Having recently toured the South African and Zambian branches, and attended their banquets for 2006, I am encouraged by the strong support of the members, patrons and others.
Vivian MacFadyen
As I have said many times, the people in this industry are special. They are friendly, hospitable, and the majority are techno-junkies. From the experience gained at the year-end events, other aspects of our colleagues became known. Some excel at event organisation and management, public speaking, public address equipment control, and even singing.
The events were held in Johannesburg, Durban, Secunda, and Kitwe, each with its own individual character, and enjoyed by all who attended. It was quite apparent that many non-members felt honoured to be able to attend these functions.
The Kitwe banquet went a long way to draw attention to the presence of the SAIMC in that country. The vice president of Zambia, Rupiah Banda, was to attend but due to other commitments, asked Mwansa Mbulakulima, the Copperbelt minister to give his speech for him. In his speech, he urged the corporate world and institutions of higher learning to work together in enhancing skills development through training. He went on to say that the government would support the SAIMC initiative as it was committed to providing an environment that fostered skills development. Charles Sakanya, president of the Engineering Institution of Zambia, encouraged engineers to create an awareness of the loss of skills due to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. My speech followed the skills shortage theme and empathised that it was an international phenomenon, and that Africa had to develop its own strategies to reverse this situation. In this instance, we cannot rely on outside assistance. The function received front-page exposure in the national press, and was a feature on the Zambian national television news, so many in that country have at least heard of the SAIMC.
My feelings are that this is going to be a good year, so enjoy the ride, it may be fast and exhilarating.
For information regarding the SAIMC, go to www.saimc.org.za or phone +27 (0)8610SAIMC (+27 (0)861 0 72462).
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: 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.
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.
printer friendly version