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Market Linkages

Special Projects

Growth

The DAC has identified the areas of market access and investment support as being central to facilitating growth opportunities for the KwaZulu-Natal automotive industry.  These strategic issues will be handled under the auspices of growth.

Market Linkages

  • Optimisation of missions and trade exhibitions:

In order to ensure that member firms as well as the necessary organisations derive maximum benefit from upcoming missions and trade exhibitions, the DAC has identified and established relationships with the following key strategic stakeholders to engage and interact with on an ongoing basis:

A key achievement has been assisting TIKZN and DIPA with the KZN Automotive Pavilion at Automechanika SA, to support and profile the local auto industry as well as the participating firms. This will be repeated for South African Auto Week.

The DAC also maintains a comprehensive list of relevant missions and trade exhibitions, obtained from its strategic partners that can benefit member firms.

  • Facilitation of missions and trade exhibitions:

The DAC is identifying key markets and clusters for the programme to target as part of its Market Access Plan (see below).  The identified markets that emerge will be allocated increased focus so as to influence and inform, and thus facilitate missions and trade exhibitions in the identified markets.

Special Projects

  • Market Access Plan:

The DAC has identified several key growth ‘markets’ to focus on - Domestic OEMs, the European Union (EU) and Africa - with a particular strategy being applied to each.

Domestic OEMs:  The DAC is scoping the model changes and production volumes of the local OEMs.  There will also be increased engagement with key personnel at the domestic OEMs. This will be facilitated with the assistance of DAC member firms.  In addition, the DAC will engage on a regular basis with the National Association of Automobile Manufactures of South Africa (NAAMSA).

European Union (EU):  The EU is identified as a region that is currently of strategic importance to the local auto industry in terms of exports, and where significant growth opportunities still exist.  Key regions within the EU have been identified with the aid of stringent criteria and research, as well as regional clusters within each region.  Based on the analysis, the DAC will focus on establishing relationships and strategic alliances within these regions to promote the growth of the local auto industry.

Africa:  There is an increasing awareness of the opportunities that exist in the African market.  This is supported by a number of firms in the local automotive industry that do export to Africa, as well as several others having identified Africa as a grow opportunity.  Key regions in Africa have been identified with the aid of a similar criteria matrix as used for the EU market.  The DAC will focus ongoing attention around assisting member firms to gain information on accessing the African market.

A workshop entitled "Accessing the African Auto Market" was held on the 13th October 2009 at Makaranga Garden lodge. The workshop was supported by Trade and Investment KwaZulu-Natal. The aim of the workshop was to explore the challenges and opportunities that lie within Africa, a somewhat 'untapped' market. There were a number of presentations from DAC member firms that have already accessed the African market or have had some experience in working within Africa. You can view the following presentaions below:

DAC Introduction and data on Africa

TIKZN - Driving the business of trade and investment in South Africa

TIKZN - Export assistance

Federal-Mogul Corporation - A guide to Africa

GUD Filters

Toyota Tsusho Africa - African Export Introduction

  • Opportunities Aligned with 2020:

The DAC undertakes to participate in meetings and engagements with key stakeholders and potential investors where opportunities arise that are aligned with the programme's 2020 growth objectives.

  • Investment Support:

The DAC engages with key government and non-government entities to support new investment in the industry.