Why ‘going local’ isn’t all it’s cracked up to be
Devastated by the pandemic, the manufacturing sector is understandably eager to clutch at the straws the government’s localisation drive offers — but it could do harm if pursued in a hasty, prescriptive way
27 May 2021 - 05:00
Localisation — including the requirement that firms substitute 20% of imports with locally made goods within five years — has been adopted as a central cog in the government’s efforts to spur an economic recovery.
The plan, which is being driven by department of trade, industry & competition (DTIC) minister Ebrahim Patel, has been embraced enthusiastically by business on the basis that it could stimulate domestic demand by R200bn a year...
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