Decision is made to expand the scope of the association to include all aspects of the production technologies industry.

The Toolmaking Association of South Africa (TASA) was established in 2004 as a representative body for the South African tool, die and mouldmaking (TDM) industry. TASA was established to address the South African TDM and precision machining industry, which had been losing significant capacity, and with it, its global competitiveness and ability to enhance job creation – all to the detriment of the manufacturing sector and the economy as a whole. At the time it was estimated that local companies satisfied less than 15% of the local and less than one per cent of global TDM demand as they had failed to adopt the technology and production efficiencies of their developed counterparts. Additionally ageing skills capacity in the sector was not replaced timeously, which led to a serious skills shortage in the TDM industry.

TASA was constituted as a national body with representation from all provinces that have significant tool, die and mould making activities. Besides introducing a number of programmes to uplift the industry TASA also implemented the Intsimbi National Tooling Initiative, a multi-stakeholder initiative initiated by TASA and the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) to rehabilitate the local TDM industry.

However, as time moved on it became apparent that the association needed to broaden its scope and be all inclusive of the production technologies industries in South Africa. Hence the formation of Production Technologies Association of South Africa.

“The Board of Directors of the TASA have decided to emphasise that going forward it will represent the interests of the production technologies industry in South Africa and grow and strengthen the role of the Association,” stated John McEwan, the newly elected CEO of the Production Technologies Association of South Africa (PtSA).

“We have been mandated to implement a strategy to grow the Association, to strengthen the role of the Association on a national basis, and to expand the scope of the association to include all aspects of the production technologies industry. This will be achieved through a process of networking, partnerships and advocacy.”

“A formal announcement of the change of name of the Toolmaking Association of South Africa to the Production Technologies Association of South Africa (PtSA) was made at the networking evening held in March 2018 in the Western Cape. This name change is specifically intended to bring the Association in line with international practices and industry/government terminology.”

For further details contact the PtSA on TEL: 021 931 0070 or visit www.ptsaweb.co.za