Overview
The chemical sector in South Africa is largely characterised by producer-driven value chains, which are highly capital intensive in nature. The aim of the investment and growth programme is to facilitate and promote investment, regional market growth, and product and process innovation.
Quarterly Knowledge-Sharing Sessions
Knowledge sharing and best practice peer learning is a core function of the DCC as this is a valuable and cost-effective means for chemical firms to realise best-practice. Incorporating the TSC meetings for the cluster, these knowledge-sharing sessions are an opportunity for stakeholder engagement and showcasing relevant topics on investment, financing and growth.
Sector Repositioning
Through the leveraging of the DCC’s membership base, identifying priority challenges and evaluating opportunities for addressing constraints, the DCC aims to work proactively with government and non-government entities to position the KZN-based chemical industry as a Port-City and consequently, an investment hub for the sector.
Buyer-Supplier Trade Platform
Creating linkages between buyers and suppliers is key to supporting the goal of export market expansion. Establishing and facilitating platforms that enable buyer-supplier linkages is a critical activity of the Investment and Growth programme.
Innovation
A strategic intent for the cluster is to be a regional hub for megatrends: globalization, innovation and green manufacturing. Innovation support, through the investment and growth programme, involves engaging research bodies both locally and internationally to identify emerging technologies and how best to apply these in the regional hub. Supporting innovators, as key drivers of change is seen as priority for this programme. In addition to assisting the innovators and innovation of member firms, supporting industry transformation is an opportunity through this process by identifying and developing Black and township-based innovators through the DCC B-BBEE programmes.
COVID-19 Recession Recovery Support
a. Market and Demand Working Groups – Peer learning sessions focused on understanding the markets, customer demand, global value chain dynamics and the impact of COVID-19 on localisation.
b. Demand forecasting and cash flow management – Supporting firms through a cash flow management and demand forecasting tool to better prepare for future uncertainties.
c. Cost reduction support – Support in the implementation of management guidelines for cost reduction, based on industry best practice.
d. Understanding market dynamics and COVID-19 sector impact – Research and analysis on impact of COVID-19 on sector demand and growth outlook.