From the President's desk

May 2005 SAIMC

It is with tremendous sadness that I write this bulletin "From the President's Desk".

Fifty-one employees have been reported killed and a further 26 are still missing, presumed dead due to the explosion at the Chamibisi Explosives Factory (owned by the Chinese Company BGIMM) in the Copperbelt near Kitwe in Zambia.

This has struck a blow to our fellow SAIMC members in that region.

With the official investigation still underway (at time of going to press), it was reported that the explosion could be attributed to safety procedures not being adhered to. May this be a stern warning to all plant owners and operators that human lives are much more important than profit, and reduced awareness to aspects such as safety.

Please join me in offering our sincere condolences to the families affected by this tragedy.

For more information contact Cornu Perold, president, [email protected]

Further reading:

SAIMC’s May 2026 KS4I event to spotlight AI-driven industrial automation
SAIMC SAIMC
SAIMC’s May 2026 KS4I event will focus on practical and forward-looking approaches to AI-enabled automation and intelligent industrial connectivity.

Read more...

---

SAIMC: From the office of the COO
SAIMC SAIMC
We are failing young engineers - not just in classrooms, but as a society.

Read more...

---

SAIMC: Johannesburg branch
SAIMC SAIMC
Jenine Jansen van Vuuren from Comtest delivered a presentation at the SAIMC Johannesburg technology evening, focusing on electric vehicle charging stations and the key metrics that govern their functionality.

Read more...

---

SAIMC: Durban branch
SAIMC SAIMC
At the monthly meeting of the Durban branch of the SAIMC, Smunye Memela, project manager and switch gear specialist at Gubhuza 3 Trading presented on the subject ‘From sensors to insights: predictive maintenance in action’.

Read more...

---

SAIMC’s May 2026 KS4I event to spotlight AI-driven industrial automation
SAIMC
SAIMC’s May KS4I event will focus on practical and forward-looking approaches to AI-enabled automation and intelligent industrial connectivity.

Read more...

---

SAIMC presents knowledge-sharing session on predictive maintenance
SAIMC
SAIMC is presenting another upcoming knowledge-sharing event as part of its Knowledge Sharing for Industry (KS4I) series, aimed at advancing technical insight and collaboration across the engineering sector.

Read more...

---

SAIMC knowledge sharing event
SAIMC SAIMC
SAIMC will host a technical knowledge-sharing session by Hendrik Spies from SICK Sensor Intelligence, who will share his insights into ‘From Condition Monitoring to Predictive Maintenance: The Digital Journey’.

Read more...

---

SAIMC Durban
SAIMC
: At the SAIMC Durban monthly meeting, James Adams from Adroit Technologies presented to a full house on the subject of ‘The intelligent factory: AI, digital twins, zero-defect production, and cybersecurity in modern automotive manufacturing’.

Read more...

---

SAIMC: From the office of the CEO
SAIMC SAIMC
AI has become part of our productivity platforms, our operations and our decision making environments. The SAIMC NPC Power Hour series is one such initiative.

Read more...

---

SAIMC: Johannesburg branch
SAIMC SAIMC
The March SAIMC Johannesburg technology event was proudly hosted by Matech and focused on business intelligence made simple.

Read more...

---