SAIMC


SAIMC: From the office of the CEO

March 2020 SAIMC

Yes, you are at the right place – the president of the SAIMC position has been replaced by that of the CEO (yours truly).

I would like to thank Annemarie for the wonderful work she has done as president of the SAIMC, especially being ‘thrown to the wolves’ at such short notice. Fortunately our members are not wolves, and it was great to see how she was embraced into the leadership fold. Luckily she will not be lost to us as she has been called into a higher office as a director of the SAIMC.

Although the SAIMC NPC has been registered as a non-profit company since 2010, it was only ‘activated’ in 2014, and then it was still run like a voluntary association. This all changed last year when it was decided to run the SAIMC NPC like the company it is.

During January 2020, requests for directors were sent to all of the branches and to Council. According to the MOI registered with the CIPC, it is the responsibility of the current directors to identify those nominees that would be able to contribute as directors, and send those names out for voting purposes to the SAIMC members. Fortunately voting was not required and all nominees identified by the directors were approved. The new board is:

• Vinesh Maharaj – Chairman.

• Annemarie van Coller – Sustainability.

• Oratile Sematle – Automation.

• Johan Maartens – Public Officer.

• Marc Van Pelt – Government and International Relations.

During the same board meeting, I was appointed as CEO and as such, the only executive director. This means that the board is being managed by a majority of non-executive directors as per Kings IV Report on good governance.

The CEO will now be responsible to the board and see to it that the strategy and goals of the SAIMC are reached. These fall into three categories:

• Education and training.

• Growth.

• Thought leadership.

By the time of going to press, the Executive Council has not yet been finalised with the general managers of the board and the CEO being the first members of Exco. Various nominations for the various positions on Exco have already been received.

First automation category recognised by ECSA

The Enterprise Integration Practitioner special category has been approved by ECSA, making it the first automation position to be defined and approved. This paves the way for the other six automation positions, and eventually a formal automation discipline. The Enterprise Integration Practitioner is specifically aimed at those MOM/MES professionals who are doing engineering work according to the Identification of Engineering Work definition currently in progress, but do not have an engineering related qualification.

While registration with the various SETAs is in progress, the SAIMC is also formalising budgets to get automation formally included in the NTIP programme.

The Supplier Advisory Council has been created within the SAIMC and we are looking forward to great things in future, especially in education and training, as well as thought leadership.


Until we speak again, have a wonderful year and may you, your families and your businesses be blessed. Join the conversation on https://www.linkedin.com/company/saimc/about/

Yours in automation,

Johan Maartens.


Credit(s)



Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page

Further reading:

International robotics conference streams live to Africa
SAIMC
The SAIMC hosted five live-stream viewing events across South Africa for the IEEE International Conference of Robotics and Automation in Vienna, bringing global robotics research and technology directly to local industry and academia.

Read more...
From the office of the CEO: Introduction to GRIP
SAIMC SAIMC
Industry has long been concerned about graduates who have no understanding of the modern equipment they will face in industry. This has triggered an investigation into the possibility of creating a facility whereby graduates register with the SAIMC and rotate through all the vendors to obtain experience on modern equipment.

Read more...
SAIMC: Durban branch
SAIMC SAIMC
The SAIMC Durban Branch hosted a technology meeting featuring a presentation by Abacus Automation on the practical role of AI in industrial automation, drawing considerable interest from attendees.

Read more...
SAIMC: Johannesburg branch
SAIMC SAIMC
Instrotech recently hosted a technical presentation on load cell technology and applications at the SAIMC Johannesburg Technology Evening, presented by Trevor Salzwedel. The session covered load cell fundamentals, selection and installation, mechanical considerations and calibration methods.

Read more...
SAIMC: Johannesburg Golf Day
SAIMC SAIMC
The SAIMC Johannesburg Golf Day on 22 May 2026 brought together 16 four-balls for a day of golf, networking and fundraising, with generous support from sponsors across the instrumentation and control sector.

Read more...
SAIMC to exhibit at Electra Mining Africa 2026
SAIMC SAIMC
The SAIMC International INSPIRE Conference 2026 will be held on 14 and 15 October 2026

Read more...
SAIMC’s International INSPIRE Conference
SAIMC SAIMC
The SAIMC International INSPIRE Conference 2026 will be held on 14 and 15 October 2026.

Read more...
Knowledge Sharing for Industry: SAIMC’s June 2026 event
SAIMC SAIMC
SAIMC will host a technical presentation focused on an important challenge facing modern industry, tracking and tracing across increasingly complex supply chains.

Read more...
SAIMC: Johannesburg branch
SAIMC SAIMC
The Johannesburg Branch had the privilege of being hosted by Phoenix Contact for our technology event in May. Shamil Surbun, BU manager for Automation, presented a CPD-accredited session on ‘From Sensor to Cloud: How SPE and APL Are Transforming Industrial Connectivity’.

Read more...
From the office of the CEO: Power Hour goes national
SAIMC SAIMC
South Africa’s automation, control, mechatronics and computer engineering community is changing fast, and the SAIMC is changing with it. I am excited to announce a new national initiative that will reshape how we deliver technical knowledge, strengthen branch identity and bring our community together like never before.

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