Trade, Industry and Competition Deputy Minister Alexandra Abrahams has commended key stakeholders for the significant progress made so far in the implementation of the sector Furniture Industry Masterplan.
She was speaking at an Executive Oversight Committee meeting to review progress in the implementation of the Masterplan Committee, in Edenvale.
This masterplan is one of eight action-oriented, sector-wide policy implementation documents targeted towards boosting local jobs and developing local value chains.
The Deputy Minister is focused on ensuring that such instruments are implemented in a manner that is practical, time-bound and aligned with the broader objective of enhancing competitiveness and sustainable economic growth.
Some of the key objectives of the Furniture Masterplan are the protection of the industry and the retention of existing capacity in the immediate term, sustainable economic growth with increased local supply and improving the South African furniture industry’s global competitiveness.
The masterplans are established, operated and implemented through a multi-stakeholder approach involving, government, the private sector, trade unions and other key industry formations.
Through convening the Executive Oversight Committee, Abrahams said the meeting provided an opportunity to highlight some notable milestones since the implementation process began in 2021.
“These include the establishment of the R400 million Furniture Challenge Fund with contributions from the department and Industrial Development Corporation (IDC). The IDC has approved deals to the tune of R75.9 million to date through this fund, R40.6 million of has been disbursed.
“Additionally, a R50 milllion portion was allocated to the National Empowerment Fund (NEF) for furniture industry funding. As a result, some factories that had been closed have now been re-opened saving hundreds of jobs in the sector.
“A total of 849 jobs have therefore been created across four provinces namely, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. The City of Cape Town committed over R1.8 million to pilot the Furniture Light Manufacturing Support Programme,” she said.
She added among other key achievements, she was encouraged by the department’s funding initiatives focused on affording South African furniture manufacturers the opportunity to participate in Outward Selling Missions and other international exhibition platforms to promote their products.
Abrahams emphasised that the work now underway must translate into sustained gains for the sector.
“The progress we have seen demonstrates what is possible when government, industry and labour act with a shared sense of purpose.
“The task ahead is to consolidate these gains by strengthening business competitiveness, deepening local value chains, and ensuring that support measures are disciplined, targeted, and responsive to market realities.
“Our focus must remain clear: to build a furniture industry that is resilient, export-capable, and able to create meaningful, sustainable employment for South Africans,” she said. – SAnews.gov.za
