|
|
Partnership to bolster productivity improvement to African Nations
A delegation from the Japan Productivity Centre for Socio-Economic Development (JPC-SED) is currently in the country to discuss a partnership with Productivity SA and Pan African Productivity Organisation (PAPA) that is aimed at increasing the economic development of South Africa and other African nations by promoting productivity improvement, implementing pilot factory consultation activities and developing the capacity of national productivity organizations.
The partnership which will include South Africa, Botswana, Kenya, Mauritius and Japan will see several study missions to and from Japan and other Asian countries as well as the dispatching of Japanese Productivity experts to Africa to:
- Introduce the concept and significance of productivity improvement activities on the African continent based on the Asian experiences and lessons, in order to promote a mindset for productivity
- Implement pilot factory consultation activities using best productivity improvement methods such as 5S and KAIZEN at factories and expand these activities and
- Develop productivity specialists in Africa.
This partnership will also assist in accelerating the government’s JIPSA and ASGISA initiatives by making enterprises more competitive and upskilling our unemployed: Productivity SA Executive Director, Dr Yvonne Dladla explains, “Productivity SA has initiated this process to firstly increase Productivity SA’s capacity and thereby amplify our impact on the country’s productivity levels and competitiveness, and secondly by addressing the skills problem as a way of increasing the productive capacity of the country. One of Productivity SA’s key projects is working with the Youth Commission to take unemployed graduates, and train them as productivity experts, who will fulfill a key role in building productivity competencies in the country.”
The Pan African Productivity Association (PAPA) will also be meeting today to discuss preparations for the Roundtable Conference for the Promotion of the Productivity Movement in Africa to be held between 28 – 31 August. The purpose of this conference is to share the experiences of Asian Productivity Organisation (APO) member countries with African partners from South Africa, Botswana, Kenya, Mauritius, Nigeria, Tanzania and Zambia on the role of national productivity organizations (NPOs) in national economic development through productivity movements.
|
|
