter-laboratory comparisons.

Read more...
Functional safety explained
News
The SAIMC supports Pepperl+Fuchs, a National Member, in a free four-part online seminar series focused on Functional Safety.

Read more...
The Future of manufacturing in Africa
News
The future and development of African manufacturing will be discussed extensively at the upcoming Manufacturing Indaba conference, to be hosted on 15 to 16 July 2025 at Johannesburg’s Sandton Convention Centre.

Read more...
Hot topics at IFAT Africa and analytica Lab Africa 2025
News
Burning issues such as climate-smart infrastructure, sustainability in waste and water management, the circular economy and Extended Producer Responsibility will come under discussion at the three-day conference and forum presented by analytica Lab Africa and IFAT Africa at Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand, Johannesburg from 8 to 10 July 2025.

Read more...
RS South Africa showcases industrial solutions at MTE Phalaborwa
News
RS South Africa recently showcased its latest industrial and electronic solutions at the Mining and Technical Exhibition in Phalaborwa in Limpopo.

Read more...
Specialised Exhibitions appoints Joshua Low as commercial director for Africa
News
Specialised Exhibitions has appointed Joshua Low as commercial director for Africa. This strategic addition to the leadership team comes as Specialised Exhibitions embarks on an ambitious phase of growth across the African continent.

Read more...
WearCheck earns Dissolved Gas Analysis accreditation
Wearcheck News
WearCheck is now accredited to perform Dissolved Gas Analysis for transformers, following a recent assessment by SANAS.

Read more...
From the editor's desk: Riding the hype cycle
Technews Publishing (SA Instrumentation & Control) News
The other day I came across an entertaining article on the ten biggest tech failures of the last decade. Google Glass, 3D TV and Elon Musk’s hyperloop have faded into obscurity. Others, like the metaverse, ...

Read more...
STEMulator – a gift to the youth of the nation
Editor's Choice News
STEMulator is a groundbreaking virtual platform designed to ignite the spark of curiosity in young minds and stimulate their interest in STEM subjects.

Read more...









While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.




© Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd | All Rights Reserved