It’s been years since I attended a trade show in South Africa, and this was my first time representing INKISH. It was great meeting the local industry, and I must say, it was a wake-up call to the manufacturers we see in Europe and the US.

By Editor Jean Lloyd

I hardly got back from Hunkeler Innovationdays before booking my flight to Johannesburg as we decided to see what’s going on in Africa’s largest print trade show, and without going into too many details in this short article, I will say the number of Chinese OEMs is overwhelming. If you live in Europe or the US, you may think this is nothing different from drupa or some of the other larger shows, so I asked some PSPs and Converters about this trend.

Almost all of them think Western OEMs are losing an opportunity in Africa—and maybe even all developing countries. In the past, Chinese suppliers won orders only on price, but several PSPs and Converters told me that the products are good and reliable and that the support is excellent. Those who have invested said they wouldn’t hesitate to do it again.

One of the CEOs of a leading South African-based PSP couldn’t attend the ProPak because he was in China signing orders. Despite the interest in investing in new technology, the typical Western players aren’t exhibiting as well as I thought they would.

There were vendors from Europe and the US, but a massive surprise, as you often hear about decreasing markets, lack of orders, etc., in the developed markets. The opportunity to get a footprint in an emerging market like South Africa is left to China, India, and Brazil. You should attend a show like this - not just through representations, but with your senior- management, so you learn and understand what you may be missing out on.

Will you be there next time?