Boksburg: More than 240 participants from over 28 countries are taking part in the Africa Kaizen Annual Conference (AKAC) currently underway in Boksburg. The two-day conference, which kicked off on Monday in Gauteng, is taking place under the theme: ‘African Industrialisation through Fostering Competitive Firms and Value Chains on the Continent’.
According to South African Government News Agency, Employment and Labour Minister Nomakhosazana Meth emphasized the importance of building competitive firms for Africa to successfully industrialise. She highlighted that competitiveness is cultivated through productivity, innovation, and continuous improvement, which are the core principles of Kaizen.
Kaizen, a hands-on and practical skill, is developed through a participatory, learning-by-doing, human-focused, and process-oriented approach. It promotes continuous quality and productivity improvement to enhance the competitiveness of manufacturing industries.
Minister Meth stated that the conference provides an ideal platform to explore how the Kaizen philosophy can be leveraged to foster industrialisation, strengthen regional value chains, and position African enterprises to compete confidently in the global marketplace.
Africa’s youthful population, rich resource base, and the rise of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) are seen as foundations for reindustrialisation and value creation on the continent. Meth stressed the need to place productivity at the centre of Africa’s development agenda, focusing on working smarter, more efficiently, and more innovatively to ensure growth translates into decent jobs, competitiveness, and sustainable prosperity.
South Africa, through Productivity SA, has embraced Kaizen principles to enhance business performance and strengthen its industrial base. Kaizen has proven effective in programmes like Competitiveness Improvement Services (CIS) and the Business Turnaround and Recovery Programme, aiding struggling enterprises in rebuilding competitiveness, preserving jobs, and stimulating growth.
Since its inception in 2017 by AUDA-NEPAD and JICA, the Africa Kaizen Initiative (AKI) has evolved into a vibrant platform uniting governments, development partners, and enterprises across the continent. The Africa Kaizen Annual Conference has emerged as a premier forum for policy dialogue, mutual learning, and advancing firm-level competitiveness, reflecting South Africa’s commitment to building a productive, competitive, and inclusive economy.
South Africa has prioritised productivity improvement as a key driver of employment creation, industrial competitiveness, and inclusive growth. The nation is committed to deepening the Kaizen approach across industries, believing that productivity is the most sustainable way to enhance national competitiveness and build an economy that works for all.