Inside the 2024 Black Industrialists and Exporters Conference: Driving Transformation and Local Manufacturing

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On March 20, 2024, the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg hosted the 2nd Black Industrialists and Exporters Conference and Awards. Organized by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) alongside the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and the National Empowerment Fund (NEF), the gathering brought together over 1,000 delegates, senior government officials, corporate leaders, and leading black manufacturers and exporters under the theme "Black industrialists catalysing economic growth and jobs".

What Was the Event About?

The conference marks South Africa’s premier showcase of industrial capability, domestic manufacturing, and export-driven entrepreneurship led by black-owned enterprises. Coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) Act, the 2024 edition focused on transitioning businesses from tender reliance to high-value industrial production, sovereign manufacturing, and regional supply chain integration across the African continent.

Key Highlights from the Conference Floor

R261 Billion Procurement Commitment: Over R261 billion in private and public-sector procurement pledges was committed over five years to procure goods and services from more than 230 black-owned enterprises. Corporate signatories included retailers and multinationals such as Takealot, Nestlé, BMW, Samsung, and Spar.
Keynote Address by President Cyril Ramaphosa: President Ramaphosa emphasized that black industrialists are vital economic engines driving local employment and value addition, reiterating the state’s focus on industrial financing, infrastructure reform, and cutting regulatory friction.
Leveraging the AfCFTA: Significant floor sessions focused on expanding South African-made goods across Africa via the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), opening non-tariff pathways for industrial, technical, and consumer exports.
Cutting-Edge Technology & Manufacturing Expo: The exhibition hall highlighted local innovation across aerospace, agro-processing, automotive assembly, chemical synthesis, clean energy, and pharmaceuticals/cosmeceuticals.
Excellence Awards Gala: The evening concluded with an awards ceremony recognizing top exporters, female industrial pioneers, green innovators, and high-impact youth entrepreneurs in the manufacturing sector.

Industry Synergies: Connecting with Ashkan Pharmaceuticals

Beyond the policy discussions and plenary addresses, the core value of the conference lay in direct engagement on the exhibition floor. An encouraging moment for Innoeco was connecting directly with Eddy, the visionary behind Ashkan Group.

For an emerging formulation and CRDO partner like Innoeco, engaging with established industrial leaders who have navigated South Africa’s regulatory pathways and scaled domestic manufacturing is invaluable. Our discussion touched on the realities of local manufacturing excellence, technical scalability, and the critical importance of agility in formulation science.

Leaving the Ashkan stand, the momentum was palpable. Meetings like this reinforce why platforms like the Black Industrialists Conference matter: they bridge the gap between pioneering founders and industry stalwarts, turning broad policy visions into tangible, peer-driven collaboration on the production floor.