As interest in the market potential of Africa grows, the inaugural CRU Africa Wire, Cable and Tube Conference is perfectly timed to address the business opportunities for local producers and manufacturers seeking to establish new trade partnerships with international stakeholders involved in the African steel, copper and aluminium supply chains.

This event is co-organised by CRU and the Southern African-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry and will be held on November 11 to 13, 2019, at Emperors Palace, Johannesburg.

“We are very excited by how this event has taken shape. It promises to be a great opportunity to explore the trade dynamics and market conditions in a region that has traditionally been less well understood. It is a fantastic chance to learn about opportunities to boost trade and investment, and consider the real challenges being faced by the companies that are advancing the African manufacturing sector,” says CRU Wire and Cable head Michael Finch.

The conference has attracted strong support from key local associations, including the Steel Tube Export Association of South Africa and the Association of Electric Cable Manufacturers of South Africa. International supporters include Wire and Tube Düsseldorf – the world’s largest trade shows in these fields, as lead sponsors.

Also confirmed to speak are representatives of South Africa’s Department of Trade, Industry and Competition’s Trade, Exports and Investment programme, and the Nigerian Ministry of Mines and Steel Development.

Major international companies, such as steel production company ArcelorMittal South Africa, engineering services company El Sewedy Electric and leading global provider of non-ferrous metals Aurubis, will share market insights.

Local manufacturing leaders such as cable manufacturer Aberdare Cables, power cable producer Alcon Marepha, manufacturer CBI African Cables, steel tube manufacturer Barnes Tubing Industries, steel tube distributor Honingcraft, steelwork manufacturer Hall Longmore and engineering consultant Macsteel Tube and Pipe will discuss opportunities and challenges in a series of high-level panel discussions.

Meanwhile, CRU’s experts will explore the main trends impacting on the global copper, aluminium and steel markets, and how they might affect African development across the wire and cable, and tube and pipe industries.

The agenda also includes a day of technical showcases, with industry experts exploring the latest global technological advances in manufacturing, and how they can be applied to African operations.

The conference will be complemented by an exhibition of more than 20 leading international metals manufacturing technology service providers, including SMS group, AESA, Cable Manufacturing Optimisation, Clobbi, Jiangsu Hero Way Rolling, Macotech, Maysky, OMS, Sikora, Supermac, Wire Products Stainless Steel, and Sumbach.