The South African Capital Equipment Export Council (SACEEC), which represents the country’s capital equipment, machinery and project sector, has honoured the country’s leading exporters at its 2025 Exporter of the Year Awards, held earlier this month in partnership with industrial exhibition leader Montgomery Group Africa.

Speaking at the ceremony in Johannesburg, SACEEC CEO Eric Bruggeman reflected on the resilience, growth and global reach of South Africa’s capital equipment manufacturers, while acknowledging the partners and institutions that have enabled the industry’s expansion.

He emphasised SACEEC’s longstanding partnerships, including with the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC), the Manufacturing Circle, ISF, Absa bank, Platinum Radio, Erasmus Digital and multiple exhibition organisers. These relationships, he said, have been key to building an export ecosystem capable of supporting world-class manufacturers. SACEEC also acknowledged its earliest members—APD Pumps, RGR Technologies, Bell Equipment and Brelko Conveyor Products—whose support dates back to the council’s inception in the early 2000s.

Export Expansion

Bruggeman highlighted how exhibitions such as Electra Mining Africa have shaped the country’s export trajectory. He described Electra Mining as “the biggest show in Africa—and, in my view, the best in the world,” noting its contribution to forging global relationships and introducing local manufacturers to new markets. The 2026 edition is expected to host 44 000 visitors and more than 1 100 exhibitors across 42 000 m² of floor space, with 98% of stands already booked.

Drawing on historical data, Bruggeman detailed how export performance has mirrored the growth of Electra Mining and other industrial exhibitions. Between 2010 and 2014, exports grew at an average of 10% yearly. Between 2014 and 2019, growth moderated to 3%, but from 2019 to 2022—despite the disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic—exports surged by 69%. By December 2023, capital equipment exports reached a record R125-billion, with 2024 recording a further 3.5% increase.

This momentum is reflected in SACEEC’s member base. In 2010, members exported to just 29 countries, but by 2024 that number exceeded 80. Bruggeman noted the coincidence that 75% of members export to the same 59 countries that consistently send visitors to Electra Mining.

He also stressed the importance of diversifying into broader industrial markets, pointing to the success of shows such as KZN Industrial Technology Expo, in KwaZulu-Natal, and the new Cape Town Industrial Technology Expo in Cape Town, scheduled for 2027. These events, he said, expose mining-focused manufacturers to new industrial applications and customer bases.

Manufacturing Strength and Economic Impact

Despite concerns about the health of South Africa’s manufacturing sector, Bruggeman presented figures that emphasise the local industry’s strength. Fourteen of the companies present at the awards manufacture 100% locally, while 11 others manufacture between 65% and 99% locally. Many of these businesses believed they were “not doing well enough” to enter, yet several recorded significant year-on-year growth—one achieving a 738% increase in exports, and another over 3 000%.

SACEEC members also make a notable contribution to employment. The 25 companies participating in this year’s awards collectively employ 7 608 people directly. When applying the industry-standard multiplier of ten—which accounts for suppliers, logistics providers and other downstream stakeholders—these firms support roughly 76 000 jobs.

Bruggeman cautioned, however, that the broader national manufacturing landscape has contracted over the past decade, with a 1.5% average yearly decline between 2008 and 2024. This equates to an estimated 488 000 jobs lost. Against this backdrop, he said, export growth is not only a commercial necessity but a national imperative.

Using SACEEC’s own data, Bruggeman addressed the ongoing debate around the DTIC’s return on investment when funding export councils. For the modest R1-million yearly grant SACEEC receives—a figure unchanged since 2010—the return to South Africa is approximately 7 500%, based on export revenue generated by member companies.

Reflecting on nearly two decades of collaboration with the department, Bruggeman credited the DTIC’s historic support for helping South African companies break into global markets, recalling national pavilions and international missions that opened commercial doors from South America to Europe and the Middle East.

He closed by reminding exporters that, despite persistent infrastructure challenges and shifting geopolitics, South African manufacturers continue to capture global attention. The 25 award-applicant companies recorded a combined turnover of R15.5-billion last year, including R7.5-billion in export sales—a performance he said demonstrates both resilience and world-class capability.

SACEEC Exporter of the Year Awards 2025 – Winners

KAMA Industries (Pty) Ltd
Winner: Small Exporter category (Global & Africa)

Ragon Industries (Pty) Ltd
Winner: Medium Exporter category (Global & Africa)

Afri-Tech Mining Supplies (Pty) Ltd
Winner: Mid-Sized Exporter category (Global & Africa)

AZMET Technology and Projects (Pty) Ltd
Winner: Mid-Sized Exporter category (Africa Only)

AZ-Armaturen South Africa (Pty) Ltd
Runner-up: Mid-Sized Exporter category

Specialist Mechanical Engineers Exports (Pty) Ltd
Winner: Large Exporter category (Global & Africa)

Fabchem Mining (Pty) Ltd
Winner: Large Exporter category (Africa Only)

Avlock International (Pty) Ltd
Runner-up: Large Exporter category

WEBA South Africa (Pty) Ltd
Winner: Upper-Large Exporter category (Global & Africa)

MechProTech (Pty) Ltd
Winner: Upper-Large Exporter category (Africa Only)

RNE Pumps (Pty) Ltd
Winner: Major Exporter category (Global & Africa)

UMP (Pty) Ltd
Winner: Major Exporter category (Africa Only)

Vesconite Bearings / VescoPlastics Sales (Pty) Ltd
Winner: Major Exporter category (Global & Africa)

Pamodzi Unique Engineering (Pty) Ltd
Winner: Major Exporter category (Africa Only)

African Mixing Technologies (Pty) Ltd (Afromix)
Winner: High-Value Exporter category (Global & Africa)

Dynamic Fluid Control (Pty) Ltd
Winner: High-Value Exporter category (Global & Africa)

Brelko Conveyor Products (Pty) Ltd
Winner: High-Value Exporter category (Africa Only)

TRU-TRAC Rollers (Pty) Ltd
Winner: High-Value Exporter category (Global & Africa)

Consulmet (Pty) Ltd
Winner: Mega Exporter category (Global & Africa)

Multotec (Pty) Ltd
Winner: Large Corporation Exporter category (Global & Africa)

Bell Equipment Company South Africa (Pty) Ltd
Winner: Global Heavyweight Exporter of the Year

Hydromine Products (Pty) Ltd
Winner: Allied Services category — Mid-range exports

MIP Process Technologies (Pty) Ltd
Winner: Allied Services category — Large exports

ProProcess Engineering (Pty) Ltd
Winner: Allied Services category — Upper-Large exports

Consulmet (Pty) Ltd
Winner: Allied Services category — Major / Mega exports

Emerging Exporter of the Year

BSSC Radiators (Pty) Ltd

Overall Winner

Multotec (Pty) Ltd

SACEEC Member of the Year

DACHSER Intelligent Logistics South Africa
Dynamic Fluid Control (Pty) Ltd

Africa-Only Special Category

ABC Africa (Pty) Ltd

Media Partner of the Year

Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly