The SAIW is proud to partner with the South African Iron & Steel Institute (SAISI) and the Southern African Stainless Steel Development Association (Sassda) on the first South African Steel Summit that will take place on 30 August 2023.
The main focus of the event will be the current state of the South African steel industry and the need for it to consolidate its competitive advantage. This is against the backdrop of the steel industry’s intense distress during the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting financial fallout, where many companies downscaled while others were forced to close, resulting in job losses.
Pressing questions
However, with the introduction of trade remedies, the question now is whether steel manufacturers can consolidate for a competitive advantage, or should the industry accept that the recent improvement in trading conditions was more of a fleeting event? Another pressing question is whether technology advancements change the landscape for steel and steel applications?
SAIW Executive Director John Tarboton explains; “A core focus of the conference will be growing downstream industries, something of particular interest to our members and ISO 3834 clients. The focused panel discussions and technical presentations will allow for an NDT and welding-specific focus and the event will also give NDT and welding equipment and consumable suppliers the opportunity to showcase their products amongst a top tier audience.”
Conference format
To address these questions, the fact-driven one-day Southern African Steel Summit (SASS) will explore key inputs and topics influencing the competitiveness of the Southern African steel sector, demand and supply, cost implications for the next three years, and innovation.
The goal of this information-packed event is to provide conference attendees with an understanding of the Southern African steel market and the near-term outlook for steel. This will enable steel industry stakeholders to make informed decisions, build realistic budgets and forecasts, assess risks and investments, etc.
It also provides an opportunity to interrogate challenges hindering sector growth, hear from policymakers, producers, buyers, suppliers, analysts and investors, and unpack the drivers presented by industry experts.
Furthermore, there will also be a focus on the advancements in technologies and applications that guide the development route globally and on our continent.
Who should attend?
The Southern African Steel Summit will bring together decision makers from government, manufacturing companies, distributors, trading, steel mills, wholesalers, toll processors, and logistics from the Southern African region.
Attendees will learn from experts in the fields of economics and market analysis, banking, commodities, international trade and regulation, and the auto, construction and energy markets, about topics critical to the Southern African steel market.
A Dual Programme format will be followed. The first stream will focus on steel supply and demand constraints in an ever-changing market environment while the second stream will focus on the Technical Developments in welding and non-destructive testing techniques and the Development of Steels suited for developing applications.
As such we are calling for NDT and welding-focused submissions to be considered as relevant and compelling presentations at the event. In addition, if you would like to exhibit, let us know. Email john.tarboton@saiw.co.za for more information and to express interest in giving a presentation or exhibiting your products and services.
