The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic) has reported that companies which exhibited on the South African National Pavilion at the International Defence Industry Fair (IDEF), in Istanbul, Türkiye, which ended on Sunday, were very encouraged by the results. The companies which participated in the national pavilion were supported by the dtic.

Three of the participating companies were SVI Engineering, Imperial Armour, and the Canvas and Tent Group. SVI Engineering is an original-equipment manufacturer of armoured vehicles, while Imperial Armour makes protective clothing, and Canvas and Tent unsurprisingly manufactures camping systems.

“This is a very interesting show,” affirmed SVI Engineering executive chairperson Benny Jiyane. “We have met a few people interested in our products. This is because we have a variety of products, right from research, design, manufacturing, and rapid production of any military equipment. That is our advantage, compared to other players. We have met interesting people from the Ministry of Defence from Mozambique, as well as prospective clients from Zambia and West Africa. It is interesting because they are looking for solutions in Africa, made by Africans. Also from the South Asian side, we received enquiries from Indonesia. They are interested in following up and seeing whether we cannot collaborate with them.”

“We have already received 12 promising enquiries from prospective clients,” reported Imperial Armour founder and international sales director Louisa Garland. “Two were from Türkiye and the rest were from ten different countries. We are optimistic that by the end of the show, the number of potential clients would have increased and would in future turn into transactions.”

Imperial Armour already supplies a number of export markets. These include the Ministries of Defence of Libya, Malaysia, Somalia, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates. The company employs 30 people.

Canvas and Tent group marketing manager Karen Coetzer noted that, at IDEF, the company had already received enquiries from European companies interested in its military base camps and field hospitals. With one company, they have signed a non-disclosure agreement and are optimistic that this will lead to a formal contract. Overall, IDEF has been highly encouraging for the company, which employs 580 people.