25 October 2024 – NAACAM CEO, Renai Moothilal, participated in the SA NEV Transition: Policy Choices, and Support Instruments panel alongside Andrew Kirby, TSAM CEO, and Mbombo Luhembe ,Group Head of Sustainability Analytics at Absa, with Tumelo Chipfupa, Partner at EY, moderating the discussion. The panelists reaffirmed the role APDP2 and its predecessors have played in supporting the domestic industry and ensuring a stable base for manufacturing. They, however, highlighted that rising imports and negligible growth in localisation need to be addressed. The NEV transition offers the opportunity to tackle this, particularly through developing selective policies that target the localisation of particular NEV components and demand-side support to drive local market optimisation. This should happen in conjunction with the prioritisation of direct NEV components export to mitigate the risks of low growth in the domestic economy. As highlighted by Renai, the magic of the automotive value chain emanates from deep localisation and a bottom-up approach to policy development is needed to realise the opportunities in the sector.
While at SAAW, NAACAM hosted its Western Cape Regional Meeting. The meeting gave the NAACAM team a chance to catch up with members based in the region and provide them with updates on current NAACAM activities and sector topics. Participants in the regional meeting were also presented with membership certificates as recognition of the value their involvement brings to the Association. #WeAreNAACAM