Industry association the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa) has welcomed the recent launch by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic) of South Africa’s new Industrial Development Strategy.
Seifsa says it supports the strategic intent of the document and welcomes renewed emphasis on industrialisation as a key lever for economic growth, employment creation and competitiveness.
The strategy, it contends, correctly recognises that a capable industrial base remains central to South Africa’s long-term economic resilience and developmental ambitions.
However, Seifsa believes a more consultative policy development process may have proved more useful, particularly with stakeholders in the metals and engineering sector.
The association highlights that effective industrial policy is strongest when shaped through structured engagement between government, industry, labour and other social partners. It adds that a strategy of this significance would achieve greater legitimacy and practical relevance when co-developed with the industries it seeks to support.
