Voluntary associations always face the risk of their leaders, and in our case, general managers, burning out, while members may not always receive the value promised to them. The latest addition to our tried-and-tested branch model addresses this by spreading leadership across a Branch Council, led by our chief operations officer, Gerhard Greeff. It introduces clear value streams such as CPD training, networking and recognition, while ensuring consistent national support. In this way, branches thrive, members grow, and SAIMC remains strong into the future.
The SAIMC NPC is excited to introduce Power Hour, a new online discussion forum created to spark meaningful conversations around topics that influence the country, our personal lives and the broader automation and instrumentation industry. These interactive sessions will be hosted via Microsoft Teams, ensuring that members across the country can participate and benefit from our branch Tech Talks or Knowledge Sharing for Industry (KS4I) events, even those who cannot easily attend in person
As we grow this platform, we warmly welcome contributions from our members. If you are a member, national member, regional member or didactic member who has implemented a unique or innovative solution, we would love to showcase your experience in a future Power Hour session. Your insights can inspire others and strengthen knowledge sharing across our community.
More details about the schedule, topics and participation can be found in the calendar on our website at www.saimc.co.za. We invite you to partner with SAIMC in this transformation. Together, we can build stronger branches, empower professionals and ensure the long-term success of South Africa’s automation community. Let’s make Power Hour a powerful knowledge hub for all.
Factors that will impact South Africa in 2026
Internationally, labour markets remain tight going into 2026, with retirements outpacing new entrants and skills mismatches slowing productivity. This external demographic pressure accelerates the adoption of automation across industries. Automation has become not just a productivity tool but a necessity for operations that must ‘do more with less’.
Massive government programmes such as the USA’s CHIPS and Science Act, Inflation Reduction Act and similar global initiatives are reshaping manufacturing and driving multibillion-dollar investments into automation-heavy sectors like semiconductors, clean energy, and advanced manufacturing. These policies are triggering a surge in new plant construction, driving demand for robotics, motion control, cleanroom automation, and digital integration technologies.
For South Africa this is bad news. Our people do not have the necessary skills to participate in this new world. Our shortage of skilled labour in engineering and automation fields slows adoption and increases reliance on imported expertise.
Automation is expensive, and many industries are reluctant to spend large amounts of money, only to find out that Chinese products are replacing their products because they are cheaper and have more functionality.
As a case in point, we are looking at purchasing a vehicle to replace our Toyota Fortuner with over 300 km on the clock. The vehicle must be able to take us to Botswana and back without any problems. The choice is Chinese, American or Japanese. I am not saying my reasoning is solid, but this is how I decided:
American: I do not know whether Ford will be in South Africa much longer, and at my age, I cannot risk purchasing a vehicle that could follow in the footsteps of Chevrolet.
Japanese: There is no doubt that this is a good choice − reliable with a proven track record. Some say you can find spares for this vehicle anywhere in Africa. This, however, is no longer the case. Dealerships no longer have the luxury of keeping a whole range of spares. When our Fortuner’s transfer case died on us in Botswana, we had to import the replacement from South Africa. It was two weeks before the correct part arrived.
Chinese: There is no doubt that there are some real concerns about some Chinese makes, but some just shine when compared with their competitors. As one person said: “You get so much more vehicle for your money”. Before we made our final choice, I spent hours on product reviews. For those interested in the 4x4 community, the model we eventually decided on has conquered the notorious Beer O’Clock Hill in Australia.
But this is bad for South Africa. Chinese brand vehicles are actually manufactured in South Africa by Beijing Automotive Industry Co (BAIC), which currently operates a vehicle assembly plant in the Coega Special Economic Zone. It is the only Chinese automaker with an operational assembly plant in the country. The facility was designed to produce up to 50 000 vehicles per year, with the bulk of that volume intended for export markets. However the actual production volume today is minimal and exports are negligible.
Exporting vehicles, or anything else, brings money into South Africa – money needed to repay loans. South Africa’s debt levels are rising faster than its growth. The IMF finds that South Africa’s public debt has tripled since the global financial crisis and is slowly getting worse. The rising interest bill reduces funds available for health, education and infrastructure, making repayment more difficult over time. South Africa has not defaulted and continues to service all its obligations, but debt is rising faster than GDP, interest payments consume a growing share of the budget, and refinancing costs increase annually. This means that repayment is still happening, but it is becoming more difficult.
Governing a country needs wisdom, not experience. Wisdom is elevated above riches, status or success. Real wisdom shapes character, decisions and destiny − far more valuable qualities than material gain. Knowledge is knowing the facts. Wisdom is being able to understand what to do with the knowledge.
Yours in automation
Johan Maartens
| Tel: | +27 11 312 2445 |
| Email: | [email protected] |
| www: | www.saimc.co.za |
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