bauma CONEXPO AFRICA: Investing in positive growth

The third edition of 7719 bauma CONEXPO AFRICA, the International Trade Fair for Construction Machinery, Building Material Machines, Mining Machines and Construction Vehicles, takes place from 13-16 March 2018 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Over 600 exhibitors will take up 68,000m² at the Johannesburg Expo Centre. Africa’s premier trade fair for the mining and construction industry will attract both local and international visitors, the top five African countries, after South Africa, among the visitors in 2015 were: Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Mozambique and Botswana.

According to Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI), Germany´s economic development agency, the building sector is currently one of the most important mainstays in the economy of South Africa. This positive trend is being driven by different processes. For example, the continuing shift of population away from rural areas into the cities is increasing demand for construction of multi-story residential accommodation. The transport infrastructure is also poised for further expansion: According to GTAI, by 2020 around 334 billion rand (about €22.7 billion) is set to flow into this sector.

Exhibitors at bauma CONEXPO AFRICA 2018 are seeing the shift in momentum. Quintin Booysen, marketing and sales manager at PMSA—Pan Mixers South Africa—one of South Africa´s largest manufacturers of concrete brick, block and paving machinery, says: “Business in precast concrete components is starting to recover this year: The bigger manufacturers are expanding and replacing their machinery in order to enhance their competitiveness in the future and to secure themselves a larger market share.”

The recently ailing South African mining sector also seems to be turning a corner. The Chamber of Mines South Africa reported a six-percent improvement in performance in the sector in the first quarter of 2017 as compared to the same period in 2016. And there are further signs of positive growth: South Africa is the world´s largest producer of platinum, and experts are predicting that there will be a shortfall in supplies of this precious metal from about the year 2020. According to GTAI, some mine operators are already planning investments in order to profit from this development.

“In all segments of the construction machinery and mining sector, bauma CONEXPO AFRICA presents the latest ‘hardware’ needed for business success,” says Elaine Crewe, CEO of the trade-fair organiser BC Expo South Africa. She continues: “To get an all-round picture of the machinery and systems on display, it is important for visitors to the trade fair to see the equipment in action. To meet this need we will have two demonstration areas at the 2018 event.” In her assessment, this further highlights the trade fair´s status as the most important sector event in Africa.