Confirmation of the limited uptake of local defence industry products and services by the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) was provided to the Joint Standing Committee on Defence (JSCD) at its final meeting of the year.
An AMD (SA Aerospace, Maritime and Defence Industries Association) presentation had it more than 80% of the output of the South African defence industry (SADI) is exported. This, according to Executive Chair Sandile Ndlovu, who is also Executive Director and Chief Executive of SAAMDEC (SA Aerospace, Maritime, and Defence Export Council), makes the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC) “crucial as both a regulator and enabler” a Parliamentary Monitoring Group (PMG) report has it.
Ndlovu, again according to the PMG report, expressed concern over a lack of NCACC meetings since April impacting on exports and “creating uncertainty” in the SADI.
He is reported as telling the JSCD: “South Africa’s defence industry is unique on the African continent, possessing capabilities across all warfare domains: air, maritime, land, cyber, and space. It can produce at various levels of complexity, providing South Africa with strategic independence and enabling it to dictate its own policies without external influence”.
By way of illustration, Ndlovu’s presentation states: “The defence sector comprises about 600 manufacturers, predominantly privately owned, employing around 20 000 individuals directly. For every direct job created in this sector, there is a multiplier effect resulting in six additional jobs in supporting industries”. He further highlighted significant foreign investment from companies based in Europe, contributing to local job creation and tax revenue.
“South Africa has established an industry capability that would take decades to replicate if lost” Ndlovu’s presentation reads with a caution against losing this capability due to insufficient support or changes in operational practices.
