Towards developing a sustainable development framework for the aluminium casting industry

Abstract

The capacity of primary aluminium production is high with the associated high energy consumption and subsequent increase in air pollution. The secondary supply capacity, however, is declining due to an unregulated scrap industry. South Africa still has relatively cheap labour/energy, good potential, volume markets, that is, the automotive/domestic/electrical/ armaments/aerospace markets, and a very favourable business development and investment environment enabled by government, namely the Motor Industry Development Programme, IDP/BEE/SEDA and many more. The volume markets, however, are reluctant to source from the local industry, and the industry in its turn is reluctant to supply and grow new markets due to a lack of capex and a Total Quality Management culture. Export markets are also avoided due to the strengthening local currency against the US Dollar. Cheap imports from emerging cast product markets such as China and India is threatening South Africa’s competitiveness