of the Ngwane Defence Group, African Aerospace and Defence (AAD) 2006,
Ysterplaat Airforce Base
19 September 2006
The African aerospace and defence events have become well-known as
opportunities for the defence and technology industries to showcase niche
products, release new products onto the public market and generally celebrate
the innovation and engineering expertise that drives the whole sector. As South
Africans we are particularly proud of the contributions that our companies
make, sometimes with international partners but often on their own.
It is not often that we are able to announce the formation of a local,
indigenous and highly motivated defence technology company that has a sound
foundation and the wherewithal to engage the local and international markets.
When we do, then I believe that commentators and industry should sit up and
take notice.
So today we are really proud to witness the public announcement of the
Ngwane Defence Group. It is a majority black owned and controlled South African
company that brings together a number of South African companies that are
either majority black owned or contractually bound to the Ngwane Defence Group.
Most appealing, however, is that it brings together long-standing expertise
drawn from former commanders of Umkhonto we Sizwe and the South African
National Defence Force (SANDF) including industry experience in the strongest
concentration that we have seen to date. This rich experience, drawn from
individuals who saw active service in the conflict of the 1980s and played
leadership roles in the reconstruction of defence after 1991, provides Ngwane
Defence Group with unique depth, because as we know the design and development
of military systems must draw on practical operational experience.
Its founders tell us that the Ngwane Defence Group has been established to
provide the synergy necessary to focus their expertise and experience at future
requirements of the South African defence and security sectors particularly in
relation to their core focus on the land systems sector. They aim to do so by
actively participating in the development and growth of the South African
defence-related industry and contributing to the growth of the engineering and
technical skills base in the sector. That will be achieved by continuous market
driven research and development, to identify and to meet the needs of the
international and local defence and security markets. It aims to increase local
manufacturing opportunities in the defence related industry sector and allied
sectors of South African industry and to expand co-operation with local and
international defence industry companies.
As such, Ngwane now takes its place in a long tradition of a brilliant
design and engineering complex that historically produced some of the world's
best-known land systems, including the family of high-mobility armoured
personnel carriers and the Group of five (G5) and Group of six (G6) artillery
systems. The group's main focus areas are in the fields of mine and ballistic
protected vehicles, small and medium calibre infantry weapons, soft-skinned
all-terrain vehicles and innovative supply chain solutions for defence,
security and humanitarian aid clients. Some of their products are on display at
AAD2006 and include the latest generation 4x4 armoured personnel carrier and
the amphibious armoured personnel carrier with world-leading, flat-bottom mine
protection technology. Both products were designed, developed and manufactured
in South Africa.
So far, the companies in the group have successfully supplied their products
to over 40 countries around the world and will continue to market their
products and services internationally. Also, the Ngwane Defence Group has also
successfully delivered services and products to both governmental and
non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working in the post-conflict and
humanitarian aid environments. Earlier this week I addressed the Joint
Operations Africa Conference focusing attention on civil transportation
assistance to military operations and it is clear to me that vehicles from the
Ngwane stable have an obvious multi-purpose role to play across the continent
as we strive towards peace, security and development.
Ladies and gentlemen, I am sure you will join me in congratulating the
Ngwane Defence Group, once again the new kid on the South African defence
industry block and let them know that we will watch their progress and
development with great interest! We wish them well as they forge a new chapter
in our country's defence technology industry's evolution.
Issued by: Ministry of Transport
19 September 2006
