SOUTH African vehicle components suppliers have poached a senior government official in a move they hope will give them more muscle and insight in future automotive policy negotiations.Renai Moothilal, a senior official in the Department of Trade and Industry’s automotive unit, is leaving the department after 10 years to become executive director of the National Association of Automotive Component and Allied Manufacturers (Naacam) on September 1.In the early phases of South African automotive policy, components companies were viewed by government as junior partners of vehicle manufacturers who received the lion’s share of investment incentives.Although the playing field has levelled in recent years, particularly through the 2013-20 Automotive Production and Development Programme (APDP), there remains a prevailing sense among many suppliers that they are still playing catch-up. That is one of the reasons Naacam officials approached Moothilal early in 2016 to head their association, w...
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