South Africa has the most dynamic automotive manufacturing industry in the continent, so it makes sense that Tyrexpo has become the must-attend marketplace for buyers and sellers of tyres, workshop equipment and tyre accessories that pretend to get introduced in the African market. On March 8-10 a new edition of the show, to be held at Sandton Convention Centre, in Johannesburg. We have interviewed the organisers and they give us some heavy reasons for don't miss this international Expo.
Tyrexpo Africa is the most important Show of its kind in the region but, what makes it different?
Tyrexpo Africa is the only trade show dedicated to the tyre and tyre related industries for the South African market. It is the key one-stop show for tyres, automotive repair & maintenance, services & smart solutions and tyre sustainability where industry market leaders converge to network, do business and share business ideas and solutions.
The 4 key exhibit profiles are:
- Tyres
- Automotive Repair & Maintenance
- Services & Smart Solutions
- Sustainability
Historically, Tyrexpo Africa has been a tyre-only exhibition. As the economy and industry demands change over the last decade, Tyrexpo Africa has been evolved to not just a tyre exhibition, but an exhibition for the tyre industry. This is to say that the exhibition will not surround just seller of tyres to buyers of tyres, but it will have a matrix effect that exhibitors will also be clients of another profile within the exhibition. For example, exhibitors who are in the tyre business may also do business with the exhibitors who are in the services profile, such as financing institution, training services, insurance and brokerage services, etc.
We also believe that the visitors at our exhibition should be maximising their time with us. With this in mind, we offer 4 key pillars of supporting events at Tyrexpo Africa:
1) Exhibition: Showcasing of products, innovation and solutions
2) Knowledge Platform:
- TechTalk Seminar: where speakers will be touching on business case studies, industry trends, challenges, policy/ regulation changes, best practices, etc. The target audience will be mainly decision makers or mid to senior management honchos. Speakers will include industry leaders, government officials, policymakers, think-tanks etc. Speakers would usually take this opportunity to showcase themselves as a thought-leader in the industry.
- Tyrexpo Technical Workshop: Hands-on, interactive training and demonstration mainly on workshop and garage equipment such as tyre repair, retreading, TPMS. The attendees are usually colleagues who work in garages and workshops. This is a good session to upgrade skills and get oneself certified/ qualified.
3) Networking: In Tyrexpo Series, we believe that business talks should not just be confined to a business hour, formal discussion. A good business discussion can also be done in a casual, relaxed environment where networking opportunities are plentiful for our participants. Tyrexpo Africa has also introduced our very own thematic F&B (Fries&Beer) Happy Hour where we have invited specific/ targeted groups of visitors and buyers to meet with our exhibitors. For e.g. on the 8th March, we will meet the fleet management players at the F&B Happy Hour, while on the 9th March, it will be for the Tyre players along with garage and workshop equipment players.
4) Business Matching: Business matching is an integral element of the Tyrexpo Africa experience. It has been very successful in assisting participants to make their relevant connections and facilitate the necessary meetings, allowing them to maximise their networking opportunities at the event. Making relevant connections and meetings is the reason why TEAF is the go-to event within the tyres and workshop equipment sector. This will encourage both exhibitors and visitors to make contact to fix up meetings prior to the start of the show and when they arrived at the show, meetings will be able to commence as soon as possible.
How you noticed the economic growth of the country? (rephrased questions: Business Opportunities in South Africa)
Capitalising on Africa’s growth in the automotive sector - The South African market is seeing a rise in disposable income, expanding consumer base, increasing urbanisation and introduction of electric vehicles in the market. This has, in turn, led to an increase in passenger car sales in the region, generating a positive growth in the automotive sector as well as the tyre market in South Africa.
The top five global tyre manufacturers have already established their tyre manufacturing plants in South Africa to cater to this growing demand for tyres in the country. Many other leading tyre players are also entering this market through imports.
The growth opportunities in the passenger car market are also attracting major global automotive companies to establish their manufacturing or assembly plants in South Africa. Apart from catering to domestic demand, this automotive manufacturer also export automobiles to neighbouring countries, further fueling the growth in South Africa’s OEM tyre market.
Source: South Africa Tyre Market Forecast & Opportunities, 2020 by TechSci Research
The growth in the tyre market in South Africa was also forecasted to grow at a CAGR of over 11% through 2020. With the city of Johannesburg’s Department of Economic Development and the National Treasury’s new injection of a R34 million project to set up an Automotive Industrial Park near Northern Johannesburg announced in 2014, we will see a rich concentration of motor dealerships, fitment centres, workshops and depot establishing their businesses, bringing about a potential growth in the automotive industry and increase job offerings in this area.
Why we can't miss the show?
It is the key trade gathering for the tyre and tyre related business that takes place every 2 years. In this latest edition, there are new supporting events such as the TechTalk Seminar, Tyrexpo Technical Workshop as well as the Tyrexpo Business Matching Service which will allow our participants to make useful and more targeted contacts. These are all available to pre-registered visitors.
This biennial show is for all in the Fleet Management companies, Tyre manufacturers/dealers/retailers, Garage and workshop owners who can buy, sell, meet, network and build critical business contacts in one single platform over 3 days. It is a trade only exhibition that sees close to 100 exhibitors with 2,000 industry visitors.
Don’t miss out our daily lucky draw where one Nikon digital camera will be given away daily. Join us at our Tyrexpo Fries&Beer Happy Hour to mingle with your industry peers and make new business connections.
Finally, give us some participation results from the last edition
- Number of Exhibitors: 133
- Number of participations: close to 1,600
Our exhibitors mainly use Tyrexpo Africa to:
- Develop and generate new markets
- Increase brand awareness
- Launch new products/ services
- Support local agents/ distributors
- Evaluate the market
Our visitors came to Tyrexpo Africa to:
- Source for products for purchase within the next 1 to 3 months
- Network and meet with suppliers and industry experts
- Keep up to dat3e with the latest industry trends and developments
- Learn what’s new in the industry
Our visitors came mainly from the:
- Automotive sector
- Looking to buy new commercial tyres
- Represents the tyre repair, workshop equipment sector
Project Director: Ms Eileen Hair
Photo credit: SingEx Exhibitions Pte Ltd