Exhibitor innovation took the spotlight at industry event KwaZulu-Natal Industrial Technology Exhibition (KITE) 2025 as industry association South African Capital Equipment Export Council (SACEEC) announced the winners of its prestigious New Product & Innovation Awards — right on the show floor.

In its second edition, after its 2023 debut, the awards shifted from the traditional exhibitor function to a live, in-hall recognition format. SACEEC CEO Eric Bruggeman and ventilation systems company ABC Africa MD Terry Pearce visited the winning stands to honour the companies that are “pushing boundaries” with their inventive industrial solutions.

“Partnership with KITE and event organiser Specialised Exhibitions, a division of the Montgomery Group, is an absolute must. Our members benefit from being part of a platform like this – it’s where they can showcase their capabilities, highlight their designs, and proudly demonstrate what South African manufacturers are achieving.

“For us as an export council, it’s vital that our members have a place to present their innovations to the market, and KITE offers exactly that. This is the second KITE where we’ve hosted the New Product & Innovation Awards, and the calibre of entries this year is proof of the extraordinary talent in our local industry,” said Bruggeman.

Specialised Exhibitions portfolio director Charlene Hefer added that “we’re incredibly proud to partner with SACEEC in recognising exhibitors who are making real strides in industrial innovation. By celebrating these achievements directly on the show floor, we not only elevate the winners but also inspire others to think differently, adapt faster, and drive progress. The awards have become a valued part of KITE, helping visitors connect with forward-thinking suppliers.”

She stated that recognising winners in the “heart of the action” helped reinforce the direct value that bold thinking and smart solutions bring to the local industrial market.

The awards shone a light on innovations that showed measurable benefit — whether through increased efficiency, improved sustainability, advanced digitisation, or improved safety — and celebrated companies that were shaping the future of South Africa’s capital equipment landscape.

Award winners included personal protective equipment manufacturer Noise-Ban, which received the Innovation award in the Health and Safety category; the New Product award in International Material Handling went to material handling equipment supplier Interroll SA; turnkey monitoring solutions company Polar Monitoring received the Innovation and New Product in Local IT award; cabling manufacturer LAPP received the Innovation award in International Engineering; industrial tools and equipment company PFERD received the New Product award in the International Industrial category; while valve manufacturer Ragon Industries received the Innovation award in Local Mining.