Stakeholders in the African and international construction and mining industries are set to meet up at bauma CONEXPO AFRICA in Johannesburg, South Africa, from March 13 to 16, 2018.
Stakeholders in the African and international construction and mining industries are set to meet up at bauma CONEXPO AFRICA in Johannesburg, South Africa, from March 13 to 16, 2018. The trade fair for construction machinery, building material machines, mining machines and construction vehicles will not only showcase new innovative products and tried and tested solutions, but also provide an overview of the latest market trends in the construction and mining industry in the Sub-Saharan region.
One such example is a growing sense of quality awareness.
“A transformation is currently taking place in the member states of the Southern African Development Community, whereby construction companies are no longer simply looking to find the supplier with the lowest price, but want to ensure top quality through best practices”, said Gan Luckun from formwork and scaffolding manufacturer Doka South Africa. According to the Managing Director, his company is seeing an increase in sales of many products on account of the changing context in the region, from an automated time-saving sensor system that measures the development in the temperature and strength of concrete in real time to extremely robust and easy-to-operate floor forms.
For Stephen Jones, group marketing director at Bell Equipment, bauma CONEXPO AFRICA has a particularly strong appeal, “because of our African heritage and our approach to provide a one-stop shop for quality equipment solutions in the region.”
According to Jones, the exhibition is a well supported platform and is extremely beneficial to the construction and mining industry in Africa.
In addition to suppliers of complete machines and systems, the 600+ exhibitors expected at bauma CONEXPO AFRICA 2018 will also include well-known manufacturers and suppliers of components, for example of engines and gear units.
“The current market, particularly in South Africa, is tough, largely due to the low growth rate and the uncertainty created by the publication of the controversial Mining Charter by the South African Department of Mineral Resources in June 2017”, said Shani Ellis, SHEQ manager at Deutz DieselPower. “Nevertheless, we continue to be successful in supplying reliable Duetz liquid and air-cooled engines for mining and construction equipment. Furthermore, there has been comparatively strong demand in the last two years for more sophisticated Deutz liquid and air-cooled electronically controlled engines.”
According to its national sales and marketing manager, Norman Maleka, exhibitor SEW-Eurodrive South Africa is also planning to boost sales of IEC motors and industrial gear units despite tough market conditions.
The major trade fair event at the Johannesburg Expo Center in March next year will not only feature prominent, leading companies but also important industry organizations and associations, such as the Concrete Society of Southern Africa (CSSA). The non-profit organization aims to promote excellence and innovation in the use of concrete as a material.
John Sheath, CEO and director of the CSSA, described some of the situations currently shaping the southern African cement mixer market: “Government programs have recently been encouraging investments to be made in smaller projects. This is shifting demand from large, expensive machines and systems to smaller, less expensive units, which also suit smaller contractors. In order for us to achieve success in the market, these systems will also need to be easier to operate than their big brothers as they will be used by less-skilled workers.”
According to Sheath, bauma CONEXPO AFRICA represents an excellent opportunity to further increase awareness of the support provided by the concrete-related associations in South Africa and provide its target groups with information to enable them to take even more profound decisions.
More information about the trade fair is available at www.bcafrica.com
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