Chronicle Editor
Sikhulekelani Moyo, [email protected]
ZIMBABWE Institute of Foundries (ZIF) is expected to take advantage of the one-day Southern African Steel Summit being held in South Africa today to engage potential regional firms and create synergies geared at retooling local industries.
The one-day South African Steel Summit is running under the theme: “The Southern African Steel Industry: Consolidating for Competitive Advantage and Growth.”
“The goal of this information-packed event is to provide you with an understanding of our capability to deal with the evolution in steel market behaviour and its impact on steel demand,” reads part of the event concept note.
ZIF chief operations officer Mr Dosman Mangisi said the summit is important for the country as it will tackle the viability of the iron and steel sector in the region where Zimbabwe is a key player.
“The summit is very important considering that the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) alone is importing over US$10,7 billion of metal products.
“Now we are looking at how to interrogate and exchange on issues of technology efficiency and how those issues can be addressed as we will have other global players.
“This platform will put us on a map,” he said.
Mr Mangisi said the platform is an opportunity to engage potential companies which will assist local companies in retooling and enhancing local production, import substitution drive and export growth.
“The biggest strength we have as a country is the availability of raw materials, huge deposits of iron, lithium, chrome, manganese and coal, all these will be showcased at the summit to attract more investors especially those who are in technology as we need to fast track the adoption of new technologies in the metal and mineral beneficiation sector,” said Mr Mangisi.
The Southern African Steel Summit will bring together decision makers from governments, manufacturing companies, distributors, trading, steel mills, wholesalers, toll processors, and logistics from the Southern African region. -@SikhulekelaniM1
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