Johannesburg: There is no meaningful economic growth or significant job creation that can be achieved without a value-adding industrialisation pathway, Acting Chief Director for Innovation and Technology at the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic), Nontombi Maseko said. Speaking at a panel discussion on 'Innovation as a driver of Industrialisation' at a Policy Dialogue on Industrialisation Through Innovation, Maseko emphasized the pivotal role of innovation in re-industrialisation by enhancing productivity, supporting diversification, and facilitating entry into high-value global markets.
According to South African Government News Agency, Maseko highlighted that innovation raises productivity, deepens skills, and strengthens export competitiveness, suggesting that it must be nurtured from idea generation to market entry and scaling up. She noted the department's catalytic role through incentives, procurement, and sectoral interventions. The dtic, in collaboration with the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, has co-developed the National Technology Commercialisation Strategy to expedite the commercialisation of locally developed technologies for both domestic and international markets.
Maseko stressed the importance of building local manufacturing capabilities, particularly for components like electrolysers and fuel cells, to ensure that the green hydrogen economy generates industrial jobs and enhances domestic capability alongside export revenue.
Furthermore, Maseko outlined that the dtic does not view innovation as an isolated policy domain but rather integrates it across all instruments they employ. She explained how procurement designations create markets, incentives boost investment, and Special Economic Zones offer necessary infrastructure and space. Programmes such as the Support Programme for Industrial Innovation (SPII) and The Technology and Human Resources for Industry Programme (THRIP) fund technology development, and sector Master plans coordinate the social compact needed to drive industrialisation. Over the past five years, R49 million and R157 million were disbursed for SPII and THRIP respectively, ensuring innovation remains central to South Africa's industrial development agenda.
The Policy Dialogue, hosted by the National Advisory Council on Innovation (NACI) in partnership with the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic), and the OR Tambo Special Economic Zone, commenced on Thursday at the Radisson Hotel and Convention Centre, OR Tambo Airport in Johannesburg, and is scheduled to conclude on Friday, 19 June.